Chapter 49: Hitting Two Birds with One Stone
The next day.
Shen Xi, who had planned to laze around in her villa, received a call from An Yufei, saying he wanted to give her a surprise music training session.
She initially wanted to refuse. After all, constantly troubling others wasn’t good. And since An Yufei wasn’t asking for any payment, she knew that favors were the hardest things to repay. She didn’t want to owe him too much.
“Haha! Xixi, don’t be so formal with me! We’re friends, don’t even mention payment,” An Yufei’s cheerful laughter came from the other end of the phone. He continued,
“Besides, your video has already helped me earn quite a bit! I just hope the music industry can have more talented original singers like you.”
“Uh…”
Shen Xi hesitated while holding her phone. Right now, she really did need guidance from an industry professional like An Yufei, who had strong musical skills and stage experience.
Ironically, composing and songwriting, arguably the hardest parts, weren’t something she needed to learn. Being a proud time traveler had its perks.
However, learning how to break down music was something she desperately needed. She couldn’t always rely on others every time she had a new song, right?
They weren’t family, after all, why would he go out of his way to help her so much? No, wait. Speaking of family, other than her younger brother, Shen Zekai, the rest of them… well, she’d be lucky if they didn’t try to harm her.
As for An Yufei saying her video helped him make a lot of money? She didn’t believe it for a second. A top idol like him wouldn’t care about such a small profit.
Shen Xi suddenly had a thought. Could it be that… An Yufei liked her?
She quickly laughed at herself and shook her head, dismissing the ridiculous idea. A superstar like him had seen all kinds of beautiful women.
She, on the other hand, was the one who, according to the original story, would be disfigured by the male lead and abandoned by the Gu family.
Aside from shallow people who liked her looks, who would genuinely care about her?
In her eyes, she wasn’t some delicate, gentle lady. If anything, she was more like a "rough guy" molded out of concrete.
She didn’t understand those subtle and intricate emotions, nor did she pretend to be weak in front of others… well, except for her big brother. But that was necessary, no acting, no survival!
“Alright then, I’ll have to trouble Teacher An! I’ll head over now.”
“Great, Student Shen Xi! I’ll be waiting.”
After hanging up, Shen Xi got up and went to her walk-in closet, searching for something suitable to wear.
Since she was visiting a friend’s house for lessons, and since the other party was a guy, she couldn’t dress too casually, but she didn’t need to be too formal either.
Her slender fingers skimmed over her clothes until she finally picked a simple, loose white T-shirt and a pair of comfortable casual pants.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction.
“Hmm~ Fresh and comfortable. Looks just like a hardworking student!”
When she went downstairs, Butler Wang greeted her with his usual gentle smile and respectfully asked,
“Madam, are you heading out? Would you like me to arrange a car for you?”
Shen Xi waved her hand with a grin.
“No need, no need. My bestie, Keke, is picking me up. I’m going to a friend’s house for a music lesson.”
She glanced at her phone, Keke had already sent a message.
“She’s here! I’m off now, bye-bye~”
She spoke as she jogged toward the villa’s entrance.
“Madam, remember the door is locked by 8 PM.”
“Got it~”
With light, quick steps, she created a small gust of wind, making her hair flutter behind her.
Butler Wang watched his master’s wife dash off in her usual energetic manner, shaking his head with a helpless smile. Then, he took out his phone and started reporting something to someone.
………………………………………
Ding dong—
At An Yufei’s home in Su City, the doorbell rang. He was tidying up the dining table when he heard it and quickly walked to the door with a warm, sunny smile.
It must be Shen Xi.
“Student Shen Xi, you’re finally he—”
“Eh?”
As he opened the door, he was momentarily stunned.
It wasn’t just Shen Xi, there was a “third wheel” beside her.
Uh… a girl in a JK school uniform.
Keke, upon seeing her idol in person, completely froze. Her brain crashed, and her cheeks turned as red as a ripe apple.
Her normally sharp tongue was now glued shut, and she couldn’t utter a single word.
Shen Xi had mysteriously told Keke she’d take her to “see the world” today, but she hadn’t mentioned who they were meeting.
Actually, Shen Xi had her own reasons. She was a woman now, and being alone with a man wasn’t exactly ideal.
As a high-paid “Madam” hired by her big brother, maintaining proper conduct was part of the job, right?
Bringing Keke along would avoid misunderstandings, plus it gave her friend a chance to meet her idol. A true two-birds-with-one-stone move!
Though… it did feel a little unfair to Teacher An. Hmm… she’d find a way to make it up to him next time.
Seeing Keke completely dazed, Shen Xi couldn’t help but chuckle. She lightly elbowed her and whispered in her ear,
“Keke, don’t just stand there drooling~”
Then she turned to An Yufei with an apologetic smile.
“Yufei, do you mind if I bring my friend along? She’s the fan I mentioned last time.”
An Yufei quickly regained his composure and smiled.
"Of course! Come in. The more, the merrier. I've been home alone for so long I'm practically growing mold."
In reality, he had just rushed back from recording Masked Singer, where he was part of the celebrity panel, to give Shen Xi a crash course in music.
He had only recently found out that Shen Xi was also a contestant on the show, and not just any contestant, but the highly anticipated mystery guest.
Seeing her bring a friend along made him a little uneasy. Was he being too obvious lately? Did she notice his feelings and bring a friend to avoid any misunderstandings?
"Xixi, '扒谱 (Bā pǔ),' or Transcribing in English, means turning a melody or a hummed tune into sheet music."
An Yufei sat at the piano, his long fingers tapping out a simple tune on the keys.
"For example, take this melody. The goal is to record it accurately as sheet music."
"You need a sharp sense of pitch and rhythm for this. Honestly, you’re more talented than I am. You just need practice."
Keke, being a considerate fan, stayed at a distance so she wouldn’t disturb her idol's teaching. She was still in a daze, feeling like she was dreaming.
Shen Xi sat beside the piano, listening intently and nodding occasionally.
She frowned slightly, worried. This skill wasn’t something she could master overnight, and what she lacked most right now was time.
She was sitting less than half a meter away from An Yufei, and her faint, natural scent, like a soft and invisible touch, occasionally made his heart skip a beat, causing his explanations to falter ever so slightly.
He cleared his throat and looked up, noticing the concern in her expression. Knowing what was on her mind, he tried to reassure her.
"I heard a top tech company is working on an AI program that can transcribe music. If it comes out, with your talent, you could write multiple songs a day with no problem."
Shen Xi smiled faintly, knowing he was just trying to comfort her.
They focused on the lesson, losing track of time until Shen Xi’s phone alarm went off. She checked the time, almost 6 PM.
"Sorry, Teacher An, my house locks up at 8 PM. I need to head back."
She stood up abruptly, jogging over to Keke, who was nearly asleep, and pulled her up.
An Yufei quickly got to his feet. He had originally planned to invite her to stay for a carefully prepared candlelight dinner, but seeing how anxious she was, he assumed her family must have strict rules. She must be a well-behaved and responsible daughter.
Though reluctant, he smiled warmly and reminded her, "Be safe on the way home. Send me a message when you get there."
Shen Xi nodded, feeling a warmth in her heart. Having a friend like him was truly a blessing.
"Thank you so much for today, Teacher An! Next time, I'll treat you to something delicious. Bye-bye!"
With that, she dashed out of An Yufei’s house.
As the two girls left the building and stepped into the upscale residential area, the streetlights flickered on. They chatted and laughed as they walked toward the main gate, completely unaware that someone was watching them.
Not far away, hidden among the bushes, a man wearing a baseball cap and a black face mask held up a camera with a telephoto lens, snapping photo after photo of their backs...
………………………………………………
The Next Day.
Morning, in the U.S. Gu Corporation Branch.
Gu Hanling hadn’t had much sleep in days. His bloodshot eyes were proof of his exhaustion.
His assistant placed a cup of black coffee on the desk and softly reported,
"President Gu, Mr. Fang from China sent some photos to your email. He’s asking if you want to purchase them personally."
Gu Hanling frowned slightly, a trace of doubt flashing in his tired eyes. Taking a sip of coffee, he moved his mouse and opened his inbox.
The next second—
BANG!
He slammed the coffee cup onto the desk, causing the liquid to spill over the papers.
The sudden movement startled the assistant, who instinctively stepped back. What kind of photos could make their usually composed and rational boss react like this?
"President Gu… should we buy all of them?" the assistant cautiously asked.
The office fell into a dead silence. Even the air felt frozen. After a long pause, Gu Hanling finally spoke, his voice low.
"No."
Just as the assistant was about to acknowledge the order, he heard Gu Hanling chuckle coldly.
"Tell Fang Chen… to buy out the entire media company."
His assistant’s eyes widened in shock. He had never seen President Gu so ruthless.
"And book me a flight back tonight."
One shocking order after another. The assistant was stunned. He clearly remembered his boss once saying that nothing was more important than business.
"But, President Gu, there are still billions worth of projects that haven’t been finalized—"
Gu Hanling raised his eyes, his clear and cold gaze falling on the assistant. A meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Money isn’t everything."