Chapter 23: The Owner of the Voice

That afternoon, Meng Yi'er awoke from her nap and stretched lazily. She walked over to her computer desk, turned on the computer, and logged onto a job recruitment website.

She had been back in the country for several days already, and apart from Yu Mingxin, she had no family or friends here to spend time with. Yu Mingxin was always busy with mysterious matters, and Meng Yi'er had only seen her twice during the first few days after returning. They kept in touch daily through phone calls and messages, but that was all.

Meng Yi'er found herself bored with her idle days and decided it was best to find a job to keep herself occupied. She had majored in fashion design and styling in university, and there were plenty of related jobs on the recruitment site, though suitable positions at well-known companies were rare.

She browsed casually, sending her resume to any positions that seemed fitting, without harboring too much hope. Suddenly, a notification flashed at the bottom right corner of her screen. She clicked it and saw a company named Star Media Entertainment was hiring a Chief Stylist. The conditions were attractive, and the most important thing was its proximity—just across the street from her apartment complex, a mere twenty-minute walk.

Hai City was notorious for its traffic congestion; in such a vast city, finding a job so close was no easy feat. Without hesitation, Meng Yi'er sent her resume.

Suddenly, the familiar singing, accompanied by guitar, rang out clearly once more. Excited, Meng Yi'er quickly shut her computer and hurried up to the rooftop, instinctively glancing toward the neighboring rooftop.

Every time, she heard the music but never saw the person.

She was becoming more and more curious about the owner of that voice.

To her surprise, she finally saw a man dressed in a white casual shirt, holding a guitar, sitting by the pool with his back to Meng Yi'er, playing and singing—the very voice she recognized.

Though the man was seated and only his back was visible, it was clear he was tall and well-built, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist—a physique anyone would envy.

Gu Yunchen had a similarly excellent build, perhaps even more upright and exuding an elite aura, tinged with melancholy. Countless women were captivated by Gu Yunchen’s masculine charm, including Yu Mingxin. Over the years, Meng Yi'er had been handed countless love letters by various girls, asking her to deliver them. Whenever Yu Mingxin saw Gu Yunchen, she would inevitably swoon for a while.

But this man was entirely different from Gu Yunchen in temperament. He radiated a gentle, relaxed, and introverted warmth, making him seem more approachable and amiable, with much less distance.

Meng Yi'er stared at his silhouette, feeling as if a gentle breeze caressed her face. Unconsciously, her lips curled into a smile.

After a while, a loud phone ringtone broke the silence, interrupting both the man and Meng Yi'er’s reverie.

—

Yan Yichen glanced at the display screen in his hand—it was a call from Mo Bei.

“Mo Bei, what did Chairman Wang say?”

There was a moment of silence on the line before Mo Bei spoke, “Yichen, I did my best, but—”

The brightness in the man's eyes faded. “I understand.”

“Yichen, don’t lose heart. Chairman Wang really admires you and likes your new song. He’s trying to convince the other board members, so there might be good news soon. It’s just that they’d prefer you agree to play the lead male role in their new drama. Chairman Wang said if you accept, all the songs in the show will be yours.”

…

A few minutes later, Yan Yichen hung up. Frustrated, he stood up and walked over to the pool.

Yan Yichen loved swimming, but as a public figure, it was never as convenient outside as it was at home. So when he renovated his house, he built a large swimming pool on the rooftop.

Whenever he had free time, he liked to swim here alone, relaxing both his body and mind.

Yan Yichen shed his clothes, wearing only swim trunks, and leapt in without hesitation.

Meng Yi'er watched the man’s bare, perfectly proportioned physique, his healthy skin tone, and suddenly blushed. Her heart pounded wildly and she quickly covered her eyes, not daring to look.

Yan Yichen, as if venting his frustration, swam swiftly back and forth in the pool.