CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 291: PREMATURE RELEASE, STARTING TO BUILD MOMENTUM_2

"In terms of fame, there are seniors more renowned than her; among the younger generation, there are top-tier celebrities with greater popularity. Had it not been for the popularity brought by Qingqiu’s new album, the director wouldn’t have even considered her."

Xu Qingqiu couldn’t help but look disheartened upon hearing this. Indeed, although I’ve worked hard enough, the outcomes aren’t as I expected. Even with Chu Tian’s help, both my popularity and status have seen significant growth. But after all, my foundation is too shallow, and my roots aren’t deep; achieving this much in just six months is already remarkable. At least catching the attention of the Spring Festival Gala’s directors is a huge leap forward. As for higher aspirations? They might just remain wishes.

Chu Tian had been paying attention to Xu Qingqiu’s mood from the start. Seeing her like this, he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on her small hand, secretly comforting her.

The sharp-eyed Sister Hua certainly didn’t miss this scene. Unbelievable! What terrible luck, did I come back just to be subjected to their public display of affection? Unable to bear it any longer, her tone took a complete one-eighty.

"However, Qingqiu, it’s not like you don’t have a chance. The director’s team feels that while you’re doing very well right now, with high popularity and buzz, there’s inevitably some negative public opinion surrounding you. However, it’s not that they won’t consider you. At the very least, your phenomenal album scored you a lot of points, and many people have recommended your inclusion. That director also secretly mentioned to me that they’d like me to make some plans, preferably to build more momentum for you before year-end. If possible, if your popularity could see another surge before New Year’s Day, there’s a high likelihood the Spring Festival Gala will send you an invitation."

This sudden, positive turn of events brought a swift smile to Xu Qingqiu’s face.

"Really?!"

"Of course, it’s true. However, what happens next might depend on your boyfriend."

Hearing this, Xu Qingqiu looked eagerly at Chu Tian.

She knew how much effort Chu Tian had poured into helping her quickly rise to the top. He wrote songs for her, created the arrangements for the entire album himself, and paved her path forward. Despite being an inherently lazy person, he even set aside his own company to help her studio cultivate new talent. It was all to lessen her burden so she could invest more into her music, focusing more fully and growing faster. She saw all of this, and it weighed heavily on her heart. Every day, aside from practicing diligently, she truly couldn’t find any other way to contribute because the only thing she could do was to continuously improve her own abilities, to try and keep pace with the path Chu Tian was forging for her. She had thought things would continue this way indefinitely. But now, Sister Hua had suddenly brought news of the Spring Festival Gala. This was undoubtedly the fastest shortcut imaginable. If this path worked out, it would save an immense amount of time, and Chu Tian wouldn’t have to exhaust himself so much.

Facing Xu Qingqiu’s hopeful and excited eyes, Chu Tian couldn’t help but show a bitter smile. He looked at Xu Qingqiu, his heart aching for her, and said, "Sigh, there is a way, and I believe you’re thinking the same thing. But it would be incredibly exhausting for you."

But Xu Qingqiu shook her head without the slightest hesitation. "I’m not afraid! Can we do it?"

Seeing her determined eyes, what else could Chu Tian say? "Alright, you’re thinking of releasing the album earlier, right? Seems like that’s the most effective method right now."

Xu Qingqiu smiled and nodded. When she looked at Sister Hua, the manager simply raised her eyebrows, an unsurprised expression on her face. Everyone present was sharp. In fact, from the moment Sister Hua mentioned the need to boost Xu Qingqiu’s public profile, all three of them had already thought of this solution. Oh, right, except for the dazed little Yiyi standing to the side.

"Huh? What do you mean? I don’t understand?"

Yiyi had originally been holding a fruit platter, intending to offer it to Sister Hua, but she had gotten completely engrossed in their conversation. She stood there holding the platter for ages before slowly sitting down. The fruit on the platter then, quite naturally, began to find its way into her own mouth. Having polished off more than half the fruit, Yiyi listened to the three of them talking in riddles, her mind practically smoking from the effort, yet she still couldn’t grasp what they were discussing.

"Alright, I understand. Then, everyone, let’s prepare to work hard," Sister Hua declared.

"Mmhmm~"

Seeing Xu Qingqiu brimming with fighting spirit, Chu Tian couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Alright, rest early. Tomorrow we start, preparing for a tough battle!"

Sister Hua rolled her eyes, a gesture Chu Tian didn’t catch. Seeing it was getting late, he said goodbye to everyone and headed home to freshen up and rest. His talk of a ’tough battle’ was no joke; he was entirely serious.

「...」

The next day, the four of them drove in two cars to the studio.

As soon as Sister Hua arrived, it was like she was back in her lair, her aura instantly at full blast.

"Yiyi, don’t just follow us around. This is your home base too. Is there anything Qingqiu can’t handle herself? If she’s too busy, aren’t there other assistants?"

"Now, go immediately and notify all department heads to arrange their work, then come to meeting room one for a meeting!"

"Yuan, from this moment on, your department is to sort out all available resources. I need things that can be put into operation immediately. Don’t give me any of that unreliable fluff just for show, understand?"

"Regarding public opinion, from now on, monitor all online trends.

"I need the release records for all singles and albums from the three months prior to today, as well as the plans of relevant companies and artists for the next two months.

"And I must have all of this by three o’clock this afternoon!"

「...」

Directives were issued rapidly, one after another. Under Sister Hua’s command, everyone instantly tensed up, and an atmosphere of frenetic activity filled the studio as they all hurried to their tasks. Chu Tian, meanwhile, wasn’t idle either.

"Alright, take a breather. From here on out, you need to prepare yourself for some hardship."

Inside the recording studio, Chu Tian looked at Xu Qingqiu and said this.

"It’s okay. Bring it on. I’ve endured tougher days than this. Besides, I’ll have new songs to sing, and you’ll be here with me. Shouldn’t that be a happy thing?"

Chu Tian gently caressed Xu Qingqiu’s perfectly sculpted cheek and said no more.

In truth, the ’bit of hardship’ he mentioned was a significant understatement.

From that day forward, Xu Qingqiu arrived at the studio punctually at 7:00 AM every morning and never left before 11:00 PM at night. Every day she was either practicing her vocals, songs, or dances, or she was learning Cantonese, musical instruments, music theory, or music history. In short, she had to learn everything related to music. Because merely being able to sing made one only a tool. To truly sing music with soul, one must first convey the emotions within it. And the emotions in music encompass not just lyrics, rhythm, and melody, but also the history and deeper meanings behind the music.

Meanwhile, on the internet, the discussions that had arisen due to the studio’s earlier announcement had long since sunk into oblivion. But somehow, over the past two days, talk about Xu Qingqiu’s new album had quietly ignited again. Moreover, all sorts of rumors, some seemingly credible and others patently false, began to circulate widely.

"Is it true Xu Qingqiu is releasing a new album next month?"

"What new album? Who told you that? Didn’t they just say production has started, not that it’s releasing next month?"

"No, I saw someone say the new album is almost done and it’s coming out next month!"

"Are you kidding? How is that possible? Do you think albums are like cabbages, produced one month and out the next? Absolutely impossible!"

"Have you seen Xu Qingqiu’s new album poster? Isn’t it just beautiful?"

"Yes, I saw it! It’s so dreamy! But I heard it was fan-made, you know?"

"What poster? New album? Isn’t the new album still in production? Since when did they release a poster?"

"What poster are you talking about? They haven’t even shot the poster for the new album yet. Where did you see it?"

Posters, tracklists, release dates—all sorts of information, a mix of truth and falsehood, swirled together. It spread from various channels and unexpected places. In just a few days, it stirred up a significant buzz on the internet. Many uninformed netizens were drawn in, further accelerating the spread of the buzz.

Meanwhile, at the studio, it was a completely different scene.

"Teacher Xu, lift your head a bit. Yes, yes, just like that. A bit more pride. Perfect!"

"Let’s change the pose. Look forward. Don’t be so cold; add some emotion. Imagine your lover is standing right in front of you."

「...」

"PHEW... I’m so tired."

After a full day of being directed by the photographer, Xu Qingqiu walked heavily to the rest area, fanning herself with her hand.

"You’ve worked hard. Sit down and have some water. Keep it up! This is for the photoshoot and the album poster. We need stunning photos for the fans, right?" Chu Tian smiled, handing her a bottle of water while gently soothing her frayed nerves.

"Mmhmm... but I’m still so tired..."

In front of others, Xu Qingqiu might maintain a facade, but with Chu Tian, she naturally allowed herself to act cute and seek comfort.