"Oh? You want to be my agent?" Eden raised an eyebrow, letting out a chuckle.
"Li, stop teasing me. Everyone knows you're the young master of an arms company. Why the sudden urge to break into the world of art?"
After laughing for a moment, she realized Fu Li was serious, and her laughter gradually subsided.
She stared at Fu Li in disbelief.
"You're serious? No, no, that's not right. Even if you wanted to be an agent, you wouldn't come to an art school, would you? Besides, aren't you a genius at making weapons?"
"Hardly a genius," Fu Li chuckled lightly. "I'm merely standing on the shoulders of giants."
To be precise, he was standing on the shoulders of Mobius and Vill-V, taking future weapon knowledge, nerfing it a bit, and creating modified versions.
As for being an agent, he had already acquired a modestly sized agency and poached an ace agent with a high salary, exclusively to serve Eden.
Of course, her fans would never know of his existence.
"Alright then," Eden said with a sigh of resignation after hearing Fu Li's explanation. "You can be my agent, but… are you really prepared?"
"Prepared for what?" Fu Li asked, puzzled.
"Ahem. Since you've enrolled in our school, you'll naturally have to learn an instrument." Eden mimed the action of playing a violin.
"So, my dear young master, are you ready for your exclusive guidance from your Senior, Eden?"
"It would be my utmost honor."
Fu Li looked at the confident and proud young woman, a gratified light shining in his eyes.
The Eden of now was so much more vibrant than the woman who would become a MANTIS. She was like a nascent star rising steadily into the sky, compared to a meteor whose brilliance was gradually fading.
They were both beautiful, yet different.
[You have officially integrated into this art school.]
[Under Eden's tutelage, your progress in both singing and musical instruments is advancing by leaps and bounds.]
[If Eden's style is as scorching as fire, using hope to inspire people and drive them into a frenzy,]
[Then your style is like the cry of the lonely night, using sorrow to evoke people's memories and grief, drawing their deep admiration.]
[Your styles should have clashed, but perhaps by a miracle, or perhaps due to talent, every time you perform together, you become the focus on stage.]
["If you're going to live, then live a brilliant and splendid life." ]
[That is what Eden said.]
[And she yearned to step off campus and face her own brilliant life head-on.]
"Ring, ring..."
Inside his single dorm room, Fu Li was awakened by the sound of his phone. He picked it up to see it was a call from the ace agent he had kept on his payroll for three years for nothing.
"Hello, Ms. Daisy? What's the matter?"
Sitting up in bed, the sharp horns on Fu Li's head slowly retracted.
During this time, he was an ordinary, genius student by day, but by night, he would don a mask and fight against underground forces related to the Honkai.
He had even run into members of the 'Toxic Chrysalis' a few times and crossed blows with them, so he was a bit exhausted, his consciousness still fuzzy.
The voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little helpless.
"My dear Young Boss, while you had no use for me, the few minor celebrities I took on have all had their contracts terminated. Should I transfer the profits to your account?"
"No need. Consider that money your bonus," Fu Li said with a yawn, completely unconcerned.
"From now on, you just need to seriously manage my and Eden's debut."
"I only have two requirements for you. First, Eden sings whatever she likes. If the event organizers don't agree, then become one of the organizers."
"Second, competition from peers and pressure from seniors can be used, but it must be in moderation. The focus is on honing her skills, not letting her get truly hurt. Understand?"
Hearing her young boss's demands, Daisy, on the other end of the line, was left speechless.
With over a decade in the industry, as a renowned agent, she had seen plenty of patrons crazily promote newcomers to achieve ulterior motives.
But Fu Li was different. She could see that when he looked at Miss Eden, his eyes held only appreciation, without a hint of profanity.
It was as if he genuinely just loved her voice, and nothing more.
"Um, Young Boss… I can manage the second point… but the first one…"
That's a bit difficult, isn't it?
The corner of Daisy's mouth twitched. This was the first time she had seen a newcomer with so many demands right from the start.
But Fu Li was just too generous, leaving her no room to refuse.
"Oh? Are you saying it's difficult?" Fu Li's tone was peculiar, and Daisy immediately surrendered. She had no intention of losing this cushy job.
"Not difficult, not difficult at all! It's just the budget..."
"Just report whatever you need to finance. If it's not enough, come to me," Fu Li said, then added after a moment's thought, "Oh, and prepare a professional development report and send it to me."
"Yes, I understand, Young Boss."
After hanging up, Fu Li stretched his back and walked into the adjacent room.
There, an assortment of musical instruments was on display, all of which Eden had personally taught him how to play.
It was precisely because of this that the two of them could perfectly fuse their two different styles whenever they collaborated.
His fingers brushed across the piano keys, and Fu Li felt an inexplicable sense of peace.
Peaceful… distant… abiding in his heart…
Perhaps this was the tranquility that art could bring to a person. And he could finally understand why Eden loved art so much.
Although she disliked using art as a tool to soothe people's hearts, she had done so for the warriors of the MOTHs.
[You have felt the charm of art. The latent anxiety in your heart has been somewhat relieved.]
Anxiety...
Perhaps. Otherwise, why would he be fighting the Honkai in secret when everything on the surface seemed so peaceful?
It was practically an occupational hazard.
After tidying up, Fu Li took the breakfast he had prepared and went straight to the female dormitory, picking up a book on mechanical engineering to read.
His arrival caused no commotion, as the students here had long grown accustomed to his presence.
Every morning, rain or shine, he would appear at the entrance of the girls' dorm on time.
If it were anyone else, they would probably be treated as a pervert. But since it was Fu Li, the girls didn't mind at all.
One reason was that he was not only handsome but also had a gentle temperament, giving off a warm yet very reliable feeling, which was quite rare in Europe.
As for the other reason, it was that his identity had already spread. Everyone knew he was a through-and-through rich man.
How could such a person be a pervert? He was practically a dream lover!
Just as Fu Li was engrossed in his book, with the other older girls stealing furtive glances at him, a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder.
"Hey, morning, my great artist."
"You're five minutes late today. Be careful or people will say you're pulling the big-star act."
"Ehehe, I know you don't care about that stuff, so don't worry about it~"
With a playful smile, Eden sat down beside him and naturally picked up her breakfast and began to eat.
After so many years, it had become a habit, and they no longer fussed over such small things.
In fact, Fu Li quite enjoyed this feeling of waiting.
If only it could be like this. If only the world's beauty could be frozen in this moment, and the destined tragedy would not be repeated.
Even if it was just an illusion, it was one he would gladly indulge in.
---o---
Author's note:
ps: I trust everyone is familiar with my character. You should also be able to tell that the pace of this simulation has slowed down, so...
I swear, this arc will have absolutely no knives! It will be completely healing, a chance for my dear readers to relax.