Chapter 126: Whispers of Doubt

Lin Zheng Ran nodded with a smile:

“I did notice something off, but I want to ask you a few questions first, Sister Jiang. When you said you’d already asked your people, did you mean just anyone or the music experts? After all, since you’ve decided to dive into music, you must have some trusted experts on your team.”

Jiang Jingshi looked at Lin Zheng Ran in surprise, pausing her wiping to say:

“You really spotted it? You’re sharper than me in some ways. As for my people, I did ask them, and it wasn’t casual. I have this guy named Jiang Cheng—

he’s an expert I hired a couple of years ago. The star of this competition, Shi Di, came through him; he introduced Shi Di to me.”

Lin Zheng Ran was taken aback: “So Shi Di was actually brought in by you?”

“Exactly.”

Lin Zheng Ran asked again: “What about that New Star Music Studio?”

Jiang Jingshi chuckled: “You’re dodging my question, little brother Zheng Ran, and firing back with so many of your own.”

Lin Zheng Ran explained: “I just need to sort through my thoughts to get a clear picture.”

She thought for a moment and continued wiping the lipstick off his shoulder until it was gone:

“I’ve never heard of this studio, but after checking, it’s a grassroots music group that seems pretty strong. Why? Is there something wrong with it?”

Lin Zheng Ran stated his observations confidently:

“There is. The issue is right there. This team’s strong, but not that strong. Out of the fifty advancing singers in this competition,

fifteen are from New Star Music, yet in my view, only about five deserve to advance. The rest are average at best and don’t measure up to singers from other studios.”

“Oh? That’s interesting,” she pondered. “I’m not an expert in music, but I did notice the final fifty singers vary in skill.”

Lin Zheng Ran said a bit sheepishly: “There’s one more thing—I hope you won’t get mad, Sister Jiang, but it’s the truth.”

“Go ahead, whatever you say won’t upset me,” Jiang Jingshi replied slowly.

“What I’m saying is, your team has solid strength, but they shouldn’t have twenty spots on the final list. Maybe ten at most.

Still, since Shi Di’s on your side, it’s possible he gave your team some favoritism in scoring—that’s just how things go sometimes.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled, locking eyes with Lin Zheng Ran:

“No wonder you warned me not to get angry. If anyone else said that, I might have, because I’ve never asked for shortcuts.

But I trust your insight, and you’re right—people have connections even if they don’t say it out loud.”

She nodded: “Shi Di might have done that.”

Lin Zheng Ran glanced at the beef on his plate:

“So, the oddity today isn’t huge. Tomorrow’s New Star List ranking is by public vote, so even if judges play favorites in the prelims, it won’t affect the end result much.

But on my way here, a thought hit me: Is New Star Studio going to merge with yours?”

Jiang Jingshi frowned slightly and laughed:

“No way, little brother Zheng Ran. How did you get that idea? If another studio merged, I’d know as the boss. I handle a lot, and Jiang Cheng manages the music side when I’m out, but he’d tell me something like that.”

Lin Zheng Ran suddenly asked a question that caught her off guard: “What if Jiang Cheng betrayed you?”

Jiang Jingshi froze.

Lin Zheng Ran continued:

“I’m just speculating. This competition blew up with stars and public votes—probably more than you expected, right?

If New Star Studio slipped in unnoticed and merged, it could mean thirty-five of the final fifty singers are yours, leaving none of your competitors standing.”

Lin Zheng Ran went on: “But with over thirty studios here today and all the strong ones wiped out, posting that list and footage online would scream fake.”

Jiang Jingshi slowly furrowed her brow, piecing it together: “If that’s the case, even without a merger, having over twenty of my singers advance would raise eyebrows.

Add fifteen more? That’s blatant rigging. And if it gets worse—if Jiang Cheng sold out to Shi Di and spins it as me bribing for passes—it’d tank my reputation.

That could spill over to my other teams and even the Jiang Group, with endless accusations of foul play elsewhere.”

Lin Zheng Ran added: “As part of the Jiang Group, Sister Jiang, even small issues could get blown up and cause a chain reaction.”

Jiang Jingshi picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks: “Now I see why I felt something was off—my team’s pass rate is too high, even for me.”

She fed the beef to Lin Zheng Ran, and he ate it.

Then she grabbed a napkin and gently wiped the oil from his lips.

Lin Zheng Ran laughed: “Sister Jiang, you don’t have to feed me so carefully.”

Jiang Jingshi paused, realizing what she’d done, her face flushing slightly, but she finished wiping: “Thanks for sharing this. It’s all speculation, but I’ve had a bad feeling all day, like it’s about to unfold.

The worst part is, no one else would spot it—people trust the star judges, and singers won’t speak up until it’s online and viral.”

Lin Zheng Ran chimed in: “I don’t think I’m that skilled myself.”

This made Jiang Jingshi laugh, her gentle smile lighting up: “Don’t be modest, little brother Zheng Ran. I see it now—my sister losing to you wasn’t a fluke. You excel at everything, and with you as a teacher, her students would outshine mine. I admit defeat.”

She sighed: “You know, running all these projects looks glamorous, but I’ve messed up plenty. It’s exhausting. The Jiang family is just me and Qian Qian now, with Dad getting older. The plan is for her to handle internals while I focus on promotion and expanding influence.”

She explained: “That’s why so many rich heirs chase wild ideas—it’s for publicity. Getting your name out there brings unexpected profits.”

Jiang Jingshi gazed at Lin Zheng Ran: “But it’s tiring doing this alone. Unless I had someone versatile like you by my side… what if

you joined me? Name your price, as long as it’s within my reach.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled and cut in: “Sorry, Sister Jiang, I won’t lie—I’ve never planned to follow anyone.”

She smiled, knowing it: “Figured as much. Someone with your spirit wouldn’t. But after meeting you, I’ve thought—if I weren’t tied to the company,

I’d want to work with you as your assistant. I’ve met many, but none like you. I know you’ll achieve big things, maybe even surpass me and the Jiang family.”

Her red lips parted with sincerity: “If that day comes, let’s be partners, not enemies. I won’t make you one—I’ve grown to like and admire you deeply.”

“Thanks for the faith, Sister Jiang. With that said, we won’t be enemies.”

“That’s a relief.”

She speared another piece of beef with the same fork and ate it herself, savoring: “This beef is fantastic.”

Just then, Lin Zheng Ran’s phone rang—it was Mom calling, probably asking when he’d be home.

He answered briefly and hung up, checking the time: “Sorry, I need to go. We’ve chatted until nine—there’s still the competition tomorrow.”

Jiang Jingshi nodded reluctantly: “Alright, I’ll see you out.”

They walked out to the door.

The shop assistant spotted Lin Zheng Ran and bowed quickly.

Outside, a Rolls Royce pulled up, driven by the chauffeur. Jiang Jingshi said: “Let me have him drive you.”

Lin Zheng Ran shook his head: “No need, Sister Jiang. I’m close to home; I’ll just grab a cab.”

“Okay.” She suggested: “We barely ate tonight with all the talking. Let’s do this again soon and actually have a meal. I’ll keep what we discussed in mind and handle it over the next couple of days.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled, hailed a taxi, and bid Jiang Jingshi goodbye before heading home.

Watching the taxi fade into the night, Jiang Jingshi bit her lip softly, her gaze warm: “It’s the first time I’ve felt shy around a guy.”

As soon as she spoke, another Rolls Royce approached—it was Jiang Qian’s car.