TCFGBH Chapter 18

The sky was a bright blue, and the scorching sunlight bathed the verdant leaves. The morning mist quickly evaporated under the heat.

It was rush hour in the bustling commercial district—people dressed in stylish outfits hurried by, their footsteps quick and purposeful. In the corner of a coffee shop on the ground floor, lush green vines hung down, their leaves draping gracefully. Soothing piano music filled the space, helping to ease the tension in the air.

A young man lounged lazily on a soft sofa, his long legs half-spread but somewhat cramped under the table, unable to fully stretch out. He held a beige-brown cushion in his arms, and the dark red sweatshirt around his waist was slightly rolled up, revealing a sliver of pale skin.

The intense, fiery passion represented by red collided with the young man’s lazy, carefree demeanor and naturally flirtatious eyes, creating an explosive visual effect.

It was impossible to look away as if he drew everyone in with an irresistible charm.

Cheng Bingyu’s hands trembled slightly, her eyes shining like stars in the sky, too excited to speak. She had a hunch—this new series would be a hit! A massive success!

“Xia Yan, we’re signing the contract right now, immediately!” Cheng Bingyu took a deep breath, pulling out the contract she had prepared in advance, increasing the original endorsement fee from five million to ten million.

This was a sum comparable to top-tier celebrities.

“I know you have a variety show to shoot, and you’re busy, so we’ll work overtime today to get the promotional posters done. As for the commercial…”

A standard commercial usually ran for about 30 seconds and took 3 to 7 days to film. Rushing it in a day would be impossible. Although they could wait until after Xia Yan’s variety show to film the ad, Cheng Bingyu couldn’t wait to announce the new spokesperson to the public.

She thought momentarily and added, “Let’s first shoot a simple, ten-second teaser ad to release as a preview, and then later we’ll film a full commercial.”

It wasn’t uncommon in the industry to shoot several different versions of ads for the same product with the same spokesperson.

Cheng Bingyu’s suggestion wasn’t out of the ordinary.

The young man looked down at the contract without saying anything.

The contract was in duplicate, stamped with the company seal, and clearly outlined the penalty clause: if the brand’s image were damaged due to the spokesperson’s fault, they would need to pay three times the penalty fee.

Which was only a mere ten million more than his current net worth.

Once, a six-hundred-million-a-month salary had been within his reach… Xia Yan glanced at the system panel in his mind. Tasks three and six remained unfinished.

Task seven was still waiting to be refreshed.

Which meant that once he was blacklisted online, he would have at least one more task to complete.

If money became necessary at that time… his head was already beginning to ache! But based on the original character’s persona, he wouldn’t refuse a golden opportunity handed to him.

Xia Yan rubbed his temples and reluctantly spoke up under his manager’s urging gaze: “Isn’t this endorsement fee a bit too high?”

“Normally, the fee should only be five million.”

“Is the extra five million to thank me for saving your daughter?” The young man raised his head, showing dissatisfaction in his eyes. Even though he was the one who raised the issue, he then turned around and questioned, “Are you saying I’m not worth ten million?”

He was deliberately causing trouble.

And he was a professional at it.

Under normal circumstances, if someone spoke to her this way, Cheng Bingyu would have ‘politely’ told them to leave. But this young man… the natural arrogance, confidence, and hint of rebelliousness in his eyes, so brave, yet somehow not annoying.

What fault could a big cat have?

The fault must lie with humans.

“No, you’ve misunderstood.” Cheng Bingyu chuckled. “Business is business, and personal matters are personal. I raised the fee to ten million because I believe you’re worth it. I even think you could directly become the Beaufort ambassador for China.”

Spokespeople come in various levels.

The lowest level is a brand friend, with no endorsement fee, just a celebrity promoting for free. Then, there’s brand ambassador, product endorser, series endorser, full-line endorser, China-region ambassador… the highest level being the global ambassador.

Xia Yan, a third-tier celebrity, had made a five-tier leap to become a series endorser. Once the news got out, certain people in the industry would be green with envy.

At this point, Cheng Bingyu felt a bit regretful.

Beaufort’s brand philosophy was about comfort, freedom, passion, exploration, and living life uniquely.

And Xia Yan had a certain detachment from the world—a laziness that wasn’t indulgent, a flamboyance that wasn’t reckless, and a burning desire for life that came from deep within. A fire of passion lit within his soul.

He was a perfect match for Beaufort’s brand image.

It was as if he had been made to be their spokesperson.

Xia Yan wasn’t aware of what she was thinking. He was unnerved by the increasingly fervent gaze the woman was giving him.

Tracing back his personality, it went all the way to his previous life. What corporate slave wouldn’t want to slack off?

As long as the job was done well, being a little lazy now and then, as long as the boss didn’t catch you, wasn’t a big deal. As for being flirtatious… well, that came naturally with his seductive eyes, which made it seem like he was always flirting with people. There was nothing he could do about that.

And as a socially anxious person, he had the habit of keeping a cold face when facing strangers. This eventually led to a situation where he could always maintain a calm exterior and think things through, no matter how panicked he felt inside.

Otherwise, his cover would have been blown after a year of living in this world, and his character’s persona would have collapsed.

Perhaps because he had died once in a car accident and experienced darkness and pain, he appreciated the value of life more than ordinary people. He was now diligently working as a scapegoat, trying to get resurrected.

This complex experience created the complex person that was Xia Yan.

Everyone who met him couldn’t help but be drawn to him, whether for better or worse.

Xia Yan: “?”

The more Cheng Bingyu looked at Xia Yan, the more regretful she felt. After hesitating for a long time, her expression changed several times before she couldn’t help it anymore. She walked to the side to make a phone call.

The distance was a bit far, so Xia Yan and Wang Dazhuang could only catch a few scattered words.

“Impossible…” “Just…” “Even if Liang Ting…” … “…bring him over to see…”

Wang Dazhuang was on the verge of panicking, worried that this opportunity might slip away.

“My little ancestor, couldn’t you have said less?”

The young man’s eyes flashed a hint of guilt, but he stubbornly replied, “This is about my dignity. I don’t take handouts.”

“…”

“……….”

Wang Dazhuang rolled his eyes in frustration. “During the Heartbeat live stream, you were perfectly willing to accept Ah Er’s charity. Where was your dignity then?”

Xia Yan silently looked away.

“You used to be so obedient when taking endorsements. What’s with this change now…?” Wang Dazhuang suddenly looked alarmed. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to quit the industry?”

“No.”

“It’s not because of all the hate online?”

“I don’t care about that.”

“That’s true. After all, your reputation was only good in your first year after debuting. You’ve been getting hate ever since.” Wang Dazhuang nodded. “I suppose you’re used to it by now.”

Xia Yan was truly the least affected by public opinion of any artist Wang Dazhuang had ever met.

Sometimes, he even caught Xia Yan secretly using a side account to like posts criticizing himself.

It was… something Wang Dazhuang couldn’t understand.

While the two were chatting, Cheng Bingyu finished her phone call and returned, dropping a bombshell as soon as she opened her mouth.

“We’re not signing the contract just yet.”

Wang Dazhuang froze, panicking.

Xia Yan also froze, but he was amused.

This goes to show how differently people experience emotions.

“I just called the board of directors to suggest making Xia Yan the Beaufort ambassador for China. After some persuasion, they’ve finally agreed to consider it, but they want to see him first.”

“If all goes well, congratulations, Xia Yan,” the woman said with a smile. “Your ads will be everywhere in the capital.”

“…”

Xia Yan’s vision went dark, and he nearly fainted.

–

What followed was a surreal experience.

The young man dazedly followed the woman from place to place, occasionally facing cameras with no beauty filters, and meeting many high-level executives he didn’t recognize.

They praised his looks and charisma in all sorts of ways.

A group of them discussed for a long time.

Hiring an artist with scandals as a regional ambassador was a very risky move, but Xia Yan’s aura was something they couldn’t bear to give up on.

Fortunately, Beaufort’s brand philosophy included exploration.

Exploring the unknown, daring to take risks.

In the end, after a vote, Xia Yan was approved as the spokesperson with an astonishing number of votes in his favor. Of course, Beaufort wasn’t foolish and only agreed to a one-year contract.

The endorsement fee was thirty million, with a compensation clause set at five times that amount.
Holding the new contract in his hand, Xia Yan felt numb.

Going from a future debt of ten million to a future debt of one hundred and thirty million took just three hours.

Meanwhile, Wang Dazhuang was shouting with excitement on the side, “Yan Yan, you’re going to be a huge star!”

“…”

Tan Jiatong, thirty-five years old, was Beaufort’s exclusive photographer. She specialized in portrait photography, mastering the art of light, shadow, and detail to uncover a unique beauty in each model.

Last night, she received notice that the ambassador for Beaufort’s new “Playful” series would be coming to the studio today for a promotional shoot.

“Playful” was Beaufort’s latest trendy series, aimed at the youth market. It featured bold colors and eye-catching irregular cuts, but this series was notoriously tricky. One misstep and the look could shift from “fashion-forward” to “tacky.”

Tan Jiatong stayed up late doing her homework to prepare for the shoot, watching Xia Yan’s variety shows and dramas at double speed. She had to admit that Xia Yan was stunning, not in a delicate, feminine way—quite the opposite. There was an alluring wildness, extravagance, and sharpness to him.

He fits the “Playful” series perfectly, and there is no doubt about it.

However, there were other artists in the industry with a similar style. While they might not be as good-looking as Xia Yan, they didn’t have as much scandal attached to them!

Choosing Xia Yan as the ambassador was a risky move.

Tan Jiatong waited anxiously for over three hours, but Xia Yan still hadn’t shown up. Just as she was about to lose her temper, someone ran over with a message.

Apparently, Xia Yan had been promoted to Beaufort’s regional ambassador for central China.

Tan Jiatong was stunned. “???”

Had the higher-ups lost their minds?

She wasn’t the only one shocked. Every internal staff member who received the news pinched themselves to ensure they weren’t dreaming.

When Xia Yan finally stepped into the studio, it was like Tang Seng entering the Spider Cave¹The phrase “Tang Seng entering the Spider Cave” references a scene from Journey to the West, where the monk Tang Seng is surrounded by seductive spider demons.—a crowd stared at him without blinking.

“…”

Stay calm, don’t panic.

The young man’s eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly as he silently nodded to everyone as a greeting.

Everyone else: “…”

With his tall, slender body, flawless face, cool yet seductive expression, and mysterious, complex aura, even though they had seen Xia Yan countless times on video, seeing him in person made them realize that a camera couldn’t capture some beauty.

No wonder…

No wonder the higher-ups chose him.

If it were them, they’d choose him too. Countless people silently said to themselves, ‘Who could resist his beauty?’

The makeup artists and stylists rushed toward him, tools in hand, eager to showcase their skills and leave their mark on him. Yet they were also afraid that their clumsy hands might ruin his beauty.

Meanwhile, Tan Jiatong picked up her camera and began adjusting it. Most lenses caused slight distortions to portraits, so she patiently switched through them one by one, searching for the lens that best suited Xia Yan.

Inspiration flowed continuously.

Tan Jiatong was thrilled. She had a premonition that she was about to shoot the most beautiful photos of her life.

This was like a dream come true for a photographer who truly loved their craft.

Forty-five minutes later, in the studio.

Countless pairs of eyes were fixed on the dressing room door. Accompanied by the creak of the door opening, a young man stepped out.

His soft, jet-black hair contrasted with his smooth, pale skin. A streak of yellow-green eyeliner at the corner of his eyes echoed the light yellow and deep green jacket he wore.

Beneath the jacket was a simple white shirt adorned with a small, delicate leaf near the chest. His gray-green pants matched the color scheme of his outfit, as did his sporty shoes.

The bold color combination was like an autumn forest—vibrant, free, and beautiful. And the young man was like the fruit of that forest, nurtured by all its life, emanating a subtle fragrance of maturity that tempted one to pick it.

“Gulp.”

Someone swallowed nervously, breaking the silence.

The studio suddenly buzzed with excitement. People flocked around the young man, showering him with compliments. Even a fleeting glance from him sent shivers through their bodies.

Eventually, Tan Jiatong, the highest-ranking person present, called her colleagues to order. Under her direction, Xia Yan stepped onto the stage into the spotlight.

The contract had been signed. There was no backing out now. He might as well cooperate with them, finish the work, and leave immediately. After all, he had to return to “Love Island” tomorrow and still needed to activate his new phone number tonight.

Besides, by tomorrow, his reputation will be ruined. Beaufort certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to release these promotional photos.

These photos were destined to be buried deep in the darkest corners of some computers.

Xia Yan’s acting skills were already honed to perfection. No matter what the photographer asked of him, he executed it flawlessly.

Outfit after outfit, each one exuding a different flavor. The more Tan Jiatong shot, the more excited she became, constantly praising the young man.

It wasn’t until the advertising director came to retrieve him that she reluctantly let go. “But I’m not done yet.”

“You’ve already shot several outfits.”

“Ten—twelve outfits.”

“Twelve outfits aren’t enough for promotion?” The director huffed, his mustache twitching. “We’re in a rush too. The board said we need to finish shooting a ten-second commercial today, preferably on location.”

After speaking, the man glanced at his watch. “It’s already five-thirty. If we don’t hurry, it’ll be dark soon.”

Tan Jiatong sulked. “Can’t Xia Yan stay for a few more days?”

“He has a variety show tomorrow.”

“Director,” someone timidly raised their hand, “it seems like Mr. Xia really doesn’t have anything tomorrow.”

Tan Jiatong: “?”

Director: “?”

Xia Yan himself looked equally puzzled.

“Eight minutes ago, the director of Heartbeat posted on Weibo, saying that due to certain reasons, the show’s filming will be paused for three days.”

Xia Yan turned to his manager. “What happened?”

Wang Dazhuang had just returned from a phone call outside, his expression a mix of emotions. He said, “That dog of an investor is unreasonable. Even though they promised that the couple who won the swimming obstacle course would get the endorsement deal, after Tu Xi won, they gave the endorsement to the second-place couple, Fang Xihua.”

Hearing this, the man’s gaze awkwardly shifted toward Xia Yan.

The young man blinked and hesitated. “Could it… have something to do with me?”

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  The phrase “Tang Seng entering the Spider Cave” references a scene from Journey to the West, where the monk Tang Seng is surrounded by seductive spider demons.