Chapter Twenty-Two: Talent Scout?

Being pursued and admired by others can easily cause one to lose themselves.

As a self-proclaimed adolescent with delusions of grandeur, Xia Shu often reminded himself to be more Zen.

During the first week of school, he had lost track of how many people had added him as a friend. Every time he opened DouDou, his inbox brimmed with unread messages. In some ways, this had started to affect his daily life.

The next morning, as the sun was just rising, Xia Shu woke early. After a simple wash, he left his dormitory. Just as he unlocked his phone, a notification popped up.

“Master, your wife’s birthday is in seven days!”

Seeing this reminder, Xia Shu’s well-shaped brows lifted slightly. In truth, he had already started counting down the days even without the prompt.

Growing up, he had never really celebrated his own birthdays. Yet now, he found himself troubled over how to celebrate Su Rouxue’s first birthday with him.

Since it was a first, he wanted it to be surprising and memorable for her.

He had started writing over the summer and had received two months’ worth of manuscript fees. Coupled with his monthly allowance of fifteen hundred yuan, he had just under twenty thousand left in his bank account.

Moreover, Su Rouxue’s birthday was particularly special—after that day, she would officially be thirty years old.

Xia Shu wasn’t very familiar with Yun City. And with military training taking up most of his time lately, he hadn’t had the chance to prepare in advance. For now, his plan was simply to spend a quiet, beautiful evening with her on her birthday.

As for a gift…

He was still torn!

Something expensive?

He couldn’t afford anything truly precious, and Su Rouxue hardly lacked for such things anyway. In fact, a gift measured by its price might even come off as tacky.

Something with sentimental value?

But what truly counted as meaningful? A ring? A bracelet? Or…?

Lost in these thoughts, Xia Shu wandered along the road.

“Hello, are you Xia Shu?”

Just as he was about to step out through the school gates, a graceful figure appeared before him.

The young woman standing before him was strikingly beautiful, her features sharp and defined. Yet there was something about her face that suggested the work of a surgeon’s knife; from head to toe, she exuded the unmistakable aura of wealth.

“Who are you?” Xia Shu asked, puzzled. She didn’t look like anyone from school, and even the teachers didn’t dress like this.

“Hello, my name is Chen Yuxin. I’m the business director of Xingyu Entertainment Media.”

Her soft, alluring voice revealed a hint of excitement. She had come to Yun City University early that morning specifically to find the student who had just become a sensation on DouDou. She hadn’t expected to run into him right at the school gates.

“Huh? You’re looking for me?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“Hehe, no need to be nervous. If it’s convenient, could we find a quiet place to chat?”

“Well… Xingyu Entertainment Media… could you tell me a bit more about it?”

“For example, famous stars like Yang Ningxue and Luo Qinghe are both with our company. One of the hottest boy groups in recent years, Cosmic Explosion, is also from our company. You’ve probably heard of them, right?”

Chen Yuxin smiled calmly, though her expression was a bit stiff, likely from cosmetic work. Still, she had a unique aura.

Yang Ningxue? Luo Qinghe…

Xia Shu raised his brows. He didn’t usually follow entertainment news, but he knew those two names—after all, their shows and movies were everywhere.

“Yes, I kn