RRP Chapter 9

Ji Ling said, “I don’t have any collateral or guarantees; that’s why I’m here to ask you for help. All I can say is, if I can’t repay the money in six months, I’ll come to you with my head in my hands.”

 

This completely entertained Yan Yixuan. “Why would I want that?” He thought for a moment, then chuckled. “Six months? You’re so confident?”

 

A tiny company with no connections, no funding—doubling its profits in half a year? That’s easier said than done.

 

Ji Ling didn’t answer, but he didn’t deny it either.

 

Everything about this felt absurd to Yan Yixuan.

 

Here he was, in a hotel suite, talking about when Ji Ling would repay the money. But he hadn’t even agreed to anything yet.

 

Yan Yixuan felt a strange sense of unease. Why was it that every time he was with this guy, things seemed to just flow along with his rhythm? They weren’t close, but each time they met, Yan Yixuan found himself being stirred up, a little annoyed. It left him feeling strangely defeated, yet… intrigued.

 

Yan Yixuan didn’t speak anymore, and Ji Ling simply waited in silence, knowing that Yan Yixuan was still deciding whether it was worth it to invest any effort into him.

 

Ji Ling didn’t know how long he waited, but finally, he heard Yan Yixuan say, “Alright.”

 

Ji Ling remained calm, though a flicker of joy passed through his eyes. He restrained himself and said, “Thank you.”

 

Yan Yixuan set his glass down, walked up to him, and stared at him intently.

 

He was wearing a bespoke suit, with his tie loosened casually, but the tailored fit and luxurious fabric sharply contrasted with Ji Ling’s casual shirt and jeans.

 

Ji Ling felt a bit frustrated.

 

Though he didn’t feel inferior, the relaxed air that Yan Yixuan constantly exuded reminded Ji Ling that, in this space, it was Yan Yixuan who was in charge.

 

Just as Ji Ling spaced out for a second, Yan Yixuan suddenly grabbed his neck with one hand, his other arm wrapping around his waist, and in almost one smooth motion, dragged him to the sofa in the living room, pinning him down.

 

No way, here we go again?

 

Was this the third time? Was this guy still not done?

 

Yan Yixuan held Ji Ling down firmly, his eyes narrowing. His hair, disheveled from the earlier, hung over his brows, giving him a wild, untamed look.

 

“Ji Ling, Ji Ling… Do you really think you can talk your way out of everything? There’s no such thing as a free ride in this world. You’ve escaped before, but today, do you think you can run again?”

 

Ji Ling was pinned under him, thinking to himself that he had mentally prepared before coming here—he probably wasn’t going to make it out of this unscathed.

 

As Yan Yixuan spoke, he lowered his head, and just as he was about to kiss Ji Ling, Ji Ling, though unable to move his body, still had his hands free. He quickly raised one hand and slapped it over Yan Yixuan’s mouth.

 

“…“ Yan Yixuan raised an eyebrow, looking dangerously amused, then, to Ji Ling’s shock, he actually licked the palm of his hand.

 

Ji Ling instantly got goosebumps.

 

The two of them were pressed closely together. Since the car accident, Ji Ling hadn’t felt another person’s warmth, and now, being teased like this, he could feel himself getting a little heated.

 

He lifted his gaze to Yan Yixuan’s face, mentally trying to prepare himself.

 

At least Yan Yixuan was good-looking.

 

He had a great body, was wealthy—aside from being a man, he was pretty much perfect.

 

Ji Ling steeled himself and made a bold move, extending his hand.

 

Hoping he could somehow get through this.

 

For the first time in a long while, Ji Ling slept peacefully that night.

 

That night, his dreams weren’t filled with the endless rain that couldn’t be stopped, the never-ending dark night that seemed to stretch on forever, or the shrill honking of car horns. Every night for the past week, he had stayed out waiting for Yan Yixuan, and he had felt exhausted.

 

The bed was far too comfortable compared to the crappy one in his tiny dorm room, and he ended up sleeping soundly until morning.

 

When he finally opened his eyes, he realized there was someone lying next to him.

 

Yan Yixuan was pressed tightly against him, with Ji Ling’s head resting on his shoulder and Yan Yixuan’s arms wrapped around him.

 

…This position seriously hit Ji Ling’s pride.

 

Thankfully, both of them still had their clothes on. Ji Ling slowly slipped out of Yan Yixuan’s embrace. He let out a quiet sigh as he leaned back against the pillow, but just as he did, the person next to him spoke.

 

“Get up, I’ll give you a ride.”

 

The two of them silently got ready, and Yan Yixuan had the driver take Ji Ling home first.

 

On the way, Yan Yixuan turned to Ji Ling and said, “When I promise something, I keep my word. Someone will contact you soon.”

 

Ji Ling nodded. He had never doubted Yan Yixuan’s word.

 

Yan Yixuan paused, then turned his head to look at Ji Ling. His tone suddenly shifted, teasing as he said, “Do you know why the sponsor is willing to pay?”

 

Ji Ling turned his head as well and replied, “The sponsor spends money for fun.”

 

Yan Yixuan patted his face approvingly. “Correct. You’ve made things interesting for me.”

 

As the car neared its destination, Yan Yixuan leaned back, relaxing, and said, “Let’s make a bet.”

 

Ji Ling asked, “What kind of bet? What’s at stake?”

 

Yan Yixuan motioned for him to open the car door and get out. “I won’t force you. We’ll bet on whether or not you’ll willingly come to me.”

 

Ji Ling froze for a moment.

 

Was… he asking for his sincerity?

 

Absurd.

 

Before Ji Ling could protest, Yan Yixuan gestured for him to get out of the car, flashing a mysterious smile as he said goodbye. Ji Ling stood by the roadside, staring at the back of the car, feeling conflicted.

 

What a charming, irresistible Young Master Yan.

 

Ji Ling shook his head, trying to push Yan Yixuan’s determined look out of his mind, then looked up at the area where his company was located.

 

There was still a mountain of things waiting for him to handle.

 

The money that Yan Yixuan had lent him arrived that very day. Ji Ling got in touch with Brother Qian, who sent someone to handle the paperwork with his former boss. Ji Ling went over the company’s accounts, and surprisingly, the debts were in better shape than he had expected. The fact that many people had left helped him out, saving him some trouble. After clearing the back wages, things should get back on track.

 

Once the money and debts were cleared, Brother Qian gave Ji Ling a strange look, but couldn’t resist asking, “This company is in the entertainment business. Do you know anything about entertainment?”

 

“No.”

 

“Do you know anything about celebrities?”

 

“No.” Well, does having a few deep conversations with some celebrities count?

 

“Then what about the media?”

 

“No.”

 

Brother Qian patted Ji Ling on the shoulder. “You’d better be careful. If you ever need money, come to me. I’ll give you a lower interest rate.”

 

Ji Ling thought about it and decided to pass.

 

He didn’t really know the city, nor did he understand Brother Qian’s connections, but he didn’t mind having an acquaintance in the underworld.

 

Ji Ling started working on restructuring his company. He fired all the redundant staff, leaving just the finance team, a few assistants, and the receptionist. The receptionist was a little reluctant at first, but when she saw how handsome Ji Ling was, she agreed to stay on. Then Ji Ling sold off some of the company’s old furniture. He had never liked the office decor anyway.

 

The next issue was deciding the company’s direction.

 

The Zong family originally started as a manufacturing business, but with the internet and entertainment industries booming, Ji Ling had been tempted by this field before. However, with such a large family business, they couldn’t just switch industries overnight. Still, he had once invested in the entertainment industry.

 

Now, with this small opportunity, he was feeling quite hopeful.

 

He didn’t know much about celebrity economics or producing shows, but he understood operations, human resources, and marketing. He figured he’d start with entertainment marketing—he could handle some basic social media and promotion.

 

Unfortunately, he didn’t have any star resources at his disposal, only a few former streamers and models who had left the company earlier. But he couldn’t let them go to waste.

 

Ji Ling called each of them, hoping they could put aside past grudges and support the new company and its new boss.

 

Not everyone agreed, but a few of them did.

 

The company still had a few sets of equipment for live-streaming and photography, so taking photos or making videos wasn’t a problem. Ji Ling reached out to a few marginal figures in the entertainment industry, getting some small advertisements, writing soft articles, and doing promotions to drive traffic—enough to barely keep the company afloat.

 

But continuing like this definitely wasn’t going to work long-term.

 

There was a film academy in the city, and many trained actors came from there. Ji Ling posted a job ad for part-time students on the academy’s online forums and Weibo. He even visited the school to post flyers on the bulletin board and greet the student workers’ organization.

 

He hoped to find a student who would be a good fit to help him out.

 

There weren’t many requirements—just someone with an outgoing, lively personality. Basically, someone who talked a lot, though Ji Ling didn’t dare say that outright in the job ad.

 

Students from the film academy were often proud and ambitious. Many students from the drama department started getting acting jobs early, so it was hard to find someone who would take an interest in Ji Ling’s small company. Even if they came for an interview, it would be hard to impress Ji Ling.

 

So, Ji Ling kept increasing his marketing efforts. He was often on the school forum, and before long, the students started to recognize him. They jokingly called him ‘Brother GG[mfn]In the context of Chinese business and entertainment, GG (广告, guǎnggào) refers to advertising or advertisement placement.[/mfn].’

 

This was something Ji Ling had never done in his past life. Promotion and operations had always been handled by dedicated teams. Now, doing it himself, he found it surprisingly fun…

 

Finally, a student came to apply for the part-time job.

 

The student came directly to the company. Ji Ling heard someone talking to the receptionist and went out to see what was happening.

 

As soon as the student saw Ji Ling, he asked, “Excuse me, is this a place where I can work?”

 

Ji Ling nodded, and the student looked around before asking again, “When can I come in? I’m free on weekends and when I don’t have class. How do you pay here? Is it hourly? Oh, here’s my class schedule.” He quickly pulled up his phone and showed Ji Ling his timetable. “I can come whenever I have free time. But it’s a bit far, so I might not make it in time. I still need to save time for my homework. Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet! I’m He Xiaoguang, a third-year student at XX Film Academy, majoring in Film Theory.”

 

He Xiaoguang kept talking, his bright eyes staring at Ji Ling, then continued asking questions: “So, um, where’s the boss?”

 

Ji Ling glanced at his fluffy hair, thinking, ‘Perfect, he really talks a lot.’

 

He replied slowly, “I’m the boss.”

 

Though his company was small, with the office doubling as living quarters, and only five people including him, with everything needing his personal attention, and a backer constantly watching him—he had debts to repay within six months—he was still the boss here.

 

It might be small and insignificant now, but this was his kingdom.

 

---

 

Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters.  (๑>ᴗ<๑)