Chapter 136: Unexpected Alliances and Melodies

The four walked slowly until they stood together, and Lin Zheng Ran called a taxi.

Xiao Heqing stood on Lin Zheng Ran’s left while Lily took his right.

During the wait for the taxi, no one spoke; the air hung heavy with silence.

Lily shifted her feet inside her shoes, tapping lightly, while Xiao Heqing kept her head down, rubbing her fingers together.

After a while, they glanced at each other.

In perfect sync, they greeted one another.

“Xiao Heqing, what brought you here?” Lily asked.

“Lily, I heard your music competition made it to the rankings this week?” Heqing replied.

Their simultaneous questions left both women stunned, staring at each other—one from the surprise of their timing, the other from their new nicknames.

They used to call each other by full names, but now it was all “Lily” and “Qingqing”.

A slight blush colored their faces as they both chuckled softly.

They answered in unison again.

Lily looked up and said, “Oh yeah, Lin Zheng Ran and I entered the competition and hit the top fifty. But the final results won’t be out for another two weeks.”

Heqing added, “Han Wenwen rented a place around here before, and I’ve been meaning to check it out. With school starting today, it was the perfect excuse to come over.”

Han Wenwen blinked her fox-like eyes at them, her expression subtly amused.

Lin Zheng Ran chimed in, “Can you two even hear what the other is saying when you’re talking over each other like that?”

The taxi arrived, and Lin Zheng Ran took the front passenger seat while Han Wenwen, Heqing, and Lily squeezed into the back.

As the car drove on, the awkward silence lingered, unchanged by the new setting.

One stared out the window, the other kept her head down with hands on her lap.

Then Han Wenwen pulled three lollipops from her pocket and held them out. “Xiao Qingqing, Lily, want some candy?”

Heqing and Lily each took one with a quick “thanks”.

Lily eyed the dark wrapper curiously. “What flavor is this lollipop? Why’s the packaging so black?”

Heqing added, “Yeah, I’ve never seen this before. Is it new?”

Han Wenwen smiled knowingly. “Go ahead and unwrap it—you’ll see. It’s delicious.”

The three unwrapped their candies and popped them into their mouths.

Suddenly, their faces twisted from the taste.

Lily and Heqing pulled theirs out right away.

Lily turned to Han Wenwen. “What flavor is this? It’s so bitter!”

Han Wenwen grinned through her own grimace. “It’s the new bitter gourd and fishy flavor lollipop. They say mixing the two creates some wild chemical reaction. I thought it sounded fun, so I grabbed a few to try.”

Xiao Heqing bit her lip, then couldn’t hold back a laugh. “This taste is so weird—who’d actually like it?”

Han Wenwen shrugged. “It’s a new product, probably bought out of curiosity. If sales tank, they might just stop making it.”

Lily glanced at her lollipop. “So, this thing’s like a limited edition? Might as well give it another go.” She popped it back in, face twisting again as she added,

“Still awful.”

All three burst into laughter.

At first, Lily and Heqing had worried about handling this sudden sisterly vibe and what to say when they met.

But now, amid the laughter, they looked at each other and realized it wasn’t a big deal—just like before.

After all, they were already good friends.

Han Wenwen then fished out another lollipop and handed it to the front. “Lin Zheng Ran, want to try one?”

Lin Zheng Ran, overhearing their chat, reached back. “Hand me one—I’ll give it a shot.”

He took the lollipop from Han Wenwen, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth.

He froze.

His mouth flooded with the intense mix of bitterness and fishiness.

“You know, this taste is strangely unique.”

[Demonic Cult’s unique rare mixed pill: After taking it, you gain +1 strength]

——

On the same day, at a grand theater that morning, a piano performance was underway. Jiang Qian sat on stage in a silver-white gown, her poised demeanor and cool eyes fixed on the keys as her fingers danced across them, playing a captivating melody.

In the audience, Jiang Jingshi and Fang Meng sat side by side.

Jiang Jingshi, also in a long dress with artistic earrings, remarked with admiration, “Jiang Qian’s piano skills have improved so much lately—it’s a huge leap from before.”

Fang Meng watched the performance. “She’s come a long way.”

“But I heard she drove away all her family piano teachers. Did she have some breakthrough in this?”

“Well, it’s a long story. Mainly, Jiang Qian felt those music teachers didn’t measure up, especially after Lin Zheng Ran gave her some guidance. Compared to that, she figured she didn’t need the old ones anymore.”

Jiang Jingshi caught on:

“So, Jiang Qian’s playing this well is all thanks to Lin Zheng Ran? That’s amazing. And has she been competing with him on random stuff lately?”

Fang Meng replied, “Not really, because Lin Zheng Ran excels at everything—Jiang Qian can’t keep up. She’s just observing him now.”

Jiang Jingshi gazed at the stage and suddenly recalled that day at the cat cafe.

The moment she had fallen into Lin Zheng Ran’s arms kept replaying in her mind over the past few days.

She never thought she’d fixate on a guy like that, but meeting Lin Zheng Ran made her believe in fate.

You can’t deny it.

A man in a suit approached and bent down to Jiang Jingshi. “Boss Jiang, the latest New Star List rankings and the matter you asked me to investigate…” He whispered something in her ear.

Jiang Jingshi looked surprised and turned to Fang Meng. “Fang Meng, tell Jiang Qian I had to leave early. She played wonderfully today.”

Fang Meng nodded. “Got it, Miss Jiang.”

As Jiang Jingshi rose and left, her entourage followed out of the venue.

Fang Meng pursed her lips, thinking that Jiang Jingshi was getting really invested in Lin Zheng Ran’s affairs lately.

It seemed less about Jiang Qian now and more about a woman’s curiosity toward a man.

“The world of the wealthy—I’ve been around it for years, but I still don’t get it,” she muttered to herself.

Outside the grand theater.

On the way back to the car, Jiang Jingshi asked in her high heels, “You’re saying that girl named Lily has already reached the top three?”

The person replied, “Yes, Boss Jiang. Just overnight, she jumped from twentieth to third, and her momentum shows no signs of slowing. At this rate, she might not stop at third.”

Jiang Jingshi stared into the distance, thinking, Lin Zheng Ran, it looks like every time I cross paths with you, I end up losing some money.

Back in the Rolls Royce, Jiang Jingshi pulled out a tablet and checked the New Star List rankings.

It had only been a day since the competition started.

Thanks to Jiang Cheng’s interference, the rankings were buzzing with unprecedented hype.

Comments alone numbered in the thousands.

Music play counts had hit hundreds of thousands.

At the top was Ping Yi Fei, one of Jiang Jingshi’s artists.

With 130,000 plays and 60,000 votes.

Second was Chen Li, another of her artists.

With 100,000 plays and 30,000 votes.

Third was Lily with her song ‘You Are My Star’—50,000 plays and 25,000 votes.

Jiang Jingshi frowned. “How can she have such high votes with those play numbers? It’s almost half.”

She clicked on the comments under Lily’s song—all praise.

Netizen: Xiyangyang, please slow down: “Wow, I found a gem of a song. How is something this good so low on the ranks?”

Netizen: Drunk and slaying the mother-in-law: “This girl’s voice is rock solid. She’s going to blow up.”

Netizen: I play Genshin, what’s the issue?: “The melody’s upbeat, but there’s this underlying sadness—like the singer’s pining for lost love. Had to vote for it.”

Netizen: Fell into an evolution pit like porridge: “Don’t kid yourself. With lyrics this fire, why’s it only third? Let’s push it up! Ha ha ha!”

Jiang Jingshi skimmed the abstract comments, but the unanimous praise was clear.

At this voting pace, second place looked shaky.

Still, it was what she expected from someone Lin Zheng Ran mentored—she’d seen it before.

Luckily, the first-place artist was a seasoned pro; their votes were climbing fast too.

Jiang Jingshi asked the person outside the car, “You said the investigation into New Star Music is done?”

He nodded:

“Yes, Boss Jiang. We traced it back—New Star Music is run by Pan Cheng Electronics. They teamed up with Jiang Cheng to stir that drama, aiming to create buzz for their group since they’re launching a new product.”

“Pan Cheng Electronics? Old rivals, then.”

Jiang Jingshi knew the name well; it was a veteran company in Ziteng City, always clashing with the Jiang Group.

And they’d poured a lot into music ventures.

Her entry probably spooked them a bit.

Jiang Jingshi: “After that scheme fell through, has Pan Cheng Electronics made any other moves?”

The man shook his head: “Nothing we’ve spotted yet, but I heard they’re really into this New Star List.”

“Oh?” Jiang Jingshi studied the list and, spotting the music studio linked to Lily, suddenly pieced it together.

She chuckled to herself, “Lin Zheng Ran, it seems we might team up again soon.”

She set down the tablet, grabbed her phone, and messaged Lin Zheng Ran on WeChat.

“Lin Zheng Ran, are you free for dinner with me in the next couple of days?”

He replied quickly: “Jiang Jie, I’m a student—I have evening study sessions.”

Jiang Jingshi remembered that.

“But is something up?”

She responded: “Yeah, I have something to discuss. It’s just a hunch, but I think Lily’s studio might run into trouble soon.”

“Oh, got it.”