Chapter 85

“I don’t know why, seeing Weining caught up in two rumors in a day, it inexplicably reminds me of the scandal you and your brother caused before, the one that was both laughable and ridiculous,” Jian Yueyin put down her phone and said to Xu Heran.

Xu Heran, who was eating an apple, immediately made a “I’m going to vomit” expression.

“But when it comes to Haya and Ning Ning…” Xu Heran suddenly sounded proud, “So, can I consider myself her senior?”

Jian Yueyin chuckled, “A senior in how to escape from the enraged Cui Sister’s clutches?”

Xu Heran raised an eyebrow, propped her feet on the ground, and spun the chair around.

“But Ning Ning is still in the group. I don’t think Haya will find it easy to win Ning Ning over.” Xu Heran shook her head, “Pity.”

The satisfaction in someone’s voice couldn’t be hidden.

“I might just betray Haya.” Jian Yueyin threatened in a playful tone.

Xu Heran immediately laughed at Jian Yueyin, “Then I’ll also tell everyone that someone has been coming to look for you every three days. It seems like there’s something going on, huh?”

Talking about this matter, the smile on Jian Yueyin’s face faded a bit. Xu Heran leaned closer, and their shoulders touched. “Tell me, what’s going on?”

Jian Yueyin crossed her arms, “When a very confident and accomplished person wants to give you advice, it’s really hard to block them.”

“I see he keeps trying to form a team with you.” Xu Heran said.

The show had a total of eight episodes spread over two months. They were currently recording the content for the fifth episode. Xu Heran and Jian Yueyin, two young singers, were forming a team to challenge others.

Jian Yueyin pursed her lips, her smile becoming even more distant.

Xu Heran understood her attitude, patting her shoulder. “So, if he wants to form a team with you in the future, I’ll…”

“What will you do?”

“Forget it.” Jian Yueyin said, “I’m afraid that in the middle of recording the show, you’ll get fed up with him and stop recording.”

“Am I that kind of person?” Xu Heran asked with a smile.

They exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

After a while, a staff member knocked on the door and came in, bringing them microphones, inviting them into the music studio.

“Since we’re forming a team, and we need to create new lyrics… how about something different?” Xu Heran held her face and remembered something, “Didn’t we draw a privilege that allows us to invite someone for a cameo?”

Jian Yueyin smiled and asked, “Do you want to invite…”

Xu Heran pursed her lips and flicked away Jian Yueyin’s fingers, “No, I want to invite a top player!”

“Oh?”

Jian Yueyin looked at her dialing someone’s phone, and when the ringtone sounded, a hint of amusement flashed in her eyes as she touched her chin.

“Interesting.”

“Speak,” an impatient voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Oh, your Majesty, your Majesty Laurel~ May I ask if your Majesty has finished court for the day?” Xu Heran asked playfully.

“Court is never-ending, just like math problems, forever unsolvable,” Laurel’s tone was lifeless, devoid of energy, “Save me.”

“Alright, since that’s the case, come to the capital for a couple of days and help us out.” Xu Heran said, “The team captain and I want to write a rap song, and we need your guidance.”

Laurel: “…”

“You and Yueyin, rapping?”

“Don’t want to win?” Laurel’s tone was very earnest, “I suggest you be a bit more humble, those are all experts!”

“Hehe, I know, but winning or losing doesn’t matter. The key is to have fun!” Xu Heran said, “Come on, should I book your flight ticket?”

“Sure.” Laurel rubbed her forehead.

“Okay, bring your homework with you. Sister Tea is getting married this month, so if you come, you probably won’t be able to leave.” Xu Heran said, “But don’t worry, Sister Song Yu’s house is big enough, you can stay there.”

At that moment, a clear voice came from Laurel’s phone, “I’m going too!”

“You won’t fit!” Xu Heran shouted loudly.

“I don’t care, I’m going!” Jiang Qiong came over even louder, “Give me your bed, and you can sleep in the doghouse!”

“Only dogs sleep in doghouses!”

Xu Heran countered, “Anyway, let’s start writing the lyrics while you hurry up and come!”

She hung up the phone with a snap, picked up a notebook, and wrote down a few words, “The theme of our lyrics is this.”

Jian Yueyin saw it and smiled faintly.

Three days later, on the stage, Jian Yueyin bumped into Ye Qian, who happened to be leaving the corridor.

“Teacher Ye.”

Ye Qian nodded towards Jian Yueyin, “Have you considered my suggestion?”

“Even though Universal has strong economic power, in terms of music, I can offer you more mature advice. Look at Universal now, apart from girl groups, it’s either actors. The music department is still under construction, how much precious time will that waste? And I can lead you further on the path of music!” Ye Qian’s tone was low and confident, “Don’t bury your talent.”

Jian Yueyin said with confusion, “Why would you think that way? If my talent would be buried, then should I not be able to stand on the same stage as you now?” She smiled, “Or do you think this stage is only suitable for me, not for you?”

Jian Yueyin showed a subtle expression.

Ye Qian was taken aback by her response, muttering in his heart about her sharp tongue, then he sighed.

“Don’t be like this, I’m genuinely suggesting this to you.”

“Okay.” Jian Yueyin said, “And I’m genuinely declining your offer.”

“I appreciate your music, as well as your personality and individual style.” Ye Qian suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, he cleared his throat, “If you come to my company, perhaps your development in areas other than music would also be good.”

Jian Yueyin’s tone became even more modest, “I prefer my current development.”

“Yes, mainly because your developments wouldn’t align.” A distant voice suddenly interjected.

Xu Heran, who had come looking for someone, slung an arm around Jian Yueyin, smiling at Ye Qian, “Good evening, Teacher Ye. The performance is about to start, and you’re still busy poaching people here?”

Ye Qian hadn’t expected her to get straight to the point, straightforwardly piercing through his intention. After a moment’s thought, he felt that he had nothing to be embarrassed about. After all, he was clearly doing the right thing; he was doing it for Jian Yueyin’s benefit!

“Teacher Ye,” Xu Heran suddenly whispered, “The last person who came to our company to poach, Shadow Emperor Mu, disappeared from the film industry for two years after a couple of movies. There was also the former manager and agent from Angel Entertainment, who not only got fired by the company but also got investigated. You really should be careful about your safety.”

Ye Qian was irritated by her veiled threats, standing up straight and saying, “Her music style aligns very well with the genre that our company has been maintaining. The music company that I personally established is undoubtedly capable of taking her music to a higher level.”

“I see.” Xu Heran nodded, “So, Teacher Ye, is your company for sale? How much would it cost? I might just buy it!”

Ye Qian took a deep breath, “Don’t joke around, I’m serious!”

“A company is driven by the people in it. What I mean is, I can bring her greater assistance.”

Jian Yueyin furrowed her brows.

“When it comes down to it, Teacher Ye, you seem to be recommending yourself all along.” Xu Heran patted Jian Yueyin’s shoulder and said to Ye Qian, “Tell the truth, are you interested in our Yueyin?”

Ye Qian’s face turned red, and his tone became a bit awkward, “I’m not, I’m not!”

Upon hearing this, Xu Heran immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, that’s really great!”

“Thank you for not being interested in our little Yueyin!” Xu Heran’s tone was earnest, “Do you know that our group has an alias—’Entertainment Circle True Beauties’?”

“What’s that?” Ye Qian suddenly thought of the news and comments he had been reading recently. He realized it and widened his eyes, “Are you saying, that girl, and that girl…”

“Girls,” Jian Yueyin suddenly laughed and followed suit by raising her arm to rest on Xu Heran’s shoulder. “That’s the idea. Teacher Ye, don’t be fooled by the close relationship between me and Ranran. In fact, the two of us have some unspeakable history…”

She sighed suddenly.

Xu Heran stiffened, and with a “swish,” she looked at Jian Yueyin.

This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go!

Without looking at her, Jian Yueyin directed her words towards Ye Qian, who was even more rigid, “I reject you. There’s no special reason; it’s just that the person I like should be a bit shorter than you, with a softer voice, longer hair, fewer words, a slimmer waist, and ideally… should also enjoy dancing.”

Xu Heran let out a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, she liked singing more.

“Preferably classical dance,” Jian Yueyin added with a mischievous smile.

Ye Qian: “…”

Xu Heran: “…”

“Cough, that’s right. I also like girls like that. So, we were rivals in love before,” Xu Heran immediately spoke up, “If you’re truly interested in our captain, you won’t have a chance in this lifetime. Maybe in the next one.”

The two girls exchanged a glance, showing relaxed smiles, and then turned to leave.

As they walked away, Ye Qian, who had turned into a stone, watched their cheerful figures, took a breath, and muttered, “I don’t believe it. You’re definitely tricking me!”

Xu Heran turned back and shrugged, “Believe whatever you want, but the message has been delivered. By the way, looking forward to your performance tonight.”

Ye Qian ground his teeth, not buying into their nonsense.

After Xu Heran and Jian Yueyin had turned the corner, Little Pearl let her shoulder droop. “Not easy to fool.”

“Who would believe your nonsense?” Jian Yueyin said with a laugh.

“You have to mix truth with lies to deceive people, but—” Xu Heran’s gaze “swished” onto Jian Yueyin, “Captain, you’re not actually, right?”

Jian Yueyin couldn’t resist, gripping the back of Xu Heran’s neck. “Enough of your nonsense. If you’re going to entertain wild thoughts, I’ll kill Little Pearl today!”

“I’m sorry!” Xu Heran shrugged her shoulders. “I never said you wanted to be my romantic rival. Of course, I’m not saying I’d be afraid of you. It’s just that I suddenly remembered, Captain, your description was quite vague. Dancing classical dance… hehe, you don’t like our Nuo Nuo, so could it be that you have thoughts about Xiao Fenghua—”

Xu Heran’s voice abruptly stopped as she turned the corner of the corridor and met two pairs of icy eyes.

Thunk…

Xu Heran’s mouth slowly closed.

Jian Yueyin took a step back.

“What thoughts?” Song Fenghua frowned.

“Who doesn’t like me?” Xin Nuo asked leisurely.

“Gulp.”

Xu Heran swallowed hard, her expression quickly replaced with an enthusiastic and bright smile. When she saw Xin Nuo, all her thoughts flew away in an instant. She rushed forward and hugged Xin Nuo’s waist tightly.

“You finally decided to come see me! I missed you so much!” Xu Heran lowered her head, nuzzling around Xin Nuo’s face, and with no one else around, she puckered her lips. “Mwah,” she pecked Xin Nuo’s corner of the mouth.

Song Fenghua and Jian Yueyin immediately averted their gaze.

Then, around the corner, Ye Qian stared in shock.

Ye Qian: “…”

The True Harem… Harem Troupe!

“Cough.” Jian Yueyin glanced at Song Fenghua, who immediately stepped back in fear. Jian Yueyin raised her hand and couldn’t help pressing her forehead.

“What am I thinking?”

Jian Yueyin contemplated deeply: Spending too much time with Xu Heran might be contagious!

Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua had come together to attend Ji Songyu and Zhao Rourou’s wedding, while also observing Xu Heran and Jian Yueyin’s fifth performance.

Xu Heran felt that the order of importance could be rearranged.

In the presence of everyone’s eyes, Xu Heran held Xin Nuo’s hand and, while they didn’t have their microphones, leaned in close to Xin Nuo’s ear.

“Don’t you miss me, girlfriend?”

As her voice trailed off, a pink hue spread from the tips of Xin Nuo’s ears, cascading up and down her skin. Through the screen, the sensation was entirely different from seeing someone in person—filled with warmth, carrying an intimacy that felt just within reach.

Xin Nuo lowered her eyelashes, curling her fingers around Xu Heran’s hand.

Xu Heran smiled and pinched Xin Nuo’s cheek. “I’m going.”

“Mhmm.”

“Wait for me, okay?” Xu Heran suddenly turned her head, arching an eyebrow at Xin Nuo.

At this moment, Xin Nuo was still unaware of the meaning behind Xu Heran’s words. She and Song Fenghua sat in a corner, not wanting others to know of their presence. They watched the stage where two of their fellow team members, the female sopranos, were casually dressed, their expressions seemingly careless, with a hint of arrogance in the corners of their eyes. They held microphones, singing in one direction.

“Finding fault in others’ bowls, dancing in their minefields, everything can make you seem faultless.”

“Hey, I’m wearing a helmet and ready with the antidote, all for the sake of dealing with your ridiculousness.”

“Lurking during the day, emerging at night, instructing me to check meticulously. You specifically told me not to have sweets with afternoon tea, emphasizing that a healthy body can present itself more often. Early to bed, early to rise, less oil, less salt.”

Xu Heran shook her head. “Advising the ascetic monk to have more meals, mocking him, you see through.”

When their guest performer, Laurel, appeared, the quality of the rap immediately soared.

“Everywhere is your viewpoint, your opinions, your guidance, your kingdom, your everything, all magnificently displayed under a magnifying glass, without blemish, won’t be insulated.

You are the perfect display sent by angels.

It can’t be said that rejecting you means not listening to others’ opinions,

But you in my eyes are so annoying,

Hey hey, listen to me—”

Laurel bent forward, raising a hand to her ear.

Xu Heran and Jian Yueyin both shouted loudly.

“Mind your own business!”

“Listen to me!”

“Mind your own business!”

In the audience, Ye Qian’s expression couldn’t be described as good-looking.

The collaboration of the three came to a successful close on stage. Although their performance was unconventional amidst a group of sentimental songs and marked the only rap from the beginning until now, their results were not outstanding compared to their past performances. Nevertheless, their scores from the previous four shows were quite high. The occasional capricious performance didn’t affect their overall ranking.

With the recording finished, Xu Heran and Jian Yueyin high-fived each other. “Happy!”

Laurel chewed her gum, expressing dissatisfaction. “Why do I feel like I’ve been dragging you down since I joined? It makes me seem useless.”

Xu Heran hurriedly reassured her, “It’s not you dragging us down, it’s us being useless and dragging you. Look at the aura you bring, it’s completely different!”

“Tsk.” Laurel crossed her arms.

Come and rap with her, teammates!

Eight members of SGS, except for Haya, Lin Weining, who was still recording the program, successfully gathered in the capital. To express their welcome, Ji Songyu offered to personally cook and host everyone.

Xu Heran calmly ate at the dining table, expressing approval of Sister Tea’s culinary skills. She couldn’t taste the hotel’s flavor at all, and it really tasted as good as her own cooking. She nearly faced Ji Songyu’s iron fist.

After the meal, she went upstairs during the room allocation process, shouldered her bag, and claimed that Xu Junran had something to discuss with her and wanted to go out for a bit. She also pulled Xin Nuo along.

Xu Heran sticking to Xin Nuo was a familiar sight for everyone; no one found it strange. Only Zhao Rurou had a knowing smile when she looked at Xu Heran.

“It’s quite late, and your younger brother is looking for you?” After being pulled into the car, Xin Nuo asked slowly.

Xu Heran turned her head, showing Xin Nuo a bright smile, and changed the subject. “I have a gift for you.”

Xin Nuo raised an eyebrow and took the bag from Xu Heran’s hand.

A shoulder bag, filled to the brim, yet not heavy.

Xin Nuo unzipped it and quietly glanced inside.

As the car drove along the quiet road, the light from the streetlamps pierced through the window and fell onto the girl’s face.

When she read the words on the top of the packaging, her whole body froze.

“Fully prepared,” Xu Heran said with a smile, taking out a card from her pocket and placing it on top of the packaging.

“The sky is getting late. In order not to disturb everyone, let’s rest outside.”

“In three days, it’ll be Sister Tea’s wedding. We’ll both be free for these three days. How about finding something to do?”

In the dim light, the girl’s eyes were exceptionally bright.

The author has something to say:

Seeing Yun Chen’s shallow water, thank you so much~ I’ll update when I find the time~

By the way, many precious ones have started school, and the comment section suddenly feels lonely QAQ. Being young is really good, I want to be reborn! Go back to childhood! Sob sob sob!

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
Proofreader: Ruu

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