Chapter Seventeen: The Man Who Stands Above the Four Heavenly Kings

"Hmm? Wait a minute, Feifei, replay 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies' for me. I want to listen to it again."

Lin Ruowan cast a suspicious glance at Wenrun, who was grinning as if she'd just tasted honey, then looked at her future son-in-law, sitting upright and composed, eyes fixed decorously on his own nose, his nose on his heart.

Ren Qian had been savoring the dishes his nurse girlfriend had prepared, but when he caught his future father-in-law's wary gaze, his heart skipped a beat.

When he'd sung 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies,' he'd deliberately adopted a plaintive, sorrowful tone, much like Wong Ka Kui, but when he sang 'New...Order,' he used his natural voice. Thanks to his wide vocal range, the two songs sounded quite different; if you didn't pay attention to his breathing and stylistic shifts, you could hardly tell they were performed by the same person.

But would his future father-in-law lack professional insight? That look in his eyes clearly betrayed his suspicion.

Before the song was halfway through, Lin Ruowan couldn't restrain himself any longer.

"Tell me, son-in-law, that young man who sang 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies'... that was you, wasn't it?"

The chopsticks with which Li Feifei had just served a piece of food for Brother Lin clattered back onto the plate.

"His name is Ren Qian, Ren Qian—did you hear me, Ren Qian?! Stop calling him 'son-in-law' all the time or I'll get mad," the nurse sister muttered. After all, this was her biological father, yet to cozy up to Ren Qian, he was shamelessly selling her out, calling him 'son-in-law' at every turn, making her skin crawl.

It was all that damn Ren Qian's fault—why did he have to show off? Flushed with embarrassment and annoyance, she reached under the table and gave his thigh a vicious pinch.

"Hiss... I'm not made of steel, so why am I being treated like rebar?" Ren Qian winced, tears welling in his eyes.

"It was just a casual pinch," Wenrun snorted, turning her head away, but her delicate hand continued to twist mercilessly on his leg.

Well... if that's what she called casual, he thought miserably, the pain radiating from his thigh making him deeply pessimistic about any future marital bliss.

"Enough, Run'er, stop teasing. Son-in-law, was that really you singing?"

Ren Qian pressed Wenrun's smooth hand down and nodded to his future father-in-law in admission.

"So it was you. You're Ren Qian? Studying at Jiangnan University... a top science student who only does music in his spare time?"

Ren Qian nodded again.

The diva was momentarily speechless. But after a moment's reflection, she relaxed. Same city, both young, both singing Cantonese songs—it would be odd if they weren't the same person.

On second thought, wasn't this even better? Ren Qian was handsome, gracious, talented, and amiable—truly a remarkable young man. Subconsciously, she already regarded herself as Lin Ruowan's wife, Wenrun's stepmother, and Ren Qian's mother-in-law. That realization brought a blush and new confidence to her face.

For the rest of the evening, the 'family of four' chatted about everything under the sun, the atmosphere lively and cheerful.

"Aunt Diva, I have a question. Compared to the Four Heavenly Kings, who holds more influence?" Wenrun seized a lull in the conversation between her father and Aunt Li to interject quickly.

"Well... let's put it this way: my influence is greater, and I have more resources at my disposal. I'm at the peak of my career, while the Four Heavenly Kings are gradually stepping into the background—it's an age advantage. Of course, there's also the fact that I meet the spiritual needs of ordinary people. Right now, my fanbase is growing by the day, and they've occupied the Weiblog hot topic list for me several times spontaneously."

Li Feifei spoke with absolute confidence. Even a single King could only earn a shred of respect from her by virtue of seniority. In truth, neither their wealth nor their status could compare to hers—this was no longer their era. The new generation was on the rise, and fresh contenders were eyeing the throne of the Heavenly Kings...

"That's amazing! Then could you help teach Wan Feng a lesson? That old man keeps picking on Ren Qian—he's really insufferable."

At last, Wenrun voiced her real concern: she had been holding a grudge ever since Wan Feng disparaged Ren Qian on Weiblog, and her desire for retribution ran deep.

But as he was a genuine Heavenly King, all she could do was fantasize about cutting him down with a thousand blades; there was nothing she could actually do. Now, facing the Diva herself, she was determined to try her luck—even if she couldn't punish Wan Feng, maybe she could at least make him wary enough not to trouble Ren Qian again.

Well then.

Ren Qian was speechless—this girl...

"Wan Feng? You mean that petty man who racked his brains and tried every trick just to work as my assistant back then?" Lin Ruowan asked skeptically. When Li Feifei nodded, his expression changed instantly, a scornful smile on his lips.

"So it's him. That guy's only skill is flattery—how did he ever become a Heavenly King? I suppose it took ruining countless singers' careers and seizing their resources over the years to get where he is."

Fifteen years ago, Lin Ruowan was only twenty-two, but thanks to his talent and hard work, he'd already released a record that sold eighteen million copies. That album made him rich and propelled him to stardom as the hottest young Heavenly King.

At that time, Wan Feng was already in his thirties—a small fry who, despite entering the industry early, remained an obscure, second-rate singer after years of struggling at Rolling Poem Entertainment.

Wan Feng was never content, but instead of improving his craft, he devoted himself to flattery. If a celebrity was more famous than he, he would fawn over them tirelessly.

When it came to Lin Ruowan, his sycophantic efforts were relentless.

But Lin Ruowan despised those who neglected their true calling. In his eyes, if Wan Feng had spent half as much energy mastering a few instruments or learning composition as he did currying favor, he'd have been a superstar by now.

So one day, when Wan Feng came to flatter him, Lin Ruowan lashed out, scolding him, "Are you called Wan Feng or Wan Flatter? Every day you wag your tail after others—do you want to spend your whole life kissing up to people?!"

Because of this, Wan Feng bore Lin Ruowan a deep grudge and came to hate everything about him. He couldn't bear to hear Lin Ruowan's name, nor the nickname "Wan Flatter." After Ren Qian released 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies,' and since Lin Ruowan had put out a Cantonese album years ago, Wan Feng's resentment naturally extended to Ren Qian, leading him to post that absurd insult on Weiblog.

He had already decided to use whatever resources he had to suppress this newcomer daring to enter the music world.

"So that's how it is—no wonder," Ren Qian exclaimed, finally understanding the source of a mystery that had troubled him for so long. Truly, this was what they called 'taking a bullet for someone else.' Yet, the phrase 'Wan Feng or Wan Flatter'—why did it sound so amusing?

"Ahem, back in the day, your future father-in-law here insulted all the current Four Heavenly Kings, so it's only natural they'd gang up on you now," Diva Li Feifei revealed with another bombshell.

Ren Qian's face twitched. "Father-in-law, you really have a sense of humor. You dug one pit twenty-one years ago, another fifteen years ago, and I've managed to fall into both."

With that, the two men exchanged a hearty laugh. The nurse sister, seeing them bent over with laughter, couldn't help but join in—until she realized what their words meant. Her smile vanished, and her smooth little hand darted under the table for another sharp pinch on Ren Qian's thigh.

"Hiss..."