Stay Out of My Business

Chen Ling, an obscure, unlucky, washed-up idol, has no jobs and no stage to perform on. Just as he faces the threat of unemployment, he gets caught in another disaster through no fault of his own: a marketing account drags him into a smear campaign against a top-tier star, and the star's fans tear into him. At last, he finally gets a job, only to be told to perform crosstalk at a gala. ...And he has to do it wearing a flashy stage outfit and sporting blond hair. Most of the audience at the gala are fans of the top-tier star. When Chen Ling steps onstage, some are there to laugh at him, others heckle him, and a few even shout for him to get off the stage. Chen Ling smacks his clapper and recites a few opening verses, startling the audience. Not long into the routine, he launches into a rapid-fire passage, delivering it flawlessly, with clear diction and a lively rhythm that's quick but never muddled. The audience is stunned. Chen Ling: Go ahead and clap. You don't need to feel awkward just because you were insulting me a moment ago. Chen Ling: I'm actually pretty versatile. I can do rapid-fire recitations, rhythmic clapper routines, comic songs, and all sorts of other things. - The good times don't last. Chen Ling's reputation improves after he proves himself as a crosstalk performer, but then a backstage video sends him right back to square one. In the video, Chen Ling angrily shakes off Ye Dafeng, the young crosstalk performer who partnered with him at the gala, and snaps, "Mind your own business!" "Insiders" claim Chen Ling is just rude, that he gets attention by picking fights with celebrities, and that he only mouthed the words during his gala performance. They say his wealthy backer arranged everything to promote him. - Later, while Chen Ling is livestreaming, Ye Dafeng, who is supposedly on bad terms with him, wanders into the room in his pajamas and asks, "Baby, want some milk?" Later still, someone digs up an old performance clip and discovers that the comic opposite Ye Dafeng is none other than Chen Ling as a little kid. Only then do netizens realize: Chen Ling has performed crosstalk with his senior since he was little. What do they mean, they're on bad terms? And what do they mean, he can't perform crosstalk?! At last, someone uploads the full version of that backstage argument. In the video, Ye Dafeng holds Chen Ling's hand. "Baby, stop bleaching your hair all the time. It's bad for your scalp. Stop drinking so many soft drinks. It's unhealthy. And don't stay up all night so much, or you could drop dead." Chen Ling: "I know..." Ye Dafeng: "If you want to see me, just come home. Stop secretly asking other people where I am." Chen Ling: "...Mind your own business!!!" This time, everyone can see clearly that Chen Ling looks angry, but his ears are quietly turning red. One-on-one, sweet romance, childhood friends, older top, crosstalk story set in the entertainment industry. An overprotective, controlling senior-student gong x a timid but feisty junior-student shou. The characters aren't based on anyone in real life. The professional details may not be perfectly accurate, so just enjoy the story, everyone QUQ. Cover art thanks to Lan Jing~~ [Next book: The Hunt for Scum Begins. Feel free to visit my author page and add it to your favorites~~] A friend's completed novel: Loved You by Han Chuan Ge, racing driver x streamer, rekindled romance~ Theme: Give traditional culture a new lease on life.