Time, like married life, always passes faster and faster… After the family finished dinner, each lost in their own thoughts, Yi Xing sat on the sofa, patting his somewhat round stomach, having not eaten food prepared by the family chef in too long.
He accidentally ate too much. He took out his phone and scrolled through short videos, checking if anything new or interesting had happened in the country recently.
A "thump" sounded, forcing him to put down his phone and look towards the source of the noise. It turned out Yi Ming had gone back to his study on the second floor after dinner, busy with who knows what.
He came downstairs with a large stack of documents in his hand, placed them heavily on the coffee table, and sat on another sofa, speaking to the somewhat dazed person.
"These are some project documents for the company. You can look through them when you have time, see what areas you're interested in, and get a general understanding. When you join the company, I'll hand everything over to you."
Yi Xing stared at the thick stack of documents, his brows tightly furrowed, but he still picked up one and flipped through it.
Although he didn't want to work at the company, he still had to give his father face. After casually flipping through a few pages, he put down the document and straightened his body.
"Dad, to be honest with you, I don't plan to work at the family company after I graduate. I want to go out and make a name for myself."
As soon as these words left his mouth, the smile on Yi Ming's face visibly vanished. He had been very happy to see his son's actions, thinking he had a successor.
But he didn't expect to hear words that greatly disappointed him. He remained silent for a while before slowly speaking, his tone laced with suppressed anger.
"Yi Xing, do you know what you're saying? I've been waiting for you to graduate and come help me, so I can..." He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"So you can what?"
"So I can travel the world with your mother."
"...Dad, you're still young now; you can still work hard for a few more years. Let me go out and broaden my horizons, live a different life. What's wrong with that? When you really want to retire someday, I'll come back and take over the company."
Yi Xing tried to persuade his father. He knew his ideas were contrary to his father's expectations, but he remained firm in his inner choice.
Because he wanted to be Yi Xing, not Yi Ming's son—Yi Xing. This prefix put immense pressure on him; every move he made in the business world would be infinitely magnified, and this wasn't the life he wanted.
"Then have you thought about where you're going to make your mark?"
"I want to go to..."
"The entertainment industry, right?"
"How did you know?"
Yi Ming looked deeply at Yi Xing, an expression of 'just as expected' on his face. Whenever someone he didn't know appeared around his son,
the next day, that person's information would appear on his office desk. Liu Xuhui was no exception. Only after reviewing the information did he feel at ease letting his son interact with him.
"Haven't you been frequently in contact with someone named Liu Xuhui recently? Isn't he in the entertainment industry?"
"You sent people to spy on me!" Yi Xing suddenly stood up from the sofa. The thought of someone constantly following him sent shivers down his spine.
"Hey, watch your words. I sent people to protect you at all times. What if something happened to you? Your mother and I would be weeping every day."
"Yes, I want to enter the entertainment industry. What's wrong with that?"
"No, I don't agree."
"Why?"
"There's no why. Disagree means disagree. There's no room for discussion on this matter. Don't think about bringing your mother in to persuade me; it won't work."
Yi Ming's attitude was incredibly firm. He was very resistant to the entertainment industry. No matter what his son said next, he maintained his three-word opinion: "I don't agree!" until Yi Xing uttered these words.
"I heard from Butler Fu that you really like signing gambling agreements with others. Today, I'll sign one with you too. My current follower count on Wei Bo is 205,000."
"Within one year, I'll make it 2.05 million. If I don't achieve it, I'll return to work at the company. Conversely, you'll have to agree to let me continue developing in the entertainment industry, and you can't interfere with any decisions I make. How about it?"
He looked at his father with a determined expression, opened Wei Bo, and showed his follower count. He knew this was his last bargaining chip. If his father still didn't agree, he would have no choice but to resort to the rebellious path of running away from home.
"A gambling agreement, that's interesting. Alright, I agree. I'll even give you an extra six months. Within one and a half years, if your follower count exceeds 2.05 million, and you achieve it, I'll invest in an entertainment company for you, registered under your name."
Yi Ming even proactively expanded the benefits. In fact, he strongly supported Yi Xing having his own pursuits, just like he did back in the day.
He left his hometown and worked hard in the Magic City for many years to achieve his current success. Now his son also wanted to develop independently. His expressed refusal was merely to test whether Yi Xing could remain firm in his convictions.
"Are you serious? No backing out!"
"Of course not. A gentleman's word is his bond. But I have a few preconditions. First, the follower count must be genuine; no intentionally buying followers or using bots.
Second, during this one and a half year period, you cannot use family connections. You must rely on yourself or the connections you've built, whether it's appearing on shows, making movies, or investing. We will not provide any financial assistance.
Third, from the day you leave home, I will deposit 100,000 into your card. This will be your funding for this one and a half years, covering all your food, clothing, housing, and transportation."
"At the same time, I will have everyone around you withdrawn, giving you ample freedom. Can you agree to these three requirements? Don't answer me too quickly; think about it carefully."
Yi Ming, who had spoken so much in one breath, felt a bit parched. He picked up the teacup from the table, slowly took a sip, and even licked his somewhat dry lips, waiting for his son to give him a clear answer.
"I agree."
"Good, there's no need for contracts or anything fake between us father and son. Let's seal it with a high-five."
A crisp sound then echoed in the living room as two hands clasped tightly in the air. On the second floor, Shen Wanqing, who had been watching, finally felt her heart settle.
She was truly afraid the two downstairs would start an argument. Thankfully, they didn't, otherwise, she wouldn't have known which side to help.
She hummed a tune as she came downstairs and said, "Alright, alright, now that everything's settled, don't look so tense. Come on, smile."
"Mom, did you hear everything Dad and I just said?"
"Yes, I heard it. Xiao Xing, you've grown up and have your own opinions. Mom is very happy. Go do whatever you want to do."
Then she quietly leaned into his ear and whispered, "Don't worry about a place to live. I'll send you the properties under my name then; no one lives there anyway."
"Mom, you're amazing! I love you!"
Yi Xing was truly touched; he hadn't expected his mother to be so supportive. Now he only had to worry about food, clothing, and travel. This had finally solved a big problem for him, and he wouldn't have to stay in hotels every day.