Chapter Thirty-Eight: I Admit It

They had lunch together at the hotel and talked in one go until past six in the evening, then simply decided to have dinner together as well. However, the wind and rain showed no signs of letting up, so Lin Jianlu suggested she call home to explain the situation. He then accompanied her downstairs to open another room on the same floor, making it more convenient for them to rest separately.

Of course, once the room was booked, they ended up gathering together to chat just the same.

Lin Jianlu had been traveling through time for half a year and had plenty of friends, but it was truly rare to find someone with whom he could have such a deep, one-on-one conversation for such a long time—covering topics that might not normally come to mind. Judging by her reactions, Chen Shuhua seemed to feel the same way, which made their conversation exceptionally engaging.

She had many triumphs and many moments of frustration.

Lin Jianlu was more indifferent; he only prided himself on two things: he had served in the military, and he had earned enough money for retirement. As for all the other miscellaneous matters—sales figures, fame, and the like—he didn't really care.

He mostly listened.

After they had talked enough about the past, they moved on to those three songs, and he gave her some impromptu vocal coaching. When they grew tired of singing, they would drift back into conversation. By the time they both started yawning, Chen Shuhua glanced at her watch and realized it was already two in the morning.

They finally retreated to their respective rooms.

At seven in the morning, they met up again to work out in the hotel's gym. Despite the night passing, the wind and rain outside continued unabated.

Old Duan still came to knock on the door at nine in the morning. When Lin Jianlu opened it, the first thing Old Duan saw as he stepped inside was Chen Shuhua sitting cross-legged on the sofa with sheet music in her hands, looking as relaxed and casual as if she were in her own home.

Old Duan didn't say a word; he simply handed over two newspapers, one for each of them.

Lin Jianlu took one look and immediately cursed, "What the hell!"

A photo taking up nearly a quarter of the page caught his eye immediately. In it, he was pushing his luggage forward while turning his head to look at the side, and Chen Shuhua, standing beside him, was looking at him with a beaming smile. Ordinarily, there would have been nothing wrong with this, but captured in this way, there was an inexplicable sweetness to the image!

But that clearly wasn't the problem!

The problem was, where on earth was this taken from?

Putting aside the fact that he hadn't seen anyone resembling a paparazzo in the arrivals hall yesterday, even if there had been, how could he have failed to notice them from that angle?

Had he been… pfft! Had he been blinded by love?

What a joke! Love was impossible. He had a fondness for her, and perhaps even more lust, but as for love—sorry, but for a middle-aged man from 2025, he didn't really believe in it anymore. Or rather, he didn't quite know how to love.

Tsk…

Headline: Lin Jianlu Secretly Meets in Taiwan; Chen Shuhua Is the True Love!

After scanning the content, he was left speechless—they hadn't even made it up!

"Reporters followed discreetly and witnessed Ms. Chen Shuhua driving into the hotel's underground garage. After parking, the two headed upstairs together. As of the time this article went to press this morning, the vehicle remained in the same spot..."

He leaned over to look at the paper she was holding. The headline read: "Lin Jianlu’s New Romance Exposed: Secret Tryst with Chen Shuhua on a Typhoon Night!"

Much the same.

Lin Jianlu didn't care, but Chen Shuhua looked quite embarrassed. With a flushed face, she explained to Old Duan, "I booked a room next door! I’m staying next door!"

Old Duan spread his hands. "It doesn't matter to me! You’re both adults; can I stop you from dating? It’s your agents who should be having a headache... though I suspect they don't care either. Lu, you make the headlines thirty times every ten days, and it’s always a scandal. And Shuhua, you..."

He hesitated for a long time before finally getting out the second half of his sentence: "You finally have a scandal of your own!"

Lin Jianlu burst into laughter. Chen Shuhua was left between laughing and crying.

After chatting for a while, Chen Shuhua went to the restroom, but then someone knocked on the door again. Lin Jianlu went to open it and saw Li Zongsheng charge in first, followed by Wakin Chau and Chang Chen-yue, who squeezed into the room one after another, with Wu Bai trailing behind, looking rather furtive.

Lin Jianlu was stunned by their intrusion.

Just then, Chen Shuhua emerged from the restroom. Seeing a large group of people suddenly appearing in the living room, she was startled. When she noticed them all staring at her unblinkingly, her face turned bright red within seconds.

Old Li smiled, looking like an older brother watching his younger sister get married.

That look seemed to say: *Not bad, not bad, at least she’s finally getting married off!*

After a few seconds of tension, Chen Shuhua finally couldn't hold it in anymore. With a red face, she pointed at them. "Don't go too far! I solemnly declare that I slept in the room next door!"

Everyone nodded in unison, wearing expressions of sudden realization.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Of course! Of course!"

...

In the afternoon, there was an unexpected phone call. A lazy, sweet voice spoke up: "Lu-zai, you’ve been in Hong Kong for a few days now. Have you finished your business? Let’s go for tea!"

It was Rosamund Kwan.

...

On June 21, just after the typhoon had passed, Rock Records held a formal press conference.

Both of the Duan brothers were in attendance. Lin Jianlu was there, and even the two agents, Ge Fuhong and Sylvia Chang, had dropped everything else to make it.

Big-name producers from Rock Records like Lo Ta-yu, Li Zongsheng, Chen Sheng, Xiao Chong, and Bao Xiaosong, along with artists under the label—Wakin Chau, Zhao Chuan, Chen Shuhua, Winnie Hsin, Sandy Lam, Wu Bai, Richie Jen, Rene Liu, and many others—all attended, provided they weren't tied up with unavoidable business.

Because this was a big deal.

Old Duan announced to the hundreds of reporters present that global sales of *Cold to the End* had officially surpassed the ten-million mark, and that Rock Records had already applied for diamond record certification from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry!

They would also be releasing the *Cold to the End* video tape and a "Ten-Million Sales Celebration Edition" in the near future!

The data backed it up:

Mainland China: 3.68 million cassettes, 170,000 CDs.

Taiwan: 1.57 million copies sold in eleven weeks, breaking the market record for highest sales.

Hong Kong: 760,000 copies sold in eleven weeks, breaking the market record for highest sales.

Singapore: 350,000 copies, a record for Chinese-language albums in that market.

Malaysia: 310,000 copies, a record for Chinese-language albums in that market.

Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries: 410,000 copies.

South Korea: 550,000 copies; Japan: 820,000 copies.

Totaling all these up, there were 4.94 million CDs sold, plus the 3.68 million cassettes from the mainland, amounting to 8.62 million verified copies of genuine sales!

Considering that this data was lagging by two to five weeks, it was highly likely that actual sales had already crossed the 9-million mark.

Of course, announcing that sales had broken ten million was definitely inflating the numbers. But that didn't matter; everyone did it. Old Duan could brag without the slightest hint of blushing, and Lin Jianlu just had to stand there and accept the baptism of the camera flashes.

In fact, no one questioned it. The massive popularity of *Cold to the End* over the past few months was common knowledge, especially among journalists.

Moreover, looking at everyone's reactions, there wasn't even much surprise. This was big news—huge news for the Chinese music scene, the recording industry, and the entire entertainment world—but as mentioned, the reporters who covered this beat either had already guessed it, or they had heard the rumors long ago.

It had to be reported, and reported grandly—front-page headlines!

But that wasn't the main point.

Writing a piece based on the information provided at the press conference was enough.

So, after Old Duan finished, everyone applauded and offered congratulations. Then, they went through the routine of asking a few questions. When the microphone was passed to Lin Jianlu, everyone suddenly perked up.

Since his debut, Lin Jianlu had rarely given reporters a chance to ask concentrated questions.

"Lu, are you dating Shuhua? Are you living together?"

Lin Jianlu took the microphone and spoke slowly, "Your news is outdated! Right now..."

He leaned forward, scanning the crowd on one side, then the other. "My girlfriend is Rene Liu! I'll be taking her out to dinner in the next few days; you can come and take photos then!"

The acquaintances from Rock Records couldn't help but smile, while only those less familiar with him looked shocked—this was just Lin Jianlu’s usual style!

Of course, Rene Liu was the exception.

She froze immediately, looking at Lin Jianlu in astonishment.

Just then, a reporter actually believed him. Lenses turned toward Rene Liu instantly, and camera flashes went off dozens of times as everyone scrambled to get "evidence."

A moment of chaos broke out among the reporters.

The reporter who asked the question hesitated, looking slightly annoyed. The answer felt like a brush-off, but it also carried a sense of contempt and provocation.

Before he could say anything else, Lin Jianlu pointed a finger. "You, buddy. I can see you're bursting with questions. You go ahead. One question each!"

The reporter stood up, practically grabbing the microphone. "Hong Kong media reported that you previously traveled to Bangkok with Ms. Sylvia Chang and intend to settle there. How do you respond to that? Does Ms. Chang intend to divorce and remarry?"

Sylvia Chang was standing right there!

Lin Jianlu hesitated, looking troubled as he glanced at her. "Oh, that matter... that's not something to be rushed. I'll talk to her husband later, and if he agrees, I wouldn't mind! When I have news, I'll let you know!"

Before he could finish, many people burst into laughter.

Sylvia Chang herself couldn't help it and laughed out loud on the spot. Li Zongsheng laughed so hard he slapped her shoulder.

Even the reporter who had seemed displeased moments ago couldn't help but laugh. More than half of the reporters were laughing, too.

Only Lin Jianlu remained serious, his expression deadpan.

Still, others persisted, fighting to raise their hands.

Lin Jianlu randomly pointed at a female reporter. She took the microphone and immediately asked, "Lu, have you already broken up with Gigi Leung?"

"Your news is even older! That was three or four days ago! Next!"

This time, almost everyone in the room burst into laughter.

For some reason, the strange, competitive atmosphere of trying to trap him had, after just a few answers, transformed into something else entirely. It no longer felt like a press conference, nor did it feel like paparazzi hounding a star; it felt like a stand-up comedy show!

"You, go ahead!"

"According to my sources, the title track of Karen Mok’s new album, 'Lemon Tree', was written by you in exchange for a kiss. Is that true?"

"Yes."

The room roared with laughter. Everyone realized that this press conference had completely lost its original nature.

"Lu, how many relationships are you juggling at once? Have they fought over you? How do you resolve it?"

"I don't."

Another round of roaring laughter.

At that moment, whether they admitted it or not, everyone felt like they had seen something new. Most stars were terrified of negative rumors; when faced with gossip, they would mostly deny it categorically, or if they couldn't, they would insist it was "true love," or simply hide away and play dead.

But Lin Jianlu was different.

He admitted to everything.

If you said it was a certain way, then that’s how it was.

And what could you do about it?

Yet, after that rapid-fire Q&A, almost everyone subconsciously felt that there was no need to do anything about him after all—what an incredibly interesting person he was!