As he was stewing in anger, alone with his arms crossed, leaning back on his chair and spacing out, a sudden BANG snapped him back to reality.
Looking up, he saw the glass door of the innermost office being forcefully pushed open, followed by the sound of two people arguing loudly.
"Xu Qingqiu, have you still not grasped the situation?"
"You don't even own the rights to a single song now, and your studio is about to go under. Where do you plan to get the money?"
"The Sound of Nature demands that the first song be the singer's own. You can't even meet that requirement, so there'll be another fine for breach of contract."
"Do you even have the money to pay that?"
"After all this, you're still clinging to that issue. He himself doesn't care, so what are you persisting for? Would it be that hard to go apologize and get back the rights to a song or two? What are you after?"
Recognizing that voice, Chu Tian instantly knew it was Xu Qingqiu's agent, Li Chunhua.
Ever since Xu Qingqiu's debut, Li Chunhua had been by her side; even after parting ways with the company, they had never separated. He had never seen the two of them argue like this before.
But the way Li Chunhua mentioned "him" sounds suspiciously like she's talking about me.
"Sister Hua, stop it. It's impossible for me to humble myself to that old geezer, Ye Zhonghuai. If it comes to it, I'll just quit the entertainment industry and stop singing altogether."
"You speak so lightly of quitting, as if it were that easy! Do you have any idea how many people rely on you for their livelihood? Do you realize how long the studio hasn't paid out salaries? How will you repay what you owe?"
"Besides, let's not even mention the staff—what about Chu Tian? If you quit, what else can a mute like him do other than loaf around waiting for death? Without you to support him over the years, he'd have starved by now. Have you thought about him at all?"
What the hell? What does that mean?
Chu Tian, who was in the front row enjoying the spectacle, was suddenly singled out and left utterly dumbfounded.
How has this gossip suddenly involved me? What about me? Is it so shameful to just loaf around waiting for death? Ahem, well, it is a bit. But it's not like I'm eating your rice, so why are you getting worked up?
Perhaps Li Chunhua's words had an effect, because after a long silence, Xu Qingqiu finally spoke from the office, "I get it. At worst, I'll take on some variety shows. I should be able to make some money to subsidize things."
No sooner had she finished than Li Chunhua scoffed derisively.
"Pfft! My Diva Xu, do you even understand the situation? Do you know what people on the internet are calling you? An obscure singer, a washed-up Queen—you get that you've faded into obscurity, right?!"
"When you were popular, you insisted on singing being your main focus, wanting people to pay attention to your voice instead of flaunting yourself on variety shows. Now that you've lost your popularity, what variety shows will even have you?"
"Don't you know that The Sound of Nature approached you for the first three seasons but didn't even bother this season? I had to swallow my pride and beg for this opportunity. Even then, they were reluctant to have you—do you understand?!"
"That little bitch Fan Yurou, do you have any idea how many traps she's laid for you? Can't you see that? When you were in the limelight, everyone adored you. But now that you're down and out, countless people are eager to kick you while you're down! Can't you see that, you foolish girl?!"
"And Qin Xiao, that flamboyant woman, has been so passively-aggressive insulting you on Weibo that she might as well be cursing you to your face. She's mocking you for not having any songs to sing!"
"A Queen with no songs to sing—how many people are laughing at you? And that old jerk Ye Zhonghuai, who knows how many strings he's pulled behind the scenes; you can't even buy a song. Tell me, what are you going to do?"
"I know, Sister Hua. Come inside first, let's not let others hear."
"What's there to fear? Do you see anyone around? With the studio not even able to pay wages, do you really expect anyone to be working overtime? You have so little buzz there's no work to do. Who else would be in the office at this hour?"
The more fiercely the two argued, the more absorbed Chu Tian became in listening.
Oho, so there's a Fan Yurou? A little bitch? Just how bitchy is she?
Qin Xiao? A flamboyant woman?
Interesting, very interesting. I'll have to look them up later and see who they are.
In his previous life, despite being a King, his favorite pastime was indulging in online gossip. When it came to celebrity dirt, he was a walking encyclopedia of the entertainment industry. Why else do you think he was always so cautious? It was simply the self-discipline of a seasoned gossip: absolutely never let the drama involve you. That was the most fundamental rule.
Just as Li Chunhua was about to be pulled by Xu Qingqiu into the office, Chu Tian became anxious.
No way, I need to listen more carefully. This is all crucial information, stuff I'll need to review later. It would be such a shame to miss any of it.
With this in mind, he forgot everything else and stood up, craning his neck to hear more clearly.
SCREEECH…
He really shouldn't have stood up. The moment he did, the chair beneath him scraped against the floor, producing a long, drawn-out sound.
In an instant, all three of them froze on the spot.
Yes, all three of them...
Xu Qingqiu and Li Chunhua widened their eyes in shock as Chu Tian unexpectedly emerged from a dark corner of the office—they felt as though a stampede of alpacas had just thundered through their minds.
Chu Tian stood there awkwardly, unsure whether to smile or not.
I should say hello to ease the awkwardness, he thought. He waved his hand and opened his mouth, but not a sound came out.
Well, that just made things even more awkward.
Damn it, what kind of crappy chair is this? He glanced around. Don't other people have chairs with casters? How come mine doesn't have wheels?
Little did he know, this was because his body's previous owner found chairs with casters uncomfortable—they always rolled back when he tried to sleep in them—so he had specifically swapped it for one without wheels.
After a brief moment of awkwardness, it was Xu Qingqiu who recovered first. She grabbed Li Chunhua and ushered her into the office. Then, with a BANG, the door once again closed.
Chu Tian was left alone, looking at the quivering frosted glass door. He touched his nose, utterly speechless.
Alright, the gossip show is over. Nothing more to see here.
Inside the office, Li Chunhua and Xu Qingqiu looked at each other.
After a long silence, Xu Qingqiu finally broke it. "Let's go. Time to head home." She began to pack her things.
"Is he okay?" Thinking of the words she had just said and knowing she had blundered, Li Chunhua asked with trepidation.
Truth be told, she did bear some grievances against Chu Tian, but not an overwhelming amount. There was gratitude, pity, and also some resentment. It was complicated.
Of course, Xu Qingqiu's feelings were even more complicated.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that after so many years, the fact she still kept Chu Tian by her side was not only due to guilt from that incident but also because of the vague affection from those past years—an unavoidable factor. Their relationship now was very complex. She herself couldn't understand it, and sometimes she even dreaded facing Chu Tian because she didn't know what to say.
"Never mind him. Let's go home first."
Under the lights, her lotus-like face seemed even thinner, her starry eyes sparkled beneath crescent brows, and her straight nose and slightly pursed lips exuded a cool, stubborn air. Xu Qingqiu, looking even more haggard than before, lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Let's not worry about him for now," she said. "We'll talk about it when we get home."
"Alright, let's head home then."
With Chu Tian there, some things were indeed not suitable to be discussed, and Li Chunhua knew this as well.
Not long after, the office door opened again, and the two of them filed out.
Chu Tian looked up in surprise. Seeing them grabbing their things and about to turn off the lights left him somewhat speechless.
Weren't they just arguing? How come they're leaving so suddenly?
Li Chunhua, who was in the lead, stopped at the door, glanced back at Chu Tian staring at them, and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
I'm not going to put up with her attitude, Chu Tian thought. What's wrong with her? If she's sick, she should get treatment. Why roll her eyes for no reason? As if I can't do it too.
Thinking this, he curled his lip and rolled his eyes right back at her.
But halfway through the gesture, Xu Qingqiu silently approached.
As she walked past the desk, Xu Qingqiu, who had been looking down, suddenly lifted her gaze toward Chu Tian and just happened to see him rolling his eyes. Her heart filled with a mix of helplessness and amusement, which then turned into a growing sadness.
The Chu Tian I remember wasn't like this. The one in my memories was suave and full of a sunny disposition; just standing beside him made me feel warm. He would comfort me when I was down, encourage me when I was frustrated, and stand up to protect me when I was bullied. But when did he start to change? Was it when his voice grew hoarse? Or from the day his parents passed away? I can't remember clearly. I only recall that the sunny boy from my memories never appeared again. In his place was someone who always wore a cold, expressionless face, no matter the occasion. Later on, after he graduated and came to my place, he was like a walking corpse, drifting through his days in a daze. He'd play games at work and play games after work, as if he were completely detached from the world. So when did he become like this? Have I been too busy lately? Have I neglected the person who was once most important in my heart?
She looked at Chu Tian behind the desk. In his eyes, she saw curiosity directed at her, and even a hint of unfamiliarity. That sense of distance made her heart ache, and her vision began to blur.
"Qingqiu, it's time to go."
"Ah? Oh..."
Xu Qingqiu snapped back to reality. She managed a faint smile, but it vanished quickly. She looked at Chu Tian, her mouth opened, but in the end, she only said, "It's late. You should head back soon too."
Without looking back, she walked toward the door.
"Oh."
Chu Tian was still dazed. He merely gave a blank sound of acknowledgment, but then quickly realized he hadn't actually made a sound. He nodded hastily, but she had already closed the door and walked away.
Gazing at the glass door swinging back shut on its own, Chu Tian was a bit lost in thought.
Just now, for a brief moment, my heart was genuinely stirred. I couldn't tell if it was a residual emotion from this body's original owner or love at first sight. Regardless, the sorrow and grievance that flickered across the coolly beautiful face of the girl standing before me truly struck a chord. For an instant, I even felt the urge to speak up and comfort her.
It's not that there weren't women who moved my heart in my previous life. But in that environment, I knew a fair bit about the affairs of female celebrities. After all, in the same circle, there were basically no secrets. Many of the girls who had once captivated me eventually became nothing more than passing clouds. But this one before me... she's stirring something within me again.
I can't vouch for others in this world, perhaps not even Xu Qingqiu entirely, but from what I understand so far, this girl... she seems worth it.
No, what am I thinking?
Shaking his head, he cast aside those unrealistic fantasies.
I'm no top-tier King now. At best, I'm just a mute, idling my life away. I really don't know where I get the audacity to even think about a Queen like Xu Qingqiu. It's laughable.