Chapter 219 – A Piece Of Cake
Obviously, Guo Ziyi’s song couldn’t move Du Yuanlei. Perhaps Du Yuanlei said something after the party. The next day, Guo Ziyi ran to the coffee shop with a disheartened expression, seeking comfort, and said, “I’m heartbroken.”
Yang Yi was indifferent. He didn’t know how to comfort people, let alone a man.
Ding Xiang, on the other hand, was kind-hearted, and brought out a small cake she was still studying and experimenting with. She used delicious food to comfort the wounded heart of the little fatty.
“Wow, it’s delicious! Senior Sister, when did you learn this? You could sell this!” Guo Ziyi ate the rich and sweet cake, his eyes shining. All the shadows of his recent heartbreak were driven away, and he kept shouting that he wanted more.
He proved the meaning of the phrase “big-hearted and serene” with his actions and proved that Yang Yi was right not to comfort him… 1 心宽体胖 : A Chinese idiom. Could also be translated as “broad-minded but physically fat” which means contended and easy-going.
“I can’t keep giving you food. These ingredients are all bought by Big Brother Yang for me to learn how to make pastries! If you want to eat them in the future, you’ll have to pay for them. The menu will have it listed!” Ding Xiang refused with serious tone, then asked in a small and joyful voice, “Is it really delicious? I’m afraid I didn’t make it well”.
Her previous experimental products couldn’t be tasted by Xixi, and Yang Yi didn’t have much of a sweet tooth either. He would only use a small silver spoon to taste a little bit and check the flavor. Most of the time, it was Ding Xiang who made and tried them, even those that failed before, she was unwilling to throw away… and would take them back and eat them as her meal.
However, making Guo Ziyi be her guinea pig, she had no psychological burden. Guo Ziyi was just fortunate enough to taste Ding Xiang’s successful creations.
“Okay, okay! Talk to Big Brother Yang about the price and put it on the blackboard.” Guo Ziyi drooled and said, “I can’t wait to have another piece!”
……
Li Manman, who had been waiting for a long time, finally received an email reply from “Mu Li’ang”. However, Mu Li’ang’s response was not what she had hoped for. The other party did not give in to her soft-spoken pleading.
“…After listening to a few of your albums, I’ve noticed that your results2refers to the achievements or results of the singer’s career, such as album sales or chart rankings. have been getting better and better each year, but your singing has been getting worse each year. Even the sound engineers can’t cover up your lack of breath control. So why bother trying to tempt me into writing songs for you? Practicing your basic skills and putting more effort into developing your own abilities is more worthwhile than trying to take shortcuts!”
The email was not long, but Mu Li’ang’s criticism was merciless, almost peeling off all of her disguises and exposing all of her scars…
Looking at the email, Li Manman’s expression was constantly changing, filled with various negative emotions such as sadness, resentment, unwillingness, suspicion, jealousy, etc.
Yi Qi, who received Li Manman’s phone call, finally arrived. At the moment when she pushed open the door, Li Manman put on a look of grievance and cried without tears, “Sister Yi, come and see, this email is too much! I don’t even know if it’s written by Mu Li’ang. I suspect that that despicable person, Mo Fei, deliberately hid the real address from me and made up this email to provoke me!
Yi Qi comforted Li Manman and carefully read the email.
An onlooker sees clearly. After reading this email, Yi Qi actually had a good idea of what was going on in her heart. What was said in the email was not wrong. Li Manman did indeed have those problems, but the problem was that Li Manman was not the kind of person who humbly listen to other’s criticism!
This woman was very smart and good at using her strengths to fight for her own interests. However, she always valued her strengths too much and believed that her good looks, charming personality, and understanding of how to manipulate men’s minds were enough to replace any effort. As a result, Li Manman ignored her shortcomings.
Especially after her rise to fame, even though it might not seem obvious from the outside, she had become conceited in mainland China!
In the past, her agent advised her to focus on music and not put too much effort into speculation and opportunism3“投机钻营” generally refers to the act of seeking quick profits or personal gain through opportunistic means or unscrupulous tactics, rather than through honest effort or hard work., which annoyed Li Manman and led to a breakdown in their relationship. The company then arranged for Yi Qi to be in charge of her.
Yi Qi and Li Manman actually have some similar ideas. She not only never persuaded Li Manman, but also tried her best to tap into Li Manman’s potential in certain areas, encouraging her to sing upbeat songs and perform sexy dances. The effect was still there. Li Manman’s current popularity and success was closely related to Yi Qi’s management.
Yi Qi was very astute. Even though she already guest in her heart that the email was indeed written by “Mu Li’ang”, she did not refute Li Manman’s words. Instead, she gently placed her hand on Li Manman’s shoulder and said softly, “Whether it is or not, what impact does it have on the outcome?”
“If Mo Fei really has such a deep plan to deceive us, and we go to question her, she probably won’t admit it. And if this email really is from Mu Li’ang, judging from his tone, it is probably also difficult for him to acknowledge you, let alone write songs for you.” Yi Qi said gently.
“So, no matter what, I can’t get Mu Li’ang to write a song for me?” Li Manman asked unwillingly.
“Teacher Wu from the company has analyzed Mu Li’ang’s music. Although his current songs on the market have different styles, one thing is certain: Mu Li’ang’s songs are not easy to sing. If it weren’t for singers like Chen Yijie and Mo Fei who are famous for their vocal skills, others would not be able to sing them well,” Yi Qi said, avoiding the sharp edge of the statement.
Li Manman nodded. Being a smart person, she understood her agent’s meaning. Although she still felt a little unwilling in her heart, she still smiled and said, “Okay, since Sister Yi has made it so clear, I don’t need to continue to brood over it. It’s just Mu Li’ang! I don’t care!”
“That’s right. You have to trust the company. The company has put in so much effort to cultivate you and will surely do its best to collect songs for you. Even without Mu Li’ang, we still have Er Dong Li’ang and Zou Xiao Li’ang…4She’s saying there are other Li’angs, figuratively, or people like Mu Li’ang.We will definitely release a platinum album for you!” Yi Qi said.
Li Manman smiled sweetly, but there was a gloomy light hidden in her eyes.
……
Mo Fei wanted to record songs with peace of mind, but it was clearly difficult to achieve.
She was arranged to participate in the program “Music Fast Fast Fast” last time, and although it hasn’t been aired yet, Sister Ling still received feedback from the Guangdong Provincial TV station.
Of course, this feedback was not what Niu Meiling wanted to see.
The effect can be said to be completely opposite to what she had expected. Mo Fei’s song “Across the Ocean to See You” was highly praised by the live audience, and it was entirely predictable how popular the program would be after it aired. Even in the media’s unfounded reports, hints of this could be seen.
Niu Meiling pondered for a few days, during which she didn’t consult with anyone, but silently made her own plans.
Finally, on this day, Niu Meiling called Mo Fei over and, taking advantage of the opportunity that Mo Xiaojuan was absent from the company, bypassed Mo Xiaojuan and went straight to Mo Fei to discuss the issue of contract renewal.
“Mo Fei, you know how the company and Sister Ling treat you. For so many years, they have protected you like a daughter. Even if you have a child and insist on retiring from the music industry, Sister Ling has not stopped you,” Niu Meiling explained with both reason and emotion. She became so emotional that her eyes turned red, as she persuaded Mo Fei.
TN: About the title. I think it’s referring to how easily Yang Yi solved the problem with Li Manman.
TN: If you like my translations support me in ko-fi: Here.
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