Chapter 32 - Hot Spring Vacation

Translator: Lynn

From a distance, Jian Jie could hear Long Zichen’s angry scolding from inside the vocal music classroom:

“I know that there are always a couple of worthless people in every group. Go look in the mirror and see if you’re even qualified to be one! The interviewer didn’t show up, how could you be so foolish? The best ones have already been chosen!”

This wasn’t the first time they had encountered such a situation. Jian Jie waited outside for a while until Long Zichen finished venting his frustration before pushing open the door and entering the room with a smile, greeting everyone, “Brother Chen, are you busy? I hope I’m not disturbing.”

“Hello, Brother Xiaojie,” the newcomers greeted Jian Jie warmly. In the industry, being a likable person is often more important than talent. Jian Jie, being the popular figure he is, naturally earned respect from the newcomers, who referred to him as “Brother” despite him being younger than them.

The anger on Long Zichen’s face had yet to subside when he asked Jian Jie with a sullen expression, “You’re back. How did the recording go?”

“It went well. The host asked me to sing two more new songs today,” Jian Jie replied, noticing the expectant gazes of the newcomers. He took out his wallet and handed two one-hundred-yuan bills to one of the younger newcomers, saying, “Go and buy some milk tea for everyone from the nearby shop. If there’s any money left, get some snacks too. You’ve all been practicing for a long time. Take a break, Brother Chen, is that okay with you?”

Long Zichen glanced at the inexperienced newcomers and nodded, “Alright, you guys take a break and think about what I just said.”

Grateful for Jian Jie’s thoughtfulness, the newcomers thanked him as the young boy quickly took the money and called a couple of others to join him for the shopping trip. They knew it was a rare chance to get some fresh air, and they wanted to make the most of it before Jian Jie left.

Jian Jie took a seat in front of the classroom while Long Zichen noticed his tired expression and suggested, “If you’re tired, you can rest in my office instead of sitting here.”

“I woke up a bit early this morning, so I’m not very sleepy now,” Jian Jie replied, leaning back on the chair. He observed the newcomers chattering in groups of twos and threes and asked Long Zichen, “Did you bring any good newcomers this time, Brother Chen?”

“It depends on what you mean by ‘good.’ Compared to you, they’re nearly tone-deaf,” Long Zichen remarked with a mocking tone.

“Brother Chen, you’re too biased…” Jian Jie chuckled helplessly. “I also want to hear some criticism.”

“What’s there to criticize? Has someone said something about you?” Long Zichen’s protective instincts immediately kicked in. After punishing so many who dared to speak ill of Jian Jie, he couldn’t help but worry that someone had been disrespectful.

Jian Jie quickly clarified, “No, I just want to know what flaws there are in my music. Brother Chen, you always praise me, and it’s turning into ‘excessive praise’!” He had been hearing nothing but compliments from Long Zichen, and while he appreciated the encouragement, he also wanted to know his areas of improvement.

Long Zichen, however, didn’t accept the lesson humbly. He responded, “Being humble is good as a person, but in music, be yourself. Don’t care about what others think; just express your true thoughts. I know you’ve been facing a creative block lately, but it’s normal. Don’t worry too much about others; otherwise, you’ll lose yourself in the end.”

Jian Jie nodded thoughtfully. During this period, he felt like he had been pressuring himself to create music, and as a result, he hadn’t been able to write a satisfactory piece for over two weeks. Maybe he should try to be more authentic in his work.

“Okay, Brother Chen, I’ll think about it,” Jian Jie said.

“Have you been feeling a lot of pressure lately?” Long Zichen asked, looking at Jian Jie with concern. “You haven’t been putting on weight every day, and we have the fan club next week, so you’ll be even busier and more tired. How about taking a day off tomorrow and going to the hot springs? A hot spring resort sent Chaozi a few invitations. He’s planning to have fun with his girlfriend. Why don’t we all go together and relax? Soaking in the hot springs is really comfortable!” Long Zichen suggested, not planning to take advantage of the situation to peep at Jian Jie naked or anything, but genuinely wanting to help him relax. He didn’t think much about it at all!

Long Zichen’s hopeful expression made the newcomers behind him shiver, and even the hot milk tea couldn’t keep them warm. They sincerely admired Jian Jie for being unfazed by Long Zichen’s intensity and for being dedicated to maintaining world peace despite facing zombie dragons. Sacrificing one of them would benefit thousands of people…

Unaware of the sympathetic admiration he was receiving, Jian Jie happily agreed to Long Zichen’s suggestion, “I’ve never been to a hot spring before, only seen them on TV.”

“Then it’s a perfect time to experience it. It’s settled!” Long Zichen, having fulfilled his wish, felt a glimmer of happiness.

But Jian Jie inquired again, “Brother Chen, do you have any extra coupons? Ah Ren has never been to a hot spring, so I’m not sure if he’d like to join us.”

“Oh, what a coincidence, I only had four coupons. Why don’t I invite him for the next visit? Chaozi is planning to propose to his girlfriend, so we should keep it intimate to avoid making her feel embarrassed,” Long Zichen replied with genuine sincerity. He was already quite smitten with Shui Xiaoren.

“Never mind then,” Jian Jie replied, distracted by the news of Yuan Chao’s proposal. “President Yuan is proposing? I can hardly believe it.”

“I can’t believe someone is willing to marry that guy,” Long Zichen sighed, shaking his head. “Another good girl is about to be ruined.”

Meanwhile, Yuan Chao, holding the proposal ring with a smirk, sneezed a few times happily, thinking, “Jing Jing must be thinking of me!” Jing Jing is, of course, his girlfriend.

Two days later, Yuan Chao, along with his girlfriend, Jian Jie, and Long Zichen, set off for the hot spring resort together.

Yuan Chao’s girlfriend, Ye Jing, was a dignified and beautiful woman, perfectly complementing Yuan Chao. Jian Jie didn’t know Ye Jing, but Long Zichen knew her well. Ye Jing was the successor of Zhongtian Technology, a renowned brand of internet products like personal computers and mobile phones in China. At a young age, Ye Jing had already taken on the position of vice president in the company, and she was leagues ahead of Yuan Chao in terms of success and status.

Zhongtian Technology was about to launch their latest music phone, and their music phones were always popular among young people. Endorsing their products would be an excellent promotional opportunity. Although Jian Jie had received many endorsement invitations, he hadn’t accepted any so far, as none of the brands seemed suitable. The company was very cautious in protecting Jian Jie’s image, preferring to avoid any endorsements that didn’t align with his image.

Being a reputable brand, Zhongtian naturally had an excellent reputation and product quality. Their mobile phone products also fit well with Jian Jie’s image and temperament. Long Zichen intended to pitch Jian Jie to Ye Jing, carrying Jian Jie’s album and giving one to her as well.

Yuan Chao playfully got angry and accused, “Dachen, you’re too sneaky! You’re using Xiaojie as bait to snatch my Jingjing away!” He then rushed towards Ye Jing, burying his face in her chest and pretending to cry, “Jingjing, Dachen is a bad guy! Don’t let him deceive you.” He whispered and rubbed his face on her chest, not hiding the fact that he was trying to be affectionate.

Everyone was used to Yuan Chao’s occasional antics, and Ye Jing calmly pushed his head away, smiling as she said to Long Zichen, “Thank you for the album. I’ve actually listened to Jian Jie’s song ‘First Heartbeat,’ and it sounds amazing.”

It was clear that Ye Jing’s words hinted at considering Jian Jie as their spokesperson. Although Jian Jie might not have fully grasped the implication, he simply replied with a “Thank you.” However, Long Zichen was thrilled. His effort to persuade Yuan Chao to join them in the hot spring resort had paid off. After all, the four invitation coupons cost a considerable sum of money.

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

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