CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER 82: HEART-TO-HEART, RECOLLECTION, VENTING FRUSTRATIONS

"Um... I’m sorry..."

"I’m sorry..."

After a prolonged silence, they both spoke at the same time. Having said that, they were both stunned. They exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.

Xu Qingqiu also pretended to forget what had just happened and sat down beside Chu Tian. They both simply smiled, quietly watching the small fish swim to and fro in the pond before them.

Eventually, Chu Tian broke the silence:

"Sorry, my temper might not have been great today. I said some harsh things; please don’t take it to heart."

Xu Qingqiu waved her hands frantically.

"Not at all, not at all..."

Halfway through her sentence, perhaps realizing she was being a bit insincere, she hesitated for a moment, then chuckled and said, "It was indeed quite direct, and it really made me feel bad."

"It feels like I’ve seldom had experiences like this since my debut. For a moment, it was like being a trainee again. Do you remember Song? He used to say things much worse than you did..."

Talking about the past, the two of them seemed to find common ground and began to complain, one after the other, about their previous dance teachers, music teachers, and so on.

Interspersed were names that had vanished from their lives, a teammate with whom they had long lost contact, and some memorable incidents.

Time flies when reminiscing, and before they knew it, the sky had darkened.

Anxious, Yiyi returned. Holding a box of snacks, she stood far from the greenbelt, watching the two chat happily inside. Relieved, she sighed but didn’t interrupt, instead finding a spot to sit and wait patiently.

Eventually, unable to resist the temptation of the snacks, she opened the box and started eating with joy.

By the poolside, they had talked for a long, long time before both slowly fell silent, as if reflecting on the past, only to realize those times were now beyond reach.

Their hearts full of regret, their silence became a tribute, painting the sky with scattered starlight.

And those bygone days, inevitably bearing the mark of time, lingered only in increasingly fragmented memories, destined to be forgotten someday.

"I’m sorry, Chu Tian. I wasn’t angry with you; I was just very upset. I was afraid I’d cry and embarrass myself in there, so I ran out."

"You were right about many things today. I used to think I was already quite good, but it turns out I’m so lacking."

Xu Qingqiu took a deep breath, looked up at the starry sky, and said with a sense of relief.

"That’s not entirely true. You’re still young, and you’re already very good. But nobody’s perfect; learning is endless. If you were perfect now, what would that mean for the seniors? Wouldn’t they be so ashamed they’d want to jump into a river?"

"Hahaha, thank you for the compliment. I feel much better now."

"But Chu Tian, seeing you as you are now, I can rest assured."

"Hm? What do you mean, ’rest assured’? It sounds like you’re giving your last words. Don’t talk nonsense."

"I’m not! I just wanted to say..."

"Wanted to say what?"

Xu Qingqiu seemed to recall something. She glanced at those eyes reflecting a faint light in the darkness, and her smile slowly faded.

"I wanted to say, you should stay just as you are. Even if I’m not around in the future, you can still live a wonderful life because you truly are excellent!"

"Wait, what’s wrong? The more you talk, the more it sounds like a will. Tell me the truth, did something happen?"

"No, really!"

"I don’t believe you! Tell me now! Don’t even think about lying to me. And don’t forget how potent those medicines I gave you were. If you’re really sick, you must tell me, even if it’s cancer! I can’t guarantee I can save you, but I might be able to find a way, understand?!"

Chu Tian spoke very earnestly. Xu Qingqiu’s words were too misleading; they sounded just like she was settling her final affairs, making him increasingly panicked as he listened. How could he not be afraid?

Xu Qingqiu felt a warmth in her heart at his serious demeanor, but the more she thought about it, the more amusing she found it.

"What are you thinking? My injury just healed, and you’re already wishing I’d get sick? I’m really not!"

"Then what is really going on? Will you tell me the truth?"

"Well... how should I put this..."

Faced with Chu Tian’s persistent questioning, Xu Qingqiu hesitated for a moment before finally revealing it bit by bit.

"You know, I had a falling-out with the program team because of my injury..."

"Now the show is gone, and so is the exposure. I’m just hoping my new song can make a bit of a splash."

"I used to think I was quite talented—a young Queen, envied by many. Even I was sometimes complacent."

"I thought, why couldn’t I make a name for myself even after leaving Baise Entertainment?"

"But in the end... if it weren’t for Youmeng, I might have ended up as a street-performing clown, just struggling to get by."

"Later, Sister Hua went to great lengths, pulling strings, begging and pleading everywhere to get me gigs. A woman as proud and assertive as her, yet she humbled herself for my sake, even getting so drunk on several occasions that she spent the whole night throwing up in the bathroom..."

As she spoke of this, Xu Qingqiu’s voice was tinged with tears.

"Finally, she got me into ’The Sound of Nature.’ As you saw, my new song became a hit, the show became a hit, and I became a hit..."

"I thought I had gained some status, right?"

"I thought I could return to my peak. Back then, I earned the company hundreds of millions each year. Surely I could do that again, right?"

"But unexpectedly... an accident, or perhaps a deliberate incident, sent everything back to square one. It was even worse than before..."

"Sister Hua... she sacrificed so much for me. She paid such a high price and went to such great lengths to get me on that show, all to seek justice for me. For us to quit just like that... she must be even more upset than I am, right?"

Chu Tian sat beside her, listening silently without a word. He had never considered Xu Qingqiu’s perspective before, nor had he ever imagined the immense pressure she was under.

He had been unaware of the predicament she faced. In his mind, setting aside factors from his previous self, his relationship with Xu Qingqiu was merely that of an employer and employee. Besides, deep down, he didn’t particularly value this job.

He had stayed on, partly to familiarize himself with this world, and partly because while he didn’t want to enter the entertainment industry, he hadn’t yet figured out his next path.

It wasn’t until today’s conversation that his heart was finally moved.

"And there’s also the matter of the new album..."

As for the new album, Chu Tian had heard something about it. Apparently, Sister Hua was helping her prepare one, collecting songs from various sources. He wasn’t sure how it was progressing.

"Heh... the album. I never imagined it would be so difficult to ask for even one song. Nor did I ever think that the so-called Song Daddies and independent creators would actually have to pick sides."

"Before capital, I’m just a clown. The Song Daddies in the three special administrative regions defer to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Those in the south listen to Shanghai, those in the north to the Capital’s circle, and those in the west to Chang’an’s circle. There are cliques everywhere, and only cliques can communicate with other cliques..."

"Something that’s incredibly difficult for me is just a matter of a phone call for them."

"Yes, just a phone call, and I can’t get a single song. Not one."

"Well, that’s not entirely true. There are some on the music platforms, from students still in school. They have quite a lot of work, but..."

Seeing Xu Qingqiu’s bitter smile, Chu Tian understood without her needing to say more. Circles have always existed, as have social strata. It’s human nature to label, to rank and categorize, to elevate some and denigrate others, and to be exclusionary...