"Every time I raise my head for you, even tears feel free."

"Some love is like torrential rain, yet still believing in the rainbow..."

For some reason, Xu Qingqiu found herself crying uncontrollably as she listened to the mechanically synthesized singing.

It was as if she saw her own shadow—her inexperienced, anxious, and helpless younger self.

The naive and stubborn little girl who had traveled all the way from the countryside had grown up before she knew it.

And that figure, like a beam of light, had shone into her life and made her steadily stronger. But one day, it had suddenly collapsed. Yet, she desperately tried to piece that shattered figure back together, never leaving or forsaking it.

But so many years had passed. That figure had become more and more distant, gradually unrecognizable. She could barely remember what that light looked like. And then, this song coincidentally appeared before her eyes.

"BOO HOO HOO~ Why?"

It was as if she was questioning herself, or perhaps she was questioning someone else.

At this moment, Yiyi and Sister Hua also had an inkling of what was going on; the two stood there, faces full of shock, still unable to accept this 'truth'.

Just then, Xu Qingqiu took out her phone. Her eyes blurred with tears as she found that name, her hands trembling as they tapped the screen.

She had just typed a text and was about to send it, but her hand suddenly paused. Then, she deleted all the content and went straight to dial the number.

"Qingqiu! What are you doing?"

"Sister Hua? I want to ask if it's him! I want to ask why!"

"No! You can't ask!"

"Why?"

Li Chunhua looked at Xu Qingqiu, her own vision blurred by tears, her lips trembling. She wanted to say, What if breaking the silence meant no new songs to follow?

But looking into Xu Qingqiu's eyes, she found herself unable to speak. Sometimes, some things are more important than a career.

She could see the determination in Xu Qingqiu's eyes and suddenly realized that, at some point, utilitarian considerations had begun to erode her own feelings.

"I'm sorry, go ahead..."

She let go, looking at Xu Qingqiu with a relieved expression, then gave her an encouraging look.

"Thank you, Sister Hua!"

Xu Qingqiu said her thanks, then quickly dialed the number.

The three of them listened quietly to the ringing from the other end of the phone, counting each second.

"Hello, Boss Xu, why are you calling me so late at night? It's not to work overtime, is it?"

Chu Tian hadn't yet realized anything was amiss. He was leisurely walking home when he received the call, and his voice held a hint of teasing born from his slight confusion.

"Chu... Chu Tian, where are you right now?"

Hearing his calm tone, Xu Qingqiu didn't know why, but the question she was about to ask suddenly changed direction.

"I'm on my way home. What's up?"

Perceiving something off in her tone, a hint of a sob, Chu Tian put away the smile on his face and asked seriously.

"Oh, I'm fine. Where were you so late at night, not being home?"

Xu Qingqiu wiped away her tears and tried her best to control her emotions as she asked.

Chu Tian didn't notice anything unusual, so he honestly replied,

"Hey, don't even mention it. I forgot my keys at the studio and just went to get them back. I almost couldn't get home."

"Ah? You went to the studio to get your keys?!"

Hearing his answer, Xu Qingqiu, who had been certain in her heart, suddenly felt a jolt of panic.

She had expected him to try his best to cover it up, but Chu Tian's straightforwardness made her hesitant.

"Yeah, what else? You think I was out wandering aimlessly late at night for no reason?"

Xu Qingqiu's thoughts became even more muddled, but she still felt a bit unwilling to give up.

"No, that's not right! The studio closes at six, and I remember you left just after six, didn't you? How come you only went back for the keys after nine?"

"Ah, about that... I went downstairs to have dinner right after work. And Old Yu—that is, Yu Cheng, Director Yu, remember him? He introduced a fishing buddy who insisted on chatting with me, so I went. It wasn't until I got back that I realized I'd forgotten my keys."

Chu Tian was beginning to realize there seemed to be a problem, so he replied with a mix of truth and evasion.

What he said wasn't wrong, after all. Wei Liangxiao had been introduced by Yu Cheng, and the two of them had indeed talked for quite a while; there wasn't a single falsehood in that.

"What's up? Are you looking for me for something? You didn't show up at my place to wait for me again, did you?"

"Ah? Oh! No, no, I was thinking... we're just about to have dinner and wanted to invite you over. Will you come?"

"Oh no! I just finished eating, right downstairs from the office. If you had told me earlier, I could've saved myself a meal. You guys go ahead, I won't come over. I couldn't eat another bite anyway."

Realizing she was only calling him for dinner, Chu Tian felt like he'd missed out on a fortune. A meal, and the boss was treating!

If it had been just half an hour earlier, that would have been perfect! What a pity!

He hung up the phone with a look of regret, and his mood on the way home soured.

Back in the studio, Xu Qingqiu put down her phone, looking forlorn, as if she had lost her soul.

"It's not him?"

Faced with Sister Hua's question, Xu Qingqiu numbly shook her head.

"I don't know... Judging from what he said, it doesn't seem like it. I... I really don't know..."

"Forget it. Stop thinking about it for now. We'll find out sooner or later, won't we?"

Seeing her state, Sister Hua sympathetically patted her on the head, gently comforting her.

Days went by. Chu Tian thought Xu Qingqiu would record the song quickly; he was all prepared and had already figured out how he would guide her.

But there had been no movement from her since that day.

Little did he know, Xu Qingqiu treated that song as a memory, unwilling and afraid to sing it.

The hesitation in her heart made her shelve the song for the time being; at least for now, she didn't want to bring it out.

"President Chu, they've agreed!"

"Who? Who's agreed?"

"Qin Xiao! We just finished talking with Baise Entertainment. The contract is signed. Qin Xiao has confirmed he's joining as a lead singer for the show."

Hou Yichuan, holding the phone, spoke excitedly.

"Also, the other singers are all set, and their contracts are signed. There are three men and three women. The other singers are..."

"Stop. There's no need to tell me about that. You and Director Wei can take care of it. I'll just offer my opinion; I won't handle the specifics."

"Okay, President Chu. Then we're going to start preparations on our end. The stage is almost ready. Do you need to come by and take a look?"

"Sure, I'll drop by later. Is the recording date set?"

"It's set. The recording is on Saturday, one week from now."

"Alright, handle it as you see fit."

Ending the call, Chu Tian felt a little thrill of excitement. My bait has been taken; the fish is on the hook, he thought. What happens next will depend on both sides' abilities.

Just then, Yiyi came running over.

"Chu Tian, Sister Qiu is looking for you."

"Ah? What for?"

"She said there's a show that needs a name. I suggested a few, but she wasn't satisfied with any of them. She wants you to help her come up with some ideas."

"What kind of show needs a name? Are they kidding?"

"I'm not sure either; I don't really know. Go find Sister Qiu."

When he arrived at the office, Chu Tian immediately saw Xu Qingqiu sitting at her desk, frowning at a document in her hands.

"What's got you so engrossed?"

"It's a show. Take a look. It's called 'King of Mask Singer,' where they sing without showing their faces, and they need to select a nickname,"

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