CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 127: ARE YOU SILLY? WHY DID YOU COME?

With two more people at the table, Chu Tian had no choice but to kill two more fish, working swiftly on both sides of the stove.

Xu Qingqiu felt particularly embarrassed. Feeling it was her fault for bringing the others over, she guiltily hovered around him, either passing him things or occasionally feeding him a bite of fish.

To others, she looked just like a little wife, scattering dog food all over the place.

At first, Chu Tian didn’t notice anything unusual, but he soon felt that something was off. Once or twice, he might not have minded, but as it happened more often, even someone as dense as him would notice something was off, wouldn’t he?

I don’t know if it’s because I’m thin-skinned or what, Chu Tian thought, feeling increasingly awkward. He could only say stiffly,

"Hey, you don’t have to stay here. Go chat with them for a bit."

"No need, I’ll just help you here. They’re having a good chat, and I can’t get a word in anyway."

Xu Qingqiu didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and continued to watch him expertly brush on oil and sprinkle seasonings, her eyes bright with interest.

"Tch, are you stupid or something?"

"Hmph, you’re the stupid one. What did I do now?"

Xu Qingqiu, upon hearing him call her stupid, immediately felt displeased and tilted her head to look at Chu Tian.

Now that Chu Tian’s mind was clear, it worked quickly, and he soon found a very suitable excuse.

"Why am I working so hard grilling fish for them? Have you forgotten how Sister Hua instructed us when we arrived? Isn’t this the perfect opportunity?"

"Ah? But..."

Xu Qingqiu also realized that now was indeed the best time to build relationships, but she still hesitated.

The main thing is, I don’t know these people well. They’re chatting so happily; I wouldn’t be able to get a word in if I went over!

"But what? Hurry over there. I’m almost done here."

"Okay... alright then."

Xu Qingqiu understood the priorities and, despite still feeling a bit nervous, walked over to them.

"Well, well, if it isn’t our Diva Xu, finally gracing us with her presence?"

Faced with Xu Wanrong’s undisguised teasing, Xu Qingqiu was obviously uncomfortable and could only respond with an awkward smile.

Lin Xiangqun quickly came to smooth things over.

"Qingqiu, don’t listen to her. She’s always like this, speaks her mind without a filter, but she’s not a bad person. You’ll know once you get to know her better."

Hearing Lin Xiangqun’s words, Xu Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Wanrong also realized her mistake and consciously toned it down a lot.

"Teacher Lin is right. I just like to joke around, so please don’t take it to heart. You’ll get used to it once we’re more familiar."

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased somewhat, Director Yu Cheng then said with a smile,

"Teacher Xu, you’ve been hiding quite a bit, haven’t you?"

"Ah? What?"

What does that mean? What’s hidden?

Facing Yu Cheng’s inexplicable expression, it took Xu Qingqiu a long while to figure out what was going on. It wasn’t until Yu Cheng subtly gestured towards Chu Tian that she realized what he meant.

She looked around and noticed that everyone was staring at her with strange expressions, so she hurriedly explained,

"You’ve misunderstood. His name is Chu Tian. He’s a very good friend of mine..."

Actually, Xu Qingqiu felt a little thrill deep down about their misunderstanding. However, she wasn’t foolish. There were some things she could admit to, but others she couldn’t.

Even if it were true, it was best to have an excuse when facing colleagues, let alone when it wasn’t true in the first place.

So, she briefly explained the situation between them.

"Although Chu Tian is my assistant for now, we’re more like friends. We don’t have the kind of strictly hierarchical relationship you might be thinking of. Plus, we’ve known each other for almost ten years; we couldn’t be more familiar."

"I see. So, we really did misunderstand. I had no idea you two had been through so much."

Yu Cheng wasn’t blind. As Xu Qingqiu explained, her eyes kept drifting towards Chu Tian. Who would believe she doesn’t have feelings for him?

But since she hadn’t admitted it, he naturally wouldn’t expose her. That would be no different from offending her directly.

However, after her explanation, regarding both their relationship and Chu Tian’s past, Yu Cheng found it hard to continue treating him as just an ordinary assistant.

Perhaps if it were just the suspicion of him being Xu Qingqiu’s boyfriend, or their established years of friendship, Yu Cheng might have, at most, treated Chu Tian as an equal rather than a subordinate.

But from the fragments of what Xu Qingqiu said, he gathered that this Chu Tian had apparently invested considerable effort in that previous hit album.

It seemed his contribution to the album’s production was quite significant. In that case, he couldn’t be considered an ordinary person; at the very least, he was a very capable behind-the-scenes professional.

After all, everyone present knew the impact of that album—an album destined to be recorded in history and hailed as legendary. Even a third-rate, marginal figure, merely by having their name associated with it, would see their status elevated significantly.

This Chu Tian, who had reportedly contributed significantly, must possess considerable ability. No one would want to offend such a person.

Whether it was because the others deliberately included her or because Xu Qingqiu herself was naturally likable, ever since she joined them, the group’s conversation revolved around her, and she didn’t feel left out in the slightest.

She quickly blended in and, before she knew it, became familiar with the others.

During this time, a few other celebrities who hadn’t gone to bed, perhaps drawn by the aroma, also snuck over. But as soon as they peeked and saw this group of influential figures gathered, they all stealthily retreated.

Celebrities also have their ranks. Xu Qingqiu, who rarely appeared in public, might be criticized for not knowing the rules. However, she was currently at the peak of her fame and thus had this privilege; no one dared to scold her.

Lin Xiangqun and Xu Wanrong were seniors; even if they threw their weight around, it wouldn’t be considered excessive, let alone taking an impromptu break like this. Furthermore, with the director present, it was even less of an issue.

But the others couldn’t. They were all newcomers with no standing, there purely to burnish their credentials. If any of them were tactless enough to casually approach, they might not be confronted on the spot, but after returning, their boss or agent would undoubtedly give them a severe tongue-lashing.

Moreover, word would quickly spread in the industry that they didn’t understand etiquette, and their future resources would diminish significantly.

They had been repeatedly warned countless times before coming, so these young celebrities were all very timid, preferring to endure hardship rather than dare to break the rules.

This turned out well. Chu Tian could finally eat the grilled fish he had made. And with his joining, the small table became much livelier.

In his previous life, his own standing hadn’t been low, so he felt no intimidation before these major celebrities and directors. Thus, he was very much at ease, yet he handled himself with excellent judgment.

He mingled with the group of big names, fitting in effortlessly without any sense of awkwardness. This alone significantly improved everyone’s impression of him.

He was respectful without being deferential, and poised without being arrogant; he knew his place. Crucially, his words weren’t grating and even subtly helped Xu Qingqiu garner goodwill.

A person like this would be welcome anywhere. Consequently, the atmosphere grew increasingly congenial, and they all chatted late into the night.