AFVSIBS ### Chapter 236: Refusing the Diva's Offer to Buy a House

Upon seeing Yang Hanhui's message offering to buy a house for him, Zhou Chen already understood her intentions.

He wasn't oblivious or emotionally unintelligent.

He just hadn't yet decided whether he should pursue a romantic relationship in this new world.

Without having considered these things and without knowing if his relationship with Yang Hanhui was more like love or friendship, Zhou Chen naturally wouldn't accept such a gesture.

So, he replied, "Thank you, but I'll save up and buy it myself."

"Alright, I respect that. If you need any help, feel free to let me know," Yang Hanhui responded, having expected that Zhou Chen wouldn't accept such a significant gift.

She chose to respect his wishes.

After finishing his chat with Yang Hanhui, Zhou Chen received a message from Su Qingge.

He sensed that Su Qingge might also have feelings for him.

However, Su Qingge's approach was different from Yang Hanhui's; she was more reserved and cautious, not daring to be proactive.

Compared to Su Qingge, Zhou Chen felt less of a connection. At least, not the same feeling he had when he was with Yang Hanhui.

So, he hoped his relationship with Su Qingge would remain as it was.

Su Qingge was a kind girl, and Zhou Chen would help her whenever she needed it.

"Hey, my idol, why don't you come to my store for lunch later?" The girl from the fishing tackle shop came over, warmly inviting him.

"Isn't that too much trouble?"

"Not at all! You're my idol. I'd be thrilled to have lunch with you," the girl said.

"Alright, but don't call me 'idol.' I've said it before, celebrities are just ordinary people who got lucky with a good voice and can sing a few songs. There's nothing special about them. Just call me Chen Ge," Zhou Chen replied.

"Okay, Chen Ge. Come to my store for lunch. Don't worry, my store is quiet at noon, so no one will notice. Besides, who would think that the famous Chen Ge would have lunch with me?" the girl laughed.

"Alright, thank you."

Zhou Chen didn't refuse and nodded in agreement.

"Great! You continue fishing, and I'll go prepare lunch."

The girl was very excited.

As a loyal fan of Zhou Chen, having lunch with him was a dream come true.

Unfortunately, she couldn't share this joy with anyone, so she had to keep it to herself.

At noon, Zhou Chen stayed at the girl's store and had lunch.

Afterwards, they chatted for a while before Zhou Chen left.

In the afternoon, instead of fishing, he went shopping for some necessities. After returning home, he spent the rest of the day reading and drinking tea on the sofa.

By 5 p.m., he and Wan Fangfang went to the place where Cheng Qiang was hosting the dinner.

Since most of the artists were staying at the Sofitel Hotel, Cheng Qiang arranged for the dinner to be held in the hotel's dining area.

All the international celebrities had already arrived, making Zhou Chen the last to show up.

"Director Cheng, do your country's celebrities always make everyone wait for them?" Ikeno Saburo from Japan expressed his dissatisfaction.

However, most people didn't understand him because he spoke in Japanese.

But Zhou Chen did. In his previous life on Earth, he had many Japanese fans and had traveled to Japan for commercial activities, so he understood some basic Japanese.

"Am I late?" Zhou Chen asked directly and unceremoniously.

"This..." Ikeno Saburo, after hearing the translation, felt awkward.

Because Zhou Chen's question was valid. It was not yet 6 p.m., and Cheng Qiang had invited everyone to dinner at 6 p.m., so even though Zhou Chen was the last to arrive, he wasn't late.

"Everyone, please sit down. It's rare to gather for a meal, which is a great opportunity to exchange and learn from each other," Cheng Qiang said, sensing the awkward atmosphere.

Since there were artists from various countries, Cheng Qiang spoke in Chinese, which was then translated into English by the staff.

Only Chinese and English were used for translations, as Ikeno Saburo and Kim Soo-il also understood English. Most other international artists also spoke English in their daily lives, so there was no issue.

"Mr. Zhou, I heard that the original prime time slot for 'International Music Festival' was changed to 6 p.m. because of your suggestion. Is that true?" asked Kawashima Koyuki, another Japanese artist, while toasting Zhou Chen.

"That's right. I didn't want it to interfere with my early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine, so I suggested it to Director Cheng," Zhou Chen replied.

"It seems you hold a special place in Director Cheng's heart. I doubt he would have agreed if it were another artist."

"Maybe. Welcome to the Dragon Kingdom," Zhou Chen said, raising his glass to toast Kawashima Koyuki and then drinking it in one go.

Zhou Chen had guessed that these artists agreed to the 6 p.m. slot because they wanted to break into the Chinese market and make more money.

After all, Chinese fans are the best in the world. They wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Zhou Chen didn't care about these things. He was disillusioned with the entertainment industry and planned to leave after his three-year contract expired.

As for which country's artists would come to make money, it didn't matter to him.

He only wanted to live as an ordinary person.

Even if he didn't give up on the entertainment industry, what could he do?

Call on fans to resist Hallyu (Korean wave) or J-wave (Japanese wave)?

It wouldn't work and would only bring trouble and hatred to himself.

Fans in the Dragon Kingdom are famously easy to appease. As long as you plan your way into the Chinese market well, even if you make mistakes later, as long as it's not too serious, a simple apology and some tears would make fans feel sorry for you and continue to support you.

This phenomenon was beyond Zhou Chen's ability to change.

He had only one goal: to sleep early, wake up early, and live a long life.

"Thank you. I will visit the Dragon Kingdom often. I love the culture here and the enthusiasm of the fans," Kawashima Koyuki said with a smile.

Zhou Chen knew they didn't really love the culture or the fans' enthusiasm. They just loved how easy it was to make money from the Dragon Kingdom, especially from its fans.

So, he smiled faintly and said, "Is that so? I hope Miss Kawashima can take more of our culture back to your country and let your people experience the charm of our Dragon Kingdom's culture."


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