Chapter 35: Radiance

Life had suddenly become leisurely again, and it felt truly wonderful to be idle.

He could do whatever he pleased, or nothing at all if he didn't feel like it. Aside from making the trip back to Nanluoguxiang on Sundays to have a meal and soothe his parents' subtle separation anxiety, Lin Jianlu spent his days riding his old "Flying Pigeon" bicycle around the neighborhood, running errands, and cooking for himself.

He had gone to look at cars recently. He felt it was necessary to own one; having a vehicle was, after all, more convenient. Despite his immense fame, as long as he wore a baseball cap, dark sunglasses, a pair of loose shorts, a polo shirt, and sneakers while pedaling his bicycle, he was rarely recognized.

On the evening of June 8th, he hosted a gathering at a small restaurant just outside his residential complex, serving mutton skewers and beer. He had invited a group of musicians: Zheng Jun, Xu Wei, Zhang Yadong, and Wang Feng, the lead singer of the No. 43 Baojia Street band. There was a reason for this—he primarily wanted to treat Xu Wei and Wang Feng because he had "borrowed" their songs, and he would likely continue to do so in the future. Although they certainly didn't know it, in Lin Jianlu's view, at least he would have a clear conscience.

Just that afternoon, a girl named Zuo Xiaoqian had called him, asking to hang out. She said she was in the middle of final exams, with days off in between, and was bored. So, he had brought her along for the evening.

When Xue Zhongding arrived after picking up Sylvia Chang from the airport, he spotted the scene from afar. What Sylvia saw was this: the young man who was famous across Asia, whose album sales were in the millions, who was being courted by dozens of brands and over eighty media outlets, and who had piles of requests from record labels and agents—that very same boy was sitting at a street-side stall in Beijing, wearing a T-shirt and loose shorts, his feet in blue plastic flip-flops, laughing and drinking, engaged in a spirited game of finger-guessing with his friends, while an exceptionally sweet-looking girl sat obediently by his side.

"Is he always like this?"

During their call, she had specifically asked Xue Zhongding not to tell him she was coming. Now, she stopped Xue, pulled a camera from her bag, and snapped several photos before turning to ask him.

Xue Zhongding thought for a moment and smiled. "Before he went to the company, he told me he had retired."

Sylvia laughed. "He's only twenty!"

Xue Zhongding shrugged. "But he's truly happy."

Sylvia chuckled again. She considered asking something else but decided against it. She put away her camera, walked over, pulled a small bamboo stool from an empty table, placed it next to Lin Jianlu, and tapped Xu Wei on the shoulder. "Excuse me, could you shift over?"

Xu Wei subconsciously moved his chair to make space, but he and everyone else at the table turned to look. They were all stunned for a moment. The lighting from the single bare bulb above the roadside table wasn't great, and no one seemed to recognize her, but everyone could tell she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

Lin Jianlu turned around as well. "Whoa... what are you doing here?"

Seeing Xue Zhongding behind her, he realized what had happened and burst into laughter. He hailed the owner, "One more case of beer, two more glasses, and another pound of skewers!"

Sylvia replied, "I couldn't help it! We're all worked to death, and you're here having such a great time—it makes me feel annoyed. So, I had to come and make you feel a bit annoyed too."

Lin Jianlu roared with laughter.

Once the glasses were brought and the beer was set down, Lin Jianlu poured a drink for Sylvia from the half-empty bottle at his feet. Sylvia didn't stand on ceremony; she raised her glass to the group. "I'm from Taiwan. My name is Sylvia Chang. A toast to everyone!"

"Whoa!"

The group was taken aback. Among those in the mainland's film, pop, and rock music scenes, there were very few who didn't know Sylvia Chang. Before the rise of the iconic actresses of Hong Kong cinema, she was the leading lady carrying the banner. Bootleg copies of her classic films were widely circulated in the mainland, and as for her music, she was a legend on par with Teresa Teng.

Most importantly, she was stunningly beautiful—Teresa Teng, Sylvia Chang, Brigitte Lin, and Joey Wong were considered the quintessential representatives of Taiwanese beauty in the hearts of mainlanders.

Glasses clinked, and beer splashed.

By now, Xue Zhongding had pulled up a stool and squeezed into the circle. Before he could even take a drink, he began introducing everyone to Sylvia. She nodded politely at each introduction. When she heard that the young girl, Zuo Xiaoqian, was the lead in the music video for "Love is Just a Word," she exclaimed, "Oh, how beautiful!"

Zuo Xiaoqian, usually quick-witted and eloquent, suddenly felt clumsy and stammered a response. The atmosphere at the table shifted; it felt as if Sylvia's arrival had completely captivated everyone. She was a goddess.

The conversation became more polite, civilized, and high-brow, eventually turning to the history of rock music. It felt a bit dull.

An hour later, the party broke up. Because of the interruption, no one had drunk too much, and those who had were sobering up, so they dispersed into the night.

Xue Zhongding helped hail a taxi to take Zuo Xiaoqian back to her school. Lin Jianlu leaned into the passenger window and handed her 50 yuan. "Don't take the long way, get her there quickly—I'm worried about the school gate closing!"

"You got it! Leave it to me!"

The van sped off and quickly vanished into the darkness. Lin Jianlu then accompanied Sylvia for a casual walk down the street, with Xue Zhongding trailing at a distance.

"I went to Hong Kong on the 20th of last month. Ge called me over. She wanted to split the profits from the deals she negotiated, and she didn't want to see me sitting idle, so she asked me to help."

"I know."

"That segment where you walked the runway—Ge managed that for you. It wasn't just aired on their station; it was broadcast on Hong Kong's TVB as well. The response was excellent. Many newspapers called it your 'Eight-Minute Shine.' Several brands were already trying to reach out, but after the broadcast, there were even more. Ge and I have been busy negotiating and meeting with them."

"Mhm."

His assistant, Lin Xilei, called often with various reports and requests, so he was aware of all this.

"You know the entertainment industry in the mainland isn't developed, and there aren't many stars with real commercial value. In the past, everyone liked to use Hong Kong artists, but now that you've appeared, you have a natural advantage! Especially with your image and current popularity—the brands are very eager."

"Got it! That means I'm about to make a lot of money!"

"Ha, exactly! Oh, by the way, many media outlets want exclusive interviews. I've been screening them, but we should accept a few. You should be on more covers; your photos are a huge asset."

"Great! I'll leave it to you."

"By the way, do you know what day it is? It's the 7th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan!"

"Then why aren't you there? Why did you come to the mainland?"

"I turned it down. It's just an awards ceremony, and I'm not releasing an album, so it doesn't matter if I go or not. Discussions are already happening internally about the rules regarding ancestral origin; they'll have to change sooner or later. Even if they don't change next year, it's highly likely they will the year after. You'll definitely be able to participate! Like this year, since you aren't going, it's actually them who look awkward! But they can say that in '95 you hadn't debuted yet. What about next year? If you don't participate next year, the organizers will be even more embarrassed... If you and 'Cold to the End' don't get any awards, wouldn't the Golden Melody Awards become a joke?"

"Heh... I really don't care."

Indeed, today was the night of the 7th Golden Melody Awards.

Lin Jianlu couldn't possibly receive a nomination because he was a mainland citizen, and the Golden Melody Awards had residency/origin requirements. He wouldn't be nominated, and certainly wouldn't win. He had been invited to attend as a guest, but he had declined.

In fact, it wasn't just the Golden Melody Awards; the Jade Solid Gold Top Ten Awards in Hong Kong were the same—they were for Hong Kong residents, and mainlanders couldn't participate in the judging or nominations. That was the rule since they were founded.

However, Channel [V], the largest satellite station in Asia under Murdoch's News Corporation, held the "Chinese Music Awards" every January. Lin Jianlu might be able to participate in that one; at least that award didn't restrict eligibility based on one's place of origin!

Still... it didn't matter.

Lin Jianlu truly didn't care about such things. He didn't want awards, and he had no intention of immigrating to Hong Kong. He just wanted to make money. Even if they gave him "Best Lyricist" or "Best Composer," so what? Were they even his to begin with?

Under a streetlamp, Sylvia suddenly stopped and looked at him. Only when Lin Jianlu stopped and turned to look at her did she ask, "Do you really not care?"

Lin Jianlu laughed. "Do you think I care?"

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "Are you really only twenty?"

Lin Jianlu just shrugged.

Finally, she waved her hand and continued walking. "Fine, let's not talk about that. Let's not dwell on things that haven't been decided yet. A trip to Southeast Asia is actually on the table. Ge is busy, so I'll accompany you! The schedule is tight: 4 days, 9 shows, for a total of 480,000 dollars. Are you in?"

Lin Jianlu's eyes lit up instantly. "I'm in! Why wouldn't I be? Only a fool turns down money!"

Sylvia burst into laughter.