Chapter 532: Wen Ming 22
"That’s not important," Tan You narrowed her eyes, surprised that Wen Ming was actually teasing her. ’Forget it,’ she thought. ’I was going to tell her President Chu is here too, but since she’s joking with me, I won’t tell her now.’
"Then what is important?" Wen Ming was also curious. "What do you... think of Jiang Hua?"
"I don’t really have an opinion," Tan You said coolly. "I admit he’s very talented, and I admit he understands women. But his heart could never truly settle on one person. A man like him is fine as a friend, but he’d be the worst possible choice for a partner."
"Anyone who gets with him will just end up being tortured. It’s like some of the great literary masters in history. They were certainly talented, but their character was so corrupt it’s hard to stomach."
"But precisely because of their talent, the public actually forgave these flaws, which I find ridiculous. No wonder some people say the more you read, the fewer morals you have."
Wen Ming said, "I think it’s just that you’re too much of a purist, Teacher Tan. You can’t stand even a speck of dust in your eye."
Tan You spread her hands. "Maybe. Of course, that’s just my own opinion. I’m not forcing anyone else to agree."
Wen Ming thought back to when she recorded that love song album. "So, men like Jiang Hua... they’re like poppies. Once you’re hooked, it’s impossible to quit. In the end, it just leaves you heartbroken and gutted. And him? He’s still able to jump into the next relationship at a moment’s notice."
Tan You said, "I thought that since Jiang Hua went to hear you sing every day back then, your opinion of him might have changed."
"How could it?" Wen Ming retorted. "I might stumble when it comes to men, but I know what kind of man isn’t right for me. Just like how I could never fall for a philanderer. Expecting a womanizer to change his ways is harder than stopping a dog from eating shit."
Tan You replied, "What did dogs ever do to you?"
The Beauty System protested too. ’Yeah, what did this system ever do to her?’
Just then, her styling was complete. Compared to the ethereal and misty look from the previous round, Wen Ming’s style this time was very simple: an elegant, long black dress that left only her wrists exposed.
Her waist-length hair was casually draped over her chest and back, with a single sapphire barrette pinned behind her left ear. It was the only accessory on her entire body.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Wen Ming murmured, "You’re really skilled."
The makeup artist, packing up her cosmetics, replied, "It’s because you have a good foundation to work with, Teacher Wen. With a face like yours, you could even be an actress."
"Teacher Wen, we’ll head out first. Please focus on your preparations."
Once the makeup team left, Wen Ming said to Tan You, "I never thought the phrase ’good foundation’ would one day be used to describe me. But what’s strange is, I can still see my old self in this face. It’s just... been infinitely optimized."
Tan You said, "The power of beauty points, I guess. But you have a good bone structure, too. Look, you’re thirty-five and your face hasn’t sagged. That’s because your bone structure is holding it up."
Wen Ming touched her cheek. "Beauty is really something. Just looking at this face, my mood improves even when I’m doing nothing."
She wanted beauty, but Wen Ming’s high regard for it wasn’t because she wanted to depend on a man. It was because she wanted to make herself happy. At the end of the day, Wen Ming was still very strong on the inside.
After admiring her newfound beauty in the mirror for a moment, the choreographer-director came over to tell her it was time to get ready. Shen Tan quickly grabbed the thermos on the side, while Wen Ming wrapped a shawl around herself and hurried backstage.
When the guest host, a fellow singer, announced that Wen Ming was next to take the stage, Wen Ming couldn’t help but take a deep breath. Hearing the cheers from below, Wen Ming shoved the shawl into Shen Tan’s hands and walked onto the stage, one step at a time.
Jiang Hua and Qi Ying were seated next to each other. As Wen Ming walked to the front of the stage, step by step, neither of them took their eyes off her. The cameras paid special attention to the two men as well—one was Wen Ming’s ex-husband, and the other was her "invisible" suitor.
Although Wen Ming wouldn’t admit it, who in the industry didn’t know about Jiang Hua’s one-sided love for her? Now that the two of them were actually sitting together, even the camera operator couldn’t help but enjoy the drama.
The stage lights were too bright and dazzling, so at first, Wen Ming couldn’t see the audience below. But after the lights dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight, Wen Ming could clearly see the people in the front row.
Her gaze swept past Qi Ying, Jiang Hua, and a few familiar lyricists and composers. When she saw a certain person at the edge of the row, Wen Ming paused for a fraction of a second before calmly looking away.
’What is Chu Zheng doing here?’ The thought flashed through Wen Ming’s mind for only an instant. The prelude began to play, and she quickly gathered her focus, immersing herself in the song she was about to perform.
"Hidden Heart" was Qi Ying’s song. Now, Wen Ming was on stage singing her ex-husband’s song while the ex-husband himself was sitting in the audience. In that moment, countless eyes were fixed on Qi Ying.
Jiang Hua squeezed his fingers. He loved watching Wen Ming sing, but what he loved most was hearing her sing love songs. It was only when she sang love songs that Jiang Hua felt he could truly see into her heart.
He could see her past pain and struggles, as well as her old feelings of resentment and indignation. Unfortunately, after releasing that one album, Wen Ming had never put out another collection of love songs, which was a great pity.
Qi Ying’s feelings were the most complex. As soon as the lots were drawn, he knew that Wen Ming had drawn "Hidden Heart" three times in a row. Qi Ying himself found this result incredible. Back then, he had refused to let Wen Ming sing "Hidden Heart." Now, after all the twists and turns, she was finally singing this song after all.
But things had changed, and so had the people. They could never go back to how they were. Watching Wen Ming on the stage, Qi Ying slowly became lost in thought...
Wen Ming was strong-willed. Even if this song was heartbreaking, as long as Qi Ying was sitting in the audience, she was determined to perform well. It wasn’t because she cared about him, but because she didn’t want to become a laughingstock.
When she reached the chorus, Wen Ming changed her posture. She couldn’t worry about anyone else now. Her only task was to complete this performance.
As Chu Zheng watched Wen Ming sing the most emotional part, he felt as if she were about to shatter. He didn’t understand music, but in that instant, he suddenly understood the emotions she was trying to convey.
Especially when he saw Wen Ming’s tear-filled eyes, Chu Zheng felt his own eyes begin to sting. He blinked. If even a worldly old hand like him could barely take it, weren’t other people crying their eyes out?
He looked around again. Holy cow, almost everyone’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s. But even as tears streamed down their faces, no one could bear to blink. They stared wide-eyed at Wen Ming’s performance, sniffling from time to time.
Sitting in the break room, Zhou Rong watched Wen Ming take her bow, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter. The better Wen Ming performed, the more awkward her own situation became. This was because she had been collaborating with Qi Ying for all these years, and Wen Ming and Qi Ying had... that kind of history.