Volume 1, Chapter 122: The Residential Complex Is Too Large, I Am Afraid of Getting Lost

"Could you briefly share your thoughts on their decision to blacklist you?"

The weight of the question seemed to hang in the air. As soon as it was asked, the reporters fell silent, watching Jiang Yu with bated breath. Jiang Yu narrowed his eyes at the reporter who had spoken, the corners of his mouth curling upward. These reporters—they were always terrified they might miss out on a scandal.

"Your information must be incorrect," Jiang Yu said with a smile. "I get along quite well with the heads of those entertainment companies."

Just then, another reporter, sensing an opening in Jiang Yu's relaxed demeanor, chimed in: "Mr. Jiang, everyone knows you are a genius singer. If others approach you to commission a song, will you accept?"

Jiang Yu pondered for a moment. "Of course. If anyone wants to commission a song, please contact my manager. Just a heads-up: my songs don't come cheap, though I might offer a discount to my friends."

Hearing this, the reporters nodded. It was only natural for good work to be expensive. They made sure to record his offer to write songs for others. Seeing them take notes, Jiang Yu’s smile deepened.

He wasn't foolish enough to get into a direct, aggressive confrontation; that wouldn't be courage—that would be stupidity. Through his conversations with Zhou Muren, he understood that high-quality music producers were rare and finding a masterpiece was incredibly difficult. Furthermore, after his stunt at the Golden Melody Awards, the path of passing off English songs as Chinese ones was effectively blocked.

By mentioning that he would write songs for friends at a lower price, he hoped to silently destabilize the opposition through the reporters. He wondered: if forced to choose between keeping him blacklisted and obtaining a masterpiece, which would they choose? Besides, could they really blacklist him? He had countless songs in his repertoire, and he was signed to Huayue Entertainment, not one of their firms. It all came down to whether they had the strength to contend with the backpack full of top-tier works from Blue Star that he possessed. If all else failed, he could always try his hand at producing TV shows and films. Could they really blacklist everything? If they truly insisted on a hard confrontation, he had a grand gift prepared for them...

As Jiang Yu was lost in thought, Su Muyu spoke softly beside him, "That’s six questions."

"Hm? Six?" Jiang Yu paused for a moment before looking at the reporters with a playful, mock-annoyed expression. "Hey, we agreed on five! You guys pulled a sneak attack—I let my guard down!"

The reporters burst into laughter. They had never encountered a star who joked with them like this. Most celebrities, for the sake of their image, remained stiff and unhappy during interviews, yet never failed to answer every single question.

In contrast, while Jiang Yu had a reputation for being hot-tempered, he treated them with respect and joked around, showing no airs at all. Who wouldn't like a star like that?

Jiang Yu laughed as well. "Alright, we agreed on five, but that’s six. Can you let us pass now?"

Although the reporters were reluctant, they had made a deal, so they opened a path with feigned disappointment.

"Thank you!" Jiang Yu shielded Su Muyu as they climbed into their sedan. Seeing them leave, the reporters dispersed to interview the remaining celebrities. The other stars looked on with complex expressions; it was the first time they had seen a single person draw away the entire press corps. Though they were annoyed that the reporters only came to them after finishing with Jiang Yu, they accepted the interviews for the sake of exposure.

Jiang Yu and Su Muyu sat in the car, no longer concerned with the awards ceremony. It was past eleven o'clock when they left. As the car drove through the streets of Shanghai, the night was even more vibrant than in Jiangxia, bustling with traffic and glowing with neon lights.

The hotel they had booked was located on the Bund, the most prosperous area of the city.

"Driver, we aren't going to the hotel. Take us to The Bund No. 1."

Jiang Yu looked at Su Muyu, confused. "Where is that?"

"It’s my place in Shanghai," she replied calmly.

Jiang Yu clicked his tongue. The Bund No. 1. As an international metropolis where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, Shanghai’s property prices were astronomical, especially in the prestigious Bund area, which was the absolute ceiling for real estate in the city. He couldn't help but check his phone. Even though he had braced himself, seeing the six-digit price per square meter made his heart skip a beat. It was absurd! All the money he had at the moment would barely buy a toilet in that neighborhood.

The driver, hearing the destination, replied immediately, "Certainly, Mr. Jiang. I will drop off Ms. Su first and then take you to your hotel."

Just as Jiang Yu was about to agree, Su Muyu interjected, "No need. I have another apartment right across from mine. He needs to prepare for his concert, so he can stay there for the time being. It’s quiet and comfortable."

The driver froze for a second but said nothing, continuing to drive. Good heavens—two apartments.

Jiang Yu was surprised; he hadn't expected this girl to share his peculiar hobby. He remembered that when he received his first royalty check, he immediately bought two cups of instant noodles—he ate one and kept the other, purely for the luxury of having a backup! Of course, he ended up eating the second one the next day when he got hungry. She, however, bought two apartments, lived in one, and left the other vacant. It was effectively the same logic.

At this thought, Jiang Yu’s heart began to pound. So, starting today, was he to become the "neighbor next door" to Su Muyu?

Not long after, the car pulled up to the gate of an imposing residential complex. A few gilded characters, "The Bund No. 1," were visible at the entrance. Just as the driver prepared to enter, Su Muyu changed into a pair of flat shoes she had kept in the car and said, "Driver, just stop here. I’d like to take a walk." Then, looking at Jiang Yu, she added, "Care to join me?"

Jiang Yu smiled and nodded. The driver pulled over at the entrance. Jiang Yu stepped out and began to observe the complex. He had to admit, expensive things were truly built differently; even at this late hour, the security guards were still standing at their posts.

"Let’s go," a pleasant voice reached his ears.

Jiang Yu turned to see Su Muyu in her elegant, cold, white gauze dress. His heart started racing again. *Be bold, be meticulous, and have no shame.* He gritted his teeth, recited his seven-word mantra, and took a step forward, taking her hand.

"The complex is too big," he said. "I’m afraid I’ll get lost..."