sinovels Chapter 176 Reason: I want the Zhang family to tell stories to my daughter.
Chapter 176 Reason: I want the Zhang family to tell stories to my daughter.
The air in the restaurant seemed to freeze, so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of sparrows landing on the treetops outside the window.
Sister Hong's mouth was agape, her jaw seemingly dislocated, and her eyes, which had seen all the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, were now wide open like saucers. The priceless schedule in her hand lay forlornly on the floor, like a carelessly discarded piece of paper.
"Tell...tell a story?"
Hongjie's voice was trembling, like an old hen being strangled.
"Lin Zhou, are you alright? Do you know what you're saying? That's Hollywood! That's the Spring Festival Gala! That's billions of dollars!"
"I know."
Lin Zhou sat back down in his chair, picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of fried egg that he hadn't finished eating, speaking in a flat tone as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.
"Money is something you only need enough to get by. The balance in my account right now is enough for Nuonuo to buy candy and princess dresses for a lifetime. Any more is just a number; what's the point?"
"But……"
Sister Hong was so anxious that her face turned red and her neck bulged. She gestured wildly in the air with her hands, trying to pull this crazy man back to reality.
"This is status! This is reputation! As long as you're on the Spring Festival Gala, as long as you get this global endorsement, you'll be the emperor of the Chinese music scene! Who will dare say you're a gigolo anymore?"
"Sister Hong."
Lin Zhou interrupted her, his eyes clear and firm.
Do you think I care about those empty titles?
He pointed to the little figure playing carefree in the sunlight outside the window, his voice becoming exceptionally gentle.
"In Nuonuo's eyes, I'm not some singing king or a big director. I'm just her dad, the superman who promised to tell her stories every night and who would hug her the moment she had a nightmare."
"If I were to become that so-called 'emperor,' I would have to break my promise to my daughter, disappoint her, and prevent her from hearing my story before she goes to sleep..."
Lin Zhou shook his head, a faint sneer curling at the corner of his lips.
"Then being an emperor must be so boring."
Hongjie was completely speechless.
She looked at Lin Zhou as if he were an alien monster. Having struggled in this world of fame and fortune for decades, she had seen people who would stop at nothing to climb the ladder, and people who would sell their souls for resources, but she had never seen a ruthless person who would give up billions just to tell his daughter a bedtime story.
This is...
This is too Versailles!
Su Qingge, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Looking at the man in front of her who was willing to give up everything for his daughter, the softest part of her heart was deeply touched.
She had initially felt a little regretful, after all, those resources were something many people dreamed of. But after hearing Lin Zhou's words, she suddenly felt that all that so-called glory was utterly worthless compared to the warmth of this moment.
This is the man she loves.
Even when standing at the pinnacle of the world, the most important thing in my heart is still this family.
"Sister Hong, let's just forget about it."
Su Qingge stood up, picked up the itinerary from the ground, and casually threw it into the trash can.
"Since the King of Singers, Lin, has spoken, let's listen to him. Forget about the Spring Festival Gala, forget about endorsements, we'll turn them all down."
"But Qingge, this..." Sister Hong still wanted to struggle a bit more.
"There's no 'but' about it."
Su Qingge walked behind Lin Zhou, wrapped her arms around his neck, rested her chin on his shoulder, and looked at him with pride and doting eyes.
"Don't you think this reason is a million times cooler than any PR statement?"
Sister Hong paused for a moment, looked at the couple who were so loving it was almost blinding, and sighed deeply.
"Fine, fine, you two are amazing, so high and mighty."
"I'm just an ordinary person; I'm worried about my commission!"
Despite her complaints, Sister Hong's hands didn't stop moving. She took out her phone and began turning down those top-tier invitations one by one.
"Hey? Director Zhang, I'm sorry, Lin Zhou's schedule is really full... Yes, yes, it's a real shame."
"What's the reason? Well, well..."
Hongjie glanced at Lin Zhou, who was peeling eggs for Su Qingge, gritted her teeth, and decided to tell the truth.
"Um... Lin Zhou said he had to go home to tell his daughter the sequel to 'Journey to the West,' and he got to the part about the real and fake Monkey Kings, so he didn't have time to record the show."
There was a full ten seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then came Director Zhang's voice, sounding utterly bewildered: "Sister Hong, are you kidding me? Tell...tell me a story?"
"I hope it's a joke too."
Sister Hong rolled her eyes and said helplessly, "But that's what he said. And he was very firm about it, and no one could change his mind."
The same scene played out in countless phone calls.
The expressions of TV station directors, top brand executives, and even Hollywood producers were all quite interesting upon hearing this reason.
Some were shocked, some were angry, and some felt that this was a display of arrogance.
Without exception, this outrageous reason spread like wildfire throughout the entertainment industry.
Less than half an hour.
An explosive news story immediately topped the trending search list.
This time, it wasn't because Lin Zhou sang some hit song again, nor because he won any major awards.
It was not because of his Versailles Declaration, which was both irrefutable and infuriating.
[Shocking! Newly crowned singing champion rejects Spring Festival Gala invitation, and the reason is... for this woman!]
While clickbait titles are despicable, the content that leads to them has caused a sensation across the internet.
According to sources, Lin Zhou rejected all top-tier gigs to fulfill his promise to his daughter. He stated, "What are billions in business deals? Nothing is more important than telling my daughter the story of the real and fake Monkey King!"
The comments section exploded instantly.
"Holy crap! Is this the realm of gods? They treat money like dirt!"
"Billions for a bedtime story? Did Nuonuo save the galaxy in her past life?"
"It's so Versailles-like, but why do I feel like crying so much? That's a real man!"
"The country owes me a father like that! Lin Zhou, do you need another daughter? One in her twenties!"
Looking at the overwhelming praise online, Sister Hong sat in her van and rubbed her temples helplessly.
"I initially thought it was a public relations crisis, but this kid casually rebuilt his public image with just one sentence."
"Family-oriented, doting on her daughter, and indifferent to money... her popularity is simply off the charts!"
Inside the villa.
Lin Zhou was completely unaware of this, or rather, he didn't care at all.
He was holding Nuonuo, who had just run back from the garden and was covered in mud, and was wiping her little face with a look of doting affection.
"Daddy! I want to hear about the monkey!"
Nuonuo waved her little shovel and called out in her childish voice.
"Okay, I'll listen to the monkey."
Lin Zhou smiled and pinched her little nose.
"Daddy won't go anywhere tonight. I'll just tell you how monkeys fight, okay?"
"Yay! Daddy's the best!"
Nuo Nuo gave Lin Zhou a big, soft kiss on the cheek, leaving a muddy mark.
Lin Zhou didn't mind at all; on the contrary, he smiled even more happily than if he had won the title of "King of Singers."
Su Qingge leaned against the door, looking at the two figures, one big and one small, her eyes filled with tenderness.
However, when her gaze swept over the pile of unopened gifts on the coffee table in the living room, she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right, honey."
She walked over and picked up a beautifully wrapped gift box.
"When Sister Hong left, she said these were all gifts from the brand to Nuonuo as a token of our meeting. Would you like to take a look?"
Lin Zhou glanced at it casually and waved his hand dismissively.
"Just put it anywhere, as long as Nuonuo likes it."
Just then.
Nuonuo, who was watching cartoons, suddenly pointed at the TV screen, her eyes wide open, and turned her head with a puzzled look.
"Dad! Look!"
"Why does that uncle on TV look exactly like you?"
Lin Zhou and Su Qingge were both taken aback and looked in the direction of the soft little hand.
On television, the finale of last night's "King of Mask Singer" is being rebroadcast.
In the video, the man who has just taken off his mask, is covered in sweat but has a bright smile on his face, is making a heartfelt confession to the camera.
And that man was none other than Lin Zhou, who was wearing pajamas and had mud stains on his face at that very moment.