I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 58

Chapter 58: Qingbao’s Audition

Chu Qing spent the next month with the production team, accompanying the students to the finals, and then said goodbye at the farewell barbecue.

He received a lot of gifts, from both the students and the mentors. Huo Li came to pick him up, and the gifts filled the back seat.

Lu Luan debuted in first place as the center, and the talented students like Wang Zhenglan, Chen Taochuan, and Wen Xuan also succeeded.

Wang Zhenglan even hugged him and cried for a long time.

After that, he rested at home for a few days and then went to Italy with Huo Li.

“Nervous?”

After getting off the plane and stepping on Italian soil, Huo Li asked while calling a taxi for him, “The audition is tomorrow. We only have one day to rest.”

“I’m not nervous,” he said with a smile. “Let nature take its course. You can’t force it.”

Huo Li glanced at him.

Speaking of which, this was their first trip together.

He took his hand with a smile. “After the audition tomorrow, let’s stay in Italy for a few days, shall we? If you pass, it’s a celebration. If not, it can be a way to relax.”

Of course, the most important thing was an early honeymoon.

He was very pleased with the thought.

“Oh, okay…” he had no interest in traveling and said obediently, “I’ll listen to Mr. Huo.”

“The car is here. Let’s go and get settled first,” he said, and helped him lift his suitcase onto a small boat.

This city used boats and bridges for transportation, and was surrounded by water, which was very suitable for relaxing.

He stared blankly at the small boat that had come to pick them up.

Wow…

He had thought that he had called a regular tourist boat, but he hadn’t expected it to be a private… luxurious gilded boat.

Then he saw the boat stop in front of a manor and couldn’t help but turn his head and ask curiously, “Mr. Huo, aren’t we going to a hotel?”

“This place is good. It’s close to the studio where you’re auditioning, and it also has a private space.”

“…Won’t it waste a lot of money?”

He said smoothly, his face not red, his heart not beating, “It’s okay. Mr. Pan has a lot of properties here. It’s free.”

He said sourly, “Oh… Mr. Pan is really good to you.”

Like he’s being kept.

“…” he was choked for a moment and leaned in close to him with a grin. “Oh my, Old Pan is old and ugly. How can he compare to my little sponsor, who is so beautiful and so good to me.”

“…Pfft.” he raised an eyebrow. “How can you say that about Mr. Pan?”

“Isn’t it? Don’t be fooled by his refined appearance. Actually, his helping me is just a pretense. He just wants me to owe him a favor so he can exploit me in the future,” he said with a pained expression. “The human heart is cold, and the world is in decline.”

He smiled and pushed him.

“I don’t believe you,” he said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “None of Mr. Huo’s friends are good, so how come you have friends to help you wherever you go? Starry Sky is also so good to me.”

“…Cough cough, let’s not talk about this. I’ll show you the itinerary.”

He handed him the notebook as if he were presenting a treasure.

“I’ve arranged it. See if you’re satisfied. If not, we can change it?”

He had no interest in traveling to begin with and would rather curl up in bed and rest, but when he looked at it, he was stunned.

After the audition, they would first go to the most famous, and even world-renowned, grand theater here to watch a play. The second day, they would go to a jazz festival. The third day, they would go to a violin town to watch a performance and buy a violin.

He held the notebook and suppressed his laughter. “I, I like it. I’m very satisfied.”

He had just performed a “true fragrance.”

“As long as you like it,” he said, letting out a sigh of relief. He had done a lot of homework, from festival activities and attractions to restaurants, food, and crowds.

“But these… are all for me. What about Mr. Huo? What will you do?”

He said naturally, “You.”

“…”

The worst part was the sudden silence in the air.

Only then did he realize that he had answered too quickly and had let it slip. He quickly explained, “I mean, as long as you have fun, I’ll be happy to see you happy.”

He looked at him suspiciously.

He pinched his cheek. “I’m not a big fan of traveling. As long as I’m with you, I can find my own fun.”

“Oh, okay…”

The two walked hand in hand through the narrow streets and checked into the large manor, which was entwined with vines and flowers, a picturesque red-brick house. When you opened the window, you could see the grasslands and the river, a picturesque scenery.

“A rabbit…!” he saw a white ball on the grassland.

He smiled. “If you like it, you can take it into the room. I remember there are also deer, sheep, and cows here.”

After the two walked to the main house, the old man who was guarding the manor came out to greet them.

“Mas…”

He coughed a few times.

The old man was stunned, and then he remembered the owner’s instructions and changed his tune with a smile, “Mr. Huo, welcome to visit!”

“I’ve prepared the room with the best lighting for the two gentlemen. The grapes in the manor are also ripe. You can go to the cellar to get some wine or eat them directly!”

The old man said as he led the two back to their room.

After everything was settled, he was curled up in his bed, holding a small rabbit, and stroking it up and down. The rabbit was so comfortable it was about to fall asleep, and he himself was also drowsy and about to fall asleep.

“Don’t,” he said, patting his cheek with a smile. “It’s only evening. Get up. Look at the sunset outside. It’s beautiful.”

“Ngh-hmm…” he nuzzled his pillow and was really half-asleep.

“Qingbao, little lazy bug, get up,” he said, pulling him up.

“Mmm-hmm,” he patted his shoulder in dissatisfaction.

“Little Qingbao, come down to the manor with me for a walk, a run.”

“Huh…?”

He blinked. “Did you think you could escape just because you’re on vacation?”

He thought, Why do you think I wanted to stay in a manor with you.

Chu Qing: “…”

His face was still dazed from not having fully woken up, but in his heart, he was screaming like a groundhog.

I don’t want to exercise, I don’t want to exercise!

After a lot of fuss, he was taken by him to run a few laps, breathing in a lot of fresh air and the scent of grass.

But in any case, his stamina was better than before. He was not so tired that he would collapse after running, and he could still watch the sunset and have dinner with him.

Before going to bed, he also read half a book to him as usual.

The next day, he and Huo Li walked around the city, buying some small souvenirs and food, and it wasn’t until evening that they set off for the studio.

“You’re Chu, right? Hello,” he said.

The studio was in another manor. There were also countless tents set up outside, and next to it was the filming location—the grand theater.

According to Teacher Kevin, Director Roseland’s drama was adapted from An Zuo’s original work, called The Blooming Rose.

This was a dark-themed story that took place in the Middle Ages. It was about a policeman who infiltrated a grand theater to find the truth about a murder case, but fell in love with the head of the grand theater—Versailles, that beautiful and deadly man.

The two male lead actors had already been cast. They were handsome and beautiful, and standing together, they were like a medieval oil painting.

When he arrived, Director Roseland and a group of staff and assistants personally came out to greet him.

“You’re the student that An Zuo and Kevin were talking about, right?”

Director Roseland was over fifty, but he was still full of energy and walked with a spring in his step.

The tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed middle-aged man took his hand with a smile. “Come in, the other teachers in the music team have all arrived!”

“W-Wait, um, didn’t you say there was an audition…” he was very flattered. Is he so enthusiastic?

“I know your skills. An Zuo and Kevin have been praising you to me every day. My ears are about to grow calluses. This drama was originally An Zuo’s. He’s such a proud and difficult person. If he says you’re good, then of course you’re good,” he said, shaking his head with a smile. “When you go in later, just play a piece for the other teachers so that everyone can get to know each other.”

“Oh, okay…”

He blinked, feeling that it was completely different from what he had imagined.

Is this a backdoor opened for me by Teacher An Zuo?

He walked into the room blankly and saw that all the teachers in the music team were there.

He discreetly observed the room and, as expected, saw his idol—Teacher Monk.

Teacher Monk was also the team leader, but he was only about the same age as Huo Li.

He was a true child prodigy. At such an age, he had achieved what some people had spent a lifetime to achieve, and was in charge of a room full of big shots and old musicians who were several times older than him.

He bowed timidly to him.

“Hello, Teacher Monk.”

“Hello. You’re very good-looking. It makes me even more curious about your performance,” he said. He was in a casual suit and glanced at him, leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed with a smile. “Shall we begin?”

Hearing his praise, his face flushed red.

He had heard that this genius musician was willful and dissolute in his ways, and his private life was even more exciting, but it did not hinder his achievements, but only added another stroke to his legend.

Now that he had seen him in person, he was indeed… a rather unrestrained character.

He smiled awkwardly and then sat down at the piano.

A few of the old men sitting on the side immediately squinted and sized him up, their expressions not very good.

Actually, Roseland was very strict in his selection of people and was very picky about his works. Even they had been carefully selected. And this little doll, just because of An Zuo’s request and praise, Roseland had directly inserted him. They were naturally dissatisfied and even more harsh.

What they despised most were empty drums that made a lot of noise. Especially since they had heard that he was from the entertainment industry and had sung a pop song with Yu Weixi from the US before. And An Zuo and Monk were both lechers.

Roseland noticed Monk’s playful look and the displeasure of the others and patted his shoulder with a smile. “Good luck. Don’t embarrass me.”

“Ah…?” he was a little confused, but he still nodded seriously. “I’ll work hard.”

He placed his hands on the black and white keys, closed his eyes, and began.

This was a very restrained piece, steady and heavy, as majestic as a high mountain and a waterfall.

His ten fingers tapped, and he used the piano to create the domineering air of a drum. Every note was like a heavy blow to everyone’s heartstrings.

Monk watched with no reaction, but the expressions of the other musicians had eased a little.

They were all people who understood music. Seeing him like this, they naturally understood that he was not just putting on a show and relying on connections. This young man also had talent.

Every time his hand fell, the force was just right. Every time he lifted his hand, it was clean and neat. What he played was not like music but a story, which was not something everyone could do.

Just then, the originally majestic piece suddenly changed key and changed abruptly.

Everyone could clearly feel that the piece was getting lower and lower, the rhythm slower and slower, and the notes played were getting stranger and stranger.

It had slowly changed from the original righteousness to a strange, dark… as if some monster was lurking and waiting, and as if a phantom of the night was quietly walking out…

Abrupt, but not out of place.

Now Monk finally looked up and looked at him with some surprise.

He really hadn’t expected him to dare to do this.

What was even more surprising was that he could do this and not fall apart.

The style of the piece became stranger and stranger, even more and more terrifying. The sound of the piano was supposed to not have too many sharp edges, and he also played it slowly and gently, but it was like a gentle strangulation, the surging waves under a stagnant pool of water.

Just as everyone was feeling a little creeped out, the piece suddenly changed again!

His fingers suddenly became fast, and he played a cheerful piece with a series of ding-ding-dong-dong.

The piece was as lively and light as a summer party, but with the previous foreshadowing, the notes at this time seemed strange.

Then, he began to… play randomly, mixing the three styles together and playing them randomly.

In this chaotic piece, the originally majestic music had deteriorated into anger and helplessness. The low-pitched notes were like a harmony, adding a bit of strangeness to the piece, while the cheerful notes were like going crazy.

Now the expressions of the crowd were all wonderful.

Crazy… crazy!

Monk’s eyes shone as he looked at him.

Wonderful…

It seemed random, but there was a method to it. It seemed to have a method, but there was none. The emotions were intertwined, like a carnival at the end of the world.

His music… was written for Roseland’s musical’s main character, Versailles!

Because Versailles, he was a—madman with multiple personality disorder!

Pitiful, hateful, smart, but a… madman who had gone crazy for love.

After a climax, he suddenly stopped playing, leaving only a lingering, unresolved note.

The room fell into a silence.

…

“Good…!”

Roseland stood up and clapped. “Very good! You don’t have to say it. I can understand what you’re playing! Very good, very good!”

He also turned his head proudly. “See? Have the people I insisted on ever been wrong?”

“We were ignorant,” one of the old men said, shaking his head with a smile. “A formidable young talent.”

Another teacher also said happily, “You played very well. To be able to play this song with such hatred shows your accomplishment. May I know who wrote this song? I want to meet him and have a chat with him!”

He paused and said shyly, “It was me…”

He had specially written this original piece for this film.

The room was silent again.

Monk shook his head with a smile. “It’s a pity you’re in the entertainment industry. If you were to focus on being a proper musician, maybe I could have an interesting rival?”

Roseland explained, “An Zuo told me… Chu’s parents were originally very talented musicians. Have you heard of the Lawler couple? They are Chu’s parents. It’s just that they passed away too early, and he grew up in an orphanage.”

The other musicians’ gazes at him immediately changed from the hostility when he had just entered to… affection.

Full of love, pity, and liking.

But music was a matter of fate. He had lost his support at a young age, and it was not easy for him to have learned so much. And by the time Huo Li had returned to the country, when he could do as he pleased, he had already taken root in the entertainment industry.

A miss was a miss. No one could be blamed.

“Thank you…” he lowered his head, unable to hide his happiness. “As long as the teachers… like it…”

He couldn’t help but glance at Monk.

He raised an eyebrow, went over, and gently pinched his wrist with a smile. “I like the music, and the person… too.”

He always spoke frivolously, and his tone was also raised at the end, a living tease.

He was startled and quickly pulled his hand back, taking a few steps back.

“Thank you…!”

Monk just smiled, his emerald-green eyes shining, very eye-catching.

His first thought was, I can’t let Huo Li know, otherwise he’ll be bullied for a while.

It wasn’t until night that he left the manor.

When he saw that he had been inside for so long and was still smiling when he came out, he also knew the result.

“Successful?”

He got in the car and said with a grin, “Mmm…! The teachers taught me a lot. I stayed behind to learn and exchange ideas.”

“Roseland said that we can officially join them and start in two days!”

“Good,” he said, rubbing his hair with a smile. “Shall I open a bottle of the manor’s treasured red wine for you when we get home?”

“Mmm,” he paused and asked, “Isn’t that Mr. Pan’s manor… is that okay?”

His tone was flat. “Of course. Mr. Pan would be glad if we drank it all.”

Chu Qing: “…”

After returning to the manor, he did indeed have someone take out a bottle of red wine from the cellar and drank it with him in the garden, facing the moonlight.

He was a light drinker, and red wine was easy to get drunk on. After a little, he was a little dizzy.

He propped up his chin and lay on the table, looking at him blankly.

His gaze was a little doting. He reached out and tapped his nose. “Qingbao?”

He grinned foolishly at him.

“Silly Qingbao,” he also smiled and took the opportunity to ask, “Do you like me?”

“Mmm…” he blinked and looked at him, dazed.

He leaned in close to him. “I said… do you like me?”

He smiled and said gently, “The moonlight is so beautiful tonight.”

He looked at the moon, puzzled, then shook his head with a smile. “You’re quite drunk.”

“No,” he said, propping up his cheek and tilting his head to look at him, his gaze like water.

“Mr. Huo…”

“Hmm?”

He smiled. “This might be the happiest time of my life.”

He had never thought that he could be with him under the moonlight, talking sweet nothings.

He paused.

“I sometimes think…” he lowered his head and said with a drunken smile, “If I die at this moment, will I be happy forever?”

To be frozen at the best moment, to be happy forever.

His heart tightened, and he frowned. “Are you… serious?”

He held his wine glass and lay on the table, laughing lightly, not knowing if he was serious or not.

“Fool,” he said, pinching his cheek hard. “How do you know that the future will be better? I will do better in the future.”

“Ngh…” he grabbed his wrist and said angrily, “Let… go…”

“Qingbao,” he not only did not let go, but he also held his cheeks with both hands and pressed down. “If you’re not here, I’ll be very sad.”

“Ah…?” he was stunned.

He lowered his gaze. “For me.”

“Mmm…”

He looked at him for a moment, but then he got drunk and lost consciousness.

Looking at the person who had directly rested his head in his palm, he smiled, stood up, and carried him back to his room, and also tucked him in well, while he himself continued to look at his documents.

The night was as it was, gentle and silent.