RALP Chapter 11

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Assistant Xiao, who has been quietly on stand-by nearby, feels like her glasses are going to crack hearing what her boss is saying.

Finally, she has come to terms with the fact that her CP has broken up, and decided to write new materials herself; then barely days have passed before CEO Du has publicly declared his interest in someone new.

Like, isn’t he way too different in character as well?

Agent Chen started blind and now has spent so much time navigating the entertainment industry that he definitely has amazing and precise vision. So CEO Du’s intentions are clear as day to him.

Of course, just ‘eating’ wouldn’t have raised eyebrows, but the problem is ‘alone.’

The sun is still so bright out; how impatient he must be.

Though, any other celebrity under his guardianship would have been better than You Haoyu. He is practically a hedgehog. An untamed hedgehog. Without any foregrounding and directly asking him that he would definitely reject it.

Though, even with sufficient pretext he wouldn’t agree either.

Agent Chen can still remember when Today was just formed and he took the five members out to dinner with the sponsors of the talent show. When he had You Haoyu pay his respects in drinks he was super unwilling already. Not to mention when he tried to pull some sexual favours behind the curtains.

Though he sure does not want to let this opportunity go.

If any of his celebrities manage to hug the thighs of the Du Conglomerate, then he wouldn’t even have to pay attention to small companies offering them meagre deals for some unknown endorsement deal. His career would surely advance as well.

Yes, as long as it was anyone under him, not just You Haoyu.

Besides, to him, rather than the that prickly bastard You Haoyu, he would much rather give the chance to the four other members of Today. Normally that’s also what he does and he always divides the resources up more in favour of the four.

Who knows how You Haoyu still ended up the cream of the crop in the end.

Really, mankind is puny in the face of the Heavens.

Though agent Chen has thought so much in his mind (TL: I imagine it was a 20 second awkward silence with Du You deciding to look at Trending on his phone, assistant Xiao superimposing the face of Shen Chen onto You Haoyu to continue her delusions, and You Haoyu himself going ‘tch,’ ‘ugh,’ or putting on a disgusted look at random every 0.5 seconds), though he does not show that on his face at all. Instead, he looks to be troubled.

“Right. My apologies, but Haoyu has an interview this afternoon. We might make make it in time if we ate before leaving…”

You Haoyu glances over at his agent. Why didn’t he know he had an interview.

Since he was wounded, all the jobs scheduled these few days have been delayed or cancelled.

Du You is slightly disappointed, but when he wants to arrange another time, agent Chen cuts him off, saying, “how about this. We can arrange for a time right now, and next time I will bring along everyone at Today to treat you to a meal!”

While smiling, he is also observing what minor movements there may be on Du You’s face suggesting a response.

He really couldn’t believe that outside of You Haoyu this CEO has nobody else he is interested in.

Du You, “only You Haoyu would be fine.”

Agent Chen’s smile freezes up hearing that.

You Haoyu goes pale.

Since silence has enveloped the room again, thinking they might not have heard him clearly, Du You repeats, “You Haoyu alone is fine.”

Assistant Xiao can’t help but take her glasses off to wipe its lens.

Meanwhile You Haoyu looks like he’s suffocating and holding back hard on his urges to immediately leave the room.

Agent Chen is really puzzled. True, You Haoyu is the most handsome one of the five, but the others are all fine, and they have good personalities too. Why does everyone only like this guy?

Is his understanding of the aesthetics and tastes of this generation already outdated?

Though while he’s puzzled, true, but he can also notice his charge gripping his fist tightly, as if ready to immediately punch someone the next second.

He will have to calm the both of them down first.

“Is that so, I see,” agent Chen says, putting on his business smile again, “we will head back first, and will contact you with details later, how does that sound?”

Does a simple meal require such formal arrangement? Though while Du You is suspicious, he nods to show he agrees.

“Then we will excuse ourselves for now.”

The agent finishes and leads You Haoyu out the door. The personal assistant also hurriedly bows before chasing after them.

In the elevator, the three of them descend to floor U1, where the underground parking lot is.

Agent Chen’s smile is finally gone. In fact, he looks disgusted when facing You Haoyu, “what’s with that look just asking you out on a meal. If I didn’t stop you, you’d have wanted to punch him too, didn’t you?”

“A meal?” You Haoyu smirks, “that’s what you said the first few times. Then in the middle of it they start to feel me up with their hands and feet. Don’t blame me for lashing out at them.”

“You——” agent Chen furrows his brows, “you really are an obtuse mule!”

True, when there was one time he had You Haoyu accompany a sponsor in a meal, that person at most touched him on the arms and thighs, but then he decided to just go berserk and flip the whole goddamn table. The gall——and he had to clean up after him, apologising so much too.

Not just the work is gone, but that industry connection was gone too.

After that incident, he never ever expected anything of the guy again.

Now finally there’s a business mogul sending suggestive invitations his way, but he still fails to grasp the opportunity.

“Mr. Du is no simple patron. If you get acquainted with him, nobody can say anything anymore even if you acted all proud and arrogant and even break your character setting in public.”

The young assistant is also nodding like a clucking chicken next to him, “yeah yeah, Chen-ge is right. Besides, Mr. Du is handsome. If push really came to shove you’d be the one getting the better deal anyway…”

“What did you say?” You Haoyu squints his eyes.

The assistant slaps his own cheeks and does not dare continue.

Agent Chen crosses his arms, “just think about it yourself. People like Mr. Du are truly one-in-a-million. You would not stay an idol forever. If you wanted to advance in the entertainment industry, you always need that connection behind you.”

“Tch.”

The elevator ‘dings,’ they’re at their floor already. You Haoyu walks straight out without looking back, leaving the two of them behind.

He himself did not particularly have a problem eating with Du You, since he did help him several times already.

What he is pissed off about is his agent’s attitude.

Since their first meeting he’s always been like that. It’s like he had no other method doing things other than pulling tricks like that.

Spending time around people like him makes him feel like even the air has become stale and yucky.

His invitation proving inconclusive for now, Du You returns to his office. Assistant Xiao follows behind him, looking like she wanted to say something.

Her mind is really muddled now. She desperately wants to know who truly is the apple in Du You’s eyes, so that her CP dream wouldn’t get shattered. Again.

When they pass by her desk, the phone rings.

Assistant Xiao finally takes her gaze off her boss, and picks up the phone.

“Hello, this is the Du Conglomerate building, you’re speaking with Mr. Du’s assistant.”

She bites her lips subconsciously after hearing what the caller is saying.

“Understood.”

Before Du You can take a seat back in his office, assistant Xiao follows in, and says, “apologies, Mr. Du. Reception called; someone is here for you.”

As a bossy CEO, meetings are, of course, arranged by booking only. It’s unfathomable someone has just showed up at reception instead.

Du You says nothing, and gestures for her to continue.

She pauses briefly before saying, “that person called himself Xiao Tiantian. He said that you would let him in as long as you heard his name.”

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TL’s notes: Oof, the coronavirus is resurging pretty intensely recently. Here’s hoping by the time this chapter is released, the new wave is over and everything will kinda return to normal.