Want to sing it?
Li Mengjiao didn’t care either way.
She wasn’t particularly fond of the song.
Yuan Fenghui had already secured the most suitable song for her.
Li Mengjiao’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I’ll follow your lead!”
She didn’t say whether she wanted to sing it, only that she’d listen to Yuan Fenghui.
If Yuan Fenghui insisted, Li Mengjiao would reluctantly agree.
Yuan Fenghui was pleased with her response.
Though not yet Li Mengjiao’s manager, their interests were aligned for the album production. Yuan Fenghui worked hard to secure opportunities for her, and regardless of Li Mengjiao’s personal thoughts, she needed to show unity with Yuan Fenghui in front of others.
Yuan Fenghui wanted to laugh.
Who said this girl was naive? She’s pretty sharp.
Professor Fang’s face was nearly black with rage. Xu Mei hadn’t even finished singing, and Yuan Fenghui and Li Mengjiao were openly discussing whether to take the song?
In the recording studio, Xu Mei sang her final note. Before Professor Fang could speak, Yuan Fenghui jumped in. “Teacher Huang, who do you think should sing this song?”
Huang Yongjuan, a straightforward man, pointed at Li Mengjiao.
“Let her sing!”
Yuan Fenghui beamed. “General Manager, this is Teacher Huang’s choice.”
General Manager Guan gave a dry laugh.
If Professor Fang didn’t have backing, he’d have asked her to leave long ago.
But she did, so he had to save her some face.
He signaled Yuan Fenghui with his eyes to ease up. Yuan Fenghui sighed. “We’re all top three. Xu Mei’s the champion, and it’s unacceptable for her to have no lead single. Mengjiao’s generous, and I’m not petty. This song—Mengjiao doesn’t want it. Let Xu Mei have it!”
Let Xu Mei have it!
Xu Mei, just stepping out of the booth, heard those words.
She knew her performance wasn’t great. It was her first time with the sheet music, and Li Mengjiao got to sing three times, while Huang Yongjuan only gave her one.
If she’d had three tries, would it have come to this?
Xu Mei wanted to say, “I don’t need Li Mengjiao’s charity,” but her throat felt blocked, her face pale, unable to recover for a long while.
Yuan Fenghui’s words were like stomping Professor Fang’s dignity into the ground.
And Professor Fang couldn’t even retort.
Retort what?
Xu Mei’s poor performance was evident to everyone’s ears.
It was Xu Mei’s fault for not stepping up.
Professor Fang, furious, stormed out.
General Manager Guan chased after her. “Sister Fang, Yuan’s attitude was off. I’ll talk to her. Let’s settle the song assignments like this.”
Professor Fang mumbled her agreement.
General Manager Guan called back to Xu Mei. “What are you standing there for? Get over here!”
Normally so sharp, why was she so slow now?
Xu Mei walked as if floating, like a lost soul.
Today’s events had crushed her pride.
Yet she couldn’t reject Yuan Fenghui’s “charity.” As Yuan Fenghui said, she was the champion. How could her debut album lack a lead single?
Xu Mei needed this song.
So, even if it was humiliating, she couldn’t push it away.
Li Mengjiao, Yuan Fenghui, Zhang Yangning, Huang Yongjuan—they’d all pay for today’s actions eventually.
It was her unyielding resentment that kept Xu Mei from collapsing.
Once out of sight, Xu Mei didn’t go to Professor Fang. Instead, she sought out General Manager Guan.
Things had reached this point; crying or fussing wouldn’t change anything. General Manager Guan wouldn’t alter his decision—that would undermine his authority.
But he should at least feel some guilt toward her.
Xu Mei aimed to seize that guilt and extract concrete promises from him.
General Manager Guan did feel a bit uneasy.
Xu Mei had always been sensible, so he needed to appease her.
“Work well with Professor Fang this time. The company will definitely prioritize your album’s promotion.”
Xu Mei was skeptical of his words.
General Manager Guan lit a cigarette. “Xiao Xu, the company values you the most. After the Spring Festival, Mango TV is filming a youth idol drama with a top-notch production team, guaranteed high ratings. I’m putting it on the table now: the company will not only secure you a key role but also have you sing the theme song!”
Xu Mei kept her head down, silent. General Manager Guan analyzed further, saying that after the album, she could shoot the drama, seamlessly transitioning between projects. If handled well, her exposure next year would be set.
Xu Mei, no match for a seasoned businessman, was swayed by his promises. She entered his office with red eyes, tears brimming, but left with her emotions in check.
Fu Jing approached, quietly asking about what happened.
“How did Yuan Fenghui suddenly pick Li Mengjiao?”
“You’re asking me? Who do I ask!” Xu Mei’s tone was sharp. “For the album, I have to work with Professor Fang. That’s set. But General Manager Guan said he’d compensate me elsewhere. He mentioned a Mango TV youth idol drama after the Spring Festival. He wants me to sing the theme song and act in a role!”
A flicker of jealousy passed through Fu Jing’s eyes.
Singing an idol drama’s theme song and acting?
Xu Mei always felt her luck was worse than Li Mengjiao’s, but that was her own dissatisfaction. Fu Jing, by Xu Mei’s side, was getting a glimpse of the entertainment industry’s harshness. Breaking through was tough, and Xu Mei’s starting conditions would make other newcomers green with envy.
Fu Jing’s mindset was conflicted. She wanted Xu Mei to succeed so she could benefit, but she didn’t want Xu Mei to do too well.
“The album thing really handed Li Mengjiao a win. Xu Mei, what’s your plan? With Qin Yi… ugh, I shouldn’t bring it up. Don’t blame me for meddling, but if Qin Yi doesn’t value you, are you really going to hang onto him? Knowing you’re in Hunan, Young Master Cao called me several times.”
Fu Jing said cautiously, “You didn’t want to pull strings, so others swooped in. I don’t believe Yuan Fenghui just took a liking to Li Mengjiao. Maybe Li Mengjiao sent something under the table.”
Xu Mei had earned some performance fees from commercial gigs, but her rates weren’t high, and the company took a big cut. Without Qin Yi’s help with outfits, her expenses in that area were significant, leaving her with little disposable income.
Gifting Pan Li was within her means.
Gifting a producer was beyond her.
The glittering path to stardom seemed within reach, but her tight finances were a reality she couldn’t ignore.
Xu Mei hadn’t fully let go of Qin Yi, but as Fu Jing said, when she needed him, he wasn’t there.
Qin Yi didn’t cherish her, but others did.
“If Young Master Cao calls again, humor him a bit. I’ll take the commercial gig he mentioned before.”
She’d attended dinners, drunk plenty, and even broke up with Qin Yi over it. Why shouldn’t she take the gig Young Master Cao promised?
Xu Mei, stung by the setback, quietly lowered some of her boundaries.
Li Mengjiao was completely unaware.
Even if she knew, she wouldn’t feel burdened.
She hadn’t meant to bully Xu Mei. Xu Mei’s poor performance wasn’t her responsibility.
After selecting the album’s songs, Li Mengjiao, accompanied by Yuan Fenghui, reviewed them all. Knowing Li Mengjiao had school and limited time to record in Hunan, Yuan Fenghui made arrangements.
“Vocal and dance teachers will go to Chengdu to work with you.”
“The MV for the lead single will be shot in Chengdu.”
“The company will rent a recording studio in Chengdu. If the results aren’t good, you can come to Hunan.”
“For post-release promotion, you’ll only need to visit a few cities. Chengdu is your home base and mustn’t be neglected.”
“In short, focus on your studies. I’ll schedule work for weekends whenever possible and notify you in advance for anything requiring your cooperation.”
Artists working with Yuan Fenghui were fortunate. She was meticulous.
Some called her style “overbearing,” feeling controlled and lacking freedom.
Li Mengjiao adapted well.
She wished Yuan Fenghui would handle all the trivialities outside singing.
One loved to manage, the other was carefree as long as her底线 wasn’t crossed. Their personalities were a natural fit for collaboration.
Li’s mother thanked Yuan Fenghui repeatedly, and Wang Shuang was polite to her as well.
Yuan Fenghui saw the three off at the airport, then returned to the company and told General Manager Guan she wanted Li Mengjiao to act in the idol drama.
“Li Mengjiao will definitely be a hit.”
Yuan Fenghui vouched for her.
General Manager Guan didn’t doubt Yuan Fenghui’s judgment. If Li Mengjiao had signed with the company, he’d be willing to invest these resources. The issue was she hadn’t. Even if Li Mengjiao was a goldmine, she was still unattached. If the company made her a star only for a competitor to sign her, General Manager Guan would be furious.
“I just told Xu Mei the idol drama resources are for her—”
General Manager Guan tried to reason with Yuan Fenghui, but she wouldn’t hear it. “For album production, the mainland has plenty of talent. But for idol dramas, we need to learn from Taiwan. I’ll be blunt, General Manager: Xu Mei can’t play the female lead. She’s too stiff and reserved. The lead needs someone like Li Mengjiao, who connects with audiences!”
Idol drama leads didn’t need to be stunningly beautiful but had to have audience appeal.
The audience for idol dramas was mostly female, from middle-aged mothers to teenage girls. They wouldn’t warm to Xu Mei’s type.
General Manager Guan stood firm, saying the female lead was impossible unless Li Mengjiao signed with the company.
Yuan Fenghui compromised. “Then the second female lead, at least.”
General Manager Guan hesitated. “I wanted to reserve the second lead for Xu Mei.”
Yuan Fenghui smiled. “Xu Mei’s already signed with the company. What’s the rush? We need to dangle some bait to catch Li Mengjiao.”
That wasn’t exactly fair.
Bullying the same lamb repeatedly?
Yuan Fenghui wasn’t in a hurry. “Wait until the albums drop and see the sales. By then, the second lead might not suit Li Mengjiao anymore. You can keep that role for Xu Mei.”
What situation would make the second lead unsuitable for Li Mengjiao? If she signed with the company, Yuan Fenghui would push her for the lead.
General Manager Guan laughed. “I’ll be watching closely.”
As Li Mengjiao’s group landed, Wang Shuang turned on his phone and got a call from Wen Ying. Whatever was said, Wang Shuang nodded with “mm-hm” responses, then hung up and told Li Mengjiao and her mother he needed to head to the night market street.
“Wen Ying’s guy, Yang Xi, caught the people causing trouble for Shrimp King. I’m going to check it out!”
