Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

The two have already gone this far, so pretending to be innocent would seem somewhat hypocritical.

She simply didn't want other factors to interfere with her feelings for Ding Heng, but now it seems unavoidable...

Fortunately, Ding Heng's attitude remained the same as when they were children. He always gave in to her and patiently waited for her to think things through completely.

Longhe changed the subject again: "By the way, we need to discuss the tour plan again tomorrow. Are you coming?"

Ding Heng shook his head: "What am I supposed to do at your team's internal meetings? You can't expect me to make all the decisions, can you? What's the point of those people getting paid?"

Long He then asked, "Do you think my tour will be a success?"

Ding Heng looked surprised: "Miss Long, do you have no idea how popular you are right now?"

Two years ago, Ding Heng might have encouraged his brother, but given Longhe's current popularity, such questions are completely unnecessary to consider.

It would be strange if it didn't succeed!

Long He lowered his head in shame.

Indeed, I asked some really stupid questions, which is good for making good tea...

No wonder Sister Zeng always says that women become stupid when they fall in love.

After finishing their spicy hot pot, the two returned to their car.

On the way back to the hotel, Longhe remained silent.

Ding Heng turned on the car's music player, which happened to be an old song from her girl group days.

Longhe listened for half a minute, then reached out and turned the volume down.

"This song is pretty bad..."

"I think it's great."

"You wouldn't understand."

"I may not understand, but as long as you sing, I think it's good."

Ding Heng's remarks made Long He feel embarrassed and blush, so he didn't continue to refute.

Although he is a popular idol singer, Longhe has never liked so-called brainless fans who praise him excessively.

But if it's Ding Heng, he doesn't seem so bad...

The car arrived at the side entrance of the hotel.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and put on her hat and mask.

"I'll send you a copy of the plan tomorrow. Take a look when you have time, or forget about it if you don't."

"Ah."

"Well……"

Longhe closed the car door, turned around, and walked into the hotel.

Ding Heng watched her figure disappear before driving away.

……

Longhe returned to his room, where his mother, Yang Sijie, had been waiting for a long time, holding a preliminary estimate of the concert budget.

"Mom, is there anything else?"

"Come sit down, let's have a chat, mother and daughter."

Yang Sijie took off her reading glasses and rubbed her temples.

Longhe checked the time: "Still work?"

"It's not work."

Yang Sijie put the report in her hand aside and got straight to the point: "I want to ask you and Xiao Ding, where are you at now?"

Longhe had not expected his mother to ask so directly, so he could only give a perfunctory answer.

"Anyway, it hasn't come to that point yet."

"Alright."

Yang Sijie smiled and said, "There are some things we can still talk about now. It's better for me, for you, and for the company!"

"mom……"

Long He slumped down and sat down: "What do you want to say? Are you asking me if I like him?"

Yang Sijie joked, "Do I even need to ask? I've known that since you were five years old."

"Um...no way."

Long He is still being stubborn.

Yang Sijie lovingly patted her daughter's head: "What I want to ask is, have you seriously thought about what it would be like if you really got together with him?"

Long He dodged the question by saying, "It's too early to talk about these things now."

"It's getting late, you're already a grown woman."

Yang Sijie shook her head and sighed, "In my experience, you usually end up losing money if you sign a contract first and then look at the terms when doing business."

Long He looked displeased: "Does dating have to be calculated like this?"

“If you’re looking for an ordinary person, I only look at their character and family background.”

Yang Sijie looked directly at her daughter: "But Ding Heng has known you for over twenty years, and now he's your investor. There are too many things involved. If you don't take care of yourself, someone else will sooner or later."

Long He fell silent.

"Tell me about your career first."

Yang Sijie continued.

“You just won the Singer competition, your national tour is being planned, and your commercial fees are rising. At this point, once word gets out about your relationship with the investor, regardless of whether you relied on him or not, people will attribute your achievements to him.”

"I would still be singing today even without his investment."

"really?"

"I……"

Long He suddenly fell silent.

Indeed, without Ding Heng, I would have had no chance of winning the "Singer" championship, let alone anything else.

"In the entertainment industry, you should understand that once public opinion takes hold, its direction becomes completely uncontrollable!"

Yang Sijie began to give an objective description.

"People will only see that he just invested in the company, you won the championship, and then you started a national tour. The timeline is enough for them to make up a whole story."

Of course, some people might like this story, or even find it romantic, but the price is that every move you and Ding Heng make will be magnified and captured from now on.

Long He's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

She was fine, but Ding Heng had other women around him and couldn't appear openly in front of the media at all.

Yang Sijie reminded her, "So even if you confirm your relationship, keep it private for now."

Long He stubbornly insisted again, "We haven't officially started dating yet."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later..."

Yang Sijie knew her daughter well and didn't think she could escape Ding Heng's grasp; it was only a matter of time before she was completely taken advantage of.

She took the tour budget and continued to make arrangements.

“Starting tomorrow, all additional budgets for projects will be handled through company procedures. Song selection, venues, scheduling, etc., will be decided by you and the professional team. Do not ask Ding Heng for resources on behalf of the company privately, and do not let company matters affect your relationship.”

"I wasn't prepared at all..."

"I know."

Yang Sijie interrupted, "You're more likely to go to the other side, pushing away even the resources that artists should normally receive in order to prove that you didn't rely on him."

Longhe did not refute.

"We will continue to acquire the resources that are due and continue to adhere to the procedures that are required."

Yang Sijie reminded him, "You and Xiao Ding should first distinguish between public and private matters, then the subordinates will know what to do."

Long He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Mom, do you think Ding Heng will affect me?"

That's not what I'm worried about.

Yang Sijie shook her head: "For example, if you two young lovers have a fight and your expressions aren't right one day, you might think it's a small matter, but your subordinates will start to speculate. Once or twice is fine, but over time, the company's judgment will definitely be affected."

The pressure brought by capital often doesn't require the capital itself to speak up.

Yang Sijie understands this better than anyone else.

"These are my views as a company operator."

Yang Sijie put the document back on the coffee table, her tone softening slightly.

"As for your mother... I actually hope you find someone simpler."

Yang Sijie sighed softly: "You know what's going on around Xiao Ding! I don't doubt his feelings for you, but it's true that he's surrounded by a lot of women."

Long He said in a muffled voice, "I know."

"Knowing and truly accepting are two different things."

Yang Sijie looked at her daughter and said, "He will love you and give you a place in his life, but he won't do everything you want. If you think that you should be with him first and then slowly try to change him, you will be the one who suffers the most in the end."

“I didn’t expect him to change.”

"Then ask yourself, how far can you go?"

Yang Sijie did not force her daughter to answer.

She got up, poured a glass of warm water, and placed it in front of Long He.

Long He pondered for a long time, then picked up his water glass and took a sip.

"Mom, don't worry, I'll think it through carefully."

Yang Sijie nodded. She had said what she needed to say, and the rest was up to Long He to decide.