Xu Qingqiu, completely unaware of Chu Tian's thoughts, was immediately captivated by the flashy brochure in his hands.

It looked quite appealing; the cover alone piqued her interest.

"Eh? This brochure looks quite nice. What show is this? Let me see."

As she spoke, she took the brochure from Chu Tian's hands.

Seeing this, Chu Tian didn't stop her but gave a simple explanation.

"It's a travel show called Divas Hit the Road. 'Divas' refers to the female artists, and 'Teenager' refers to the younger male artists."

While he was explaining, Xu Qingqiu noticed something particularly striking.

"This... Are you both the chief planner and the chief scriptwriter?"

"Ah? Yes, sort of. I came up with the show, gave Wei a proposal, and now he's in charge."

"You can plan variety shows too?"

Chu Tian felt a moment of awkwardness as Xu Qingqiu's eyes shone while looking at him, but he had to continue.

"I wouldn't say I *can* exactly. I've just watched a lot and picked up a thing or two, just a little something."

The truth was, Xu Qingqiu still didn't know that *King of Mask Singer* was also his creation; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so astonished.

However, her attention had already shifted entirely to this program.

Firstly, the show's design was attractive and intriguing. Secondly, its format was a real eye-opener. And finally, this was a program her own boyfriend had planned! Now that an invitation had landed in her lap, how could she possibly not participate?

"Then, will you come with me to join the show?"

"Join? Join what?"

Chu Tian's smile froze, his lips visibly trembling.

"Of course, to join this program! Didn't you say you planned this show? And it's produced by your company, plus it's a travel program."

At this point, she looked up at Sister Hua and continued, "I couldn't travel with you because of work, so isn't this an even better opportunity?"

"You'll come with me. We'll do the regular filming, and during our downtime, we can travel together. Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

After speaking, she glanced down at the brochure again, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she said, "It's a shame it doesn't say where we're going, though. Hasn't that been decided yet?"

Hearing her question, Chu Tian subconsciously replied.

"Ah? Not yet. Wei is still scouting locations."

But immediately after, he quickly came to his senses and decisively refused.

"No! Absolutely not! You can't participate!"

His categorical refusal stunned both women.

"Why not?"

"Why?"

Sister Hua and Xu Qingqiu asked in unison, but Chu Tian found himself at a loss for words.

Could he actually tell her he didn't want her involved in the impending drama-fest? It might not necessarily turn into a Shura Field, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Who knew what kind of people they had invited this time? He wasn't familiar with the celebrities in this world at all. Even if he were, it's true that you can know a person's face but not their heart. Once they were out in unfamiliar territory, a whole host of diva behaviors could emerge—prima donna antics, throwing tantrums, acting superior, pulling rank, passive-aggression, backstabbing, spreading rumors, and so on. What would Xu Qingqiu's role be in all that? Would she roll up her sleeves and dive in, or stand by and watch the chaos unfold? Whichever she chose, just being part of such a Shura Field would likely make everyone involved famous. Fame itself isn't bad, and everyone desires it, but Chu Tian didn't want Xu Qingqiu to become famous that way.

"So, you can't go!"

After a brief moment of astonishment and panic, Chu Tian quickly thought of a solution.

Without waiting for them to ask, he immediately said, "Because you're going to be very busy."

Xu Qingqiu was still reluctant, especially since a single glance had made her realize she genuinely liked the show.

It wasn't the typical cookie-cutter singing contest, nor did it demand acting skills, and it lacked overly intense scenes—it seemed perfectly suited for her.

"But this is work too, isn't it? Since it's all work, why not this one?"

Seeing her genuine interest, Chu Tian immediately and decisively crushed the notion.

"Because... because not only will you be busy with work, but you also need to start preparing for a new album!"

He couldn't tell her the real reason, so he had to find another way to distract her. And what better way than with work? He certainly couldn't conjure up another variety show on such short notice. So, after some thought, a new album seemed the most suitable excuse.

"A new album? She just released one. Isn't that too soon?"

"Not too soon, not at all! The last album was rushed. The quality suffered, and it wasn't perfect."

"This new album we're planning will definitely require more polished production, so it will take longer."

"Besides, everyone was exhausted from rushing last time. So, this time, let's take it slow. It'll be perfect for the New Year. A January or February release would be just right."

Sister Hua found his reasoning plausible, but Xu Qingqiu remained unconvinced.

"What's the rush? Even if it's for January, there are still over two months to go. Besides, isn't releasing two albums in one year a bit much?"

"No, no, not at all! Not in the slightest! You can't compare yourself to others!"

To stop Xu Qingqiu, Chu Tian was pulling out all the stops.

"Qingqiu, do you remember what we talked about on the terrace that night?"

"That night? The terrace? What did you two get up to?"

Seeing the gossipy expression on Sister Hua's face, Xu Qingqiu blushed. But when she met Chu Tian's gaze and racked her brain, she couldn't recall anything specific.

She only remembered being inexplicably drawn to Chu Tian's eyes, and then, somehow, they had ended up embracing.

This seemed to confirm the unspoken implications even more solidly.

Sister Hua practically vibrated with excitement, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she stared at them in disbelief.

The terrace... a man and a woman... passionate sparks... blushing faces…

Chu Tian, glancing back inadvertently, caught Sister Hua's suggestive expression and felt a wave of exasperation wash over him.

"It's not that! Don't you remember saying you wanted to take Chinese music international?"

"I remember promising to help you with that."

"And later, you even told me we should aim to retire in our thirties, have a baby, and enjoy a quiet life at home."

Good grief, to deter Xu Qingqiu from that dangerous idea, Chu Tian had truly spilled everything.

Sister Hua's jaw had been hanging open the entire time.

"What was that? You want to retire by thirty? And have a baby?"

No wonder she was so shocked! Honestly, did that sound like something a normal person would say?

Sister Hua paused, calculating. Wait, I'm already thirty-four this year, aren't I?

Then, glancing at the mountain of documents and work on her table, she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to just quit.

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