Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 301, Section 302: New Song
Listening to Lao Cao's complaints, Lin Xiao felt ashamed.

The source of this shame wasn't that I actually took his words to heart, or that I felt it was a waste of my job to take on the variety show "Longing for Married Life".

He felt ashamed because he had actually forgotten his good brother.

They forgot about "New Rural" music company as well.

It's worth noting that Lin Xiao was able to rescue Cao Yuanzhi, a fallen pop star, from the brink of despair and lure him away from his cold life in Shanghai with tens of millions in net worth, all thanks to this imaginative and attractive new rural music industry.

Now, people have arrived, and the company has been built.

Lin Xiao, the protagonist, completely forgot about this matter.

Even he himself felt he deserved a spanking!
"It's my fault, it's my fault, I'll punish myself!"

Lin Xiao picked up his beer glass and showed it off.

Seeing this, Cao Yuanzhi's sullen expression softened considerably, and he laughed, "It's good to admit your mistakes and correct them... But didn't 'Rebirth' officially announce that you and your sister-in-law would be guests? The contract should have been signed, right? Can you go back on your word now?"

Lin Xiao shrank back: "Why are you going back on your word?"

Old Cao returned a drink to his brother, and was halfway through when he heard this and his eyes widened again.

"Didn't you want to quit?"

"When did I say I was quitting?"

"If you weren't going to quit, what was the point of punishing yourself earlier?"

"I'm punishing myself because...I want to punish myself, is that wrong?"

Lin Xiao tilted his head and acted cute.

Cao Yuanzhi: "???"

Looking at the half-empty glass of wine, I really wanted to throw it in this guy's face.

Lin Xiao knew his senior was speechless, so he shrank back and grinned, "Don't worry, senior, even if I take on this variety show, it won't interfere with our music career!"

Old Cao frowned in disbelief.

She was already ugly, but this makes her look even uglier, even frightening.

"You're a town mayor, you're recording variety shows, and your child isn't even a year old yet... Are you Nezha, with three heads and six arms? How do you still have the time and energy to create music?"

Old Cao complained.

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "Senior, that's not right of you!"

Old Cao's neck had stretched two inches longer.

"Am I wrong?"

"Of course you're in the wrong!"

Lin Xiao said seriously, "You have so little faith in my musical talent, yet you dropped everything and came all the way from Haicheng to Nanzhou with me, listening to my nonsense and starting a new rural music company to start over... Isn't that just asking for trouble? Isn't this your fault?!"

Old Cao's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Damn, this works?
He had no answer, so he just kept drinking, one glass after another.

Across from him, Lin Xiao was very pleased to see him frustrated, and laughed so hard his teeth almost flew out.

At this point, the skewers were served.

The owner, a middle-aged man, put down his plate and then added two extra skewers of lamb. He smiled nervously and excitedly, "Mayor Lin, Cao... Cao Mingxing, welcome to my little stall. These lamb skewers are on me, hehe."

The man's honest smile caught Cao Yuanzhi off guard.

He was forced out of the entertainment industry because his reputation as a scumbag was proven.

The incident caused quite a stir at the time, and he was almost universally condemned online, treated like a stray dog.

This is not something that Cao Yuanzhi, who has just become a sensation, can easily accept and digest, to the point that he is still somewhat afraid to see people.

Every time he is recognized in public, he becomes extremely nervous, fearing that he will be pelted with rotten eggs.

I'm practically developing PTSD.

He was somewhat dazed as the boss kindly offered him some grilled skewers, and he almost burst into tears.

Lin Xiao glanced at his brother and knew what he was thinking.

He had always known that Lao Cao, apart from being a bit of a womanizer, had no other major flaws, and was even too kind-hearted.

Such people don't go far in the entertainment industry.

Take last year's retirement from the entertainment industry as an example.

In fact, the so-called "scumbag" is not a big deal in the entertainment industry, and it doesn't warrant the point of him leaving the industry.

As long as someone isn't a law-abiding citizen, the government doesn't care at all.

No matter how much they get hammered, it won't hurt them fundamentally. They can quietly make a comeback a few days after leaving the internet and be a hero again. As long as they have thick skin, it won't stop them from making money, and they can even make more.

Therefore, Cao Yuanzhi doesn't actually need to retire from the entertainment industry at all.

Later, Lin Xiao also asked him if he still wanted to pursue a career as a singer. He said he could write a song for him, which would easily help him regain lost ground and even take his career to the next level.

But Lao Cao refused.

This incident made him realize the cruelty of the entertainment industry. He had no face to continue wasting his brother's talent and enduring harsh insults while trying to make money in this industry.

So he chose to leave the music scene.

With tens of millions in copyright revenue, he returned to being an ordinary person.

In a sense, this decision was actually quite foolish, after all, who has a grudge against money?

But Lin Xiao admired him even more.

Previously, he at most regarded Lao Cao as a good friend, his only connection in the music industry, and perhaps a bit of a youthful friendship from their university days.

And that is, until he voluntarily gave up his promising career in the entertainment industry.

Lin Xiaocai deeply felt that this was a true brother he could make close friends with, and then he begged and pleaded with him to come to Nanzhou to start a new business together.

Now.

As the two ate the delicious grilled skewers, ignoring the noisy chatter in the night market, they felt more relaxed than ever before, as if they were letting go of everything and starting over.

"As for the song, you can decide for me this week... haha, I'll get you one!"

Lin Xiao chewed on a mouthful of meat, speaking indistinctly.

Old Cao understood, and frowned at him: "Really? Don't lie to me!"

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes: "That's so boring. When has Dad ever lied to you?"

Old Cao nodded.

"Really... Hey, you're asking for it, taking advantage of me!"

"Wrong, wrong!"

Lin Xiao himself was in a daze, "I've gotten so used to talking to my daughter that I'm overflowing with fatherly love now, and I see everyone as if they're my own children!"

Old Cao rolled his eyes dismissively.

Thinking that having a daughter is something special, like anyone can't have one, really... fine, if I can't have one, then nobody wants to have one with me!

Old Cao got angrier and angrier, and downed a glass of wine.

"Hey, don't drink by yourself, drink with me!" Lin Xiao offered to raise his glass.

"Without!"

"Hey, why are you so petty? I really misspoke just now, I didn't mean to take advantage of you."

"Get out of the way!"

Old Cao was annoyed, but he still raised his glass and said, "You said it yourself, give me a song this week, I'm waiting!"

Lin Xiao didn't take it seriously: "I mean what I say!"

"It's not enough to just do it; we also have to ensure the quality of the songs!"

"Hey, when have I ever written a song that's bad quality?"

"It has to be a huge hit, and its market impact can't be worse than 'Love Like a Tide' and 'Thousands of Mountains and Rivers'!"

"Hey, you son of a bitch!"

Lin Xiao's arm was aching from holding the glass, so he put it down and said, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Are you going to drink it or not?"

"Drink, drink, drink!"

Old Cao finally grinned, picked up his cup, and clinked it against his.

They both gulped down their drinks in one go.

Ah...that feels so good!

……

End of drinking session with Lao Cao.

Lin Xiao got home at 10 p.m.

Because we have children, everyone in the family goes to bed early.

She tiptoed to the master bedroom door.

Pushing open the door, I found the room was still lit, and my wife, Han Xixi, was leaning against the headboard reading a book.

Lin Xiao was overjoyed to find that his wife was still awake.

On his way back, he suddenly felt an intense longing for his wife, even though they saw each other every day and slept together every night.

But on the streets of the county town, there was a cool summer breeze and a slightly tipsy night.

He missed the person who gave him a complete family and allowed him to live a grounded life in this world.

He planned to go home and quickly go to sleep with his wife.

Now that he has unexpectedly discovered that his wife is still awake, he can't help but be a little greedy and decide to turn "sleep" from a noun into a verb.

"Wife~~~"

Lin Xiao grinned like a strange uncle as he moved closer to the large bed.

However, before he even touched the bed, he was shocked to find that there was a crib at the other end of the bed, and a chubby little girl was sleeping soundly on it.

Lin Xiao's face went blank.

Xixi leaned against the headboard, watching the change in her husband's face with a kind expression, feeling incredibly smug.

"How did she get here?" Lin Xiao asked in surprise.

"What a question!"

Xi Xi closed the book and said irritably, "Your own daughter, can't she sleep in the same room as us? It's not like she hasn't slept in this room before!"

Lin Xiao waved his hand: "Yes, we slept together, but didn't Auntie take leave to go home last time? Auntie is back now, and these past few days have been the same as before, with Xiao Chu sleeping in the next room with Auntie and my mom. Why did she come over again today..."

Before Lin Xiao could finish speaking, he noticed that his wife's eyes narrowed slightly.

He quickly adjusted his tone, grinning as he changed his words: "I was just asking sincerely, I didn't mean to say I didn't welcome Ms. Lin Xiaoxi, hehe, not at all!"

Xi Xi's proud expression returned.

"It's Jiajia!"

"Jiajia? Chen Jiajia?"

This name left Lin Xiao even more bewildered, and he subconsciously looked around.

Xixi couldn't help but laugh and said, "What are you looking at? You don't think Jiajia is in this room too, do you?"

Lin Xiao was so frightened that he kept scratching his head.

It's one thing if it's just his own daughter, but if his wife or agent showed up in his bedroom in the middle of the night, it would be like a horror movie!
"No, what do you mean by Chen Jiajia?" Lin Xiao asked again.

"Jiajia asked me to take care of my daughter more!"

"Ok?"

"Ah."

"..."

The conversation was encrypted, and no one understood it.

Xi Xi quickly smiled and said, "Jia Jia said that we have already signed an agreement with the 'Rebirth' program team, and the official recording should start in August at the latest. Now, the three of us live in Mashan County, which many people know, so when we record the variety show, we will definitely have to bring Xiao Chu with us."

“Usually, the nanny and my mom are in charge of taking care of the kids. I mostly just play with them, and I’m not very skilled at daily childcare. Jiajia said that with my half-baked skills, I’ll definitely embarrass myself on the show. When it airs, netizens will probably scrutinize every little detail and say I don’t know how to take care of children, and I’ll get a lot of criticism…”

As Xixi spoke, her tone became helpless.

Lin Xiao understood.

He frowned and said, "So, Chen Jiajia means that you should cram for a while, take care of the child yourself, and then appear on the show to present a new image of a virtuous wife and loving mother to netizens across the country?"

Xi Xi nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

“Hmm…” Lin Xiao nodded in agreement, “I have to say, Chen Jiajia is becoming more and more skilled as an agent.”

"Yeah, I think so too!"

Xi Xi said seriously, "After she said that this afternoon, I realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly took over the child. Fortunately, since Xiao Chu was born, although I haven't done everything for her personally, I've never been lazy and have learned everything. Today I tried taking care of the child by myself...hehe, no problem at all, aren't I amazing?"

My wife had a look on her face that said, "Praise me!"

Lin Xiao knelt on one knee on the bed and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Of course my wife is amazing."

Xixi's smile became even brighter.

"No, actually I feel... a little tired," she said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Being tired is a good thing!"

Lin Xiao complained, "This little kid is so tiny, she needs adults to take care of everything, from eating and drinking to going to the toilet. How can it not be tiring to look after her?" Xi Xi was surprised.

"Brother, don't you think I'm useless?"

Why should I think you're useless?

"Many housewives not only have to take care of the children, but also cook three meals a day and do housework!"

Xi Xi said earnestly, "Other people can do everything so well and don't feel tired at all. But I just take care of the kids and I feel so exhausted... I'm so useless."

Xi Xi looked dejected.

Lin Xiao, unusually, didn't try to coax her. Instead, he grinned and laughed so hard he almost fell over. Afraid of waking the child, he covered his mouth, his face turning red from holding it in.

Xixi was initially experiencing some internal conflict.

Infected by her husband's laughter, she immediately laughed too. But as she laughed, she became a little annoyed and punched him lightly.

"What are you laughing at? I'm ignoring you!"

"No, no, no, I won't laugh anymore, I won't laugh anymore!"

Lin Xiao quickly begged for mercy.

Even though he said he wouldn't laugh, he couldn't stop smiling; his tightly pursed lips kept leaking air like he was farting.

"You're still laughing!!!" Xi Xi pounded the mattress in anger.

"I'm not laughing anymore, I really won't laugh anymore!"

Lin Xiao quickly raised his hand to swear, then grabbed his wife's hand and said, "I'm not making fun of you, I just think my wife is amazing, she has an exceptionally high level of ambition."

"Ok?"

Xi Xi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lin Xiao calmly asked, "Are you a housewife?"

Xi Xi paused for a moment.

"Hmm...no way..."

"Isn't it?"

"Well, no!"

"Yup!"

Lin Xiao spread his hands, looking like he'd just seen through the act. "You're not a housewife, what are you comparing yourself to a housewife for? You have a job, a career, talent, you shine in your field and have achieved great success, and now you want to compare your abilities with a housewife..."

"What do you mean? Are you trying to create a perfect persona? Netizens are buying it, but housewives aren't. Have you considered how housewives feel? Even a beautiful, famous, and successful modern woman like you wants to compete with housewives for attention. Are you trying to make them live?"

“Uh…” Xixi looked speechless and embarrassed.

"People online are always arguing, saying that housewives also have dignity and that being a housewife is a profession!"

Lin Xiao, with a tone that seemed to enjoy stirring up trouble, laughed and said, "I admit that being a housewife is a profession, and I admire those who do it. But you're not a housewife, yet you want to compete with professionals in childcare and housework. Isn't that just asking for trouble? Be careful, they might take you to court as a group!"

"Um……"

Xixi really listened and realized that her emotions had indeed gone a bit astray.

Lin Xiao exaggeratedly pursed his lips and said in a mysterious tone, "Ms. Han Xixi, considering that we've shared a bed for almost two years, let me give you a piece of advice—don't sleep with a man who isn't yours, don't create a persona that isn't yours, don't enter a field that isn't yours... OK or OK?"

The last three words of advice made Xixi's brows furrow even more deeply.

But one has to admit that while the words may be rough, the principle is sound.

The old princess gave a very persuasive piece of advice.

“I completely accept the last two sentences, but it’s not necessary to say ‘don’t sleep with a man who isn’t yours’,” Xixi asked, squinting.

"Uh, it's mainly for the rhyme!"

"Humph!"

Xi Xi crossed her arms, her long hair flowing alluringly, and said, "I'm angry! You're objectifying women!"

Lin Xiao's lips twitched.

Well, he went too far and ended up shooting himself in the foot!
"Hey honey, let's talk about something serious!" Lin Xiao changed the subject.

"what?"

"Regarding the TV show – would you like to bring Xiao Chu on the show?"

Lin Xiao asked.

Xi Xi's expression immediately turned serious.

I initially thought my husband was deliberately changing the subject, but it turned out to be something important.

"Hmm... I haven't decided yet, what do you think?"

"I told you not to go!"

Lin Xiao readily agreed.

Xi Xi tilted her head, quite surprised by the answer.

"But Jiajia said that we are different from other celebrity couples..."

"What's the difference?"

Lin Xiao interrupted his wife and laughed, "When others get married, we get married too; when others have children, we have children too. Why is it that when other couples go on TV shows, their children don't have to be on, but we have to?"

These words made Xixi raise an eyebrow, as if she had suddenly realized something.

Lin Xiao continued, "Of course, I admit that Chen Jiajia has a point. Our baby was just born not long ago, and the whole internet knows about it. Such a young child can't be separated from his mother, so if we're going to go on the show, bringing the child along is the best option."

"In particular, the official announcement of our relationship on Weibo by the program team caused a sensation across the internet. There are a lot of attacks against me online now. If we go on the show without our child, it will further prove that I only accepted the variety show in order to monetize my traffic and fame, and that I am willing to abandon my child who is less than half a year old in order to make money."

"We'll get even more flak then, mainly me, of course!"

Xi Xi nodded in deep agreement, then became even more puzzled and curious.

"If that's the case, why don't you want to bring Xiao Chu on the show?"

"There's no reason why, I just don't want to!"

Lin Xiao said calmly, "She is an independent individual. I can't decide for her whether she wants to live in the spotlight. It's that simple!"

Those few words were enough to awaken Xixi from her reverie.

Immediately, my eyes felt warm.

"But this is just my idea. What if you disagree..."

"I agree!"

"..."

Lin Xiao almost didn't know what to say, and after a moment of surprise, he laughed easily, "Oh my god, we've got that thieving couple vibe, all about being on the same wavelength!"

"Uh……"

"Come here, you thieving woman, give me a kiss!"

"..."

Xi Xi looked helpless, letting certain people hold their faces and smack their lips several times.

"Alright, everything's settled, phew!"

Lin Xiao stood up, put his hands on his hips, and asked, "Is your wife feeling okay now?"

Xi Xi looked up at him, her lips pursed in a charming smile.

She knew all too well that her husband's joking remarks were actually meant to reassure her and tell her not to take the online comments and criticisms too seriously.

Whether it's appearing on variety shows or becoming a mother.

This includes their certain "expectations" for their daughter, as well as some spectators who try to unravel the mystery but are actually malicious.

Under Lin Xiao's guidance.

Only then did Xixi see through the fog and understand what she should and shouldn't care about.

What should be cared about is keeping the daughter out of the public eye and preventing her from becoming the subject of gossip among netizens.

What you shouldn't care about are the comments, accusations, and even insults from netizens that seem to care.

Xixi used to take these things very seriously.

But now, compared to her daughter, she finds all of this too boring. So what if she gets scolded or criticized? It won't hurt her.

Thinking about it this way, Xixi felt much better.

She used to think of herself as a very serious person.

But after being with my husband for a long time, I've found myself increasingly falling for his nonsensical tricks. Right now, I feel particularly relaxed and have a very sweet smile.

OK~~

She made a hand gesture, her eyes sparkling like flowers.

Lin Xiao felt a warmth in his heart and leaned over to give him another kiss.

Xixi subconsciously pouted in response.

That pout was quite something; it instantly ignited a burning desire in someone. What should have been a simple kiss turned into something much more audacious: someone wanted to conduct a chemical experiment involving bacterial exchange.

Xi Xi quickly pushed him away.

"Be careful not to wake your daughter!"

"Let her wake up, it's not like she's never seen this before!"

"Ok?"

"Hmm what? How did she get here?"

"she……"

Xi Xi rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Following this logic, Ms. Lin Xiaoxi must have actually seen them doing shameful things, and even participated in them personally.

After all, without this intimate process, she, this exquisitely beautiful baby, could not have been created.

Seeing that his wife remained silent, Lin Xiao assumed she had been persuaded and became even bolder, pouncing on her with a forceful attack.

But it was pushed away again.

"You, you, you... you reek of alcohol, you stink!" Xixi said with a look of disgust.

"..."

Lin Xiao couldn't explain himself. He could smell the alcohol, barbecue, and cigarette smoke on his body, a truly unique and complex smell.

Although his enthusiasm has now reached its peak.

But for the sake of his wife's mood and experience, he had no choice but to suppress his emotions and rush into the bathroom to scrub her vigorously.

They came out ten minutes later, intending to launch a second wave of attack.

As soon as he pushed open the door...

I saw Xixi sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the little chubby girl in one arm and a milk bottle in the other, with Zhou Xiuping and her aunt standing next to her.

Lin Xiao was completely stunned.

Thank goodness I came out fully clothed, otherwise it would have been incredibly embarrassing.

He quickly suppressed his anger, dried his hair, and walked over.

The chubby little girl was puffing out her cheeks, drinking with great gusto, waving her two little fists, her big eyes wide open, and looking at her father with a slightly provocative "What are you looking at?" expression.

"..."

Lin Xiao: I've seen it in their eyes, they're the ones who'll go against me!

Finally, Ms. Lin finished drinking.

Lin Xiao thought that she should go back to sleep, so that she wouldn't delay him from doing bad things anymore.
As it turned out, Ms. Lin was in great spirits, with bright, piercing eyes. She lay on the bed, punching and kicking her legs, and occasionally making "uh-huh" sounds.

Several women surrounded her, teasing her. None of them were sleepy, and they laughed together in a harmonious atmosphere.

Lin Xiao was the only one on the outside, feeling incredibly stifled and unable to express his grievances.

In the end, unable to win, he joined in, crowding around and making a ruckus to amuse his daughter.

"Why is she getting fatter and fatter?" Lin Xiao couldn't help but complain.

"Tsk, can't you speak properly!"

The mother glared at her coldly and said irritably, "It's a problem if a baby who drinks milk doesn't gain weight. The fatter the better, what do you know!"

Lin Xiao scoffed, "I don't understand, I don't understand!"

He quit the battle and dried his hair outside.

While wiping, he listened to the three women's discussion.

"Oh my, look how big our eyes are, like two little lanterns."

"Look how strong our hands and feet are! We can be athletes in the future!"

"Look at our little faces, so pretty with their rosy cheeks, just like two little apples..."

Lin Xiao listened and watched from afar.

The flame in my heart slowly died down, replaced by a novel and intoxicating enjoyment.

"Ok?"

He pondered his mother's words, and a sudden inspiration struck him.

Is the new song good? Wait until Sunday!
Here it is!
(End of this chapter)