Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
She had simply said, “I am Jiang Jiusheng.”
That one sentence had been able to cause a stir in the Chinese music scene.
Back then, Su Qing had thought that Jiang Jiusheng must have really been something for such a few simple words to be able to elevate her into the headlines. However, she heard from Boss Yuwen afterward that Jiang Jiusheng had made that up on the spot, as she was lazy and had refused to memorize her thank-you speech. She had assumed that Jiang Jiusheng’s laziness must have been a means of acting up again this time.
Jiang Jiusheng didn’t look like she could be bothered about it. “It’s not like I’m getting the award for certain.”
Su Qing didn’t think so. “I dare not guarantee that you’ll get the Best Female Singer award, but if they don’t give you the Best Composer award, then the votes must be rigged.”
Everybody in the music world knew that Jiang Jiusheng was a genius at composing. Every song she had ever composed had been at least in the top seven on the charts.
Su Qing felt angered by her indifference. “Why do you not have the slightest bit of desire to win?”
Jiang Jiusheng smiled lightly and displayed little interest in this topic. It was no wonder Su Qing was angry.
Her gaze shifted past Jiang Jiusheng and suddenly locked on something. The fake smile on her face stiffened.
“That firecracker, Xu Qingjiu, is flaunting himself again!”
Jiang Jiusheng naturally followed her gaze. She wasn’t well acquainted with Xu Qingjiu, but there weren’t all that many singers in this industry, and they had met a few times before. Xu Qingjiu’s manager had once approached Jiang Jiusheng to help him write an album, but Jiang Jiusheng had rejected him. However, Xu Qingjiu’s manager was a sly one—not only had she not given up, but instead, she had tried to get close to Mo Bing with the goal of getting the two singers together. She had even interacted with Mo Bing online, but over time, it had eventually become nothing more than a superficial friendship.
Xu Qingjiu had made his debut as an idol singer and looked rather wild, but in private, he was a hot-headed and unstoppable young master with a venomous tongue. He had a temper like a firecracker, yet he chose to cultivate the image of a gentle ray of sunshine.
“Did he offend you?” asked Jiang Jiusheng.
Su Qing was from Tian Yu, and Xu Qingjiu was from Qin Group. The former was a singer, and the latter, an actor. Su Qing was temporarily in the acting industry, and Jiang Jiusheng didn’t know how the animosity between them came about, but judging from how much Su Qing was rolling her eyes, she knew that there must have been a lot of it.
“I was in the same group as him during a talent show. We lost a game and had to go bungee-jumping as a penalty. That rascal has a fear of heights and was overdramatic—he stood at the jumping board for 40 whole minutes without doing anything. I waited until my lower half was numb and my face was frozen from the cold.” Su Qing seemed really furious. She could not even maintain her fake smile. “Damn! I had to stand up there and suffer through the cold wind for 40 minutes. It was too much for my poor legs.”
“What happened after that?”
“I kicked him down.” At this, Su Qing’s face grew animated. “His high-pitched voice usually only surfaces during car accident scenes, but he screamed so loudly when that happened that I was surprised my eardrums didn’t burst. Still, it was a pleasure hearing him scream. My body stopped feeling numb, and my face didn’t feel frozen anymore. Even my legs stopped hurting.”
Jiang Jiusheng couldn’t help but laugh.
Su Qing turned away from the camera and rolled her eyes discreetly. “Ever since then, he has hated me. He glares at me with so much venom in his eyes wherever I go.”
When she turned back, her eyes coincidentally met Xu Qingjiu’s fiery gaze, and Su Qing quickly looked away.
After they walked down the red carpet, Jiang Jiusheng and Su Qing signed their names on the board. Xu Qingjiu followed closely behind them. It was hard to tell if it was a coincidence or not, but he signed right above Su Qing’s name and then vandalized hers until it was completely covered.
Su Qing was speechless. Could he be any more childish?
The other party gave her a cold look.
The three of them entered the venue one after another, and the seating arrangement was very unfortunate, such that Xu Qingjiu was sandwiched between Jiang Jiusheng and Su Qing.
“Are you acquainted with Xu Qingbo?” Jiang Jiusheng suddenly asked.
Their names were very similar, and so were their appearances.
Xu Qingjiu was momentarily taken aback. “He’s my older brother.” He tilted his body slightly toward Jiang Jiusheng. “How do you know him?”
“I met him a few times in the hospital.”
The two brothers were only similar in name and appearance; they had vastly different personalities. Jiang Jiusheng had heard that Xu Qingjiu had been born into a political family, and of the two descendants of the Xu family, one pursued medicine and the other pursued the arts—they were both paths not commonly taken.
After a long time, Xu Qingjiu asked, “Are you having mental problems?”
Su Qing glared daggers at him without waiting for Jiang Jiusheng to respond. “You’re the one who’s crazy!”
Xu Qingjiu was silent. He did not wish to argue with her in case people thought they were both crazy.
“His older brother is a doctor in neurosurgery,” Jiang Jiusheng explained.
“Oh,” said Su Qing in a deadpan voice.
There was nothing more to be said.
Following that, there was no further communication throughout, and the media reported on the undoubtedly superficial friendship between the three of them.
There were still ten minutes to the opening show. Most artists had already taken their seats, and Jiang Jiusheng got so bored of waiting that she felt the urge to smoke. The lights were very bright, and the audience couldn’t be seen. All she could hear was their occasional applause and cheering.
Suddenly, a piece of clothing landed on her shoulder.
Jiang Jiusheng lifted her head. Xie Dan was standing behind her. He was very tall, and she was sitting down, so he had to look down at her.
“You look really ugly wearing a dress that reveals your arms when you’re in a cast.” Xie Dang’s face was filled with disdain, and he wrapped his jacket around Jiang Jiusheng as he said this.
Jiang Jiusheng replied calmly, “There are reporters here.”
Xie Dang turned a blind eye to that. “I don’t care what they write about. Most netizens and friends know that we don’t get along, and our relationship is just for show. They’ll treat whatever we do as a show.”
It was true. Plus, the night was a little chilly, and Jiang Jiusheng felt slightly warmer with Xie Dang’s jacket around her.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
He was an internationally renowned musician. A local award ceremony shouldn’t have even been big enough for him to attend.
Xie Dang occupied the seat behind and rested one foot against the back of Jiang Jiusheng’s chair. “I am the guest of honor,” he said with a snort. “I’m getting the award for Best Male Singer.”
He looked extremely smug. The little prince had always enjoyed showing off in front of Jiang Jiusheng and demanding attention for his brilliance.
Jiang Jiusheng did not respond to that. She simply said, “The awardees are supposed to sit at the VIP section.”
Xie Dang showed zero intention of going where he was supposed to. He crossed his legs and rested his hands on Jiang Jiusheng’s chair. “If you had continued playing the violin, you’d be sitting at the VIP section with me right now.”
At the end of the day, he was just criticizing her.
Jiang Jiusheng turned around. “Xie Dang.”
Xie Dang was caught off-guard by her gaze. He immediately sat upright, looking rather unhappy. “What?”
When she addressed him by his full name like that, it was usually not to indulge him but to lecture him.
Jiang Jiusheng waved her hand, beckoning Xie Dang over. In a low voice, she said, “Get a cigarette for me.”
Xie Dang grew visibly upset. “I refuse!”
This person really doesn’t have the self-awareness of her status as a singer, he though. She smokes, drinks, and fights—is she trying to go to heaven? Does she think she can be stubborn just because she’s a rock star?
“If you don’t quit,” he said sternly, “I’ll get my father to drop you as a disciple!” Afterward, he stormed angrily toward the VIP section.
Fifteen minutes later, Xie Dang handed a cigarette and a lighter wrapped in a square handkerchief and handed it to Jiang Jiusheng.
“There are no cigarettes for ladies,” he said in a nasty tone. “This is for men. It’s very strong. You’re only allowed to smoke half of it.”