CHAPTER 90: CHAPTER 86: ARE YOU CRAZY? SUCH LUXURY?!

"Hmm, you have a point. All signs suggest it’s someone from the company; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so familiar with you!"

The two of them, as if overcome by a flair for the dramatic, actually started analyzing the situation together.

Yiyi, who was listening in a daze—unsure if she was genuinely baffled or surprisingly lucid—felt like her brain was getting a serious workout. She then softly interjected, "Sister Qiu, are you trying to find out who Youmeng is? Don’t we have surveillance? Why not just check that?"

"..."

Sister Hua and Xu Qingqiu stared at each other blankly, then quickly turned away to hide their embarrassment.

"AHEM, uh, let’s look at the surveillance then."

Seeing Xu Qingqiu’s serious demeanor, Sister Hua couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer.

"HAHAHA, we were both so silly! I’m dying of laughter, this is so embarrassing!"

"Oh, Sister Hua, stop it! It’s mortifying, and it’s all your fault for getting so carried away with your deductions..."

"HAHAHA, I can’t take it anymore, I really can’t! You take a look; I need to run to the restroom!"

After speaking, she grabbed a nearby tissue and hurried off.

Xu Qingqiu, left behind, awkwardly started the surveillance footage, her cheeks still adorably flushed.

"Hmm? Yiyi, come take a look. Why is there a segment missing?"

"What do you mean a segment is missing?"

"The surveillance. Look, from this point to this point, it’s suddenly gone. Is there a problem somewhere?"

"Eh? I don’t know. Why don’t you ask the people who installed the surveillance?"

The two of them fiddled with it for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. Eventually, they called over the person responsible for installing the surveillance.

"This part? It’s missing."

"How could it be missing?"

"You had a power outage during this period. Why don’t you ask around?"

"A power outage? How could that be? How do you know?"

"Look here, at this time code. Last night, it was normal, but then it stops here. Then, see this next part? The time has completely reset to zero. This is the initial time, which means there was a power outage in between. Understand?"

"Okay, thank you."

After the repair person left, Xu Qingqiu asked around the company. Sure enough, there had been a power outage, and it had only been discovered that morning. It was just a tripped circuit breaker.

How could it be such a coincidence?

She repeatedly reviewed the remaining surveillance footage. From last night until now, Chu Tian was the person who had appeared most frequently.

Xu Qingqiu hadn’t ruled him out, but after he left her side last night, he had remained in his own area and hadn’t appeared in the surveillance footage.

The surveillance covered a wide area. Except for Chu Tian’s spot, the entire main area in front was visible. No matter which way he went, he would have appeared in the footage.

His departure from the company later was also captured clearly. Unless he could turn invisible!

Moreover, the power outage occurred more than an hour after he left, so logically, it shouldn’t have been him.

Xu Qingqiu thought so too. Yet, for some unknown reason, the initially ethereal and elusive image of Youmeng in her mind began to solidify, faintly visible yet illusory, strikingly resembling Chu Tian’s silhouette.

HUH?

She quickly shook her head, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she inwardly scolded herself. I’m thinking such ridiculous things!

Just then, Sister Hua returned, swaying slightly and looking completely drained, as if she had no energy left.

"Sister Hua, are you alright?"

"I’m okay. Thankfully, I don’t have to run around outside today. Oh, have you listened to those songs? What do you think?"

"Not yet," Xu Qingqiu admitted. She had been too preoccupied with the surveillance.

"Then what are you waiting for? Listen to them! Aren’t you planning to release an album? Maybe there’s a suitable lead single among them."

"Alright, let’s give them a listen then!"

Xu Qingqiu set aside the surveillance matter, plugged the flash drive into her computer, and, looking at the seven neatly arranged folders, started listening from the first one.

"Nowhere to escape, no branch to cling to."

"Smiling against the tide..."

The first song, "Direction of Light," started off quite conventionally, and all three listened intently.

"Following the direction of the light to forget you."

"Memories depreciate into my stubborn form..."

"Oh! This is so good! So good!"

As the chorus began, Yiyi’s eyes immediately lit up.

Sister Hua and Xu Qingqiu also nodded in unison; it was indeed delightful.

She then clicked on the next song.

"Watching the us of yesterday walk far away."

"Waiting in the center of Destiny Square."

...

"This one is also good! They’re all very suitable for you. They’re not the same style, but the themes are somewhat similar. I must say, this Youmeng is amazing!"

At first, Sister Hua was able to offer critiques with a serious air, but as one song after another played, both she and Xu Qingqiu were dumbfounded.

"These... these songs sound like they belong on an album, don’t they?"

"Qingqiu, have you noticed? All these songs seem to interpret a single theme. None of them are about love; instead, they feel more like they’re telling the story of a dream!"

"Yes, Sister Hua, they indeed all share the theme of dreams..."

Xu Qingqiu had noticed too. Not only that, but a faint idea was forming in her mind, though she couldn’t quite grasp it.

"Incredible! Is this Youmeng psychic or something? You were just figuring out your album, and boom, they deliver so many songs."

"I was thinking it would be great if we could get one or two suitable for lead singles, but I feel like any one of these songs could be a lead single!"

Sister Hua was so excited she almost jumped up, but Xu Qingqiu’s thoughts began to drift, and even Sister Hua’s subsequent words seemed to become ethereal and distant.

Yes, who understands me so well?

Why did this Youmeng appear the moment I wanted to release an album and ran into difficulties?

Who are they, really?

An album? Youmeng? Someone who understands me...

Chu Tian?!

Is it him?

If it had been before, she might not have even considered it. But just yesterday, Chu Tian had scolded her until she cried!

He’s totally capable of this!

Not only that, didn’t I just tell Chu Tian about my album yesterday? Plus, why did Chu Tian go off to his own workspace last night?

Is it him?

Xu Qingqiu’s heart beat faster and faster, as if she had grasped the truth!

No, that’s not right...

If it were him, there’d be no need for all this, right? Considering our relationship, there’s no reason to hide it, is there?

Besides, if he had this kind of talent, why would he be just drifting along here at my company?

Is it him or not? No! I have to find out if this person is really him!

Xu Qingqiu had never felt such an urgent need for an answer!

Before, she had merely been curious. Now, she needed an answer—an answer her heart had been desperately calling for!

"What’s not right? Qingqiu, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I’m fine. I was just saying that all these songs are good. Why not put them all on one album?"

"What? Are you crazy?! Putting so many good songs on one album?! Are you trying to go bankrupt? Have you ever seen anyone release such a lavish album?"

"Sister Hua, maybe that’s what Youmeng intended as well? Didn’t they say there are more songs to come?"

"Well... but you can’t just use them all like that..."

Sister Hua still wasn’t entirely convinced. What kind of status allowed for such a lavish album release? Even wealthy landowners wouldn’t dare to be so extravagant, would they?

But seeing the earnest look in Xu Qingqiu’s eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to argue further.

"Alright, alright! I’ll indulge this once too. I never imagined putting so many good songs on a single album. This will drive people crazy when it’s released!"

Though she grumbled, Sister Hua ultimately agreed.

Right then, Chu Tian couldn’t stay seated at his workstation any longer. He’d seen his boss arrive early in the morning and not come out since. Are we recording this song today or not?

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Boss, are you still planning to record the song or not?"

Xu Qingqiu just watched Chu Tian standing impatiently at the door, a faint smile playing on her lips, her gaze growing more and more enigmatic...