Ever since Huang Shan had suggested giving Xie Bing a try, Shi Yu had felt uncomfortable and awkward whenever she saw Xie Bing. Now, she found the situation utterly absurd.
Xie Bing had actually brought the newly signed artist to her doorstep without even giving a heads-up.
From the very beginning of her debut, when Shi Yu signed with the company, Xie Bing had been her assistant. Over the years, while not entirely unquestioning, Shi Yu had trusted her more than most others. She even believed she understood Xie Bing to some extent.
But now, it seemed her judgment of people was still lacking. Years ago, she had misjudged Ji Yao and suffered the consequences. Now, Xie Bing might very well be another such mistake.
“Ayu, you know the studio has to expand. Xiao Hu is someone I’ve recently taken a shine to. For tomorrow’s recording of The Singer, you’ll need to guide her a bit.”
The studio was established after Shi Yu left her previous company. At the time, she had made the decision to leave without hesitation, and Xie Bing had chosen to follow her. They had forged ahead together Xie Bing had been by Shi Yu’s side, offering advice and strategies as she set up the studio. Naturally, once things were on track, Xie Bing took over her management duties while also overseeing the studio’s development.
After years in the industry, Shi Yu had long passed the stage where she needed Xie Bing to handle every little thing. Most matters were now delegated to her assistants. So, although Xie Bing was still her manager, her work had increasingly shifted toward maximizing the studio’s profits.
Xie Bing was the de facto manager of the studio. Over the years, Shi Yu had been able to focus on her work with peace of mind, thanks to Xie Bing. That’s why she had never objected when Xie Bing occasionally suggested bringing in new talent.
But over the past year or two, Xie Bing had started to overstep. Now, she had crossed a clear line by bringing her newly signed artist right to Shi Yu’s doorstep.
Even though Shi Yu was moving out of this apartment tomorrow, Xie Bing’s audacity showing up unannounced and having someone wait at her door had infuriated her. She had given Xie Bing plenty of trust, but that didn’t mean she could act so recklessly.
“Did the sound engineer really have something to do?” Shi Yu’s tone wasn’t exactly lenient, but Xie Bing, who seemed to have developed a thick skin at some point, merely paused for a moment before nodding and continuing to discuss the competition.
This competition wasn’t like a concert, a music variety show, or a reality program, it had few rules. Almost anything went, and sometimes, even being manipulated by marketing was considered acceptable. But when it came to the regulations of The Singer, Shi Yu was determined to adhere strictly to them.
“Xie Bing, this isn’t appropriate.”
“What’s inappropriate about it? Didn’t you hear Xiao Hu sing today? Her voice is ethereal, and she’s quite talented.” Xie Bing adopted her usual negotiating stance, crossing her arms and exuding the dominance of an alpha, which made Shi Yu frown.
It was as if she no longer recognized the person standing before her.
“No, we must follow the,”
“Ayu, you know how things work in this industry. Look at Huang Qi, the people he selected today were also orchestrated.”
“That’s Huang Qi, not me.” Shi Yu cut her off impatiently.
She was quite familiar with the Huang Qi she mentioned. He was one of the male alpha mentors on The Singer and had won the competition the year after Shi Yu. They had even competed together back in the day. When The Singer first debuted, it wasn’t so fraught with underhanded tactics. But by the second season, things had started to change. Huang Qi had been spotted by investors back then and went on to win the championship.
Huang Qi wasn’t entirely without talent. The year they competed together, Shi Yu had once marveled at his abilities as a singer-songwriter. However, he later became embroiled in a plagiarism scandal, only to be whitewashed by capital influence, reversing public opinion. But after tasting such advantages, his personality began to change as well.
His talent, Shi Yu acknowledged that.
As for his character she couldn’t bring herself to agree.
“I won’t do something like this.”
“Take her back with you.”
Shi Yu looked at the girl before her around eighteen or nineteen years old, with straight bangs, a JK uniform skirt, and a cute, lively appearance.
She hadn’t intended to speak so bluntly in front of her. Although Shi Yu could be straightforward at times, she knew it wasn’t appropriate to embarrass someone openly.
But the way Xie Bing had brought her over, the girl gazing at him obediently and dependently, it was clear she was confident Shi Yu would help.
If Shi Yu didn’t spell it out plainly, there would be no way to make both her and Xie Bing give up.
And because of her bluntness, the air began to freeze. Xie Bing’s expression shifted several times before he finally forced a smile and said, “Ah Yu, you’re still the same as ever.”
“Straightforward” was how Shi Yu saw herself, a kinder way to put it. But what Xie Bing seemed to imply was more like “stubborn.”
Xie Bing had mentioned it more than once, mostly in jest, and Shi Yu had never paid it much mind.
Now, however, she wondered if it hadn’t been a joke after all.
As Shi Yu mulled it over, her expression turned cold. Seeing this, Xie Bing stopped talking.
“Xie Bing.”
“In the future, don’t bring matters like this to me. And especially not to my doorstep.”
For a moment, the air grew still.
The girl standing beside Xie Bing instinctively moved closer to him.
To make matters worse, Xiao Di had returned with Pan Pan, and the two were now standing at the elevator entrance.
Although Shi Yu was an entertainer, her schedule was relatively flexible, and she reserved weekends for Pan Pan.
Today was Friday, and the recording had ended just as Pan Pan was getting out of school. After receiving the call, Shi Yu had asked Xiao Di to pick her up.
She hadn’t expected them to run into this scene.
When it came to Pan Pan, Shi Yu cherished every moment with her and didn’t want her to see her angry. Without glancing at Xie Bing or the girl, she forced a smile and asked Pan Pan, “How about letting Auntie Xiao Di take you to the children’s playground for a while?”
Pan Pan’s round eyes glanced at Xie Bing before she reluctantly replied, “Okay!”
“How much longer until we get there?”
As they left the TV station, Ji Yao happened to see Shi Yu and the others getting into a business van. Anxious, she instinctively quickened her pace to follow, only to be intercepted by Qiao Zixi, who pulled her into the car.
Shi Yu’s residence, Shiji Tianyuan, was a guess Ji Yao had made based on fragmented memories and a faint connection.
Uncertain, she grew even more impatient and urged Qiao Zixi to hurry.
But Qiao Zixi remained unhurried, replying leisurely, “Almost there. It’s just at the next intersection.”
Realizing they were close, Ji Yao fell silent, not wanting to distract Qiao Zixi while driving.
Yet her mind raced with thoughts of what might be happening to Shi Yu.
In the other world, people were always on guard against ghosts, monsters, and spirits. Weaker entities were often dealt with by the Taming Guild without the need for exorcists to intervene.
Only the more powerful ones required exorcists, and for particularly troublesome cases, multiple sects would form alliances to carry out hunts.
That world was chaotic, yet orderly. Most importantly, people were willing to trust exorcists and tamers.
But now, the situation was entirely different.
She reckoned that very few people would believe her.
It dawned on her belatedly that this trip of hers had been far too rash.
“We’re here.”
Her body reacted faster than her mind. By the time Qiao Zixi finished speaking, Ji Yao had already stepped out of the car and was about to close the door.
“Thank you,” Ji Yao said, expressing her gratitude. As she moved to shut the door, Qiao Zixi blocked it, her expression grave as she asked, “Do you want me to come with you?”
There was an indescribable depth in her eyes, and Ji Yao seemed to grasp a hint of something. But matters concerning Shi Yu weren’t something just anyone could get involved in, so she declined and hurried into the residential complex alone.
She followed a faint connection, eventually narrowing it down to the space between two buildings B7 and B8.
She wanted to act swiftly, but found herself hesitating, pacing back and forth.
After glancing left and right, she decided to follow her gut and chose B8. She was determined to make a move!
Just then, Panpan, holding Xiaodi’s hand, suddenly appeared.
The moment their eyes met, Ji Yao felt a bit dazed.
The face, bearing some resemblance to both hers and Shi Yu’s, broke into a sweet smile.
As the shallow dimples gradually grew larger before her eyes, Ji Yao had already bent down slightly.
“Mom, weren’t you busy? How come you’re here to spend the weekend with me and Mommy?”
The innocent, romantic question left Ji Yao at a loss for words. She couldn’t help but wonder why Shi Yu would lie to the child like that.
But that wasn’t important right now.
What mattered was that Panpan was quite talkative and not very logical.
Even though Xiaodi, standing behind her, seemed reluctant to let Panpan speak to her and even appeared ready to intervene, Panpan’s words poured out like beans spilling from a bag: “Mom, can we go to the amusement park this weekend?”
“I’ve never been before. All the kids in kindergarten have gone.”
“And also, Auntie Xie Bing is really annoying. Mommy promised to make my favorite crispy fried pork for dinner tonight.”
“But she and Auntie Fox are hogging Mommy all to themselves!”