Chapter 20: Do You Need an Umbrella When It Rains?

Hearing news of a first love after several years, it’s hard to remain completely indifferent.

Li Tingzhou still felt curious, still felt surprised, recalling the way she used to be.

But that was the extent of it.

This feeling was like stepping out into a fine, drizzling rain. Turning back home specifically to get an umbrella seemed like making a mountain out of a molehill; it couldn’t really soak a person anyway, just made things damp.

Yet, for a split second, he would remember the times of heavy downpours…

The timing of Mao Maoyu’s studies abroad had been quite opportune. Given his relationship with Mengmeng at the time, he naturally knew some of the situation, but not the complete picture. Hearing “Central Arts Troupe” so suddenly, his first reaction was to think of the same person:

“Ha, ha, that’s quite a coincidence.”

Li Tingzhou glanced at him: “Spit it out, don’t beat around the bush.”

The dry laugh stuck directly onto Mao Maoyu’s face: “Aren’t you afraid the fans will scold you?”

“And what if they do? What’s done is done, can it be taken back?”

That was the truth.

The song was written by Li Tingzhou himself and had long been released, an irrefutable fact. In the past, Heartbreak fans only cared about listening to the music; with Jiang Hu standing in front, a confirmed bachelor from his debut day until his retirement due to illness, there were no rumored relationships to bother with. Who would associate the name [Mengmeng] with a story happening behind the scenes?

At most, they thought his songs were well-written, pleasant to the ear.

But once Mengmeng gained his own face, things were different.

Faced with such an authoritatively handsome face, fans, while having all their beautiful fantasies fulfilled, found it hard not to develop a sense of possessiveness. Knowing that Band Boys loved to play and date, with love histories averaging out like a book, was one thing; but if these things happened to Mengmeng, everyone suddenly found it unacceptable!

No wonder the Music Circle’s entertainment forum had such a high concentration of Dream Girls.

Because Inner Entertainment celebrities weren’t necessarily attainable, but Band Boys were different.

If you wanted to, if you dared, you really could reach them…

Mao Maoyu muttered: “Even if they’re digging up old scores, this isn’t how you do it.”

Everyone understood the logic, but feelings were uncontrollable.

After finishing their business in J City, the group had to travel to G City for work.

It was the same hotel, the same assigned cameraman. He was exceptionally warm upon seeing Mengmeng, greeting him with a smiling face and thoughtfully telling Mengmeng the best angle to stand during rehearsal in the venue later…

Dai Jier was almost numbed by the sight: “If he’s a fan, he could just admit it already.”

“But if he admits it, wouldn’t that be openly showing favoritism?”

Once Mao Maoyu pointed this out, Dai Jier found it reasonable again: “Anyway, he’s getting his fill filming Mengmeng, we get the benefits so let’s not complain. Maintaining this unspoken understanding isn’t bad either.”

On the afternoon of their arrival in G City, the two teams gathered to begin rehearsals.

Each public performance episode reserved family tickets for the guests.

If needed, they would also integrate into the guests’ storyline and appear on camera. A marketing point of familial or romantic love could also boost general public appeal. Ren Shiyu didn’t have this need, but she remembered Li Tingzhou had a girlfriend who liked her quite a bit, so she specifically invited the other party to watch the second public performance.

Li Tingzhou didn’t interfere, leaving it entirely up to Xi He.

She would come if she wanted to.

However, what was even more coincidental was that the Second Performance stage had invited the Central Arts Troupe to play…

This matter hadn’t passed through Li Tingzhou’s hands.

First Sister just stated when the plan was finalized: I will invite a good orchestra for accompaniment.

How could Li Tingzhou worry about so many things? He hadn’t thought much about it then, nor afterwards.

Now the answer was revealed: Good Orchestra = Central Arts Troupe.

Made perfect sense.

Just imagining the possible scene made Mao Maoyu feel uneasy and panicked. As an insider, he kept glancing at Mengmeng, looking like he wanted to speak but was holding back. This expression baffled First Sister: “What’s wrong? Is something not right?”

As she spoke, she also followed Mao Maoyu’s gaze to look at Mengmeng.

“Nothing, haha, it’s just Mengmeng is particularly handsome today!”

First Sister turned her head to look at Li Tingzhou, a smile playing on her lips: “What day isn’t he handsome?”

Mao Maoyu took a deep breath, praying Xi He absolutely wouldn’t come on the performance day!

He didn’t dare ask Mengmeng, so he could only glance frequently at First Sister.

After the main group moved to the rehearsal hall, First Sister specially changed her outfit. It was an exquisitely tailored little black dress, the hem like black baccara rose petals swaying in the wind. Before she arrived, she had already done two a cappella run-throughs with Li Tingzhou.

Excellent results, First Sister was already on fire!

What was somewhat surprising was that the Central Arts Troupe arrived on time.

When the two groups greeted each other in the rehearsal hall, the atmosphere was incredibly awkward.

The Central Arts Troupe clearly hadn’t expected the celebrity team to be ready earlier. Not just the Guest Singer, even the Main Guest had arrived early for joint rehearsal, both sides fully prepared and serious, which in turn made them seem small-time yet putting on big airs.

Assistant Director Pan Jun mediated and negotiated, thoroughly embarrassing the Central Art Troupe’s person in charge.

Mao Maoyu watched the excitement from the back, complaining to Dai Jier: “Is it so far between B City and J City? You’d think not everyone rushed here from a great distance to G City just like us.”

Li Tingzhou didn’t say much, just listened quietly.

But on the stage, one gaze quietly rested upon him.

Mao Maoyu was very sensitive, and he was deliberately searching for it, so he quickly spotted an “acquaintance” among the Central Arts Troupe group: while everyone else dressed low-key to avoid stealing the spotlight, only she wore an extremely simple light bean-green dress, with a thin knitted cardigan that wasn’t cumbersome but instead accentuated a soft, graceful charm.

Because her aura surpassed her beauty, she didn’t seem aggressive.

Mao Maoyu was truly afraid she’d open her mouth and say “Long time no see.”

Fortunately, throughout the joint rehearsal, everyone was quite focused, strictly business.

The song “Curved Moon” was a household name years ago, the score too familiar. Even after moderate adaptation, they could jump straight into the zone. Moreover, Li Tingzhou had given the material to Ren Shiyu even earlier, so two of the three parties were very familiar, greatly reducing the break-in period.

The chorus was divided into two parts, both rearranged into harmonies.

This section essentially maximized Ren Shiyu’s vocal tonal advantages. The cloying sweetness she’d been criticized for in her youth had mellowed and gentled with age, supplemented by harmonies, and rendered even more melodious and tender against the backdrop of the string accompaniment.

This was what Li Tingzhou wanted: peak performance under limited difficulty.

After three joint rehearsals, First Sister was also very satisfied.

Only then did she truly breathe a sigh of relief, stepping off the stage to thank the Central Arts Troupe on the side: “Thank you all, everyone—”

Li Tingzhou didn’t participate in those pleasantries; First Sister was enough.

Next came the detailed adjustments. This part was extremely tedious and heavily tested emotional endurance; a slight lack of flavor, and the live performance effect would differ.

During this time, the Camera Crew also turned off their equipment for a while, having shot enough material early on.

It wasn’t until afternoon tea was delivered that the joint rehearsal was declared over.

After this, the Central Arts Troupe and the two singers would separate for individual work. First Sister called everyone to pick their own snacks, taking only a bottle of water as she came to talk to Li Tingzhou: “They’re going to the Recording Studio later to record a separate audio version.”

“Sending Mao Maoyu is enough.”

They couldn’t really let this kid just freeload afternoon tea, could they?

“You’re not going to watch over it?”

Li Tingzhou picked a co-branded small charm from a paper bag, holding it in his hand: “I’ll pass. They’re all professionals, and Mao Maoyu even more so. Nothing to worry about.”

Saying this, he waved goodbye to First Sister and returned to the lounge.

~

First Sister’s information channels were a little too efficient.

During the dress rehearsal, she already knew that the First Chair of the Central Arts Troupe was Mengmeng’s first love.

Because of this, First Sister took advantage of her vantage point to glance at her several times.

“Have you reported this beforehand?”

Li Tingzhou: “…”

He really thought this sister was a bit too approachable. Gossiping was one thing, but why was she also worrying about this?

First Sister then advised again: “Better to report it in advance.”

Let alone Li Tingzhou, even Mao Maoyu was at a loss.

Introverts were purely at the mercy of being toyed with by First Sister.

But soon, she got another piece of news from Zhou Ling. Given Vice President Zhou’s super high-speed information network, the two might have already discussed the subsequent marriage documentary reality show. Now, her gaze towards Mengmeng transitioned to a new stage: “It’s fine, it’s all in the past…”

Her tone carried carefully cautious concern, almost coaxing.

Li Tingzhou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; he wasn’t that pitiful.

Anyway, with the performance imminent, the glamorous, beautiful, and dreamlike stage was gradually being built. First Sister, in full makeup, made her grand entrance in her formal performance outfit: a magnificent, extravagantly feathered floor-length gown! Its dazzling luxury was no ordinary thing; when the spotlight fell on the hem, all the feathers became vividly alive in an instant.

“Insufficient difficulty, outfit makes up for it.”

First Sister was naturally very satisfied with this dress too; she was just habitually modest.

The Central Arts Troupe also had performance outfits, relatively simpler and more elegant in comparison.

From the joint rehearsal to the formal performance, Li Tingzhou maintained zero interaction with the orchestra throughout, avoiding them even more in non-public settings. Anyway, First Sister and other staff conveyed everything; this time he had a legitimate reason to hide in the back, until the recording work reached a temporary halt.

Mao Maoyu broke out in a cold sweat for him: “It’s finally over.”

Dai Jier said nothing, just urged departure.

Once was enough for this kind of thing, no matter what, never again!

First Sister still wanted to treat everyone to a meal, but how could they casually eat that meal? Time to hurry home!

~

【When to Criminalize Lip-Syncing and Fake Playing | Red-Eye flying to J City】

————

So quick, this crew.

Are there ghosts chasing them, running so fast?

1L: Where’s our group’s insider? Come spill.

5L: Insider Sis has been wilted for a long time……

12L: What else is there to say? Just hoping the show broadcasts well now. Broadcast well means getting popular, getting popular means getting busy, getting busy means breaking up, and breaking up means peace.

20L: The group atmosphere has been bad lately, everyone’s playing in the public forums.

27L: Actually, Mengmeng’s rep in the public forums is okay, better than expected.

33L: Because First Sister’s fans have calmed down.

37L: +1, on the first day it aired it was also so-so, Little Arrogant was actually a black nickname back then…

42L: This matter deeply shows that fans and their idol must stay on the same side.

56L: Our Music Village isn’t like this.

64L: Band Boys and Girls are that rebellious, music fans’ own lives are also quite colorful.

76L: But looking at Mengmeng’s Super Topic, it seems it’s already getting the early form of a Regular Army…

90L: Aaaah, anything but a Regular Army!

99L: This is an unstoppable trend. He’s destined to attract this kind of fans. Body in Music Village, road outside the village, Heartbreak fandom will sooner or later take the shape of Inner Entertainment (smoking emoji).