When the plane landed at Hunan Airport, Mrs. Wang closed her laptop, still eager for more, “When you have time, tell me more. I feel what you say is different from the books. The books are so hard to understand, but I can follow what you explain.”
Understanding even a part was still understanding.
Reading books, she understood nothing; those technical terms alone could make Mrs. Wang dizzy.
Wen Ying smiled, pointing outside the plane, “Theory must be combined with practice. You’ve always been a practical person.”
Learning theory alone was useless; growth came fastest through practice. This trip to Hunan, Wen Ying could help Mrs. Wang, but Mrs. Wang herself had a tough battle ahead.
For one, Li Mengjiao had never been out of Yuan Fenghui’s sight for independent activities. Mrs. Wang was taking three artists at once, needing to handle every detail.
This was Hunan, home of Hunan Satellite TV, full of opportunities but also competitors.
Mrs. Wang touched up her lipstick and called over the assistants for Li Mengjiao’s group, “When you travel with me, you get business class flights, eat what the artists eat, stay where they stay. No issues there. But remember, the better the treatment, the more effort you need to put in. If anything goes wrong with them in Hunan, I won’t have a good time, and neither will you.”
Mrs. Wang was usually easygoing, so her rare seriousness made the assistants nod vigorously.
Compared to Yuan Fenghui, the assistants preferred traveling with Mrs. Wang. If she messed up her first time leading artists independently, there’d be no next time.
The assistants swore their loyalty to Mrs. Wang, who slung her bag over her arm, “Let’s go, everyone!”
Yuan Fenghui often had Li Mengjiao’s group act separately, but Mrs. Wang clearly had a different style. They moved as a unit, with a swarm of bodyguards clearing the way. Li Mengjiao felt like she was floating, secretly grabbing Wen Ying’s arm, “I feel, well, how do I put it, I feel—”
Struggling for words, the academically challenged Li Mengjiao racked her brain. Xie Qian glanced over.
Science improved through repeated practice, but language relied on gradual accumulation. Even Xie Qian couldn’t boost a slacker’s language skills through tests alone.
Luckily, Wen Ying cut to the chase, summing it up for her, “Feels like you’re an international superstar?”
Li Mengjiao nodded eagerly, “Yes, yes, yes!”
*Teacher Yuan would never do this.*
Li Mengjiao thought to herself.
But Yuan Fenghui was Yuan Fenghui, and Mrs. Wang was Mrs. Wang. How could two different people be forced to be the same?
Watching Mrs. Wang stride confidently ahead, leading the way, Li Mengjiao straightened her back.
Yuan Fenghui gave Li Mengjiao a sense of security, and Mrs. Wang did too.
Li Mengjiao wasn’t foolish. She knew it was the protection of these people that let her thrive in the entertainment industry.
“These people” included not just Yuan Fenghui and Mrs. Wang, but also her dad, Uncle Qin, Uncle Wang, Wen Ying, Xie Qian… and, fine, maybe Wang Shuang, who was always trying to make his presence felt.
Thinking that everyone was in Hunan except Wang Shuang, left behind in Chengdu, Li Mengjiao couldn’t help but laugh.
International superstar? Fine, maybe not now, but she’d get there eventually.
Li Mengjiao embraced the superstar treatment. Yun Chen was indifferent, unfazed by any occasion after the initial panic of fame. Zhang Yangning, however, was a bit uneasy. Among the three, she was the least popular, contributing the least to Tianjiao’s profits. Yet Tianjiao treated her the same as Li Mengjiao and Yun Chen.
The group was already eye-catching, and Li Mengjiao’s laugh drew even more attention. Onlookers couldn’t resist the sight of such a famous star, getting excited. Thanks to Mrs. Wang’s ample bodyguards, Wen Ying and the others maintained some composure.
No one expected a crowd of reporters waiting outside the airport. Besides excited passersby, journalists with cameras joined the fray, and Wen Ying stumbled in the crush.
A hand grabbed her.
Wen Ying turned to see Xie Qian’s profile.
“This way.”
Instead of pushing toward Li Mengjiao’s group, Xie Qian pulled Wen Ying back, away from the storm’s centre.
The chaos was deafening, overwhelming Wen Ying’s thoughts. Xie Qian held her hand with one arm and shielded her head with the other. Unable to see the path, Wen Ying surrendered to being led by Xie Qian.
She didn’t know where they were going or if she’d fall.
Her heart raced, yet she felt an odd sense of safety.
Xie Qian wouldn’t let her fall…
Minutes passed, maybe ten, as Wen Ying lost track of time. True to form, Xie Qian got her to the parking lot first, where a van awaited.
Wen Ying was sweating.
Xie Qian was also a bit warm.
Wen Ying’s throat was dry, her eyes darting, grasping for words, “We’re really basking in the glow of international superstars.”
So why not enter the industry?
Being a celebrity wasn’t appealing. Living under the spotlight 24/7? Wen Ying couldn’t handle it, nor could Xie Qian. No privacy at all.
Wen Ying could only accept being a writer or screenwriter. She wasn’t cut out to be a star. Li Mengjiao was born for it!
Then Wen Ying noticed something off. Her gaze dropped. Xie Qian was still holding her hand, his expression calm, no sign of letting go—
Buzz!
Wen Ying’s mind went blank.
What was this?
Did good friends hold hands like this and not let go?!
Even with her sluggish romance radar, Wen Ying felt something strange stir.
She was at a complete loss for words!
Noise erupted outside as Mrs. Wang, looking dishevelled, led Li Mengjiao’s group through the crowd, “Quick, quick, drive, so many reporters!”
Mrs. Wang shoved Li Mengjiao into the van, slamming the door shut.
In the chaos, no one noticed Xie Qian holding Wen Ying’s hand. Feeling guilty, Wen Ying pulled free.
Xie Qian’s ears were slightly red, but Wen Ying, too shy to look at him, didn’t notice.
The van started, leaving the crowd and reporters behind. Mrs. Wang was shaken.
That was close.
A moment slower, and they’d have been swarmed!
“Where did these reporters get the news?”
Mrs. Wang nearly lost her high heels in the crush.
No wonder Yuan Fenghui never let Li Mengjiao’s group travel together. This was terrifying!
Mrs. Wang had considered whether to make a bold show of force.
After weighing it, she decided they needed to display their clout to show Hunan Satellite TV the popularity of Tianjiao’s three artists.
Li Mengjiao and Yun Chen weren’t newbies, though Zhang Yangning was weaker in comparison. But that was only relative to them. Tianjiao had encouraged its artists to build a presence on blogs, and after some time, Zhang Yangning had gained decent online fame.
The soundtrack for *Galaxy and You* hadn’t been released yet, but Zhang Yangning’s “singer-songwriter” persona was already resonating, paving the way for her rise.
This was no small feat!
Theoretically, fame meant being known. With so many singers, standing out required a unique trait. Zhang Yangning’s “singer-songwriter” label set her apart from most. Now, she just needed a signature song to cement her image and talent. If one song stuck with audiences, her groundwork would pay off, ensuring not just fame but lasting success!
This assessment came from Yuan Fenghui. Mrs. Wang didn’t care about the details, treating Zhang Yangning as already famous and ensuring the necessary fanfare.
But the swarm of reporters caught her off guard.
As Tianjiao’s PR manager, Mrs. Wang hadn’t tipped off the media. How did the reporters know to stake out the airport?
“Maybe they came for another celebrity?”
Wen Ying’s heart was still racing, and she echoed Mrs. Wang’s guess, which made Mrs. Wang’s face fall, “Anyone but Hu Man.”
Among all the stars, Mrs. Wang now despised Hu Man the most.
Once a fan, now a fierce critic.
Mrs. Wang hiring bodyguards was nothing compared to Hu Man’s ostentatious behaviour, demanding new talents hand over their work respectfully. On what grounds?
Mrs. Wang scorned Hu Man, encouraging Zhang Yangning, “You need to step up. The Chinese music scene needs a refresh. Some people get bloated and lost after being famous too long. Young talents need to shake them up!”
Zhang Yangning didn’t dare slack off. After joining Tianjiao, she’d taken countless training courses, costing the company a fortune. It was time to earn some back!
After all, companies like Tianjiao were rare. If she didn’t generate profits and Tianjiao collapsed, other companies might not support her creative dreams.
