In the afternoon, two text messages arrived from the bank. The first was a payment from I Am a Creator. Instead of the expected 100,000 yuan, the show had transferred 300,000 yuan.
Checking the transaction details, Ye Huanqiu saw that the extra 200,000 yuan was compensation from several marketing accounts he had sued. Shen Tao had passed on the entire amount.
The second message confirmed the receipt of 800,000 yuan from the sale of his song copyrights.
Another million-yuan payday! To be honest, his cramped pigeon cage apartment wasn't very comfortable, and its distance from places like Tomato TV made it inconvenient.
Since he had already paid the remaining rent, he could simply leave the place empty if he chose not to stay.
The more Ye Huanqiu thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He downloaded a real estate app and began browsing. He wasn't interested in high-rise duplexes or suites; he wanted a detached residence.
That left villas as the only option. After comparing several properties, he settled on a five-bedroom, three-living room, six-bathroom detached villa with a basement.
The monthly rent was 39,800 yuan, with a minimum two-year lease.
Ye Huanqiu called the property owner. After being transferred by customer service, a woman answered. After a brief conversation, she invited him to view the villa in person.
Upon arriving at the area, Ye Huanqiu found the detached villa located near the World Expo Museum in Demon Capital.
The young woman, a genuine Demon Capital native, didn't waste any time. After Ye Huanqiu clarified all the property management fees and other expenses, she offered to lower the rent to 35,000 yuan per month if he signed a two-year lease and paid in full upfront.
To assure him she wasn't some shady intermediary, she even showed him the property deed, which was in her own name.
She looked younger than him, yet she already owned a villa worth tens of millions of yuan. Some people were born to toil like beasts of burden, like Ye Huanqiu himself, while others, like this young landlady, were born into privilege.
Ye Huanqiu wasted no time. After having Starbeam review the contract, both parties signed it. He promptly wired the full amount—840,000 yuan, calculated at 35,000 yuan per month for twenty-four months—to her account.
"Yes! My travel fund is secured. You're so decisive, handsome! Add me as a friend. If anything breaks down in the house, just text me, and I'll have it fixed within a day at most."
Ye Huanqiu nodded. There was nothing more to discuss; the place had already been thoroughly cleaned. After adding the landlady as a friend, he went straight back and called a moving company. Even though he didn't have much in his cramped Pigeon Cage Apartment, he couldn't possibly lug everything himself in a ride-hailing car—that would be too exhausting. Ye Huanqiu believed that having money meant indulging in reasonable comforts.
Otherwise, life would be too stifling. It never hurt to treat himself better!
He successfully moved into his new home in just one day. Living in an entire detached house by himself was pure bliss—no more enduring the occasional suggestive sounds or noisy disturbances from the neighboring partitioned rooms.
Oh, right—his plan to work as an hourly tutor. He was waiting for his language proficiency certifications, having already taken exams in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian—the five major languages.
He wasn't worried about training institutions rejecting him later. He'd secure the job first.
"We'll figure out how to pass the certification without actually working later. Worst case scenario, I'll just pay to get the certification."
Such an eccentric approach to life was quintessential Ye Huanqiu.
The pleasant weekend came to an end, and Monday arrived once more.
On Guoyue.com's daily and weekly charts, "Rainy Day," composed and written by Ye Huanqiu, and "Chinese" held the top spots respectively.
Perhaps some stubborn skeptics still doubted whether "Rainy Day," Ye Huanqiu's collaboration with Yang Chaoyue, deserved its 5.33 million votes. But reality had proven them wrong: art that resonates with the audience is good art.
If you disagreed, you needed to prove it with your own achievements.
At 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Ye Huanqiu arrived punctually at Tomato TV's studio. This time, the staff's gazes carried a different weight, likely tinged with envy.
What kind of dream job allowed a salaried worker to clock in for only seven hours, even including lunch breaks?
As preparations for filming began, Ye Huanqiu met the other six "Sixth Patriarch" Creators. Gao Jin took the initiative, saying, "Your song from last week was excellent. I was wondering if we could exchange ideas sometime."
"If fate wills it," Ye Huanqiu replied awkwardly.
Sensing Ye Huanqiu's discomfort, Gao Jin didn't press further. He understood that their artistic paths diverged, and without shared resonance, even fellow musicians struggled to connect.
"Ungrateful fool."
Gou Bing muttered the words Li Yuanjie couldn't bring himself to say. He found Ye Huanqiu's arrogance appalling. Gao Jin, after all, was a potential Platinum-tier Writer, a renowned veteran of the industry. Yet Ye Huanqiu acted as if he were unimpressed.
Gou Bing only dared to grumble under his breath. Li Yuanjie, however, felt a growing sense of urgency. This upstart had already produced two tracks that were Renowned Far and Wide.
When Ye Huanqiu sought certification from the Music Association, Li Yuanjie feared nothing would hold him back.
Last week's attempt to smear Ye Huanqiu with accusations of talent without virtue had failed. Li Yuanjie now understood this rival was far more formidable than he'd initially imagined.
Could he truly defeat him?
They say lightning never strikes thrice in the same place. Today marked the recording of the third episode. Li Yuanjie clung to a sliver of hope: if Ye Huanqiu faltered even slightly this time, perhaps he could still salvage the situation.
On stage, Wang Ziqiang, with his signature brand of humor, and the dazzling Meng Yan launched into their familiar opening routine. Soon, the seven Creator teams and eight singers took their places.
The audience erupted in cheers. As the first two episodes had aired, these remaining Creators had gradually begun to gain recognition.
Suddenly, Wang Ziqiang received a message from Director Zhang instructing him to mention last week's false accusations against Ye Huanqiu during the upcoming segment, observing his reaction and response.
The audience was eager to hear Ye Huanqiu's response.
Wang Ziqiang's expression stiffened. This elaborate, self-orchestrated stunt was truly... something.
After the customary banter, Wang Ziqiang introduced the new challengers. A pair dressed in full hip-hop attire strode onto the stage, while Wang Lingkai stood alone in the corner, screaming incoherently.
Audience members who recognized them immediately shouted, "Zou Yan and Wang Hao! The two champions of The Rap of China!"
"What are they doing here? Aren't they rappers? Did community college let out early?"
"What are you talking about? They're talented singer-songwriters who earned Silver-tier certification! Why shouldn't they be on the show?"
Having two champions from a rap audition program appear on this show was a major publicity coup. Today's recording would be followed by a social media blitz starting tomorrow to amplify the excitement.
Director Zhang was desperate to find a new ratings powerhouse to replace Ye Huanqiu, having repeatedly compromised on viewership ratings.
He refused to believe Ye Huanqiu was irreplaceable!
How could a director lose control of his own talent? He'd initially dismissed Ye Huanqiu as a nobody, someone he could easily manipulate. Now, he couldn't even manage that. This was unacceptable!