Chapter 143: He's So Great I Could Cry

[Chapter 143: He's So Great I Could Cry]

"I think it was turned off," Fizz said as she put down her phone.

"I couldn't get through to Taylor either," Paula chimed in.

"What are those two up to?" Scott wondered, perplexed.

After they had gone home together last night, she hadn't been able to reach them both until now. It was crucial since the statement had only just been released yesterday, and the public's reaction was still unclear.

"Taylor said last night she would be coming with Ryan today, but they're still not here. They're probably still at home," Taylor's assistant, Erica, explained.

"At a time like this, what could they possibly be doing at home?" Karlie Kloss' mother questioned.

Karlie remained silent, hardly saying a word all day.

Paula and Fizz shared a knowing smile, as if they were thinking of something, but neither engaged in conversation. They couldn't interfere with their boss's personal life.

...

Just then, Ryan and Taylor finally arrived, looking like a newlywed couple, wrapped in each other's embraces as they walked in. Ryan made an effort to help Taylor, leading her straight to the couch where she took a seat.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," Ryan said with an embarrassed chuckle.

Scott shook his head in wonderment. "Youth is great, isn't it?"

"What's the public's reaction now?" Ryan asked as soon as he sat down.

"They're crying," Paula replied.

"Crying? What do you mean?" Ryan asked, puzzled.

"Literally crying. They found it moving," Fizz shrugged.

"Seriously?" Ryan pulled out his phone to check for himself.

[This is the truth of the matter. I told you, Ryan isn't that kind of person!]

[Ryan set an example for all men, he's a real quality idol.]

[The public has had enough of the boring scandals of celebrities; then a sun rose brightly.]

[In this dark and dirty entertainment industry, Ryan is a breath of fresh air.]

[His heart shines as brightly as his looks; he's a man of substance.]

Just like Karlie Kloss had said, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Ryan felt that "image rehabilitation" didn't quite capture it anymore; it was more like "so white it dazzles, so white it blinds."

People had already drawn a clear line between him and traditional entertainment.

...

[You'd probably be shocked to know there are double checks at Ryan's nightclub entrance; they don't let any bad apples in.]

[What? Even top-tier nightclubs wouldn't dare do that, would they?]

[Of course not; Let alone a nightclub, even if it's Congress, would they dare to do that?]

[Others wouldn't dare, but Ryan does. That's what makes him different.]

[He's the hope of this messed-up country!]

[I guess I need to check out a place like that; I'm really curious what a nightclub without shady dealings is like.]

[Where's Ryan's nightclub?]

Not only was he making headlines, but even his nightclub was getting some well-deserved publicity. Previously, Ryan's club was only known in Florida.

This time, Bad Room's patronage was expected to rise significantly.

...

[Enough about that; since Ryan is so impressive, I must buy a piece of his clothing to show my support!]

[Too expensive. Maybe just buying an EP would do.]

[Two thousand dollars? That's not so bad; you can't even get anything from BAPE for that much.]

[When the designs are favored by Anna Wintour, a two-thousand-dollar average isn't too high at all.]

[For those who think it's expensive, they aren't the target audience anyway.]

Ryan couldn't help but pause at this. He had instructed the Olsen sisters to double the prices, but who would have thought the price of clothes could also be increased to clear out inventory?

[Kanye West has already worn Ryan's clothing line {photo}.]

[This is true support in action for Ryan.]

[Justin Timberlake wore it out today, too. He told reporters that Ryan's clothes are very comfortable.]

[Don't bother trying to buy; they're all sold out, except for the smallest size.]

Sold out already? Ryan was surprised; it had only been a few days since "Anna took off her sunglasses," and he didn't expect such a heated reaction.

...

As for his fan forum, it had turned into a large "He's So Great I Could Cry" fest.

[I only want to marry someone like Ryan.]

[No, I won't marry anyone but Ryan!]

[Nikki: There are hardly any men like Ryan.]

Paris later pulled her sister into the chat.

[Paris: None! By the way, Ryan, I want to book a booth at the nightclub for long-term!]

Ryan wondered how many points she would get for her looks, only to discover she hadn't posted any pictures.

Then, with the forum's grading system being online, Ryan could group these acquaintances and premium users into one small group.

[Regardless, this time, I finally believe in love again!]

[Believe in Ryan instead of love.]

[Exactly; in reality, there's no one like Ryan.]

[Debicki: When will Ryan's nightclub open in Australia? I'll definitely be there to support!]

But were you trying to go to the nightclub or meet someone who ran it? Ryan thought to himself, chuckling.

[Abigail: I was wrong; I shouldn't have gone to school in Kansas when Florida State offered me a scholarship!]

[Rich Bitch: Haha, what a bunch of idiots; Ryan's got you all wrapped around his finger! Are you blind or just not developed?]

Ryan frowned, quickly silencing her.

To others, her identity was just a "7777" numeric ID.

[3: Who's this crazy person?]

[5555: Where is Karlie Kloss right now?]

[So what was this Christmas gift that Taylor mentioned, which she and Ryan were working on together?]

[It wouldn't be a big scoop, would it?]

[I know; Taylor is going to announce she's pregnant soon!]

[What? Taylor is pregnant?]

[Isn't it already three months?]

[Is the baby going to be named Ryan Jr.?]

[Daddario: Huh? Where did you get this info?]

[Ryan: Stop the rumors; as for what the 'Christmas gift' is, you'll know soon enough.]

Having read enough, Ryan closed the page.

...

"Thank you everyone. This PR campaign went pretty well!" Ryan smiled at the people in the room.

"Unless there's anything else, you can all head out. Paula, I know your family is in Nashville, so you'll be working at Big Machine. As for you, Scott, you'll be traveling frequently between Nashville and Orlando."

"Fizz, keep in touch by phone."

The three bid farewell to Ryan, who started planning new work, naturally related to new music.

...

Once they left, the office was left with just Taylor, Karlie Kloss, and Karlie's mother.

"Go find finance; she'll give you some cash," Ryan wrote a note and handed it to Karlie's mother.

...

With her exit, only Karlie and Taylor were left in the office.

"Anyway, I really want to thank you for this. Ryan and I will always help you from now on," Taylor said, slightly wobbly, and waved at Karlie.

Karlie walked over and sat beside Taylor.

Taylor looked at Karlie, then suddenly suggested to Ryan, "What if we let Karlie become a singer? I can give her a couple of songs."

"Her voice...," Ryan immediately shook his head.

Even if her voice was good, Ryan wouldn't agree. If Taylor could sell a million copies, chances are others would only achieve half that, and money was at stake.

For Ryan, losing money meant losing a lot.

"She should focus on modeling," Ryan said.

"Modeling shouldn't be overlooked either. It's important to explore multiple fields, just like you do," Taylor said, seemingly already resolved.

"Anyway, these are just some leftover tracks from this album. Let her try; we won't lose anything," Taylor suggested to Ryan again.

"Fine," Ryan nodded.

"Thank you, Taylor," Karlie said softly.

"You're the same age as my brother, so you'll be like my sister from now on," Taylor said with a smile.

"Sister?" Karlie Kloss raised an eyebrow.

"Funny, you're the same age as my sister," she said bashfully, mentioning she had one sister and two other siblings.

Taylor nodded, and the two women held hands.

Wait, how did they start calling each other sisters so soon? Ryan felt their friendship was advancing too quickly.

Karlie Kloss was one of Taylor Swift's closest friends in future. They were so close that rumors circulated about them holding hands before Karlie eventually sided with Kim Kardashian, making it seem like she added fuel to the fire while Taylor dealt with public scrutiny.

Thanks to Ryan, Taylor had encountered Karlie ahead of time.

"Then it's decided. You both head back to Nashville to record songs first, and then Taylor, you'll come with me... we need to find a safer little town in Central America to shoot a new music video." Ryan thought for a moment.

But Taylor shook her head. "I've already spent so many days in Florida; when I go back, I have to record songs, and our performance team hasn't even auditioned yet. When would I have time to film a music video?"

"We can't have another woman shooting a couple's music video with me, can we?"

"Why not? It's just a music video. Besides, I wouldn't want our private lives revealed like that; whatever we shoot is just for us to see," Taylor explained.

"Then who should I ask?" Ryan frowned, temporarily unable to find a suitable candidate.

"You don't need to look far; she's right in front of you," Taylor pointed to Karlie beside her.

"What do you want me to do?" Karlie's eyes widened.

"You'll be acting as Ryan's girlfriend for a couple's lifestyle vlog. It'll be quick, just two or three days," Taylor said.

"Act as a couple?" Karlie felt her ears go hot. "I can't do that."

"What's so hard about it? You've been in relationships before," Taylor laughed.

"But I... really haven't been in a relationship," Karlie said, becoming a bit panicked.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.