Xu Mei was shocked, heartbroken, and angry all at once.
Yuan Fenghui didn’t owe Xu Mei any explanations. Xu Mei had tried to curry favor with Yuan Fenghui before, and as the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face. Yuan Fenghui had been polite to Xu Mei in the past.
But Yuan Fenghui had never promised Xu Mei anything.
If Xu Mei had been like Li Mengjiao and boldly knocked on Yuan Fenghui’s office door, Yuan Fenghui might have chosen her.
The opportunity was there. Li Mengjiao fearlessly bet on Yuan Fenghui, and Yuan Fenghui gave her the chance.
As for Xu Mei, she no longer had any connection with Yuan Fenghui. No matter how gentle or refined she was, in Yuan Fenghui’s eyes, she was just Li Mengjiao’s competitor.
A company’s resources are limited. When someone takes the lead, others lose out.
When Yuan Fenghui fought for songs for Li Mengjiao, she wouldn’t hold back.
Xu Mei was still young and couldn’t immediately accept this turn of events. Her expression hadn’t yet recovered when Professor Fang entered.
Xu Mei suddenly realized she’d lost Yuan Fenghui and failed to secure Huang Yongjuan. Now, she was stuck with Professor Fang.
What kind of hit album could Professor Fang produce?
Professor Fang was rigid and dull, not at all appealing to young people. She’d never produced a music album before. Could she capture the audience’s tastes?
Everyone believed that of the three albums from the top three, the one produced by Professor Fang would undoubtedly be the weakest.
That’s why Xu Mei had wanted to push Li Mengjiao onto Professor Fang. Even the strongest popularity would likely fizzle out under Professor Fang’s handling.
But Li Mengjiao didn’t play by the rules and somehow won Yuan Fenghui’s favor.
How much must Yuan Fenghui like Li Mengjiao to “kick her out” of the office, making others think she’d failed, thus deceiving Xu Mei and Zhang Yangning? No, it was only Xu Mei who fell for it. Zhang Yangning, that scheming girl, was already cozying up to Huang Yongjuan like a fangirl, whispering to her. She’d already won Huang Yongjuan over.
Xu Mei’s mindset collapsed. Seeing Professor Fang enter, she knew rationally she should show enthusiasm and build a good relationship to make the best of a bad situation.
But Xu Mei loved singing, not acting. She couldn’t control her facial expressions. Though she wanted to be warm toward Professor Fang, her smile looked worse than crying.
Professor Fang had initially liked Xu Mei and even considered choosing her proactively.
Due to a twist of fate, that initiative turned passive, and Professor Fang no longer valued Xu Mei as before.
Seeing Xu Mei’s expression, Professor Fang felt even more displeased.
Looking at the office, with Li Mengjiao and Zhang Yangning by Yuan Fenghui and Huang Yongjuan’s sides, Xu Mei surely understood the situation.
What, was she dissatisfied with having her album produced by Professor Fang?
Professor Fang, used to being flattered, also showed a displeased expression.
She didn’t sit next to Xu Mei but chose a seat alone.
Xu Mei inwardly groaned.
She wanted to approach Professor Fang to show closeness, but a faint hope lingered: until General Manager Guan announced the results, there might still be a chance.
Speaking of signing, Xu Mei was the most committed of the top three.
In terms of image branding, she was equally cooperative. The company wanted her to be a highly educated, refined singer with an independent, strong persona, not dating too early. So, she hadn’t clung desperately to Qin Yi to salvage their relationship.
Thinking of Qin Yi, Xu Mei’s heart tightened, a slight pang of pain.
And the commercial performances the company arranged—she hadn’t missed a single one. Because of frequent leaves, her department now had complaints about her.
General Manager Guan had publicly praised Xu Mei several times, saying she was the most worry-free newcomer, very sensible, and that the company would not let her down.
With these thoughts, Xu Mei gradually calmed down.
General Manager Guan wouldn’t assign her to Professor Fang.
Though Xu Mei had her sights on Yuan Fenghui, if the company now assigned Huang Yongjuan to handle her album, she wouldn’t complain.
As Xu Mei comforted herself, General Manager Guan strode in briskly, scanned the room, and pointed at Xu Mei. “Why are you sitting there? Change seats, sit next to Teacher Fang. It’ll be easier when I discuss things next.”
“General Manager…” Xu Mei’s face paled, like a flower battered by wind and rain, a sight that would stir pity in any man.
But General Manager Guan was a businessman first, and his merchant instincts overrode his male instincts. Seeing Xu Mei’s lack of tact, he spoke plainly. “This time, the company is producing albums for you three top contenders. Xu Mei, your album will be handled by Teacher Fang. Li Mengjiao goes to Producer Yuan, and Zhang Yangning will trouble Teacher Huang. Next, I’ll talk about song assignments!”
General Manager Guan’s words were final.
None of the three producers objected, leaving no room for the newcomers to speak.
Xu Mei’s last shred of hope was extinguished, her mind full of questions: How could General Manager Guan treat her like this?
During the song assignment that followed, Xu Mei was like a wandering soul, completely out of it.
Yuan Fenghui was a fierce negotiator. She’d yield slightly to Huang Yongjuan out of respect for his talent.
But against Professor Fang, Yuan Fenghui gave no ground.
Of course, Yuan Fenghui didn’t argue outright with Professor Fang. She used a coy, Taiwanese accent to contend, which disgusted Professor Fang.
Yuan Fenghui was notorious, and to achieve her goals, she’d even switch accents at will. Professor Fang had never seen a woman as shameless as her.
Others deferred to and flattered Professor Fang because of her powerful husband.
Yuan Fenghui didn’t, and Professor Fang could do nothing about it.
Yuan Fenghui secured a high-quality classic song for Li Mengjiao and was aiming for a second. Professor Fang grew anxious.
General Manager Guan tried to mediate. “Producer Yuan, just give a little.”
Yuan Fenghui smiled. “General Manager, we’re discussing which song goes to whom, aren’t we? I think this song suits Mengjiao, but if Teacher Fang insists Xu Mei should sing it, why don’t we have a competition?”
A competition it was.
Li Mengjiao and Xu Mei were called to the recording studio.
Huang Yongjuan had already chosen songs for Zhang Yangning and wasn’t interested in Yuan Fenghui and Professor Fang’s dispute. But Yuan Fenghui invited Huang Yongjuan to judge, saying he had the highest professional expertise present.
“Fine, I’ll judge,” Huang Yongjuan agreed.
Yuan Fenghui’s flattery had been constant since the meeting began. Huang Yongjuan had a temper but wasn’t stupid. He gave face to those who respected him.
As for Professor Fang, only those with proven talent deserved to be proud. Until she achieved recognized success, she should learn from Yuan Fenghui’s smooth, all-angles approach.
Yuan Fenghui was confident in Li Mengjiao, and Li Mengjiao didn’t let her down.
Before the talent show, Li Mengjiao loved singing and dancing but wasn’t at a professional level.
To prepare for the competition, the Li family privately hired vocal coaches for her. During the show, Li Mengjiao improved significantly. Though her technical skill didn’t match Zhang Yangning’s, her breath control and pitch were solid.
Most importantly, Li Mengjiao was relaxed and brimming with confidence. She sang with her own interpretation, not aiming to please anyone.
Huang Yongjuan listened, his brows alternating between furrowing and relaxing. When Li Mengjiao finished, he called her over, pointing at the sheet music. “What were you thinking here? This part was handled poorly.”
Li Mengjiao had heard of Huang Yongjuan’s reputation. Though he wasn’t her first choice, she respected him.
When he criticized her, she didn’t argue bluntly but said she wanted to sing it again.
Huang Yongjuan saw through her intentions.
“Fine, sing it again.”
If she sang poorly, he’d critique both attempts together.
Yuan Fenghui watched with a smile, letting Li Mengjiao “mess around” in front of Huang Yongjuan. This was Li Mengjiao’s nature, and stifling it would strip away what made fans love her.
Li Mengjiao sang again in the booth.
This time, she reinterpreted the section Huang Yongjuan had pointed out, not holding back as he suggested but opening up even more.
The first listen was jarring, but on the second, Huang Yongjuan didn’t scold her.
This was Li Mengjiao’s interpretation, with her distinct personal style.
A song’s emotional delivery varies between composer and lyricist. Why shouldn’t the singer have their own take?
There’s no absolute in music; music is inclusive.
Huang Yongjuan’s mood settled.
“Sing it one more time,” he said, asking for a third performance.
A new song grows familiar with each rendition, revealing new nuances.
After the third performance, Huang Yongjuan found Li Mengjiao more agreeable.
Yuan Fenghui approached. “Mengjiao, thank Teacher Huang for his guidance. His time is precious, and he listened to you sing a song three times. He likes you!”
Liking her wouldn’t change anything.
Yuan Fenghui’s words were a claim of ownership.
Li Mengjiao gave Huang Yongjuan a sincere bow. Flattered so highly, Huang Yongjuan couldn’t bring himself to compete with Yuan Fenghui for her.
No matter. He’d heard Li Mengjiao only signed for one album with General Manager Guan’s company. If her debut album was a hit, she’d likely make a second, and there’d be future chances to collaborate.
Zhang Yangning felt relieved.
Her quick action paid off. Judging by Huang Yongjuan’s demeanor, he also appreciated Li Mengjiao.
Xu Mei was already shaken. Li Mengjiao’s three performances crushed her confidence.
Professor Fang was counting on Xu Mei to save face, but when Xu Mei entered the booth, her mind was blank. Her voice trembled as she began, and after a few lines, Huang Yongjuan wanted to remove his headset.
Xu Mei was copying Li Mengjiao’s singing style.
A singer without their own interpretation of a song was terrifying. This wasn’t an imitation contest.
Professor Fang’s face darkened like a storm cloud. Yuan Fenghui, imagining Professor Fang and Xu Mei collaborating on the debut album, wondered if she’d been too ruthless.
But she had no intention of correcting her mistake.
A woman must be ruthless to secure her position. Resources were limited, and she had to prioritize Li Mengjiao.
Before Xu Mei even finished, Yuan Fenghui turned to Li Mengjiao. “Do you want to sing this song?”
If Li Mengjiao nodded, the song was hers.
