"Giggle, giggle. I've already quit, so from now on, we won't be living in the same world. We were colleagues once, so I wish you a bright future. Take care of yourself!"
Chi Yuting waved at Lin Mu, then walked gracefully to the door. She stopped and turned back.
"Oh, right, I just remembered a line I really like: 'Yesterday you couldn't care less about me. Today, I'm someone you can only dream of reaching.' Bye-bye!"
With that, she giggled and left.
Lin Mu silently watched Chi Yuting go. He glanced at the sausage in his hand, put it down, then walked over to the bag of snacks and took out a packet of chips.
Just as he was about to open it, Xu Li came over and said gently:
"Lin Mu, don't mind her. It's just a TV show. What's the big deal? Your big sister will treat you to a feast tonight!"
"Thanks, Sister Xu. I'm fine. I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast earlier."
He tore open the packet and started munching on the chips.
Xu Li sighed and gently patted his hand.
Li Xiaoyun came over too, trying to comfort him.
"Don't be upset. You might not be good at singing, but you're handsome. Maybe you'll land yourself a gorgeous rich woman.
Wouldn't that be better than taking emergency contraceptives every day like her? If all else fails, Sister Li and I can keep you company tonight?"
"Just eat your food!"
Lin Mu grabbed a handful of chips and shoved them straight into her mouth.
Ignoring his coworkers' sympathetic looks, Lin Mu sat down, his heart growing heavy with worry.
What would he do if he ran into Chi Yuting on the show?
Then he wouldn't be able to keep a low profile anymore!
At noon, Lin Mu went to Chen Xian's office.
"Uncle Chen, I'd like to take an extended leave."
"Extended leave? How long?" Chen Xian looked up at him and asked in surprise.
"Starting at the beginning of next month, I'd like to take a month off."
Lin Mu calculated the dates as he spoke.
Pure Voice's national Top 100 competition would start recording at the beginning of next month and begin airing in the middle of the month.
The Top 100 competition had six rounds: 100 to 80, 80 to 60, 60 to 40, 40 to 10, 10 to 4, and finally the grand final.
They would record one round a week, so the whole thing would take six weeks.
But Lin Mu had already made his plans. He only needed to get through four rounds and make the Top 40.
Three classic songs in the first three rounds would be enough to establish his image as a "singer-songwriter" and a "well-known lyricist and composer."
For the 40-to-10 round, he'd just pick some obscure, random song and get himself eliminated.
That would take exactly a month.
By then, his stage name, "Dawei Tianlong," would have become famous, and he could make money behind the scenes while keeping his current job as cover.
A perfect plan.
He just hadn't expected Chi Yuting to become an unforeseen complication.
He'd have to adapt when the time came to record the show.
"A month off?"
Old Chen frowned at Lin Mu's words.
"Little Lin, which company are you going to?"
He still thought Lin Mu was planning to switch jobs and take a month off to do an internship.
"No, Uncle Chen. I've just been in a bad mood lately, so I want to travel and clear my head."
Lin Mu made up an excuse.
"In a bad mood?" Chen Xian narrowed his eyes and sighed, looking as if he understood. He stood and patted Lin Mu on the shoulder.
"Little Lin, to be honest, Chi Yuting isn't that great a singer either. She just got lucky. You don't need to let this get to you. If singing isn't the right dream for you, you can always find another one."
Lin Mu opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say much. He nodded. "Thanks, Uncle Chen."
Then he left the office.
Watching his "dejected" figure disappear, Chen Xian shook his head.
"Our little company would be lucky to produce even one star. How could everyone be a hidden genius? Young people need to figure out where they stand."
Half a month later.
Jiangrong Satellite TV, Studio One.
The crew was making preparations before recording the first episode of Pure Voice's second season.
"Teacher Feng, the other three mentors have arrived. Director Chen would like you to join them."
Feng Bingbing was in the makeup room when a staff member came to call her.
"Okay, thank you."
Feng Bingbing stood and headed for the door.
She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, but her figure was so striking that the staff around her couldn't help sneaking glances. The men were dazzled; the women were envious.
"Bingbing, no matter who the other mentors are, be kind when you meet them. Move your face more and your mouth less. Keep smiling!"
Zhou Wanqing walked out with her and reminded her anxiously.
Pure Voice had kept the lineup under wraps so well that even she didn't know who the other three mentors were before recording began.
Zhou Wanqing worried the production team might have deliberately invited artists with a history of bad blood to stir up controversy. If Feng Bingbing happened to run into a rival, she might end up clashing with them again.
It wasn't that Zhou Wanqing was worried Feng Bingbing would come off worse. She was afraid Feng Bingbing would tear into the other person so badly that people online would accuse her of being merciless even when she was in the right.
Last time they'd filmed an ad for Defu in Nanan, Feng Bingbing had verbally sparred with Xu Lingyu until she cried. The incident even trended afterward.
Feng Yidao had gotten famous all over again, though Xu Lingyu's fans and plenty of self-proclaimed reasonable bystanders had also criticized her.
Yunshi Records had immediately gone into damage control, releasing an honest account of the clash in the makeup room and explaining that Xu Lingyu had started it, while Feng Bingbing had only fought back in self-defense.
But some people still said Feng Bingbing had gone too far. If someone insulted you, you could just insult them back. Why make them cry?
Zhou Wanqing was afraid Feng Bingbing might run into another rival this time and make them cry before recording even started. That would be a real headache.
"Got it, Sister Wan Qing. Here, look—am I moving my face like this?"
Feng Bingbing turned to Zhou Wanqing. The muscles in her fair, delicate oval face really did move, forming a smile that looked obviously fake.
"Get lost! I'm done trying to manage you!"
Zhou Wanqing smacked her and turned away.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Feng Bingbing held her arm and called after Zhou Wanqing:
"Sister Wan Qing, how about hot pot after we finish recording?"
Zhou Wanqing didn't look back. "We'll see after the show's done!"
"Then it's a deal! I'm eating three plates of pig brain this time!"
Her cheerful voice rang out behind them, accompanied by laughter from the production staff.
Zhou Wanqing raised a hand to cover her face and quickened her pace.
Still, she felt a little relieved. They'd be busy during the recording period, so Feng Bingbing probably wouldn't have time to keep chasing after her Senior Lin.
If people found out that the goddess in countless fans' hearts—the hugely popular Little Diva Feng Bingbing—was chasing after a deadbeat man who made only three thousand a month,
and was acting like a fool by throwing herself at someone who gave her the cold shoulder, wouldn't her fans lose their minds?
They'd already had one meltdown after the confession at the concert. They couldn't take another one after another.
For now, the priority was to keep things stable and gradually minimize the fallout from the concert confession.
As for that Senior Lin...
Zhou Wanqing narrowed her eyes.
"Teacher Feng, Director Chen and the three mentors are inside. Please go in."
A staff member led Feng Bingbing to a room. She nodded in thanks and went inside.
"Xiao Feng is here! Come over, let me introduce you."
Chen Xin stood up. The three people seated beside her rose too and looked toward Feng Bingbing.
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