Beijing International Airport
A white BMW parked outside, and a stunningly beautiful girl stepped out of the car. Her movements exuded a cold aura that made people hesitate to approach. Her gaze was fixed on the airport exit, making those who noticed her envious of the person she was waiting for.
After a while, a young couple emerged from the airport. The girl was equally stunning, with particularly lively, bright eyes. The boy, while not extraordinarily handsome, carried an air of calm confidence. Seeing the couple, the waiting girl walked forward.
"Scarlett, did everything go smoothly?" she smiled.
Without a doubt, the couple from the airport was Leon Chen and Scarlett Ning, and their pick-up was none other than Grace Wang.
Under the envious eyes of passersby, the three of them got into the car.
"Sister Grace, you wouldn't believe how smoothly everything went," Scarlett said with a cheerful laugh.
Grace glanced at Leon in the back seat before looking forward again, her tone light. "Oh, really?"
Scarlett started recounting their journey from the airplane to the primeval forest and the Sea Eagle. She wisely left out Leon's shooting exploits and their first kiss at the Red Soul Club.
"Leon, did you really capture the Sea Eagle?" Grace asked, surprised.
"It was just a coincidence," Leon said. He originally planned to release the Sea Eagle, but after thawing it out, the bird was too weakened. Shortly after, Lucas Luo and his team found them.
Recalling Lucas's ecstatic expression, Leon knew the Sea Eagle wasn't going back to the wild.
Fortunately, Lucas truly loved birds and wasn't the type to use them for show. The divine bird would likely have a comfortable life under his care. Whether Lucas could tame the god of all eagles depended on his skills.
"It's good that Scarlett's problem was resolved smoothly," Grace nodded, not delving into the details. The unexpected brotherhood formed between Leon and Lucas wasn't significant to her.
"I owe you two favors now. You can come to me anytime you need something," Scarlett said, smiling at Leon.
"Sure," Leon accepted the good fortune without hesitation.
"But being with Leon is much more fun. Just three days of being his girlfriend wasn't enough," Scarlett sighed, half-jokingly.
Grace gave her a stern look, making Scarlett laugh sheepishly.
"By the way, Leon, did you hear about Lily Lin?" Grace asked suddenly.
"What happened?" Leon was puzzled.
"Didn't she tell you?"
Leon shook his head. His conversations with Lily had been brief lately, and their recent messages only hinted that she was busy with something. He hadn't asked for details.
"You should care more about your girlfriend," Grace teased with a smile.
Leon felt a bit guilty.
Curious, Scarlett asked, "What's the matter, Sister Grace?"
"I heard from Emma that a record company is interested in signing Lily. This news has been spreading like wildfire at H University," Grace explained while waiting at a red light.
Leon was genuinely surprised, and Scarlett, with her mouth agape, expressed envy, "That's amazing! I wish I could get signed too." Scarlett, studying performing arts, was very keen on the entertainment industry. Every girl in her dorm dreamed of entering showbiz.
Grace smiled faintly, understanding the allure. The attention, admiration, and fame could fulfill many people's desire to showcase their talents.
"Scarlett, you should abandon that thought," Grace said nonchalantly.
Scarlett sighed, "I know, but learning some acting at school isn't so bad, right?" "Did Lily agree?" Leon asked.
"I'm not sure. I heard she's still considering it. She'll probably tell you when you get back…" Grace explained. Because of Lily's relationship with Leon, Grace paid extra attention to this matter. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered with such gossip.
"Wow, that's great. I envy Lily so much. I can't believe a computer science major is getting signed," Scarlett sighed wistfully.
...
After parting ways with them, Leon took a car back to H University. The campus looked the same as always. Returning to his dorm, he found it empty as his roommates were still in class. Exhausted, he collapsed onto his bed.
After a while, feeling bored, Leon glanced at Michael Fang's wall, which was covered with posters of a young girl in her twenties, supposedly the most popular singer in the Red Country. Leon, not very interested in the entertainment industry, only knew her as Angelina Dream, a strange name. He remembered Michael once bought a whole box of her albums, leaving a deep impression on Leon.
Anyone who could make Michael so obsessed must be quite charming.
Imagining Lily Lin achieving the same fame as Angelina Dream felt surreal to Leon.
The entertainment industry seemed complicated, like a can of worms, but Leon shook his head and took one of Michael's CDs to listen to.
A powerful voice immediately filled the room.
Leon listened, thinking, and slowly fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Michael staring at him mischievously.
The other two roommates had returned. Seeing Leon awake, Daniel Zhang smiled, "Leon, you've been working hard. Starting interviews already?"
"Haha, having a girlfriend makes one responsible. I admire you, Leon," John Wu praised.
Their words made Leon feel a bit guilty, making him seem more "romantic" than he felt.
"Pfft, what does Leon need to interview for? When Lily Lin becomes famous, he can just be her manager," Michael laughed. "How was Angelina Dream's music, Leon?"
"Pretty good," Leon nodded honestly.
Others might find Leon's calm response insincere, but Michael and the others knew Leon's reserved nature. Getting a positive comment from him was like a miracle.
Leon was the only one in their dorm not conquered by Angelina Dream's charm. Michael sat in front of Leon, enthusiastically recounting Angelina Dream's success.
Curious about the story behind the music, Leon listened patiently.
Angelina Dream was indeed a remarkable figure, with a story almost rivaling Jay Chou's. Discovered by chance at a New Year's Eve event, she won first place for her RnB performance. Within weeks, a major record company signed her.
Three months later, she released a solo album with all eleven songs composed by her, showcasing her talent.
Her songs dominated the charts for six months, with the first month's sales exceeding one million copies—a phenomenal feat in China's piracy-ridden market. She won numerous awards, including Best New Artist and Best Composer.
Her second album sold over ten million copies in its first week. As a student artist who thrived without any scandal or gossip, she was an enviable figure for any female star, purely riding on her talent.
Interestingly, Angelina Dream had submitted many songs to record companies before her debut, which were initially ignored. Her early works weren't great, but through persistent effort and improvement, she achieved her current success.
Hearing this, Leon was genuinely moved.
He had great respect for those who relentlessly pursued their dreams.
John and Daniel joined in, likely thinking Leon was worried about Lily Lin's situation.
Encouraged by their recommendations, Leon listened to Angelina Dream's first and second albums.
Afterwards, he felt a deep admiration for her. The first album, filled with tropical Hawaiian vibes, had an ethereal quality, while the second was rich in epic, philosophical themes reminiscent of Plato and Homer.
It was astonishing how someone could create such diverse yet perfectly harmonious music.
This feeling of awe reminded Leon of the sensation brought by dolphin sounds in the past, explaining her immense popularity.
Humans are emotional creatures, and melodies that touch the soul are as powerful as faith.
Though not usually fond of music, Leon found himself shedding unconscious burdens, temporarily forgetting about Blood Clans, Spiritualists, Royal Clan, and Princesses, simply wanting to close his eyes and listen.
That night, Leon unprecedentedly slept with his MP3 player on.
The next day, during class, he still had the melodies in his mind, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
Understanding from Michael that Angelina Dream's entry into the entertainment industry wasn't as terrible as he had feared, Leon felt reassured by her background and rise to fame.
Yet, since his return, Lily Lin hadn't mentioned her contract discussions, and Leon hadn't inquired further. With his own pressing matters, he assumed Lily was similarly preoccupied.
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang.
A gentle, clear voice said, "Leon, what are you thinking about?"
Leon was surprised. Wasn't that Serena Su's voice?
Instinctively, he looked around and saw Serena in the hallway, talking on her phone. Their eyes met briefly before she looked away, gazing at the scenery.
"Uh, nothing..."
"Do you have time later?"
"Yes, what's up?"
Serena paused for a moment. "It's about Lily. She's too shy to ask, so I'm arranging a meeting with you."
"Is it about her signing the contract?"
"We'll discuss it in person," Serena said, then hung up.
When Leon looked up, she was still quietly standing in the hallway, enjoying the view and softly singing an Angelina Dream song.
"Pretending not to know, but actually more clear than anyone, that sign of friendship, how to escape..."