Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapters 289 and 290: "The Married Life I Long For"

Chen Jiajia's suggestion truly surprised Lin Xiao.

He turned to his wife and found that Xixi also looked completely bewildered, as if she knew nothing about it.

Seeing this, Chen Jiajia waved her hand confidently: "Brother-in-law, don't look down on my sister. I know she listens to you in everything, so I didn't even talk to her about this. I communicated with you face to face directly."

These words made Xixi very embarrassed.

What do you mean I have to listen to him...? Even if it's the truth, you can't say it to my face! Don't I have any dignity?!

In a daze, Han Xixi had the illusion that she was actually an ordinary person and that her husband was the celebrity.

She wasn't the only one who felt this way; Lin Xiao also had this misconception now.

"No, Jiajia!"

Lin Xiao gave a wry smile, "You're not kidding, are you? Xi Xi and I... going on a variety show together?"

Chen Jiajia said with a serious face, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Lin Xiao was speechless; saying yes or no was both wrong.

"Brother-in-law, I know what you're worried about!"

Jiajia exudes an aura of invincibility, a stark contrast to her earlier days as a junior assistant.

She waved her hand and said domineeringly, "You just think of yourself as a civil servant, a leading cadre within the system, not someone in the entertainment industry. You're not wrong to think that way, but in fact, you've never been an ordinary cadre within the system from the beginning."

"From the moment you decided to write a song for Sister Xixi, you weren't just any ordinary cadre anymore. In reality, you were already considered a person in the entertainment industry. Even if you were using the 'Ma Yao' persona, we all know that Ma Yao is Lin Xiao, and Lin Xiao is Ma Yao. Ma Yao is a person in the entertainment industry, and you, Lin Xiao, are a person in the entertainment industry, don't you think?"

These words left Lin Xiao speechless.

Chen Jiajia continued, "Besides, now that your disguise has been exposed, netizens across the country know you're Ma Yao, know you're that influential, incredibly talented musician. You can't hide anymore, even if you wanted to. And even if you wanted to, the leaders of your Nanzhou Province probably wouldn't let you hide, right? After all, with such fame and popularity, such a positive image and temperament, and such incredible talent and ability, you're definitely Nanzhou Province's calling card. In this situation, even if you wanted to settle down as a town mayor, the higher-ups would have to agree, wouldn't you say?"

Chen Jiajia's little mouth was like it had a motor, chattering away non-stop, as if she wouldn't give up until she won Lin Xiao over.

Lin Xiao was a little dazed.

In my memory, Chen Jiajia was just a clever girl who only knew how to ship couples. She didn't have the eloquence she has now, nor did she have this fiery and domineering aura.

She's only been an agent for less than a year, right?

Moreover, Xixi was basically in a state of recuperation during that year, and Chen Jiajia, as her agent, didn't actually have much work.

But she quietly grew up in a corner where no one noticed, and now she has transformed into a new-era strong woman who is even more decisive and efficient than her predecessor, Zhou Hui.

Lin Xiao was extremely shocked.

Faced with Chen Jiajia's persuasion, he was not tempted, but he couldn't find the words to refuse.

Don’t say anything else!

The fact that Jiajia saw through the provincial leaders' schemes against him proves that this young girl is indeed insightful and capable, so what she has to say next is worth listening to.

"What variety show?" Lin Xiao asked instead of answering.

This sentence made Chen Jiajia think that her brother-in-law had given in, and her eyes lit up with joy.

"Mango TV's self-produced variety show is called 'Back to the Married Life,' it's very popular, you should have seen it, right?"

"I haven't seen it, but I have heard of it," Lin Xiao said.

"I've seen it!!"

Xi Xi got excited, "I've been staying home these past few months of pregnancy and have watched a lot of variety shows, including this one called 'Longing for Married Life.' It's a slow-paced lifestyle show, very relaxing and entertaining. I've watched all three seasons, and now they're making a fourth season?"

Seeing his wife's excited expression, Lin Xiao smiled calmly and ruffled her long hair.

Xi Xi smiled at her husband with narrowed eyes.

Chen Jiajia, standing nearby, was forced to witness their public display of affection, and said seriously, "A fourth season is coming out. Last time, my brother and sister held a press conference, and the next day the Hunan TV production team contacted me, trying their best to invite you to be on this show."

As she spoke, Jiajia clapped her hands in admiration: "It has to be Hunan TV. They have such sharp eyes and such audacity. When you two held the press conference, you were being attacked by the entire internet and were in the eye of the storm of public opinion. You were almost labeled as 'tainted artists'."

"In this situation, other investors in the industry would rather avoid you altogether, but only Hunan TV dares to go against the tide and invite you to their show, and they're offering a pretty high price—the production team said, 'Brother, although you're not in the industry, you're clearly a person with ideals and beliefs. Even if they try to take the opportunity to lower the price, it won't work. It's better to pay the full price upfront, which will show their sincerity!'"

These words made Lin Xiao's eyes light up again.

But then he realized something was wrong and understood.

"They say I have ideals and beliefs, but then they think they can get me on a show by offering a high price... Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"puff--"

Xi Xi realized what was going on and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The young couple exchanged flirtatious glances.

Chen Jiajia was extremely helpless and wished she could gouge her own eyes out—people can't even empathize with their past selves. Back then, she was the number one CP fan of the couple in front of her, but now she gets annoyed just seeing them showing affection!

"They're just talking business, bro, don't make a big deal out of it!"

Chen Jiajia forcefully steered the conversation back to the main topic, and said seriously, "Anyway, the price offered by the production team was very reasonable, but I knew that you two were definitely not in the mood to go, so you directly declined the offer. I thought that was the end of it."

"As it turned out, the production team was very sincere and kept waiting. Later, public opinion reversed, and you guys are fine now, and your reputation is even better than before."

"The production team came knocking again when they saw this, and they raised the price up another notch. Now it's definitely top-tier, even yours is... With this sincerity, I really can't say I'm not tempted, which is why I came to discuss it with you two!"

After Jiajia finished speaking, she blinked her big eyes and waited for the couple's reply.

Silence fell over the room for a moment.

Lin Xiao looked at his wife and found that she was also looking at him, her eyes conveying the message, "Honey, it's your decision."

Lin Xiao laughed.

"Jiajia, you know that government employees are not allowed to hold concurrent positions in violation of regulations, right?" he asked.

“I know, but you’ve been writing songs all along and nothing happened!” Jiajia came prepared.

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "Songwriting is a form of artistic creation, with flexible hours and doesn't interfere with normal work, so it's not considered illegal part-time work. But variety show recording takes a long time and requires long-term leave, which will definitely interfere with normal work, so it's obvious that it's illegal part-time work."

Chen Jiajia immediately looked dejected.

"I see... Can't we even apply to the organization? After all, you're the face and the brand of Nanzhou Province now. Appearing on variety shows can help maintain your popularity and promote Nanzhou Province on a larger platform. It's such a great opportunity. Can't the organization make an exception for you?"

"What do you mean by 'giving them special treatment'!"

Xi Xi quickly interjected, covering her face and laughing helplessly.

Jiajia realized she had misspoke and quickly slapped her mouth twice: "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue! What I meant was that if my brother and sister went on a variety show together, it would be very helpful for my brother's main job. If the organization is aware of the relevant situation, they might strongly support it, right?"

After saying this, Lin Xiao fell silent.

Although Chen Jiajia was only trying to persuade him to participate in the variety show, what she said actually made a lot of sense.

Unbeknownst to her, she had already reached a tacit understanding with the provincial leaders, who were actually shouldering the important responsibility of promoting Nanzhou Province and developing its tourism industry.

But I know it myself.

However, this task was neither put on paper nor were any long-term, medium-term, or short-term goals set.

How much is completed, how it is completed, and what the results are all up to one's own will.

The provincial leaders had a firm grasp on his desire to "serve his hometown," which is why they gave him the greatest possible freedom, and at the same time showed the utmost sincerity in handling the issues concerning his parents-in-law.

Lin Xiao was indifferent to desires and refused to be coerced or tempted.

They just happen to fall for that.

Since taking office as the mayor of Xingguang Town, he has been focused on town affairs and has forgotten his mission as the "de facto spokesperson of Nanzhou Province".

Now, Chen Jiajia just casually mentioned it.

He quickly realized that... appearing on a variety show might actually be a great opportunity.

"What's the content of this variety show? How was it recorded?" Lin Xiao suddenly asked in detail.

Now it was Chen Jiajia and Han Xixi's turn to exchange glances, knowing that he had something on his mind.

Xi Xi hurriedly said, "I know that, I'm a loyal fan! As a slow-paced variety show, 'Longing for Married Life' is no different from those rural variety shows. It also involves finding a small house in a village with beautiful scenery and rustic decoration, and then having several regular guests live there together to experience the slow-paced rural life."

"The focus of this show is that all the guests are married couples. There are three couples each season, and they spend about two or three days together each episode, cooking and chatting together, and more importantly, showing the secrets to a happy marriage..."

"I can't really say much more, but for someone who doesn't watch variety shows often, I thought it was quite good. Maybe it's because I'm married, so I can relate to a lot of the content..."

As Xixi spoke, she wore a shy, aunt-like smile.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao's eyelid muscles moved uncontrollably, and he laughed along with his wife.

The couple secretly hooked their hands together.

Chen Jiajia rolled her eyes, she really couldn't stand it anymore!
"Brother, what do you think of what Sister Xixi said?" Jiajia tried to bring up her cleavage.

"It still doesn't work!"

Lin Xiao said with great regret, "You heard it too, each recording session takes two or three days, and there are twelve episodes in a season, which is a month. I can take a day or two off occasionally, but I definitely can't take more than that. Look at me, I can't even go home on weekends, and my wife and kids have to come all the way to see me... You can tell how I am working right now!"

He shrugged helplessly as he spoke.

"what……"

Chen Jiajia was extremely disappointed, as if her soul had been dealt a heavy blow.

When I looked up, I saw the two of them exchanging glances, as if they wanted to reunite after a short separation.

Jiajia was immediately furious.

Out of sight, out of mind, I got up and left!

……

Lin Xiao played with his daughter for a while, then spent some time with his wife, and it was past midnight.

Time flies.

After drinking her milk and burping her, Ms. Lin Xiaoxi quickly fell asleep on her father's shoulder.

Lin Xiao put her in the crib.

Looking at the chubby little girl sleeping peacefully, he felt he couldn't get enough of looking at her. Although Ms. Lin still didn't smile at him much, he still felt that he was the happiest man in the world right now.

Human sorrows and joys are not interlinked.

As brothers, Lin Xiao and Lin Yu are now in completely different situations.

Lunch was ready, and Lin Xiao came out of his room, only to see Lin Yu being scolded on the balcony.

"Why didn't you go to Jingzhou with Qin Jiapeng and Zhang Zihang? Do you think I won't be able to entertain you?" Liang Tian asked, hands on her hips, clearly angry.
"No."

"Why not go if you don't have one?"

Liang Tian was furious. "Didn't you say you wanted to apply to schools in Jingzhou? I was even thinking of taking you to visit several top schools these past few days. Seeing is believing, right? If you see the campus environment in person, you'll know better which school you want to apply to. Isn't that better?"

A rare look of embarrassment appeared on Lin Yu's usually calm face.

"it is good……"

"Why don't you go?" "No reason...I don't want to go!"

"You don't want to go?!" Liang Tian's voice immediately rose an octave. "Didn't you say you wanted to apply to a university in Haicheng? Why don't you want to go now? Are you kidding me?"

"……without!"

"So what's going on with you? I had everything planned out, and you just say you're not going, and then you come all the way to this remote mountain valley... What do you mean by this?!"

Liang Tian was so angry that her cheeks puffed out, and she couldn't control her voice at all.

The room was filled with adults serving dishes, setting out bowls and chopsticks, and pouring drinks.

They all appeared normal and indifferent, but without exception, they were all listening intently to what was happening on this side.

Even Chen Jiajia, who had sealed her heart with cement and switched to the workplace, had her gossip-loving spirit rekindled at this moment, her eyes flashing with intense gossip.

As someone who has been there.

Everyone in this room, including the adults, knew what was going on with the two boys!

But it seems that only they themselves are unaware of this.

"Lin Yu, this is serious!! I'm breaking off all ties with you!!"

Liang Tian crossed her arms in front of her and uttered some heavy-handed threats.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu could no longer maintain his composed demeanor. His face turned anxious, but he didn't know how to express himself. He struggled for a long time until his face turned bright red, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Xiao came over with a water glass, pretending to pour water as he passed by.

"Apologize!"

He whispered some advice to his younger brother, then drank some water and left: "This is all I can do for you!"
Lin Yu stammered, but couldn't get a word out.

"Lin Yu! Are you deaf? I said I'm breaking off all ties with you!!"

"……Oh."

The adults in the room were all stunned into silence.

Wearing an apron, Zhou Xiuping, the mother, felt an urge to slap her taciturn youngest son, while simultaneously cursing her equally taciturn husband, Lin Jianping, in her mind.

Liang Tian was just full of imposing manner, but she didn't actually have much anger.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's "Oh," her fair cheeks flushed red at a visible speed.

"What...what do you mean by 'oh'?!"

"..."

"Fine!! Fine, let's break up then... I hate you!!"

Before she could finish speaking, two glistening tears welled up in the little girl's clear eyes and fell to the ground.

Liang Tian pouted and jogged to go out.

Xixi quickly stopped him.

"It's almost time to eat, where are you going?"

"I'm not eating! I won't eat with disloyal people, hmph!!"

Liang Tian was furious.

Han Xixi was amused by the little girl's behavior, but she forced herself to hold back her laughter and coaxed her, "Oh dear, you still need to eat. You're about to go to university, why are you still acting like a child..."

As she spoke, she gave her husband a meaningful look.

Lin Xiao understood and quickly came to his aid: "That's right! Besides, even if you don't eat, it shouldn't be you who doesn't eat. It's the disloyal people who shouldn't eat!"

After saying that, he pretended to have a dark expression and shouted at Lin Yu, "You treacherous bastard, I despise you! You're punished to go back to your room. You're not eating lunch today... or dinner today!!"

Lin Xiao looked indignant.

Lin Yu's expression was complicated as he glanced at Liang Tian with a deep look.

He wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing and went back to his room.

The adults coaxed Liang Tian for a long time before they finally calmed her down, and everyone happily finished their lunch.

After the meal, Chen Jiajia said goodbye and left.

Zhou Xiumei and the nanny were cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen.

Liang Tian sat on the sofa, looking sullen, playing on her phone.

Xi Xi tried to persuade her, but Lin Xiao pulled her back to the room and blocked the door, taking advantage of her for a good time.

Han Xixi, breathless, pushed the scoundrel away.

"What are you doing... there are so many people at home!" Xixi said breathlessly.

"They're all outside, they can't hear us!"

Lin Xiao, his voice hoarse, was about to invade again.

Xi Xi grabbed his groping hand and gestured with her chin toward the crib on the balcony: "Who said we're all outside? Isn't your daughter a person?"

Lin Xiao looked displeased: "She... doesn't understand anything, and she's asleep... she won't bother us!!"

After saying that, he pounced on her again.

Xi Xi, however, refused to listen and laughed, "Lin Xiao, I'm warning you, if you dare to disregard your daughter, she'll teach you a lesson in no time!"

Lin Xiao scoffed, "Her? A chubby little girl who's not even four months old, trying to teach me a lesson..."

The words were not finished.

Ms. Lin Xiaoxi, who was sound asleep just moments before, suddenly grunted twice and then began to writhe her limbs and cry loudly.

Lin Xiao was completely dumbfounded: Wait, this works?!
In a flurry of activity, changing diapers, washing bottoms, preparing formula, testing temperatures... For quite some time, Ms. Lin drank her milk, her chubby cheeks bulging, her two big, round eyes still fixed on Lin Xiao.

His expression clearly said: You little brat, it was you who flirted with my mom just now!

Lin Xiao was truly impressed.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to his beloved daughter, knowing he couldn't afford to offend her.

Han Xixi was laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight.

After the daughter finished eating, she was surrounded by several women on the balcony, who basked in the sun and amused her.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi watched from a distance, feeling peaceful and sweet.

Xi Xi glanced at her brother-in-law's room and nudged her husband.

"Oh, are you really not going to invite Xiaoyu out for dinner?" she asked, a little worried.

"You won't starve if you skip a meal!"

Lin Xiao replied without turning his head.

Xi Xi rolled her eyes helplessly: "You really are my brother!"

Lin Xiao grinned, meaning, "You're right."

"Hey, what about Tian Tian and Xiao Yu's situation...?" Xi Xi asked again.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you say?"

"Hmm... Oh, you mean this?"

Lin Xiao shrugged. "What else can we do? The old way—respect other countries' internal affairs, don't interfere, don't participate, and don't comment!"

Xi Xi looked worried.

"But look how fiercely they're arguing, are you really going to ignore it?"

"Quarrel?!"

Lin Xiao squinted.

Xi Xi scratched her cheek: "Um...look how angry Tian Tian is, she's even going to break off all ties with Xiao Yu! Aren't you afraid that the two of them will really never speak to each other again?"

Lin Xiao couldn't help but laugh when he heard his wife's words.

Only his own wife would take such a childish trick seriously; Liang Tian probably didn't even care.

Which of them is the high school student?!

"Even if they truly never see each other again, that's their fate, and no one else can interfere!"

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "To be honest, they're just friends now. The only reason we're together is because we're related. They're not lovers. If they were lovers, we would try to mediate when they argue, but they're not. If ordinary friends are arguing and having a disagreement, and we rush to make up... that's just creating drama for ourselves and adding burden to the two young people!"

Xixi thought about it and felt that her husband's words made sense, so she had no choice but to give up.

But she was still worried and let out a deep sigh.

Lin Xiao, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh: "What's with your reaction... do you really want them to date?"

Xi Xi was a little embarrassed by the question.

"Uh... there's no hope anymore..."

"So that means you don't reject it?"

"Why should we reject it?" Xixi asked in surprise.

"Hmm... because your sister is a princess from Beijing's elite circle, while my brother is just a poor country boy. They don't seem to be a good match at all!"

"A good match?"

Xi Xi chewed on those two words, looking disgusted. "And what about the two of us? One is a newcomer to the music industry whose career collapsed right after her debut, and the other is a hardworking grassroots civil servant from a rural background. Is that a good match?"

Lin Xiao understood that his wife was referring to their whirlwind marriage after they had only known each other for a short time.

He immediately understood what she meant and couldn't help but smile.

"Let's not even talk about how mismatched they are!"

Lin Xiao said in a rather serious tone, "Take those two high school graduates, for example. They just finished the college entrance examination, and there's still a lot of uncertainty. Lin Yu didn't go to Jingzhou this time because he felt he didn't perform well on the exam. I asked him what score he estimated, but he wouldn't say. I guess he did pretty badly, maybe not even reaching the undergraduate admission line."

"If that's really the case, he'll have a hard time even getting into university, let alone going to university in Jingzhou. He'll then only have two paths in front of him: either retake the exam or go to a vocational college. Do you think which path can guarantee that he and Liang Tian can smoothly be together after they confess their feelings?"

Upon hearing this, Xixi's face immediately turned worried, realizing that this was indeed a very serious matter.

"Then now..."

"No interference, no participation, no comment... just secretly evaluate them behind their backs!"

Lin Xiao changed his tune to reflect the facts.

Xi Xi smiled with a mix of helplessness and regret, silently hoping in her heart: Lin Yu, Lin Yu, your sister-in-law wishes you the best of luck in performing to your full potential, and you absolutely must get into a university in Jingzhou!

(End of this chapter)