Chu Yueyi had no experience performing on a song stage, but fortunately, Shi Guanghua promised to be responsible for the design, maximizing her strengths. Although he usually appeared silent and carefree, playing and composing rather casually on the show, he was very responsible when truly engrossed in work, and his guiding attitude was just right.
Seeing this, Chu Yueyi became increasingly certain that Shi Guanghua restrained his own brilliance on the show. Perhaps he was long accustomed to quietly hiding behind the scenes, or perhaps he never actively made demands. His silent and introverted personality was reflected in every detail, just like when he had cooked for Chu Yueyi and Zou Qian without considering his own tastes at all.
Such a person would suffer many silent losses.
Chu Yueyi didn't know why she had been analyzing Shi Guanghua so much lately. She sealed away the memory of their conversation at the cafe and the fireworks in the sky, using absolute rationality to suppress the intense emotions of that day, observing him quietly from different angles.
Humans are creatures whose minds can be clouded by emotions, but timely emotional detachment helps to see reality clearly. Chu Yueyi was certain that people's words could lie, but their true words and actions in life couldn't be concealed.
She wanted to see through what kind of person he really was.
The rehearsal for the Qingguo TV New Year's Eve Gala soon arrived. Following the advice of the "Heart-Fluttering Promise" production team, Chu Yueyi was very careful when going to the TV station, not exposing her whereabouts. The fourth episode of the show would be released the day before the gala, representing the Moonlight Couple after the car scene cliffhanger, followed by their joint performance the next day.
When Chu Yueyi arrived at the TV station, Shi Guanghua hadn't arrived yet, and the rest area was empty.
Li You looked around and suggested, "Should we go say hello to Director Qin?"
"Let's wait for them to come together," Chu Yueyi pondered for a moment, then feeling it wasn't good to just sit idle, she decided to take initiative, "Sister You, I want to go check out the stage first, after all, I've never performed on stage before."
Although Chu Yueyi had rehearsed privately with Shi Guanghua, today was her first time coming to the TV station for rehearsal. She had never participated in any gala performances before, and to be honest, she wasn't confident yet, wanting to check out the setup in advance.
Li You had no objections to this. She and Chu Yueyi informed the person in charge and then quietly entered the gala venue without disturbing others.
The stage for the Qingguo TV New Year's Eve Gala was enormous, with the surrounding audience seats now empty, exuding an indescribable sense of desolation. The lighting on site was dim, with countless black-clad directors shuttling through the aisles, like a group of hurried yet orderly ants.
Director Qin was observing the stage design near the main control panel. The suspended stage, like pieces of crystal, was slowly being lowered. The lighting technicians were adjusting the lights on the stage, with colorful and even somewhat dazzling light.
In the darkness, Chu Yueyi and Li You were inconspicuous as they quietly observed other artists performing, also getting to understand the on-site rehearsal process. The artists currently on stage were mostly not very famous, some were new singers being promoted by Qingguo TV, with few accumulated fans, and it was even difficult to call out their names.
Mature artists all had their own rest areas and were only guided onto the stage by the director during rehearsals, not staying in the venue for long periods. If Chu Yueyi wasn't feeling uncertain, she wouldn't have needed to come early to see the stage either.
Chu Yueyi didn't go forward to disturb Director Qin, but instead hid in a seat nearby, observing secretly under the cover of the stage lights. Several people surrounded Director Qin, who didn't look like staff members but rather artists participating in the rehearsal, chatting casually.
"It must be tough on Director Qin again this time. When has Shi Guanghua not been troublesome? Everyone still remembers what happened during the show..."
Chu Yueyi, who had been quietly watching, raised an eyebrow upon hearing the familiar name. She decided to look towards the man speaking beside Director Qin. His face seemed familiar, and his name seemed to be Hu Ke, who had once recorded a show with Shi Guanghua and Zou Qian.
Faced with Hu Ke's joking criticism, Director Qin calmly replied, "But he does have ideas, and his skills are quite good."
Hu Ke nodded, "That's true. Talented people are just strict. We all think the stage is good enough, but he can always spot that tiny flaw and point it out with his unique perspective."
The conversation from the front row drifted over with the wind. Li You, who also heard the content of the conversation, glanced at Chu Yueyi with an odd expression and sighed, "Oh boy."
Insensitive people might not catch Hu Ke's deeper meaning, but they, as savvy individuals, were different.
Chu Yueyi chuckled lightly, "Huh, having a unique perspective is still no match for being snide, huh?"
Li You muttered to herself, "But with Shi Guanghua's personality, it's inevitable that he'll often encounter this kind of thing."
Shi Guanghua was not good with words and had a wooden attitude. It was quite normal for him to not get along well with his peers, and his words and actions were often misunderstood.
Chu Yueyi said calmly, "How his personality is and being gossiped about are two completely different matters, with no direct connection."
Li You countered, "But you've never encountered this, have you?"
Chu Yueyi had no negative reviews among her colleagues and had never been criticized, being considered a model figure.
Chu Yueyi didn't respond. She was still carefully listening to the conversation between Hu Ke and the others, watching as they subtly and indirectly tried to influence Director Qin, stirring up trouble about Shi Guanghua.
Shi Guanghua indeed had extremely high requirements for the stage, which showed his seriousness and responsibility towards his own performance, but it also made others feel exhausted. After all, other artists weren't so picky, so why did he have so many issues?
Chu Yueyi completely understood this mentality, but she couldn't stand Hu Ke's instigation.
Chu Yueyi's gaze was deep as she casually commented, "Having once recorded the same show and happened to stay on the same platform, they mistakenly think they have the same ability. The jealous look is really disgusting."
Humans always have an unrealistic perception of themselves. When they see someone around them leap up and achieve success, they mistakenly believe that their own talent is unrecognized, not realizing that perhaps they weren't at the same level to begin with, and just happened to meet at that moment.
Envy is never born between completely different levels, but slowly grows among those who were once at the same level.
Chu Yueyi rested her chin on her hand, quietly observing for a long time before suddenly smiling and saying, "Sister You, can you help me buy some things? I'll make a list for you."
Li You looked puzzled, "Sure, what are you planning to do?"
Chu Yueyi said leisurely, "If they like to play this game, then let's play. Let's keep going and see who can't keep up in the end."
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: You want to play palace intrigue with me? I'll teach you about workplace competition.
Chu Yueyi never actively stirred up workplace conflicts, but that didn't mean she lacked the ability to use tactics. Not long after, Li You brought back numerous gift bags, each containing coffee, chocolate, and cheese pastries, all from quality-guaranteed brands.
Chu Yueyi looked at the gift bags in the rest area and curiously looked around, asking, "Which one is the Americano?"
Li You handed one of the bags to the artist, "This is the iced Americano you wanted."
Chu Yueyi took the gift bag with satisfaction. She checked her makeup in the mirror once more before displaying a perfect smile, "Very good, let's go."
Moments later, Chu Yueyi personally brought the gift bags to find Director Qin. She moved quietly to the main control panel, surprising Director Qin who was resting at the venue.
Director Qin had never met Chu Yueyi before. He embarrassedly wiped his hands on his clothes before politely shaking hands with her, then asked in surprise, "Why did you come over specially? If there are any adjustments to your program, you could have just had them tell me."
Chu Yueyi smiled brightly and waved her hand, "No, no. I was afraid of disturbing your work, so I came quietly. Shi Guanghua asked me to bring this. We can't appear together right now, so he said to deliver it to you first."
Director Qin hurriedly took the gift bag and peered inside, hesitating, "This is...?"
Chu Yueyi said gently, "Just a small gift. He said you always drink iced Americano when working, especially when staying up late to record the show."
Director Qin was slightly taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, he remembered that!"
Chu Yueyi's almond eyes were bright, appearing lively and innocent. She spoke sincerely, "Of course. He also said that Director Qin has particularly high requirements for the stage. Some directors don't care about the performance effect, but Director Qin is always willing to be very meticulous every time, and he really enjoys talking with you..."
Director Qin chuckled and questioned, "That doesn't sound like something Shi Guanghua would say."
Director Qin had seen Shi Guanghua before, and thought it was impressive enough that he could string together long sentences. How could he possibly be so eloquent?
Chu Yueyi scratched her face nervously and said with slight embarrassment, "Actually, I said those words, but he chose the gifts. I've never performed on stage before, so I was a bit worried when he mentioned the program."
Director Qin looked at the snacks in the bag - an iced Americano, chocolate, and cheesecake. They weren't particularly expensive items, but they were thoughtfully chosen and seemed like something Shi Guanghua would do. The iced Americano was Director Qin's preference, and the chocolate was a favorite among musicians during recordings, evoking many memories.
Director Qin's expression turned nostalgic as he reassured her, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. He has a strong grasp of stage presence, and I'm not as picky as he says."
Chu Yueyi quickly thanked him and continued, "Ah, these are for the others. This chocolate is..."
Director Qin understood immediately: "I get it, I get it. We always ate this during recordings. He must have chosen it specifically - it's practically the show's signature snack."
"Alright everyone, come get your gifts! Your Brother Shi has come to spread some warmth!" Director Qin called out to the others, sipping his iced Americano while gesturing for people to come over.
The other gift bags contained different coffee flavors, also accompanied by chocolate and cheesecake. Chu Yueyi's targeting was extremely precise - she aimed to win over the artists and staff who had participated in music shows, and the snacks she chose had a distinct theme.
"Wow, this chocolate looks so familiar! It brings back memories of countless late nights!"
"This chocolate was so precious during the show recordings. Back then, with the pandemic preventing us from shopping outside, it felt like this was all we could eat."
The others chattered excitedly, reminiscing about the past. Former hardships now seemed beautiful, and their impressions of Shi Guanghua were tinged with a hazy, rose-colored filter.
Director Qin remarked contentedly, "Our show has produced quite a few musicians, and they're all loyal and affectionate ones at that."
"The music market isn't doing well these days, so it's not easy for everyone to get together. This is a rare opportunity."
"I'm reminded of Brother Shi's performance. That episode was truly amazing..."
Director Qin enthusiastically encouraged them: "We can be just as amazing this time. Everyone, let's put in our best effort. Don't always be without ideas - work hard on your performances. Look at Shi Guanghua, I won't criticize you!"
"Alright, let's learn from Brother Shi. We'll run through it again later."
Shi Guanghua rarely interacted with others, so naturally, he would be distant from his peers. However, once the floodgates of memories opened, everyone felt that he wasn't so bad after all. The nostalgia diluted the estrangement brought by time, and they recalled his many positive qualities.
Hu Ke: "..." I'm utterly speechless at you workaholics.
Watching them reminisce about the past and practically put Shi Guanghua on a pedestal, Hu Ke hastily changed the subject, asking curiously, "Why didn't Shi Guanghua come along?"
"Ah, we needed to arrive a bit separately," Chu Yueyi understood his attempt to stir up trouble. She smiled brightly and casually added, "He even said he wanted to see if he could wait for Brother Hu to treat everyone."
Hu Ke looked bewildered: "Huh?"
The others suddenly realized and immediately started teasing: "Oh right! Old Hu, you said you'd treat us eight hundred times, but now that the show's finished recording, you still haven't bought us a meal. That's really not cool!"
"They've even brought gifts now. Shouldn't you show some appreciation to your brothers?"
"Brother Hu, you're the king of procrastination! Always hemming and hawing!"
Everyone had forgotten about this until now, but with Shi Guanghua as a contrast, they wouldn't let the forgetful Hu Ke off the hook. They practically mocked him off his pedestal. After all, even the socially awkward Shi Guanghua knew to spread some warmth, while Hu Ke talked a big game every day but took no action. Anyone would be annoyed by that.
Hu Ke hadn't expected their focus to shift so quickly. He immediately felt the urge to flee, and with a red face, he mumbled, "Next time for sure."
The musicians immediately let out an even louder chorus of boos, their gazes turning disdainful, as if they found Hu Ke quite disappointing.
Chu Yueyi coldly observed all this, thinking that Hu Ke's tactics were clumsy, practically kindergarten level.
A moment later, Chu Yueyi and Li You said goodbye to Director Qin and the others. As they returned to the rest area, Li You couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Did you send Shi Guanghua a WeChat message? Did he make that list?"
Li You had been with the artists the whole time and truly didn't know the significance of the iced Americano and chocolate. Logically, only those who had recorded the show would know.
Chu Yueyi: "No, I didn't."
"Then how did you know what to buy?" Li You was completely baffled. "And you seemed so familiar when chatting with them just now..."
Chu Yueyi calmly replied, "Sister You, if you get a membership to the video streaming site and watch the behind-the-scenes footage of the music show, you'll basically know everything."
Chu Yueyi didn't need to specifically ask Shi Guanghua. This was content anyone could see online. She just needed to pay attention to the details. It wasn't particularly difficult.
Director Qin and the others thought it was their own wonderful memory, but in reality, there are no secrets in the face of the internet.
Li You: "..." Is this what the world of professionals is like?
Li You sincerely exclaimed, "Yueyi, it's a good thing you're so upright."
Li You thought to herself: Otherwise, no one could compete with you in the workplace!