Chapter 118: A Last-Ditch Effort!

"Can you be more specific?" Tang Zhong asked urgently. He had always wanted to know the details of what happened back then.

He had asked the Big Boss, but she wouldn't say a word. He had searched online, but there was no information on the matter whatsoever—not even the name of the "Big Beard" could be found.

"I have already been very specific," Jiang Keqing said, picking up her glass to take a sip of water. "Someone did something they absolutely should not have done, and then they were punished. It’s that simple. If you want the 'uncensored' version of the story, go ask her yourself. Perhaps she won’t be able to resist telling you. After all, mothers are always more indulgent than aunts."

Tang Zhong shook his head. He only cared about learning more about the Big Beard; he wasn't particularly concerned about the rest.

Whether by coincidence or because she had eaten at this small shop before, the pork trotter rice here was actually quite good. The meat was lean, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and had a satisfying chew that left a lingering flavor. Tang Zhong buried his head in his meal and finished the large plate quickly.

Jiang Keqing had only eaten half a bowl of rice and a few bites of greens before setting down her chopsticks. She sat there, watching Tang Zhong opposite her with interest, her long eyelashes fluttering. Seeing him put down his chopsticks, she pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to him.

"Would you like another serving?" she asked.

"I'm full," Tang Zhong replied.

"You're just like your father," she remarked.

"That’s because he is my father," Tang Zhong said, taking the tissue to wipe his mouth.

"Yes," Jiang Keqing said, a look of nostalgia crossing her face. She reached into her pocket, took out a bank card, and offered it to him. "I know you probably won't accept it, but it’s a small gesture from your aunt..."

Tang Zhong pushed back his chair and stood up. "Thank you for the pork trotter rice. It was very good." With that, he turned and walked away.

"You have my number. I’ll be in Mingzhu for a few days. If you’re ever bullied or just bored at night, feel free to call me."

"I'm very busy," Tang Zhong said.

Jiang Keqing’s eyes twinkled as she laughed. Seeing the shop owner staring at her with infatuation, she waved a hand and said daintily, "Boss, check, please."

"Oh, no need. Consider it my treat," the owner said. How could he possibly take money from such a beautiful woman? That would be utterly boorish.

*Slap.*

Jiang Keqing pulled a hundred-dollar bill from her wallet and dropped it on the table. "We aren't that close," she said. Seeing the owner standing there dumbfounded, holding the money, she added, "Keep the change."

"Oh, right, right..." The owner hurried off to find change.

Taking the change, Jiang Keqing walked out of the shop, pulled open the door of her Land Rover, and slid into the driver's seat. Before she could start the engine, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, pressed answer, and said with a smile, "Your sources are truly well-informed. You found out so quickly."

"Have you seen him?" a calm female voice came through the receiver.

"I have. I just bought him a plate of pork trotter rice. I paid for it, too—cost me twenty bucks," Jiang Keqing laughed. "The kid has no manners. He finished his meal, wiped his mouth, and walked right off. Didn't even think to offer to pay—he could have at least pretended to, just to make me feel better."

There was silence on the other end.

"Fine. I know you're hurting," Jiang Keqing sighed. "I wanted to take him out for a feast, buy him fine wine, maybe find him a few pretty girls... you feel guilty and want to make it up to him. I, his 'cheap' aunt, feel the same way. But he rejected me. What else can I do? Rather than drinking coffee that no one likes, a bowl of pork trotter rice is much more practical, don't you think?"

"You shouldn't have gone," the woman said.

"If you're going to say that to me, why couldn't you stop yourself from coming here, too?" Jiang Keqing adjusted the rearview mirror to admire her own stunning reflection. "You can't come, and others can't either. I’m the black sheep of the family, and people are used to me acting crazy, so my showing up won't trigger their sensitive, fragile hearts, right?"

"Come back," the woman said.

"Alright, I'm heading back now." Jiang Keqing curled her lips into a smile. "He has a message for you."

"Really?" the woman gasped.

"No, I'm lying."

"..."

"My dear sister, stop torturing yourself. I can tell he doesn't love you, but he doesn't hate you either," Jiang Keqing pouted at the mirror, showing off her sexy red lips. "He just wants to ignore us. Since that's the case, we shouldn't let him. For a man, whoever provides the milk is the mother. You still have plenty of 'milk' to give, don't you?"

***

If Tang Zhong had known earlier that the Butterfly Group had another concert, he would never have agreed to join—unless the Big Beard had cried, made a scene, and threatened to end it all, insisting that if Tang Zhong didn't go, she couldn't go on living.

A concert? Was he really capable of that?

Yes, he had stood in for Tang Xin for a brand endorsement, filmed a commercial, and even led a dance at the Mingzhu TV centennial gala—but those events had their limitations. During those times, he didn't have to speak. For the endorsement, Lin Huiyin and Zhang Heben could handle the talking. For the commercial, he could use the excuse of a sore throat. For the TV gala, he could lip-sync. But the question was, could you lip-sync an entire concert?

You could lip-sync, but you couldn't just play a recording for the entire show. Besides, he was the leader of the Butterfly Group. Was he supposed to go through the whole concert without saying a single word? If he did that, it would probably attract even more unwanted attention.

"Can we cancel it? Or postpone it?" Looking at Bai Su's expectant face, Tang Zhong felt like banging his head against a wall. "Everything before this was just lucky. I can't guarantee I won't mess up on stage. If there's a chance of being exposed, why don't we postpone this concert? And what about Tang Xin? Is she coming back soon?"

"Tang Xin can't return for the time being." At the mention of Tang Xin, Bai Su's expression darkened, and her mood grew heavy. "And the concert cannot be postponed. If we cancel, it would be a fatal blow to the group after you've worked so hard to get this far. Perhaps you don't understand the significance of these shows."

Bai Su explained patiently, "The Butterfly Group has released two albums; sales have been good, and a few songs have been popular for a while. However, this is the first concert the Butterfly Group has ever held. It’s also the company’s way of testing the waters. Fans are willing to buy your albums, but are they willing to pay to see you perform live?"

"If we cancel or postpone, what will the media and the public speculate? That we lack confidence? That our tickets aren't selling? That the company is afraid of losing money and just pulled the plug? Never underestimate the imagination of the media. They will write things far worse than what I've just described."

"Furthermore, the tickets are being sold online, and Huanyu Culture has already sold more than half of them. The rest will be sold at the box office right before the show. Tang Zhong, we can't answer to the fans who have already bought their tickets."

"Exactly," Zhang Heben said, finally tearing her eyes away from her computer screen. "A while ago, the 'Prince of Love Songs' Zhang Xinzhe had a concert in Guiren, and just because he started a little late, the fans trashed the place. If we cancel the concert, we'll be shredded to pieces by the public." She looked at Tang Zhong with a grin. "I believe in you. Look at Li Yugang—he sounds more like a woman than a woman when he sings *Farewell My Concubine*. You should try pinching your voice, too."

Tang Zhong knew this girl just wanted to watch the world burn. She was waiting for a chance to see him embarrass himself. She was only thinking about how to get him on stage; as for what would happen after, she wasn't looking that far ahead.

A-Ken sat to the side, frowning in thought, and suddenly asked, "Has anyone here ever heard Tang Zhong sing?"

Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads. No one had ever heard him sing—not even Bai Su. Because before Bai Su found Tang Zhong, she only wanted to "borrow" his face, which was almost identical to Tang Xin’s. She hadn't expected him to completely replace her, nor had she thought a man's voice could fully mimic a woman's. That was why, every time she took him out, she warned him repeatedly: *Don't speak.*

"A-Ken, what do you mean by that?" Bai Su asked. "You don't think Tang Zhong and Tang Xin have the exact same voice, do you? You've heard Tang Zhong speak—it's gentle, yes, but it's still a man's voice."

"Su, I know he's a man and his speaking voice is a man's voice," A-Ken waved his hand. "That's why I'm asking if you've heard him sing. You know, singing is malleable and imitative. Some people have very gruff speaking voices but sing in a very high, delicate tone. Others have high, thin voices but can perform Jacky Cheung's songs perfectly. There are plenty of such examples in our industry. Not to mention opera singers—look at Wu Qingfeng, the lead singer of Sodagreen. If you only heard his voice, would you say he was a man or a woman?"

Bai Su gave a bitter smile. "A-Ken, you’re trying to treat a dead horse like it's still alive... but since you put it that way, let Tang Zhong sing something."

Bai Su turned to Tang Zhong. "Tang Zhong, do you usually sing?"

"I do," Tang Zhong nodded. "But I just hum along to things."

"Whose songs do you usually sing?"

"Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan... and a lot of others. I listen to everyone. I'm not picky."

"What about female singers?" Bai Su asked. "Whose songs do you like to listen to?"

"Fish Leong," Tang Zhong replied.

"Good," Bai Su nodded. "Then sing 'Courage' by Fish Leong. You know that one, right?"

"I do," Tang Zhong nodded. "But I don't sing it very well."

Zhang Heben giggled and said, "We weren't expecting you to be any good."