Chapter 10: The Stunning Song

Li Mingxin clenched his fists tightly and waved them in the air, even doubting whether he had consumed too much theobromine, otherwise, why would he be this excited?

“Ah, wait, what’s this person’s name again?” Li Mingxin quickly took off his headphones, crawled out of the listening booth, grabbed the USB drive, and stumbled towards the office of the producer, Wan Baoluo.

“Wan! Wan!” Li Mingxin banged on the door, and the poor glass door shook under the force of his pounding.

Wan Baoluo, sitting behind his desk and listening to music, heard the noise but didn’t bother to open his eyes. His lips curled up, unable to suppress his smile.

He instantly knew the reason for the visit, smiling like a cat that had done something mischievous. “Heh, you’ve ignored me, so now you want to get close?”

Li Mingxin knocked for a while. When he heard no response, he stopped knocking and instead shouted, “Wan Baoluo! I’m counting to three. If you don’t open the door, I’ll expose all your dirty secrets! Three! Two—”

The door swung open, and Wan Baoluo appeared at the doorway with a long, tired face. A slight breeze made the hem of his shirt flutter, emphasizing the emptiness of his upper body—he didn’t have much flesh to show.

“What are you shouting about? You’re making a fool of yourself,” Wan Baoluo said.

Li Mingxin squeezed inside, lowered the blinds to block the curious eyes of the passing colleagues, and began tossing the USB drive up and down in his hands, grinning. “What are you afraid of? Isn’t it just that during last year’s typhoon, you were so skinny you almost got blown away by the wind, and someone happened to capture it and turned it into a funny gif meme? What’s the big deal?”

“Shut up,” Wan Baoluo rolled his eyes. “Stop with the nonsense. If you want something, show some proper attitude.”

Li Mingxin spoke with righteous indignation: “What do you mean ‘want something’? We’re colleagues, working together for the same cause—finding more musical talent from the public and putting on a great show. How could I possibly use the word ‘want’?”

“Heh, what talent? It’s just karaoke level at best,” Wan Baoluo said, looking at him with a smug smile.

Li Mingxin fell silent. Even with his thick skin, he couldn’t completely ignore the slap in the face.

After a long pause, he took a deep breath, twisted his overstuffed waist, and suddenly hugged Wan Baoluo’s thigh. “Brother! I’m sorry, okay? Just tell me who sang that last song, ‘Farewell to the Past’?!”

“Haha, now you’re getting it! This is more like it, Li Fat!” Wan Baoluo was greatly satisfied by his submission and, feeling generous, pulled out some song recommendations and handed them over.

Li Mingxin flipped through the first few pages without looking, and directly opened to the last page. In the photo was a young man wearing a black baseball cap, with narrow eyes and a fairly decent face, though his impression was slightly tarnished by the dark circles under his eyes.

“Liang Jingsheng, a college student? Hey, young heroes indeed!” Li Mingxin remarked.

—

The private club hosting the wine party was on the top floor of the building, called Yaxi Wine Manor.

Before going upstairs, Ji Chenxuan repeatedly reminded Xiao Chi to keep quiet and not to speak recklessly. At least, when this guy kept quiet, his appearance was still quite imposing.

The exclusive elevator was lined with burgundy carpet. When the elevator doors opened, it seamlessly matched the carpet in the hallway, with even the patterns perfectly aligned. The surrounding bas-reliefs and bar decorations shimmered under the spotlight, giving off a mesmerizing glow.

The entire winery was decorated in Victorian style, with light gold European crystal chandeliers elegantly hanging from the central circular ceiling of the hall. The furnishings and arrangements, in shades of burgundy, pure black, and champagne, created an understated yet luxurious atmosphere.

The waiter led Ji Chenxuan and Xiao Chi to the banquet hall without glancing aside.

In the center, the dance floor was accompanied by a live band, with the beautiful sound of the piano blending with the saxophone, the music lazy and floating like mist in the air.

The guests were scattered in small groups, some sitting, some standing, exchanging pleasantries. Wine tasting was an essential activity that tied everything together.

The air was thick with the intoxicating, slightly tipsy aroma of wine.

Upon seeing Ji Chenxuan, several people stepped forward to greet him—familiar faces, including a heavyweight media figure, a famous director, and a top executive from an internet platform.

He greeted each of them with a polite smile, while Xiao Chi stood half a step behind him, calmly enduring the curious glances from all sides.

The attention of others was something Xiao Chi was both sensitive to and yet strangely indifferent about.

It was well-known in the circle that the young, single CEO of Huanyi, Ji Chenxuan, never brought anyone along to social events. Out of curiosity, someone asked.

Ji Chenxuan calmly replied, “A friend. I brought him out to see the world.”

“Haha, this is rare, the ‘friend’ of Ji Chenxuan, not many people can claim that. I must get to know him.”

The speaker was a woman with long chestnut curls, her figure full and graceful, dressed in an elegant silk strapless dress. The high slit of her skirt subtly revealed her long, beautiful legs.

Ji Chenxuan turned his head slightly to introduce, “This is Ms. Li Mingyue, the host of the ‘Star Weekend’ program, the variety show that ranked first in viewership last year.”

Upon seeing her, Xiao Chi quickly recalled a series of details about her, not needing any further explanation from Ji Chenxuan. The information in his mind was likely more complete than Ji Chenxuan’s.

Li Mingyue had already extended her hand, winking at him. “What’s your name, handsome? You must not be from the industry, right? Otherwise, with such outstanding looks, how could I have no impression of you?”

Xiao Chi smiled and replied, “I’m Xiao… Chen.”

He almost blurted out his real name but quickly corrected himself when Ji Chenxuan shot him a sideways glance.

“I know your show. A few years ago, its ratings had dropped to the brink of being canceled. It was only thanks to you turning things around, changing the format and style, that the show was revived.”

As Xiao Chi spoke, his large, shiny eyes opened wide with sincerity, his tone earnest, showing no sign of merely reciting information from his database.

Li Mingyue widened her eyes in surprise. This was one of her proudest achievements, but she always maintained a humble and intellectual image in public and rarely mentioned it herself. When others brought it up, she always deflected some of the credit.

She hadn’t expected to be complimented so directly by a newcomer.

Li Mingyue covered her mouth and giggled, the corners of her eyes crinkling into a soft pink smile. Her impression of him instantly improved: “Mr. Xiao, not only are you handsome, but you also have a honeyed mouth. It’s rare to find someone like you.”

“Honeyed mouth? I didn’t say that,” Xiao Chi shook his head seriously. “I’m just speaking the truth.”

The three of them burst into laughter, none of them taking his “truth” seriously.

Only Ji Chenxuan secretly pressed the doubt down in his eyes.

Director Liu Li, with his scruffy beard and a wine glass in hand, gave Xiao Chi a meaningful glance, thinking to himself that anyone brought out by Ji Chenxuan must have some skills. To be able to flatter so naturally in person was no small feat.

“Alright, enough with the mutual flattery, you’re all handsome and beautiful, that’s enough, right?” Director Liu Li joked.

Xiao Chi obediently stood aside as a background character. Aside from host Li Mingyue, the others weren’t in his ultra-VIP fan database, so there was no more information to be had.

The conversation continued to flow, with familiar big shots coming and going, exchanging pleasantries. As drinks were passed around, Xiao Chi’s presence as an “accessory” was gradually forgotten.

Ji Chenxuan specially instructed the attendant to bring him a low-alcohol fruit wine.

Xiao Chi hid in the corner, taking a sip of the wine. The refreshing and slightly sweet taste instantly awakened his taste buds, while the warm, bitter alcohol slowly settled in his stomach. He took several more sips, gradually savoring its delightful flavor.

Humans really know how to enjoy…

Xiao Chi swirled the pale blue wine in the triangular glass, reluctant to finish it.

Ji Chenxuan, keeping an eye on him from the corner of his vision, lowered his voice near Xiao Chi’s ear. “If you can’t handle alcohol, don’t drink too much. If you’re hungry, go to the buffet area.”

Xiao Chi slowly raised his eyes, his pupils glazed with a soft, drunken sheen. “I want to try what you have.”

Ji Chenxuan helplessly pressed his lips together. “It’s your first time drinking. What if you get drunk?”

Xiao Chi argued, “I’ll just have a taste!”

Ji Chenxuan had no choice but to pour a glass of champagne, filling most of the glass for himself, leaving only a small amount at the bottom for Xiao Chi. “One sip.”

Xiao Chi looked at the glass in his hand, speechless. “You’re really strict.”

Ji Chenxuan smirked. “Thanks for the compliment.”

He pinched the stem of his glass, gazing at the amber swirl inside, and suddenly asked, “By the way, how do you know about Li Mingyue?”

“Because she’s like you, also one of my super VIP fans. My database still has the record.” Xiao Chi tilted his head back, finishing the wine in one go. It felt as though countless little bubbles exploded on his tongue, the rich taste passing smoothly down his throat.

“Like me?” Ji Chenxuan bit hard on those words, half of his face shadowed, and the temperature around them seemed to drop a few degrees.

“Oh, not exactly,” Xiao Chi quickly added. “She didn’t use that ID of yours.”

“…”

After a few rounds of drinks, the guests’ social circles had already changed several times, but the drinking session was far from over.

As the effects of the alcohol began to spread, Director Liu stroked his little beard and cast a subtle glance at a group of people chatting happily on the sofa in the corner across from him. He winked and said, “Look over there.”

Fang Lu, president of the Sanyo cross-media platform, followed his gaze and squinted. “Isn’t that the famous critical music reviewer, Shang Quan? He’s here too.”

Shang Quan was sitting with two men on the sofa, laughing and chatting. One of them was Wen Anran, the same person Xiao Chi had bumped into at the men’s clothing store, and the other, with his back to them, was unrecognizable.

“I know Shang Quan, he’s very ambitious,” said Li Mingyue with a light laugh.

Li Mingyue continued, “When he was an independent musician, he won a few awards that weren’t very prestigious, and he was often criticized by other music reviewers. He even said that the profession of music critics shouldn’t exist. Later, he became an opinion leader himself and started criticizing others. By the way, the virtual idol Xiao Chi, whose data was sabotaged by commercial spies at that AI company, was constantly attacked by him when he was at his peak. Now, he’s riding on the coattails of his popularity again.”

Director Liu raised his glass and gently clinked it with hers, teasing, “Oh? You seem to really dislike him, is it because he criticized your favorite idol?”

Li Mingyue pouted coquettishly, “Do I look like someone who mixes personal and professional matters?”

“Pretty much,” Director Liu teased.

“Oh, I remember now. Shang Quan recently took on a closed-door disciple and wants to help him debut. He even came to find me,” Li Mingyue said, twirling a strand of her hair with her pale fingers. She glanced at Ji Chenxuan with a mischievous smile. “I politely told him that someone as talented as his disciple should sign with Huanyi. What do you think, President Ji? I’ve recommended a talent to you.”

President Fang laughed heartily and patted Ji Chenxuan on the shoulder. “Such small matters, surely President Ji wouldn’t bother with them.”

“I really don’t know,” Ji Chenxuan said casually, not paying much attention to their banter. “But the artist management department hasn’t signed any new contracts recently.”

Shang Quan? Never heard of him. Since he criticized Xiao Chi, it was obvious he wasn’t a fan.

Xiao Chi wasn’t interested in this gossip and didn’t understand why, as a virtual idol, he had somehow offended people and gotten criticized for no reason.

Bored, he leaned against the windowsill, nibbling on a plate of lamb chops cut into small pieces.

Earlier, when he was with Ji Chenxuan, he noticed that everyone here wore a smile, like glazed porcelain shining under the light. Although their appearances were all quite different, it felt like they were all wearing the same face.

The guests looked sharp, their eyes filled with meaning that Xiao Chi couldn’t quite understand. They seemed almost like pre-programmed NPCs, playing their roles according to some predetermined script.

In contrast, Ji Chenxuan was much more interesting.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Xiao Chi swapped the lamb chop from Ji Chenxuan’s plate with a dish of chocolate pudding shaped like a cartoon bear and slid it over to him.

Ji Chenxuan, still talking to a partner, didn’t notice at first. But when he stabbed his fork into the soft pudding, his expression froze for a brief moment.

“Oh, President Ji’s taste seems quite playful,” Xiao Chi remarked with a smile.

Ji Chenxuan gave a subtle smile, his gaze sweeping the crowd before locking onto Xiao Chi’s sneaky figure.

—

Author’s note:

Small scene:

Ji: Does her ID happen to be “Mommy”?

Xiao: No, it’s “Queen.” Please don’t project.

Ji: …