69 EIGHTH GALAXY

The recording studios in Holti Entertainment were used for practice in the evenings, accessible to the more favoured artistes in the company. It was an afforded privilege, one Jiyang held with his popularity. It was his destination, after dinner with Xiao Zhan and Song Qian, happiness blooming for the first time in a long while since his debut. He had never regretted his decision, choosing to go down this path of life. It had been a hard road, a lonely one, but he'd fought hard to reach the pinnacle of success, and he was yet far away from that pinnacle.

Jiyang was content with where he was. But loneliness was frightening. Consuming. And he didn't want to be alone any longer. It was hard to make friends in the industry. Genuine friends. Friends who didn't stab him to steal and reap benefits when his eyes strayed for mere seconds.