Chapter 8: A Concession for a Song

Qin Yu accepted Lin Ziyao’s terms without a moment’s hesitation. “I agree,” she declared.

Lin Ziyao was taken aback by Qin Yu’s immediate acceptance. She had expected Qin Yu to at least ponder the offer or consult her company before agreeing, yet the words had slipped out with such ease.

A rare sense of satisfaction bloomed in Qin Yu’s heart as she caught Lin Ziyao’s surprised expression.

A slow, graceful curve appeared on Qin Yu’s lips as she patiently explained, “Your condition isn’t difficult for me to accept. The crucial point is that exceptional songs don’t appear every day. I’m willing to make certain concessions for that.”

Lin Ziyao carefully pondered Qin Yu’s words. Despite her efforts to overestimate the impact these songs would have, she realized she had miscalculated.

‘It seems I need to find some free time to properly listen to the songs created by artists in this world,’ she thought, silently assigning herself a task. ‘Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you emerge victorious in every battle.’

“After tomorrow’s shoot concludes, this program will halt filming for a few days due to scheduling conflicts,” Qin Yu said, extending an invitation. “Would you be free to visit my studio then?”

“Visit your studio for what?” Qin Yu’s invitation left her momentarily bewildered. Still, a few days off would be beneficial; she could use the opportunity to visit her grandmother in the hospital.

“To visit and record the song,” Qin Yu clarified. “We’ll get ‘Invisible Wings’ properly recorded so it can be released alongside the program’s broadcast.” Qin Yu’s sharp intuition already foresaw the song’s immense popularity once the show aired.

Recording the song during this break and releasing it with the program would maximize its impact, even saving on promotional costs.

“Besides, aren’t you going to give me another song?” Qin Yu shifted her crossed legs, reminding her with an amused glint in her eyes. “We can record that one at the same time.”

Considering the timing of the break, Lin Ziyao agreed to Qin Yu’s proposal.

Ultimately, Lin Ziyao’s performance in the talent show unequivocally won the unanimous approval of all the guests present.

After the shoot concluded, Feng Qiqi quietly approached her. “Do you have the piano score for your song?” she asked. “I’d love to play it sometime.”

Noticing Lin Ziyao’s questioning gaze, Feng Qiqi quickly explained, “Listening to your performance moved me, and I want to interpret it in my own way. Don’t worry, your name will still be credited for the arrangement.”

Seeing Feng Qiqi’s flustered explanation, Lin Ziyao realized she had misunderstood. Lin Ziyao had merely been curious why Feng Qiqi had approached so stealthily, when she would have gladly provided the score if asked openly.

“It’s fine,” Lin Ziyao replied. “For the piano score, I’ll write out a simplified notation for you when I have time later.” The system had transformed all the data into her memories, meaning she could provide it to Feng Qiqi almost instantly if she wished. However, for caution’s sake, she chose to extend the timeline to avoid arousing suspicion.

With Lin Ziyao’s promise, Feng Qiqi departed with light steps. As it was already late after the shoot, only Director Chen remained in the garden, overseeing the cleanup. Just as Lin Ziyao was about to leave, Director Chen called out to her.

They both settled onto the seats that had yet to be cleared.

“Ziyao, after this song airs on the program, it’s likely to become incredibly popular,” Director Chen said, rubbing his palms together as he observed Lin Ziyao’s expression. “Have you considered filming a music video for it?”

After all, with such a remarkable song before him, even Director Chen couldn’t resist wanting to direct a music video for it. Moreover, Lin Ziyao’s beauty was exceptional, with few in the entertainment industry able to rival her; perhaps only Qin Yu could match her allure.

Faced with Director Chen’s invitation, she didn’t hesitate for long, agreeing immediately. “Director Chen, I’ve already promised Qin Yu that I’ll record the song at her studio. For the MV, you might need to discuss it with her.”

Hearing her words, Director Chen paused, surprised. “Have you joined Qin Yu’s studio?”

Lin Ziyao quickly shook her head. “We’re merely collaborating.”

“Oh, I understand, I understand!” Director Chen immediately gestured an ‘OK’ sign, indicating his comprehension.

Seeing that Director Chen understood, Lin Ziyao said no more. It was late, and after a busy day, she needed to return to her room to rest.

However, once she had left, Director Chen picked up his phone and instructed, “Xiao Li, for the first episode’s footage, please edit in more shots of Lin Ziyao and Qin Yu.”

“Understood, Director Chen!” Xiao Li hung up the phone and turned to the editor. “Director Chen wants more shots of Lin Ziyao and Qin Yu.”

The editor, who had been engrossed in reviewing the footage, looked up after hearing Xiao Li’s words. “Interaction shots, right? Got it!”

Meanwhile, Lin Ziyao returned to her room and pushed open the door. Qin Yu wasn’t lying on her bed. Instead, the distinct sound of dripping water emanated from the bathroom. Her expression tightened as a sudden thought struck her.

“You’re back? I saw you weren’t here, so I took a bath first!” Qin Yu’s voice drifted from the bathroom, having heard the sound of the door opening.

Blushing, Lin Ziyao softly hummed, “Mm.”

With a click, the closed bathroom door was opened by Qin Yu. A long, slender leg, still beaded with water, emerged from the mist-filled room. Lin Ziyao’s gaze followed the leg upwards.

“Woah!” Lin Ziyao quickly covered her eyes. “You—you—how can you? Aren’t there still cameras in this room?”

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time?”

As Qin Yu drew closer, Lin Ziyao, with her eyes covered, found her sense of smell heightened. She could perceive a milky fragrance emanating from Qin Yu.

“Stop!” Lin Ziyao kept her eyes closed, extending a hand to maintain distance between them, only for both her hands to be caught by Qin Yu.

“If you move any closer, something ‘bad’ might happen,” Qin Yu whispered softly into Lin Ziyao’s ear. Lin Ziyao tried to scratch, but Qin Yu held her hands firmly.

“Who… who would want that!” If she were to open her eyes, she would see her own deeply flushed cheeks.

“Help me…” Qin Yu’s words trailed off slightly, sounding both like an invitation and a plea, drawing a veil of ambiguity over her true intention.

“Help you with what?” Lin Ziyao asked, oblivious to the hidden anticipation in her own voice.

“Help me get the bathrobe from the bed,” Qin Yu finally said. “I forgot it earlier, and with the cameras on, I couldn’t get it myself. I had to wait for you to come back.” With that, Qin Yu released Lin Ziyao’s hands, re-entered the bathroom, and closed the door.

Lin Ziyao, utterly drained of strength, slumped onto the floor. Gazing at the large puddles of water remaining before her, she roared into the bathroom with a voice she never knew she possessed, “Don’t come out with wet feet! You could have said that inside! It’s a lot of work to dry the floor again!”