Chapter 86: Gazing at the Shell with a Sigh

Friday night.

Chen Ke arranged dinner at the private club they had previously booked, inviting Zhang Qiyang and Li Xuan so that the two could finally enjoy a smooth meal together.

It was Li Xuan who proposed this dinner. Zhang Qiyang had saved her before and gifted her a piece for the competition, but she had been too busy lately to properly thank him. With everyone in Xingdu, Li Xuan asked Chen Ke to set up this gathering to express her gratitude.

After the Zhou Shilin incident, their relationship had become less distant and guarded. As they ate, conversation naturally turned to the upcoming competition.

“While I was waiting backstage for rehearsal today, I overheard Chu Entertainment’s newcomer practicing. Do you know what piece she’s preparing for the challenge round?” Zhang Qiyang asked Li Xuan.

Li Xuan replied indifferently, “I heard about it. It’s my ‘I Don’t Love You’.”

Chen Ke saw through Chu Entertainment’s tactic at once, snorting, “That’s pretty shameless of them. They’ve been scheming for this. Honestly, when the program was first planned, we shouldn’t have signed that song-sharing agreement.”

Li Xuan said, “Even if we hadn’t signed, they’d still sing it. There’s nothing you can do about it. These things can’t really be controlled—it all comes down to self-restraint.”

Before launching music shows that revolve around cover performances, production teams usually sign authorization agreements with the record companies holding the most song copyrights, hoping for permission to let artists from other companies perform their songs on television.

It’s often just a formality; many similar programs don’t even bother to get permission, simply infringing on television. Record companies and songwriters are powerless to stop it, as domestic copyright protection laws are lacking—their rights are violated with no recourse.

Because “My Song” was a major production aiming for a good reputation, the production team did their best to cover every detail, leaving no loopholes. With Li Xuan participating this season, Dong Entertainment cooperated early on, signing the authorization to let other companies’ artists perform Dong Entertainment’s copyrighted works. In exchange, Li Xuan could sing songs from other companies.

But no one expected Chu Entertainment’s underhanded move—letting Zhao Ziqi use Li Xuan’s song against her. It was a daring risk, but if it paid off, Zhao Ziqi would appear even more formidable compared to Li Xuan. And if it failed, it didn’t matter; as a newcomer, she had nothing to lose.

Qin Xueyang, munching on the same sweet fried cakes as those from the Fire Palace, spoke with his lips gleaming from the oil, “I just hope Chu Entertainment doesn’t push their shamelessness to the extreme, letting that newcomer challenge you with your own songs week after week, Xuan—now that would be truly disgusting.”

Li Xuan responded with an amused sigh, “I doubt they’d go that far. They’d have to be pretty brainless to do something like that.”

Zhang Qiyang, sampling Xingdu’s famous stinky tofu, said, “They won’t use your songs every week, but if they cover one of your classics every few rounds, it’ll be hard for you.”

Chen Ke spoke with disdain, “These songs were supposed to be your trump cards. If you performed them, your support would skyrocket. But now that Chu Entertainment’s little newcomer is singing them first, you can’t use them anymore. A lot of our plans and strategies will be disrupted.”

Qin Xueyang, devouring a spicy prawn, licked his fingers and speculated, “I bet that newcomer will go on to sing your ‘Straight to the Point,’ ‘Missing You,’ ‘Embrace,’ ‘Time Thief,’ and a whole string of your number-one singles.”

With lightning speed, Zhang Qiyang snatched a freshly peeled prawn from Qin Xueyang’s hand just as he was about to eat it, savoring the shrimp under Qin Xueyang’s shocked and furious gaze. He said to Li Xuan, “Chu Entertainment’s strategy is to walk in your shoes on their own path, leaving you with nowhere to go. You’d better prepare ahead.”

Li Xuan finally realized how serious the situation was; her expression soured with evident annoyance. If Zhao Ziqi really sang all her golden hits, it would have a huge impact on her later performances!

She had deliberately refrained from singing her classics, intending to save them for the semifinals and finals to make a push for the championship. But if Zhao Ziqi got there first, she could no longer perform them.

Her appetite was ruined. Li Xuan wiped her pale, jade-like hands with a wet tissue and stopped eating, asking Chen Ke in a serious tone, “Can we pressure the production team to restrain Chu Entertainment, so they don’t go too far?”

Chen Ke replied, “We can certainly put pressure on them, but whether the production team can rein in Chu Entertainment is another matter. From what I see, Chu Entertainment is targeting you this season. Their newcomer has nothing to lose—even if she’s criticized, it doesn’t matter. For someone just starting out, it’s not criticism she fears, but being ignored entirely. Look at Tan Zhizhong—Chu Entertainment specializes in clinging to popular artists, stealing their spotlight. I’d wager they’ve been planning this for ages, sending this newcomer to grab your limelight, using the chance to go head-to-head with you to make her famous.”

Qin Xueyang vented his frustration over Zhang Qiyang stealing his food, exclaiming angrily, “Disgusting! How can there be such shameless people in this world?”

“Are you talking about me?”

Zhang Qiyang smiled as he snatched another peeled prawn from Qin Xueyang.

“Ah!” Qin Xueyang was about to lose his mind. “Can’t you peel them yourself?”

“Nope, heh.” Zhang Qiyang grinned as he ate the shrimp, then said to Li Xuan, “Chu Entertainment wants to do exactly what I’m doing now—eat someone else’s shrimp and leave them staring helplessly at the shells.”

Li Xuan was amused despite herself and shook her head with a bitter smile, gently chiding Zhang Qiyang, “Don’t add insult to injury.”

Zhang Qiyang wiped his mouth with a wet tissue and said, “Honestly, if they want to walk in your shoes, let them. No matter how beautiful, those shoes are old. The audience might very well think they looked best when you wore them. Zhao Ziqi is just imitating you; it’s a risky move.”

Chen Ke said, “True, they might end up embarrassing themselves, but they’ll still affect Xuan’s competition. Xuan’s biggest rival this season is Zhou Delin. If she loses her classic songs as trump cards and goes head-to-head with Zhou Delin, the outcome might not be favorable. Chu Entertainment is being destructive for the sake of it.”

“COCO, I have a different opinion. I think Li Xuan’s biggest rival this season isn’t Zhou Delin—it’s me.” Zhang Qiyang pointed to himself, declaring, “I’ve already won three consecutive championships. Aren’t you going to take me seriously?”

Li Xuan and Chen Ke exchanged helpless glances, unwilling to dampen the confidence of the young heir sitting before them. Though his recent performances had been impressive, he was still far from the championship.

Qin Xueyang wanted to chime in and deflate Zhang Qiyang’s arrogance, but fearing he’d lose more spicy prawns, he focused on eating and kept quiet.

Zhang Qiyang continued, “Whether you take me seriously or not, I’ll use my strength to prove I’m the strongest contender for this season’s ‘My Song’ championship. As for Zhao Ziqi walking in your shoes, don’t let it bother you. If she wears your old shoes, just bring out a few even more dazzling new ones. Show off your unparalleled brilliance so the audience is amazed, stunned, and in awe.”