Chapter 64: Only a Fool Would Believe That
Shen Xi subtly stepped between Lin Yueyue and Gu Hanling, crossing her arms.
"Lin Yueyue, I don’t think we’re that close. Can you not talk to me?"
Being rude to the female lead fit perfectly with her role as someone who was deeply in love with Shi Jingyan. After all, jealousy meant she didn’t have to hold back.
Lin Yueyue was momentarily stunned, biting her lower lip.
"I... I just ran into Judge Liu Ran. He said he couldn’t reach you by phone."
"Tomorrow’s live broadcast has added a last-minute intimate dance between you and him. He wanted to schedule an emergency practice session tonight."
What?!
Shen Xi’s mind filled with question marks. She couldn’t help but scoff internally.
‘Do you think everyone's an idiot and easy to fool? You’re saying I’m supposed to do an intimate dance with ‘Liu Ran,’ that forty-year-old old man?’
Then it hit her, Lin Yueyue was up to something. She wanted Shen Xi to call Liu Ran, making it seem like she was trying to curry favor with him.
Shen Xi let out a cold laugh.
"I’ll check with him myself. If there’s nothing else, you can leave now."
As if she’d actually call. What kind of pathetic trick was this? Only an idiot would fall for it.
"Then I won’t bother you two anymore. Goodbye, Xixi."
Lin Yueyue then shyly glanced at Gu Hanling, her tone deliberately softer.
"Goodbye, Mr. Gu. It was a pleasure meeting you today."
After one last glance, she turned and walked toward Shi Jingyan.
"An intimate dance with who?"
Gu Hanling’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice remained as calm and indifferent as ever.
Shen Xi had been preparing to act, to put on a show of heartbreak over seeing the man she "loved" with another woman.
But his question completely disrupted the emotions she had just managed to build up.
She blinked in confusion at Gu Hanling, only to see his expression as neutral as always.
Surely he could tell this clumsy lie, he was just trying to tease her. Shen Xi shrugged, looking completely unbothered.
"Tch, whatever."
He wanted to make fun of her? Not a chance. Without another word, she turned and walked straight into the hotel.
Gu Hanling didn’t follow. Instead, he pulled out his phone.
………………………………………
Director Chen was in the middle of a meeting with all the key members of the production team, discussing the details of their brand-new variety show format for the next day’s broadcast.
Suddenly, his muted phone began to vibrate frantically, and he felt a surge of irritation.
"Who the hell is calling me at this time? Do they have no sense of timing?"
But when he glanced at the caller ID, he nearly dropped his phone.
Oh crap. It was him.
The contact name was saved as "Big Boss". The real investor backing the show. Unlike other big names, this particular backer had never interfered once a project started.
So why was he calling now?
Director Chen shot up from his seat so fast that his chair toppled over with a loud bang. Ignoring the confused stares from everyone in the room, he bolted outside to take the call.
The rest of the production team looked at each other, utterly baffled.
"M-Mr. Gu, hello! You were looking for me?"
The voice on the other end was cold.
"I heard Shen Xi is scheduled for an intimate dance tomorrow?"
Director Chen froze.
Shen Xi?
Ohhh, right. The "mistress" of CEO Fang. But CEO Fang was just the head of one entertainment company, a mere tiny dot in the vast Gu family empire.
Wait.
This mysterious, god-like tycoon actually knew Shen Xi???
Just to be safe, Director Chen took a moment to think before answering cautiously,
"There is a singer named Shen Xi in the lineup..."
"But she’s only scheduled to sing, not dance. Let alone an intimate dance. Um… Mr. Gu, is there a reason you’re asking about her?"
Gu Hanling’s voice remained calm, but his words hit like a nuclear bomb.
"Mm. She’s my wife. Just checking."
Director Chen felt like he was about to have a heart attack. His hands trembled, and his phone nearly slipped from his grip.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
And then—
Beep... beep... beep.
The call ended.
The sound of the call disconnecting finally snapped Director Chen out of his daze.
So… Shen Xi was actually… The wife of the Gu family’s head…
Heh… Haha…
"Damn it! Fang Chen, you old bastard! You definitely knew and didn’t tell me!"
Thinking back to when Shen Xi first joined the show, he had actually questioned her abilities and even suspected she was just Fang Chen’s mistress.
Thank god he had kept his mouth shut. If he had spread baseless rumors, he might not even have his life left at this point.
Compared to Shi Jingyan, who had to pull all sorts of dirty tricks just to secure a single contestant spot.
If he had known earlier that Shen Xi was that man’s wife, she wouldn’t have even needed to ask. If she wanted the entire show to be her personal concert, he would’ve made it happen in a heartbeat!
Rich people really do know how to have fun… Coming here just to "experience life" without actually suffering through any hardships…
……………………………………
On the other side, Shen Xi waited a long time at the elevator, even turning down a stranger who wanted to add her on WeChat, before Gu Hanling finally arrived late.
"Where did you go?"
Gu Hanling had a faint smile on his otherwise cold face. Instead of answering, he simply tilted his head slightly, gesturing for her to step into the elevator.
Shen Xi frowned in confusion but still followed him inside. The elevator doors slowly closed.
Outside, however, the hotel staff who recognized Shen Xi were stunned. A few employees huddled together, whispering excitedly.
"Was that really Shen Xi? And who was that guy next to her? Some celebrity? He’s so handsome!"
"Never seen him before in the industry. Maybe… he’s Shen Xi’s boyfriend?"
"Has to be! I saw them together earlier at the entrance. The way they looked at each other, there were sparks!"
"And to think Lin Yueyue claimed Shen Xi stole her boyfriend… What a joke! Unless Shen Xi is blind, that’s pure nonsense."
The others nodded in agreement.
……………………………………
Upstairs, Gu Hanling swiped his card to enter the hotel room. The moment the door shut behind them, Shen Xi couldn’t help but feel the atmosphere shift.
For some reason… it felt a bit scandalous. Like they were sneaking around for a secret affair.
Then, her gaze landed on the sheet music and lyrics scattered on the table. Right, she still had work to do!
"There’s food on the chair over there."
Without another word, Shen Xi sat down at the table, racking her brain over her composition.
Gu Hanling glanced at the bag of cheap snacks, priced at just a few bucks each. Huh… He had never eaten anything like that in his life.
Instead of touching the snacks, he walked over to Shen Xi’s side, glancing at the sheet music. His tone was calm as ever.
"Ever heard of AI music transcription?"
Shen Xi paused and looked up at him.
"I heard a friend mention it before. Why?"
An Yufei had briefly brought it up once, but it wasn’t something that had even hit the market yet.
Gu Hanling set down a heavy black bag on the table, unzipping it to reveal what looked like a thick, bulky, cobbled-together laptop.
"This is a prototype of Blue Whale AI, combined with a professional-level music composition system."
"The company is looking for someone to test it. Would you be interested, Mrs. Gu?"
His tone was so casual, as if he was talking about something completely ordinary.
Shen Xi was speechless. Was there anything in Su City that wasn’t owned by the Gu family?!
She blinked, looking at him in surprise.
"Wait… that tech company is yours too?"
Gu Hanling simply gave a quiet "Mm."
Then, he quickly typed a few commands on the keyboard and handed her a sleek, compact microphone.
"Wanna give it a try?"
"Of course, of course, of course!"
Hell yes! If this thing actually worked, it would completely solve her biggest problem in composing a hit song.
But…
Shen Xi's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilted a bit, and her eyes held a look of inquiry.
"Mr. Gu never makes a deal without getting something in return… What do I have to give in exchange?"