Chapter 12 - Score Master

Translator: Lynn

Bonus chapter! Since these chapters are short

“I can’t believe you just made those preparations,” Qian Yumin said with a smile after listening to Jian Jie’s singing. “The adaptation is quite innovative, but there’s room for more surprises in the treatment of the ending.” Qian Yumin immediately demonstrated, using jazz singing, how to reinterpret the last sentence of the first paragraph: “Jade Lotus is waiting there, waiting for her little sister.”

The small change instantly gave the ending a lingering aftertaste. Jian Jie’s eyes brightened, and he imitated and sang it again. He thanked Qian Yumin and said, “Thank you, Teacher Qian, for your guidance.”

“You’re a quick learner. You can practice it further when you go back,” Qian Yumin replied.

After expressing his gratitude, Jian Jie returned to his seat. At that moment, Tang Xiaohui stood up and made an announcement to everyone: “I didn’t greet everyone earlier because I wanted to see if you were self-motivated if you would take this performance seriously, and if you treated it as more than just a formality. I’m pleased to announce that the company will produce a single for the winner of this vocal performance. The results will be announced next week, so the other newcomers will have to work harder.” With that, Tang Xiaohui concluded the morning session.

As Long Zichen and the others left, the classroom suddenly became lively. No one expected the company to select newcomers for a single so quickly, and the selection process took them by surprise. Many people felt regretful, wishing they had prepared better.

Jian Jie, however, didn’t pay too much attention to it. He didn’t want to dive into the music industry so hastily. The morning session revealed how much he lacked and reignited his thirst for knowledge.

While packing up his belongings and preparing to go home, Tong Liangliang ran over, his face filled with admiration. “Brother Jian Jie, you’re amazing! You can play the piano, and you look so handsome! Your singing is fantastic too. The teacher praised you.”

“You sing even better, and Teacher Qian applauded you,” Jian Jie replied.

“Really? I didn’t even notice,” Tong Liangliang scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. “Brother Jian Jie, since you don’t live in the company, are you going home now?”

“Yeah.”

“Then when will you take me to your place to hang out? I’m heading to the cafeteria for lunch. See you in the afternoon!”

Jian Jie pondered for a moment and said, “Thank you for helping me earlier. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

Tong Liangliang quickly declined, saying, “My help was nothing, I don’t need anything.”

“It’s fine. Besides, I’ll be eating alone,” Jian Jie smiled. “There’s a food street not far from here. Let’s go together.”

Finally, Tong Liangliang agreed. The food street was only a ten-minute walk away. They arrived and, after discussing with Tong Liangliang, Jian Jie took him to a grilled fish shop. They ordered a grilled fish in honey sauce, accompanied by some vegetables. They also ordered pasta and drinks, enough for two people.

While waiting for their food, Jian Jie’s phone suddenly rang. He was surprised to see that it was Long Zichen calling. After answering, he heard Long Zichen’s loud voice on the other end of the line. “Xiao Jiejie, why did you leave without waiting for me? I wanted to go back with you! Are you home now?”

After experiencing Long Zichen’s cool demeanor in the morning, hearing

 such a familiar complaint made Jian Jie feel a bit uncomfortable. He paused for a moment before replying, “I don’t plan to go back at noon. I’m having lunch with a friend.”

“And your good friend named Shui? You didn’t even invite me to secretly enjoy delicious food!” Long Zichen pretended to cry. “The boxed lunch is so tasteless, not even a drop of oil in the cabbage and roasted pork! Xiao Jiejie, I’m starving. I want to eat something delicious too.”

“No, I’m with a friend I just met at the company…” Long Zichen asked who it was, and Jian Jie replied, “It’s Tong Liangliang. If you don’t mind, I can tell him to join us.”

Tong Liangliang was surprised but quickly waved his hands and said, “It’s alright. Let Mr. Long join us. The more, the merrier!”

“Okay, thank you.” Jian Jie moved the phone away from his mouth and apologized to Tong Liangliang, “Mr. Long, the music director of our company, wants to join us. Do you mind?”

Tong Liangliang was taken aback but quickly responded, “No problem at all! Let Mr. Long come along. It’ll be crowded and lively.”

“Alright, thank you.” Jian Jie put the phone back to his ear and explained the situation to Long Zichen, providing the name and address of the restaurant. Long Zichen immediately exclaimed that he would arrive quickly and pleaded with Jian Jie to save some food for him.

After ending the call, Tong Liangliang asked curiously, “Brother Jian Jie, do you have a good relationship with Director Long?”

“I haven’t known Mr. Long for long, but he invited me to come to Xinghuo Company, so we’ve become somewhat familiar,” Jian Jie explained briefly.

“Oh,” Tong Liangliang expressed his disbelief, but then he shifted the conversation to talk about his hometown and shared some interesting stories about the countryside. Although Jian Jie had never been to the countryside, he found the stories quite fascinating.

Soon, the waiter arrived with a large plate of grilled fish, drinks, and other food. Tong Liangliang exclaimed in surprise, “I thought it would be like kebabs, but the grilled fish looks like this!”

Just as Tong Liangliang finished speaking, Long Zichen’s indifferent voice came from nearby, “I’m late. Have you already eaten?” He walked over, still wearing his black sunglasses, and without waiting for anyone’s response, he pulled out a chair and sat beside Jian Jie.

“Ah, hello Director Long!” Tong Liangliang was the first to stand up, greeting Long Zichen with surprise.

“Take a seat,” Long Zichen said with an air of superiority, nodding slightly at Tong Liangliang. However, underneath his sunglasses, his eyes quickly scanned the table. Seeing that the fish was still intact, he finally felt relieved. If they had started eating without him, he would have been very displeased.

Observing Long Zichen sitting there with sunglasses on, Jian Jie couldn’t help but feel speechless. He suppressed his laughter and said, “Mr. Long, now that you’re here, let’s order two more dishes.” He handed the menu to Long Zichen and said, “Take a look and choose what you’d like to eat.”

Long Zichen felt a sense of satisfaction and directly called Jian Jie by his name. However, he maintained his indifferent demeanor and nodded slightly while taking the menu. After browsing for a while, he ordered a dish of roasted pork with bamboo shoots, trying to gauge Jian Jie’s preferences and another stir-fried vegetable with mushrooms. After placing the order, he still held onto his arrogance and said, “Well, these two dishes will do. This isn’t a high-end restaurant, you know. I usually don’t frequent places like this.” Jian Jie became even more speechless, and the waiter, unable to contain themselves, rolled their eyes a few times, thinking, “What an arrogant person!”

During the meal, Long Zichen finally decided to remove his sunglasses because they were obstructing his vision and making it difficult to pick up food. However, his sharp-tongued remarks were upgraded along with it. Tong Liangliang would often ask Jian Jie various questions in a roundabout way or use a positive attitude to flirt with him, which irritated Long Zichen. He frowned and let out a cold snort, “As an artist, don’t you understand the importance of maintaining an image? I wonder why there are still people who eat so recklessly and consume so much fat and protein! The vegetables are untouched. Do you think your round face is aesthetically pleasing to the public, or do you think a spherical shape is also considered a good figure?” He said it out of boredom, not because Tong Liangliang had irritated him too much. He didn’t feel sorry for the few pieces of meat.

Tong Liangliang was stunned, and the chopsticks that were reaching out for the braised pork abruptly halted. He looked at the delicious grilled fish and meat with a grievous expression. In the end, like a brave warrior, he resolutely said to Long Zichen and Jian Jie, “Director Long, Brother Jian Jie, um, I’m full. I’ll head back now. Thank you, Brother Jian Jie, for inviting me to enjoy this delicious grilled fish. See you in the afternoon.”

Jian Jie felt a little embarrassed and hurriedly asked Tong Liangliang to stay, but with Long Zichen’s formidable presence, how could Tong Liangliang stay? He bid his polite farewells and left in a hurry.

As soon as Tong Liangliang left, Long Zichen seemed to switch channels suddenly, transforming from the gloomy and dark drama to the previously lighthearted and humorous one. Leaning back in his chair, he revealed a mischievous smile and said to Jian Jie, “Alright, how long have you known that guy? They act like they’re blood brothers. It’s so nauseating.”

Jian Jie felt like his expression at that moment must have been comical. Long Zichen’s ability to change moods at will was evident today. He twitched the corner of his mouth and finally couldn’t hold back, making a rare remark, “Mr. Long, have you recently learned face-changing techniques from Sichuan opera? Your style changes throughout the day are quite overwhelming.”

Long Zichen pretended to be angry, saying, “How can you speak like that!” But he couldn’t contain his laughter and continued, “I can’t help it. Someone in the company has to maintain a stern face. Naturally, this glorious and arduous task falls upon someone with an outstanding and domineering personality like me. After all, the newcomers need to be tested. If I’m always jovial with them, it’ll cause trouble in the long run. Let the artists experience the warmth of home in the company. Sister Xiaohui and the others can handle the warm and friendly aspects. Now, I’m responsible for ensuring that newcomers truly understand the harshness of the entertainment industry. So, have you been impressed by my arrogance this morning? Do you think I’m extra cool?”

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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