Chapter 43 Task Allocation

Seeing Lin Yunyu fiercely scrubbing dishes with the rag, the clattering sound echoing in the kitchen, the other three women exchanged smiles, deciding to let her vent for a while.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu and the other two men sat at the dining table, since the sofa had been commandeered by a crab who wouldn’t stop wailing.

No one wanted to deal with this drama queen; even Lin Jia was annoyed enough by the incessant whining to frown. The medical team had visited that morning and said if treatment was delayed any further, the wound would heal on its own—so how was he still pretending to be incapacitated?

“Mr. Si, if you really can’t take it anymore, shall I send you to the hospital?”

Si Shaozhe weighed his options. A trip to the hospital would take at least a day, costing him precious attention and ratings. Besides, his female fans watched the show for him alone—if he was absent, wouldn’t the program collapse instantly?

Feigning resilience, he replied, “I’m fine, no need for the hospital. I’m perfectly alright.”

Lin Jia: ...

If it weren’t for the contract, with the hefty penalty for top-tier stars, she would have kicked this pretender out without hesitation.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work this morning. Please enjoy some delicious and invigorating coffee, courtesy of our sponsor, Coffee Coffee.”

Lin Jia recited the sponsor’s line with a blank expression, then turned to the guests. “There’s something I’d like to ask you all. Originally, the production team purchased the rights to the theme song, but due to unforeseeable circumstances, we painfully lost it.”

“So now, we’d like to invite you, our esteemed guests, to collaborate and create a song that belongs to us.”

Lin Yu exchanged glances with the other singers, instantly recognizing the fabrication in Lin Jia’s words. Securing the theme song was a pre-production matter; how could it suddenly fall through at this stage?

In plain terms, Director Lin wanted to get their work for free.

Lin Yu scratched his head. It wasn’t impossible, but perhaps there should be some compensation added to their fees? The singers shared the same thought.

Their contracts didn’t require them to write a song for the show; it was entirely their choice. Lin Jia’s polite request was precisely because of this.

“The songs you create will compete against submissions from several other musicians we’ve contacted. The winner will receive a generous cash prize.”

As always, money makes the world go round. The hesitation that had lingered moments before vanished; faces lit up with anticipation and smiles, and the singers began discussing the project in earnest.

“Writing a song isn’t just for the money. Showcasing your talents on a romance show attracts attention from the opposite sex, and brings more traffic—just what you need right now.” Ji Ya nudged Lin Yu’s side, leaning in to whisper.

Meeting those deep, ink-black eyes, Ji Ya’s heart suddenly raced. Before she could react to the feeling, she heard Lin Yu’s calm reply.

“Is anyone here actually here for love? In this arena, only fame and fortune matter.”

Lin Yu’s sudden familiarity with the rules of the game surprised Ji Ya. Beneath that handsome, sunny face, she hadn’t expected anything impure. Now she realized she had underestimated him.

“So, what do you think we should do?”

“Quickly pair up for publicity. Joining the show is merely to create CPs and boost popularity. Attach yourself to the hottest name, and you reap the rewards of fame and fortune.”

His memories of his previous life were filled with similar news reports. In this industry, relationships were formed for mutual benefit; when the benefits ended, people clarified their status. With the support of fans, it was easy to reestablish oneself as single. The abandoned party either clarified their single status alongside, or ended up being scolded for shamelessly chasing publicity.

As someone reborn, Lin Yu understood this perfectly. He was four years ahead of everyone else in the industry, able to predict the outcome of each variety show participant.

Why can so much change in four years? The industry shifts rapidly; someone at the top one night could be a has-been the next morning.

The real power in the industry isn’t the fans but the capitalists controlling everything.

Driven by profit, aside from mutually destructive or one-sided outcomes, there’s another option: with both companies’ approval, two people feign sweetness in public, hype their CP for a while, then clarify their breakup and continue enjoying single status with the support of female fans.

Si Shaozhe, present here, was the perfect example. As a top star, he was initially promoted by capital, later maintained by both male and female fans. If his fans felt the slightest displeasure at his attempts to pair up, his company would immediately clarify it was just for hype and he was still single.

Given these circumstances, it was highly likely his participation in this show was merely to absorb popularity temporarily. Once the show ended, any related matters would be thoroughly cleansed by his company.

Lin Yu and Ji Ya finished their private conversation as the other guests began discussing their opinions on songwriting.

Though everyone harbored their own motives, when it came to the team’s on-camera effect, they still cooperated. Even if only for appearances, they acted seamlessly. The team’s negotiation appeared stable on camera; some male and female artists took the opportunity to interact, boosting the live chat’s atmosphere instantly.

Fans waved the CP banner, debating which idol could or couldn’t pair up with whom. The surge in chat brought in more traffic, and viewership soared from thousands to tens of thousands.

This was the effect the show needed.

The eldest brother in the group glanced around. “What do you all think? Shall we vote?”

“I’m in.” Bai Yichu usually seemed aloof, but when it came time to shine, this old fox of the industry wouldn’t miss her chance. Top stars understood how to capture audience attention and camera time.

Si Shaozhe raised his hand confidently, only to grimace the next moment as his injured waist flared with pain.

Lin Yunyu rolled her eyes at him. Partnering with someone like him was unlucky, but what could she do? With all her teammates participating, could she really refuse?

Ji Ya looked at Lin Yu. As the company’s boss behind the scenes, she was annoyed to admit she was utterly clueless when it came to singing—this time, she’d have to follow Lin Yu’s lead.

The prince of love songs, Wang Fei, didn’t hesitate and raised his hand in agreement.

Xu Mengbai similarly voted yes.

With everyone’s gaze fixed on him, Lin Yu was caught in a dilemma. He didn’t want to agree. With his memories from his previous life, he could compose songs that would lead the industry—any one of them could be worth millions in the future, and now he was almost giving one away for free to the production team. How could he be comfortable with that?

In the end, he still voted yes—a reluctant move, compelled by the expectations of the group.

Ji Ya had already agreed; did he really have any other choice?