Please Dote on Me - Novelbike

“Shichui Mingyan announces his retirement from the entertainment industry due to marriage.”

This explosive news hit the Entertainment Headlines immediately.

Retiring from the entertainment industry? Did Shichui really announce he was leaving?

My phone had somehow been switched to silent mode, and when I picked it up to call Shichui, I found that Chinei had nearly blown up my phone with calls.

“Qi Yang, did you know Mingyan wants to marry you?” Chinei asked anxiously on the other end.

“Well…”

So it got exposed that quickly. How embarrassing…

While I was still feeling shy, Chinei rapidly explained, “JS company takes artists’ marriages very seriously. An artist as popular as him isn’t allowed to marry. Moreover, Mingyan is JS’s biggest pride. How could he possibly get married now? It would severely impact his career. The company is strongly opposed, and he actually held a press conference this morning to say he’s quitting the industry.”

Chinei’s voice was on the verge of tears. “Do you know how hard he’s worked to achieve what he has today? He never stops rehearsing until he’s about to pass out. In the recording studio, even when the staff is satisfied after just two takes, he insists on more until he’s personally satisfied. Someone so dedicated to his work, now wanting to leave the industry for marriage-it’s such a pity, isn’t it? So Qi Yang, please don’t agree to Shichui’s proposal right now. Please, no matter what, you have to dissuade him. In four days, he has a concert. This time, Mingyan plans to sing songs he wrote himself. In the past, others wrote and produced his songs for him to sing. He’s never publicly performed his own compositions before. The entire entertainment industry is buzzing with excitement over this announcement. Fans are eagerly waiting to hear songs written by their idol. The company is taking this concert very seriously. You understand how crucial this concert is for Mingyan, right? It could propel him to new career heights. But he’s decided to quit the industry now. Please, you must stop him. Make sure he holds the concert as planned.”

“Alright. I’ll definitely talk to him. Don’t worry.” After listening to Chinei, I tried to sound as sincere as possible, knowing she was genuinely concerned.

After hanging up, I felt truly frustrated. Shichui, you idiot! How could you do something so foolish? Why announce your retirement? Why can’t you just focus on your work? Does he think being a star is like being a plumber, quitting whenever he feels like it? That’s way too reckless!

I hurried to Shichui’s house, only to find it surrounded by reporters. It was quite a spectacle. I didn’t dare approach, so I called him instead. “Shichui, what on earth is going on? Why did you do something so stupid? What happened?”

“What’s wrong? You sound really worked up.” He sounded as if nothing was amiss, speaking in a casual tone.

“I’m telling you, stop joking around. I’m at your place, but it’s swarmed with reporters, so I can’t get in. I’ll talk to you later. Also, be careful when you leave; you’ll probably get trampled by reporters. Serves you right!”

“Let them wait. I’m not home anyway. Oh, are you calling to discuss the wedding? I’m having coffee right now. Come join me.”

I nearly fainted. How could he be so nonchalant, drinking coffee at a time like this? Isn’t he worried about being recognized? Unbelievable!

Wrapped in a large scarf, I stealthily made my way to the place he mentioned. As soon as I entered, I spotted him in the corner, wearing oversized sunglasses and a hat. Idiot! Even with just his mouth visible, anyone could tell it was him. Yet he thought he was well-disguised. I hurried over, and he looked at me with amusement, seeing half my face hidden by the scarf.

“You look more like a star than I do, hiding yourself like that.” He had the nerve to tease me at a time like this.

“You, how can you be so relaxed?” I said, pulling off my scarf as I sat down.

“Yeah, I’m in a great mood. I’ve already announced I’m leaving the industry. Let’s talk about the wedding. Where should we have it? I’m guessing you like places like Venice.”

“No, shouldn’t we have a traditional ceremony in Japan?” Wrong, wrong. What am I thinking? This isn’t the time for such thoughts. It’s all his fault!

“Oh my, that’s not what I meant. Stop messing around. You need to go back to the company and hold another press conference, saying everything you said this morning was a joke, that you never intended to get married.”

“Wow, Qi Yang, you’re teaching me to lie now. I wasn’t joking at the press conference this morning.” The world was in chaos, yet he remained infuriatingly laid-back.

“Stop it! Are you trying to ruin yourself? Even if all of Japan talks about your scandals, does it not matter to you? I’m not marrying you!” I deliberately used a harsher tone for the last sentence.

“What? How can you go back on something you’ve already agreed to? How can you back out of this?” Shichui’s brows furrowed, and he sat up straight, clearly upset, looking at me. Then he began to argue rapidly, “Not everyone in Japan likes me or even knows who I am, so not everyone will be talking about me.”

“…Regardless, you need to retract everything you said to the reporters tomorrow, understand? And you need to prepare for the concert. You’re being too reckless!” I was genuinely angrier than Shichui.

“Why should I retract it? I’ve made my decision.” Shichui lazily leaned back in his chair, refusing to look at me.

“For a playboy whose scandals could cover all of Tokyo’s walls, should I take your decisions seriously? Is this why so many famous actresses are drawn to you? Because you make women fantasize?” I said, not meaning a word of it.

“It’s not like that! Why are you calling me a playboy again?” He glanced at me, his hand trembling as he held his coffee cup, then turned his face to the window, but still asked, “You clearly still like me. Are you really going back on your promise to marry me? Is this you, Qi Yang?”

“Stop talking nonsense! Why, why would I, why would I like you?”

I started to stammer. If I’m not mistaken, my face must have turned red with nervousness again. Damn it! He could still make my heart race with just a few words. At this moment, I really couldn’t communicate with him properly.

“We’d be so happy together! You’ve already agreed to marry me, haven’t you?” He quickly smiled, though his brows remained furrowed. He was waiting for me to give him a definite answer, but he wasn’t sure I would.

“Don’t say another word. You can’t be so reckless! The issue we need to solve now is that you must immediately fix the mess from your press conference.”

“Mess? Are we negotiating now? How can you talk to me like a manager? How can you make love a matter of right or wrong? How can you…” Shichui’s expression, like in a drama, naturally showed his struggle to control his emotions, making it hard for him to finish his sentences.

“Yes, you made a huge mistake. Acting on your own, you’ve not only messed up your life but also the company’s. Do you think quitting the entertainment industry is something you can decide on a whim? I don’t care about your future at all, honestly! But do you know how much JS company stands to lose? You’re so selfish, never thinking of others. It’s incomprehensible. You work so hard, write songs so seriously, and now you suddenly change your mind and throw it all away. Are you really someone who would give up your future for some ridiculous notion of love? I don’t want to marry someone so unambitious! You have to take back what you said.”

I didn’t expect to say all of that in one breath. My gaze remained fixed on the cup in my hand. I knew Shichui was watching me, hoping to see some hesitation, some lingering affection for him in my eyes.