I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 13

Chapter 13: Qingbao’s Counterattack

From the moment Chu Qing stepped on stage, the livestream room was buzzing with an intensity that could rival Jiao Changxu’s appearance.

Some were nitpicking, some were being won over by Chu Qing’s voice and song, and some stubbornly held onto their prejudice and continued to curse him.

But it was clear that the praise for Chu Qing outnumbered the insults, with most of the discussion focused on the work itself.

XXX: Wait?? Isn’t this a show that requires original songs? How is Chu Qing singing one of his old songs considered original!

XXX: Person above, can you please use your ears before you open your mouth? The arrangement and melody are completely different.

XXX: Ah… it seems, it seems more divine now…

XXX: I’d say the emotions are more real and richer than before. I’m not a music industry insider, I just feel that the singer is singing more sincerely than he did a few years ago. It’s probably because of his experiences.

Chu Qing sang as he played, and the violin joined in during the chorus, making the entire song more affectionate and earnest.

If the road is long, don’t turn back to look for me
I will quietly make a wish
That you can keep moving forward, always…

…

When the final note faded, Chu Qing stood up and bowed to the audience with a polite, reserved, and dignified air.

After a long pause, applause finally erupted from below. It wasn’t perfunctory clapping, but applause filled with enthusiasm and affection, with even some cheers mixed in.

For a moment, Chu Qing felt as if he had returned to the glorious days when he first debuted.

XXX: Crying…

XXX: Tbh, it was really good… so warm and touching.

XXX: I feel like, with such a clean and pure voice, maybe he’s not as filthy as you all say? Chu Qing’s personality has always been different from the norm, and he’s never tried to put on a persona for the camera. He’s more like an eccentric artist, right?

XXX: My opinion has changed, anyway. He hasn’t done anything wrong since the negative rumors broke, and listening to his song now, I can hear his sincerity. Maybe those negative rumors weren’t even true in the first place.

Huo Li watched the livestream from below. The negative comments wouldn’t disappear after just one performance, but seeing more and more positive comments gradually appear, he was very satisfied.

Huo Li thought to himself that Chu Qing’s voice was indeed exceptionally clean; that was his greatest feature—ethereal. Just like him as a person. Because he couldn’t think about too many things, his mind was simple, and his small world was also very monotonous.

Chu Qing’s short life seemed to consist only of music, and because of that, his music had become pure.

The host stopped Chu Qing, who was about to leave the stage, for the customary chat with the contestant.

“That was so beautiful!” the male host said with a smile. “What a song full of blessings! May I ask our Teacher Chu, who is this song for? That person is so enviable.”

Chu Qing paused, then smiled and hummed in agreement.

“Who is it for?” the host teased, pressing for an answer.

“I can’t say.”

“Alright, alright…” the host continued with a smile. “But I heard that our Teacher Chu didn’t practice much all day and still gave such an excellent performance. This is truly a genius! How did Teacher Chu do it?”

Chu Qing thought for a moment, then pointed to his heart. “The score is in here.”

XXX: A genius is a genius… does your face hurt from all the dissing this afternoon… he’s just like the top student in class

XXX: Amazing. Are all artists this strange?

XXX: Person above, Chu Qing is not an artist, ok? He’s just someone who slept his way to the top.

XXX: Ugh, are you guys tired of bringing this up? This is a competition! As a passerby, I don’t want to be lectured on all your messy gossip. Maybe the negative rumors you’re talking about are true, but it’s also a fact that he has talent, ok?

XXX: Agreed. To be able to create music like this, you have no idea how much effort a person has put in behind the scenes.

Afterward, Chu Qing went offstage and waited for the results with the other contestants in the break room.

“Teacher Chu, that was amazing!”

“Teacher Chu, you play the piano so well. Do you have any secrets?”

“Teacher Chu, Teacher Chu, I really admire you…”

As soon as he came offstage, Chu Qing was surrounded by the other contestants.

He was startled.

Actually, it had been the same when he first participated in this show. After he performed, everyone else had come up to chat and make friends with him. It was just that later, he hadn’t had the chance to choose or participate in the right shows and had always performed poorly.

“Ah…” With people chattering in his ear, Chu Qing looked at the crowd, not knowing who to reply to first.

“Alright, alright, if you all keep making a fuss, Teacher Chu is going to faint,” a man said, stepping up to Chu Qing’s side and putting an arm around his shoulders with a smile. “Let’s sit down first and chat slowly.”

Chu Qing turned his head and saw that the man, who was taller than him, had a delicate face. It was the top-tier celebrity, Jiao Changxu.

“Thank you…”

“Can I add you on WeChat, Teacher Chu?” Jiao Changxu said with a smile. “Let’s be friends.”

Chu Qing shook his head. “I deleted my WeChat.”

His eternal excuse.

“Huh? Then how does your manager contact you?” Li Tian, who was sitting nearby, asked curiously.

“My manager contacts my bodyguard.”

“Then how does your bodyguard contact you?” Li Tian continued to press.

Chu Qing: “…”

Ah, I can’t just say we live together, can I?

Chu Qing paused for a moment, then changed his story. “My manager emails me…”

“Ah…”

The others were still a bit skeptical. It was the 21st century, and someone didn’t use WeChat?

Chu Qing did have one, of course, but he had only added a few essential people: Huo Li, Yu Weixi, the director of his orphanage… As for everyone else, Chu Qing didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary social interactions.

“Let’s not talk about this. Teacher Chu, your performance just now was really amazing!” Jiao Changxu said with a smile. “You’ll definitely get first place.”

“Both Teacher Chu and Brother Xu are amazing,” Li Tian said. “I wonder who will be number one.”

After the votes from the selected public audience were tallied, that night’s results were—Chu Qing was the champion, and Jiao Changxu was third.

Li Tian was ranked sixth, right in the middle. An Yize was fourth, a good upper-middle result.

As soon as the results were out, Chu Qing and Jiao Changxu immediately started trending.

#ChuQingBeatJiaoChangxu?
#ChuQingMakesAComeback, FirstPlaceOnDreamSinger
#ChuQingGoesViralAgain?

The comments below were bustling with activity.

XXX: Are the live audience members deaf or blind? Or are they just stupid? Why did they vote for that b*stard.

XXX: You should listen to it before you talk. Passersby don’t know about all that messy stuff, and there are people of all ages. They just know that Chu Qing sings well. What’s wrong with them voting for him?

XXX: It was really, really good! “Wish” from back then and “Wish 2.0” now, I love it, I love it.

Chu Qing gained countless fans overnight, just like back then.

His win once again attracted a great deal of attention, a resounding success. The so-called “twice-cooked pork” had become popular again.

Even if it was a mix of hate and fame, at least there was still fame and fan adoration in the mix.

“How do you feel?”

It was night again. Chu Qing and Huo Li sat side by side in their secret base—the pavilion in the small park.

Huo Li raised an eyebrow. “You see? As long as you choose the right path and play to your strengths, you can become a huge hit overnight.”

Chu Qing sat to the side, playing with his Rubik’s Cube and humming a low “mmm.”

“Tired?” Huo Li asked.

Chu Qing nodded slightly.

During the day, Chu Qing was no different from a normal person, just a bit more aloof. But at night, he would feel more uncomfortable.

But Huo Li was always with him at night, which made Chu Qing feel a little apologetic. He stood up. “I’ll go back to my room first…”

“Wait.” Huo Li took Chu Qing’s hand. “Will you sleep if you go back?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Then don’t go back.” Huo Li pulled Chu Qing down to sit beside him.

Seeing Chu Qing’s slight resistance, Huo Li’s tone immediately became melancholic. “You’re my sponsor, after all. Have you fulfilled your responsibilities?”

Chu Qing: “…”

Chu Qing said with difficulty, “I’m earning money to… to support you…”

Huo Li not only said it, but he started acting it out, leaning over and resting his head on Chu Qing’s shoulder. “Am I such a shallow person? I’m not your canary for your money. I love you for who you are.”

Chu Qing: “…”

Huo Li… what happened to him during the time they weren’t together?

And to say those lines with a cold face and an imposing figure… it was really hard on the eyes.

Huo Li sighed, his tone cold. “You’re busy with work, and you’ve thrown me aside. In the novels, the sponsor demands it seven times every night, squeezing the canary dry.”

Alright, case closed.

Chu Qing shrank back to avoid Huo Li’s advance and said helplessly, “Did you… read a romance novel?”

Huo Li raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to read it? It’s quite interesting.”

Huo Li handed his phone to Chu Qing to show him his reading list.

Palm’s Pet: The Overbearing Tycoon’s Little Canary
For money, she sold herself to that bloodthirsty, arrogant, richest man in the world, becoming his canary, the object of his nightly lust. Can her humble love be reciprocated? Having lost everything, can she, the second richest woman in the world, make a comeback?

Kept for True Love: My Sponsor Husband Wants Me Every Night!
A Gilded Cage, a Beauty Within

…

Chu Qing: “…”

Chu Qing: “I don’t want to read it.”

Huo Li was very regretful.

He had originally wanted to discuss and practice the plot with Chu Qing.

Chu Qing fiddled with his cube for a while, looking like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

“What’s wrong?” Huo Li asked.

Chu Qing said helplessly, “I think… you should read less of it too.”

Huo Li was the real-life version, the kind of big CEO with a global chain of companies. Shouldn’t he be reading economics instead of this? Wouldn’t it lower his IQ??

“I… was just trying to learn,” Huo Li said, shaking his head. “I want to do my role well and make you happy.”

Chu Qing’s heart stirred.

“Mr. Huo…” Chu Qing lowered his head. “I’m very happy… you’re very good.”

“Really?”

“Mmm. You came with me to the show, gave me hot water, and even wanted to cook for me.”

Huo Li frowned and took Chu Qing’s wrist. “Qingbao, I’ll be even better to you, much better.”

Chu Qing’s eyes widened, and he stared blankly at Huo Li.

“I will be the best person to you in this world,” Huo Li said, word by word, his expression serious.

At that moment, he didn’t seem like the big CEO Chu Qing had mentioned before, but more like a young man experiencing his first love.

Chu Qing was a little flustered and wanted to pull his hand back.

“Qingbao.” Huo Li’s hand slid down, intertwining their fingers. “You said I did a good job, right?” he said in a deep voice.

Chu Qing: “…Yes?”

“Then I want my reward.”

Whoosh—

Huo Li suddenly lunged at Chu Qing, pinning him down on the long stone bench.

“Mr. Huo…!”

Huo Li hovered over Chu Qing, leaning down. “Sponsor, you should compensate and reward me now.”

Chu Qing’s eyes widened. He still had the cube in one hand, while the other was pressed against Huo Li’s chest. “We’re, we’re outside. Someone will see…” he hissed.

A very strange feeling washed over Chu Qing.

It was only then that Chu Qing realized he had come to record a show, yet here he was in a corner of the recording venue, having a secret affair… with his own bodyguard?

The thought made Chu Qing want to die of shame and indignation.

“Mr. Huo, you, you get up…”

Seeing Chu Qing kicking and struggling, Huo Li lowered his gaze. “It seems my sponsor got first place, became famous, and now looks down on me, no longer wants me.”

Chu Qing: “…”

Please don’t start that again.