Chapter 24: Don't Waste Your Money on Me

Not every man who drifts through the world of pleasure-seeking starts out as a scoundrel. Every seasoned pro was once a Zhang Wansen. If not for having loved someone so deeply, why would anyone resort to such places, using the very methods they once despised to toy with the emotions of others? It is a performance of hollow affection, a mutual tug-of-war intended to exhaust every last illusion one holds about love.

But people... it is easy to deceive anyone, yet so difficult to deceive oneself. The past that one cannot let go of, the person one cannot forget—these are buried deep within, while the surface remains frivolous and irreverent.

Yet, in this very moment, Lu Yao’s line, "I fear that after hoping and hoping, it still won't be you," shattered the defenses of so many men in the room. Especially those who have achieved success in their careers. Perhaps they once broke up out of the insecurity of poverty, only to return after making a name for themselves, finding her living a modest but blissful life with a family of three. That was when they realized she never cared whether he was wealthy—and now, he had lost everything. Or perhaps, a long-lost love had simply vanished into thin air, until a glimpse of a familiar silhouette in a crowd brought it all back.

That is why a "honey trap" is not just a beautiful woman in stockings posing for you. It is when you suddenly see someone who looks just like her, leaping out to smile and say, "Hey, how are you still as silly as you were in high school?"

Many of the men in the room felt as if a dark cloud was pressing down on their hearts, an ache that demanded release. They began calling for more drinks, or grabbing confetti cannons, spraying the stage with ribbons as if they were worthless, trying to vent the emotions trapped inside.

Bright lights focused on Lu Yao. Confetti drifted down amidst the roar of the crowd. In this moment, Lu Yao had not only captured the ears of his audience but had seized their very emotions. He became the sole focus of the room. Men roared and cheered for him; wealthy women, eyes brimming with tears, longed to comfort him with their own bodies—surely, he must have suffered some great injustice to write such a song.

Sister Wang was also overcome, her eyes shimmering with tears as she tilted her head back, breathing deeply to maintain her composure. "This little guy," she thought, "he's really messing with my head."

Nearby, watching the frenzied crowd and listening to the lyrics, Fan Shushu couldn't help but wonder: "Could this—could this song be written for me?" A complex, bittersweet feeling stirred in her heart. Yes, the yearning to hold someone, the fear that after hoping and hoping it wouldn't be him... who knew his feelings for her were so intense? Yet, she had never truly looked at his feelings for her. Regret, remorse, and even a flicker of desire churned within her. In that moment, she recalled a line from *A Chinese Odyssey*: "Once, there was a sincere love..."

As the song ended, thunderous applause erupted. Confetti and light sticks shimmered in the air, cheers and screams rang out in unison. Men raised their glasses, wealthy women offered toasts; the atmosphere was boiling over.

Watching the scene, Xiao Nali, the entertainment director standing off-stage, let out a long breath. She had bet correctly! The effect was even better than expected. The most important thing about a good original song is its ability to touch the heart, to resonate emotionally, and to pull at the memories of every listener, dragging them into their own private sorrows. Without a doubt, Lu Yao had succeeded.

Xiao Nali immediately spoke into her microphone, "Lu Yao, you can take your bow now." Originally, Lu Yao had two original tracks and one pop cover planned for the night, just in case he couldn't ignite the crowd. But now that one song had achieved such an effect, she didn't want him to perform any more. This was the art of scarcity marketing.

Lu Yao paused on stage, but he followed orders, bowing to the audience as other singers quickly took over for the next set. As he stepped off-stage, Xiao Nali patted his shoulder with satisfaction. "Well done!"

Song Jing exclaimed with a grin, "Damn! Lu, you were incredible!" At that moment, he didn't even want to rap anymore. Compared to Lu Yao’s lyrics, most rappers' work was utter garbage—no, they weren't even worthy of being compared.

Zhou Bella jumped with excitement. "Brother Lu! Are you taking apprentices?"

Lu Yao chuckled. "No apprentices, only mounts." The kind with twin ponytails.

"Huh?" Zhou Bella blinked.

Lu Yao turned to Xiao Nali. "Nali, I'm going over to my friends."

"Alright," Xiao Nali replied, already looking out for his voice. "Don't drink too much."

Lu Yao gave an "OK" gesture and walked toward Sister Wang. Watching him go, Xiao Nali sighed to herself, thinking it was a shame for such talent not to enter the entertainment industry. Suddenly, she stared at Zuo Zuo and Zhou Bella. "I have a task for you two: how about you convince Lu Yao to join the entertainment industry?"

Zuo Zuo and Zhou Bella stared back, completely bewildered.

...

After Lu Yao stepped off the stage, many in the room cheered and raised their glasses, wanting to toast him. Lu Yao pressed his palms together in apology, using the excuse of "protecting my voice" to decline.

When he finally reached the booth where Sister Wang and the others were sitting, Jian Xiaojie stared at him with longing, cooing, "Oh my~ isn't this our big star, Lu? Come, sit in sister's arms."

Sister Wang slapped Jian Xiaojie’s hand away and patted the seat next to her. "Sit here."

"No, no!" Jian Xiaojie pushed Sister Wang’s hand aside and pulled Lu Yao to sit between them. "Sit between us! Or I’m breaking off our friendship!"

Lu Yao was momentarily distracted, but he sat down between them. Xu Ziqiao, watching from the side, felt a pang of envy. He finally understood the truth: "It’s not that women aren't proactive; they just aren't proactive toward *you*. When you are outstanding enough, they become fully automatic."

Now, he was witnessing the "fully automatic" phenomenon. Xu Ziqiao looked toward the ceiling, wondering why the gap between people had to be so vast.

Once seated, Lu Yao raised his glass. "Thank you, Sister Wang and Sister Jian, for coming to support me tonight. This one's for you."

Jian Xiaojie was overjoyed. This was what you called status! Others tried to toast Lu Yao and were rejected, but he was toasting them! She downed her drink and heroically called the bartender to "call" for Lu Yao—which meant paying for a lavish shout-out. The DJ would announce the tip, lights would flash, and smoke machines would blast—it was tacky, but Jian Xiaojie was happy.

After receiving the reward, Lu Yao said with a look of feigned distress, "Sister Jian, don't waste your money on me. Just come by and sit more often if you like me."

Hearing this, Jian Xiaojie’s heart nearly melted. He was so sensible, so considerate. *I have to keep tipping him!!*