CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 99: DID I TRAP MYSELF?

"Chu Tian!"

No way, I just stood up. Why is she calling me again?

"What is it? Why are you calling me?"

To me, her aggressive demeanor must mean trouble is coming; otherwise, she wouldn’t have that expression. I just can’t figure out where I might have caused any trouble.

Little did he know, Xu Qingqiu wasn’t looking for trouble at all – she simply couldn’t believe it. Even standing in front of Chu Tian, she still hadn’t fully processed it.

Is the person in front of me really that impressive?

But even she knew, however slow she might be, that she just couldn’t accept it at that moment. The realization only struck her today when Guo Jingtao pointed it out.

After all, as a professional singer, she had her own standards for certain things. How could she not know if Chu Tian was impressive or not?

Previously, she just hadn’t thought about it in that way. Once the thought entered her mind, there was no going back.

Watching Chu Tian standing there, looking both puzzled and a bit uneasy, Xu Qingqiu suddenly felt a sense of relief.

The sense of distance she had felt due to his perceived strength had lessened considerably, and her inner unease also calmed.

"Chu Tian, come with me. I have something to tell you."

Something to tell me? What could it be? It couldn’t possibly be another emotional outburst leading to a confession, could it? I can’t handle being messed with like this over and over again. After all, a love-struck brain can be pretty embarrassing sometimes... It’s like when a female fan suddenly rushes out shouting, ’Hubby! I want to have your babies!’ It leaves me somewhat at a loss.

"What happened? Can you give me a hint?"

Xu Qingqiu took the lead towards the office. Chu Tian followed, stealthily poking Yiyi to try to get some hints.

But Yiyi was looking at him strangely now, like I’m some kind of rare curio?

"What’s with that look?"

Seeing her silence, his heart grew even more unsettled. Have I been exposed?

"Come in."

Xu Qingqiu opened the door and looked back at Chu Tian, then glanced at Yiyi. Yiyi, being very perceptive, didn’t even enter but closed the door from the outside.

For a moment, it was just the two of them in the room. The atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds, and the air seemed to thicken for a moment.

"So... Chu Tian, could you help me with something?"

The moment she spoke, Chu Tian’s heart leaped into his throat, but the words that followed nearly made him choke.

"Ah? You called me here so mysteriously just to ask for help?"

"What do you mean mysteriously? Didn’t I just tell you directly?"

Xu Qingqiu looked at him quizzically, tilting her head with an expression that seemed to ask what on earth he was thinking.

Really?

Chu Tian thought it over carefully. It seemed that was indeed the case. She had just called his name a couple of times and then straightforwardly invited him into the office.

It seems there was nothing mysterious about it at all. This whole thing was just my overactive imagination. But her expression, her tone, and the sudden change in her demeanor were just too strange. I couldn’t help but overthink. Forget it, all this thinking is pointless. It’s just helping out, isn’t it? Since it’s just helping out, there’s nothing to be scared of, though I don’t even know what I was afraid of, or perhaps, what I was hoping for.

Having figured it out, Chu Tian felt much more relaxed and was no longer as tense as before.

Seeing that they were still standing by the door, he visibly relaxed, moved to the sofa, and sat down casually. "Helping is no problem, of course, but what do you need my help with? First, let me be clear: I won’t do anything illegal or break any rules. And don’t even think about asking me to pretend to be your boyfriend. I don’t want to be a human shield."

Listening to Chu Tian’s rambling nonsense, Xu Qingqiu’s face flushed red. Her previous reserve and insecurity completely vanished; moreover, her heart gave an uncharacteristic, fierce throb.

"Pfft," she retorted, "who asked you to pretend to be my boyfriend? Don’t flatter yourself~"

Though she said this, the smile on her face was almost impossible to conceal.

Huh? So it’s not about pretending to be her boyfriend as a human shield? Isn’t that how it always plays out in TV dramas? I thought it was going to be some melodramatic cliché. While relieved, why do I feel a tiny bit disappointed? Am I, an old soul, getting carried away by youthful passion?

"Since you don’t want me to pretend to be your boyfriend, what do you want me to help you with?"

Her earlier seriousness gone, Xu Qingqiu approached the table with a smile and flushed cheeks; in a few quick steps, she was beside it.

She naturally picked up her water cup and handed it to Chu Tian. Inside were various pre-steeped medicinal herbs, all for protecting the throat.

"Here, have a drink first; it will soothe your throat quickly."

What’s this all about? Offering such unsolicited kindness usually means she’s up to no good, either a villain or a thief!

With his guard up, Chu Tian took the cup and asked, "Don’t think bribing me like this will work. Just tell me straight what you want."

As he spoke, he lifted the cup and started drinking.

Seriously, after wrestling with the System all afternoon, I’m actually quite thirsty. Could there be something wrong with the water? Impossible. This is Xu Qingqiu’s own drink; how could there be a problem?

The water was fine, but what she said next definitely was a problem.

"Actually, it’s nothing major. I’m recording an album, you see, and I’m short on help. Can you help me with my album recording?"

PFFT—

The water Chu Tian had just sipped sprayed out instantly.

"What on earth did you just say?"

"I want you to guide my album recording. Would that be too much trouble for you?"

This isn’t a damn question of whether it’s troublesome or not; this is a question of *why*!

"What are you thinking? Why are you asking me to help with your album? Didn’t you already assemble a team?"

At this, Xu Qingqiu pouted aggrievedly and began her explanation.

"The team is assembled, but I think I overestimated my own abilities. I said I wanted to make the best album, to give it my all, but the producer felt my Singing Skills weren’t up to par and that I was wasting those good songs."

Her Singing Skills aren’t up to par? Wasting good songs? What kind of ridiculous reasons are these? Songs are meant to be sung! Who can guarantee that every song they release is in its absolute peak, perfect state? Think about those major figures in the music world whose debut songs became massive hits all over Jiangnan. Who would dare say their songs were bad? But were their Singing Skills at their peak back then? Definitely not! So what’s with all these convoluted excuses?

"I’ve already sung with all the ability I possess, but the producer still isn’t satisfied. He says my current singing isn’t even as good as in those two songs I recorded before."

"He also said that I definitely can’t achieve it on my own, but if I could find the vocal coach for those two songs, it could surely be made more perfect."

"You know, those two songs I recorded before..."

Chu Tian looked at her, speechless, wishing he could knock some sense into her little head.

"So this is your reason for dragging me into this? Just so you can sing a bit better?"

"Chu Tian! What do you mean, ’dragging you into this’? Can’t you just do me a favor?"

Whether he could help or not was beside the point; Chu Tian felt like crying.

This is so damn infuriating! I can’t just tell her I’m the one who gave her the songs. I originally thought I could take it easy for a while, maybe start a small company on the sly and develop it, quietly make some money, and see if I could stun everyone someday. To put it bluntly, I’ve already piled up a ton of work for myself, with much more to do. Where would I find the time for this? The crucial thing is, when I initially brought out this album, it was firstly to obstruct my rivals, secondly to help Xu Qingqiu make a name for herself, and thirdly for me to complete a System task. And the last point, the most important one, was that while the ’boss’ was recording her songs, I could slack off, take it easy, and have time for my own little ventures. But after all this, it’s circled right back to me? Isn’t this just a cruel joke?