Actually, such commotion wasn't uncommon. Every year, Jiangcheng Media University saw some famous stars enroll as students. They had already seen one that morning—an even bigger scene than this. Back then, it was a young actress who had starred in a few TV dramas, and the male students swarmed like a stirred-up hornet's nest, crowding around to gawk!
But this handsome guy was a bit puzzling—hadn't they seen him before? He was indeed quite handsome, with a hairstyle done to celebrity standards, and his fair, delicate skin was exactly the type that girls of this era adored.
"Who's that?" Ding Xiang couldn't help asking.
"No idea, never seen him," a nearby girl shook her head. "But he's pretty hot!"
Guo Ziyi had just finished signing his name and looked up, glancing at the guy who was checking in. He subtly curled his lip. He knew this person—they'd been in the same group during the art entrance exam. But his acting was truly terrible; he had technique but was expressionless, cycling through just one cool, aloof expression.
Just then, a girl came rushing back excitedly—she'd gone to join the crowd. "I know who it is! It's Tang Kaitai!"
"Who's Tang Kaitai?" someone asked, still confused.
"Tang Kaitai is that former child star! But his dad carries some weight—he's a big shot at Xiangnan TV now. When Tang Kaitai was little, his dad brought him onto their station's children's shows to get exposure. Later, he acted in a few TV dramas on and off, but he went abroad for further study in recent years, so he went quiet."
"Oh, so he was born with a silver spoon!" a male student couldn't help saying sourly.
"Tang Kaitai works hard too, okay? He acted in plenty of shows as a kid—I basically grew up watching him!" the girl said shamelessly.
"Pfft, aren't you older than him?" a companion mercilessly called her out.
So he had connections! No wonder his acting was so terrible and he still got in! Guo Ziyi thought silently.
If it were the old him, he'd have blurted out a rant about the guy and then flaunted his top-score achievement to prove he was the one who deserved to get into the film academy. But after struggling in the capital for a while, Guo Ziyi had matured a lot. Though he grumbled inwardly, he didn't voice it.
At the main registration point, there were no hiccups. After checking in, Guo Ziyi took some materials handed over by senior students and headed for the dormitory building. Ding Xiang, as usual, carried his luggage to see him off.
"This is so embarrassing! Senior, I actually know the way here—I've been to Jiangchuan a few times before. Just let me go on my own!" Guo Ziyi genuinely felt bad about letting a girl carry his bag. Dragging his suitcase, he tried to grab his duffel bag.
"You can't carry it yourself. The dormitory is still far!" Ding Xiang refused.
Guo Ziyi nearly tripped over his own feet, but Ding Xiang was quick and caught him, steadying him.
Guo Ziyi hadn't expected Ding Xiang to be so strong. With her left hand, she easily supported him, all 170-plus pounds of him. He stumbled awkwardly a few steps before regaining his balance.
"See? Better let me carry it!" Ding Xiang said with a smile.
Guo Ziyi was so embarrassed he wanted to crawl into a hole. With no choice, he accepted Ding Xiang's arrangement.
...
In the capital, Director Chen Fengchen, who had secured the rights, wasn't rushing to hold a press conference.
He was still busy filming a historical drama. Though it was nearing its end, every project deserved a proper finish. Filming and post-production would keep Chen Fengchen busy for a few more months!
Of course, he wasn't completely setting those two works aside. Chen Fengchen had found his go-to screenwriter to adapt the original novel into a script.
At the same time, Chen Fengchen had started using his connections to find suitable actors. Even if Yang Yi hadn't insisted, Chen Fengchen, who always strived for perfection, would still pick actors who best matched the characters' personalities and traits.
All of this was proceeding at a brisk pace.
Chen Fengchen, despite being over sixty, showed no signs of slowing down. He was full of energy, throwing himself into every task.
...
In Jiangcheng, at Tianmei's headquarters, Mofei and Mo Xiaojuan knocked on Ling Jie's door.
"Mofei? Back? How was your vacation?" Niu Meiling greeted them with a smile. There was someone else sitting in her office.
Jian Chuo! Zhen Muqian's agent!
Mo Xiaojuan locked eyes with her, the air thick with tension.
"Ling Jie, it was fine." Mofei smiled faintly at Niu Meiling. "By the way, Ling Jie, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
As always, Mofei didn't like beating around the bush.
"Ling Jie, should I step out?" Jian Chuo pushed her chair back, making as if to stand.
"No need, Jian Chuo isn't an outsider. Go ahead and say whatever it is." Niu Meiling said with a smile.
Mofei didn't feel anything off, but Mo Xiaojuan frowned slightly. She sensed a shift in Ling Jie's attitude toward Mofei.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Mo Xiaojuan opened the folder in her hand and said to Niu Meiling, "Ling Jie, you said before that if we could prepare twelve songs, we'd start working on Mofei's new album."
"That's right. Are you saying...?" Niu Meiling looked at Mofei and Mo Xiaojuan with slight surprise.
Mo Xiaojuan gave a faint smile. She pulled a sheet of paper from the folder and slid it across to Niu Meiling. "Now we've got twelve songs ready. So, Ling Jie, could you bring it up at tomorrow's meeting and put Mofei's new album on the schedule?"
"All twelve songs are done?" The exclamation came from Jian Chuo, who stared at Mo Xiaojuan in disbelief.
"That's right!" Mo Xiaojuan shot her a charming smile.
In Jian Chuo's eyes, that smile was dripping with malice. Feeling irritated, she said sourly, "Putting together twelve songs in such a short time—who knows if they just grabbed random ones from the Copyright Association's library? Ling Jie, if they're all junk, it'd be better not to release such an album!"
Niu Meiling stayed still, just looking at Mo Xiaojuan.
"We didn't just throw together twelve random songs!" Mo Xiaojuan said smugly. "Ling Jie, on the song list I gave you, there are the names of the lyricists and composers."
Niu Meiling frowned and glanced down. Every single one read "Mu Zi'ang."
"Mu Zi'ang?" Niu Meiling didn't immediately register.
"Mu Zi'ang? That Mu Zi'ang?" Jian Chuo's face changed color. "The one who wrote two songs for Chen Yijie?"
"Heh, that's right!" Mo Xiaojuan lifted her chin, triumphant. "Mu Zi'ang is a fan of Sister Fei. He wrote all twelve songs for her in one go, and every single one is a gem!"
"Xiaojuan!" Mofei scolded her, feeling Mo Xiaojuan was getting a bit too carried away.
Still, seeing Mo Xiaojuan's smug look, Niu Meiling and Jian Chuo knew she wasn't lying.
"Ling Jie, you know I've always taken music seriously." Mofei looked at Niu Meiling sincerely. "This time, thanks to the help of an excellent creator like Mu Zi'ang, the twelve songs are all of good quality. I believe once this album comes out, it won't disappoint you!"
Niu Meiling forced a smile. "Alright, Mofei. Have you recorded any demos?"
"Yes!" Mo Xiaojuan was prepared. She pulled out a CD and handed it over.
"Go on back for now. I'll listen to the songs and give you an answer tomorrow, okay?" Niu Meiling said amiably.
Mofei nodded and left with Mo Xiaojuan.