CHAPTER 106: CHAPTER 102: THE LIMIT OF STRENGTH

"Okay, take these and have a look over them. If there are any problems, bring them up. If not, practice a bit."

After finishing all the revisions in one go, Chu Tian naturally lifted his head and handed over the materials.

He didn’t hand them to Guo Jingtao; after all, Guo Jingtao was the supervisor and certainly wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters. Besides, when Xu Qingqiu performed later, as the supervisor, Guo Jingtao would surely be present to observe. Having tested for so long, he wouldn’t pass up the chance to personally verify his own work’s quality.

But Chu Tian didn’t specifically hand them to anyone in particular. He had actually heard everything that was discussed earlier. He’d been eating plenty of fruits produced by the system for many days now. Becoming a superhero was impossible, but having sharp ears and the ability to multitask was no problem.

Now he just wanted to see if these people were truly convinced or just pretending.

In fact, he didn’t have to wait long. As soon as Chu Tian’s hand lifted, someone beside him eagerly took the papers. At one point, five or six hands even stretched out, as if afraid they’d miss something if they didn’t get a look soon enough. He had made the revisions too quickly, and some of the content was so unconventional that many hadn’t fully understood or seen it all yet. They were dying to take a good look.

Skepticism? Scorn? To hell with that! This is a true master; we don’t even have enough time to learn from him!

After receiving the manuscripts, a group of people scurried off to the side, eager to start flipping through them.

Chu Tian was quite pleased with this. Smiling, he nodded, stood up, and asked Guo Jingtao, "Then Teacher Guo, shall we go ahead and give it a try? I want to see how Qingqiu’s doing."

"Sure, I could use the opportunity to learn something myself."

Now Guo Jingtao’s words were devoid of any sarcasm and sounded much more humble; he even used the word ’learn.’ In the past, wouldn’t he at least have opted for a reserved ’exchange’?

As for this change, Chu Tian smiled without comment; in fact, he rather admired Guo Jingtao’s previous unruly demeanor.

So what if he had seniority? As if that made any difference. Besides, what kind of superiority could a washed-up, second-rate veteran claim? If he were really that capable, why was the throne of the Chinese music industry teetering on the verge of belonging to someone else, with almost all influence held by the special administrative regions and foreigners? Is that all their skill? Or is their true expertise in internal strife?

He couldn’t be bothered to comment on these problems and looked back at Xu Qingqiu, waiting to go inside with her.

At this moment, Xu Qingqiu wasn’t paying attention to anything else; her eyes were starry, and she was completely smitten.

At first, when she saw Chu Tian take up the pen and start writing on the manuscript, along with the occasional gasps of amazement from those around, every word seemed to strike right at her heart. Chu Tian seemed to radiate light, and she watched him, starry-eyed, unable to look away. It was just that at the time, everyone else was focused on the manuscript and didn’t notice her.

That wasn’t all; earlier when Chu Tian spoke, he called me ’Qingqiu’! I hadn’t heard him call me that since my recovery. He usually addressed me as Boss, or just ’hey.’ I never expected him to call me Qingqiu in front of others! I don’t understand why. After all, I’m the Queen, and Chu Tian is just my assistant. But in my heart, Chu Tian is like my sky; without him, I don’t feel confident doing anything.

To find the reason, one would probably have to trace it back many years. When she was sixteen, she had come from the countryside to the city. Everything was unfamiliar, and she handled all matters with extreme caution. But on her way there, she met Chu Tian. He spoke gently, smiled sunnily, and his eyes were clear, giving her a sense of safety and warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time. He had always looked after her, cared for her, like family. He could solve any problem for her, even when she had no foundation at all, a complete Bai. Apart from her good looks and natural voice, she had no vocal technique, couldn’t sing or dance, and had the worst grades in her class. But Chu Tian never looked down on her; instead, he helped her with great care.

This feeling has persisted for so many years. Maybe this is what others call dependency? I don’t understand it. I just feel that Chu Tian is incredibly important to me, one of the most crucial supports in my life.

Seeing Chu Tian shake off his despondency and shine once again, to say Xu Qingqiu was overjoyed would be an understatement. Her heart raced, and her mind felt muddled, as if she were drunk, with a pleasant, tipsy sensation. She only snapped back to reality when Chu Tian called her a second time.

"Ah? What’s up?"

"What do you mean ’what’s up’? It’s time to go in for the sound check. Sing a song so I can see what your current level is."

Thankfully Chu Tian didn’t know what was going through her mind, or he would certainly have teased her about being lovestruck.

"Oh, okay, should I start now?"

"Go ahead. Warm up your voice first, then try singing ’Direction of Light.’"

Chu Tian handed her the original manuscript, the unedited version of the song.

Xu Qingqiu nodded and entered the booth. She tested her voice to make sure it was in good condition and then sang a few lines tentatively. When she felt ready, she gestured to Chu Tian outside, who was sitting at the control desk and timely pushed up the music fader.

"Nowhere to run, no branch to rely on,"

"Smiling against the tide, unyielding, undaunted."

...

This time, Chu Tian didn’t interrupt her but listened quietly to the entire song.

"How was it? How was it? It was okay, right?" As soon as she finished singing, Xu Qingqiu, like a little girl eager for praise, ran out impatiently and asked him for the result.

Guo Jingtao, seated nearby, watched Chu Tian with interest, silent and curious to know what critique Chu Tian would offer.

"Hmm... how to put it," Chu Tian furrowed his brows, considering how to express his thoughts.

Having learned from past experiences, he had become calmer and now chose to speak gently rather than too sternly. After all, with so many people around, I need to protect my boss’s dignity. I can’t make her cry again, can I?

But to Xu Qingqiu, his facial expression indicated a serious problem. He’s furrowing his brows and looks troubled... what could it be? Did I sing that terribly? Did I disappoint him? Am I a lost cause? Her heart plummeted.

Although she felt heartbroken, she still lifted her head defiantly and said, "It’s okay, Chu Tian, just tell me what the problem is. I can take it!"

Chu Tian looked up at her as she pursed her lips, pretending to be strong, and almost reached out subconsciously to pat her head reassuringly. He managed to resist the urge just in time, then chuckled and said, "It’s not that serious. In a nutshell, you’ve made significant improvement compared to before, and it’s quite good. There are still many issues, but these can’t be solved in a short time."

Guo Jingtao, who had been waiting for Chu Tian’s conclusion, noticed Chu Tian raise his left hand and then lower it. Guo Jingtao’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips twitched as if he’d realized something.

Xu Qingqiu also noticed this and blushed, but quickly composed herself, still waiting stubbornly for Chu Tian’s evaluation.

"To put it simply, it’s not your fault. The situation you’re facing has little to do with your current condition; it’s mainly because your overall ability limits you. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand. So how can I improve my ability?"

"Improve ability..."