Chapter Sixteen: Phoenix Park

Ji Chen’s gaze fell on Zhao Funing, who was also sneakily peeling a pile of shrimp, and only then did he realize what was happening. He immediately picked up two large shrimp and placed them in Lin Chunshui’s bowl.

“Hurry up and eat the shrimp!”

“Xiao Lin, you’re so sneaky! While we were engrossed in the story, you managed to peel half a plate of shrimp!”

Everyone chatted lightheartedly and finished dinner. Amid the audience’s reluctance, the livestream came to an end.

Zhao Funing’s culinary skills were indeed impressive—even the female celebrities ate more than usual that evening.

After dinner, Lin Ze and Su Zitan took it upon themselves to wash the dishes.

“Shall we go out for a walk?” Lin Ze asked.

“No way!” Zitan quickly shook her head. “The mosquitoes around here are vicious! Earlier, when Aunt Bai and I were picking vegetables at the door, I got bitten all over my waist and legs.”

“Huh? The mosquitoes are that fierce? Let’s get back inside, let me see where you got bitten!”

“Oh, you’re such a rascal!”

But there was something important to do now.

Since they were supposed to be street performers, they would have to sing. If they didn’t want to be recognized, they needed to pick something with a completely different style.

Lin Ze already had an idea—he wanted to rehearse a song with Su Zitan.

The first song would be...

...

The night passed quickly, and early the next morning, Lin Ze got up.

He packed their things first, then woke Su Zitan.

“So sleepy...” Su Zitan yawned, looking groggy as she gazed at Lin Ze.

“Hug!”

Lin Ze wrapped his arms around Su Zitan, lifted her off the bed, and carried her to the bathroom to wash up.

“We’re getting up a bit earlier today to find the band. Then the next few days we can sleep in a bit.”

“A band?” Su Zitan asked, her words muffled by her toothbrush. “Where are we going to find a band? And we can’t use our own money—we can’t afford to pay anyone right now.”

“It’s fine. Yesterday, when we arrived, I saw a bunch of older folks by the Tongjiang River in the small park, playing instruments and singing. Let’s see if we can get to know them.”

“Didn’t you fall asleep in the car? How did you know about the riverside park?” Su Zitan chuckled.

“I woke up briefly when we crossed the bridge,” Lin Ze replied, already planning in his head how best to do his makeup. “Those older folks are pretty good for amateurs.”

Once they finished washing up and went downstairs, the cars belonging to Zhao Funing and Chen Weiguo had already left.

Only their own car and Ji Chen’s remained.

“Brother Lin! Sister-in-law!” Xiao Qian spotted Lin Ze and Su Zitan coming down and immediately greeted them.

“Thanks for your hard work, Xiao Qian. Let’s start the livestream,” Lin Ze said cheerfully.

Xiao Qian nodded at once, slinging a backpack across his chest, the hidden camera lens inside now aimed at the two of them.

[It’s starting, it’s starting! Finally!]

---

[The other livestreams have been up for half an hour already. Brother Lin is so slow.]

[I’m bored without Brother Lin chatting with us. Maybe the director could let them have a phone to read the comments...]

“Where are Brother Ji and Sister Lin?” Lin Ze asked.

Director Zhang stood nearby, looking a bit helpless. “They’re in no hurry. Those two stayed up talking late into the night and still aren’t awake.”

Stayed up talking?

More likely arguing into the night.

Lin Ze shook his head—he’d heard them bickering again last night.

“Each team gets a secret mission,” Director Zhang said with a smile. “Today’s secret mission for the Lin-Su duo:”

“You must go somewhere with more than fifty people, disguise yourselves as beggars, and sing a song. The performance must be captivating and earn more than fifty yuan in tips—or move someone to tears.”

“If you succeed, you earn twenty bonus points. Failure loses you ten points.”

[What kind of mission is this? Isn’t this targeted at Brother Lin?]

[You have to make someone cry?]

[What could you possibly sing to guarantee tears? But twenty points is a lot more than the other teams get.]

The two got into the car with Xiao Qian.

The drive was smooth, and Lin Ze began applying makeup in the car.

This time, he didn’t use any glue, just adjusted his skin tone and a few facial features.

Although his face shape remained the same, at a glance, he was now completely unrecognizable—he could easily pass for thirty-five.

Next, Lin Ze did Su Zitan’s makeup.

Su Zitan, usually gentle and sweet, was transformed by Lin Ze’s hands into someone with a more striking presence.

[???]

[We need to investigate Brother Lin—he’s clearly done this kind of makeup many times before!]

[No one would recognize them now. Even if they went to Aunt Xue’s restaurant, she wouldn’t notice.]

Lin Ze glanced at Xiao Qian and stroked his chin.

Forget it—Xiao Qian had such an ordinary face, it wouldn’t matter.

Soon, they arrived at a guesthouse, where the street performer couple was waiting.

The couple waved cheerfully as the car approached. They had watched the livestream from inside the car, but seeing Lin Ze and Su Zitan in person after their transformation, they finally understood Lin Ze’s skills.

“Hello, hello,” Lin Ze greeted them immediately, shaking hands.

As he looked at them, Lin Ze felt a strange sense of familiarity...

“You are...?” Lin Ze searched his memory. “Mutang and Zhou Ke?”

The couple’s faces lit up in surprise. “Brother Lin, you know us?”

“No, no,” Lin Ze quickly waved his hands. “You’re both ten years older than me—there’s no need to call me ‘Brother Lin.’”

---

The two of them were not famous yet, but in Lin Ze’s previous life, they had become quite well-known.

Zhou Ke had trained at a conservatory, while Mutang came from the grasslands; her voice was expansive and bold, truly distinctive.

If they were to sing “Moonlight Over the Lotus Pond” today, there would be no better choice.

Lin Ze already had the idea of signing them to his label.

At this point in time, the two of them were still traveling the country as street musicians.

They livestreamed as well, but only made enough to barely support their wandering lifestyle.

This time, they had come to the show simply to make enough for their rent.

“I’ve watched your livestreams. You’re both very talented singers. We should work together sometime.”

“We’d love to, we’d love to,” the couple replied politely.

As adults, they didn’t take phrases like “let’s work together” or “next time for sure” too seriously.

Lin Ze could see from their expressions that they thought he was just being polite.

But that was fine. He’d get in touch with them after the show was over.

They then showed Lin Ze and Su Zitan their things—a few simple livestreaming gadgets, an acoustic guitar, and a harmonica.

The harmonica, of course, couldn’t be lent out, so only the guitar was available.

“We don’t have much else—just a few spare clothes...” they offered.

“That’s more than enough,” Lin Ze said, opening the bag and examining the wooden guitar.

It was decent quality, and seemed to have some years on it—almost an antique.

“Um...” Zhou Ke hesitated.

“Don’t worry, if anything happens, we’ll pay for it,” Su Zitan said generously.

“No, no,” Zhou Ke hastily waved his hands. “I just meant—could you perform outside using our names, just...”

“Phoenix Park.”

...

Beneath the Tongjiang Bridge.

“Old Wang, you’re the pro here, which song should we use? The county’s cultural troupe auditions are tomorrow. Those violinists and saxophonists all look down on us. I—”

“That’s called a saxophone,” Old Wang said wearily.

Traditional Chinese music is already at a disadvantage compared to Western instruments, especially now that everyone’s crazy about foreign things. Without a great piece, it’s hard to beat them...

“Our singing isn’t that great, and this song isn’t the best. If all else fails, let’s just use Lin Chunshui’s ‘Little Pony on the Grasslands.’”