Chapter 9: Let Me Help You Out

Inside the outline of the wooden house, Xu Shujian and Song Yue both stepped forward, but after exchanging a glance, neither stood within the silhouette that was meant to belong to them.

The camerawoman picked up the camera and then set it down again. She looked at Xu Shujian and asked, “If Yue agreed to have a child right now, would you step into your own outline?”

Xu Shujian glanced at Song Yue and smiled. “She wouldn’t. Her answer would probably still be ‘in two more years.’”

The camerawoman then looked at Song Yue.

Song Yue looked away, avoiding the gaze, and did not answer.

It wasn’t just about having children. From her perspective, after the initial sweetness of being together faded, whether in life, career, or in their innermost thoughts, the two couldn’t find any resonance.

What would having a child change? Wouldn’t it just mean continuing this kind of life?

Song Yue felt that Xu Shujian knew her well enough now, but still couldn’t truly understand her.

Of course, the feeling was mutual. She believed she understood Xu Shujian well enough, yet she couldn’t comprehend him either.

Since they had decided to part ways, why bother with hypotheticals?

The shot froze, marking the completion of the photo session belonging to her and Xu Shujian.

...

This segment was conducted in batches—two pairs in the morning, two in the afternoon, filmed in different areas.

After lunch, only Xu Shujian, Song Yue, Yu Hui, and Huang Lingling remained in the courtyard.

In the large living room, Song Yue was holding a laptop, reviewing reports, while Xu Shujian leaned against the sofa watching television. He had found some videos of his past performances, but the sound was off.

Both the staff and other guest pairs kept commenting on how much “he” had changed, and Xu Shujian wanted to see what he was like back then.

In his memories, after graduating from the third year of middle school, he became a trainee at Qicheng Entertainment. At that time, Qicheng was still a small company entering the industry from outside. Influenced by Korean and Japanese idols, they believed the domestic idol market had a huge gap. They gathered a group of trainees from across the country and plunged into this business.

During the second year of high school’s vacation, the group officially formed, releasing several singles consecutively. Their style evolved from fresh and lively to more outgoing and cool, gradually finding their market positioning and skyrocketing to fame in the era of social media.

From Xu Shujian’s current perspective, although naïve, that “self” was natural. Back then, he truly had a talent for the stage—both in appearance and vocals, he was as good as any Korean or Japanese idol.

“What good is just watching?” Song Yue teased from the side.

Maybe realizing she sounded a bit domineering again, Song Yue quickly added, “Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I heard you sing. Can you still sing?”

Xu Shujian shook his head. “They’re right. I’ve changed, and I can’t sing those songs anymore. I’m not allowed to—no rights.”

Song Yue burst out laughing.

---

Xu Shujian had indeed terminated his contract back then, but that only applied to himself. He lost the rights to perform those songs and shows.

“Didn’t Qicheng contact you a couple of years ago? They wanted you to do a reunion performance.”

“Forget it. There’s no need to ride that wave. When I left, my stubbornness hurt a lot of the group’s fans. If I do that again, I won’t be able to get past it myself.”

Song Yue closed her laptop, her expression complicated.

So she too couldn’t understand Xu Shujian.

Having considered things from his perspective, she felt Xu Shujian shouldn’t set himself on a pedestal. Since he chose to use this show as a platform to revive his career, he should use whatever resources were available.

If someone comes to you, it means you still have value. It’s mutual, and in the business world, unlike in life, profit is eternal.

They want your value, and you can want theirs.

She herself hadn’t taken over the family business overnight. She had first led a new team to build a new brand through company channels. Once the brand succeeded, she silenced the executives and then involved herself in managing the entire company.

In Song Yue’s eyes, Xu Shujian was truly a master of the stage. Why give up on your strength?

A comeback isn’t about lowering your head—it’s about telling them that even after ten years away, you’re no less than the others.

Objectively speaking, even now, no one can surpass the quality of Xu Shujian on stage back then.

“Look outside,” Song Yue said.

Xu Shujian followed her gaze.

Outside, Yu Hui was sitting in the yard with a guitar, casually strumming.

The morning’s recording seemed to have caused a cold war between Huang Lingling and Yu Hui; they hadn’t spoken during lunch.

Seeing Xu Shujian’s indifferent reaction, Song Yue wanted to give him a couple of punches.

Look at them—someone like that in this situation, not comforting Huang Lingling but instead carrying his guitar out to the yard to display his melancholy. Meanwhile, you, Xu, are just watching TV?

Song Yue even wished Xu Shujian would admit a few faults to highlight his vulnerable side. Instead, he acted as if his vision was even broader than hers.

What’s the plan—to rely on divorce settlement money and live an idle life?

Suddenly, Huang Lingling appeared at the door, looking a bit dispirited.

“Yue! Why aren’t you busy?”

After speaking, she sat down between Song Yue and Xu Shujian.

---

Song Yue asked casually, “What’s wrong?”

“He’s the same as ever. He’s not here to solve anything. He just thinks he’s fine. I’m done.”

Song Yue glanced at Xu Shujian, then comforted her, “If marriage problems could be solved, they would have been fixed privately by now. You just have to get used to it.”

Huang Lingling pouted. “But I just can’t get used to it.”

Xu Shujian looked over and asked, “Who pursued whom?”

“I pursued him, I think. There was a music festival where they performed, and I went to see it. Then I asked for his contact information.”

Xu Shujian said, “So, you were his fan?”

Huang Lingling nodded. “At first, yes. I know what you’re going to say—I’m still your fan. But I think this has nothing to do with marriage. If you really love me, I care about one thing—why can’t you change it?”

Song Yue smiled and asked, “Are you really an old Xu fan?”

Huang Lingling got excited and immediately pulled out her phone. “I’ll show you. I really have his performance videos saved, but he’s been off the stage so long that it’s faded from my life.”

Song Yue asked, “What if he made a comeback? How would you feel?”

Huang Lingling looked at Xu Shujian and grinned. “A real comeback? I’d support it 100%. He’s a symbol of my youth. If he really went back on stage, I’d definitely buy tickets and bring my old friends to see his show. Just thinking about it makes me happy.”

Song Yue glanced at Xu Shujian as if to say, “Look at that.”

This is your basic fan base, Xu. Use it well; take this opportunity to return to the stage. What worries could you have about your career?

As long as you don’t put yourself on a pedestal and regain your former five-layer skill, you can at least hold your ground in this circle.

Xu Shujian understood Song Yue’s meaning. It was indeed a shortcut. If he were still the Xu Shujian of old, he might truly take that path.

But times had changed; Xu Shujian had his own plans. The idol market now was clearly more prosperous than before, and the information bubbles were even deeper. The entertainment industry seemed more compartmentalized, and when it came to idols, he felt he had nothing valuable to offer.

“Lingling,” he said.

“Hm?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll help you.”