The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 883 - 882: The Big Shots Coaxing Lu Mian

Chapter 883: Chapter 882: The Big Shots Coaxing Lu Mian

The person who entered was La Ge.

As the least experienced singer, La Ge knew better about basic etiquette, arriving at the private room early and staying prepared to greet several big shots.

Trailing behind him was a man dressed as an assistant.

"Hello, Mr. Fu."

La Ge greeted alongside his assistant, Sun Wei.

Fu Yu smiled casually. Over recent days, he had often interacted with La Ge and had also gotten to know his assistant.

"Welcome, take a seat."

La Ge held Fu Yu in deep respect. Not being adept at socializing, he forced himself to say a few polite lines.

"Mr. Fu, thank you for organizing this gathering. Really, it should have been me inviting everyone for a meal..."

"No need to be nervous. Tonight, you’re the star, and we’re just here to give you some encouragement in advance. No outsiders, it’s all family here."

Fu Yu wasn’t overly fixated on formalities and had a good grasp of La Ge’s personality.

In some ways, La Ge’s temperament was quite similar to Mianmian’s—they were both poor at socializing.

Fu Yu felt a natural sense of understanding and tolerance for La Ge.

Sun Wei, in contrast, was a proactive assistant, pulling out a chair for Fu Yu and pouring him tea—handling everything with meticulous care.

"Mr. Fu, should I accompany La Ge downstairs to wait for Master Kunyang and Miss Shen?"

Sun Wei considered how, even with Fu Yu and others being approachable, it wouldn’t do to skip protocol.

Especially in the entertainment industry, missing even minor details could land someone on an invisible blacklist.

Fu Yu paused. "Alright. This restaurant is pretty big; you can bring them upstairs when they arrive."

La Ge and Sun Wei hurried downstairs.

Seeing the long line at the entrance, Sun Wei sighed in amazement, "Mr. Fu is truly impressive, even managing to reserve a table here. And it’s a private room, no less!"

La Ge wasn’t particularly concerned about such logistics and asked curiously, "Is it hard to book here?"

"Of course! This MM Ji restaurant is the second national chain location—a renowned spot for gourmet food! All reservations during its trial opening period are fully booked. And every customer able to reserve a table is someone of significance. Some prominent families couldn’t even secure spots! Just think about it for a moment: isn’t Mr. Fu amazing?"

La Ge uttered an "oh," agreeing that it was indeed quite impressive.

Sun Wei sighed. "You stay so focused on singing that you’re clueless about all these things. Good thing you’ve got me as an assistant, or who knows how many people would’ve taken advantage of you!"

"No one has taken advantage of me. Not before, and not now."

"Tch! You’re just lucky that someone as important as the master noticed you. But these big shots usually have peculiar temperaments. You can’t skip the proper etiquette—what’s expected must still be said, whether it’s polite greetings or formalities." Sun Wei was practically worrying himself sick over La Ge.

After all, his friend was terrible at conversation and networking.

La Ge shook his head. "Miss Lu and Master Kunyang won’t care about these things."

Sun Wei scoffed, thinking La Ge was too naïve and hadn’t faced the harsh realities of society yet.

Within minutes, Sun Wei spotted Shen Yixin and Master Kunyang approaching in the distance.

He immediately nudged La Ge forward. "Quick! The two big shots are here!"

La Ge, pushed into action, awkwardly advanced to exchange pleasantries with Shen Yixin and Kunyang.

The first thing Kunyang asked was, "Where’s Miss Lu? Has she arrived?"

La Ge shook his head.

"Alright, let’s head upstairs and wait for her."

Sun Wei discreetly motioned for La Ge to escort Master Kunyang and Shen Yixin upstairs.

What a clueless kid—Master Kunyang was the real heavyweight in the industry. If not now, when would he show a little more enthusiasm?

But La Ge, being a bit stubborn, insisted on waiting at the entrance for Lu Mian.

Kunyang, still accommodating, replied warmly, "Fine, you two stay here and wait for Miss Lu. It’s a hot day, Sun, go to the front desk and order a glass of watermelon juice to have ready for her."

The seasoned artist’s attention to Lu Mian was practically doting.

Ever since Chu Kong’s concert, he had developed a strong appreciation for Lu Mian.

Later when Chu Kong passed on the mantle to Shen Yixin, he had been overjoyed. He even considered recruiting Lu Mian into his own fold for proper mentoring.

Unfortunately, Lu Mian excelled academically, with Qing University’s various deans vying over her incessantly, leaving this arts professor without much leverage.

Watching the cheerful elder make his way upstairs, Sun Wei found the whole situation almost surreal.

"The old master is surprisingly down-to-earth!" Sun Wei clicked his tongue. "But isn’t Miss Lu a bit impolite? Both Master Kunyang and Miss Shen are here, yet she hasn’t arrived!"

La Ge didn’t dwell on it and simply reminded him, "Go check about the watermelon juice."

When the appointed time came, La Ge finally saw Lu Mian arrive.

He didn’t recognize her immediately. It was Lu Mian who spotted him first.

"La Ge?"

A crisp and cool voice sounded from beside him.

Judging from the voice, La Ge figured it must be Lu Mian. Turning his head, he was stunned by her mesmerizingly stunning appearance.

This... This was just unfair.

"Miss Lu, nice to meet you. I’m..."

"Let’s go upstairs."

Lu Mian spoke with concise decisiveness, entirely void of unnecessary words. She took the lead, heading toward the private room with an impassive expression.

Sun Wei, observing from behind, gave La Ge a subtle tug.

"She’s the one writing songs for you—Lu Mian?"

"Yes, it’s her."

"Sure, she’s good-looking, but she seems overly young..." Sun Wei fretted.

Younger meant weaker capability, less experience, and fewer connections.

For someone like that to produce a hit like "The Four Seasons" overnight—it was hard not to suspect that it might be short-lived.

Sun Wei softly advised La Ge to make Master Kunyang his focal point.

Inside the private room.

Lu Mian walked in with practiced familiarity.

Fu Yu, Shen Yixin, and Kunyang all rose to welcome her. The moment was marked with ceremonial respect.

Everyone exchanged greetings, and far from being put off by Lu Mian’s aloofness, the big shots were instead even more gracious toward her.

Sun Wei found this peculiarly baffling.

Master Kunyang and Miss Shen were indisputable pillars of the industry, yet they treated Lu Mian with such deference?

Once everyone was gathered, the food began arriving.

"I’ve ordered all the signature dishes from MM Ji. Let’s dig in," Fu Yu said.

Kunyang chuckled, "Fu Yu, I’m riding on your coattails here. So many of my friends have tried to get in here and couldn’t."

Shen Yixin nodded in agreement, "I’m benefiting from you as well."

"Honestly, I was a little surprised myself. I thought it would be difficult, but when I made the call to try my luck, they gave me the private room."

Lu Mian took a sip of tea and subtly shielded her gaze with her hand.

"That kind of luck—you can’t help but envy!"

The group continued chatting energetically until the topic shifted to the music festival.

"La Ge can walk the red carpet with me."

Fu Yu approved with a nod, without objections.

Sun Wei immediately nudged La Ge to stand up and offer a toast—it was such a significant opportunity!

One of Jinjing’s Three Masters, Kunyang himself, was personally escorting La Ge on the red carpet. It was a surefire recipe for a breakthrough in the industry!

La Ge reluctantly voiced a few sentences.

Lu Mian, noticing his unease, tapped her fingers lightly on the table surface.

"Sit down, there’s no need for all that."