Chapter 46

Originally, Zhu Yu and Lu Xiaoxiao's starry-eyed expressions were mostly because—since they were already putting on an act, it wouldn't be right not to offer some emotional value.

But when they opened the 2GB document, they realized just how valuable the statement, "We will invest in and produce all your dramas for the next year," truly was.

"So many!!!" Scrolling down frantically, a rough count revealed at least twenty scripts.

Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes welled up with envy: "What about me? What about mine?!"

Fearing that Shi Ru might say, "Just focus on your studies," Lu Xiaoxiao stared at Shi Ru without blinking.

Zhu Yu took the tablet to read the script. When the girl saw that Shi Ru didn't react, tears welled up in her eyes and clung to her eyelashes, threatening to fall.

Seeing this, Shi Ru's heart softened, and he felt too embarrassed to tease her anymore.

"Of course you have one too, I'll send it to you directly." With that, Shi Ru manipulated his phone, and soon, Lu Xiaoxiao's phone rang.

"[Compressed file.zip]"

So how do I unzip it on my phone? Seeing Lu Xiaoxiao's bewildered look, Shi Ru had to suppress his laughter: "Zhu Yu, show Lu Xiaoxiao the folder with her name on it. I'll send the rest of these scripts to your email so you can read them at your leisure."

"Okay." Zhu Yu handed the tablet to Lu Xiaoxiao.

"These are all submissions from musicians themselves. Half of them have both lyrics and music, and the other half require you to write the lyrics yourself."

Shi Ru sat down next to Lu Xiaoxiao and, while talking, opened the documents one by one to show her.

"You need to go back and listen to all of these, and then choose the ten songs that best suit you."

"Ideally, you should have five songs, one that requires lyrics and one that doesn't, but there's no strict limit. Just choose the ones that suit your voice best."

Then, Shi Ru exited the tablet from the file interface, opened the photo album, and clicked on a picture.

"As a singer, to prolong your career, you either need an irreplaceable voice or unparalleled technique, but you don't have either right now. So, the direction I plan for your efforts is—"

"Singer-songwriter".

"Me?" Lu Xiaoxiao pointed to herself. Although she could see Shi Ru's layout in her current course, the thought of originality made Lu Xiaoxiao feel like she was going to go bald.

Singing finished songs and writing lyrics are not even in the same league as creating your own original works!

"I don't have that much knowledge, I can't do it," Lu Xiaoxiao said instinctively.

"Don't worry, I've evaluated every assignment you've submitted to the teacher. Although it's still a bit difficult for you to create original content right now, don't forget, you're only a sophomore."

Shi Ru comforted her.

"That's right, you can record ten songs first, then carefully analyze the lyrics, melody, rhythm, and the overall story of the song. You can start by imitating it and practice slowly!"

Zhu Yu also moved closer to Lu Xiaoxiao, putting her arm around her shoulder to comfort her: "No one is born knowing everything."

Lu Xiaoxiao was just being dramatic; seeing that the two of them were actually comforting her, she felt embarrassed.

"Hehe, I know!"

"By the way, the variety show officially starts filming the day after tomorrow. How are your preparations going?"

...

Recording studio

Because Lu Xiaoxiao is a few years younger than Zhu Yu and Shi Ru, the two of them treat Lu Xiaoxiao like a child. Now that the child is meeting her "parents-in-law" for the first time, the two of them are so nervous that their palms are sweating.

Lu Xiaoxiao will be singing a duet with Du Xiaoke, the first senior from the earliest talent show and a pioneer of the idol singing and dancing era.

The fans are not only numerous, but also very powerful.

Therefore, Lu Xiaoxiao's battle can be described as a do-or-die situation; it's either success or death.

Zhu Yu: "If Lu Xiaoxiao made a mistake, do you think her fans would still make her a trending topic for mocking her?"

The two people were seated very close to the stage, with a large camera standing right next to them. This was considered the manager's reserved spot.

Because they are so close to the director, they can see what the director has written on the whiteboard immediately. As newcomers, they can't afford any tricks or shady dealings.

"It's okay. She's on the show as a fan. As long as she doesn't do anything too outrageous to Du Xiaoke, there won't be any problems."

In reality, even if Lu Xiaoxiao sang badly, Du Xiaoke's fans would probably only marvel at how their idol's professional skills have remained consistently strong over the years.

They only care about their idols, and only spare a glance for others.

"She didn't come here to be a fan of Du Xiaoke. This variety show has a wide audience, and public opinion is also a very important indicator."

Zhu Yu and Shi Ru barely exchanged a few words offstage before the opening dance on stage was over, and the singers were being invited to enter.

"Lu Xiaoxiao has a pretty good ability to withstand pressure. During this period, I specifically instructed the teacher to use a stricter approach to her education, just in case she gets nervous on stage."

I'm sure Lu Xiaoxiao, who has always felt pressured and thought her abilities were barely passable, will have a huge boost in confidence after listening to the performances of other "fans" who are also singing gods!

"This girl sings so well!"

"Xiao Ke is amazing! Fans who like such an amazing idol can't be any less impressive!"

"Ahhh, I'm totally shipping them! That eye contact was so incredibly romantic!"

As the song's emotional intensity increased, the exclamations and discussions from the audience grew louder.

Fortunately, the responses were all positive.

"Aa ...

The audience suddenly erupted in cheers, as the two singers got so into their performance that they jumped off the stage.

"No! Go back on stage!" Ignoring the director's silent shouts while holding up a whiteboard, the fans who were handed microphones boldly started singing.

Finally, Lu Xiaoxiao walked up to Zhu Yu, glanced at Shi Ru, and then smiled as she turned the microphone around in front of Shi Ru and handed it to Zhu Yu.

Du Xiaoke and Lu Xiaoxiao practically turned the venue into a concert, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere. Everyone stood up from their seats, waving glow sticks enthusiastically and singing along loudly.

The voices of nearly a hundred people converged into a surging river that flowed into the tears hanging on Lu Xiaoxiao's eyelashes.

She turned to look at Du Xiaoke, a senior figure in the music industry who had already performed over a hundred shows on tour. Her participation in this program was purely to give back to her fans.

Seeing Lu Xiaoxiao's pitiful look with tears in her eyes, the woman gently stroked Lu Xiaoxiao's face and wiped away her tears.

This episode went viral online after it aired.

Du Xiaoke's fans viewed the tear that Lu Xiaoxiao had wiped away by their idol as an overwhelming expression of their excitement at seeing their idol fulfill their dream.

People immediately projected themselves into the characters, especially noting the striking similarities in how the two appeared when they were on the left and right sides of the stage, handing microphones to the audience.

However, Shi Ru did not intend to ride this wave of popularity or market Lu Xiaoxiao as "Little Du Xiao Ke".

No matter how similar they are, whether they are the idealized image of a beloved character or a stand-in, it is disrespectful and desecrating to both of them.

However, Zhu Yu, who was handed the microphone, also became a minor sensation among fans, which was an unexpected bonus.

This is perfect for helping with the promotion of the drama.

---

A manor in the suburbs is where Zhou Ye and his friends go out for fun. Compared to the beauty salon, the place is larger and has more things to do.

There's a banquet here today, hosted by one of Zhou Ye's friends for his mistress.

This friend is a romantic, it's just a pity he doesn't like women.

Zhou Ye stood on a balcony on the third floor with a wine glass in his hand. From there, he could see a group of people dancing ballroom dances on the lawn outside.

Because of the banquet organizer's preference, most of the guests were handsome men, which Zhou Ye found uninteresting, so he simply stayed there to relax.

"Hello." A deep male voice came from behind. "President Zhou, I am Xi Yanghong, one of your artists."

The man, dressed in a black suit and with his hair slicked back, looked every bit the capable and domineering CEO. Yet, he bowed and scraped before Zhou Ye, and when he straightened up, the wrinkles on his bespoke suit added to his cheap appearance.

"What's up?" Zhou Ye glanced at him, not recognizing him. He must be some minor celebrity.

Her face is alright... but her figure is too big to be seen because she's wearing so many layers.

After a brief comment, Zhou Ye lost interest and turned away, intending to wait for the man to leave on his own.

"Mr. Zhou, I know you have a club, and I would like to apply to join your club!"

The man seemed oblivious to the subtle cues, and stepped forward again, getting close to Zhou Ye. He must have received some inside information.

After all, Zhou Ye's club never accepts members from the public.

Xi Yanghong unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing that he was not wearing anything underneath. He leaned forward slightly, bringing his upper body as close as possible to Zhou Ye.

"Damn it, what are they trying to do?!" Feeling a surge of heat and a pungent aroma, Zhou Ye nearly fell off the railing.

"Mr. Zhou, you can do whatever you want!" Xi Yanghong interpreted Zhou Ye's reaction as a feigned reluctance.

He actually started out acting in naval dramas, and his fans call him the number one top male lead in the industry.

He often receives various bottom images from bottoms in the background, so when he received the invitation to come here today, he naturally assumed that Zhou Ye was also a bottom who wanted to use his body.

Zhou Ye was disgusted. Before Xi Yanghong could get closer again, he swung his fist and kissed Xi Yanghong's 'blade-like' sharp jawline.

After a period of chaos, Xi Yanghong was forced to kneel on the ground by bodyguards, while Zhou Ye sat on the sofa in the main seat, stretching out his hand as a beautiful woman in a nurse's uniform bandaged him.

"You're really bold, doing anything without even checking the details."

Zhang Lan was extremely impressed by this person's courage. Young Master Zhou had real lives on his hands, yet this person dared to target someone's back door.

They're so blinded by lust that they don't care about anything else!

"Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding, Young Master Zhou, this really is a misunderstanding! The person who gave me the invitation... Young Master Zhou, I was wrong, I was wrong! Young Master Zhou, please spare my life! I sincerely wanted to join your club!"

This person finally regained his senses after being beaten up. With his face pressed against the carpet, even though opening his mouth would result in a mouthful of dust, he could only quickly cry out for justice.

"Sincere and earnest?" This word caught Zhou Ye's attention. His eyes darted around, and he seemed to think of something. "Then tell me exactly how you mean to be sincere and earnest."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the bodyguard to release Xi Yanghong.