Chapter 85

The room erupted with laughter, and only when the commotion settled did Qin Qingzhuo introduce the people in the studio to Jiang Ji. Then, he led him upstairs.

“Li Zi, come here for a moment,” he waved to Li Zi.

Li Zi walked over, “What’s up, Qingzhuo?”

“Has everyone eaten?”

“Not yet,” Li Zi smiled, “Too busy gossiping about you.”

Qin Qingzhuo unlocked his phone and handed it to her, “Go ask them what they want to eat and order using my phone.”

“Oh, is this a wedding banquet?” Li Zi took his phone, joking, “Let’s order the expensive dishes, then.”

“Whatever, just order what you like,” Qin Qingzhuo also chuckled, “Go ahead.”

He held Jiang Ji’s hand and walked upstairs. In the meantime, Li Zi asked, “Should I order for you two as well?”

“No need,” Qin Qingzhuo said, “We ate before coming.”

Li Zi acknowledged and took his phone downstairs. Qin Qingzhuo, with Jiang Ji in tow, entered a meeting room.

During the wait for Li Zi to return, Qin Qingzhuo sat in a swivel chair in the lounge, while Jiang Ji leaned on the meeting table, pulling the zipper of his sweater up and down.

Qin Qingzhuo wore a black cashmere sweater with a silver zipper running from the neckline to just below the collarbone. Unzipped, it revealed an open-collar design showcasing his neck; zipped up, it formed a high-neck sweater that reached his jawline.

“How’s Professor Du Hefeng?” Qin Qingzhuo talked about the program with him. “Is he treating you well?”

Jiang Ji pulled the zipper down, exposing a hickey on Qin Qingzhuo’s neck, and replied, “Not as well as you.”

Qin Qingzhuo propped his chin with his raised hand, looking at him with a half-smile, “Tell me, who treats you better than me?”

Jiang Ji used his fingertips to trace the mark on his neck, “No one treats me better than you.”

“Alright, I won’t get jealous of Professor Du,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled, “Let’s talk seriously.”

“I haven’t interacted much with him,” Jiang Ji pulled the zipper back up, concealing the suggestive mark. Qin Qingzhuo seemed to exude a sense of restraint, “Should be fine; he’s quite professional.”

“It’s been over a month, and you haven’t interacted much? I’ve only accompanied you in a few recordings.”

“It’s different,” Jiang Ji unzipped again, revealing the hickey, “I’ve talked to him a few times on the show, but there’s not much communication privately. He hasn’t been to the bar where I sing, hasn’t taken me to a music festival, hasn’t eloped with me… Of course, he’s an old man. Even if he wanted to elope with me, I wouldn’t go.”

Qin Qingzhuo was amused, “What if I become an old man in the future?”

“If you become an old man, I won’t still be young,” Jiang Ji said, “A seventy-year-old and an eighty-year-old old man look almost the same.”

At that moment, footsteps approached in the corridor. Qin Qingzhuo looked outside, “Is Li Zi coming over?”

Jiang Ji didn’t say anything; instead, he lowered his face and kissed the untouched skin on Qin Qingzhuo’s neck.

As the footsteps drew nearer, Qin Qingzhuo reached out to touch his hair, laughing, “Alright, haven’t you had enough?”

Jiang Ji lifted his head, staring at the fresh mark he had just created. He used his fingertip to wipe away the saliva and zipped up Qin Qingzhuo’s sweater.

A few seconds later, Li Zi entered, returning Qin Qingzhuo’s phone, “As soon as Brother Qi heard that you were treating today, he said he would sing ‘Light Peck’ for you every day from now on.”

“Let him pay the copyright fee first,” Qin Qingzhuo took the phone and said with a smile, “I guess he’s leading this today.”

“He’s leading, but everyone is quite cooperative. As soon as they heard about the commotion for you, they became more enthusiastic than releasing a new album.”

“What kind of people did I sign with…” Qin Qingzhuo said, though he wore a smile on his face, showing no signs of anger.

After a moment of thought, he asked Li Zi again, “By the way, about the photos… Do you think we need to do some PR or guide public opinion?”

“Have you seen the current public opinion?” Li Zi looked at the two opposite.

“No,” Qin Qingzhuo didn’t usually read comments about himself; he was somewhat resistant to doing so.

“Take a look first,” Li Zi took out her phone, tapped a few times on the screen, and handed it over. Qin Qingzhuo didn’t take it. He was about to ask Li Zi to briefly explain the direction of public opinion when Jiang Ji reached out and took it. Qin Qingzhuo didn’t say anything more.

Jiang Ji scrolled through the comments section, suddenly laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Qin Qingzhuo turned his head to look at him.

“You can take a look,” Jiang Ji handed him the phone, “It’s quite amusing.”

“Yes, Qingzhuo, take a look,” Li Zi chuckled, “It’s definitely different from what you imagined.”

Qin Qingzhuo took it and found that the comments were different from what he had expected. They were filled with a festive atmosphere like the Lunar New Year:

“Sobs… The love story on the river is real! So excited, I want to run a few laps downstairs!”

“Damn, our dorm exploded in an instant! Paparazzi, you’ve done a good job!”

“What good deeds did I do in my past life to see such good things in this life!!!”

“Thank you, thank you! I’ll cherish these photos for a lifetime and bring them into my coffin!”

…

Most of the comments in the top rows were like this. It wasn’t until later that there were different voices, such as “Some people actually believe in such obvious hype”, “Qin Qingzhuo’s voice is ruined and he still smokes”, “Is this for real? It’s too blatant”, but Qin Qingzhuo hadn’t seen many of these comments before Jiang Ji snatched the phone away.

“Of course, there are definitely negative comments, but they’re only a minority,” Li Zi said. “I checked the current trend of public opinion this afternoon. Overall, the CP fans are ecstatic, your fanclubs are in full swing, and as for passers-by, they’re either here for the drama and enjoying the show or they believe you’re just hyping it up. So there’s really no need for specialized public opinion guidance; both sides of your fans are already trying their best to clear up this relationship.”

Qin Qingzhuo: “…Is that so.”

“And to be honest, from what I’ve observed, there’s a pretty amazing chemical reaction between you two. Even if someone doesn’t particularly like one of you, they might still think it’s great to ship you as a couple. So why bother guiding anything?” Li Zi leaned back in her chair. “It’s such a rare sense of CP. Qingzhuo, do you know how many people, just to gain popularity, go to great lengths to create fake CPs for themselves to market? You two haven’t done anything, yet you’re already getting attention. I’m sure there are many peers who are jealous, maybe they’re even studying you two as a successful marketing case.”

For a moment, Qin Qingzhuo didn’t know what to say. The feeling of seemingly being watched by the whole world while dating was somewhat surreal.

Li Zi’s words dispelled some of his concerns, but he still had some worries. “But the online public opinion ecology doesn’t always mirror reality. Some people may feel averse but won’t express it in the comments…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Li Zi exaggeratedly sighed, “You’re too pessimistic, Qingzhuo. Out of sight, out of mind. If you don’t see it, just pretend it doesn’t exist. You should really learn from Jiang Ji; look at how he’s not making a big deal out of it.”

Jiang Ji glanced at Qin Qingzhuo, “I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

“Yeah, especially when you can publicly sing ‘Light Peck’,” Li Zi chuckled, then said, “But your attitude can be a bit risky, so I think it’s necessary to remind you.”

“What is it?” Jiang Ji looked at her.

“The only thing you need to do right now,” Li Zi said seriously, “is to refrain from kissing in public.”

Qin Qingzhuo: “…”

“I’ll try my best,” Jiang Ji said.

“At this level,” Li Zi smiled, “just keep a bit of imagination, and don’t do anything else.”

The three chatted for a while longer until Jiang Ji’s phone vibrated. Zhong Yang sent a message saying that he and Peng Keshi had taken a taxi, but there were too many alleys nearby, and they couldn’t find the specific location.

“They’ve arrived,” Jiang Ji squeezed Qin Qingzhuo’s hand, “I’ll go out and pick them up.”

“Okay,” Qin Qingzhuo nodded.

Watching Jiang Ji open the door and walk out, Li Zi lowered her voice and said to Qin Qingzhuo, “So obedient in front of you.”

“Is he?” Qin Qingzhuo raised an eyebrow lightly.

“He’s completely different from the first two times he came,” Li Zi chuckled. “Especially when you avoided him that time, his expression was a bit intimidating.”

Qin Qingzhuo just smiled along with her, not saying much, and changed the subject.

A few minutes later, the glass door behind them was pushed open, and Jiang Ji walked in, followed by Peng Keshi and Zhong Yang.

“The traffic was a bit congested on the way,” Zhong Yang walked in and said, “We’re a bit late. Sorry, Brother Qingzhuo.”

“Not late at all,” Qin Qingzhuo invited them to sit down, introducing Li Zi, “This is your sister Li Zi. In the future, she’ll be primarily in charge of you guys. Li Zi is the studio’s big boss, mainly responsible for artist management. She’s a formidable person.”

Zhong Yang immediately sweetly called out, “Sister Li Zi,” and Li Zi waved her hand, saying, “Oh, too much, too much. Just call me Li Zi; you can always come to me for anything in the future.”

Looking at Peng Keshi, Qin Qingzhuo said, “Is it Keshi, right? Sister Cha has mentioned you to me several times, saying the bassist for Asperatus is super talented.”

“Really,” Peng Keshi smiled, “Sister Cha praised me behind my back.”

“Not just once,” Li Zi got up to pour water for everyone, sat back down, and continued, “The studio doesn’t have many signed artists now. Lin Qi and the others come over every day; I’m already tired of seeing them. Finally, some fresh faces.”

Qin Qingzhuo took a sip of water, smiling, “Don’t let Lin Qi hear that.”

“Lin Qi?” Zhong Yang got excited. “Is he the lead singer of Nesting Tree? Oh, I really like him!”

“He likes you guys too. He even shared the song you performed last time on his Moments,” Li Zi said. “By the way, are you getting ready for the finals now?”

“Not yet,” Peng Keshi said. “We don’t have to participate in the semifinals. We have an extra week of preparation compared to the other bands, so we’re not in a hurry.”

“They’re never in a hurry,” Qin Qingzhuo laughed with Li Zi. “One night before a competition, they hadn’t even decided on the performance repertoire. Quite bold.”

“Blame that on Jiang Ji that time,” Zhong Yang said. “Brother Qingzhuo, you can’t wrongly accuse me and Sister Shi.”

Qin Qingzhuo glanced at Jiang Ji, his eyes filled with a smile.

Jiang Ji had been mostly silent, remaining quiet most of the time. Today, he was wearing a deep gray turtleneck sweater, covering some of the sharp jawline, just sitting there quietly, looking like a diligent student focused on a lecture.

Quite obedient, Qin Qingzhuo thought.

Then he suddenly noticed a very faint hickey near Jiang Ji’s jaw, a mark he left on Jiang Ji last night. The lips seemed even redder than before, perhaps because…

Sensing Qin Qingzhuo’s gaze, Jiang Ji also turned to look at him. His eyes lingered on Qin Qingzhuo’s eyes for a couple of seconds before moving down to his lips.

He wants to kiss. The thought flashed in Qin Qingzhuo’s mind.

While Li Zi, Peng Keshi, and Zhong Yang were chatting on the opposite side, Qin Qingzhuo subtly shifted his gaze away, picked up a water glass, took a sip, and wiped away the water stains on his lips.

Jiang Ji’s hand fell from the table, slid into the gap between Qin Qingzhuo’s fingers, clasping them, and lightly caressed the back of his hand with the thumb.

Although everyone in the room knew about their relationship, the feeling of secretly holding hands under the table still made them somewhat uneasy. Qin Qingzhuo didn’t move, and his other hand rotated the glass on the table, absentmindedly listening to the conversation across the table.

Li Zi looked over, “Why are you two suddenly so quiet?”

Qin Qingzhuo instinctively wanted to retract his hand, but Jiang Ji tightened his fingers, preventing him from pulling away.

…But maybe not so obedient after all, Qin Qingzhuo thought.

“It’s because I see you guys chatting happily,” his fingers were tightly held, Qin Qingzhuo smiled, turned his head to look at Jiang Ji, “By the way, what’s the format for the finals?”

“It’s a collaboration where you invite guest singers to perform together,” Jiang Ji finally spoke, “Then it will be live-streamed on the internet, and the audience will vote in real-time.”

Originally just a casual question to change the topic, but hearing Jiang Ji’s explanation, Qin Qingzhuo was somewhat surprised. “You need to invite guest singers too?”

“Yeah,” Zhong Yang took over, “For a band like us, who barely have anything, we don’t even know who we could invite.”

“Isn’t Du Hefeng helping?” Qin Qingzhuo asked.

“They made it clear on the day the format was announced. They said their schedule is too full recently and couldn’t find suitable candidates, so they asked us to try to solve it ourselves. If we couldn’t find anyone suitable, then they’ll find someone for us,” Zhong Yang complained again, “Joking aside, how can we solve this? If we could, do we still need to participate in this damn show?”

“This is so unfair,” Li Zi sighed. “If you can’t find a popular guest singer, your votes will definitely suffer.”

“Yeah,” Qin Qingzhuo furrowed his brows slightly, “This format of the finals might end up being a competition of the guest singer’s fan base. Urban Collapse is highly connected to Shi Yao’s interests. He’s used tactics like manipulating votes once before, using them again might ruin his reputation. Helping Urban Collapse win the championship through this method could be considered a final struggle. As for Du Hefeng’s side, there’s no need to ask. If they can say such things, they’re probably on the same page as Shi Yao.”

“But winning the championship like this is shameful,” Li Zi frowned, “Isn’t he afraid of backlash against Urban Collapse?”

“As long as they have the championship title, they can access more resources,” Qin Qingzhuo said, “What’s a little criticism? Just release some press releases to whitewash the situation later, and the audience will easily forget about it. Moreover, for someone like Shi Yao, only if Asperatus can’t win the championship, can he swallow the humiliation he suffered before.”

“That surname Shi is really disgusting,” Zhong Yang cursed.

“It seems Shi Yao knows I haven’t been in contact with you guys recently,” Qin Qingzhuo looked at Jiang Ji, “Have people been stalking you a lot recently?”

“There are too many people stalking me,” Jiang Ji said indifferently, “I can’t even tell if they’re the ones Shi Yao sent.”

“True,” Qin Qingzhuo nodded.

Given the current public curiosity about Jiang Ji, there are probably quite a few people wanting to stake out and secretly film him.

Qin Qingzhuo put down the cup in his hand, leaned back against the chair back, his elbow resting on the armrest of the chair, his bent fingers supporting his chin. After pondering for a few seconds with his eyes lowered, he spoke casually, “But it’s no problem. If Shi Yao can hire someone, I can also hire someone for you. If Shi Yao can’t hire someone, I can still do it for you.”

After saying that, he turned the swivel chair slightly towards Jiang Ji and asked him, “So, who do you want to invite?”