Chapter 106: Xiu'er (Please Subscribe)

Listening to the sweet, childish voice on the other end of the phone, the smile on Yang Qing's face grew broader, and the trace of anxiety in his heart dissipated.

After hanging up, he thought for a moment, sent a text message to Bai Zhijun, and then turned to the others with a smile. "I am truly sorry for the delay; it was because of me that we had to record this piece so many times. I really apologize."

"Oh! It’s nothing," Wang Ming laughed. "As long as you've recovered, let's continue."

Immediately, Li Dongning shot him a gloomy look.

...

At the shopping mall, Bai Zhijun’s face turned black as he read the text message Yang Qing had sent.

What is the meaning of this! Am I that unreliable? And telling me to make sure I keep a close eye on the little ones, saying important things three times—to hell with that!

However... considering you’re going to secretly bribe me with a bottle of Great Bear liquor, I won’t hold it against you!

Back in the recording studio, Yang Qing and Li Dongning began the final recording session for the instrumental piece, "Symphony of the Kitchen." Perhaps because he was more relaxed, the recording went smoothly and was completed in just two takes.

"Phew!"

With that, all five instrumental tracks were successfully recorded. Yang Qing let out a long sigh of relief and smiled at Qin Xue. "Mission accomplished."

"Thank you for your hard work," Qin Xue said with a gentle smile. "Let’s go, take a break, and then I’ll treat you all to a big meal to reward you properly."

Yang Qing was taken aback. "Uh... about that..."

"What? Do you have something else to do?" seeing Yang Qing hesitate, Qin Xue asked with confusion, while Wang Ying also looked at him with curious, beautiful eyes.

"Ahem..."

Yang Qing cleared his throat, exchanged a look with Li Dongning, and then looked at the two women. "I would like to record two more instrumental pieces and one song on my own. What do you think..."

"Two pieces and a song!" Qin Xue was stunned. "You know something else besides 'Horse Racing'?"

The moment the words left her lips, she realized how foolish she sounded. How little did she actually know about what Yang Qing was capable of?

They had already finished five instrumental tracks; what did one or two more matter?

Wang Ying smiled softly and looked at Yang Qing. "I thought you were going to say something else. Is that it? Wang Ming told me about this a long time ago, and I’ve been looking forward to it, especially your song!"

"Uh..."

Yang Qing was dumbfounded. He immediately looked at Wang Ming, who was staring back at him blankly. After a long pause, Wang Ming said, "You... didn't tell Team Leader Qin that you were going to record pieces and a song?"

"No," Yang Qing said, confused. "I only told Xiao Xue that day that I was going to record a song for Chun’er and the others. Dongning only told me about this matter this morning, and I agreed to it."

Hearing this, Wang Ming and Fang Du turned their gazes toward Li Dongning, full of resentment.

You snake! You really are a massive, devious snake!

So, Yang Qing had never told Qin Xue that he was going to record pieces and a song. It was all just something they had concocted in their own minds, which then threw off their original plan to get some spotlight!

And you, you never told Yang Qing about this beforehand! Yet, knowing everything that day, you were still there, solemnly analyzing and playing along with our delusions!

Li Dongning, you really are a piece of work! You played both of us!

Wang Ming was so angry he felt like hitting someone. To be played like that without even realizing it—he had never been toyed with like this before!

"Li! Get out here!"

Wang Ming roared in anger, and he and Fang Du stormed out of the recording studio.

"Uh... what just happened?" Yang Qing was bewildered, and Qin Xue was equally stunned.

Wang Ying, however, had a thoughtful expression. Combining the conversation she just heard with Wang Ming’s furious departure, she seemed to have guessed something—after all, she knew her brother too well.

"Sigh, debts must be paid," Li Dongning sighed. He looked at Yang Qing earnestly and said, "Qingzi, remember today. Everything I did was for you! You have to pay me back!"

"I..."

Yang Qing was even more confused. What was he talking about? What was it for, and what did he have to pay him back for?

He watched Li Dongning leave, completely baffled, and was about to follow him to see what was going on when Wang Ying grabbed him.

"Don't go. They’re just bored and making a scene; it’s fine. You go ahead and record your music."

"But... this doesn't seem fine. I should go check on them."

"No need, listen to me. Record your music. What, are you afraid they’ll start a fight? Giggles... don't worry. Come on, record your music, be a good boy."

Yang Qing: ...

...

"Bang!"

In the lounge, after Li Dongning entered, Wang Ming slammed the door shut. He and Fang Du stood together, glaring coldly at Li Dongning.

Wang Ming: "Sit!"

Li Dongning sheepishly said, "Ahem, well... there's no need for this, really..."

"Shut up!"

Wang Ming said coldly, "You really are talented, playing us for fools!"

Fang Du also said coldly, "We worked so hard to help you, and in the end, we were spun around like idiots! What are you doing? Putting on a play for us?"

Li Dongning took a deep breath. "No, listen to my explanation."

Fang Du: "Not listening, not listening, we aren't listening!"

Wang Ming + Li Dongning: →_→

"Little Fang!" Wang Ming couldn't take it anymore. "In such a serious situation, can you stop being funny!"

"Oh."

Fang Du went quiet. Wang Ming said to Li Dongning again, "Explain yourself. Let's see how you can talk your way out of this."

"Hehe... come on, brothers, have some water first, and then let your little brother explain."

Li Dongning offered them water in an attempt to appease them, then collected his thoughts. "I really didn't tell Qingzi about this before because I never found the right opportunity. I only told him this morning. I admit that fault! I shouldn't have kept it from you."

"Yeah, and about that day... how should I put it... I really didn't think that much of it at the time. But then the two of you walked in and started imagining things... imagining..."

"Stop!" Wang Ming interrupted coldly. "Talk about your own mistakes, don't include us!"

"Oh, oh, sorry." Li Dongning lowered his head and continued. "When I heard your analysis, I had a sudden spark of inspiration. I thought, since you didn't know I hadn't told Yang Qing, and you were mistakenly guessing that he had already told Qin Xue everything, why shouldn't I use that to guide you, Little Ming, to tell your sister?"

"After all, your sister is a diva; her influence is much greater than the three of us. As long as your sister helps, then my plan... heh, you know."

At this point, Li Dongning looked at them earnestly. "After all, in this plan, all you wanted was to show your faces in front of the girls you like."

"If the plan succeeds, you get the spotlight; if it fails, you still get the spotlight. It was just a matter of how much. But me... I’m different!"

Li Dongning said in a deep voice, "I came from Jinghua to Yangcheng, I betrayed my association—I only wanted success! It must succeed! Otherwise..."

"Enough!"

Just as he started, Wang Ming interrupted him, speechless. "I told you to explain, not to act! What, you want to put on another show for us? You really are something else!"

"Hehe... heh... I was just explaining," Li Dongning said sheepishly.

"Right," Wang Ming nodded. "Your explanation is decent, but a wrong is a wrong. Do you admit you were wrong?"

"I admit it, I absolutely admit it!" Li Dongning’s attitude was very sincere.

Wang Ming nodded. "Good. If you know you're wrong, you must admit it. If you admit it, you must change. If you change, you must act. What are you going to do about it?"

"What am I going to do..."

Li Dongning pondered for a while, then looked at Fang Du. "Little Fang, don't you like motorcycles? I have one in Jinghua. When you go to Jinghua, I'll lend it to you for a month. How about that?"

"Deal!"

Fang Du nodded excitedly, while Wang Ming shook his head in silence.

You fool. Never mind whether you can even get to Jinghua, and if you do, can you stay for a month? Don't you have a job?

Sigh! It’s exhausting, but he didn't plan on reminding Fang Du. Everyone has a goofy, dim-witted friend, right?

"And what about me!" He looked at Li Dongning and continued coldly.

"You..."

Li Dongning was stumped. You are the younger brother of a diva, you lack for nothing, and you have more money than I do. What can I possibly compensate you with?

After pondering for a long time, he looked at Wang Ming tentatively. "How about... I treat you to a shampoo at a foot massage parlor in Jinghua..."

Wang Ming →_→: "Get out!"

"You got it!"

As soon as the words "get out" left Wang Ming’s mouth, Li Dongning bolted, leaving Fang Du and Wang Ming staring at each other.

After a long while, Wang Ming said with a complex expression, "He is... truly something else!"