Xu Xiaoyou’s expression froze.
Things were unfolding a bit outside of her expectations; the other party had actually managed to leap out of the trap she had so meticulously designed.
Indeed, there were many loopholes in this contract. Many aspects were phrased vaguely—for instance, the artist's salary was glossed over with ambiguous phrasing about shares of company profits.
She had initially thought that by using the 'recency effect'—focusing the young woman's attention entirely on that last, eye-catching clause—she could subconsciously blur the other woman's impression of the terms in the middle.
However, the other party was more meticulous than she had imagined and hadn’t been led by the nose the entire time.
The smile in Tang Xin’s crescent-shaped eyes deepened, much like someone who had just stepped on a swindler’s little tail.
In truth, she wasn't entirely certain either. She was also secretly observing Xu Xiaoyou, wanting to see if the other woman would make a mistake or show the flying rage of being exposed.
To her surprise, Xu Xiaoyou’s face remained calm. She didn’t answer Tang Xin’s question directly, but instead tapped her fingertip against her Gingko Curtain.
"What is it, Jessica?"
Her face showed a look of sudden realization. She nodded and began walking toward the restaurant’s exit.
"You’re saying she’s already prepared?"
"I understand. I’m on my way."
"I’m sorry, Miss Tang, let’s end the interview here for now. If you have any further interest, contact me through my network account. I’ll reply once I see it."
"Where are you going?" Tang Xin blurted out.
"There’s another girl waiting for an interview. She’s already arrived."
"I see..." Tang Xin bit her lip slightly.
"Our Dream-Chaser Media has the capability to turn every artist into a star. We collaborate with many luxury brands, and the brands ensure artist benefits. If you have any financial concerns, just bring them up, and we will resolve them."
"Our main goal is to help artists chase their dreams and lift them into the starry sky."
"Therefore, we prefer that our artists focus all their attention on this path, rather than running about or worrying over the trifles of daily life."
"I see..."
"Miss Tang, you don’t need to feel uneasy. We hear words like these quite often because we are also dream-chasers. On the road to pursuing a dream, skepticism and setbacks are inevitable."
Seeing Tang Xin’s somewhat dejected look, Xu Xiaoyou said gently, "What caught my eye wasn't your appearance, but your soul. You are very beautiful; you just lack confidence."
"One day, others will notice your spark."
"Before the world noticed her light, Ms. Marilynn was just a dusty bakery apprentice with a face covered in flour."
"If you make up your mind, sign the contract and send an electronic copy to my email."
With that, Xu Xiaoyou departed.
Left alone at the table, Tang Xin stood there as the young girl's final words echoed in her ears for a long time.
She looked at the contract on the table, her heart wavering. Finally, her gaze turned firm as she picked it up...
Two days later.
Snow was still falling outside. The tiny room lacked heating. Xu Xiaoyou had long since discarded those glamorous clothes, having changed into cotton-padded pants and a jacket. With her arms tucked in, she carried a kettle of hot water to the window.
"Little girl, don't look at our profession like it has no future. In fact, we’ve skipped decades of detours compared to others!"
The old man standing guard outside said. He was wearing a security overcoat, well-advanced in years with wrinkles etched across his brow, looking quite kind and gentle.
Xu Xiaoyou was amused by his optimistic attitude. She shook her head slightly and poured the hot water from the kettle into the cup of instant noodles in front of her. A few slices of fish cake rose up with the billowing steam.
The base cost of living in the Star of Art was truly high; this cup of sea-flavored instant noodles cost one inspiration.
Not long ago, she had taken out a loan of several thousand inspiration from Universal Heavy Industries, and she had spent almost all of it on registering the shell company and that high-end restaurant.
As an S-rank employee, it hadn't been difficult to secure the loan.
Now she only had two inspiration left to her name. If she hadn't found a day-labor security gig in advance, she wouldn't even have a place to stay right now and would probably be freezing on the streets.
She let out a soft sigh and slurped the steaming noodles into her mouth. The rich, savory flavor of the soup spread across her palate.
Looking out the window, unique high-rises stood in rows, making her feel as though she were in a European town filled with artistic atmosphere.
Not far away stood a clock tower—solemn, elegant, and exquisitely decorated. The hands moved slowly, just hitting the hour of noon.
A few distant tolls of the bell echoed through the air above the street.
By comparison, this dilapidated security booth felt like it belonged to another world entirely.
"Little girl, don't look at me like this. My experience is actually very rich. I used to be a master painter! I have many works. There's really nothing in this Star of Art that I don't know about. I've met all those big shots in the upper layers," the old man said, his face lighting up with excitement.
"Mhm, mhm, mhm," Xu Xiaoyou hummed in response, taking another slurp of noodles.
This old man named Da Finney was a senior. Ever since she arrived at the security booth, he had been chattering incessantly in her ear without any intention of stopping, to the point where her ears were almost growing calluses.
"Do you know about the Starry Gallery? It's the board of directors for the Starry Art Academy. I used to be a member of the Starry Gallery."
"Does that mean you also know Principal Belvedere?" Xu Xiaoyou asked, playing along.
She felt like a volunteer in a nursing home accompanying an elder, listening to a lonely old man brag to her.
These elderly people often lacked companionship for years. Once they found a listener in their world, they would ramble on and on, eager to describe their entire inner world.
"Of course! That fellow Belvedere—don't be fooled by his dignified appearance, he’s actually a hypocrite! He stole other people’s artistic achievements and had inappropriate relationships with the female students at the academy..."
"Want to know more about him? I’ve got the exclusive scoop here."
At the mention of Belvedere, Da Finney’s expression changed instantly. He looked indignant, as if his current situation was entirely the fault of that high-and-mighty principal.
Xu Xiaoyou was reminded of elders at a banquet who, after getting drunk, would start making reckless comments.
"Whose artistic achievements did he steal?" Xu Xiaoyou asked casually.
At that moment, the old man’s face suddenly became serious and solemn. The abrupt change was so jarring that Xu Xiaoyou couldn't quite adjust.
He pointed at himself. "Mine."
"He stole everything from me."
"That painting, The Starry Night... I was the one who painted it."
"He stole everything from the Star of Art."
"Art wasn't supposed to be like this."
Xu Xiaoyou couldn't help but laugh.
She didn't doubt that if there were two orderlies present, they would surely lock this rambling old man in a mental hospital.
Everyone in the Star of Art knew that Principal Belvedere of the Starry Art Academy had created that masterpiece, The Starry Night. That breathtaking painting, flawless from every angle, had caused a sensation throughout the entire universe, establishing his status as the head of the Starry Gallery and propelling him to the position of academy principal.
By now, starting from the year 450 of the New Era Calendar, Belvedere had served three consecutive terms as principal—a total of eighty-two years. This world of ice and snow operated under his will.
No one knew Belvedere’s true age; they only knew that this man had been a regular in the headlines of all the major universal news outlets since the founding of the Star of Art.
He had founded the world-renowned art society, the Starry Gallery, along with several other artists from that time.
Those other great artists had all vanished or been forgotten, leaving only him still active in the public eye, attending the evening galas of various great families.
He was a member of the blood spirit race; his lifespan was several times that of an ordinary human, and theoretically, he could maintain immortality through the blood spirit conversion ritual.
The prerequisite was being able to maintain his sanity and keep his soul from being twisted after multiple rituals.
"So you've lived for several hundred years too?" Xu Xiaoyou asked. "Living for hundreds of years and you're still working as a security guard?"
A flash of melancholy passed through Da Finney’s weathered eyes. This time, he didn't answer Xu Xiaoyou's question with his usual excitement. Instead, he took off his security cap, revealing a scalp with only a few sparse hairs, and walked out into the swirling snowflakes.
"I’m going on patrol."
Xu Xiaoyou watched him walk away, his figure swaying unsteadily as he went.
Rate on N.U.
