Chapter 92

Once again, they all squeezed into a car heading to the hotpot restaurant. Qi Qingnuo was pushed to the front by Wang Rui, who said she was too big! In fact, where was she big? She just didn't look petite.

The five girls were chattering noisily. Wang Rui, who had been playing the pipa for so long, now sang "Fingertip Stream" to her heart's content. At this moment, no one thought she sang poorly. Yu Xinting also joined in, but her voice was too soft.

Since they had just eaten some egg tarts and French fries, the girls weren't very hungry, so they ordered some food casually, mainly for chatting. Qi Qingnuo said Yang Jingxing should personally supervise Fu Feirong and Ran Jie's practice of the new song, but Yang Jingxing said he had to watch Duan Liying's award ceremony tomorrow night, and his mother would arrive the day after tomorrow afternoon, so he had no time.

Yang Jingxing also pushed it to Qi Qingnuo: "It's your family's bar, you're in charge."

Qi Qingnuo raised her eyes: "They're not my singers."

Yu Xinting suddenly remembered: "We need to bring the clothes back tomorrow! Otherwise, they'll see."

Yang Jingxing said: "Bring them in the morning, they should be dry by then."

Wang Rui mocked: "Uncle is so considerate."

Yang Jingxing gave Wang Rui some food: "Eat more."

Wang Rui, grateful, inquired about Yang Jingxing's future plans, wanting to offer advice. Yang Jingxing said he had no plans for now, which made Wang Rui anxious: "Have your family fund an entertainment company and sign us!"

Yang Jingxing laughed: "It should be you signing me."

In the evening, Yang Jingxing had a lot of homework to catch up on. He had spent all his time on the new song recently, accumulating a lot. Although those harmony assignments were like elementary school math to Yang Jingxing, not turning them in multiple times would result in punishment.

At around seven in the morning on Friday, Yang Jingxing called Yu Xinting after bringing the clothes to her dormitory building. Yu Xinting came downstairs, her face flushed, and a few strands of her bangs were still wet. She took the bag, looked inside, and asked if Yang Jingxing had eaten breakfast.

Yang Jingxing said he had already eaten. Yu Xinting smiled, saying An Xin hadn't woken up yet, as they had been online and playing for a long time last night. Yang Jingxing urged her: "Go up quickly, it's so windy."

Yu Xinting asked: "Are you bringing your aunt to school?"

Yang Jingxing nodded: "Yes, it's all their money."

Yu Xinting was excited: "We'll clean today, make sure it's spotless!"

Before four in the afternoon, Yang Jingxing set out to pick up Tao Meng. This time, it wasn't to her home but to her school. Yang Jingxing arrived at the school gate and waited for about ten minutes before seeing Tao Meng with two girls and a boy. However, the three didn't come to meet Yang Jingxing and parted ways with Tao Meng from a distance.

Tao Meng looked in a good mood and told Yang Jingxing with a smile that they were her student council companions. After getting in the car, Tao Meng looked around and asked: "Aren't you wearing gloves?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I put them in the safe, but I can't find the key."

Tao Meng was unhappy: "You have a safe?"

Yang Jingxing chuckled and asked: "What do you want to eat?"

Tao Meng said: "I don't know, I'm not hungry yet."

Yang Jingxing asked again: "Do you want to buy some snacks to bring along?"

Tao Meng thought for a moment: "Okay... there's a supermarket up ahead."

After entering the supermarket, Yang Jingxing picked up a basket and headed straight for the snack section. Tao Meng refused to buy sunflower seeds, as they create too much trash. She also forbade eating potato chips, as they are junk food. Yang Jingxing had to buy some chocolate and water. Tao Meng asked if they should prepare a bouquet of flowers for Duan Liying, as the tickets were for the front row of the inner venue, making it easy to present flowers. However, Yang Jingxing still found it troublesome and refused.

On the way to the stadium, Tao Meng told Yang Jingxing that she had opened a stock account. The initial capital was 100,000 yuan, and she had already started trading.

Yang Jingxing was puzzled: "You study trade, not finance, why are you trading stocks?"

Tao Meng said: "They are interconnected. I bought 20,000 shares of a company under my father's group and made a small profit today."

Yang Jingxing said: "If you're waiting for dividends, I support you. If you're trading, I think you should reconsider."

Tao Meng was unhappy: "Why? I can't do it?"

Yang Jingxing said: "Zero-sum games are like gambling, not your style."

Tao Meng pouted: "What do you know... financial products are indispensable in economic and trade development."

Yang Jingxing praised: "Yes, it's good that you recognize their function."

Tao Meng said: "Mind your own business... what did you do this week?"

Yang Jingxing said he had written a new song but wasn't planning to sell it yet, wanting to have his people sing it first. Thus, Tao Meng learned about Fu Feirong and, after asking more, was surprised: "Can you be more serious?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I am serious."

Tao Meng was annoyed: "Forget it, let's not talk about this. When is your mom coming tomorrow?"

...

After arriving at the stadium, they found a place to eat a quick meal and then entered the venue. By the time they found their seats and sat down, it was already six, and the award ceremony was about to start.

Tao Meng was relatively satisfied with the view, as the stage was only about thirty meters away, and they were close to the VIP area. The VIP area was protected, with each seat labeled with a celebrity's name, and several had already taken their seats.

Tao Meng looked around and said: "Duan Liying is sitting over there."

Yang Jingxing said: "I only care where you're sitting."

Tao Meng adjusted her scarf: "It's a bit cold, why is there wind here?"

Yang Jingxing raised his hand: "Come on, let's play 'You clap one, I clap one.'"

Tao Meng glanced at him: "Boring."

Yang Jingxing taunted: "Scared to play?"

Tao Meng fell for it: "Fine, let's play." She took off her gloves.

In a stadium with tens of thousands of people, the only ones bored enough to play a clapping game were probably these two. Yang Jingxing even recited: "You clap one, I clap one, a child is flying in the sky..."

Tao Meng corrected: "Wrong, it's a peacock in a colorful dress!"

Yang Jingxing said: "Okay, let's do it your way."

So Tao Meng recited, something about three penguins and four pandas. Yang Jingxing shouted: "Faster, faster..." and his hands clapped faster and faster.

Tao Meng managed to keep up at first, but Yang Jingxing was very unsportsmanlike, and his hands became a blur. Tao Meng got so frustrated that she stopped clapping and slapped Yang Jingxing's hands: "You're doing it on purpose!"

Yang Jingxing chuckled: "Let's play another one." He raised his hands to his chest, made a fist with his right hand, and extended his left hand, then tapped the fist up and down and moved the palm back and forth.

Seeing Yang Jingxing's challenging look, Tao Meng immediately copied him. However, she soon realized it wasn't that simple. Her hands moved in front of her, but they couldn't act independently, becoming a mess, making her frown and pout.

Yang Jingxing, feeling triumphant, laughed so hard he bent over. Tao Meng tried her best one last time but still couldn't do it, so she pouted at Yang Jingxing, her pink tongue curling almost into a circle. After Yang Jingxing saw it clearly, she pulled it back: "Can you do it?"

Yang Jingxing tried several times with his tongue but found it impossible. This time, it was Tao Meng's turn to be smug. Yang Jingxing said: "I'm still leading 2-1, let's do another one."

Yang Jingxing put his ear close to Tao Meng and moved it almost up and down, as if it could fan the air. Tao Meng tried, but she didn't know where to apply force, tried with a frown, and gave up, scolding Yang Jingxing: "You're so boring!"

Yang Jingxing revealed: "You find everything boring that you can't do."

Tao Meng boasted: "You practiced to do that, I can too, but I'm naturally talented, and you'll never learn."

Yang Jingxing said: "Okay, if you learn one thing, you win."

Tao Meng asked: "Can you draw a circle with your left hand and a square with your right hand?"

Yang Jingxing said: "Show me your hands."

Tao Meng placed her palms in front of Yang Jingxing. Yang Jingxing poked her with his index finger: "Watch carefully, no cheating." Then he started drawing.

Tao Meng's fingers curled slightly, she glanced at Yang Jingxing's face, and then focused on her palms. It seemed like he was really drawing a circle with his left hand and a square with his right.

But Tao Meng didn't admit it: "You drew them in segments, you need to start and stop simultaneously without pausing."

Yang Jingxing said: "Okay, let's switch this time."

Tao Meng watched closely, not finding Yang Jingxing cheating. After Yang Jingxing finished, Tao Meng grabbed her fists, rubbed them together, and laughed: "Only a fool can draw like that!"

Yang Jingxing didn't mind and said: "Come, let me read your palm."

Tao Meng extended her right hand, and Yang Jingxing held her small, cold fingertips with his left hand's index finger and thumb, while his right index finger traced patterns on her palm.

Tao Meng asked: "What do you see?"

Yang Jingxing quickly let go, imitating a movie: "Princess, please forgive me, I didn't mean to offend, forgive me, spare me."

Tao Meng laughed, showing a row of teeth: "You're annoying."

Yang Jingxing said: "But from your palm, Princess should be a beauty of the world. You're very beautiful now, but you haven't reached the ultimate level yet."

Tao Meng stopped laughing: "Find your ultimate beauty then."

Yang Jingxing said: "Please let me take another look."

Tao Meng turned her head to the other side and spread her hand for Yang Jingxing. Yang Jingxing held it and looked, then exclaimed: "I see!"

Tao Meng turned back, wary: "What is it?"

Yang Jingxing said: "Princess will reach the ultimate beauty at twenty, be at the peak at thirty, and be unmatched at forty."

Tao Meng huffed: "What about fifty?"

Yang Jingxing said: "Then you'll be the Supreme Master."

Tao Meng angrily pulled her hand away: "I won't show you anymore!"

The stars arrived, each with a radiant smile! So many kings and queens from the mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong! The women were in dresses, truly dedicated! Tao Meng saw Duan Liying, also in a dress, but it was thicker, and she was wearing socks. She was talking to another male singer.

Tao Meng urged Yang Jingxing: "Say hello!"

Yang Jingxing stood up and waved: "Sister Duan!"

People were calling from near and far, making a lot of noise. Some stars took their seats directly, while others waved and smiled at their fans.

Fortunately, Duan Liying scanned the area and saw the more noticeable Yang Jingxing. She walked over with a smile: "You came too?"

Yang Jingxing shook hands with Duan Liying through the barrier: "I came specially to see Sister Duan shine... This is my friend, Tao Meng." Tao Meng had already stood up next to him.

Duan Liying shook hands with Tao Meng: "Did you write the lyrics? So young and beautiful."

Tao Meng smiled: "You look beautiful tonight too."

Duan Liying chuckled and asked Yang Jingxing: "Did you write new songs?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I wrote two, but I wasn't satisfied, so I didn't send them. I let Ran Jie and the others sing them at Huīhuáng."

Duan Liying nodded: "Oh, it's fine, young people have many opportunities... Old Gan is over there, did you see?"

Gan Kaicheng was in another VIP area, and Yang Jingxing had already seen him but didn't want to disturb him.

Duan Liying hurried to her seat, and Tao Meng and Yang Jingxing returned to theirs. Next to Tao Meng was a middle-aged couple in their forties, who also stood up when they saw Duan Liying but didn't go over. The woman then struck up a conversation with Tao Meng, asking: "Do you know Duan Liying?"

Tao Meng said: "We know her, we wrote songs for her."

The woman was delighted: "Which one?"

"Evening Glow, she'll sing it tonight." Tao Meng wasn't sure if the woman had heard it.

The woman clapped her hands, leaned forward, and looked at Yang Jingxing, exclaiming: "The new song was written by you two, so young! No wonder it felt familiar, it's really well-written!"

Tao Meng and Yang Jingxing thanked her awkwardly.

The middle-aged couple were still star-chasers and kept pestering Tao Meng and Yang Jingxing, but fortunately, the award ceremony began.

The award ceremony was more like a star-studded concert, with various ads on the big screen.

Tao Meng watched attentively, occasionally asking Yang Jingxing: "Does her dress look good?"

Yang Jingxing laughed: "I just feel cold."

Tao Meng noticed: "She's so short, look, she's probably only 1.6 meters tall."

There were many awards, all kinds of them. The Best Newcomer Award went to a young actress who had sung two decently good songs for films and TV this year.

While the winner was on stage, holding the trophy and choking up in gratitude, Tao Meng asked: "Is she cute? Many people like her."

Yang Jingxing said: "It's because there's no choice."

"What about you?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I like you."

When a male star from Taiwan was singing, the female dancers were dressed quite commercially, in short skirts and stockings. Tao Meng looked at Yang Jingxing: "Are they dancing well?"

Yang Jingxing said: "The song is well-written."

Tao Meng said: "I'm a bit cold again."

Yang Jingxing took out a bag: "Have a chocolate."

Tao Meng took the chocolate and worried: "What if we get photographed?"

Yang Jingxing said: "Yes, they like to find beautiful women in the audience."

Duan Liying didn't go on stage until nine, not for a lifetime achievement award but for the Most Popular Female Singer in Mainland China, which she had won several times.

On stage, Duan Liying thanked her company, the judges, her family, and her child... but not the songwriter. After receiving the award, she sang "Evening Glow" with a dance performance.

The live version felt very different from the MP3. When Duan Liying, in good form, reached the climax, Tao Meng joined the audience in cheering and clapping.

Hearing their own song, Tao Meng was delighted, ate two chocolates in a row, and asked Yang Jingxing to help her peel almonds and open bottles.

By half past nine, some stars had already left. Yang Jingxing suggested leaving early to avoid the crowd and traffic. Tao Meng refused, wanting to stay until the end.

They watched until after ten, and it was difficult to get the car onto the main road. Tao Meng summarized: "Duan Liying got more applause... but the people behind were so annoying!"

Yang Jingxing suddenly received a call from Gan Kaicheng, inviting him for a late-night snack, but Yang Jingxing had to decline.

Tao Meng was a bit conflicted: "It's too late... how about you drop me off and then contact them?"

Yang Jingxing said it wasn't necessary: "Do you still want the snacks?"

Tao Meng reluctantly said: "I'll take them, you don't eat them anyway." After eating another chocolate, Tao Meng suddenly practiced the "left-right combat technique," tapping and touching, but still couldn't get the hang of it.

Yang Jingxing laughed: "You should just continue being smart."

Tao Meng raised her chin: "Even fools can do it, no reason for smart people not to."

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