CHAPTER 401: CHAPTER 279: WARM-UP, FANS ECSTATIC_2

"Liang Jingru?"

"What?"

Seeing Xu Qingqiu’s face covered in question marks, Chu Tian wished he could slap himself. Why did I have to open my big mouth when they were chatting so nicely?

"It’s nothing, it’s nothing, you two continue."

Having accidentally stepped into the center of a quarrel, Chu Tian tried to make a quick getaway.

But how could Xu Qingqiu, who had finally cornered him, let him off so easily?

"Continue what? Haven’t you eaten your fill?"

"Ah? Yes, I’m completely stuffed."

"Then let’s go. You go get the car."

Seeing the situation, Chu Tian hurried out to get the car. He regretted it immensely. Why on earth had he insisted on tagging along?

What was I doing here anyway? Even watching the drama unfold wasn’t that satisfying. Although seeing my sister-in-law get discomfited was quite amusing, Xu Qingqiu’s final glare told me this wasn’t good at all.

Have I brought trouble upon myself?

I wonder what those two talked about in the private room after I left.

Chu Tian drove to the restaurant’s entrance and waited for almost ten minutes before the two women emerged.

On the way to drop Xu Ruyan off at school, the atmosphere in the car was extremely oppressive. He was so nervous he didn’t even dare to turn on the music.

Chu Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief once Xu Ruyan got out of the car.

"You seemed very nervous, didn’t you?"

"Ah? Did I? I wasn’t nervous."

On the way back, not long after they had started, Xu Qingqiu suddenly threw out this remark, startling Chu Tian.

"No? Don’t you have anything to say?"

"I..."

Chu Tian had barely uttered a word when he noticed a small hand creeping slowly closer from his right. He quickly composed himself, feeling as if he were facing a formidable enemy and had needles on his back. He began to slow down, pulling over to the side of the road cautiously, then tentatively asked, "Is it about your sister?"

What greeted him was a deafening silence and two fingers that were about to touch him.

"Wait, wait! I’ll confess, I’ll confess, alright? Just move your hand first..."

"You talk first. Let me hear what you’ve been up to. I remember you seemed to be reading a novel recently called ’My Sister-in-Law and I, Etcetera, Etcetera,’ or something like that? Tell me, what kind of story is it?"

"No, I’ve been seriously wronged!"

This time, Chu Tian was truly wronged. When have I ever read a story like that? This is ridiculous! As an avid reader, would I read such trashy novels?

There was no way out. Faced with such a hefty false accusation, he really couldn’t bear the blame. He had no choice but to spill everything, like beans from a pod.

"You see? It was nothing much. I just happened to notice a few clues, and then, with a little bluff, the truth just came out. I even strongly advised her to confess to you honestly."

After he finished speaking, Xu Qingqiu remained silent. However, Chu Tian noticed the hand beside him slowly retract, and he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Still, Xu Qingqiu’s continued silence on the way back made him feel a bit panicked.

"You’re not still angry, are you? Everything I just said is true. I’ve told you everything I know."

"No, I’m just a little worried."

"Worried? About what?"

"I don’t know if Ruyan’s choice is right or wrong. After all..."

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Chu Tian immediately understood her unspoken concerns. That "after all" carried so much unspoken meaning: the general atmosphere of the entertainment circle, certain unspoken rules, the interests involved, what artists have to face, and so on.Things like obsessive fans invading privacy, fan wars, the volatile nature of online public opinion, the immense pressure from cyberbullying, countless unforeseen temptations, and despicable, underhanded schemes... the list went on.

"Don’t worry. She’s not a child anymore. Besides, we’re here to protect her. It’s not as dangerous as you think."

Chu Tian tried to console her, but it didn’t seem very effective.

At that moment, he truly sensed how much Xu Qingqiu cared for her sister, much like a mother would.

But it was understandable. Away from home, with their parents too far away to help directly, her role as an older sister was no different from that of a parent.

Yet, for someone just in her early twenties to suddenly shoulder such immense pressure, it was natural for her to find it hard to remain calm.

Thinking this, Chu Tian could only try to distract her in another way.

"By the way, we’re pretty much starting the recording for the new album tomorrow. You’ll need to hurry up and learn Cantonese. Plus, the pre-release promotion for the new album will probably begin soon too."

"Pre-release promotion?"

"Yes, what else? The album is planned for release before or after the New Year. That’s not too far off, so we can start the promotional warm-up now."

Sure enough, as soon as they started talking about work, Xu Qingqiu’s mood visibly improved.

"Starting the pre-release promotion so early? I feel like this year has passed by so quickly."

"Yeah, it’s probably because we’ve been so busy. When you’re busy, time just flies by as if it holds no value."

"Perhaps. By the way, do I need to prepare anything for the pre-release promotion?"

"Yes, you’ll probably need to shoot a few posters. There are also some promotional videos and other materials to prepare. But those are simple enough; you can just squeeze in some time to record them."

"That’s good. And don’t forget on your end, you should sign Ruyan’s management contract first. If she gets any acting offers, please try to look out for her as much as you can. I’m worried..."

"Don’t worry! How could I let her suffer any loss? Don’t you know whose sister she is!"

"Tsk, you’re not being serious."

Chu Tian glanced at Xu Qingqiu, noticed her mood had significantly improved, and couldn’t help but relax as well.

After they returned home, they didn’t talk much and went to their respective rooms to rest.

「The next morning.」

As soon as they entered the studio, Chu Tian and Xu Qingqiu got serious.

Under his arrangements, the entire studio immediately plunged into a flurry of activity.