Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Lin Yi’s contract with the agency was about to expire.

In the past, the agency didn’t care whether Lin Yi stayed or left, but now they were doing everything possible to keep him.

After all, their company lacked top-tier artists, and Lin Yi, with over thirty million followers on Weibo, had become their undisputed top star.

During this period, Lin Yi had only filmed one variety show with children, yet it was easy to imagine that if he took on more projects and further expanded his fame, he would become even more popular.

Based on this, the agency began to think of ways to retain Lin Yi. If they could persuade him to renew his contract and stay with them for a few more years, it would undoubtedly bring in substantial profits for the company.

To keep Lin Yi, a vice president of the agency and his agent arranged a dinner invitation for him.

When Lin Yi received the call from his agent, he was lying on the sofa watching TV and immediately said he didn’t want to go out.

The agent, now groveling before Lin Yi, smiled and said, "Lin Yi, the private room is ready, just waiting for you. Where are you? I can send a car to pick you up—no, I’ll come personally."

Back then, the agent used to bark orders at the original host, even berating him when displeased and frequently withholding his rightful earnings. However, now the attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn.

Lin Yi thought for a moment and then changed his mind: "Alright, I’ll come."

The agent immediately beamed with joy. "Good, good, good. Tell me where you are, and I’ll come pick you up."

Lin Yi hung up the phone, stood up from the sofa, and slowly walked out of the villa.

Since the agent and the executives insisted on treating him, he wouldn’t be polite.

Forty minutes later, Lin Yi was picked up by his agent and taken to a private room in a large restaurant.

The agent bowed and scraped around him the whole time, acting like a lackey, even opening the private room door for Lin Yi first.

Lin Yi said nothing and walked into the room calmly.

At that moment, the vice president in the room saw Lin Yi arrive and got up to greet him warmly: "Lin Yi, welcome! Please sit down!"

Lin Yi gave the vice president a cool glance.

The original host had a history with this vice president. Once, to discuss a collaboration, the vice president dragged the original host along to drink, forcing him to consume a lot of alcohol.

Later, when the original host finally mustered the courage to say he couldn’t drink anymore, the vice president mocked him and warned him not to be ungrateful.

The original host, being timid, dared not say anything more and kept drinking until he ended up in the hospital.

Lin Yi stared at the vice president.

It was unclear whether the vice president remembered the incident, but now he seemed extremely friendly.

Soon, Lin Yi looked away and walked over to sit at the table.

The vice president even handed him the menu personally. "Order some dishes; you must be hungry after the journey."

This vice president was trying to win over Lin Yi for a reason. He was currently competing with another vice president, and having more artist resources under his control would give him an advantage.

Now, Lin Yi was the company’s ace, and whoever secured him would gain a firm footing.

Lin Yi knew these two called him here for a reason.

But what they wanted to say was their business; he would simply enjoy the meal.

Not just any meal, but the most expensive one.

Lin Yi ordered the priciest dishes, selecting nearly a dozen.

The vice president and the agent were momentarily stunned.

However, they quickly reassured themselves. After all, you can’t catch a wolf without letting go of the lamb.

Once they successfully persuaded Lin Yi to renew his contract, they could recoup the costs from him.

This time, they needed to work hard on the contract, setting several traps so that Lin Yi couldn’t continue as he had, taking only one variety show and turning down other offers, causing them significant financial losses.

After finishing his order, Lin Yi noticed the other two staring at him and raised an eyebrow. "What’s wrong?"

The agent hurriedly said, "Nothing, nothing. Is it enough? You can order more if you need."

He was already feeling the pinch, knowing he would have to foot the bill. Could he really expect the vice president to treat?

Lin Yi put down the menu. "No need."

The agent visibly relaxed.

The dishes Lin Yi had ordered already amounted to nearly ten thousand yuan. Any more, and he would have cried.

Next, the vice president also placed his order.

The agent symbolically ordered a dozen drinks and then put down the menu.

Soon, their dishes arrived.

Lin Yi, naturally, didn’t plan to be polite in front of these two. He picked up his chopsticks and said, "I’m going to start eating."

The vice president and the agent both urged him, "Eat, eat, eat more."

These two were now treating Lin Yi with utmost caution.

Lin Yi didn’t care about their attitudes. He picked up a dish with his chopsticks and savored it.

Without saying much else, the food at this restaurant was indeed excellent, no wonder each dish was so pricey.

Lin Yi enjoyed his meal thoroughly.

One of his greatest strengths was that he wouldn't let others affect his mood.

Even though he knew the two had invited him to dinner with some ulterior motive, it didn't bother him in the slightest.

His mindset was strong and steady; even if he were sitting across from a group of enemies, he would remain calm, eating and drinking as usual.

During the meal, the agent poured a glass of wine for each of them and said, "Come on, let's have a toast together."

Lin Yi immediately responded, "I don't hold my liquor well."

The agent and the vice president felt a bit awkward.

They had both witnessed Lin Yi's alcohol tolerance, which certainly couldn't be described as "poor."

In the past, they would have forced him to drink no matter what.

But now, they didn't dare do that.

After all, times had changed, and they were here to persuade Lin Yi to renew his contract.

For a moment, the table fell silent.

The vice president and the agent exchanged glances.

Lin Yi continued eating his food.

Finally, the vice president broke the silence: "If that's the case, Lin Yi, you can toast with tea instead."

Lin Yi agreed readily, "Sure."

He then picked up the teacup beside him, drained it in one go, and showed them the empty cup: "I've finished mine. Your turn."

The vice president and the agent were speechless.

With no choice, they also raised their glasses and drank them down.

For some reason, they felt like they were here to accompany him.

From then on, every time Lin Yi had a cup of tea, the two of them had a cup of wine.

Until at one point, the vice president started feeling a headache and hurriedly stopped drinking, saying, "Lin Yi, your contract is about to expire, right? Let's find a good day to sign a new one."

As Lin Yi slowly chewed his food, he thought to himself that this must be why they invited him today. It matched his expectations.

However, he had no intention of agreeing.

After swallowing his food, he said leisurely, "It hasn't expired yet."

The vice president sensed Lin Yi's reluctance and quickly used serving chopsticks to place a piece of meat on his plate, "It's better to prepare early."

The agent chimed in, "That's right, Lin Yi. Think about it, since you signed with our company, we've had a pretty pleasant cooperation, haven't we? If we continue, it will surely be mutually beneficial."

Pleasant cooperation?!

Lin Yi gave an ambiguous smile.

The original owner had suffered greatly, and apart from the Lin family, most of the torment came from this company.

How could they talk about pleasant cooperation?

Thinking of this, Lin Yi's expression remained unchanged. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Let's discuss it when the contract expires."

Clearly, he still wasn't planning to sign.

Upon hearing this, the vice president and the agent exchanged glances.

After a moment, the agent picked up a bag from the table and placed it in front of Lin Yi, "Lin Yi, this is a small gift from the company. See if you like it."

Lin Yi looked into the bag.

Inside seemed to be a top-grade jade.

Lin Yi took the bag, seemingly finally showing interest, "Then let's talk about the contract renewal."

The vice president and the agent were delighted and quickly began discussing the contract details.

Of course, they deliberately skipped over the unfavorable parts and only mentioned the benefits for Lin Yi.

While they talked, Lin Yi ate leisurely.

After a long discussion, seeing Lin Yi show no reaction, they asked, "Lin Yi, what do you think?"

Lin Yi put on disposable gloves, picked up a shrimp, and while peeling it slowly, said, "Why don't you start over? I didn't quite understand."

The vice president and the agent were speechless.

They had a hunch that Lin Yi might be playing with them.

But given their current position, they had to set aside these thoughts and explained the contract again, painting a grand future for Lin Yi.

By the end, their throats were parched from talking so much. They hastily grabbed their cups and gulped down the liquid, forgetting it was wine, causing them to cough uncomfortably.

The vice president, being a senior executive, was struggling to control his anger. He tried to keep his composure and said to Lin Yi, "Lin Yi, we explained it again. Do you understand now?"

Lin Yi finally nodded, "Yes, I understand."

The vice president was overjoyed, "Then why not sign the contract today?"

Speaking of which, he urged the agent, "Quickly bring out the contract!"

"Alright, alright!"

The agent rummaged through his briefcase.

At this moment, Lin Yi took off his disposable gloves, tossed them on the table, and then wiped his mouth with a napkin.

After finishing all of this, he stood up holding the bag containing the jade: "I ate quite satisfactorily today. Thank you for your hospitality."

With that, he leisurely walked toward the door.

The vice president was stunned by this scene: "Lin Yi, where are you going? We haven't signed the contract yet!"

Lin Yi stopped, looking at him in confusion: "Who said we were going to sign a contract?"

The vice president nearly choked: "Didn’t we agree just now? You even had us read the contract twice."

His voice hadn't even recovered yet.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi nodded in realization: "Oh, you mean that? I just had you read it as background noise while I ate."

The vice president almost spat out blood.

Background noise?

What did Lin Yi take them for?

The agent was even more desperate.

Not only was his throat parched, but he also had to pay for such an expensive meal!

Most importantly, the jade Lin Yi was carrying had cost him a considerable amount of money too!

But Lin Yi couldn't be bothered with their thoughts. He firmly stated: "I won't renew any contract. Don't contact me again, or I'll sue you for harassment."

With that, he left without looking back.

Leaving the vice president and the agent fuming, unable to do anything.

They had underestimated Lin Yi. Lin Yi was no longer the pushover he once was.

Lin Yi walked out of the restaurant with the bag.

At this moment, the sun was bright, and a cool breeze blew over, as if blowing away all the gloom.

Following the Lin family, Lin Yi had now completely severed ties with his agency.

All those who had wronged the original owner were now fading away.

One wonders if the original owner would feel joy at this turn of events?

Lin Yi looked down at the jade in the bag and decided to donate it.

After all, this was compensation due to the original owner. Now that the original owner was gone, he could use it to do some good. The original owner, despite being weak, was kind enough to appreciate this.

With nothing else to do, Lin Yi headed to the Huo Group.

He planned to visit Huo Jihan.

Lin Yi spent half an hour reaching the Huo Group.

As soon as he entered the building, he encountered Li Feng.

Li Feng was surprised and quickly approached: "Mr. Lin."

Lin Yi nodded and handed him the bag: "Please donate this for me."

This jade should be worth around two or three hundred thousand. He believed Li Feng would find someone truly in need.

Li Feng respectfully accepted the bag: "Yes, Mr. Lin."

Then he added, "Mr. Huo is in his office. Are you going to see him?"

Lin Yi smiled: "Yes, I'll go see him."

With that, he took the elevator upstairs and arrived at Huo Jihan's office.

This time, he deliberately didn't knock, carefully opening the office door to see what Huo Jihan was doing.

When he opened the door, he found Huo Jihan sitting behind the desk, his dark eyes fixed on the computer, likely handling some business matters.

Lin Yi leaned against the door frame, watching quietly for a while.

Until Huo Jihan sensed something and looked over.

Realizing he was caught, Lin Yi fully opened the door.

Seeing Lin Yi, Huo Jihan's dark eyes lit up with a smile.

His deep voice spoke gently to Lin Yi: "Come here."

Lin Yi closed the door and walked over to Huo Jihan.

He circled the desk and came to stand beside Huo Jihan.

From the moment Lin Yi appeared, Huo Jihan's gaze never left him until he stood right in front of him.

His voice carried extreme tenderness: "Why did you suddenly come?"

Lin Yi leaned against the desk, facing Huo Jihan sitting in the chair, and said with a smile, "Come and see what our Mr. Huo is up to."

Huo Jihan played along, "I'm helping you make money. How about it, are you satisfied?"

Lin Yi nodded contentedly, "Pretty satisfied."

He glanced at Huo Jihan's computer screen and saw it filled with complex data and tables.

He sighed, "It's enough to give you a headache."

He had lived his life as a complete slacker, and anything that required thinking made him feel like he was dying.

Huo Jihan smiled at him, "If it gives you a headache, don't look at it. Do something else."

Lin Yi hadn't reacted yet, "Do what?"

The moment he finished speaking, Huo Jihan stood up from his chair, effortlessly picked him up, and placed him on the empty part of the desk.

Lin Yi was startled. Before he could say anything while sitting on the desk, Huo Jihan moved closer.

Today, Huo Jihan wore a white shirt with one button undone, revealing his Adam's apple.

He leaned even closer to Lin Yi, looking straight into his eyes, his voice low and hoarse, "Can we kiss?"

As he spoke, his Adam's apple bobbed, exuding a mature male charm that could make anyone blush and their heart race.

Lin Yi looked at Huo Jihan, who was just inches away, and his breath was filled with Huo Jihan's scent, making his mind go blank.

They were less than ten centimeters apart, their breaths intertwining. It felt like any slight move would bring them into a kiss.

This teasing sensation was unbearable, making his heart tremble.

Despite the imminent moment, Huo Jihan still asked, "Hmm? Can we?"

He wanted Lin Yi to answer verbally.

Like a hunter closing in on prey, he was determined but wanted the prey to consent willingly.

Lin Yi felt himself losing control, as if he was sinking into an inescapable place.

He reached out and supported himself on the desk, which gave him some sense of stability.

Under Huo Jihan's gaze, he nodded.

Huo Jihan, having received Lin Yi's permission, lifted the corner of his mouth and kissed him quickly.

Their lips met, and then he sought more.

Lin Yi's body went limp, and he involuntarily leaned back.

Huo Jihan wrapped his arm around Lin Yi's waist and kissed him more deeply.

Lin Yi stayed upright only because Huo Jihan was supporting him.

Huo Jihan's kisses were intense and fierce, leaving Lin Yi no room to resist or respond.

He gripped the edge of the desk tightly, panting and trembling with each kiss.

He felt like he was floating on turbulent waves, with nowhere to rest except for Huo Jihan, who was his only anchor.

Lin Yi felt dizzy and his heart raced.

Just as he wondered if he might faint from kissing, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Knock knock knock—"

Lin Yi snapped out of his near-drowning state and became slightly clearer.

He pushed Huo Jihan away.

Huo Jihan clearly wasn't satisfied, pulling back slightly and saying in a hoarse voice, "Ignore it."

Lin Yi pushed him again, "What if it's urgent?"

Huo Jihan finally let go, his gaze towards the door showing a hint of displeasure.

Lin Yi seized the opportunity and quickly jumped off the desk.

He walked over to the window, opened it, and cooled down with the breeze.

He felt like his whole body was burning.

Huo Jihan adjusted his emotions, sat down in his chair, and called out coldly, "Come in."

His voice was several degrees colder than usual.

Outside, Li Feng: "…"

Would he be eliminated right away?

Although he knew Mr. Lin was here and it was best not to disturb them, the document he held needed Huo Jihan's signature urgently.

Li Feng took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Upon entering, he saw Lin Yi standing by the window, while Mr. Huo sat at the desk with an unreadable expression.

Li Feng: "…"

He didn't dare think about what had just happened; he could only withstand Huo Jihan's pressure and walk to the desk, saying, "Mr. Huo, I need your signature."

Fortunately, Huo Jihan didn't say much more. He flipped through the documents, then picked up a pen and signed his name with a flourish.

Li Feng didn’t dare to linger. As soon as Huo Jihan finished signing, he quickly took the documents and left, carefully closing the door behind him.

The secretaries, seeing Li Feng come out, joked, "Assistant Li, you actually made it out alive?"

They had also noticed Li Feng's hesitation before entering.

Li Feng chuckled, "Mr. Huo isn't that unreasonable."

More importantly, Mr. Lin was still in the office. Surely their Mr. Huo would tone down his intimidating presence?

Inside the office.

Lin Yi stood by the window, letting the breeze cool him down.

Once he finally cooled off, he stepped away from the window.

Huo Jihan, noticing this, said, "Play for a while. We'll go back together when I finish work."

Lin Yi found it difficult to meet Huo Jihan’s gaze.

Whenever they made eye contact, the same tingling sensation returned, making his scalp tingle.

He averted his eyes slightly and nodded, "Okay, sure."

Immediately after, he looked away again.

Huo Jihan smiled at Lin Yi's small movements.

To him, every gesture Lin Yi made was unbearably adorable.

Next, Lin Yi walked over to the bookshelf in the office.

He noticed that Huo Jihan had replaced the books on the shelf. There were now both domestic and foreign classics, as well as some professional finance books.

He picked up one of the classics.

With the book in hand, Lin Yi moved to the sofa area and began reading.

It was a collection of stories, each one vivid and illustrative.

Of course, these stories contained profound life lessons, which is why they were considered classics.

Finding it quite interesting, Lin Yi relaxed on the sofa, flipping through the pages leisurely.

Huo Jihan was busy handling documents. He stared at the computer screen, scrolling with the mouse, occasionally glancing over at Lin Yi on the sofa.

However, he glanced too often.

After an hour, he had only managed to process two pages of documents, whereas normally he would have finished all thirty pages.

The contrast was stark.

Huo Jihan: "..."

He tried to look less at Lin Yi and sped up his work.

In the next hour, Huo Jihan processed four pages of documents.

Only two more than before.

Huo Jihan: "..."

He chuckled softly, closed the document, shut the laptop, and walked over to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was engrossed in his book when a shadow fell beside him.

Looking up, he saw Huo Jihan and asked instinctively, "Not working anymore?"

Huo Jihan sat down next to Lin Yi. "Yes, my efficiency is too low."

Lin Yi was puzzled. "Why? Not feeling well?"

Huo Jihan gazed deeply into his eyes and smiled, "Yes, because someone is distracting me."

Lin Yi laughed. "This 'someone' wouldn’t happen to be me, would it?"

Huo Jihan raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Lin Yi clicked his tongue. "If this were ancient times, you’d be called a tyrant for this behavior."

Huo Jihan went along with Lin Yi’s joke. "Is that so? Then I’ll accept it."

Lin Yi couldn’t stop laughing.

Who would have thought that one day Huo Jihan would say something like this?

What an extreme contrast!