It wasn't long before the sound of piano playing came from inside again.

However, this time it seemed like a different song. After a brief intro, Chu Tian's voice was heard once more.

"He leaves you with only his retreating figure,"

"Without a word about love,"

"Making you cry till your eyes are red."

"He spins lies that sound so beautiful."

"He's deceived you more than once; it's not worth your sorrow."

"He doesn't understand your heart, pretends to be calm."

"He Doesn't Understand, DA DA DA DA..."

Chu Tian tried another song, but it still felt off, so he couldn't be bothered to continue singing.

He picked up a disposable paper cup beside him, intending to get some water. His throat felt a bit dry after singing those few lines.

"DA DA DA..."

Humming a little tune, he reached out and yanked open the recording studio door.

"AH!!!"

"Holy shit!"

The sudden sonic assault startled Chu Tian so badly that he crushed the paper cup in his hand and shivered all over.

It wasn't just him; the two outside were also badly frightened.

Xu Qingqiu and Yiyi had been standing nearby listening. As the singing grew fainter, they had instinctively moved closer to hear better, vaguely making out what sounded like humming.

Just as they were trying to get a clearer listen, the door suddenly flew open.

Coming face-to-face with Chu Tian, they both screamed instinctively.

Screaming was one thing, but the company staff maintained a good habit: each department was responsible for its own area, and the last person to leave work turned off their department's lights.

Unfortunately, there were few people in the recording studio area, so whoever left last had switched off the lights.

So, there they were in the pitch-dark hallway when two figures suddenly appeared. Both were leaning against the wall with their heads sticking out. When the door opened, the light from inside illuminated their pale, sallow faces, a sight made even more terrifying by their piercing screams.

Who could stand such a scare?

At that moment, Chu Tian felt like his soul had nearly left his body.

If his back foot hadn't been lightly touching the ground, giving him no leverage, and if the door hadn't partially blocked him, he might have instinctively kicked out.

Didn't you see the water cup crushed in his hand? It showed how tense he had become in that instant.

"Brother Tian! You could have at least said something before opening the door! You scared me to death!"

Yiyi recovered more quickly. She clutched her chest and loudly accused Chu Tian.

Hearing her voice, Chu Tian finally saw clearly who the two people were and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"What are you two doing here? How was I supposed to know you were outside? It's pitch black out here! I just came out to get some water, and you nearly scared me to death!"

Xu Qingqiu had also recovered by then. Still shaken, she leaned against the wall, feeling weak all over, and said helplessly, "We heard music from this way and were going to see what was up. We also wanted to tell you to head home early. Then you just came out."

Yiyi was still a little dazed after hearing Sister Qiu's explanation.

Was that really it? Weren't we just eavesdropping?

Then she turned her head and saw Sister Qiu winking at her repeatedly. She immediately understood, put her hands on her hips, wrinkled her little nose, and said indignantly, "That's right! We were just concerned about you, and you nearly scared us to death!"

Seriously? Are they taking me for a fool?

Chu Tian wasn't blind; Xu Qingqiu's eyes had nearly popped out from winking so hard. Was there a need to be so obvious?

But he didn't really mind. It just seems I've exposed myself a little, haven't I?

Should I try to argue my way out of this? He felt he could still bluff his way through and was thinking of an excuse when Xu Qingqiu stood up, cleared her throat, and said, "Ahem, Yiyi, go get my water cup. Remember to fill it up."

"And Chu Tian, I need to speak with you."

"Ah? About what? It's pitch black out here. Come inside to talk."

Chu Tian knew what she wanted to say but pretended not to.

The two of them re-entered the recording studio. Before he could even sit down, Xu Qingqiu asked impatiently, "The songs you were singing just now, did you write them?"

"Ah? How could I possibly write songs? Those are some old songs I've been researching recently. I was just trying my hand at adapting them."

"Really? Those songs sounded excellent. If they're old songs, how come I've never heard them?"

"Hey, you're absolutely right. I feel the same way. Why else would I have chosen them?"

"In my opinion, these songs are all gems, but I don't know why they've never become popular. It's such a shame. So I was thinking, if I rearranged them, maybe they could become popular again."

Xu Qingqiu looked at his earnest expression; his words sounded so convincing. Could I have misunderstood?

"Alright, what are the names of these songs? I'll look them up later and see if I can buy the copyrights."

"Ah? Oh! Right, the names... I... I don't seem to remember them. You'll have to give me a moment to find them..."

Chu Tian was at a loss for how to continue his bluff. He could only stall for time, his mind racing as he frantically tried to come up with names.

"Where were they? I've been looking at a lot of old songs recently, at least a few hundred. I really can't recall them right now. Don't rush me, okay? Let me look."

Seeing him like this, Xu Qingqiu became even more certain of her suspicions. So she stood to one side, arms crossed, a half-smile playing on her lips, and said, "Okay, I'm not in a hurry. You take your time. It's quick to check, anyway. Just type the name into your phone and search; it'll pop right up."

"..."

Chu Tian was on the verge of rolling his eyes. How am I supposed to deal with this? Do I really have to admit it?

I've hidden it for so long, and now I'm exposed so carelessly? This is too embarrassing!

Just as he was feeling lost, his phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at it and saw it was a call from Hou Yichuan. Chu Tian's eyes lit up. He'd been wondering how to get out of this situation, and this call couldn't have come at a better time!

"Uh, I've got a call coming in. I need to take this."

"What call? Can't you take it here?"

"Privacy. Personal privacy, business secrets. I have to go. We'll talk later."

Chu Tian grabbed his phone and coat and bolted.

This swift sequence of actions left Xu Qingqiu dumbfounded.

Fine, you can run today, but can you run tomorrow? Sooner or later, I'll make you admit it. We'll see who can hold out longer.

She was so exasperated by Chu Tian's antics she almost laughed. Does he take me for a fool? Such a clumsy cover-up, it's too obvious, isn't it?

"Eh? Where's Chu Tian?"

When Yiyi came in holding a cup of water, she found Xu Qingqiu alone and asked curiously.

"Your Brother Tian ran off. Don't look for him."

"Oh, Sister Qiu, what are you saying..."

"Hmm? Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not!"

"..."

Chu Tian hurried out of the studio and immediately called back. He truly wasn't trying to run away; he just couldn't take that call in there.

"Hello, President Hou. Is something wrong for you to call so late? Is everything okay with the recording?"

Today was the second of two consecutive recording days. Barring any surprises, today should have been the day Qin Xiao was eliminated. He thought something might have gone wrong.

"No, no, President Chu. It's like this: Wei asked me to tell you that Qin Xiao has been eliminated."

Chu Tian wasn't surprised by this news. Qin Xiao's performance in the second round had pretty much sealed his fate.

"I know. Were there any problems? What was Baise Entertainment's reaction?"

"No reaction. I guess they've resigned themselves to it."

"That's good. They won't just accept it, though. Be careful of their next move. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, yes, yes! President Chu, I have some good news! Want to guess what it is?"

"Good news? You want me to guess? Don't tell me the deal with Lemon TV is finalized? Or the title sponsor is confirmed?"

"Whoa... President Chu, you don't have my office bugged, do you?"

"It's really settled?! Did Wei negotiate it?"

"No, Lemon TV approached our company directly. They just finished the discussion this afternoon. It's a revenue-sharing model: sixty-forty, with us getting sixty."

"The title sponsor is Guangyuan Milk, one of Lemon TV's old major sponsors. The preliminary title sponsorship fee is eighty million. Including product placements, it could reach around 160 million. This basically covers our initial costs."

"President Chu, it would be best if you could come to the company to take a look when you have time. It's just a letter of intent for now. If you have no objections, you can sign it directly."

Hearing Hou Yichuan's news, Chu Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he was confident about the show, confidence was one thing, and success was another.

Who could say for sure if this show would be a hit in this world, or if it would fail to resonate?

What if no one liked it? That was tens of millions invested. Even if he had other ways to make money, anyone would feel the sting if that much cash went down the drain, right?

Now that he had definite news, he finally felt a great sense of relief.

"Okay, I'll go over tomorrow."

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