Kang Wei shoved open the door to the President's office.
"Did you buy him hype?!" he demanded furiously.
"It seems the Kang family's upbringing is rather lacking," a voice drawled from behind a computer.
Lin Wanqing didn't even spare him a glance, her eyes fixed on the screen.
Kang Wei pursed his lips, unwilling to give up. "President Lin."
"Hmm."
Only then did Lin Wanqing look up, her curvaceous body nestled lazily in the executive chair. "Which engagement did you ditch this time?" she asked, noting his light makeup, clearly from an event.
"I called you, but you didn't answer, so I had to come in person," Kang Wei said, his voice tinged with frustration.
"My apologies, my phone was on silent," Lin Wanqing replied smoothly.
...
A flimsy excuse! So perfunctory! Kang Wei cursed inwardly, then pressed on, "What's going on with Yu Wenli? His contract with the company is void, why are you still buying him hype?!"
Lin Wanqing smiled. "Young Master Kang, not everyone needs hype." She said meaningfully, "Some people, even with money thrown at them, make barely a ripple. Some people are born to be the center of attention, they can easily trend on hot search just by existing. Isn't that infuriating?"
Kang Wei: "..."
"You really didn't buy it for him?" he still suspected. He had watched that trending topic climb in real-time! It was too fast. If Yu Wenli were to truly enter the entertainment industry... Kang Wei dared not think about it.
Lin Wanqing shrugged. "You can investigate. Isn't your father very powerful? I'm at the company all day. He should be well aware of my every move. Why don't you go ask him?"
Hearing this, Kang Wei's suspicion waned, but he couldn't resist a reminder. "Sister Wanqing, I'm the artist the company is currently promoting. Even if you have an issue with me, you shouldn't let personal feelings interfere with work."
Lin Wanqing offered a strained smile. "Of course."
As soon as Kang Wei turned to leave, her expression darkened. The Kang family was becoming increasingly arrogant. Did they think Lin's Group was their personal property?! Hmph! She would remove this malignant tumor sooner or later! Lin Wanqing clenched her fist, her face contorted with malice.
Meanwhile, at the Conservatory of Music.
Jiang Yi scrolled through Weibo's hot search multiple times, but the topic he was looking for was nowhere to be found. "Huh? Where did it go? It was there earlier." His voice was somewhat high-pitched, soft and sweet, but not effeminate. It was the kind of youthful, milky voice that appealed to young girls.
Yu Wenli ate his meal leisurely. Hearing Jiang Yi, he chuckled. "Don't bother. Kang Wei paid to have it removed. It's no wonder you can't find it." That little bit of hype wasn't worth Jiang Tu's notice. Lan Shuo was ruthless; he would never do something as obvious as removing a trending topic. Therefore, it could only be Kang Wei.
"Kang Wei?" Jiang Yi looked up. He knew they had a bad relationship, but... "He can just casually remove a trending topic?"
"As long as he has money."
"Money..." Jiang Yi suddenly lost his appetite. "Then what if you don't have money?"
Yu Wenli glanced at him. "Instead of worrying so much, focus on honing your skills."
"Right!" Jiang Yi nodded. "Money, power, status are all external things. Only true ability is your own." He buried his head in his food again.
A few days later, at the Art Institute.
Wen Tingxue and Lu Youran walked out of the cafeteria, only to run into their drill instructor and chief instructor. An oppressive aura immediately descended upon them.
"Hello, Instructors," the two said, their scalps tingling as they greeted them.
The chief instructor nodded. The drill instructor glanced at them. "Not 'hello, Instructors.' Your goose-stepping was too sloppy."
The two: "..."
The chief instructor chimed in, "Indeed, it was like a dance of demons."
The two: "..........."
Back in their dormitory, Wen Tingxue immediately took out sanitary pads to pad her shoes. "Judging by their tone, they won't let us off this afternoon. It's better to be prepared." Lu Youran took out two more from her drawer and put them in her bag. Wen Tingxue thought she had a point and put two in her bag as well.
As it turned out, right at the beginning of the afternoon session, she was chosen by the instructor of the countdown formation. The sanitary pads were a wasted effort. The countdown formation was rehearsing on the field. When Wen Tingxue arrived, there were already hundreds of people. They were all roughly the same height, a mix of men and women.
"How's the design coming along?" The drill instructor's voice came from behind, followed by an even more familiar one.
"It's almost there. Let's try it out first." The voice was warm and gentle.
Wen Tingxue hesitated and turned her head, meeting Song You's clear, moist eyes. A faint smile flickered in them. "What a coincidence," he greeted.
Wen Tingxue nodded, a beat behind. "Senior Song."
"We'll catch up later, let's check the effect first," the drill instructor said impatiently, pulling him toward the rostrum.
After a round of rehearsal, Wen Tingxue finally understood why he was here. It turned out he was the designer of the countdown formation.
"Come over here." As they adjusted their positions, Song You beckoned Wen Tingxue over.
Wen Tingxue walked over. "What is it?"
Song You said in a low voice, "This position has the least demanding tasks. It suits you."
Wen Tingxue: "?" How did it suit her?
Song You smiled. "So you don't faint again."
Wen Tingxue blushed. "That time was an accident!"
Song You: "Just in case, you know."
Wen Tingxue: "..."
The girl next to them, overhearing their conversation, pouted and teased, "Senior Song, why didn't you find an easy position for me?"
Song You smiled faintly. "Her constitution is rather weak."
...
After a few more rehearsals, the drill instructor finally ordered a break. Wen Tingxue rummaged in her bag for her water bottle. Gulp, gulp. She was dying of thirst. Song You sat down beside her. "How do you feel?"
"It's indeed quite relaxed." The number of squats was quite minimal.
"May I see your design sketches?" Wen Tingxue was more interested in the drawings in his hand. Song You handed them over, a pencil still clasped between his fingers, making them look particularly elegant.
"Thank you." Wen Tingxue unrolled the rolled-up papers. Her first impression was one of amazement. Song You's personal style was very strong. This was particularly evident in his designs. Even in pencil sketches, he strived for perfection. The designs were also unique.
"Senior Song is truly amazing." Wen Tingxue flipped through the design drafts, genuinely praising him. Before entering the school, she had known that the students in her cohort were all elites. The senior students were even more outstanding. But despite being mentally prepared, she still felt a bit discouraged. She felt she might not be able to be this excellent.
Song You, sensing her dejection, smiled faintly. "As long as you are willing to learn, the Art Institute will provide you with the best resources. What's most regrettable is not daring to push your own limits."
As he spoke, Wen Tingxue looked at him sideways, her eyes unblinking.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Song You raised an eyebrow.
Wen Tingxue snapped back to attention. "No, I..." On an impulse, she blurted out, "There's sweat on your face, I'll get you a tissue."
Song You watched her rummage in her bag. After a moment, he handed her a... sanitary pad?
"I'm so sorry!" Wen Tingxue quickly stuffed the item back into her bag, her face extremely red. "Forget about this!" she said, offering a packet of tissues with both hands.
Song You smiled and took them. "Consider it hush money." With that, he stood up and walked towards the rostrum.
Wen Tingxue rested her forehead on her knees. How could she have forgotten the sanitary pads in her bag! It was so embarrassing! Why did Song You always appear whenever she was at her most mortified!