Shi Guanghua firmly refused to crossdress, much to Chu Yueyi's disappointment, who even let out a sigh of regret. She scanned him up and down, feeling it was a shame those long legs wouldn't be in a skirt, thinking he might have had a supermodel-like aura.
Facing her appraisal, Shi Guanghua felt increasingly odd, nearly writing "You're definitely not right" across his face.
"You'll never know the allure crossdressing guys have for girls," Chu Yueyi guessed his thoughts. She shrugged theatrically and sighed, "You'd definitely fall in love after seeing it."
Shi Guanghua: "Don't deliberately deceive people." He suspected she was treating him like a child to fool.
Chu Yueyi: "Oh, so you can see through it?" She had thought he would believe anything.
Hearing her calm teasing, Shi Guanghua looked at her, suddenly remembering something: "You've been speaking much more casually with me lately."
At first, Chu Yueyi had been quite polite. She was reckless and unconstrained with Zou Qian, but always thoughtful and thorough with Shi Guanghua, exuding a kind of flawless courtesy. She was still considerate now, but gradually letting down her guard, revealing a mischievous side, occasionally teasing him playfully.
Her teasing was harmless, just like joking around.
Chu Yueyi was taken aback, misunderstanding that he was reprimanding her. She pouted, "Does Mr. Shi miss the old days?"
Chu Yueyi was indeed much more casual with him now, unlike when she was "on duty" and striving for perfection. No wonder he felt his treatment had declined.
Shi Guanghua lowered his eyes, then chuckled softly: "No, it's quite nice now. Keep it up."
It was the first time Chu Yueyi had seen him show such an obvious smile, like spring sunshine after the first thaw of ice and snow. She was momentarily stunned, unable to respond. After a moment, she awkwardly rubbed her nose, muttering to herself: "How strange."
Chu Yueyi thought: This guy must have issues, smiling when treated worse.
The Qinguo TV New Year's Gala made "Two-Faced Muse" a hidden program, reporting it in advance but keeping it under wraps, all to coordinate with the trending topics for "Heart-Fluttering Promise". Undeniably, the organizers got their wish - the performance sparked tsunami-like discussions, driving viewership to new heights.
This was an incredible feat. Usually, only top-tier celebrities could significantly boost ratings. Neither Chu Yueyi nor Shi Guanghua had that level of national popularity, yet their joint appearance at the gala achieved a "1+1>2" effect.
"Two-Faced Muse" even surpassed Zou Qian's opening performance in viewership. In today's era dominated by male idols, it's rare for any fanbase to defeat a male idol's, marking a groundbreaking achievement.
The marketing tactic of building suspense before a big reveal proved infallible once again, allowing the Moonlight(Yue-Guang) Couple to dominate multiple trending topics.
-- Brilliant, my CP even wrote their own CP song, editors can start working now.
-- Bring back their rising stage, I'm willing to pay to see the continuation!
-- Knew it was hype, they weren't going to break up.
-- Let them hype, let them hype, I'll accept the marketing as long as they don't break up [crying]
-- Watching them is sweeter than chatting with my boyfriend.
-- Breaking news! Breaking news! Trade in your old, unsweet, annoying boyfriends for stainless steel pots and pans!
The live comment section was flooded with excited squeals, while the "Moonlight Science Association" on Weibo was fully revived. Not only did they quickly set screenshots from the performance as their cover photo after the show ended, but they also immediately posted a new Weibo to reassure their members, even hinting at recruiting new members.
Moonlight Science Association: Dear students, as you all make significant progress, our studies will enter the intermediate stage. The Science Association will soon recruit intermediate-level teachers. We welcome insightful individuals with a keen eye for shipping to apply. We hope to provide higher quality and more efficient education and services for our students. While beginner courses focus on old materials surrounding the show, intermediate courses will explore new perspectives applicable beyond the show. Keep going, future scientists, the moonlight persists, let's progress together!
Little Bear: Thought you were gone, turns out you've leveled up!
Moonlight Science Association: Regardless of form or outcome, humanity's pursuit of shipping science never ceases.
Big and Little Six: Waaaah so good, dreams have become reality, my happiness is back!
Fish: There are even intermediate teachers now? Will there be professional titles for shipping teachers in the future?
Chip Spirit: Teacher is on fire, with just a flick of the finger, fans are soaring!
With the boost from the CP hype and its own high-quality stage performance, "Two-Faced Muse" became mutually reinforcing. Add to that the song's catchiness, and it began spreading like wildfire, showing its ability to break through circles. The song not only became a staple for edits on a certain video platform but also frequently appeared on various short video music platforms, indirectly drawing traffic for the Moonlight(Yue-Guang) Couple and the Moonlight Science Association.
Before long, Chu Yueyi, Shi Guanghua, and others met with the "Heart-Fluttering Promise" production team. Everyone inevitably mentioned "Two-Faced Muse", sharing the joy of recent high exposure. The song was so popular that even Cheng expressed regret.
Cheng clicked his tongue: "Not selling a digital version of this song is like losing a hundred million."
Chu Yueyi, not very familiar with the music market, asked curiously: "What would happen if we sold a digital version?"
"With this level of discussion, sales should be very high," Cheng explained patiently. "Plus, it's long-term income. For extremely popular songs, music copyright revenue can be quite substantial."
Cheng added sourly: "But that's only for powerful musicians who can live off songs they wrote in the past. It's the top of the pyramid, most people can't achieve it."
Being Shi Guanghua's manager was a side job for Cheng; his main profession seemed to be music-related as well. His ideal was to have a massively popular hit song, then live comfortably off the royalties from old songs.
Chu Yueyi said generously: "You guys can release a digital version, keep the profits in the family." She didn't understand music, so she didn't get involved.
Cheng hurriedly said: "Ah, actually if Brother Shi is willing, we could still catch the tail end of the trend..."
Shi Guanghua thought for a moment, then looked across at Chu Yueyi and proactively suggested: "It's not very responsible to only sell songs we've performed. Why don't we collaborate on composing and produce a digital album?"
Shi Guanghua originally had no intention of selling a digital version. He had already accumulated a large music source overseas, and the domestic market was just starting in terms of music copyright, honestly, the income still had a gap. However, if she thought it was feasible, he was willing to give it a try together.
Chu Yueyi meant for Shi Guanghua and the others to handle it, but didn't expect him to come up with such an outlandish idea. Her almond eyes immediately widened in panic as she waved her hands: "Don't mess with me, I don't understand music!"
Chu Yueyi thought: Me, compose? Isn't that a joke?
Shi Guanghua argued persuasively: "I didn't understand gaming, but I still played."
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Chu Yueyi's eyebrows twitched as she couldn't help but retort: "How can these two things be the same? Are you saying that when you're composing, I'll just hang over your head, and that rounds up to joint composition?"
At least when Shi Guanghua chose Yao in the game, he could piggyback for assists. As a layperson, she truly had no ability to compose.
Shi Guanghua: "Well, it's not impossible."
Chu Yueyi: "This is really impossible."
As the two were at an impasse, the Chief Director smiled and mediated: "Actually, you could give it a try. Why don't we produce an album in the next episode? Yueyi, you mentioned before wanting to showcase your professions, this is a great opportunity."
Chu Yueyi didn't expect the director to use her own words to persuade her. She secretly speculated that the production team was trying to save costs - if the two of them produced a music album, they would definitely go to Shi Guanghua's studio, and the directors wouldn't need to plan a new setting. She saw through their lazy intentions but didn't expose them to save face. For the moment, she couldn't immediately refuse.
Seeing her hesitation, Shi Guanghua compromised: "You can come and see first. If you feel it's not working, that's fine too."
"Heart-Fluttering Promise" would set up an option to leave the show at the end of the fourth episode, because the later recordings would inevitably delve deeper into both parties' lives. They couldn't always stay in the environment set up by the directors, and would more or less reveal real details about themselves. Not all guests could accept this.
If they went to Shi Guanghua's music studio, Chu Yueyi could delay exposing her own life for a while longer. Thinking of it this way, she considered it a good buffer period.
The fifth episode of "Heart-Fluttering Promise" was recorded on schedule. Dressed in winter clothes, Chu Yueyi arrived at the creative park. Li You was busy with business matters today and couldn't accompany her for the recording. Only her assistant and the production team were by her side.
The production team had always been an invisible presence, and they wouldn't rashly remind anyone. Chu Yueyi looked around bewilderedly in the empty park. She lowered her head to search for the studio but couldn't make anything out, so she called Shi Guanghua for the first time on her own initiative.
"I've just entered the park. How should I proceed?" Chu Yueyi gazed at the various artistic sculptures in the park. She had a vague impression of this place; it seemed the rent here was quite expensive, with many famous film and television production companies located here.
"Wait for me where you are." His answer was simple and straightforward, but he didn't provide any additional information.
"Huh?"
Chu Yueyi heard no further sound from the other end. She mistakenly thought he had hung up abruptly and looked at her screen in surprise, wanting to criticize Shi Guanghua's behavior, only to find that the phone still showed the call was in progress.
She was momentarily stunned and put the phone back to her ear, listening carefully. She could hear some footsteps and faintly, Cheng's voice.
It seemed Shi Guanghua was about to rush over; the sound of putting on a coat could be heard from the other end of the phone.
Chu Yueyi was silent for a moment, then said gently, "You can just tell me the directions. I'll come over myself. No need to come specially."
Shi Guanghua: "It's fine."
They both fell into silence. Shi Guanghua seemed to have left at lightning speed, while Chu Yueyi obediently stood in place, admiring the surrounding statues and artworks.
She held the phone and waited quietly for what felt like an eternity before finally asking softly, "Why don't you hang up?"
Chu Yueyi really couldn't understand. He was rushing over while on the phone, yet not communicating at all. Why didn't he just hang up? Was he providing a live broadcast of his race walking?
Chu Yueyi: The phone bill is burning up furiously.
"Turn around."
The low male voice on the phone stirred her heart, making her instinctively turn to look. She caught sight of someone coming down the stairs not far away.
Shi Guanghua must have left in a hurry; he hadn't even wrapped his cashmere scarf or zipped up his down jacket. He waved at her with one hand while holding his phone with the other, then strode over, still not ending the call.
Chu Yueyi slowly walked towards him, and they finally met up successfully.
Shi Guanghua's hair was slightly disheveled at his temples, his eyes clear as water, handsome as always. He waved his phone, exhaling a shallow breath in the winter air, and said in a low voice, "For the first call, you didn't hang up either."