Chapter 521: Wen Ming 11
"But we’re just friends. I can’t control every little thing, and I certainly can’t dictate a friend’s lifestyle. Ultimately, that’s your business." Tan You wasn’t so arrogant as to demand everyone listen to her. If people could accept her ideas, that was great; they could all get together when they had time.
If they couldn’t accept her ideas, that was fine too. They could just see less of each other.
But if they wanted to sing her songs, they had to do it her way. In the future, countless works would be taken down due to scandals involving singers or actors. How could Tan You let someone else ruin her hard work?
Jiang Hua shook his head. "Ah, Teacher Wen, you truly are stone-hearted."
Tan You pretended not to hear. For women, a man like Jiang Hua possessed a fatal attraction. He understood women too well, and with his talent as an added bonus, what kind of woman couldn’t he pursue if he set his mind to it?
Just like him and Cao Yun, who had already left him...
But a womanizer like Jiang Hua couldn’t give a woman peace of mind; he would only break her heart.
Yet, just as Jiang Hua said, Tan You was stone-hearted. She understood all of this perfectly, but she had no interest in such matters. All she saw was her career; outsiders simply didn’t register.
Old Yan had to change the subject. "Let’s talk business. Given the momentum of Aze’s album, he should be able to win Best Newcomer this year, no matter what."
Tan You looked up. "Am I not a newcomer? This is the first album of my life."
When she was a boss, she had indeed produced many albums for the artists under her. But those were for other people. This was the first time Tan You had made an album for herself.
And this was Wen Ming’s first album, too. Yet here was Old Yan, calling Aze the newcomer? Where did that leave her?
Old Huang teased, "If you still count as a newcomer, then no one else at this year’s awards ceremony deserves to win anything. Your talent already surpasses everything."
Tan You understood. "So I can look forward to this year’s awards ceremony?"
"You absolutely should," Old Yan nodded. "I have a source on the inside; they’re having a real headache over there right now. After all, in terms of experience, you’re a complete newcomer. But in terms of talent, how many people in the industry can match you?"
"They’ll probably have to make a special exception. That’s for the best. Prodigies can’t be judged by normal standards."
Tan You broke into a smile. "I’m a prodigy?"
"If not you, then who?" Old Mo said, clutching his thermos. "These awards are quite fair. I think you can aim for Best Female Singer and Best Album. If they gave you Best Newcomer, while no one could find fault with it, it wouldn’t be bold enough, not innovative enough."
Old Yan said, "Right, you’ll need to prepare an evening gown. Do you want the company to rent one for you?"
Tan You waved her hand. "Some generic photo-studio thing? No thanks, I’ll figure it out myself. Aze can walk the red carpet with me, we can go together."
Old Mo volunteered himself. "I can go too!"
Tan You: "Your album doesn’t come out until after the New Year. You don’t have any work from this year, so you wouldn’t even have the confidence to walk the red carpet."
Old Mo slumped in his chair. "Teacher Wen sure knows how to hit where it hurts."
Tan You paid him no mind and glanced at the quiet Aze beside her. "Should I take care of your outfit too while I’m at it?"
Liuu Yize agreed with a smile. "Alright, I’ll leave it in your hands then, Teacher Wen."
Tan You nodded. "It’s no trouble."
She wasn’t so free as to make clothes for others. It was just a matter of contacting a master designer she knew, giving them the design sketches, measurements, and so on. As for her own battle armor, that, Tan You would handle herself.
"Oh, right, I’ve already prepared Teacher Li’s song. Is Teacher Li also releasing his song after the New Year?" Tan You changed the subject. They had been chatting so enthusiastically that they’d left Li Junfei on the sidelines, making it seem as if she were isolating him.
Li Junfei said, "I’ll follow the company’s arrangements."
Old Yan took charge. "Of course, it’ll be after the New Year. We’ll release Old Mo’s album first, then Teacher Li’s. As for your next album, are we still aiming for September? Should we move it up?"
"Otherwise, it’ll clash with the albums from those other singers."
Old Huang also calculated the schedule. "The way I see it, we’ll focus on promoting Old Mo, Teacher Li, you, and Aze in the first half of the year, and then focus on the complete newcomers in the second half."
Tan You sighed. "Seven albums in one year. That’s a pace that could kill someone."
Old Yan poured her some tea. "The more capable you are, the more work you do. Don’t worry about anything else, the company will handle everything perfectly."
Tan You didn’t play hard to get. When she produced albums for singers, the higher the album sales, the more she earned. At the end of the day, she was making money for herself, too.
"Alright, we’ll see when the time comes." Tan You waved her hand. "Teacher Li is already a famous singer. He shouldn’t need me to supervise the album recording constantly..."
"Oh, but I will," How could Li Junfei pass up this opportunity to connect with Tan You? He spoke up immediately. "My singing style is a bit dated. I’ll still need Teacher Wen’s guidance to correct it."
"I wouldn’t dare," Tan You also said with a smile. "Let’s just call it a mutual discussion."
Back then, Wen Ming had followed Qi Ying to a completely unfamiliar city. But ultimately, this city truly forged a person. The music scene here was more advanced, more influenced by foreign styles.
Likewise, this city was the trendsetter for pop music in G Province. Just as Tan You was making waves in T City, her name and accomplishments had already reached G Province.
Her songs were already very popular in G Province now. Some people would even sing her and Liuu Yize’s songs in dance halls, but very few could actually sing them well.
And there was a lot of news about her, but since Tan You had never accepted an interview after releasing her album, the public knew very little about her.
Looking at the message from the Beauty System, Tan You was especially calm. She didn’t plan to return to G Province just yet. She had to make a real name for herself here first. Even though her results were pretty good right now, without winning any awards, without solidifying her status, going back now would still feel like a defeat.
As for when to go back, Tan You was in no hurry.
The awards ceremonies of this era were nothing like those of later years, which were flooded with all sorts of fashionistas. Although people still tried to outshine one another, it wasn’t like later on, where the competition was all about status, haute couture, and high-end jewelry.
When Tan You entered with her arm linked through Liuu Yize’s, there were reporters taking pictures along the red carpet, but it was nothing like in later years, when the camera flashes were almost blinding.
Liuu Yize was especially cautious. "So many people?"
"Many?" Tan You glanced at the reporters and photographers on both sides, comparing them to the red carpet scenes in her memory. "This is nothing. You really haven’t seen a big event."
Liuu Yize had grown familiar with Tan You, and hearing this, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, "You have?"
Tan You was evasive. "You’ll know in the future, when you’re more famous and the economy has developed further."
A music awards ceremony, after all, wasn’t an acting awards ceremony. The attendees were all from the music industry, and of course, even more were the various behind-the-scenes personnel.