I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 17

Chapter 17: Qingbao is Bullied by the Canary

“I will protect you.”

Moonlight streamed in through the window, spilling a gentle glow across the floor.

Chu Qing ate his cookies in silence. After a long pause, he finally mustered the courage to look up and say, “I will protect Mr. Huo too.”

Huo Li raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm?”

“During this time, Mr. Huo, I will definitely help you,” Chu Qing said. “I’ve received my appearance fee. Mr. Huo, give… give me your account number?”

Tsk…

Silly Qingbao.

Huo Li nodded. “Alright.”

Then he added gratefully, “Thank you, my sponsor.”

“My appearance fee isn’t much… I’m sorry.” Chu Qing was still thinking about that expensive suit.

“It’s fine, as long as it’s enough to eat. And as a canary, what I need more is…” Huo Li, still with a cold expression, waved his arms to form a large heart in the air. The movement was a bit awkward and stiff, but his lines were on point: “A kiss from my sponsor.”

Chu Qing: “…”

Chu Qing swallowed a mouthful of cookie and said calmly, “Mr. Huo, you don’t have to force yourself.”

Huo Li cleared his throat.

After that, Huo Li didn’t bother Chu Qing, letting him play the guitar while eating his cookies.

“Qingbao.”

After watching for a moment, Huo Li said gently, “Take off your gloves. There are no outsiders here, you don’t have to hide.”

Chu Qing paused.

His fingers were covered in small wounds from tearing at the dead skin, especially around the nails. The pitted and uneven surface was not a pretty sight.

“It’s okay, I know,” Huo Li said, shaking his head. “It’s not like I haven’t seen them before.”

Playing the guitar with gloves on was really difficult.

Chu Qing took off his gloves and turned his back to Huo Li.

Even though he’s seen them, Chu Qing thought, I don’t want Huo Li to keep looking.

It was really a bit shameful, and not something to be proud of.

Huo Li was a little helpless.

The two of them did their own thing. Chu Qing was creating, while Huo Li was looking over documents.

After a while, Huo Li called out to Chu Qing.

“News is in. I had someone look into it. As expected… Li Tian did it on purpose.”

Chu Qing asked, puzzled, “Did he intentionally say online that we were ostracizing him?”

An Yize had also said that Li Tian’s team was guiding the fans, making everyone think Li Tian was being bullied.

“Not that, something else,” Huo Li said. “Also, he’s not just targeting his competitor Jiao Changxu, he’s also targeting you. A staff member said that Li Tian secretly went to look at the lots beforehand, but no one dared to say anything. So he intentionally gave you that lot. The purpose is simple: one, to embarrass you, and two, to step on you and make the public misunderstand that you’re ostracizing him.”

Chu Qing’s eyes widened.

He really hadn’t expected that it was all a conspiracy from the beginning, and that Li Tian had never had any sincere intention of being friends with him.

A chill ran down Chu Qing’s spine, and he even felt a slight anger.

“Why?”

Huo Li explained, “Your role in Sword Saint with Sheng Lingfei was originally Li Tian’s.”

It was just that Huo Liao had deliberately inserted Chu Qing.

“And it’s said that Li Tian likes Sheng Lingfei. He even confessed to him, but Sheng Lingfei doesn’t like him and rejected him directly.”

So that’s how it was…

Li Tian blamed everything on Chu Qing, and Chu Qing was indeed not entirely innocent.

Chu Qing frowned slightly.

“So, even though Li Tian’s team actually wants you to create a ship with him, to prevent Jiao Changxu from getting there first, Li Tian holds a grudge against you. While getting close to you, he also wants to embarrass you,” Huo Li said, spreading his hands. “Perhaps he didn’t know that no piece of music is a challenge for you.”

Chu Qing sighed.

Jiao Changxu wanted to create a ship with him, and Li Tian not only wanted to create a ship with him but also wanted to take him down.

So troublesome.

I really want to go home…

Chu Qing lowered his head, a little dejected.

“By the way,” Huo Li said, taking Chu Qing’s hand, which he had put his glove back on, with a smile. “I received it. Thank you for the tip, my sponsor. It’s more than I expected.”

Chu Qing paused.

“Okay.”

He took a deep breath and turned back to work on the song. He also felt that the parts An Zuo had circled were not good, but it would take time to change them. Some of the tones just couldn’t be changed to get that right feel.

Chu Qing made a major change to “Red Gauze Shadow,” a very, very big change.

The original song was seductive, and the singer had used sighing and breathy tones, making the whole song feel floating and evocative. But Chu Qing decided to add a lot of piano. With that, it immediately turned into a lyrical piece.

Chu Qing’s idea was to use the piano to reflect the style of the original song, which was undoubtedly extremely difficult. And one small mistake could lead to a complete disaster.

Chu Qing focused on writing the score. Huo Li didn’t disturb him, and seeing that An Yize was about to come back, he left for the time being.

Huo Li also planned to have a talk with Wu Yueshan.

…

— — — —

The next day, there were no team-building games, but the contestants had to cook and have dinner together.

After all, the number of viewers in the livestream room would increase when the contestants gathered to chat every day. Watching them chat and bicker was one of the most interesting parts of the day. So the production team simply forced everyone to gather together.

Chu Qing followed An Yize to the outdoor kitchen and was assigned the task of chopping vegetables.

Chu Qing had lived alone before and knew the basics of cooking, so he stood quietly in a corner, chopping vegetables.

The outdoor kitchen was very large, and the staff and contestants worked together. Huo Li stood not far from Chu Qing, watching him silently.

“Teacher Chu…” Before he could finish chopping a bunch of vegetables, Li Tian came over.

Chu Qing: “…”

Chu Qing’s whole body exuded resistance.

Ngh.

“Teacher Chu, let’s do it together,” Li Tian said, standing next to Chu Qing with a sweet smile.

“Teacher Chu, let’s do it together~~” An Yize mimicked Li Tian’s tone, even more delicate.

Chu Qing: “…”

Pfft.

Today, Li Tian was still trying hard to maintain his “life is hard, I’m so wronged, everyone is ostracizing me and can’t stand me out of jealousy” persona, so his actions were all calculated. He was especially clingy to Chu Qing, with a look of a child who had done something wrong and was seeking forgiveness.

The three of them, with six hands, finished chopping the vegetables in no time. Before Chu Qing could even turn around to wash his hands, Jiao Changxu came over.

Unlike Li Tian, Jiao Changxu today was still the gentle big brother, being attentive to Li Tian on one hand, and ambiguously friendly with Chu Qing on the other.

When Chu Qing went to wash his hands, the two followed. When Chu Qing moved things, the two fought to carry them.

Chu Qing: “…”

Huo Li stood to the side, sneering.

This was actually good. His Qingbao was saved a lot of effort and physical labor. He basically didn’t have to lift a finger; these two did everything.

An Yize stood to the side, seeing Chu Qing being so submissive and having his work repeatedly snatched away. He frowned slightly, a little worried.

He naturally knew what these two were up to.

Jiao Changxu wanted to cultivate his “gentle big brother” image, one, to solidify the ship and make everyone think he was a good man, and two, to dispel the rumors that he was ostracizing Li Tian.

As for that Li Tian, the more he did, the more pitiful he looked. With his “trying to please Chu Qing” act, it made Chu Qing look like the bad guy.

Just as An Yize was about to say something, he saw a man stand next to him.

“It seems Teacher Jiao and Teacher Li really like our Chu Qing,” Huo Li said in a low voice.

An Yize frowned slightly.

Huh?

Huo Li shook his head. “Look at them fighting for favor. It’s quite cute.”

“Oh…” An Yize paused, then immediately understood.

“Yeah…”

Just then, the cooking team sent someone over to say they needed more scallions chopped. Before Chu Qing could even move, Jiao Changxu spoke up to grab the task, but he was no match for Li Tian, who had already turned and run to get them.

Chu Qing: “…”

An Yize crossed his arms and said with a smile, “Oh my, our Teacher Jiao and Tian Tian really like Teacher Chu.”

Jiao Changxu immediately put on a standard performance: a shy rub of the back of his head, a silent smile, and finally, a doting smile at Chu Qing.

When Li Tian came back, he looked at An Yize curiously. An Yize said, “We were just saying that Teacher Jiao really likes Teacher Chu.”

“I, I really like Teacher Chu too…!” Li Tian bared his teeth. “I really, really like him!”

An Yize whistled. “Yo~”

Chu Qing: “???”

Chu Qing really couldn’t hold it in and rolled his eyes.

Logically speaking, Chu Qing’s emotions usually didn’t fluctuate much, but this day had been too strange.

He wasn’t disgusted, nor was he angry, just helpless. Why do these two have to be like this?

Although it was comfortable being a tool, was it really… necessary??

Now, An Yize’s “yo,” full of ambiguity and imagination, with its flirtatious rising tone, had completely shattered Chu Qing’s worldview.

An Yize smiled and added, “I really like Teacher Chu too. We all like him.”

“Oh…” Chu Qing gave a dry laugh.

That night, after dinner and the end of the recording, Chu Qing returned to the dorm and opened Weibo, only to find… the world had turned upside down.

Real-time trending topics:
6. Jiao Changxu and Li Tian fall out over love
15. Chu Qing is the group’s pet

WTF??

Chu Qing opened it and saw that the developments inside were like a herd of wild horses that had broken free, sprinting in the opposite direction of the truth.

XXX: Wow… An Yize’s words reminded me. Is it because Jiao Changxu and Li Tian both like Chu Qing, so they’re fighting over him and clinging to him?… The entertainment industry is amazing!

XXX: I’m so envious of Chu Qing… my god, how can someone with such a character make two top-tier male gods dote on him like that. It’s a free-for-all!

XXX: It’s true!! But the person in question seems to completely dislike them, and even rolled his eyes. Woc, who gave him the right to roll his eyes!! Does he deserve it! I feel bad for my boys… giving a warm face to a cold butt. The other side really doesn’t know what’s good for them.

XXX: To be honest, it’s normal to show your attitude towards people you don’t like, right? Didn’t you see how those two were crazily pestering him? Even An Yize couldn’t stand it. Chu Qing is an artist who likes to be alone. Is there a problem with that? In real life, I would be like Chu Qing too. Besides, Chu Qing himself is not bad, right? He has the looks, and his talent crushes everyone present.

In any case, Jiao Changxu and Li Tian’s attentiveness to Chu Qing today had been twisted into a declaration of their love for him and a fight for his affection. As for Jiao Changxu and Li Tian’s kindness and pretense towards each other, it was completely ignored, since Chu Qing was right there. It looked more like they were fighting for his attention.

XXX: But didn’t they say everyone was ganging up to ostracize Li Tian?

XXX: erm… looking at this, it feels more like Jiao Changxu and Li Tian are fighting openly and secretly? Maybe Li Tian was hinting at Jiao Changxu on Weibo? Look at Chu Qing today, he’s totally like “I’m tired,” “this is too hard for me”…

XXX: Yeah, and I didn’t see Chu Qing ganging up with Jiao Changxu, nor did I see him ostracizing Li Tian. He seems to be completely confused by the two of them…

XXX: I’m actually becoming a fan of Chu Qing… this is, this is too honest, right?

XXX: Isn’t it just stupid…? After watching the livestream for so long, I suddenly feel that maybe Chu Qing is just stupid.

XXX: +1 I feel like Chu Qing is just not good at expressing himself, so his intentions are twisted. He’s also slow and doesn’t know how to socialize.

The open and secret struggle between Jiao Changxu and Li Tian was something everyone saw but didn’t say. Thus, the claim that Chu Qing was angry at Li Tian for giving him a bad lot and was therefore ostracizing him fell apart.

And Chu Qing’s performance over the past few days had also gained him a wave of fans. Perhaps only a long-term, unedited livestream like this could let everyone understand Chu Qing’s personality and avoid more misunderstandings.

Chu Qing stared blankly at the speculative comments.

Although there were some rational comments, mostly from solo stans and casual fans saying that Jiao Changxu and Li Tian were just impressed by Chu Qing’s talent and hoped to get his guidance, but now with the whole nation shipping CPs, same-sex marriage being legal, and the media, entertainment accounts, and the show fanning the flames for the sake of buzz, it had been forcefully turned into a melodramatic romance.

In just one day, public opinion had completely reversed.

Chu Qing was in a position of absolute advantage, even using the two of them to gain fans.

An Yize remarked, “Your team and new company are great. The public opinion control is very good.”

Chu Qing blinked, feeling it was a bit strange. It was the first time he had been backed by a company like this.

Moreover, some of the unsavory remarks, such as those about Chu Qing shaking his butt to seduce top-tier celebrities, and the brainwashing from Chu Qing’s anti-fans, were all suppressed by the company, which even issued lawyer’s letters.

“All I can say is, Li Tian and Jiao Changxu got what they deserved, messing with a tough nut to crack,” An Yize said, spreading his hands with a smile. “Teacher Chu, you’re amazing!”

Chu Qing shook his head. “Thank you for speaking up for me today too…”

Although he didn’t quite understand the process, after reading these public opinions, he now understood that the strange things An Yize had said in the afternoon and at dinner were to help him.

“It’s nothing. I was just playing along,” An Yize said, spreading his hands. “After all, those two top-tier celebrities were going too far, trying to use you to step on others.”

“But… I didn’t expect it at first either. It was your bodyguard who reminded me.”

Chu Qing was stunned.

Ah…?

An Yize said with a grin, “It seems your bodyguard, after taking your money and tricking you into bed, is still working hard. Not bad, not bad.”

…

Later, when it was late at night, this bodyguard who worked diligently after taking the money knocked on Chu Qing’s window.

There was no one outside in the middle of the night, so Chu Qing simply took Huo Li to a solo practice room. The room had a piano, a drum set, and was fully equipped.

Of course, it was better than being in the park.

If they were discovered, they could just say they were practicing late at night.

Chu Qing quietly gave himself a thumbs-up for his cleverness.

“Mr. Huo…”

Chu Qing sat at the piano and looked at Huo Li, who was standing to the side. He couldn’t help but ask, “Was this Sister Yueshan and the company’s plan? Did she tell you to do this?”

Huo Li paused, then raised an eyebrow. “Yes.”

Well, Huo Li thought, I did discuss it with Shao Fanxing before informing Wu Yueshan. If you want to put it that way, it’s not wrong.

“Oh, okay…” Chu Qing said in a small voice. “You guys are amazing…”

“Who’s amazing?” Huo Li raised an eyebrow. “Where am I amazing? Hmm?”

Chu Qing’s face turned red. He lowered his head and placed his hands on the piano keys, not looking at Huo Li.

He thought to himself, Before I got to know him, I had no idea Huo Li was so… roguish?

“How’s the progress?” Huo Li glanced at Chu Qing’s fingers. “The competition is the day after tomorrow.”

The contestants were not given much time to prepare, and there were also team-building activities interspersed.

“I showed the demo to Teacher An Zuo. It’s basically done…” Chu Qing said, troubled. “It’s just that the feeling isn’t right when I sing.”

But the so-called “feeling” was something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, and there was no clear direction, so Chu Qing could only slowly figure it out.

“That’s simple,” Huo Li said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s just that you’re too young and too innocent to understand the adult elements in ‘Red Gauze Shadow’.”

Adult elements…

What a choice of words.

Chu Qing muttered, “That’s not it…”

“It is. You don’t have enough life experience, so you can’t interpret it. Isn’t that normal?”

“Ah…” Chu Qing was stunned.

Huo Li made so much sense…

“So, get up.”

“?” Chu Qing obediently did as he was told.

Then, he saw Huo Li plop down on the piano bench.

Chu Qing’s body trembled. He thought Huo Li was hiding a deep talent and was about to give him a demonstration, to show off his skills.

Chu Qing’s eyes immediately lit up.

Then, he saw Huo Li pat his own thigh. “You sit up here. Get some experience.”

…

Chu Qing: “…”