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IOLYF Chapter 39

At nine in the morning, a video of Gao Chen performing his new song on the street went viral across major short video platforms, quickly climbing the trending charts. As more people viewed and discussed the video, the buzz surrounding the song and the mysterious singer spread like wildfire.

The sudden surge in popularity caught Gao Chen off guard. He had never expected that this song, essentially still in its first draft and barely refined, would stir up such a frenzy online. In recent years, his career had been marked by stagnation, and he had nearly lost confidence in his ability to judge the quality of his own work. Before releasing any song, he would anxiously revise it countless times, often altering it beyond recognition, only to later regret the changes after facing criticism from listeners. Despite this, he couldn’t break free from this habit. If not for Mo Ming last night, he probably would have extensively revised this new song too.

So last night…

Mo Ming hadn’t just been trying to find random listeners for him. He had been using the reactions of the crowd to help Gao Chen regain his self-assurance.

Gao Chen couldn’t quite describe how he felt at that moment. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes heavily, as Mo Ming’s image flashed through his mind. “Thank you…”

Looking up, Gao Chen saw his agent aiming the camera lens at him, and with a calm expression, he said, “I’m ready. Let’s begin.”

At three in the afternoon, Gao Chen’s studio released a recorded video.

In the video, Gao Chen was seated on a light blue sofa against a plain white wall. With his right leg propped up and his guitar resting on it, he was dressed in the same black casual outfit from the previous night at the plaza. A fisherman’s hat was perched on his head, and this time, his black mask was pulled down to reveal his familiar, handsome face.

This time, there was no background noise. Gao Chen softly played and sang the now-viral new song, his voice even clearer and more captivating than the night before, with a clean, magnetic quality that was almost devoid of any impurities.

Within five minutes of the video’s release, the comment section nearly crashed from the flood of responses.

[Ahhhh, it was Gege who sang this! Gege, you’re amazing!]
[I knew that voice sounded like yours! It really is you! No wonder it’s so good!]
[This is just so good, oh my god. Hurry up and record it again, upload it to . I need this on repeat!]
[After three years of being called creatively burnt out, he releases a new song post-divorce that takes the internet by storm. Guess that divorce was the right move!]
[Haha, no haters in the comments now, huh? Goes to show, talent speaks for itself!]
[Aww, Gao Chen, you thief of hearts! Not only are you handsome, but your singing is also so damn good! I’m totally smitten!]
[Um… Am I the only one curious why Gao Chen was busking last night? That doesn’t seem like something he’d normally do.]

The video quickly shot to the top of the trending charts, spreading Gao Chen’s name far and wide. It was now well-known that the singer in the viral video was none other than Gao Chen.

Seizing the moment, Gao Chen’s agency swiftly initiated promotional work for the official recording of the new song.

In the recording studio, staff members were busy with preliminary preparations.

Gao Chen’s agent, Cheng Xiang, monitored the public’s reaction on his phone for a while, satisfied with the trends before tucking the device back into his pocket. Approaching Gao Chen, he asked quietly, “What made you decide to busk with your new song last night?”

Gao Chen, leaning against a table with one hand holding the music sheet and the other resting on his arm, looked down and replied calmly, “It was a friend’s suggestion.”

Cheng Xiang chuckled, “Well, you should really thank that friend. This unplanned publicity is worth millions in marketing. The song is undeniably good, but without this stroke of luck, it would have taken much longer to gain traction just through word of mouth.”

Gao Chen set the music sheet down, frowning slightly.

He understood Cheng Xiang’s point, but the truth was, he didn’t even have that friend’s contact information, nor was he sure if they considered him a friend. Especially with Han Shao Zhou in the picture…

“How about this? The recording will probably be done by dinner. Why don’t you reach out to this friend and see if they’re free tonight? We could treat them to a meal.” Cheng Xiang suggested.

“They’re also in the industry. A last-minute invitation might not work.” Gao Chen said.

“True, it would seem insincere. Well, since they’re your friend, you can always treat them to a meal another time to show your gratitude.” Cheng Xiang said, patting Gao Chen on the shoulder with a smile. “This friend of yours really helped us out.”

Gao Chen nodded, offering a small smile without saying much more, his mind drifting back to the image of that face in the dim light last night.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

With that, Gao Chen left the room and walked down the hallway toward the restroom, pulling out his phone to call his mother, who was abroad.

“…Yes, that’s the one in the bottom drawer. Could you send it over, please?”

With no social obligations that evening, Han Shao Zhou planned to head back to the apartment after work. Last night, he had indulged himself quite thoroughly with his beautiful little lover, leaving the poor guy completely exhausted. He figured Mo Ming was probably still mad, given how he’d buried himself in the blankets to avoid giving him a goodbye kiss this morning.

On the way, Han Shao Zhou had the driver stop at a jewelry store. He went inside, intending to pick out something nice to cheer Mo Ming up.

The store manager immediately recognized Han Shao Zhou and hurried over to serve him.

After browsing the display cases, Han Shao Zhou found himself at a loss. He had already given Mo Ming many luxurious accessories, but it seemed like Mo Ming never wore them. When he asked, Mo Ming explained that as a public figure, wearing such flashy items would attract too much attention.

But Han Shao Zhou still wanted something on Mo Ming that would visibly mark him as belonging to him. It would give him a sense of satisfaction just to see it.

Watches and necklaces were too flashy, so… a ring, maybe?

At Han Shao Zhou’s request, the manager brought out a selection of diamond rings, eagerly explaining each one. When the topic of couples’ rings came up, Han Shao Zhou’s interest was piqued.

A single ring, no matter how expensive, was just an accessory. But a pair of couples’ rings? Even if they were cheap plastic ones bought from a street vendor, Mo Ming would probably jump up and kiss him out of sheer joy.

Given Mo Ming’s preference for subtlety, Han Shao Zhou ignored the manager’s suggestions of extravagant six-figure diamond rings. Instead, he picked out a pair of platinum rings adorned with small blue diamonds—elegant and refined, yet not too ostentatious. Though they were only worth a few thousand, much less than his previous gifts, Han Shao Zhou didn’t care. Their relationship had long surpassed the need to express affection through the value of gifts.

What Mo Ming needed most now was a sense of security.

Of course, the manager wasn’t about to let a wealthy client walk away with just a small purchase.

“Mr. Han, we also offer a custom design service. Would you like to create a unique pair of rings for you and your special someone? While the rings you’ve chosen do convey your feelings, a custom design would be truly one-of-a-kind, a symbol of your everlasting, unwavering love.” the manager said with a smile, drawing on what he’d learned about Han Shao Zhou’s lavish generosity from the internet. Surely, just buying a few-thousand-dollar set of rings didn’t align with his usual image.

Han Shao Zhou frowned slightly at the manager’s words.

Everlasting, unwavering love?

This guy was talking like it was a wedding vow or something.

“No, thanks.” Han Shao Zhou declined outright, not even bothering to take the shopping bag. He paid for the rings, pocketed the blue velvet box, and left the store.

“Has Mr. Han really grown so rational in love?” one of the sales clerks whispered to her colleague. “I’ve read online that he used to shower Wen Ci with outrageous amounts of money during his pursuit.”

“Maybe he’s learned his lesson. Can’t keep pouring his heart out only to end up playing second fiddle to someone else. A million spread out over several thousand at a time—he could drag that out for a whole year.”

“But if he’s buying couples’ rings, doesn’t that mean they’re already together?”

“Can’t be. I haven’t heard anything about Mr. Han and Wen Ci officially getting together. Maybe they’re just in the ambiguous stage.”

“Hey, stop talking. Mr. Han’s coming back!”

Sure enough, Han Shao Zhou strode back into the store, his brows furrowed as he walked straight up to the manager.

“Tell me more about that custom design option.” Han Shao Zhou said.

“Of course, Mr. Han. We have a catalog here. Please follow me to the VIP room.” the manager said, struggling to contain his excitement as his eyebrows practically danced with glee.

The discussion went smoothly, with Han Shao Zhou quickly signing off on a custom order for a million-yuan pair of couples’ rings.

Listening to the manager explain that the rings symbolized being “taken” and “devotion” Han Shao Zhou couldn’t help but smile.

Two pairs would be good—one subtle enough for work and public outings, and a flashier set for private dates, just for his eyes. As for that “everlasting love” nonsense… well, as long as Mo Ming understood that they were couples’ rings, he could let the little guy’s imagination run wild.

Finally, the manager asked if Han Shao Zhou wanted their initials engraved on the rings. Han Shao Zhou agreed without hesitation.

“Alright, Mr. Han.” the manager said, jotting down notes on his tablet. “We’ll have our designers engrave the initials ‘H’ and ‘W’ on the rings, representing you and your special someone.”

Han Shao Zhou’s brow furrowed instantly. “W? Where did that come from?”

The manager froze, his smile faltering as he saw Han Shao Zhou’s stern expression. “Isn’t it for Wen—Wen Ci?”

“Who told you that?” Han Shao Zhou’s voice dropped. “I want ‘M.’”

“…M?”

“If you can’t handle this order, I can take my business elsewhere.”

“No, we can do it.” the manager said hurriedly, bowing repeatedly. “We’ll rush the order at our headquarters and have the finished rings delivered to you within ten days.”

Only then did Han Shao Zhou leave the store.

“I can’t believe they’re not for Wen Ci. Unbelievable.” one of the female employees remarked. “M? Who could M be?”

“That’s what you get for believing those online rumors.” the manager said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I almost messed this up. Good thing I asked. If I had just gone ahead and engraved W, I’d have been the one paying for the mistake.”

The female assistant couldn’t help but laugh. “Manager, don’t scare yourself. The letters on those rings are symmetrical anyway. Wear it one way, it’s M; flip it over, it’s W. Who’s going to tell the difference?”

The manager paused, then laughed. “You’re right. I almost forgot—M and W look identical when engraved in a circle.”

By the time Han Shao Zhou stepped out of the store, night had already fallen.

He took out the small velvet box from his pocket, opened it to look at the pair of rings inside, and smiled with satisfaction.

Mo Ming was going to be over the moon.


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