When the plane landed in Nashville, it was just past four in the afternoon.
Luke stepped out of the airport, hailed a taxi, and headed straight to the record company he had set up in the city.
At this hour, Taylor Swift should have been in vocal training at the company, and he had already scheduled a meeting with her over the phone before arriving.
Luke's visit to Nashville had two main objectives, though in essence, it was really just one:
To restructure his professional relationship with Taylor Swift and, through that, bind their lives together to some degree.
After some recent reflection, Luke realized that the "close relationship" the system required didn't necessarily mean a romantic relationship.
Instead, it meant forming a life-bound connection with a woman—someone whose life path intertwines with his, creating a strong mutual dependency.
This was why his sibling-like relationship with Zhang Ziyu didn't count as a "close relationship" according to the system; they didn't carry each other's life responsibilities.
In fact, his relationship with Mr. Eisen fit the system's requirements perfectly—their life goals were tightly intertwined.
But Mr. Eisen wasn't female, so the system wouldn't grant any rewards.
If Luke were to choose a woman to bind his life with, Taylor was the obvious choice.
From what he knew about her, binding his life to a woman as talented and striking as Taylor was unquestionably the right decision.
Previously, he had invested in Taylor's future, smoothing the path for her debut and helping her avoid potential pitfalls.
He had invested money, but as the company's current owner, he also stood to earn enormous returns once she debuted—this investment would undoubtedly be highly profitable.
Yet, this relationship alone wasn't enough; it didn't meet the system's standards. That was why Luke had prepared another agreement to restructure their relationship.
When he saw Taylor again, he was surprised—she had grown significantly in the six months since they last met.
Taylor Swift was nearly 5'5" now, having shed the last traces of girlhood and sprinted toward young womanhood.
Her appearance was increasingly close to the image he had in his mind.
"Luke, it's great to see you again. Actually, I have something I wanted to discuss with you. If you hadn't come today, I would have reached out in a few days," Taylor said, stepping forward for a brief, friendly hug.
Luke smiled, set down his backpack, and was about to pull out the agreement, but he casually asked, "Taylor, I think you're type O, right?"
"Yes!" she replied.
Yuffie was type B, and for Luke to further break through his potential limit, he needed to form a close relationship with a non-B-type woman.
In his previous life, search engines claimed Taylor's blood type was B, but Luke knew that was wrong. She had mentioned in an interview that she was enthusiastic about donating blood to help others—her blood could be given to anyone.
She was kind and helpful, which confirmed her blood type must be O.
With Taylor confirming it in person, Luke felt completely reassured.
"I heard you're going to duel Tyson. Is that true?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah, it's true. Are you worried about me?"
"Not at all."
"Huh?"
"You're going to win. You'll leave him eating dust—there's nothing to worry about," she said confidently.
Luke was surprised by her confidence. Everyone else had reacted with worry when they heard about the duel, fearing he might lose—or even get seriously injured—because Tyson's reputation was so formidable.
"You really have that much faith in me?" he asked.
"Yes. I trust you completely, just like you trusted me back then," Taylor said earnestly, her youthful face radiating energy.
She was referring to the first time they met on the train, when he had wholeheartedly supported her musical path and backed her with real money.
To Taylor, that represented unparalleled trust.
"Thanks. You're right—I don't need to worry. I'll win," Luke said, nodding.
"Oh, and check this out—that's what I wanted to talk to you about today," Taylor added, handing him a document that looked like an agreement before he could even reach for the one he had prepared.
Curious, he took it, and the title immediately caught his attention: "Luke Protection and Assistance Agreement."
The dramatic title was a little cringy, but it perfectly suited someone Taylor's age.
He read through the agreement carefully, and the more he read, the more moved he felt.
It took him some time to go through every word, slowly digesting the information.
In short, Taylor had been looking out for him.
While others praised the daring stunts in his movies, Taylor cared about the risks he faced.
She wouldn't advise him not to take risks—she understood that was his pursuit—but she would unconditionally support his career, just as he had supported hers.
Yet risks were real. She worried that something could happen to him. As a stunt actor, he couldn't get commercial insurance coverage.
If he lost the ability to earn due to injury, maintaining a decent quality of life with a medical and nursing team would be enormously expensive.
Especially now, in a world of unanchored currency with a real inflation rate of 7%, purchasing power halves roughly every ten years.
Even if Luke had $100 million, fifty years later it would be worth only about $3.3 million today.
While still a lot of money, it wouldn't realistically support decades of a dedicated care team.
That's why Taylor wanted to be his safety net. Though the idea seemed naive, she was determined.
She presented this dramatic agreement, pledging 20% of her future income to a private fund for Luke.
Unlike her three-year contract with the record company, which was tied to her music, this agreement bound her personally and applied to her lifetime earnings.
In other words, it was her promise to Luke: As long as I have food on my plate, you will never go hungry.
"Finished reading? Sign it already. I set the date to December 14, 2002—by then I'll have debuted, earned enough, and be legally capable of signing contracts," she said.
Clearly, she had consulted a lawyer. Private agreements in the U.S. have broader autonomy than in another country. Many clauses considered invalid there could be legally binding here.
The only limitation was her age, so the signing date was set for after her next birthday.
Strictly speaking, this was similar to backdating a contract—flawed, since she wasn't yet fully legally competent.
But once that date passed, it would be nearly impossible to challenge the agreement.
Taylor's sincerity was undeniable.
Luke sighed. "Thanks for the gesture, but you shouldn't be carrying my life risks."
"You stepped into my life and carried my musical dreams—why shouldn't I do the same?" Taylor said firmly.
"Maybe you think the girl you were with before, or someone else, would bear your risks. But I don't care about them. I'll do what I must."
"You've taken on my dream, and I'll take on your future. That's fair!"
Luke shook his head. "That's not fair."
"How isn't it—"
"Listen. You're giving too much—it's not balanced. I'll contribute an equal amount to the fund, to protect both your musical dreams and my future health."
He had already intended to bind himself and Taylor together. Since she had proposed a more intimate arrangement, he couldn't refuse and agreed.
The moment he did, golden system notifications flashed before his eyes:
[Host has established a close bond with a type-O female. Strength and physique attributes have broken through the potential limit!]
Two attributes exceeded their limits simultaneously.`
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