Chapter 523: Wen Ming 13
Their regret stemmed from one simple fact: things hadn’t turned out the way they wanted. In other words, the person they once looked down on had now reached a height so far beyond their grasp they could only watch from a distance.
This huge gap left them with a sense of disparity that was difficult to accept. They refused to admit they had been blind to her talent, nor would they concede that they were the ones who had fallen short back then.
His friend patted Qi Ying’s arm, and everyone understood the gesture. The more successful Tan You became and the more awards she won, the more it made Qi Ying look like a fool who couldn’t tell a pearl from a fish eye.
But who could really be blamed? It’s always been hard to assign right or wrong in matters of the heart.
Tan You glanced down at the trophy in her hands, then out at the singers and crew in the audience below. The smile on her face grew wider and wider. "I know I’m a good singer, and I know I’m a good songwriter. I’m very honored that the committee has awarded me Best Album."
"Of course, I also affirm the committee’s affirmation. Finally, thank you all!"
When she finally stepped off the stage for the last time, Tan You let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t someone who smiled much, but up on that stage, she had to. ’Otherwise, wouldn’t I seem arrogant and full of myself?’
Luu Yize pushed two of Tan You’s trophies into her arms, leaving them each holding three. "That speech you just gave was seriously audacious."
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "The part about affirming the committee’s affirmation?"
Luu Yize nodded. "Yeah. The moment you said that, everyone’s expression turned a little strange. It seemed like no one expected anyone to say that."
Tan You shrugged. "I won this many awards. You’re telling me I can’t be a little young and reckless?"
"Right, you’re even younger than I am," Liuu Yize said, thinking of Tan You’s age. "But now that you’ve said it, tomorrow’s entertainment tabloids are going to have a field day."
"That kind of buzz is just temporary," Tan You said, carefully cradling her trophies. "Give it some time, and some other story will come along and bury it."
’As someone from the age of information overload, I knew perfectly well how fast the news cycle turns over. Besides, I don’t make a living off of hype. I rely on my talent, okay?’
’Now that my weakness of being tone-deaf has been fixed, I’m actually pretty happy,’ Tan You thought. ’It wasn’t a waste of time staying with the siren clan for so long.’
The awards ceremony was finally over. Tan You rose gracefully, her arms full of trophies. Old Yan hurried over to help her with them, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a huge smile. "Seeing you go up on that stage really put me in a great mood."
"I can tell," Tan You said, wrapping her shawl around herself. "So, what’s next? Everyone heading home?"
"Home? What home? We’re going to Ye Se! Old Ye already has a celebration banquet waiting for you guys," Old Mo said with a hearty laugh. He glanced at the trophies in Tan You’s arms, his thoughts already drifting to next year’s awards.
Tan You knew there was no getting out of this. "Alright, to Ye Se it is."
’Isn’t this how friendships grow closer, through spending time together like this? As for her friends’ little flaws, there was no need to be overly critical. Understanding and respect were enough. The rest had nothing to do with her.’
Tan You didn’t arrive at the office until the afternoon of the following day. Old Yan immediately pushed a stack of newspapers in front of her. "Congratulations, you’re famous now. Almost every entertainment tabloid is quoting your acceptance speech from yesterday. That final speech was, to be honest, a bit arrogant."
Tan You leaned back in her chair. "Just tell me, was it satisfying or not?"
"It was... satisfying," Old Yan admitted. "But saying that has made you a public enemy. Next year, countless songwriters will be coming for you. If you fall, the tabloids will have a field day."
"That’s a problem for next year," Tan You shrugged. "So what if I don’t win any awards then? There’s no absolute first place in the arts, unlike in martial arts. You shouldn’t get so hung up on winning and losing."
"See? I told you that you were worrying for nothing." Old Huang pushed the door open and came in; it was hard to say how long he’d been standing outside. Old Hu, Old Mo, Jiang Hua, Liuu Yize, and Li Junfei filed in after him.
Tan You glanced around. "Is the whole crew here?"
"Ahem. The awards ceremony is over. It’s time to start planning for the new year," Old Yan said, looking every bit the slave driver. "Teacher Li’s and Old Mo’s albums are already in production. For the first half of the year, all that’s left are yours and Aze’s."
"You’d better be careful. There are a lot of songwriters looking to take you down this time. Old Jiang is getting in on the action, too. He’s probably looking to go head-to-head with you."
Tan You looked at Jiang Hua, who met her gaze frankly. "I was hoping to have a friendly match with Teacher Wen."
"Then may the best person win," Tan You said with a smile. "Speaking of which, even though I can’t sing love songs, I consider myself quite talented. It’s still anyone’s game."
She was never afraid of a challenge. In fact, the stronger the opponent, the more eager she was to compete. ’Of course, I’d never cheat by using the Beauty System. That would be an insult to myself.’
As Tan You accepted Jiang Hua’s challenge, the room erupted in cheers. ’This era still values honor and camaraderie,’ she reflected. ’In the future, everything becomes about profit. Things like honor are basically nonexistent.’
"On to business," Tan You said, glancing at Liuu Yize. "Those three singers you’re mentoring, have they made any progress? They’re not hopeless, are they?"
Luu Yize replied, "They have some vocal skill. They’re usable."
Tan You understood. "But not *good enough*?"
Luu Yize confirmed. "Right. At their current level, they can handle your sweet little pop songs, but they can’t perform songs that are artistically complex or technically difficult."
Tan You said, "Then let them focus on honing their vocal skills for now. We’re in no rush."
"We should get together later," Liuu Yize said. "Mr. Jiang is getting serious, so we can’t afford to lose."
Jiang Hua asked curiously, "Are you planning to use Aze’s album to compete with me?"
Tan You ticked off her fingers. "Any of them should be fine, right? After all, I’m the producer in the end."
For the first time in his life, Jiang Hua felt a pang of jealousy. "Such enviable talent. Heaven really is unfair. It gave you the face and the figure, and then it gave you talent and vocal skills on top of that. It seems to be especially biased in your favor."
Tan You was perfectly calm. "I acquired these skills through rigorous study, and I worked hard for this body. Mr. Jiang, your talent is also exceptional. I’m sure there are plenty of people who are jealous of you, too, right?"
"You know, you’re not wrong. There are plenty of people jealous of Old Jiang’s talent," Old Yan said, changing the subject. "But Old Jiang gets all his inspiration from his love life. He writes songs when he’s head over heels, he writes songs when he’s heartbroken, he writes songs when he’s drowning his sorrows. Only love can get Old Jiang’s creative juices flowing."
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "Spending your whole life chasing love, Mr. Jiang? That sounds pretty romantic, when you put it that way."
"Doesn’t matter how romantic it is," Jiang Hua said with a self-deprecating smile. "A good woman wouldn’t want to be with a man like me."
Tan You pretended she didn’t catch that. "Aze, let’s meet in the recording studio later. I’ve finished a few new songs for you to try out."