Pranks are hilarious
Jonathan was in a very good mood for two consecutive days, and surprisingly he wasn't very angry when Jiang Songhe broke his promise and said he was too busy to return to Maner before March 5th.
He was also happy to think of Jiang Songhe's future, saying that it would be better if she could handle Jingting's matter first and then come back without any distractions. As long as they could meet before the Star Show finals, it wouldn't matter if they were a day late.
When Kun Ji'en told him that his phone had been secretly bugged with listening software and guessed that Jiang Songhe was behind it, he was initially shocked but didn't feel uncomfortable at all. He quickly recalled the day he left Beijing, when Jiang Songhe awkwardly told him "not to play games with other people anymore," and then felt a surge of joy.
So Jiang Songhe also had a voyeuristic and possessive streak, and quite a lot of it. Since Jiang Songhe had it, then he wouldn't let it run wild; he would naturally chase after it and catch it. Thus, a sense of security arose in his heart.
After days of tension, Jonathan stopped counting the time and waited for Jiang Songhe to contact him.
He never leaves his phone, no matter where he goes. He talks to it occasionally, hums songs to it, and eating and sleeping become smoother and more enjoyable. He needs to conserve his energy so that he can give his beloved a perfect performance on the day of their reunion.
On the morning of March 4th, Jonathan arrived at the Star Show finals venue and waited in the dressing room for rehearsals for the opening show of his debut and transformation performance. When he was called to the front by staff, the intro started, but it wasn't the melody of "Sacrifice to Dawn".
The process was rushed, and mistakes were common. Jonathan removed his in-ear monitor, made a pause gesture, and used the microphone to remind the staff to replace it. The staff below the stage looked at each other blankly, completely unaware of what he was talking about.
The accompaniment played continuously; it was Jonathan's hit song from 2018, lyrics that he could sing effortlessly from muscle memory without having to consciously recall them, yet they were never sung by the idol singer standing in the center of the stage.
The stage director rushed onto the stage to check if there was a problem with the equipment. Seeing that there was no apology for the mistake or playing the wrong accompaniment, Jonah suppressed his doubts, turned off his microphone, and asked the mentor when the opening show song was decided.
Mid-February.
In other words, the Star Show organizers never received a request from TANG to change the song for Jonah, even when there was ample time.
Seeing that Jonathan looked unwell, the stage director raised his intercom and said that he could contact someone immediately to confirm the exact date in February.
Jonathan smiled and reassured her that it was okay, while also apologizing that he wasn't feeling well and needed a few hours to rest, but would come back as soon as possible to catch up on the rehearsal.
After Jonathan stepped down, he asked Vasin to drive the car to the back door and wait. He went back to the private dressing room, changed into a plain hooded denim jacket, tightened the hood drawstring, walked out of the venue through the fire exit, got into the car, and then asked Vasin to drive directly to the company.
He was eager to ask Tang Fan in person what the meaning of this arrangement was.
...
Snap!
Tang Fan pulled a stack of A4 papers from the drawer under the table, threw them in front of Jonathan, and then turned his back to the window, without saying a word or giving a single expression. This kind of reaction only happened when Jonathan was a newcomer and hadn't met Tang Fan's expectations.
If you can't do it, you don't deserve it.
Years of habitual observation seemed to be ingrained in his muscle memory. No matter how eager Jonathan was, he couldn't help but shut up and prioritize checking what was printed on the stack of papers that had caused Tang Fan to behave this way.
Several major streaming platforms and digital download stores have all sent emails refusing to cooperate on listing "Night of Dawn," citing "controversy over originality" as the reason.
"So you're saying I plagiarized 'The Night of Dawn'?" The content was so absurd that Jonah laughed after reading it. "Is this some kind of prank? Haha, it's hilarious."
He gave a couple of exaggerated laughs, tossed the photocopy back onto the table, and said seriously, "I've had my laugh. Can the company handle the rest within a day? I don't want this kind of low-level joke, which has no cost, to affect my debut tomorrow, or my submission to the G-Grammy Awards."
Tang Fan turned around. Although his face remained expressionless in the strong light and shadow, the distinct contours of his features added a touch of gloom and intimidation.
Jonah had a strange sense of foreboding. He pressed his hands on the scattered papers, leaned forward, and tentatively asked, "You don't want this either, do you, Fan?"
The man in the shadows finally spoke, his voice cold and cruel: "Controversial works are not perfect, and are even less suitable for public dissemination."
“This is f*cking ridiculous…” Jonathan’s smile vanished, his words of venting his dissatisfaction and shouting to prove himself were interrupted by Tang Fan’s ignoring gesture of turning his back.
In Jonathan's eleven years of memory, Tang Fan never joked and always kept his word.
Suddenly confused, Jonah couldn't understand why Tang Fan was so arbitrary when the entire creative process of "Sacrifice Night Dawn" was completed with the company's support, recording seven increasingly rich demo versions, and Tang Fan had personally heard every note of each version.
Why did they hastily pronounce a death sentence on their own, or even his, transformation project, which they valued so highly, without even seeking redress? Why did they nip any truly absurd things they had done in the bud now?
"Controversial" and "less than perfect"... Is this a double entendre? Is it referring only to "The Night of Sacrifice and Dawn"?
What does "not suitable for public dissemination" mean? Is it a threat? Even if it is a threat, it should be because he believes he has done something wrong...
Just as I was racking my brains without finding a solution, my phone vibrated twice in my jacket's breast pocket.
Jonah pulled himself out of his tangled thoughts, took out his phone and unlocked it. He saw the two words "Wait for me" from Jiang Songhe in the text message. Before he could even feel joy, a sudden thud went through him.
Would someone with such a high moral compass, whose younger brother is suffering from being secretly filmed and recorded, really commit such a thing as wiretapping? Come to think of it, Jiang Songhe, who left early and returned late at night in Jingting, doesn't seem to have touched his phone at all!
If it wasn't Jiang Songhe, then who else could it be?
It couldn't be Ryan. I've only met him three times in total. The only time my phone was out of sight, the only photos I had were of him drugging me by crossing the table. Besides, that was a year ago, and I've changed my phone since then.
When he changed his phone, the first draft of "The Night of Dawn" was already completed. Until the year before last, he was constantly looking for something missing from "The Night of Dawn". He would record memos anytime and anywhere, so his phone was within easy reach almost all day. He was sure that no one had a chance to steal it.
It could only have happened during that time in the Porcelain Country.
"Tang Fan!!!"
The image of Vasin interrupting himself at the Jiang family villa, pressing Jiang Songhe about the relationship between the two, flashed into his mind.
Then, remembering the static in the chest microphone during the reaction recording at Yunhe Entertainment, the clueless guy with questionable writing skills suddenly had a flash of inspiration and was the first to discover the source of the signal interference: their mobile phones with international roaming enabled.
If it was Wasin, then when was it?
My thoughts rewind to when Wasin handed Tang Fan's phone, which was calling him, to the restaurant, and then suddenly stopped.
After the WANTON WU fashion show ended on February 14th, the phone remained in Wasin's hands until Jonathan and Jiang Songhe returned to the Jiang family villa from the underground parking garage.
All of Wasin's subsequent unusual behavior can then be explained.
I originally thought he was a big mouth who tattled on Tang Fan, but that's a completely wrong definition. He's actually an electronic dog.
Tang Fan's dog is a good dog.
I must have been an idiot to allow Wasin, who was supposed to be deported back to Siam, to stay by my side.
The anger at the invasion of his privacy and the frustration of bringing trouble upon himself made Jonathan's stomach churn. Yet, he felt a deep connection between the "eavesdropping" and the "controversy," and he had to suppress the urge to vomit and continue his deduction.
According to the stage director, the songs for the mentors' opening show were finalized in mid-February, and February 14th was within the timeframe. After that, what did they say and do when they had their phones on them?
What is the reason that Tang Fan believed he was wrong and subsequently resorted to threats?
“‘Sacrifice at Dawn’ is more suitable as the theme song for the older brother. You should first reveal this current version at the (screening) meeting tomorrow, and tell them that Janus will soon make adjustments based on the theme of ‘Yan Ge Xing’, okay?”
“Then tell them that Yunhe will sign Janus’s porcelain division contract.”
"..."
All the unusual things that happened after I returned to Maner made sense.
Why did Tang Fan, knowing he doesn't drink and having repeatedly refused invitations to be the spokesperson for MotiXian, still attend MotiXian's party despite the predictably awkward situation, and even perform "Sacrifice to the Night and Dawn" in front of industry insiders and mainstream media?
Only by releasing information in advance can we be able to target our efforts effectively.
It turns out that the means of threatening are not just as simple as taking back privileges, but can also be as ruthless as destroying something with one's own hands.
Jonathan has never wavered in his decision to renew his contract with TANG, even though he knows he is just a substitute for Tang Fan to fulfill his dream of becoming a singer.
He chose this path himself, and he climbed all the way to the top of the pyramid. Without Tang Fan, he wouldn't even have had the right to imagine what he had.
At that moment, he wavered.
Without freedom, without privacy, without a true self, if another decade were to come, Jonathan wouldn't know how he would pretend, or how he would breathe. Just thinking about the number "10" filled him with an immense sense of despair, enough to make his heart race and drive him mad.
And the person he loves, there was no indication that he had enough voyeuristic and possessive desires. If not, how long can a relationship that is separated by distance and cannot be bound by marriage last?
He was unsure if the person he loved had something he had so much that it was overflowing and about to explode. How could he be willing to give up the stable happiness that he had painstakingly pursued and that seemed to be just one step away?
Jonah took a deep breath, looking at Tang Fan's back, his breath cutting into his throat: "Eavesdropping, framing, ignoring... so all of this is because my contract renewal is about to expire, right?"
Tang Fan turned around again, not in a hurry to answer or bother to explain, but met Jonathan's gaze with an ambiguous look, as if giving him a chance to continue.
"I will consider renewing the contract, but you have to agree to one condition."
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