Chapter 135: The Release of the New Song
Hu Yifei sang triumphantly, “You are my lover, oh, a woman like a rose, oh, with your thick, luscious lips…”
“Spring is here, the season when animals mate has arrived. The male pursues the female, hoping to attract her attention, so she becomes his mate and he can pass on his genes,” Xiao Xie remarked in a serious tone.
“Yeah!” Xiao Xie and Hu Yifei exchanged a proud high-five.
“Sis, you’re just playing with me,” Zhan Bo said, feeling unsettled by Xiao Xie and Hu Yifei’s antics.
“We’re just tapping on our table, why are you getting so worked up?” Hu Yifei laughed.
“I…” Lu Zhanbo, flustered by Hu Yifei’s teasing expression, felt a little guilty.
“Bro, if you like someone, just go after her!” Hu Yifei sat down beside Lu Zhanbo, looking at him with frustrated concern.
Just as Hu Yifei was advising Lu Zhanbo on how to pursue Wan Yu, Zeng Xiaoxian suddenly appeared from nowhere.
“Brother Xiao Xie~~” Zeng Xiaoxian called out ingratiatingly, dragging his words.
“Hiss! Stop, stop, stop! If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t use that tone, you’re giving me goosebumps,” Xiao Xie was startled by Zeng Xiaoxian’s obsequious voice.
“Xiao Xie, are you free tonight?” Zeng Xiaoxian asked with a sly smile.
“Yes! What do you want?” Xiao Xie crossed his arms defensively, eyeing Zeng Xiaoxian warily.
“Hehehe, Xiao Xie, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Mr. Zeng, just say what you want. You’re scaring me with this,” Xiao Xie replied speechlessly.
Zeng Xiaoxian chuckled awkwardly, “During last night’s radio broadcast, I mentioned I knew you. Then the listeners asked if I could invite you as a guest. I got excited and, well…”
“You agreed, didn’t you?” Xiao Xie shot him a look.
“Hehehe, come on, we’re friends! Such a small favor, you won’t refuse, right?” Zeng Xiaoxian continued with his shameless plea.
“I’m a bit thirsty.”
“I’ll get you some milk, please enjoy.”
“My legs feel sore.”
“Hehehe, let me massage your legs. You just rest, don’t move, just lie here.”
“Hmm, Xiaoxian, since you’re so earnest, I’ll make time to come tonight.”
“Alright! Hehehe…” Hearing Xiao Xie agree, Zeng Xiaoxian massaged him even more energetically.
In the end, Xiao Xie accompanied Zeng Xiaoxian for a radio broadcast, and even gave him a printed copy of a book called ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light.’ Since that book didn’t exist in this world, Xiao Xie shamelessly claimed it as his own new work. The story was perfect for a late-night program, full of atmosphere.
Zeng Xiaoxian, moved by receiving ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light,’ swore on the spot to become Xiao Xie’s loyal follower. If Xiao Xie told him to go west, he’d never go east; if he told him to pet a dog, he’d never chase a chicken.
…
For the next half month, Xiao Xie spent his days filming, shuttling between three drama crews, only returning home after dark.
“Arno, upload ‘The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style,’ ‘Baby,’ ‘Like You,’ ‘Castle in the Sky,’ ‘Fantastic Baby’… these ten songs online. My popularity is dropping lately!” Xiao Xie instructed Arno. Because of Iron Man’s sudden appearance, online headlines had been dominated by Iron Man news, and the best-selling items recently were Iron Man merchandise.
Many Iron Man products were out of stock, making the merchants a fortune. Walking down the streets, one could see many people wearing clothes printed with Iron Man’s image. Some even dressed as Iron Man, strolling around in full costume.
Although Iron Man was actually Xiao Xie himself, he felt it necessary to release a few new songs to keep his popularity up; otherwise, it would be hard to earn admiration points.
Xiao Xie’s ten new tracks immediately sparked a heated online debate, instantly overshadowing Iron Man’s news and climbing to the top of trending searches.
“God Xiao has released new songs! Heard them first thing, feeling so hyped! So happy!”
“God Xiao, I want to have your babies.”
“God Xiao truly lives up to his name. Every song is so good. I’m already a die-hard fan. I heard he’s shooting a TV series now; I can’t wait to see his performance.”
“God Xiao’s work is always the best!”
“Mandarin, English, Cantonese, Korean—my God Xiao is unstoppable! God Xiao, I bow to you!”
“Get lost, upstairs! God Xiao is mine.”
“God Xiao is mine, and he belongs to the world.”
“My mom asked me why I kneel to listen to songs. I let her listen to God Xiao’s new track, and now she’s kneeling beside me!”
“God Xiao 9999… absolutely amazing!”
…
In Yang Ying’s apartment, Yang Ying sat on her bed, conflicted, listening to Xiao Xie’s newly released songs.
“You know you love, I know you care, you know you love me, I know you care,
You’ll shout whenever, and I’ll be there, anytime you call, I’ll appear there,
You want my love, you want my heart, you want my love, you want my heart,
And I’ll never ever ever be apart, and we’ll never be separated,
Are we an item? Girl, quit playing,
We’re just friends, what are you saying?
Said there’s another one, looks right in my eyes (refers to meeting someone new),
My first love broke my heart for the first time, and I was like…
Baby, baby, baby, no…
Baby, baby, baby, no…
Baby, baby, baby, no…”
“What does God Xiao mean? Is he confessing to someone?” Yang Ying wondered, hugging her pillow in confusion. No wonder she was overthinking—her English name was ‘Baby,’ and out of the ten songs Xiao Xie released, two had her name. Most crucially, after ‘Baby,’ he released a Cantonese version of ‘Like You.’ It was impossible for Yang Ying not to read into it.
“So annoying, ah! How am I supposed to sleep tonight?” Yang Ying slapped her pillow with both hands, looking more like a bashful girl pouting in embarrassment.
“But God Xiao has such a great figure!” Yang Ying unconsciously swallowed. During these ten days, some of Xiao Xie’s scenes required him to bare his upper body. While he didn’t look particularly muscular in clothes, once his shirt was off, the sharp lines, eight-pack abs, and the Adonis belt were textbook examples of a perfect physique.
Men drool over hot women; women drool over fit men—it’s the same.
“Whew, Yang Ying, what are you thinking?” Yang Ying patted her flushed cheeks with both hands, looking around nervously as if afraid someone else was in the room.
…
Elsewhere, in Liu Yifei’s bedroom, Liu Yifei listened to Xiao Xie’s new songs, feeling a bit down.
“Fine rain and wind soak the dusk street,
Wiping away the rain, my eyes gaze upwards for no reason,
Looking at the lonely evening lamp,
It’s that poignant memory,
Again stirring countless longing in my heart,
Moments of past laughter still linger on my face,
Wish you could know at this moment,
That I sincerely say,
I like your captivating eyes,
Your smile even more enchanting,
Wish I could gently touch
Your lovely face,
Hold hands and whisper dreams,
Just like yesterday, you and I,
Full of hope, I was once impulsive,
Always complained that loving her meant little freedom,
Wish you could know at this moment,
That I sincerely say…”
“Is Xiao Xie confessing to Baby? But why do I feel uncomfortable?” Liu Yifei put down her headphones, feeling low. She didn’t know why, but the thought of Xiao Xie and Baby together made her feel uneasy, as if someone had snatched away her beloved clothes.
Although Xiao Xie didn’t deliberately flirt while filming, excellent women attract men, and likewise, outstanding men attract women. Besides, Xiao Xie was a renowned talent, young and wealthy, with an extraordinary aura—of course women liked him.
“No, tomorrow I’ll ask Master Xiao Xie to write a song for me. Otherwise, if Baby shows off in front of me, I’ll lose face.” Zhao Liying thought to herself, puffing her adorable cheeks after hearing Xiao Xie’s new songs.
She and Baby were both under Xiao Xie’s company. Though not in the same drama crew, they were good friends privately, and since the three crews worked close by, they often visited each other.
…
At that moment, Xiao Xie was sitting cross-legged on his bed, cultivating! He had no idea his new songs had unsettled several beauties. In truth, his song selection was simply a few hits from his previous life, without any special meaning—just a coincidence.