Chapter 410 – A Weird Choice
Ju Jie was genuinely looking forward to meeting Yang Yi this time. For once, he didn’t drag his feet and even arrived at the abandoned warehouse half an hour early.
Yang Yi’s “late arrival” naturally made Ju Jie a bit anxious. As soon as he saw Yang Yi, he couldn’t help but complain, “Hey, Boss Mu Li’ang, why are you so late? I thought you were going to stand me up!”
“I called you here today because I need your help,” Yang Yi didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
Ju Jie instantly perked up, smile and said, “What kind of help? Just say the word, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.”
Last time, Mu Li’ang had said it would depend on his performance, and this was his chance to prove himself.
“Mo Fei won’t be renewing her contract with Tianmei…” Yang Yi said succinctly.
“What?” Ju Jie was a bit dumbfounded.
Yang Yi glanced at him and didn’t continue speaking, but his eyes told him, “Yes, you heard me right.”
“Sister Mo Fei not renewing her contract with Tianmei? That’s a big deal!” Ju Jie exclaimed in shock.
“Yeah, she’s going to start a studio with me, so she can’t renew her contract with Tianmei,” Yang Yi explained briefly before directly making his request. “Aren’t you Niu Meiling’s nephew? And a shareholder of Tianmei? I want you to help mediate and make sure Niu Meiling accept Mo Fei’s departure peacefully, so everyone can part on good terms.”
Ju Jie couldn’t help but blurt out, “But—but Sister Mo Fei isn’t some small-time star like Zhenzhen! She’s the company’s top artist! She’s so famous! If she leaves, my aunt is bound to be furious. How could she possibly accept it peacefully?”
“It’s precisely because it’s troublesome that I’m asking for your help.” Yang Yi deliberately used the word “asking.”
Yang Yi looked at Ju Jie in a way that made him feel as if he were saying, “Can you handle this or not?”
As if motivated by this, Ju Jie gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll give it a try. But why is Sister Mo Fei leaving? Isn’t Tianmei good enough?”
However, after asking the question, Ju Jie slapped his own head and laughed, “I forgot, you two are together. You write songs for Sister Mo Fei, and she doesn’t have to worry about anything else. Having more freedom is pretty nice.”
Yang Yi nodded slightly and said slowly, “Mo Fei not renewing her contract is indeed a significant loss for Tianmei, but Tianmei still has you, right? You’re also very popular. After Mo Fei leaves, the resources that were originally allocated to her could be redirected to you. It’s not impossible to turn you into a top-tier singer.”
Ju Jie’s eyes lit up after hearing this. He felt that what Yang Yi said made a lot of sense.
“Besides, if you help me with this and manage to ensure that everyone parts on good terms, maintaining a positive relationship, I might even lend you a hand in the future,” Yang Yi smiled slightly and said, “I’m taking away your company’s top star, but it’s not impossible for me to help you cultivate a top male artist in return!”
“You mean I could be the top male star?” Ju Jie’s breathing became a bit rapid.
“Of course. The most obvious example is the song I wrote for you, “Sidechick”. Controversial as it was, didn’t it still make you famous? But if Mo Fei were to leave Tianmei on bad terms, completely falling out with the company, would I still feel inclined to write songs for you? Probably not. But if Mo Fei and Sister Ling part ways peacefully, keeping a good relationship for future encounters, I wouldn’t have any reservations about writing songs for you.” Yang Yi added fuel to the fire.
“You’d really write songs for me?” Ju Jie couldn’t help but feel excited, thinking about how Yang Yi had used twelve songs to propel Mo Fei to super-stardom.
Yang Yi nodded. “Two songs. If you handle this well, I’ll write you two songs. If not, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Ju Jie’s mind started racing. When it came to crafty ideas, his IQ suddenly kicked into gear, “I can talk to my dad and have him discuss it with my aunt. My aunt won’t ignore what my dad says. And like you said, losing Mo Fei but gaining Ju Jie—either way, Tianmei still has a big star, so it’s not too much of a loss… Well, since Sister Mo Fei’s departure is inevitable, I think my aunt will weigh the pros and cons and agree to part on good terms with her.”
The more he thought about it, the more Ju Jie felt it was possible. He punched his own palm, extremely excited.
“Well then, it all depends on your performance!” Yang Yi felt relieved and, after speaking, prepared to leave.
“Hey, Boss Mu Li’ang, don’t be in such a hurry to leave! Can you at least give me a hint about the two songs you’re going to write for me?” Ju Jie couldn’t help but ask, feeling very eager.
Looking at his cheeky grin, Yang Yi had the urge to punch him.
To put it bluntly, he was just asking for it.
However, this guy was somewhat interesting. He was the most successful person Yang Yi had ever turned over to his side.
Yang Yi decided to give Ju Jie something to look forward to, to motivate him to work hard.
Since he needed Ju Jie’s help, Yang Yi started to take him more seriously. One can’t expect a horse to run fast without feeding it grass, after all.
“I can’t give you both songs at once. I’ll sing one for you now, and after you’ve handled the matter well, I’ll give you the second one. Of course, if you fail to handle it well and still take my song, don’t blame me for being harsh,” Yang Yi said kindly but firmly warned him.
Ju Jie shuddered and quickly nodded.
“The song I’m going to sing for you is called ‘Lucky’,” Yang Yi said calmly.
Then he began to sing the song for Ju Jie.
“…So lucky, to meet you at the most beautiful time, without regret or missed chances. Holding you tight, with all my strength, not letting happiness slip away…”
Although there was no accompaniment, Yang Yi’s impressive vocal skills still brought the song to life. His voice conveyed a sense of lightness, clarity, warmth, and sweetness, capturing the essence of the song beautifully.
Of course, this song was similar to “Sidechick”—mostly unremarkable—but its chorus had a catchy melody and lyrics that stuck in one’s mind. However, it had a better reputation than “Sidechick”, as its lyrics weren’t as awkward or uncomfortable to listen to.
However, after Yang Yi finished singing, Ju Jie seemed a bit conflicted. Yang Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like the song?”
He had specifically chosen this song because it didn’t require strong vocal skills, being considerate of Ju Jie’s abilities.
Ju Jie hesitated and said, “Boss Mu Li’ang, that’s not what I mean.”
“This song is nice, but it doesn’t suit me! After singing ‘Sidechick’, people started calling me the ‘Prince of Heartbreaking Love Songs.’ This song is too proper—it doesn’t match my style. Can you change it to something more like ‘Sidechick’?” Ju Jie looked at Yang Yi cautiously and asked boldly.
Change to another song… Only someone as shameless as Ju Jie could make such a request!
And he wanted it to be the same style as ‘Sidechick’?
Yang Yi was almost speechless. He had specifically chosen a love song to help Ju Jie change his image!
Although he had tricked Ju Jie before, Yang Yi didn’t feel guilty, but now that Ju Jie was somewhat his “underling,” Yang Yi felt he should treat him well.
But this guy just didn’t appreciate it. He had actually gotten addicted to singing tragic songs like “Sidechick”?
“You really want a song like ‘Sidechick’?” Yang Yi couldn’t help but ask again.
“Yes, yes! That kind of song is great! Other singers won’t touch them, so if people want to hear them, they have to invite me. The more controversial it is, the easier it is for me to become popular!” Ju Jie chuckled. After months of Du Lun’s frustrated lectures, he had finally figured it out.
“…” Yang Yi was speechless.
However, everyone chooses their own path. He said calmly, “Alright then. Pretend you never heard the previous song. I’ll sing another one for you to listen to!”
TN: If you like my translations support me in ko-fi: Here.
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