Chapter 42 Chapter 42
"There's something wrong with you." During class, Lia lay on the table, and heard Xia Qing's suspicious voice. "Is it so obvious?" Lia raised her eyelids lazily and glanced at her. "Absolutely." Xia Qing nodded.
"I thought you'd pay attention even if the sky fell." But he was so distracted that he was called on by the teacher. "Did something happen at the company?" Xia Qing probed. Lia shook her head. "Something happened at home?" "Didn't get enough rest?"
Lia just kept shaking her head as she bombarded him with questions. "Oh my god..." Seeing her remain silent, Xia Qing suddenly had an idea and gasped. "Could it be because Xiaoyu hasn't been here these past two days?!"
Xia Qing's voice was quite loud, drawing the attention of the students playing around. Lia quickly jumped up and covered her mouth, "Keep it down..."
"Mmmmm..." Xia Qing struggled to pry her hand away. "Is it really him?" Lia shook her head quickly. "I wouldn't believe you." Xia Qing rolled her eyes. "Didn't they say he joined the crew? Filming a historical drama."
"...Yeah." Lia muttered glumly. She had fled that day, not even giving him a chance to speak. He later told her the news on MSN.
Going to the library to study together every weekend was naturally put on hold. "So, what did you say after I left that day?" Xia Qing asked. "Nothing." He really didn't say anything. Instead, she,
After returning home, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep—sometimes thinking she was overthinking it, sometimes thinking it couldn't be an illusion. Seeing that she wouldn't say more, Xia Qing shrugged and was about to change the subject. Unexpectedly, Lia suddenly spoke up: "You said..."
".....?" Xia Qing waited for a long time without any response, feeling a little anxious. "What did I say?"
Lia gritted her teeth. "I have a friend who always feels like her classmates look at her differently...but she's afraid she's overthinking it." Xia Qing was silent for two seconds. Studying too hard can really make you stupid.
"Haven't you heard that saying? If you like something like that, even if you cover your mouth, it will still flow out of your eyes." She sighed. "Really..." "So, who likes you?" Xia Qing leaned in, a gossipy look on her face.
"No...it's not me!" Lia waved her hands frantically. "Okay, okay, it's your friend." Xia Qing spread her hands, a look of "if you say it is, it is it," but she had a guess in her mind. — It seemed to be Xiao Yu.
Lia seemed to suddenly think of something and asked, "There are also situations where it won't be discovered, right?" "Won't be discovered?" Xia Qing was stunned. "You mean secret love?"
"Well... I mean, what if," Lia swallowed, "my friend has a crush on a senior, but he doesn't seem to notice at all... Does that mean she's hiding it very well?" Xia Qing frowned.
Who was this senior? She suppressed her doubts and thought for a moment: "Has that senior ever been in a relationship?" "What does this have to do with whether he's ever been in a relationship?" Lia asked puzzled.
"If you've been in a relationship before, you're usually very sensitive to this kind of thing. If you're experienced in relationships but seem to know nothing—" Xia Qing stopped talking. Lia looked at her eagerly, as if she was humbly asking for advice.
"That means this senior isn't interested in you," Xia Qing concluded. "But... he takes good care of me—my friend." Lia was accidentally led in and hurriedly changed her words.
"That's even worse." Xia Qing shook her head. "Playing dumb while doing something that seems to be true but is not—" What a jerk. She was just talking excitedly, but she didn't expect that this sentence seemed to hit something.
Lia's face changed, and she looked dazed: "Seemingly true?" She seemed to be hit hard.
Seeing this, Xia Qing quickly made amends: "What I said may not be entirely correct. There are exceptions occasionally. Your friend's senior might be an exception." Lia was a little stunned.
Xia Qing's words were like a tiny thorn, piercing her heart. Was this an exception? Even someone as slow-witted as her could sense someone else's affection—could that person really... not notice?
Seeing her lost in thought, Xia Qing couldn't help but feel a little confused. The first half of the conversation sounded like Xiao Yu. But the second half... it sounded like someone else. She'd even picked up multiple emotional clues.
The air was still, and the atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment. Lia was the first to come back to her senses, shaking her head to clear her chaotic thoughts: "I won't have dinner with you later. I have to go to the company this afternoon." "Okay, okay, I got it. I'm a busy man." Xia Qing curled her lips.
She couldn't say much about this sort of thing. If the people involved hadn't figured it out, no amount of talk from outsiders would help. At that moment, the squad leader approached, holding a stack of questionnaires.
"After the final exams, our grade will be organizing a school trip. Registration is voluntary. Remember to fill out this form before school ends today." He placed two registration forms on the table. "Want to go?" Xia Qing picked up the questionnaire and took a look.
It's a small coastal town near Seoul. My teacher mentioned it before, saying it has a cooperative program with a school there, and it's a last chance to relax before my senior year. "I really want to go," Lia nodded. "I haven't left Seoul since I came to Korea."
"It's not really outside of Seoul," Xia Qing laughed. "It's just a nearby countryside. But it's by the sea, so the scenery should be nice." Her hometown is in the countryside, and she has little interest in this kind of trip. What's the difference between this and going back home?
"If you're going, I'll go too," Xia Qing concluded, clapping her hands. "Then let's sign up together." "Should we ask Xiao Yu? He's not here. I wonder if the monitor will notify everyone individually." As soon as she finished speaking, Lia was startled.
"Well, I'll ask him later." Lia hesitated, then spoke. It would be nice if we could maintain the status quo. Maintain this delicate balance. * The hearing was at 3 p.m.
Lia had taken leave in advance and arrived at the company an hour earlier than scheduled. She first put her backpack in the recording studio, then walked into the meeting room with the pre-printed materials and a portable hard drive.
The conference room was empty, cold white light shone on the walls, and the air was filled with a hint of dry disinfectant.
She expertly adjusted the audition equipment and marked the demo clips in order. She had given this information to Teddy in advance for review, including the demo list, track information card, and photocopied lyrics.
Outside the conference room, footsteps could be heard faintly. The first to arrive were the photography team.
Unlike previous meetings, the content of this hearing might be included in a documentary about the girl group's debut, so in addition to the regular attendees, the company also arranged for a filming crew to participate. Kush also walked in.
He obviously hadn't gotten enough sleep. He yawned and said hello to Lia: "Are you here?" "Yes." Lia nodded. The camera team was adjusting the equipment.
A medium-sized camera was set up steadily in the back row of the conference room, its lens trained on the main seat. Not far away, another person, carrying a stabilizer, was testing the camera from a low angle.
"So efficient," Kush chuckled, casually pulling out a demo list from the pile of documents and looking through it. Teddy arrived soon after. He was wearing a black shirt, a rare sight, looking even more formal and serious than usual.
His arrival seemed to signal the arrival of the conference room, and within a dozen minutes, the room gradually filled up. The head of the A&R department had already arrived, sitting next to Teddy, occasionally chatting with him in low voices. Baoheng, Cailin, and the other two walked in.
After not seeing them for a few months, they probably received some body management and posture training, and with the simple makeup they did today, they already looked like celebrities.
Cailin and Baoen spotted Lia in the back row and waved excitedly. Lia smiled, pumped her fist, and gave a cheering gesture. Led by Baoheng, the others politely greeted the people already in the meeting room.
In this situation, young artists who haven't debuted yet are at the bottom of the food chain, relying on the company's resources and decisions for everything. Not long after, the company's top executives arrived one after another, including President Yang Hyun-seok.
"Good afternoon." He glanced around the table as he walked, his gaze finally lingering on Lia, who was sitting in the back. A few scattered greetings echoed throughout the table.
"Today is a critical moment," Yang Xianshi said as he sat down at the main seat. "Everyone knows that our current slogan is 'Female Bigbang', and these girls aren't aiming for 'pretty' looks—"
Lia frowned slightly. A flicker of hurt crossed Cailin's face. The others either lowered their heads, taking notes, or quietly scrutinized the four trainees sitting to one side.
"So the quality of the songs on our first album is crucial," Yang Hyun-seok paused. "My vision is to create a powerful hip-hop female warrior, and Teddy has fully grasped this message. Let's take a look at what we've prepared today."
He said this, looking at Teddy. Teddy nodded, walked forward, and turned on the computer connected to the projector. The camera quietly pointed at him and zoomed in.
"This isn't the final song yet, but it will greatly influence the overall direction of the album. Please consider it from multiple dimensions, including artist positioning, marketing strategy, and musicality." He said, then lightly pressed the remote control.
A simple cover popped up on the screen: "New Girl Group Project: Demo Review – Phase I"
"We've prepared 12 demos so far, and we plan to select eight for the official album." Teddy paused. "The order of play is arranged by genre and tempo. Everyone can listen and review the materials while listening, and we'll set aside time for discussion later."
The music started. The first song was a rhythmic electronic dance track, with bass synthesizers and discontinuous drum beats superimposed to create a sharp and dynamic feeling.
The next few songs are different in style, but all have vivid colors: the entire demo playback process is like quickly flipping through a rough and tidy visual magazine with a clear attitude.
When the last song was played, Teddy said, "The next one was written and composed by Lia and arranged by Zhilong. It has not yet been officially named." There was a slight commotion in the conference room.
Yang Hyun-seok looked up at the screen, his brows raised slightly. Music began playing, the prelude a rare hybrid sample—bass and classical strings intertwined, the melody building layer by layer. Lia sat upright, her hands clasped in her lap, motionless.
She had listened to the demo countless times, but this was the first time it was played formally within the company. Her voice flowed slowly, like a quiet narrative, in stark contrast to the previous intense dance rhythm.
Different songs convey the singer's emotions in different ways. This one, however, clearly represents her most thorough and sincere expression. When the song ended, the conference room fell into a brief silence.
"This song..." Yang Xianshi spoke first, "The song itself is good, but the style is a bit disconnected from the other songs."
The A&R director nodded. "It's really good, especially the catchy chorus. But if the overall theme is 'female power,' this one's a little too sentimental."
"But an album can't be filled with only strong songs," Teddy responded. "I personally think that adding relatively soft expressions like this can actually create more layers." Several people nodded in agreement.
"It's more lyrical, like a sequel to the title track," another added. Yang Hyun-suk didn't immediately comment, simply asking, "Who recommended this song?" "Ji-yong recommended it, and he made some minor changes to the lyrics," Teddy replied.
"Yeah." Yang Hyun-suk nodded and smiled. "You still have time to care about this." Lia looked up slightly, not quite understanding the meaning of this. "What are Bigbang's plans for the time being?" he asked.
"We're preparing for the year-end awards ceremony and concert, along with some announcements," Baoheng replied. "He messaged me, asking for help with his album." Yang Hyun-seok propped his chin up. "I said everyone's focused on the girl group right now, so I didn't give him any."
Everyone was silent for a moment, unsure of what he meant by this. "Let's leave it this way for now. He's made some changes to this song, so let's keep it. He'll tweak the lyrics later." He concluded, "It's a perfect track for the album."
When the meeting ended, Lia was still a little dazed. "You're selected." Teddy patted her shoulder. "Well done, Lia." "Thank you, Teddy." "Send a message to Zhilong." "Okay."
Left alone to clean up the meeting room, Lia pulled out her phone. "Oppa, the hearing is over. The song will be included on the album." If nothing unexpected happens, "Thank you." Lia clicked send.
"Aza! Aren't you going to treat me to a meal?" The other party replied quickly. Lia hesitated for a moment and said, "Next time, if there's a chance, I'll treat you to a meal."
This wasn't entirely a compliment, but she knew in her heart that with his schedule, there was no telling when "next time" would be. "Not next time, let's do it today." Lia's eyes widened.
The other party seemed to dislike texting, and then a phone call came in. "Hello—" The last line of the voice was slightly dragged out, and it sounded like he was in a good mood, with a hint of smile in his tone. "Aren't you busy today?" Lia was a little surprised.
"Well, I'll be back to the company later. Do you want anything to eat?" he asked. "Didn't I say I'd treat you? Oppa, do you want anything to eat?" "You're quick to react." Quan Zhilong chuckled, "Then I'll buy it first and ask you to reimburse me when I get back." "Okay."
"Really, you don't want to eat anything?" "No," Lia shook her head. Now that she didn't have to control her diet, she'd already eaten everything she wanted and didn't have any particular obsession with food. "Then I'll buy whatever you see." "Okay."
After the call ended, Lia was still a bit dazed. She felt even more confused. Did he even know? She was always clear-headed, but on this matter, she always lost her composure.
It was clearly just an ordinary phone call and a meal, but she couldn't help but speculate on the meaning behind it. She couldn't tell which was real and which was her own delusion. She lowered her eyelashes and let out a soft breath.
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