Chapter 17: Go Ahead and Make Trouble

“You’re Lin Xiyue?”

Xia’s mother fixed her gaze on Lin Xiyue, looking her up and down.

She knew her daughter had a close best friend, but she had never actually met her.

No wonder she was the daughter of an entertainment company—her looks and temperament were both exceptional, though none of that made Xia’s mother feel any warmer toward her.

“We’re just an ordinary working family.
Finding a stable, decent-paying job is the best path.
All that ‘star’ nonsense is completely unrealistic for our Jinnian.”

Xia’s mother reached out and pulled Xia Jinnian to her side, and Lin Xiyue didn’t react in time before the hand she was holding was forcibly separated.

“So for Jinnian’s own good, Miss Lin, could you please stop encouraging her to chase these starry-eyed dreams?
We can’t afford it.
We can’t gamble.
Please stop dragging the two of us into trouble.”

“Mom!
How can you say that about Xixi?!”

Just as Lin Xiyue was wondering how to respond, Xia Jinnian reacted first.

Her mother’s words were basically one step away from pointing at Lin Xiyue’s nose and yelling, ‘You troublesome friend, stop ruining my daughter!’

It hurt more than being yelled at.
The tug-of-war between dreams and reality made her chest ache.

“You shut up!
Sneaking out in the middle of the night to climb walls just to watch some meteor shower—have you lost your mind?!
Since when did you dare do something like that?
You must have learned this from certain people!”

Xia’s mother’s scolding hit Xia Jinnian like a slap.
She choked, wanting to argue, but no words came out.
As a lifelong obedient daughter, her mother’s voice could still crush her instantly.

She could only stand there with tears welling up, staring blankly at the ground.

Seeing this, Lin Xiyue’s heart tightened, and fragments of old memories surfaced.

In her previous life, Xia Jinnian was the same—controlled in every aspect of her life, scolded harshly for the smallest deviation from “proper” behavior.

It was an unhealthy family dynamic.
Back then, he had stepped in and helped set things right.
This time, she would have to take that role again.

“Auntie, have you ever considered what Jinnian herself wants?
She’s loved singing since she was little.
She’s always had a dream of becoming a singer.
You must know that, right?”

“Her thoughts?
She’s a kid who hasn’t even stepped into society.
What would she know?
Your family runs an entertainment company—you should understand this better than I do.”

The moment this topic surfaced, Xia’s mother shifted from icy calm to agitation.

“You think I don’t read the news?
How many little girls debut every year?
And how many actually make it big?
The rest end up stuck—unable to quit, unable to continue—and waste their whole lives on it.”

Listening to her, Lin Xiyue felt herself relax a little.

Because these weren’t the words of a parent obsessed with control.
They were the words of a parent genuinely afraid her child would suffer.

If she could address that fear, there was room to negotiate.

“Auntie… have you heard of Lin Ziyu?”

After weighing her options, Lin Xiyue gritted her teeth and brought out the name she hated most.

“I have.
Why?”

Xia’s mother thought for a moment and nodded.

Idol culture was deeply rooted in C-country.
Even fairly traditional middle-aged women like her kept an eye on entertainment news.

Earlier, when Lin Xiyue had been spacing out in the office, she had actually opened StarNet and pulled up Lin Ziyu’s profile.

A rising near-top-tier star.
Fifteen million followers.
Multiple hit songs.
A full list of awards…

The numbers were intimidating.
More terrifying was that Lin Ziyu was only twenty-two—just four years older than Lin Xiyue.

So even though she disliked the girl, Lin Xiyue had to admit that invoking Lin Ziyu’s name right now was the most effective tactic.

“If I told you that, under the same conditions, Jinnian’s talent level is even higher than Lin Ziyu’s… what would you think?”

“That…?!”

Xia’s mother stared at her, then turned to her daughter.
Xia Jinnian nodded earnestly.

“Yes, Mom.
Xixi isn’t lying.
With the same lack of training, my vocal ability was higher than Lin Ziyu’s back then.
And Auntie Xu has already promised me that once I sign, I’ll immediately receive the original vocal rights to a B-grade song.”

The usually humble and quiet Xia Jinnian rushed to boast.
Humility wouldn’t help her now—her mother needed to know she actually had talent, and that this path had potential.

“Hmph.
But in the entertainment industry… who can say for sure?
Luck still—”

Before she could finish, Lin Xiyue cut in, having predicted exactly where this was going.

“Auntie, please don’t worry.
Our Lin Entertainment is signing Jinnian on a non-exclusive free contract.
If you—or Jinnian herself—ever think she has no future with us or doesn’t want to be an artist anymore, she can walk away at any time.”

“And the contract comes with a base salary.
Ten thousand a month.
Even if you treat it like a summer job to help pay for tuition, you still won’t lose anything.”

“Also, we’re only signing Jinnian.
When she enters university, whatever major she chooses—that’s entirely between you and her.
We won’t interfere.”

“And even if she doesn’t major in music, she can absolutely balance school and her artist work.
Just like now—this doesn’t block her from any future normal career path.”

Lin Xiyue seized the opening and cleanly dismantled every single one of Xia’s mother’s concerns, leaving her momentarily speechless.

After all that, what else could she say?

Lin Xiyue’s timing and tone were perfect—highlighting talent, demonstrating a no-loss arrangement, and never once challenging the mother’s authority.

“Mom… please just let me try.
All these years, aside from this, I’ve never once gone against you.”

Maybe she remembered what Ranzhu said earlier—that she was already an adult, and sometimes she needed to stand firm.

Xia Jinnian lifted her head and met her mother’s eyes head-on.

Silence fell.

Nobody knew how long it lasted.

Finally, Xia’s mother sighed.

“Fine, fine.
I’ll trust you two girls this once.
Go make your trouble.”

“Really?!”