Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

"Did they contact you in private, like to explain or apologize?" Chen Ling asked bluntly. As colleagues and competitors, there was no need to mince words.

"No," he shook his head, offering no further details.

The incident was in the past, and he had won his bet. He had only wanted some attention to begin with, but he didn't expect to become an overnight sensation. The show's crew couldn't suppress the trending heat, not even with real money.

Now that he had achieved his goal, bringing it up again would look like he was wallowing in self-pity, a risky move with little reward. He didn't need to play the victim; with real talent and resources, he didn't need to take shortcuts.

Chen Ling's questions were sharp and thorough, mostly revolving around his rise to fame. Eventually, despite the roundabout way of getting there, the pre-interview hype circled back to the work itself.

"Where do you get your inspiration from when you write songs?"

"Reading, random musings."

Time trickled by, and before they knew it, they had been chatting in the coffee shop for two hours.

"Teacher Xu, I'm really looking forward to this interview and have full confidence in our collaboration. I will give you a definite answer within three days."

Chen Ling's tone was sincere and didn't seem like she was just making polite conversation.

"If I may ask, do you have any plans to go out of town recently?"

"Not at the moment. I'm also very much looking forward to our collaboration," Xu Qingyan replied with a smile, without putting on airs.

The two locked gazes, realizing that they were both earnest and without hidden agendas.

But to be fair, if Chen Ling hadn't been introduced through Lin Chuan, or without Lin Chuan putting in a good word for her, he probably wouldn't have met with her.

After their rise to fame, others were busy taking on various resources and opportunities.

Xu Qingyan had no such desires, as he was never one to rush things. Keeping busy for him meant maintaining a good work rhythm, not flitting around aimlessly like a headless fly.

Moreover, he didn't have a signature work yet; he had just written a few songs and produced a fairly decent music video. He wasn't so eager to gather every bit of money out there.

It was building a foundation that was the real entry ticket.

Overnight fame had ruined his dream of a career in show business.

Don't ask; the answer is always to build a foundation.

After saying their goodbyes outside the coffee shop and confirming neither had the desire to continue the meeting over a meal, they went their separate ways.

...

The next day, Lin Wanzhou called Xu Qingyan.

" 'Fragrance of Rice' has finished post-production and will be released at six in the evening. Do you want to come and listen?"

Honestly, he wasn't very interested, at least not as much as if Lin Wanzhou herself was releasing a new song. His own singing... well, somehow it just felt awkward to listen to.

The musician account used for releasing the song had been registered solely by Lin Wanzhou, which meant she was investing her time in helping Xu Qingyan with the music and also acting as a music editor.

"Sure, I'll come by at three in the afternoon," he said after chatting for a bit and then hung up the phone.

He didn't have high expectations for the song; not that it wasn't good, but because he anticipated the immediate reaction wouldn't be overwhelming. A song needing time to become a hit.

For instance, "Clear Sky" was quite appealing, and despite being promoted in various ways, even as a theme song for a TV series, it hadn't exploded in popularity in the short term.

It wasn't until Xu Qingyan's name hit the trending searches and he became a sensation that it brought recognition to "Clear Sky." The nature of the song decided that; patience was key.

During lunch, Pei Muchan glanced at him curiously.

"Are you going out this afternoon?"

"Mm, what are your plans for the afternoon?" He changed the subject smoothly, as Pei Muchan had been locked in the recording studio these past few days writing new songs, like a student cramming for exams.

"Writing songs." She took the bait and shifted her focus, picking up her chopsticks. "Lately, I've been approached for several endorsements. I'm not sure whether to accept them."

"What kind of endorsements?" Xu Qingyan asked with curiosity after swallowing a bite of food.

"Some cosmetics, bedding... and there's one for a sanitary pad brand. The offers aren't that high," Pei Muchan said, her eyes downcast, betraying none of her thoughts.

"Be a bit more careful with skincare products; they're tricky," Xu Qingyan advised after a moment of thought. "Actually, I don't really recommend you take any endorsements at this point."

"Mm, I wasn't planning to sign," Pei Muchan agreed. "Most of the endorsements only want to sign short-term contracts to capitalize on the current consumer trend, with only short-term marketing plans."

"Wait it out. Slowly does it. Getting to collaborate with an international brand would be best," Xu Qingyan reassured her.

"International brands, how easy do you think that is?" she looked up.

"Hey, you're a little out of the loop. International brands love wholesale collaborations, almost collecting half the entertainment industry," Xu Qingyan went on, pulling together bits of information he had gathered. "With your image, if the big eight won't approach you for endorsements, they're blind."

Xu Qingyan could only brag so much, and Pei Muchan simply turned her head to give him a silent glance and put down her chopsticks, resting her cheek in her hand.

"Brand friends and ambassadors, spokespersons and the like, are not to be equated. Moreover, they come with regional divisions: the Summer Country area, Asia-Pacific area, global endorsements."

"I guess at the height of my fame, I might just about qualify as a skincare or makeup single-product brand ambassador, ranking in the lower-mid-tier of endorsements," she explained.

She was right; with the entertainment industry in the Summer Country booming to an extreme, the internal competition was as fierce as hell. Until one becomes a true diva, this is the limit for female singers.

The path to breaking through? Originality. Stay connected with empire

Yet considering Pei Muchan hadn't written a hit song in over a year, Xu Qingyan decided to keep the conversation encouraging. The last thing he wanted was to upset Madam Pei.

"I think it's better for me to focus on my studio. Being myself has always been hard to do well. I'm too easily swayed by others' opinions."

Her words came without warning, yet they touched on a topic they had discussed during an idle conversation three days prior. He believed that Pei Muchan's sudden inability to write songs might not be due to a lack of talent at all.