Chapter 68: Becoming the Person You Most Disdain, The Final

She—what did she mean by that? For a moment, Cheng Yao was bewildered, but the next message arrived almost instantly.

Lin Ketong: I was very satisfied last night. Here’s some money—buy yourself some supplements and recover, you rotten jerk!!!

Staring at the message, Cheng Yao fell silent. Oddly, he felt a weight lift off his chest; he was much more at ease. He considered whether or not to reply to Lin Ketong, but couldn’t quite decide what to say.

Cheng Yao: When you smile, you really are the most alluring woman I’ve ever seen. But last night, we both had a bit too much to drink, so…

Lin Ketong: Get lost, you scumbag!!!

Since she was still replying, it meant she was still thinking about him. Cheng Yao felt as if he’d studied psychology; at the very least, his mind was clear and he didn’t feel anxious or unsettled because of Lin Ketong.

He figured it was best to let her cool down for a while—he needed to calm down as well. For now, he’d just leave things as they were.

Glancing at the time, Cheng Yao rushed out of bed, sent a quick message to Zhang Ya, showered and got ready, and checked out of the hotel right at noon.

Walking out of the hotel, Cheng Yao felt a surge of emotion. In the end, people always become what they once despised.

Host: Cheng Yao
Appearance: 84
Skills: Guitar, Extraordinary Hearing, Angelic Voice
Wealth: 70,620,000
Girlfriends: Zhang Ya (bound), Lu Mengyao (bound)

Without realizing it, his fortune had already surpassed seventy million, though Cheng Yao hadn’t really gone out of his way to amass wealth.

This amount was more than enough to start a company, but whether it could sustain future investments and operations was another matter—ultimately, it depended on how he planned to proceed.

For something small-scale, it was more than sufficient.

But if he truly wanted to achieve something remarkable, it definitely wouldn’t be enough.

What he needed was someone experienced in this field—a professional manager or agent. If he had to handle everything himself, it would be tough. Even finding the right people would require significant resources; the best option would be to poach talent from other companies.

Yet, he still had no clear plan.

Cheng Yao thought that starting with cultivating internet celebrities might be simpler—after all, with enough exposure, he’d soon get a better grasp of the scene. The industry was as deep and murky as a miniature entertainment world. These days, Douyin was renowned as the grand stage where the wealthy scouted for their ideal partners.

Seventy million was enough for him to try many things.

He hailed a ride and opened Douyin, only to find that it recommended Lin Ketong’s account. Focusing in, he saw she had over 800,000 followers.

All her videos were from car shows, where she filmed herself introducing various models and features.

Apart from her clear communication and high looks, there wasn’t much substance.

Cheng Yao’s eyes lit up. If he could help her enrich her content, her follower count would surely grow even faster. With her looks and talent, she’d be a breeze to promote.

He thought about Lu Mengyao—even someone as duplicitous as her had managed to amass a million followers.

Cheng Yao figured that if he started a company and packaged them properly, he could really make something happen.

The idea was appealing, but it would take a lot of money.

When he returned to campus, he grabbed a quick bite at the gate before heading inside.

The moment he walked into the classroom, a series of eyes landed on him. The class monitor, Fu Yujie, pushed up his glasses. “The homeroom teacher was calling roll, and you weren’t there.”

“I know. I’ve already been spoken to.”

“…”

“Cheng Yao, Cheng Yao! Tonight’s the finals! If you take out the last twenty-some upperclassmen, you’ll be the most amazing singing king in the whole school!” Wang Churuo’s heart had already molded itself into Cheng Yao’s shape—at least when it came to singing.

Liu Hanyue chimed in, sarcasm lacing her tone, “You don’t look so well—what did you do last night? Will you be up for it tonight?”

“I was studying last night,” Cheng Yao replied, of course refusing to admit what he’d really been up to. Sitting behind the two girls, he teased quietly, “If you want to see whether I’m in shape, we can test it out in that grove over there.”

“Ugh, you perv!” Wang Churuo wrinkled her nose in mock disgust, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. “What are you planning to sing tonight?”

“Me? I’ll sing a love song.”

“Can’t you do something different for once?”

Cheng Yao laughed. “Only if everyone likes it. Love songs are what resonate most.”

That afternoon, they had classes in their major. As soon as the homeroom teacher arrived, he glanced at Cheng Yao’s seat. Seeing him there, he said nothing, only asked, “Cheng Yao, tonight’s the finals, right?”

“Yes, teacher.”

Old Li smiled, “Feeling confident? I heard your grades are pretty good.”

“Teacher, he’s not just good—he’s the best!”

“The forum’s gone wild over him. No one even thinks the other contestants are in his league.”

“He’s seriously amazing!”

“I told people I’m in the same class as Cheng Yao—so many upperclasswomen have asked for my contact info.”

“Alright, let’s get started,” Old Li nodded approvingly. Having a top ten or even the champion of the singing contest in his class was something to be proud of—plus there was a bonus in it, even if it was small.

During class, Cheng Yao found himself unable to concentrate. His mind kept wandering to Lin Ketong, so he took out his phone and sent her a few messages, flirting a little to see if things could warm up again.

Lin Ketong hadn’t blocked him, but she didn’t reply either.

He knew this game of playing hard-to-get all too well.

Since she didn’t respond, Cheng Yao didn’t push it. Instead, he left her with, “I’m thinking of starting a company. Interested?”

Meanwhile, Lu Mengyao was out shopping with her roommate at Xin Street, planning to buy some furniture for their new place.

She also mentioned wanting to adopt a cat.

Cheng Yao understood what she meant—he’d find time to take her to pick one out.

He remembered that Zhang Ya liked cats too.

Sometimes, a wingman didn’t have to be a person—it could be an adorable animal. If you could attract a girl’s attention, your chance would come.

The afternoon classes passed quickly. The class grew lively, everyone talking about cheering him on that night. Even the guys couldn’t help but join the excitement.

Cheng Yao borrowed a guitar early—or rather, before the contest even began, a few girls from the neighboring class had already brought one over for him.

Wang Wenbo looked on enviously. “Damn it, Cheng Yao, can I be your agent when you’re famous?”

“Get lost.”

“Tsk, poor Baobao.”

When Cheng Yao arrived at the gymnasium, a crowd had already gathered at the entrance. Inside, the noise was deafening. As he walked backstage, dozens of eyes turned his way.

The upperclassmen and women were all feeling the pressure; the top ten spots—or rather, the top nine—would be contested by the remaining twenty-three of them.

The music teacher’s eyes lit up. “Cheng Yao, you’re here.”

“Hello, teacher.”

“Take a rest for now. You’re scheduled towards the end. Want a throat lozenge?”

“Thank you.” Cheng Yao popped one into his mouth, found a seat, and strummed the strings to get a feel for them.

On stage, two girls sang quite well, each scoring in the eighties, but compared to Cheng Yao’s perfect score in the preliminaries, they fell short.

By now, the audience was already in a frenzy.

“From Class 1, School of Economics—Cheng Yao, please take the stage!”

Even backstage, Cheng Yao could hear the cheers. He took his guitar and stepped onto the stage, the spotlight following his every move.

After exchanging pleasantries, he found his seat and prepared. The judges were the same music teachers and student council members as before.

Most of the audience had their phones out, recording.

By now, Cheng Yao was a campus celebrity—at least four or five out of every ten students knew who he was.

Sitting there in the spotlight, he exuded a calm, artistic air; what set him apart most was his aura, perfectly controlled.

One of the judges smiled. “Please begin your performance!”

…

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