Chapter 36

"Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty. Four thousand in total, Sister Nan is quite generous, she added quite a bit of money."

At a quarter to nine in the evening, in the parking lot of the East Sea Grand Restaurant, Lin Zai Shan, sitting in Liu Mengmeng's pink car, counted the red envelope of compensation that Fang Nan had given him, feeling very satisfied.

"You sang and played the piano tonight, if he didn't give us extra money, I would have been angry with him! Hehe."

"These eight hundred are for you, this is your compensation."

"No, no, we already agreed, I won't take a cut this time." Seeing Lin Zai Shan give her eight hundred yuan, Liu Mengmeng hurriedly refused.

"Just take it, one thing is one thing, this is what you deserve."

Lin Zai Shan was in a great mood. This income was several times higher than he had expected. Tonight, he also found a good brother, Lu Chen, and all of this was thanks to Liu Mengmeng.

If he didn't give her the money, he would be too ungrateful.

"Thank you, Teacher Lin."

Knowing that Lin Zai Shan was a straightforward person, Liu Mengmeng didn't pretend and happily accepted the cut, folding the money and putting it in her bag.

"If there are more opportunities like this in the future, you should contact me."

"Of course. Your performance tonight was amazing, Sister Nan was shocked by you. She just told me that she wants to book us for ten shows, a package deal of 35,000 yuan. Each show, you would sing one or two songs. But I think this price is a bit low. If you're interested, I'll talk to her and try to get it up to 45,000 to 50,000 for ten shows."

"Alright, you can handle the negotiations. I'm free these days, and even if I participate in 'The Strongest Singer,' I should be able to find time to sing at weddings. I like these occasions."

Unlike other contestants who need to prepare carefully for the competition, Lin Zai Shan already had thousands of classic songs in his mind. He now only needed to hone his singing skills and improve his health.

Singing at weddings would enrich his stage performance experience, help him practice singing, provide good food to improve his health, and earn a substantial income, all at once. He was very pleased with this.

"If you become famous after participating in 'The Strongest Singer,' the price for singing at weddings will be even higher. Then we can pick the venues, and we won't go to low-quality weddings."

"Haha, you're thinking far ahead."

"Of course, I want to be your agent!"

Lin Zai Shan smiled slightly but didn't respond. He couldn't fully trust Liu Mengmeng yet, so he didn't want to make empty promises.

"Teacher Lin, where are you going now? Should I take you home?"

Liu Mengmeng started the car and asked Lin Zai Shan respectfully.

"I'll treat you to some late-night snacks. It's our first time making money together, we should celebrate."

"Are you still hungry?"

Liu Mengmeng was slightly surprised. At the wedding, Lin Zai Shan had eaten at least the amount of food for six people, and he could still eat!

"Not really hungry, but having some late-night snacks will make me sleep better."

Seeing Liu Mengmeng's stunned expression, Lin Zai Shan rubbed his stomach and explained with a smile, "I was hospitalized recently, and the doctor said my body is weak and lacks nutrition, so I need to supplement."

Liu Mengmeng smiled bitterly, thinking that supplementing shouldn't be done this way. Eating like this, wouldn't it harm his health?

"Let's go to the seaside and find a seafood stall, and we'll eat a little more."

"Alright. I can't eat anymore, but I'll accompany you. You must eat in moderation, eating too much at night is bad for your health and can make you gain weight."

"I need to gain weight now, look how thin I am."

Lin Zai Shan smiled and showed Liu Mengmeng his thin arm with the shirt sleeve rolled up.

"Alright..."

Liu Mengmeng was speechless. She had never seen such a remarkable uncle like Lin Zai Shan.

Lin Zai Shan himself also felt that his eating habits were a bit exaggerated.

He guessed that since he had just crossed over, his complete soul needed to adapt to this frail body, just like a newborn baby needs to be fed multiple times a day.

After this period of supplementation, his body would reach the robust state his soul subconsciously required, and he wouldn't eat so much.

They quickly found a stall and started eating again.

Liu Mengmeng genuinely didn't dare to eat anymore. She had been a bit lazy lately, hadn't exercised, and her weight had increased significantly, almost reaching 100 kilograms.

She wasn't short, standing at 166 cm, but she didn't want her weight to exceed 100 kilograms.

She knew her body type was such that eating more wouldn't add weight to other parts but would mainly add to her legs.

If she gained a little weight, her long legs would become thick and unattractive.

So she always reminded herself to be restrained and not to binge eat, to avoid her most charming long legs turning into elephant legs.

"Teacher Lin, the English song you sang for Mr. Lu and the others on the piano tonight, did you write it yourself?"

"Yes, do you like it?"

"Very much! It's so flavorful! I didn't expect you to be so good at writing pure English songs. I heard that one stage of 'The Strongest Singer' involves a competition of English songs."

Lin Zai Shan nodded while eating squid skewers, understanding. Most Chinese singers in this world had released foreign language albums, especially English albums.

Releasing English albums not only occupied a small share of the domestic music market but could also be exported to other Asian countries and even to Europe and America.

Some top Chinese singers' English albums sold better than their Mandarin albums because the copyright protection in foreign countries was relatively better.

"Besides English songs, are there competitions in other languages in this competition?" Lin Zai Shan asked.

"Foreign languages are just English. There seems to be a Cantonese song creation competition for dialects." Liu Mengmeng asked Lin Zai Shan, "How is your Cantonese?"

"Average. I can't speak Cantonese well, but I can sing it passably." Lin Zai Shan didn't fully reveal his abilities to Liu Mengmeng, in case she was sent by Ma Xiaodong to spy on him.

"You should prepare in advance. I heard that the second round of the team advancement competition is a Cantonese song creation PK."

Lin Zai Shan nodded in understanding.

At this moment, the phone on the table rang.

It was Bai Ge calling.

Previously, Bai Ge had called Lin Zai Shan, but he was performing and had set his phone to silent, so he missed the call and forgot to call back.

Now, seeing Bai Ge call again, Lin Zai Shan, while eating squid skewers, tapped the speaker button on the screen with a relatively clean finger and answered the call, "Hello, Gezi?"

"Dad, is everything okay there? You didn't answer my call earlier."

"Oh, nothing, I was busy with something else." Lin Zai Shan didn't tell Bai Ge that he was singing at a wedding. He wanted to surprise Bai Ge by giving her a lot of money when she returned.

"Dad, when I'm not around, you must eat well and take care of yourself, don't overwork."

"I know, don't worry about me. How's your trip in Xia City?"

"It's good, the scenery here is beautiful. At night, the stars are especially bright. It feels like the sky here is much closer to the East Sea, as if you can touch it."

"Haha, you're looking at the stars now, right?"

"Yes, I'm looking at the stars alone."

"Alone? What about your classmates?"

"They went drinking and singing, it's boring. I don't like joining those gatherings. Watching the stars is more interesting."

Lin Zai Shan felt a slight pang in his heart.

Which young female college student wouldn't like to drink and sing with friends?

Bai Ge liked watching the stars purely because it didn't cost money.

She couldn't afford to go out drinking and singing with others.

She also didn't feel comfortable joining such gatherings without spending money.

"Dad, it would be great if you could come with me. Under the vast starry sky, it would be even better if you could sing a song for me."

"Haha, you called just to hear me sing?"

"Hehe."

"No problem, wait two minutes, I'll get my guitar."

"You're so nice, Dad!"

"Then I'll hang up now, I'll call you back later."

"Okay!"

Bai Ge was out of town, and calling would incur roaming charges, so Lin Zai Shan hung up first.

He couldn't do much for Bai Ge now, but he could at least sing for her.

Liu Mengmeng was perceptive. Seeing Lin Zai Shan about to get his guitar, she quickly said, "I'll help you get it."

The guitar was in the back seat of her car.

She took the initiative to get the guitar for Lin Zai Shan, as she also wanted to hear him sing.

Listening to Lin Zai Shan sing was truly a delightful experience.

Seeing that the environment of the stall was too noisy for singing over the phone, Lin Zai Shan quickly finished the last two large squid skewers and paid the bill.

When Liu Mengmeng brought the guitar to Lin Zai Shan, he had already paid and was wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Let's go to the seaside."

Lin Zai Shan took the guitar case from Liu Mengmeng and led her to the night beach, where he planned to find a quiet place by the sea to sing for Bai Ge.

The beach by the sea was covered with large rocks, not fine sand, making it difficult to walk.

Fortunately, Liu Mengmeng was wearing flat boat shoes, which were convenient for driving and walking. If she had worn high heels, she would have twisted her ankle on the rocky beach.

Gallantly, Lin Zai Shan let Liu Mengmeng hold his strong forearm as a cane. They didn't walk far before finding a large rock where two people could sit, facing the sea. Lin Zai Shan prepared to sing for Bai Ge there.

As soon as they sat down, Liu Mengmeng adjusted her orange short dress to prevent the sea breeze from blowing it up and causing an embarrassing moment.

This action reminded her of the classic pose of the sexy goddess Marilyn Monroe.

Smiling slyly, Liu Mengmeng asked Lin Zai Shan, "Your girlfriend has a unique way of addressing you, calling you 'Dad'?"

"What girlfriend? She's my daughter."

"Ah?"

Liu Mengmeng was surprised. From the information she found online, this uncle wasn't married and had no children.

"Is she your real daughter or just a nickname?"

"Of course, she's my real daughter, my biological child. I'm not that perverted to have my girlfriend call me 'Dad.'"

Liu Mengmeng was surprised, "You've done a great job keeping it a secret. The media hasn't reported that you're married."

"I'm not married."

"Oh... oh."

Liu Mengmeng paused, then understood.

She didn't ask more to avoid sounding like a gossip reporter and annoying a celebrity.

In the entertainment industry, it was common for people to have children before getting married.

However, she was really curious about who the woman who gave birth to Lin Zai Shan's child was.

Was it a female star in the industry?

According to gossip, when Lin Zai Shan was at his peak, he was rumored to have dated several female stars in the industry, but it was unclear if it was true.

Even when he wasn't as popular, gossip magazines still wrote about his affairs with female stars, portraying him as a promiscuous person.

However, through recent personal interactions, Liu Mengmeng felt that this uncle wasn't a promiscuous person, at least not now.

She even suspected that he might have played too much when he was young and now didn't like women.

Otherwise, with her attractive appearance and eye-catching long legs, why couldn't she see any signs of male appreciation in his eyes?

Lin Zai Shan didn't waste time on Liu Mengmeng. After adjusting his position on the rock, he called Bai Ge and asked Liu Mengmeng to hold the phone in speaker mode, like a microphone, to make it easier for him to sing.

Liu Mengmeng held down her dress with her left hand to prevent the sea breeze from blowing it up and exposing her. They were facing the wind.

With her right hand, she held the old phone for Lin Zai Shan.

This time, listening to Lin Zai Shan's call with Bai Ge was much more pleasant.

Earlier, she thought the clear and sweet voice on the other end of the phone was Lin Zai Shan's girlfriend.

"Should I sing a song about the stars for you?"

"Sure, but it has to be one you wrote. I don't want to hear a cover. Dad, I only like your original songs."

"Alright, I recently wrote a new song called 'Starry Sky,' 'Star' and 'Clear Sky.' I'll sing it for you."

"'Starry Sky'—the name sounds so beautiful! Dad, wait, I'll get my recorder to record it."

"No need, I've already recorded it on my computer."

"Alright, go ahead. I'm already lying on the grass, looking at the bright stars, and listening to you sing 'Starry Sky.' Life is so beautiful!"

"Haha."

Lin Zai Shan was amused by Bai Ge's simple and optimistic attitude.

Like Bai Ge, Liu Mengmeng was also ready to enjoy Lin Zai Shan's new song.

The sea breeze was annoying, always trying to lift her dress.

But Liu Mengmeng didn't care.

Sitting on the warm, flat sea rock, holding the "microphone" for Lin Zai Shan, her admiring gaze was completely focused on the charming and mature uncle beside her.

Under the moonlight, Lin Zai Shan's silver-haired image looked even more rugged and appealing.

At a certain moment and angle, Liu Mengmeng felt that his cheerful smile was more charming than those of the young, handsome stars.

She had always preferred young, handsome men.

The few boyfriends she had dated were also of the young, handsome type.

Perhaps because she had been with Ma Xiaodong for a long time, his mature and cunning demeanor had made her dislike men of that type.

She thought her future partner would definitely not be a mature man.

But now, moved by the charming musical talent Lin Zai Shan exuded, she realized that mature men could also be very appealing!

Especially now, facing the starry sky and the sea, Lin Zai Shan, holding an old guitar with a mottled body and a rich sound, was about to sing for his daughter. This demeanor and image were incredibly mature and handsome!