“So you want to become a celebrity?” Qin Ruoyao asked. “This isn’t just a sudden whim, is it?”
The moment the topic came up, Qin Ruohan even stopped eating her beloved strawberries.
“When I was in my first year of high school, I went to Wang Zhinan’s concert. The venue was completely packed—there were fans everywhere. He was absolutely dazzling on stage. Back then, I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be if I could shine like that someday.”
Qin Ruoyao sighed.
“But do you know how exhausting it is to be a star? You only see their glory on stage, but you don’t see the years of hard work behind those few minutes in the spotlight. You don’t see how much sweat they’ve shed, how many tears they’ve cried, or how many times they’ve sung until they lost their voices.”
She understood all too well how demanding singing could be.
She had practiced until her throat hurt so badly that she couldn’t even eat.
Mrs. Mo, however, had a different opinion.
“Oh, come on. If Xiaohan wants to sing, then let her sing. What’s wrong with wanting to be a star? She’s still young—she can afford to make mistakes and try different things. Why not give it a shot? Plenty of celebrities go to university these days. As long as she’s willing to work hard, she should go for it.”
She continued enthusiastically,
“Besides, Xiaohan is beautiful. Why shouldn’t she try? Our family owns an entertainment company anyway. No one can bully her or suppress her career. All those messy things in the entertainment industry won’t be a problem for her. That’s her advantage. Other people enter the entertainment industry to struggle for a chance. Xiaohan can simply treat it as an experience.”
After hearing Mrs. Mo’s reasoning, Qin Ruoyao found herself agreeing.
Xiaohan’s circumstances really were much better than most people’s.
If she wanted to sing, Qin Ruoyao could write songs for her. With their own entertainment company backing her, she wouldn’t have to worry about the darker side of the industry.
Maybe it really was worth trying.
“All right, then. After lunch, let’s go to the company.”
Qin Ruohan froze.
“Really? But… I-I’m not ready! What if Dad finds out? If he objects, I won’t be able to handle it.”
Her father was the person she feared most.
If she upset him, a two-kilometer run would be the least of her punishment. He would make her stand facing the wall or do push-ups until she admitted she was wrong.
It was practically forced confession through physical training.
She couldn’t withstand his anger.
“It’s okay. You’re not signing a contract yet, and you’re not officially entering the entertainment industry. We’re just testing the waters. If Uncle disagrees, I’ll talk to him.”
Qin Ruoyao patted her reassuringly.
Qin Ruohan nodded.
With her older sister backing her up, she felt much braver.
Since they had plans for the afternoon, the three women picked only one basket of strawberries before heading back. The rest would be harvested by staff later.
After lunch, Qin Ruoyao arranged for the driver to prepare the car.
As she was about to leave with Qin Ruohan, she glanced at Mrs. Mo standing nearby.
Leaving her alone at home somehow felt wrong.
“Mom, do you want to come with us? You haven’t been to the company in a long time, have you?”
Mrs. Mo brightened immediately.
She didn’t want to stay home by herself either.
“Sure. I don’t have anything else to do. I’ll come along.”
Turning to her sister again, Qin Ruoyao asked seriously,
“Xiaohan, are you absolutely sure you won’t regret this? Breaking into the industry isn’t impossible, but it isn’t easy either. You might become famous overnight, or you might remain unknown. If that happens, you may feel like you’ve wasted your time.”
Even someone as successful as Wang Zhinan still had anti-fans.
No matter how talented you were, not everyone would like you.
Qin Ruohan understood that.
Although she was pretty, the entertainment industry was filled with beautiful people. Many talented individuals remained unnoticed their entire careers.
Opportunities to become an overnight sensation were rare.
Competition was fierce.
Calling it cruel wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
“Even if I don’t become famous, that’s okay. I’m still young. Other people worry about unemployment and making a living, but I don’t have that problem. I just want to try.”
Qin Ruoyao nodded, satisfied with her answer, and closed her eyes to rest during the drive.
When they arrived at the company, they went straight to Mo Junlin’s office.
Seeing the three women walk in together, Mo Junlin looked surprised.
“What brings you all here?”
He could understand Qin Ruoyao and Qin Ruohan coming, but seeing his mother with them was unexpected.
He immediately stood up and joined them on the sofa.
Mrs. Mo rolled her eyes.
“What? Are we not allowed to visit your company?”
Mo Junlin looked aggrieved.
“Mom, that’s not what I meant. I was just asking.”
“We’re here to ask whether Xiaohan has the potential to become a celebrity,” Qin Ruoyao explained.
“A celebrity?”
Mo Junlin turned to Qin Ruohan.
“You want to enter the entertainment industry?”
“Is that a problem?”
“What exactly do you want to do? Act? Sing? Something else?”
Qin Ruoyao answered for her.
“Xiaohan has a very nice voice—it’s clear and distinctive. I want her to study with a professional teacher first, and then I’ll write songs for her. What do you think?”
Mo Junlin understood immediately.
“So you want to help launch her career.”
He nodded.
“If you’re sure about this, I can help. We already have vocal coaches at the company.”
“That’s exactly why I came to you. I want her to receive proper training first.”
“All right.”
Mo Junlin picked up his phone.
“I’ll ask Director Su to come up.”
With a single call, the matter was settled.
When Director Su received the summons, she felt nervous, worrying that she had made some kind of mistake.
Taking a deep breath outside the president’s office, she knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
She entered with a polite smile.
“Director Su, you’re here. Please, have a seat.”
Qin Ruoyao greeted her warmly.
Expecting Mo Junlin to do the welcoming was out of the question. He had already returned to his desk and resumed working.
“I’m the one who asked for you.”
Hearing that it was Madam who wanted to see her, Director Su relaxed considerably.
The president’s wife was much easier to deal with than the president himself.
“Good afternoon, Madam.”
She also noticed Mrs. Mo.
It had been years since she’d last seen her.
“Good afternoon, Madam Mo. It’s been a long time.”
Mrs. Mo smiled.
“It certainly has. I haven’t visited the company in years, and the first person I see is you.”
Most of the employees hired within the last two years didn’t even recognize her anymore.
“Madam, please let me know how I can help.”
Qin Ruoyao gently pulled Qin Ruohan closer.
“This is my younger sister. She’s eighteen and just finished her college entrance exams. She wants to enter the entertainment industry, and we’d like your honest opinion about whether she has the potential.”
Then she added,
“Please don’t let our relationship influence your judgment. Just tell us what you really think.”
As Director Su greeted Qin Ruohan, she carefully observed her.
She was over 1.6 meters tall, with clear eyes and attractive features. While she wasn’t as breathtakingly beautiful as Qin Ruoyao, she was easily the kind of girl who could become a campus beauty.
Director Su nodded to herself.
Her appearance was more than good enough.
Combined with her family background, she would have a considerable advantage.
“Miss Qin certainly has excellent qualifications. Have you decided which direction you’d like to pursue?”