Chapter Eighteen: "Women Are Tigers"

Because the rented apartment had only two small rooms, there was simply no space for four people. Given that it was winter, sleeping on the floor was not a wise choice, so the two bodyguards planned to find a nearby hotel. Ren Qian and Wen Run decided to return to school, since the nurse had to work the next day.

As for that private space, it was left to Lin Ruowan and Li Feifei.

“I never imagined my father was so remarkable, that he had once been so glorious…” On the lonely night street, with only a few scattered lamps shedding dim light, Wen Run clung tightly to Ren Qian’s arm, speaking with pride.

“And what about me?” Ren Qian teased.

“You’re amazing too~” Wen Run rose on tiptoes, brushing her cheek against his with playful affection.

“Father-in-law is preparing to return to the music scene. When the time comes, the Empress’s marketing team will hype him up, so publicity won’t be an issue. The only thing is, the tracks on his first comeback album must be stunning enough, or else he’ll be attacked by the armies of the Four Kings—and that kind of smear campaign can easily sway a blind crowd. Creating a classic is a matter of serendipity, and forcing it might lead to a creative disaster, resulting in songs that are neither here nor there... That’s what concerns me most.”

Ren Qian’s expression was grave. His father-in-law was not a genius like James Wong, after all. Composing and writing lyrics took him considerable time. The fact that it took three years to produce that Cantonese album was telling; to write a song that satisfied his own standards, he would polish it a hundred times if needed.

“Time is really tight. Can you write songs for my dad? You’re so talented~ Come on, Qian, please help us out~ Qian~” Wen Run shook his arm with all her might, pleading with such heart-rending sweetness that Ren Qian almost had a physical reaction.

“Stop it. Since I’ve already thought about these things, I’ll find a way. I suppose Father-in-law will include those two songs from tonight. That still leaves eight tracks.

An album doesn’t have to be a collection of classics, but it does need both breakthroughs and fresh attempts. The main tracks should aim for broad appeal, while the niche, refined pieces are for experimentation. The concept is crucial. You have to consider the selection, arrangement, and the relationship between lyrics and songs. Songs in an album must be different, but also unified. That’s why, before Father-in-law speaks up, I can’t make any decisions on my own.”

“All right,” Wen Run replied, a little dazed.

“I think the Empress, Li Feifei, has complicated feelings for Father-in-law. The way she looks at him—that affectionate gaze—almost rivals the way you look at me when you’re lovestruck. What do you think, if…” Ren Qian tightened his hold on the nurse’s hand and asked gently. After all, this was a somewhat awkward matter. Wen Run’s mother had once been Lin Ruowan’s lover, but she’d since passed to another world. The man for whom she’d willingly given birth to a daughter and raised her with painstaking effort, was now possibly going to be with another woman. It didn’t seem entirely fair.

Perhaps he didn’t feel he owed her a lifetime, but what about Wen Run? If she objected, then with her identity, Li Feifei would never be able to “have” Lin Ge.

“In truth, my mother wasn’t all that tragic. Life was hard and her health wasn’t great, but she had a loving daughter by her side and a beautiful love to cherish. She had few regrets in her life.

Why should women make things difficult for each other? If Auntie Feifei really loves my father and wants to become his wife, I won’t stand in their way.”

“I was afraid you’d insist on opposing it and trouble yourself for nothing. This is for the best.” Ren Qian embraced the nurse and kissed her smooth forehead.

……

The next day, Ren Qian slept in. Though he called it sleeping in, none of his piggish roommates were awake yet. After washing up, the dorm door began to rattle.

“Qian, open up! Qian, hurry up and open the door!” came Yan Yu’s voice. Why wasn’t this guy out with his girlfriend on the weekend? Why come looking for him? Just as Ren Qian was puzzling over this, Yan Yu squeezed through the narrow door and urged him to check Weibo, boasting shamelessly that a new trend had arrived. To not know about it was to be left behind by the world.

“What’s got you so worked up?” Ren Qian scolded with a laugh. Could it be that the Empress had already announced on Weibo that his father-in-law was returning? It was possible. If so, he should go lend his support. With this in mind, he pulled out his phone and opened Weibo.

Ding ding ding ding…

All notifications! Ren Qian was stunned. The last time he’d heard this was when “Boundless Seas and Skies” topped the charts. Why was it happening again? He hadn’t done anything earth-shattering lately. He’d only replied to boy’z on Weibo the day before yesterday, and that didn’t seem like the sort of thing to bring in new fans.

How frustrating.

“What the—why did I gain a million followers!”

“Here… here… the mountain man always has a plan! This is what’s called legendary marketing! In the Huaxia Charter Empire, helping someone gain a million followers overnight—there’s no other shop like it! Look! The Rolling Poetry Entertainment contract, a seventy-thousand annual salary plus commission! My family never gives me pocket money, but now I’m earning it myself! Ha, the higher the road, the higher the demon, ha ha ha!”

Yan Yu spread his hands, palms up, laughing so hard he nearly shook apart. At last, he’d managed to turn the tables and would never have to beg for pocket money again.

Of course, his contract was mostly due to Ren Qian’s ability, plus his own relentless self-promotion and boasting, which successfully hoodwinked the manager—though being able to hype himself to this degree was a skill in itself.

His Weibo bio now read: [Online Platinum Promoter. Built Ren Qian into a web celebrity with over two million fans with zero capital, and twice put him at the top of the Weibo trending chart through scientific reputation management in one month. Pioneered a brand-new style of hype!]

One could easily imagine how he’d brainwashed the manager during the interview—no doubt the hiring manager had been left speechless.

Ren Qian turned his phone over and over in his hand, and finally understood what had happened. Yan Yu had clipped Ren Qian’s performance from the New Year’s Gala and posted it to Weibo, tagging him in the process.

First, the post was bombarded with comments by students from Jiangnan University. Then, somehow, it started trending, and just like “Boundless Seas and Skies,” the video rocketed to the top of the Weibo trending chart!

The viral sensation brought Ren Qian a flood of new fans, and Yan Yu himself now had two hundred thousand.

“So you posted the New Year’s Gala video on Weibo. That explains it.”

At Ren Qian’s words, Yan Yu grinned sheepishly. “Qian, can I get your autograph? My girlfriend really admires you lately. And could you write me a song? Something simple for serenading girls—I want to surprise her!”

Uh…

“A surprise? Well, I do have a song that’s easy to pick up, and the lyrics have a certain charm. You could use it for wooing girls.”

A sly smile played at the corner of Ren Qian’s mouth, but Yan Yu was too caught up in his own excitement to notice. Oblivious to the subtle hint, he kept urging Ren Qian to teach him the “wooing song.”

“Ahem… listen closely.

The little monk descends the mountain to beg for alms,
The old monk gives his advice,
Women down the mountain are tigers,
If you meet them, stay far away…

The little monk returns from his journey,
Puzzled, he can’t help but ask,
Why don’t tigers eat people,
And why are they so cute?”

Yan Yu’s eyes lit up—the song was brilliant: concise, meaningful, perfectly matching his lofty style. Humming a few lines, he dashed out the door, clearly off to meet his girlfriend…

Ren Qian just smiled and said nothing. For Yan Yu, this date might turn out to be quite a shock—after all, the song was called “Women Are Tigers.”