Chu Tian had been so engrossed that he was startled when Sister Hua called out to him, causing him to pause.

"Ah? Oh, if Qingqiu has decided, then that's fine. I'll listen to her."

"What do you mean, 'listen to me'..."

The sudden comment made Xu Qingqiu feel somewhat flustered. She glanced shyly at Sister Hua, a smile she couldn't hide spreading across her face—she could barely contain it.

His abrupt remark also caught Sister Hua off guard.

"Alright, stop with the public display of affection, you're not even married yet..." Li Chunhua muttered under her breath. She really didn't want to say any more, afraid that more words would just mean another dose of their saccharine sweetness, enough to make her skip lunch.

Chu Tian just smiled and said nothing more. He stood up and walked over to join them, looking at the documents on the table.

"You guys handle these authorizations yourselves. Some are for cover versions and some for usage rights. Decide on your own later; I'm washing my hands of it."

"Aside from the authorization letters, there's one here that's a bit special."

As Sister Hua pointed to a document on the table and abruptly stopped mid-sentence, Xu Qingqiu also looked over, curious.

"Hmm? A TV drama theme song?"

She was surprised to see yet another theme song authorization. Was she on track to specialize in OSTs?

Chu Tian had already picked it up.

"Eh? Isn't this the TV drama that approached Qingqiu for a song before? How has it come full circle back to us?"

Chu Tian recognized the invitation at a glance; though it wasn't just an invitation, it was a letter of intent for collaboration. It looked familiar because he had seen it once before. That was when the other party first invited them for a song, and he had specifically reviewed their detailed requirements to find a suitable piece. However, the other party had changed their mind at the last minute and turned to Qin Xiao for collaboration instead.

"Hadn't they heard the TV drama was almost ready to air? Why were they still looking for a theme song?"

Chu Tian's question was exactly what Xu Qingqiu wanted to ask. The two of them looked at Li Chunhua, extremely curious.

"Hmph, what else could it be? Qin Xiao's song has been out for over a week, and it's lukewarm at best. Neither the song nor the drama has made any real impact."

"The director clearly isn't giving up. Seeing Qingqiu's current success, they're thinking of riding her coattails again."

Frankly, if it were up to her, Li Chunhua would have thrown the document straight into the sewer. The farther it washed away, the better—out of sight, out of mind. The other party's actions were simply disgusting, completely shameless.

Back then, they had shamelessly approached Xu Qingqiu with the initial invitation. That kind of collaboration was quite normal. But the song was ready. Shouldn't they have at least listened to it before making a decision, right? Who knows what the other party was thinking, or if Baise Entertainment struck some deal with them in the interim. In the end, they just gave verbal notice, and the collaboration was off.

All the time, effort, and money their side had invested in preparing the song—sound tests, vocal trials, recording, and so on—went to waste. Then they turned around and collaborated with Qin Xiao instead.

Everyone in their circle knew the two were arch-rivals. Out of the two, they still chose Qin Xiao in the end. Not only that, but they had specifically come to dangle the offer in front of Xu Qingqiu's team first. How was that different from a provocation?

But Xu Qingqiu's studio operated primarily in the music scene and had minimal influence in the film and television industry. So, they had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

Now that the TV drama and the song had both flopped, they still had the audacity to come back to them. Just how shameless could someone be to do such a thing?

No wonder Sister Hua sounds so cynical, Xu Qingqiu thought. Who wouldn't be angry? Weren't they just being treated like fools?

Angry as one might be, business was ultimately about profit. Sometimes, you just had to hold your nose and accept it. Making money wasn't shameful, after all. That was Sister Hua's thinking, which was why she had kept the document.

"I won't sing it, and I won't let them use that song. Let them find someone else." Xu Qingqiu glanced at the document, not even bothering to take it, let alone look at it twice.

The moment she finished speaking, Chu Tian took it.

"Hey, don't. We have to take this."

"Why? I don't want this job. The other party is disgusting."

Seeing Xu Qingqiu's rare pout and frown, Chu Tian actually found it somewhat endearing. But this wasn't the time for such thoughts. Seeing she was genuinely getting upset, he quickly explained, "Listen to me. I wrote that song, right?"

Xu Qingqiu nodded gloomily, reluctantly agreeing. "Right."

"And I studied their script and requirements carefully, right?"

"Right."

"So I should understand this TV series very well, correct?"

Watching the back-and-forth between the two, the impatient Li Chunhua couldn't stand it anymore. "Oh, just spit it out, will you? Get to the point and stop beating around the bush!"

Chu Tian smiled, gesturing with the document in his hand, and then said, "To be honest, I've looked into this TV series. The plot is, in two words, pure melodrama. As for the director, I've heard he's a bit of a flop. He has some skill, but he always likes to sabotage his own work."

"So, in my opinion, this TV series is very likely to flop."

When he finished, both women were silent for a moment, not quite understanding what he meant.

"If you know the series is going to flop, why would you still take the job?" Xu Qingqiu asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Chu Tian countered.

"Hmm?"

"Hmm?!"

Seeing their identical expressions of utter confusion, Chu Tian almost burst out laughing. "Who told you that if the TV series flops, the theme song will too? Ever heard the saying, 'terrible movies spawn hit songs'?"

"Not only must we take this job, we absolutely have to. The question is how we take it." Chu Tian then laid out his thoughts in detail.

"First, the price: double the original. They want the song, right? They want to ride our popularity, right? Let them, as long as they're willing to splash the cash."

"Qingqiu sang several new songs at her recent concert. I was just wondering how to properly promote them before releasing the official versions online. This is like a pillow arriving just when you're sleepy." As Chu Tian spoke, he patted the document in his hand.

"They need a theme song for promotion, don't they? Promotion means spending money, right? And spending money on promotion means relying on the theme song, doesn't it?"

"See? It all connects. They spend money to promote our new song. Whether their TV series flops or not is their problem. We make money, and our song gets promoted. Isn't that a win-win for us?"

When he finished speaking, the entire office was silent.

"Hmm? Can we really do it this way?" Xu Qingqiu asked tentatively.

"Why not? Think about it. Doesn't it make sense?"

"That sounds... actually quite right," Li Chunhua conceded.

Sister Hua and Xu Qingqiu exchanged a look. Their long-standing rapport allowed them to instantly grasp each other's meaning. One word: Accept!

After they finished discussing the matter, just as Chu Tian was about to make a graceful exit, Sister Hua's next words stopped him in his tracks.

"There's also a variety show offer. It's from Chu Tian's company. A director named Wei Liangxiao seems really keen to work with you, so he sent an invitation for you to be a regular guest on a program called 'Divas Hit the Road'..."

"Hold on! What variety show?!" Chu Tian, who had been halfway turned, whipped back around. He stared in astonishment at the brochure in Sister Hua's hand, completely dumbfounded.

"'Divas Hit the Road.' Don't you know it? Isn't it a program from your own company?"

Indeed, Li Chunhua initially hadn't wanted Xu Qingqiu to commit to such a long-term variety show. Being a regular guest was good, but it was just too time-consuming. Xu Qingqiu was currently on the rise, and every minute was precious. But this program was different. Firstly, it was from Chu Tian's company, so their interests would be protected. Secondly, it was very innovative and could help enhance Xu Qingqiu's image. The most crucial point was that this was a travel variety show. Hadn't she regretted not being able to travel? This opportunity was perfect.

Only, why did Chu Tian have that expression? Sister Hua wondered.

What was Chu Tian's expression like? It was as if he had swallowed a fly.

Taking the brochure from Sister Hua, he saw the design was beautiful: hand-drawn illustrations in vibrant colors, exquisitely crafted. The logo in the middle featured those familiar large characters. Though slightly different from his previous life, it was indeed the program he had pitched to Wei Liangxiao.

What on earth was Wei thinking? Why would he send an invitation to Xu Qingqiu? Chu Tian fumed internally. He was determined not to let Xu Qingqiu participate. If this show went well, that was to be expected. If it went badly, it would become a Shura Field. Why would she go? For the catfights?

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