CHAPTER 292: CHAPTER 216: A SERIES OF EXPLOSIVE NEWS

Online, fans from all walks of life were still eagerly spreading the news about their beloved idol’s new album.

However, Xu Qingqiu’s studio was surprisingly calm, with days spent practicing either singing or dancing.

Yes, Xu Qingqiu, for some unknown reason, had suddenly decided she wanted to dance at the concert.

"Ouch—my legs are so sore—"

"What were you thinking? You’re a pop singer, not a sing-dance-rap artist. Aren’t you just asking for trouble?"

"Who do you think you’re looking down on? I practiced in a girl group before, you know. Back when you were dancing, you had to learn from me!"

Because she had overdone it with dance practice the previous night, Xu Qingqiu woke up feeling terrible. Her legs ached, her arms ached, and even her abdomen ached. In short, every part of her body that had been exerted during practice was sore.

At that moment, Chu Tian was leisurely helping her towards the elevator in the parking garage, muttering all the while.

In fact, he had a massage technique from the system that could effectively relieve muscle soreness. But it required hands-on application, and he didn’t dare suggest it. Even though he had the idea, he was too embarrassed to speak up.

Chu Tian absolutely couldn’t understand her penchant for self-imposed trouble.

"I admit, I was wrong about that," Chu Tian said, "but how long has it been since you last danced? Isn’t it nice to just sing quietly? Why insist on dancing?"

"Humph, why do you think?" Xu Qingqiu retorted. "Who was the one glued to his phone, scrolling through short videos, unable to look away whenever there was dancing involved? Huh?"

"Eh? That’s your reason?"

Chu Tian stared at her in bewilderment, finding it hard to believe that was really why. Could it be jealousy?

True, the young women in the videos were indeed young, with long legs, and their dancing was crisp and grand. But Chu Tian knew it was all an illusion, nothing but digital trickery and clever editing. He was just interested in the music. At most, he’d idly watch for a moment while listening. How could that provoke jealousy?

"I was appreciating the music," Chu Tian argued. "Don’t forget, I’m somewhat of a musician myself. Listening to a bit of music isn’t too much to ask, right?"

"Say that again? I’ll give you one chance to rephrase that!"

"But it’s true! I really was just listening to the music!"

"Humph! Fine!" Xu Qingqiu angrily pointed at Chu Tian, shook off his hand, and turned to walk away. Her legs no longer felt sore, nor did her waist ache; she walked away quickly.

"Hey, wait! Aren’t your legs hurting anymore?"

He shouldn’t have said anything. The moment he did, Xu Qingqiu walked even faster.

Oh no, she’s really angry... A belated realization finally struck the dazed Chu Tian, and he quickly chased after her.

"Ow, slow down! If you move too quickly, your legs will hurt even more."

"Let me get the elevator for you!"

"Here, give me your bag, I’ll carry it for you..."

Watching Chu Tian eagerly fussing over her, Xu Qingqiu rolled her eyes. Despite a flicker of joy in her heart, her face remained indifferent.

CLICK, CLICK... CLICK, CLICK... BANG!

The high heels struck a crisp rhythm on the floor.

Chu Tian followed closely behind her, only to nearly have his nose flattened when Xu Qingqiu slammed the door shut.

He stood awkwardly outside the door, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly keyed in the password and walked in.

"Get out!"

"Okay, okay~"

Watching Chu Tian retreat with an embarrassed expression, Xu Qingqiu waited until he was some distance away. Then, her angry facade suddenly crumbled. Grimacing, she slowly, painfully, made her way to a chair and sank into it, not wanting to move an inch.

"HUMPH, HUMPH... AH..."

She hadn’t danced in years and definitely wasn’t accustomed to such intense practice. Now, even just sitting in the chair made her feel a tingly, itchy soreness all over.

The worst part was, she was already in such a state, and Chu Tian had still managed to make her angry, forcing her to endure the pain all the way from the underground parking garage until now.

Xu Qingqiu constantly rubbed her upper thighs, her face a mixture of aggrievement and pain.

"What happened to you? Did someone beat you up?" Li Chunhua asked as she walked in, finding Xu Qingqiu fidgeting and scratching as if she had lice, occasionally grimacing in discomfort.

"Oh, Sister Hua~ I’m so tired from practicing dance yesterday. Now I’m sore all over. I need a hug~ Humph, humph~"

"Alright, alright, hugs, hugs. Where’s that Prince Charming of yours—the one you insist you’ll never marry? Didn’t you have him comfort you?"

"Humph! Don’t even mention him. He’s such a dense block of iron!"

At this moment, said ’dense block of iron’ Chu Tian was in the recording studio, utterly dejected and doubting life itself.

Are girls always this temperamental? Is it really such a big deal that I watched a few short videos?

Unable to comprehend Xu Qingqiu’s thought process, Chu Tian felt deeply troubled.

Just as he was hesitating over what to do, his phone rang.

Hmm? Qiu Ye? Isn’t that the editor from that website? Why is she calling me?

Chu Tian skeptically answered the call.

"Ah! Nanmeng, you finally answered the phone!"

"What’s up?"

"Um... Nanmeng, is your new book ready?"

New book?! Only then did Chu Tian remember. The second part of "Candle in the Tomb" he’d been serializing had finished long ago. He recalled that when Qiu Ye had called him earlier, he had brushed her off by claiming he was preparing a new book. What’s the date now? Oh no, half a month has passed.

"You know, the new book... it’s still in preparation, but it’ll be ready soon!"

"Really? You need to hurry, Nanmeng. You might not fully understand the difference between traditional literature and online novels. If you don’t release a new book for too long, you can lose a lot of fans."

"Oh, oh, I understand. Don’t worry. How about in a few days, okay?"

"Yes, yes, I’ll be waiting for your good news!"

Resorting once more to the art of procrastination, Chu Tian barely managed to placate her, his forehead damp with sweat by the time he hung up.