Chapter 10: It’s Her

“Jin Nian, over here—”

Lin Xiyue finally remembered that she’d invited Xia Jin Nian to visit her family’s company yesterday.
She hurried downstairs and waved excitedly the moment she saw Jin Nian from afar.

“tsk tsk, quite the rich girl you are, Miss Xi Xi—”

Lifting her head to look at the towering building before her, Xia Jin Nian couldn’t help but sigh.
To own a piece of land in the heart of Guangnan City—where every inch was worth gold—and to build an entire office building on it, the cost must have been astronomical.

She had never visited Lin Xiyue’s home before, nor had she ever been to Lin Entertainment.
So even though she’d known her best friend lived in a villa and came from a wealthy family, she had never really grasped what that meant—until now.

Compared to the tiny single-room apartment she had back at her company’s staff quarters, the difference was like heaven and earth.

“Alright, alright, stop teasing me already—”

Lin Xiyue spread her hands helplessly.
Every family had its own troubles; no one lived without worries.

Of course, in her previous life, Xia Jin Nian hadn’t been with Lin Xi because of the Lin family’s wealth.
Even after Lin Xi’s parents passed away and the company went bankrupt under heavy debt, Xia Jin Nian had defied her mother’s objections and insisted on marrying Lin Xi.

Lin Xiyue shook her head, realizing her thoughts had drifted again, and quickly pulled Jin Nian along into the building.

At that moment, Xia Jin Nian felt her eyes being opened to a whole new world.
All those stars and performers she was used to seeing only on screens or stages were now appearing before her one after another.

Only… why did they all look so gloomy?

When Jin Nian voiced her confusion, Lin Xiyue blinked—almost as if reminded of something—and shivered slightly.

Right! Since her mother had rejected so many of these artists, why not let Jin Nian give it a try?

She didn’t know how much weight her best friend’s “Triple Crown Champion” title actually carried—after all, they were just school-level competitions—but it still showed some ability, right?
Maybe her tone would fit perfectly, enough to make up for the lack of professional polish?

“These rookies all failed my mom’s audition test, so they’re a little down. Why don’t you give it a try, Jin Nian?”

“Eh?! Me? Audition? Are you serious?”

Unlike Lin Xiyue, the pampered heiress, Xia Jin Nian—who dreamed of becoming a singer—actually knew a bit more about how the entertainment industry worked.

She had some confidence in her singing, but all these professional artists had failed before her.
Wouldn’t she just make a fool of herself?

“Oh come on, relax. I’d never set you up, and I’m not going to laugh at you either.
Just give it a shot—it’s not like you’ll lose anything!
Come on, go! If we wait any longer, the day’ll be over!”

Lin Xiyue kept urging her, practically pushing her up the stairs straight toward the recording studio.

Poor Xia Jin Nian.
She’d come to Lin Entertainment just to watch the excitement—yet somehow, she had become the excitement herself.

Inside the recording room, about ten people were still waiting for their turn, so there was roughly half an hour to prepare.

“Sis Xiao Li~ get a copy of the sheet music for my friend too!”

Lin Xiyue called out, and the secretary quickly handed a copy to Xia Jin Nian, who stood frozen, unsure what to do.

A brand-new song.
Only thirty minutes to prepare.
Not a single professional singer had passed.
And they wanted her to go up next?
Were they seriously overestimating her that much?!

“You got this, Jin Nian—good luck!”

Lin Xiyue patted her friend on the shoulder and gave her a big thumbs-up.

Seeing the situation had reached a point of no return, Jin Nian lowered her head and began studying the score, humming the tune softly in her mind.

Xu Wei, meanwhile, hadn’t noticed any of this.
She was fully focused on her work—never one to look around idly.

But perhaps because none of the previous candidates had met her expectations, impatience started creeping in, and she began to rush through the auditions.

About twenty minutes later, everyone before Jin Nian had finished, and it was finally her turn.

“Next! Hurry up—”

Xu Wei urged impatiently without even lifting her head.

“Good luck!”

Lin Xiyue whispered, giving her friend a little push toward the microphone.

Truth be told, there hadn’t been enough time for Jin Nian to learn the entire song.
She wasn’t a professional vocalist with years of experience, after all.
So she made a smart choice—she focused only on the chorus, the climax of the song.

After all, the chorus was usually the most memorable and essential part of any song.
With limited time, she might as well focus on the heart of it.

Taking a deep breath and clearing her throat, Xia Jin Nian gave it her all.
Her lips parted, and her voice flowed like clear water.

“Holding your hand, walking by your side—
No matter how strong the wind may blow,
Now that you have me,
You’ll never lose your way again—”

The moment she began, Xu Wei’s eyes widened slightly.
Wait—had she just skipped straight to the chorus prelude?

But the tone and color of her voice fit the song’s style so perfectly that Xu Wei didn’t interrupt.

“I’ll take you to see the meteor shower fall upon the earth,
Let your tears rest upon my shoulder—”

Her voice was like a soft spring breeze—fresh, pure, unpolished, yet luminous.
It was the voice of youth itself, a raw gem glowing in its natural state.

Her technique might not have been professional, but that youthful clarity matched the song Meteor Shower flawlessly.
It felt as if the song had been written just for her.

Xu Wei froze, slowly closing her eyes as if reliving her own days of innocent youth.

“So you’ll believe my love is brave for you alone,
And you’ll see where happiness truly lies—”

By this point, Jin Nian’s voice grew steadier, stronger.
The childish innocence faded, replaced by a hint of forced maturity—like a young girl trying to act like an adult.

Yet it didn’t sound awkward at all.
Instead, it captured the very essence of the song—
That bittersweet, naive love of student days.
The kind of love that swears eternal devotion, even when you have nothing to your name.

Her singing might not have been flawless, but it was sincere—so genuine it drew people in, painting a vivid picture of the meteor shower and the young couple making wishes beneath the stars.

Xu Wei nodded slightly, her heart touched by the raw emotion in Jin Nian’s voice.
For the first time that day, she felt something stir deep inside her.
Then, she opened her eyes—filled with disbelief.

“Stop—”

Xu Wei’s voice broke the moment.
Jin Nian froze, her heart sinking in disappointment.

Even though she’d done her best, it still wasn’t enough, was it?
After all, her skills couldn’t compare to the professionals’.

But then Xu Wei removed her headset, turned toward the sound engineer, and said firmly:

“It’s her.”