Chapter 117: No Wonder

No wonder!
No wonder his thick notebook was filled with so many songs.
No wonder, when the scandal first broke, he said he could help resolve it.
So this was the truth!
At once, Yuanqing Lu connected the dots.
StarOrange Entertainment! Pei Qin! Tang Guo!
Chen Su had once said he worked as a composer at a small company.
Back then, people in the group chat joked that he was half an insider.
But everyone assumed he was just a fresh graduate intern, so no one pressed him about which company he worked for.
Now, it seemed it might be StarOrange Entertainment after all.
Coupled with Jiang Yan’s reaction just now, he was almost certain.
He also noticed the subtle interactions between Su Chen and Jiang Yan.
Even someone as composed as him was deeply shaken in an instant.
A nobody pulled into the group by accident—turns out to be a hidden “boss”?
Yet, Yuanqing Lu recovered quickly.
“Haha, that’s great!”
“We’re all friends after all; working together will be much more comfortable!”
“After today’s recording, the next one will be a while later, right?”
“I’ll treat everyone tonight—how about we gather for drinks?”
Su Chen looked at him helplessly and shook his head.
This ‘Lu the King’ seemed so steady to outsiders, but in reality, he was just a drunkard.
Since arriving in Hangzhou, he constantly invited Su Chen out for drinks every few days.
It was getting unbearable!
“I won’t be going to the Forest Retreat tonight; I have other matters to attend to.”
“You all enjoy yourselves, and I’ll treat everyone another day!”
Yuanqing Lu appeared a bit disappointed but still shook his head.
“Fine then, if you’re not coming, we’ll just call it a night!”
“We already gathered during yesterday’s rehearsal!”
“Maybe next time!”
He said with a teasing smile.

“Everyone’s here, so we have witnesses. Su Chen said he’s treating us!”
Laughter erupted all around.
Su Chen reluctantly promised, and only then did Yuanqing Lu let it go.
After Su Chen finished briefing Jilin and left, those still at the scene were left stunned.
They hadn’t expected Su Chen to be so familiar with the mentors!
Kings and queens of the industry! Popular and accomplished singers! They all seemed to have a deep connection with him!
What was his background?
Meanwhile, Sun Jichang and Wang Xiaoyi, who hadn’t left yet, exchanged wide-eyed looks.
Facing these music royalty up close for the first time, they were utterly shaken!
The biggest shock was overhearing a juicy tidbit while watching:
Su Chen was actually Jiang Yan’s rumored boyfriend!
The very composer behind Jiang Yan’s hits “Next Stop Queen” and “Thousands of Songs.”
No wonder he looked so familiar back then.

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“Hey, let me tell you something!”
“Do you know who our current boss is?”
“Who? The guy who came to see Director Ji last time? He looked pretty young.”
“Don’t you think he looks a bit familiar?”
“A bit, maybe because he’s good-looking. I’ve seen him around celebrities before.”
“You’re dead wrong!”
Inside the Zhejiang Provincial TV station, members of Jilin’s team whispered gossip.
The one speaking lowered his voice mysteriously.
“I’m telling you, don’t tell anyone else!”
“Our boss is Su Chen!”
“Remember that mysterious boyfriend when Jiang Yan’s scandal broke?”
“That’s him!”
After saying this, he looked expectantly at the others, waiting for their reaction.
“No way, is that true?”
“Now that you mention it, I do recall the guy’s name was something like Su… It must be him!”
Seeing their shocked expressions, the informant smiled with satisfaction.
“So that means Jiang Yan is our boss’s girlfriend?”

“Come on, stop spreading nonsense.”
“That was just a rumor; who knows if it’s true?”
“But according to colleagues at the recording site, their relationship is definitely not ordinary!”
“Don’t spread unconfirmed news; just keep it to yourself.”
In the workplace, there are truly no secrets; once one person knows, the entire department knows.
And when people share, the first line is always, “I’m telling you, don’t tell anyone,”
and the last line is always, “Don’t spread this around; just keep it to yourself.”

The internet’s memory is short-lived.
Although Jiang Yan’s scandal caused a huge stir back then,
months had passed, and the online buzz had long faded.
So people quickly forgot Su Chen’s name and face.
But that didn’t stop them from digging up old stories whenever something triggered it.
Like now, past events seemed to come alive again, eagerly devoured by Jilin’s team.
Of course, Su Chen was unaware of all this, and it meant little to him.

After leaving the studio hall, Su Chen immediately contacted the liaison at Zhejiang South TV to discuss the program’s broadcast schedule.
By coincidence, a show scheduled for New Year’s had been temporarily canceled due to cooperation issues.
“China’s Voice” was just the right candidate to fill that slot.
New Year’s Eve at 8 p.m., prime time!
Su Chen was very pleased with this arrangement.
He promptly shared the news in the project group chat and urged Jilin to complete post-production on time.

Zhejiang South TV, as always, acted quickly.
That very night, their official Weibo posted an announcement:
“Zhejiang South TV’s brand-new music variety show ‘China’s Voice’ will premiere at 8 p.m. on January 1, 2024. Creating a fresh stage for every young person with a musical dream and bringing a feast of audio-visual delights to music lovers. Witness a fierce battle among king and queen-level mentors—stay tuned and reserve your spot early!”

At the same time, Yuanqing Lu, Jiang Yan, Pei Qin, and Qingmei Zhu reposted the Weibo post with their own captions.
Yuanqing Lu: ‘China’s Voice’—If you sing well, come on! If you dare to try, I dare to take you!
Jiang Yan: I’m joining ‘China’s Voice’ as a mentor! Ever heard of “blind auditions”? Come watch! / So cute.
Pei Qin: Thanks to ‘China’s Voice’ for inviting me as a mentor. Witnessing the strength of grassroots talent was truly shocking!
Qingmei Zhu: This is a stage of dreams, offering every dreamer a way out. Thanks to the production team and Zhejiang South TV!

Qingmei Zhu might not be very famous or have many fans.
But Yuanqing Lu, especially Jiang Yan and Pei Qin, were hot figures recently.
Once posted, their Weibo went viral, stirring up a storm online.