Chapter Thirty-One: The Strange Lady

Their studio focuses primarily on cultivating talented singers. After all, skilled artists are the foundation of any company; of course, traffic-driven idols must also be nurtured, but such artists are generally used as cash cows and can be discarded at any moment. Most entertainment companies treat traffic-driven stars as disposable, bleeding them dry before casting them aside—that is the face of capitalism, where everything is prioritized by profit.

Yi Yunxue did not want to collude with those entertainment companies; she had her own ideals, so she wanted to recruit more artists with genuine talent. Yet, she found reality to be brutal.

"Chen Jiang, I’ve discovered that people with real musical talent are a minority after all. Most of the artists who have come for auditions these past few days just want to take the path of relying on their looks," Yi Yunxue sighed.

She now understood why most entertainment companies recruited a mass of traffic-driven stars. It was simply because truly gifted singers were far too rare. It takes too many resources to cultivate a talentless artist who relies solely on their appearance. Moreover, because money earned through looks comes so quickly, those traffic-driven stars are unwilling to put in the effort to sharpen their skills. Even if one of them were to work hard for a while and make significant progress, they would find that all that effort was merely gilding the lily, as their fans cared far more about their looks.

Fortunately, for the studio, they had Chen Jiang as their backbone, someone capable of forging more talented artists.

"It’s okay. Just try to recruit as many potential artists with substance as you can. When the time comes, I’ll take a look to see if there’s anyone suitable, and if I take a liking to them, I’ll write songs for them," Chen Jiang promised.

"By the way, when is Ma Ya releasing her song?" he asked.

"In March. The new song charts are too competitive this month; several superstars are releasing music, and it’s a fiercely contested field. It wouldn't be advantageous for Ma Ya, a newcomer, to join in," Yi Yunxue replied. "I’ve already checked for next month; fewer artists are releasing music. I’ll use my resources to promote her then. Her first release needs to be handled with care to achieve good results and start building a fan base."

Chen Jiang nodded. Half of February had already passed, meaning Ma Ya would release her song in another two weeks.

"When do you plan to release your album?"

"April, to avoid clashing with Ma Ya," Yi Yunxue said. That was just how the music industry worked; artists from the same company rarely chose to release new songs at the same time. One extra release meant a smaller slice of the cake, often leading to a loss of traffic.

"Do you plan to release the songs one by one or all at once?" Chen Jiang asked.

"All at once. It creates more buzz. Since the studio was just established, I need to capture some attention on entertainment trends to advertise for us," Yi Yunxue explained.

With an album filled entirely with high-quality tracks, Chen Jiang could already imagine how lively the music scene would be in April.

"Ah—" Yi Yunxue couldn't help but yawn.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" Chen Jiang raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The studio opening ceremony was today, and I had to give a speech. Being a boss for the first time made me even more nervous than facing a full house during my concerts," Yi Yunxue said, her face heavy with drowsiness. "I’m going back to take a nap!"

"Good afternoon!" Chen Jiang said to her.

"Hehe, good afternoon!"

Watching her leave, the corners of Chen Jiang's mouth curled into a smile.

...

The next day at noon.

"Chen Jiang, I’m out of soy sauce. Do you have any?" Wearing an apron, Yi Yunxue leaned halfway out of the kitchen, waving an empty bottle at him.

"No, I don't usually cook, so why would I have soy sauce? Should I go buy some now?" Chen Jiang asked.

"Yes, hurry up. Buy this brand... it tastes better," Yi Yunxue said.

Chen Jiang went to the supermarket outside the complex, searched around, and finally found the brand Yi Yunxue had mentioned. After paying, he was about to leave the store with the bag when he suddenly saw an older woman nearby accidentally drop her bag, spilling fruit all over the floor.

There were many pedestrians around, but out of kindness, Chen Jiang stepped forward to help her pick them up. "Ma'am, let me help you."

"Thank you, young man!" After gathering the fruit, Li Fangru thanked the helpful youth.

"Don't mention it, ma'am. I'll be going now," Chen Jiang said with a smile.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but take another look at her. Her demeanor suggested she wasn't an ordinary person, and she was dressed quite fashionably. Though time had left its mark on her face, one could still tell she must have been a great beauty in her youth. For some reason, Chen Jiang felt she looked familiar.

Watching him walk away, Li Fangru couldn't help but remark, "That young man has such a kind heart, and he’s so handsome too!" She then left the supermarket.

While walking, she suddenly noticed the kind young man from earlier walking ahead of her. Were they heading in the same direction?

"Young man, are you heading to Zhengxing Mansion too?"

"Ma'am?" Chen Jiang stopped and looked back. "You live there as well?"

"No, but my daughter lives there, and I’m going to see her," Li Fangru said with a smile. "She loves fruit, so I bought this to take to her."

"Ma'am, do you live in Shenzhen too?" Chen Jiang asked.

"Yes," Li Fangru nodded.

"You don't live together?"

"No, she moved out to live on her own after graduation. She bought the place with her own earnings because it’s closer to her work. Let me tell you, my daughter is very successful..."

The two walked into the complex, chatting and laughing.

"Ma'am, which building does your daughter live in?" Chen Jiang asked.

"Building Eight, Entrance Three," Li Fangru replied.

"What a coincidence, I live in Building Eight, Entrance Three too." Chen Jiang felt a bit puzzled. Could it really be such a coincidence?

"Is that so? You and my daughter must be fated!" Li Fangru's eyes lit up. "When you have time, I'll introduce you to my daughter."

"Sure." Chen Jiang agreed casually, thinking the woman was just being polite.

When they reached the elevator, they stepped inside together. Chen Jiang pressed the button for the 21st floor.

"Young man, you live on the 21st floor too?" Li Fangru was surprised.

"No, I’m going to a friend's place for dinner. I live on the 20th floor," Chen Jiang explained with a smile. "Does your daughter live in 2102?" There were only three households per floor in this building, and Chen Jiang knew the residents of two of the units on the 21st floor.

"2101."

The smile on Chen Jiang's face froze instantly. 2101? Wasn't that Yi Yunxue's place? That meant the daughter this woman was talking about was Yi Yunxue?!

"Are you... Yunxue's mother?" Chen Jiang asked tentatively.

"Yes. Are you a friend of Xiaoxue's?" Hearing Chen Jiang mention her daughter's name so accurately, Li Fangru naturally guessed that the friend Chen Jiang had mentioned was her own daughter. "Young man, what's your name?" She looked him over, finding him more and more agreeable.

"Ma'am, my name is Chen Jiang..." For some reason, Chen Jiang suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind—he wanted to escape the elevator as quickly as possible!

...

"Ding-dong!"

"Coming, coming!" Hearing the doorbell, Yi Yunxue rushed out of the kitchen and threw open the door. "Chen Jiang, you're finally back. Quickly, give me the soy sauce."

She grabbed the bag from Chen Jiang's hand, then suddenly noticed someone standing behind him. She looked up and froze: "Mom?!"