Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 462 - 307: The First Rehearsal, Silence Throughout (2)_2
"Okay, pack it up for now. Don’t get it dirty. You can take it home, and you two can take your time appreciating it. It’s perfect, one for each of you—how festive!"
Chu Tian and Xu Qingqiu never expected Sister Hua to say something like that, especially with the bright red bowls. They exchanged a baffled glance, their faces instantly turning crimson.
"Wow, what’s this? It’s so pretty!"
Just as the two were feeling awkward, Yiyi fortunately popped up.
"Ahem, this is a souvenir from the Spring Festival Gala. Take a look, but make sure to put it back in the box afterward and don’t break it."
At that moment, assistants Nannan and Chuanxia also happened to walk over, looking at the bowls in Yiyi’s hands with equal curiosity.
"Got it. I’ll put it in the car later."
Leaving Yiyi and the others chattering about the two bowls, Chu Tian and his companions moved to the only chair on the side.
"If you’re not busy, you could go rest in the car for a bit. I still need to go out and mingle, get to know a few more people."
Sister Hua had a restless nature. Especially today, with such a rare opportunity, she wanted to seize the moment to make more connections and pave the way for Xu Qingqiu’s future.
After Sister Hua offered a few more words of caution and they watched her hurriedly leave, Chu Tian turned to Xu Qingqiu and asked, "We’ve still got time. Do you want to rest a bit?"
Resting in this lounge was out of the question. They had only one chair, which had been specially arranged for them. Most of the other people here were singers.
They had greeted each other before, but everyone was essentially a stranger, so there wasn’t much to talk about.
Mainly, those in Xu Qingqiu’s age group weren’t as popular as she was and rarely had the privilege of being invited. Even if they were, they were usually the type who came with a large team and relied on trending popularity.
They were fundamentally on different paths and, indeed, didn’t know each other well.
As for people they could actually converse with, they weren’t in this lounge. Some hadn’t even arrived yet, so there wasn’t even a chance for a casual visit.
"Then I’ll go rest in the car downstairs for a while and come back up later."
Had their song been confirmed earlier—instead of them receiving a rather rushed, last-minute notification—and had it not been their first time participating, they wouldn’t have needed to come so early.
But since they were already here, what else could they do but wait it out?
And so, from day to night, batch after batch of people came for rehearsals and left.
When night fell and they returned to the lounge after dinner, not only the lounge itself but even the corridors were much emptier.
The bustling scene from the day had quieted down.
It wasn’t until then that the staff member who had been in charge of them finally had time to appear.
"Hello, may I ask how much longer we have to wait?"
Seeing him, Chu Tian felt like he was looking at a lifesaver. Dinner is already over. Surely we can’t be expected to wait until ten o’clock, can we? I haven’t heard that people here are that dedicated. Isn’t it said that state-owned enterprises start work at two-thirty in the afternoon and finish at three-thirty? When did they become so proactive?
"Sorry, you’re with Teacher Xu Qingqiu’s team, right?"
"Yes. Will it be much longer?"
"Not at all, not at all, it’ll be soon. There are about four or five teams ahead of you. I just came to let you know so you can start preparing—see if you need to touch up makeup or anything."
Hearing that they wouldn’t have to wait until ten o’clock, Chu Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If we really had to wait that late, I was considering just staying nearby for the night. Don’t assume it’s close just because we’re in the Capital. Our home isn’t far, but driving there still takes a good few tens of minutes. A slight traffic jam could easily stretch that to an hour or two. With that kind of time, it would be better to get more sleep.
After the staff member’s reminder, Xu Qingqiu hurried to change her clothes and touch up her makeup.
The production team had its own makeup artists, but they usually handled makeup for large group acts like dancers and acrobats. Celebrities like Xu Qingqiu typically brought their own teams.
After all, image was a significant concern for celebrities, affecting their careers, so naturally, they felt more secure using their own people.
That said, this was just a rehearsal, so there was no need for a big fuss. It wasn’t being recorded or broadcast on television, so excessive makeup was unnecessary.
But for the sake of stage effect, a simple presentation was still required.
As for an evening gown, there really was no need for it; she could probably go on stage in a down jacket and it wouldn’t matter.
However, although Xu Qingqiu wasn’t very talkative, she took this very seriously. After all, this was her first time attending the Spring Festival Gala, and she was determined to make her performance as perfect as possible.
Chu Tian didn’t say much. The room wasn’t very cold, so if she wanted to wear it and it made her happy, then so be it.
They had just gotten ready when they were notified that they could go to the waiting area; they would take the stage after the previous act finished.
Through a door, they could faintly hear conversations from inside, likely the performers communicating with the directing team.
Both sides were using microphones, so they could roughly hear the content. To put it simply, it sounded like the act was considered optional. They would try to improve it later and then see, planning to decide whether to include it during the next rehearsal.
As they were listening, it suddenly quieted down inside, and then someone came to usher them in.
"This is Xu Qingqiu?"
"Yes, Director Zhao. The one in the middle is Xu Qingqiu, and the people beside her are her assistant team and her agent."
In the seats below the stage, Director Zhao Fengsheng, his hair slightly graying and wearing glasses, squinted as he sized up Xu Qingqiu and her entourage as they walked onto the stage.
"Hmm, her image is fine. Who’s that man beside her? Is he also a singer?"
"Him? Oh, no, he isn’t. I heard he’s her boyfriend, Chu Tian. He’s not in the entertainment circle; it seems he’s always been her assistant."
"Hmm? He has a good look. Is he someone Xu Qingqiu is keeping?"
The implication of ’keeping’ was quite suggestive. After all, all sorts of arrangements existed in the circle: wealthy women supporting male stars, actresses keeping ’toyboys’—it was no wonder Zhao Fengsheng thought this way.
"No, no, I heard they’ve known each other for many years, since they were teenagers. And apparently, Xu Qingqiu pursued him. Also, I heard this Chu Tian is a top student from the music academy, and he produced Xu Qingqiu’s new album."
Ah, I see. I was overthinking it. But with looks like his, why isn’t he pursuing a career in the entertainment circle? Is he content to stay behind the scenes?
"That, I wouldn’t know."
While they were still talking, Chu Tian had already communicated with the staff on stage, and Xu Qingqiu was also ready.
"Director, I’m ready."
Hearing this, Zhao Fengsheng snapped back to attention. However, instead of having Xu Qingqiu perform immediately, he picked up the microphone, intending to chat first.
"Hold on a moment. Let me ask a few questions first."
Although it was a bit odd, Xu Qingqiu still agreed and stood obediently on stage, waiting for his questions.
"This song is... oh, it’s written by Youmeng? Was it written specifically for the Spring Festival Gala?"
Xu Qingqiu subconsciously glanced at Chu Tian before nodding and saying yes. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Zhao Fengsheng hadn’t paid much attention at first, but seeing her say this, he now had a pretty good idea of the situation.
"Hmm... Is this Youmeng here today? Could we invite him out for a chat?"
Zhao Fengsheng’s words seemed a bit like he was pulling rank. After all, Youmeng had never made a public appearance, and asking this now felt somewhat like putting her on the spot.
Xu Qingqiu didn’t know how to respond for a moment and looked toward Chu Tian, her hesitation and anxiety visibly growing.
It wasn’t just her; when Director Zhao said this, the various department heads and other leaders seated below the stage instantly began to whisper among themselves.
Some looked on with anticipation, while others wondered who this Youmeng was.
Just as Chu Tian frowned, about to suggest that Xu Qingqiu tell the truth, Zhao Fengsheng, below the stage, seemed to realize something.
Actually, he hadn’t meant any harm. It was mainly because after hearing the demo of this song today, he had developed an immense interest in this ’Youmeng.’ Crucially, the song resonated deeply with him, as if it were sung straight to his heart. The moment he first heard the song, he wanted to lock it in for the show. And when he saw the video, he even felt as if the entire Spring Festival Gala was made for this song.
Seeing Xu Qingqiu’s predicament, he realized he had misspoken. Afraid of being misunderstood, he quickly said, "It’s fine. If it’s inconvenient, then let’s drop it. It’s no problem; we’ll have plenty of opportunities later. The main thing is, this song of yours is exceptionally well-written. Don’t worry, you sing first. We can talk about it afterward."
