Chapter 49 Prepared for Any Eventuality

Su Chen sat on a plastic stool at the street food stall, gazing at the beautiful wealthy woman across from him, hesitating to speak.

It was hard to imagine that someone like Yan Mi, a celebrity of her stature, would actually bring him to eat at a roadside stall.

“You didn’t expect me to bring you to a place like this, did you? Hehehe~”

Seeing Su Chen’s expression, Yan Mi laughed heartily, shedding all traces of the poised female CEO she portrayed on television. At this moment, she was just an easygoing, ordinary girl.

Well, if you had to compare, she was just a touch more beautiful than most.

“I really didn’t expect it. Mentor Yan Mi is so approachable in private.”

Su Chen smiled, then asked in confusion, “But Mentor, is it really alright for you to be out here without any disguise?”

Yan Mi was munching on skewers, her face completely exposed, that stunning visage displayed openly before Su Chen.

Hearing Su Chen’s words, Yan Mi was momentarily stunned, then doubled over with laughter.

“No disguise... hahaha! That’s such a funny way to put it!”

It took her a while to catch her breath, clutching her stomach, before she rolled her eyes at Su Chen. “Oh come on, don’t make me laugh! I nearly lost my abs from laughing too much!”

“It’s already past midnight—there’s hardly anyone around! Besides, I come to this stall all the time, the owner knows me. It’s no big deal~”

With that, she stuffed another skewer of lamb into her mouth, a bit of oil glistening at the corner of her lips, making her look both playful and adorable.

“And in private, you don’t need to call me Mentor. Makes me sound old! I’m only twenty-eight, you know! Hmm... Since you’re Fuyu’s little brother, why don’t you just call me Sis like she does?”

Su Chen didn’t fuss, he replied directly, “Alright, Sis Mi!”

“Hehe, such a good little brother!”

Without even wiping her hands from the skewers, Yan Mi patted Su Chen’s shoulder. He had to admit, this side of her made his fondness for her grow, and with her connection to Zhang Fuyu, Su Chen decided not to beat around the bush. He got straight to the point.

“Sis Mi, you must have something you need my help with, right?”

At his words, Yan Mi paused, her hand halting midair before retreating.

She cleared her throat. “Ahem... You’re awfully direct. I wasn’t even ready yet!”

Su Chen said, “Whatever it is, just tell me, Sis Mi. If I can help, I will.”

Yan Mi looked a little embarrassed, but quickly composed herself.

“Since you put it that way, I do have a small favor to ask, if you don’t mind.”

She wiped her hands with a napkin, then grew serious. “As you probably know, I started my own media company called Jiaxing.”

Su Chen nodded.

“I did it because I didn’t want to be constrained by other companies, but due to financial reasons, I had to accept outside investment, which came with a performance agreement.”

She paused, then continued, “The agreement says that within three years, Jiaxing must reach a net profit of 300 million yuan. Otherwise, my shares will be diluted and I’ll go from being a small boss back to an ordinary employee. This is the third year, and I’m still a bit short...”

At that, Su Chen’s expression became a bit odd.

“I actually read about this in entertainment news... But surely you don’t want me to make up that 300 million? Even if you sold me, I wouldn’t fetch that kind of money!”

Now that they were more familiar, Su Chen joked with her.

“Oh, come on! Of course I’m not asking you for that!” Yan Mi protested, flustered. “Let me finish! I’m almost at the profit target, and I’m confident I’ll make it. This year, I bought the rights to a wildly popular IP called ‘Three Lives, Three Worlds, Three Miles of Peach Blossoms’ and produced a TV drama based on it. I have high hopes for its success—it’s bound to be a hit!”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke of the series. But soon, she seemed troubled again for reasons unknown.

“The only thing is, although the drama is finished, I still haven’t found a suitable theme song.”

“I’ve asked so many friends, even some top lyricists and composers, but none of their songs felt quite right to me...”

“You’re a musician, so you must know how crucial a TV drama’s theme song is—it needs to capture and highlight the work’s essence, set the mood, express emotion, and guide the audience in an irreplaceable way.”

“In fact, a truly good theme song can even make the drama itself a hit!”

As Yan Mi spoke, her large, sparkling eyes darted toward Su Chen.

“Fuyu told me that you’re the most talented songwriter she’s ever met. When I was venting to her, she suggested I come to you and give it a try...”

Truthfully, Yan Mi hadn’t held much hope at first. If so many industry heavyweights couldn’t deliver, how could a newcomer like Su Chen pull it off?

But during the competition, when she saw him compose a song on the level of “Chasing the Dreamer’s Heart” in just five minutes, Yan Mi immediately realized she had been completely wrong.

If even someone as gifted as Su Chen couldn’t write the theme for “Three Lives, Three Worlds, Three Miles of Peach Blossoms,” then who could?

After hearing her out, Su Chen fell silent.

All this just to commission a song—why talk to me about 300 million? No wonder I was so nervous!

He gave a wry smile. “Sis Mi, you really like to tell a story in circles...”

She giggled. “Well, I just wanted you to understand what’s at stake here. The drama is done, and every extra day of delay means more uncertainty. You wouldn’t want your Sis to end up a struggling wage earner, right?”

“Don’t worry, Fuyu already told me about the payment. As long as you write a suitable song, two million yuan will be transferred immediately, and you’ll even get a share of the drama’s post-release profits!”

Her honey-sweet voice was like a gentle hand, constantly tugging at Su Chen’s heartstrings.

After a brief consideration, Su Chen nodded. “Honestly, I didn’t want to get distracted during the competition, but since you’ve invited me out for barbecue, how could I refuse?”

At his words, Yan Mi beamed with delight.

“I knew my good brother Su Chen wouldn’t leave his Sis in the lurch! Now I can keep my seat as a little boss!”

Her adorable, lively manner made Su Chen feel almost overwhelmed, so he quickly interjected, “Don’t celebrate just yet, Sis Mi. I don’t know anything about the drama’s story yet—I can only promise to do my best.”

Hearing this, Yan Mi immediately pulled a file from her bag.

It was, without a doubt, a detailed script outline and story summary for “Three Lives, Three Worlds, Three Miles of Peach Blossoms.”

She actually carried it around with her!

“...Sis Mi, you really came prepared!” Su Chen gave another wry smile.

A faint blush colored Yan Mi’s cheeks. “Hehe, always better to be safe than sorry!”

Su Chen could only take the script from her and begin leafing through it.