Chapter 27: The Ever-Scheming Zhuge Feng

Chapter 27: The Ever-Scheming Zhuge Feng

The two of them each had another two hours of sleep and felt a bit more refreshed.

Chen Feng had taken the day off work to prepare for the contract signing with KuGe. He had planned to sleep in a little after his exhausting night, but that didn’t happen.

Zhong Lei had paid him back in kind, forcefully waking him up and knocking him out of bed.

Zhong Lei was already fully dressed.

Winter was approaching, and the weather was turning cooler.

Zhong Lei wore a white cashmere coat, very fitted.

The collar of a sky-blue high-neck sweater peeked out from the coat’s neckline.

She wore black casual pants lined with fleece, which clung tightly to her legs without looking bulky at all, instead highlighting their length.

Zhong Lei had never deliberately studied fashion coordination, nor did she hire a stylist like most professional female artists. With her current financial situation, she couldn’t afford exclusive high-end custom pieces that never go wrong.

But some people just have a natural sense of style, looking good in anything.

Perhaps it was because she had recently lost her job, or because her body clock had readjusted, but Zhong Lei seemed much more energetic.

It seemed she had been up for a while; she had applied some light makeup, which enhanced her features. Paired with this seemingly casual yet incredibly effective outfit, it truly amplified the impact of her already top-tier looks.

Chen Feng was still a bit sleep-deprived and not in the best mood, but seeing this after opening the door improved his spirits considerably.

Even though the woman opposite him had an unpleasant personality, as long as she didn’t speak, she was still pleasant to look at.

“Yesterday, I arranged the contract signing with KuGe for exactly ten o’clock this morning. It’s almost time now.”

Zhong Lei looked at her watch as she said this.

Chen Feng thought for a moment. “At ten o’clock, Lin Youyi, the supervisor, will definitely call personally. It shows KuGe values you and further proves the accuracy of my information.”

“Are you sure? What if he doesn’t call?”

Although she had believed Chen Feng’s words earlier, Zhong Lei felt a slight waver now that the moment was approaching. After all, this meant she was standing someone up.

Chen Feng smiled mysteriously. “Trust my judgment. There are deeper intricacies in dealing with people.”

Zhong Lei couldn’t help but roll her eyes again. “Want to bet?”

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, not having known she had this hobby. “Bet what?”

“A thousand bucks!”

Chen Feng chuckled. “Do you even have that much money right now?”

Zhong Lei paused, feeling her pockets. “Uh, seems like I only have a little over five hundred. How about five hundred, then?”

“Forget it. We still have a while before our funds come in. Don’t bet yourself into having no money for food.”

But Zhong Lei got interested. “Then how about betting something else?”

Chen Feng thought for a moment. “How about this? Betting money is boring. Let’s go bigger.”

Zhong Lei replied without hesitation, “No unhealthy requests allowed! I told you I’m a single-ist!”

Chen Feng’s lip twitched.

Seeing her expression completely normal, he had thought she harbored no ill feelings about him taking advantage earlier.

Turns out she was just bottling it up inside.

“What are you thinking!” Chen Feng pretended to be angry. “Do I look like that kind of person!”

Zhong Lei shook her head. “No.”

“My bet is about your… no, my new song. If there’s a chance, for the next song we collaborate on, we keep the same model as this time. That includes the profit split and copyright ownership.”

Zhong Lei was stunned. “Next song? Have you already written it?”

Chen Feng shamelessly nodded. “Basically finished. Can present it anytime.”

“This… You’re being too productive like a…”

She covered her mouth.

Chen Feng signaled that she didn’t need to say more; he understood.

“And if I win?”

Chen Feng said, “If you win, I’ll… give you another song!”

Zhong Lei was furious. “Isn’t that the same as losing!”

Chen Feng coughed twice. “We can discuss the split further. I’ll concede more.”

“Oh.”

Zhong Lei fell into thought.

Two minutes later, Chen Feng looked at his watch. “There’s only one minute left until ten o’clock.”

Zhong Lei gritted her teeth. “Fine!”

Chen Feng grinned.

At ten o’clock, Zhong Lei’s phone rang on time. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?” She answered somewhat skeptically and put it on speakerphone.

“Hello, may I speak with Ms. Zhong Lei? This is Lin Youyi, supervisor of the KuGe Copyright Management Department. Didn’t we agree to meet at ten o’clock today? I’ve been waiting in my office. Why haven’t you arrived?”

Zhong Lei’s expression became strange. She looked at Chen Feng as if he were a monster.

What sorcery is this!

Since when is dealing with people called foresight?

Are you the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang!

This is too accurate!

Zhong Lei was just about to flatly refuse and say she wasn’t signing when Chen Feng, sitting opposite her, waved his hands frantically and made urgent eye gestures, signaling her to stall.

On the phone, Zhong Lei kept making hesitant sounds, unsure how to respond.

Given her nature, she would normally handle such things directly, but Chen Feng clearly had something else in mind.

Zhong Lei glared at Chen Feng with her beautiful eyes. Those expressive eyes seemed to ask, “What exactly are you planning?”

“Zhong Lei? Are you there? Is the signal not good?”

On the phone, Lin Youyi sounded somewhat anxious and urged her.

By now, Chen Feng had stood up but seemed hesitant on the spot.

In her panic, Zhong Lei reached out and gave him a light pinch on the waist.

Chen Feng pretended it hurt and hissed, quickly sitting down beside her. Not caring about propriety between men and women, he leaned close to her other ear—the one not holding the phone—and whispered, “Don’t refuse him outright. Say there was an unexpected situation today. You had to leave suddenly this morning and aren’t in Hanzhou right now.”

Zhong Lei didn’t understand his intention at all, but she faithfully relayed it over the phone.

There was about ten seconds of silence from Lin Youyi before he spoke again. “That’s a shame, then.”

The tips of Zhong Lei’s ears turned slightly red—whether from the warmth of Chen Feng’s whispering breath or from the awkwardness of being forced to lie was unclear.

“I’m sorry, Manager Lin. It really was an unexpected situation. I didn’t have time to notify your company. My apologies.”

“It’s alright. How about we reschedule? Name a time, Miss Zhong. I’m available anytime on my end.”

Chen Feng instructed Zhong Lei further, “Tell him it’s a family matter, so you can’t set a firm time right now. Arrange to reschedule in three days. Your tone must be sincere, apologize genuinely, as if you really owe him a fortune.”

Chen Feng even dictated the tone, which was clearly challenging for Zhong Lei, who wasn’t good at acting.

She struggled a great deal to roughly convey the message, though whether her tone achieved the effect Chen Feng described was unknown.

Lin Youyi on the other end seemed frustrated for a long while before expressing deep regret, finally hanging up after wishing Zhong Lei all the best.

Zhong Lei tossed her phone onto the coffee table. She was about to quickly move away, wanting Chen Feng not to sit so close—she was very uncomfortable—only to find he had already smoothly moved back to sit opposite her.

She stared directly into his eyes. “Go on. What exactly are you planning?”