Chapter 74: 《time With You》
Teacher Shi is so miserable. Chi Ye remembers that on the day he released his EP, and on the day he breached the contract with Yue Na, Teacher Shi sent him WeChat messages.
Just two words: 【Keep it up.】
But he was too busy at the time and didn’t reply…
Thinking this way, Chi Ye felt more and more upset. He opened the gift panel and sent the other party a free little heart!
Hmm…
It seems a bit too little.
He thought about it and clicked on a one-cent Lollipop.
But the system prompted that there was no balance.
Need to top up money?!
Chi Ye frowned and could only click to recharge, but saw that he couldn’t recharge just one cent; the minimum was one yuan, so he immediately backed out.
Typed support: 【Anchor is really awesome, sings much better than Chi Ye, do it another hundred times!】
At this time, Teacher Shi had just finished singing a song and sat back down. She glanced at this bullet comment, immediately clumsily opened the management page, selected Chi Ye’s ID, and permanently banned him.
Chi Ye: “…”
Damn, why ban me? I was just livening up the live broadcast atmosphere for you!
He exited the live broadcast room, turned off his mobile phone, and the broadcast was already prompting to board the plane.
“Let’s go.”
He called out to Xiao Liu. Just as he was about to stand up, he paused and suddenly said: “Have the marketing cover team’s team give Teacher Shi some resources. Anyway, marketing for whoever… she sings the best.”
“Yes, Chi Ge, I noted it down.”
“Mm.”
The two took their boarding passes and boarded the plane to Beijing.
……
《Reboot》’s miraculous 70 million sales volume was created by Rise group’s crazy activities + Yang Zi, Teacher Shi（Chi Ye Studio marketing） sparking the internet-famous cover wave + some bystanders following the trend, and finally Chi Ye’s diehard fans exploding in a big way.
Heard that a fan club leader with the ID Global Warming bought nearly one million albums in one go, truly a tycoon.
All kinds of buffs, perfect timing, location, and harmony—none can be missing.
So, Chi Ye has a clear idea in his heart.
Regarding Jin Sui’s invitation to meet him this time, he feels she’s more interested in this 《Reboot》’s performance; as for signing him or not…
Without the Empress Dowager’s “leak-proof little padded jacket-style reminder,” he wouldn’t have signed anyway!
Say he’s acting like capital, and he acts like capital!
After all, it’s now the digital album era, and he doesn’t dare guarantee such explosive sales next time…
Until… outside the airport, he saw the Empress Dowager bouncing and waiting for him.
“You said you bought Shao Duo?!”
Chi Ye listened to Jin Xia’s “smug” bragging, his vision going black: “2 million?!”
“Huh?”
Jin Xia was intimidated by his aura, feeling guilty but also righteous: “What’s wrong with two million? I originally wanted to keep going, but Sister Mi absolutely refused, saying if I top up more she’d jump off a building… so I didn’t!”
Chi Ye: “…”
That’s all my… our money!!
No matter how rich you are, you can’t “waste” it like this!
Chi Ye was greatly anxious: “You you you… can it be refunded?”
“No, if refunded, your sales will drop. Can’t refund!” The Empress Dowager firmly shook her head, then her peach blossom eyes scanned Chi Ye, coquettishly: “Aww Heavenly King Chi, don’t worry, I’m rich. If you run out of money later, just tell me, I’ll give it to you~”
Chi Ye: “…”
Stop talking, if you keep going, his indirect ambitions will be gone again!
He suddenly realized the Empress Dowager “restrains” him a lot!
Always “undermining” his enthusiasm for progress!
“Come on, come on, Aunt must be waiting impatiently, she’s been calling nonstop to urge me!”
Jin Xia saw she had successfully “Deceive God,” feeling smug inside, and pulled Chi Ye toward the outside.
“Calling? Didn’t you say Xiao Qian Sui has eyes on top of her head? Last time didn’t you say your aunt is very… very arrogant?”
Chi Ye asked curiously while getting in the car.
“Very ao? Yeah, pretty ao.”
Jin Xia thought for a moment, defending her aunt: “Aunt is just too face-conscious, can’t let go of her airs. Actually… her standards are indeed high! She looks down on ordinary people, speaks harshly, so Teacher Chi, be mentally prepared!”
Chi Ye listened to her rambling introduction, completely baffled.
So is she ao or arrogant?
Soon, he had the answer.
Jin Sui, with her exceptionally high standards, met Chi Ye and… Jin Xia at a clubhouse.
This was her first time seeing Chi Ye in person. Her phoenix eyes carried undisguised scrutiny, and she nodded faintly: “Not bad.”
Nearby, Zhang Jie eyed her sideways.
Recalling just a few minutes before Chi Ye entered, Sui Zong was still mulling: “What do you think of this Chi Ye? To be honest, I’m not valuing him much; mainly he’s Xia Xia’s only friend, so gotta give Xia Xia some face, right?”
“Ah yes yes yes, exactly. So how do you think is appropriate?”
“I think we should still keep it lofty; he’s just a little traffic star.”
“Indeed, keep it lofty.”
So, Xiao Qian Sui is now very “lofty.” She sat in the main seat with a powerful aura, elegantly posturing, “commandingly”: “What would you like to drink?”
Chi Ye felt slightly uneasy; he always felt her gaze was a bit “weird”…
“Some crane top red, that’s what I drink daily.”
“Good, then a bottle of 82-year crane top red… um?”
Xiao Qian Sui reacted, her red lips twitching twice, staring at Chi Ye: “For real?”
Chi Ye: “…”
How could that possibly be real?!
Wait… how did she even ask that?!
As expected of the Empress Dowager’s aunt; their thought processes are exactly the same!
“Mm…” Jin Sui reacted too, inwardly annoyed at her earlier “lose composure,” but couldn’t lower her face（can’t laugh, laughing would be embarrassing）, lightly nodding: “You’re quite humorous.”
Chi Ye’s social cringe was kicking in; to make a battle-hardened old artist like Chi Ye cringe shows Jin Sui’s “lofty” skill has reached what level of perfection!
He looked toward the serious-faced Empress Dowager beside him like seeking rescue.
The Empress Dowager noticed his gaze, turned her eyes sideways, looked back, and cheekily winked at him.
The meaning clearly: Teacher Chi, endure it. Otherwise, why do you think he divorced three times in ten years?
Chi Ye: ……
6.
“Mm… I see 《Reboot》’s sales are pretty good, seems like it broke… how many was it?” Jin Sui pretended, looking toward Zhang Jie.
Zhang Jie silently: “Seems like 70 million! Mm, seems like it!”
“Oh, 70 million.” Jin Sui nodded: “Not bad, pretty good. Keep up the good work.”
Chi Ye: “…”
Couldn’t hold back: “Sui Zong, can… we get to the main topic?”
“Main topic?” Jin Sui seized the chance for some “aristocratic education”: “Young man, don’t be too impatient. How about… signing your records with my company from now on?”
Chi Ye shook his head: “Not great.”
“Good, sign with my company… eh?”
Jin Sui baffled: “You…”
Chi Ye glanced at the already-breaking Empress Dowager, couldn’t hold it himself, and sincerely looked at the aunt: “Aunt, let’s just talk sincerely. Thanks for helping promote me this time; I can give you a commission at market price. As for other cooperation, it depends on mutual sincerity.”
Jin Sui listened in silence, re-assessed Chi Ye, then looked at Jin Xia, saying nothing.
The atmosphere in the private room suddenly tensed.
Worry flashed in Jin Xia’s peach blossom eyes; she probed: “Aunt, you… what’s wrong?”
Jin Sui silent: “Why is he calling me aunt!?”
Everyone: “…”
Aunt, calm down a bit, really. If not suited for business, don’t lose money playing.
……
Aunt is still the Empress Dowager’s aunt after all, and she did help Chi Ye a lot.
So, agency contract impossible, record contract impossible—he wants to make money with the Empress Dowager himself!
But as cooperative party, cooperate with the experienced Guang Ying Shi Meng team that once topped Hong Kong records on album production, handing over distribution, publicity and distribution, packaging, and various professional tasks to them.
Both sides “all happy.”
Mm… at least Chi Ye thinks so.
After finishing this, the Empress Dowager wanted to stick with aunt; Chi Ye had too little vacation and had to leave first.
Only after he left did Jin Xia withdraw her gaze, her beautiful peach blossom eyes slightly depressed.
Just arrived and left again!
“Hehe, hehehe.”
With Chi Ye gone, everyone present was “family,” and aunt dropped the loftiness, sneering: “This is really elbow out the window, can’t wait to fly away right now, huh?”
“Aunt, about me!” Jin Xia lowered her little head, glumly saying: “I’m so heartbroken, aunt.”
Jin Sui: “……Person’s gone, stop acting with me, okay?”
Jin Xia secretly glanced at aunt’s expression, saw she wasn’t over it, immediately bounced over, grabbed her clothes corner, shouting: “Aunt, sorry, I was wrong.”
Zhang Jie hurriedly turned away.
Dare not look, dare not look; outsiders seeing this scene might get thrown into the Huangpu River.
Jin Sui saw her niece like this, her anger dissipated no matter how big; grumpily smiling: “You’re the best at acting!”
The Empress Dowager huffed twice, pillowing on Jin Sui’s arm: “Aunt don’t be mad. Teacher Chi is inconvenient, but I’m convenient.”
“If your company needs film and TV projects for me to act in, I’m all in, aunt. I’ll help you, okay?”
Jin Sui glanced at her, sighed, withdrew her arm: “Me, an elder, need your help?!”
Zhang Jie slapped her forehead: Here we go again! Please stop acting lofty!!
Jin Sui said nothing, just kept up the airs: “Fine, actually I wasn’t planning to sign him this time anyway.”
“To be honest, records are small paths; now it’s digital album era. Whether internal entertainment circle or Hong Kong entertainment, music industry has long declined.”
“What I care about is you.” Jin Sui shook her head: “I wanted to help your friend; do you get aunt’s meaning?”
“Mm mm, I get it, I totally get it!” Jin Xia nodded like a chick pecking rice.
“You child, always so likable.” Jin Sui was greatly pleased, but thinking of Chi Ye’s earlier “facial expression,” great pleasure turned small pleasure; then thinking of Jin Xia’s “attitude difference” toward Chi Ye and her, small pleasure turned displeasure!
Jealously: “Let me tell you, his EP success this time had too many factors, but next time won’t have such a good environment.”
“And only 70 million sales; Yu Yan’s casual single is 180 million, and he doesn’t act as arrogant as him!”
“Music has ultimately declined now, and he has no acting skills. You, I don’t know what your taste is; why didn’t you take after me?!”
Jin Xia kept her head down silently, waited for aunt to finish, then looked up seriously: “Aunt, you can say anything else, but can you not talk about Teacher Chi like that? I’ll be very sad.”
“…” Jin Sui was stunned, then realized her niece’s temperament, helplessly smiled, hurriedly: “Okay okay, aunt’s fault… aunt shouldn’t have said that… sorry niece, no more about him. Accompany aunt to dinner, okay?”
“This time aunt prepared your favorite imported snacks…”
“Mm, good.”
Jin Xia secretly nodded: Teacher Chi will have treats again!
……
Cooperation with Guang Ying Shi Meng went smoothly; 《Reboot》 is still “hot selling,” but Chi Ye is already considering the next album.
Of course, the next album won’t be an EP; it can’t be that rough and rushed—needs serious preparation, best to make a god album.
That day, he returned to the 《Circulation》 film crew, then after filming a day of scenes, officially transferred to Haixi City with Group A.
The police station scenes were mostly filmed; only need Group B for reshoots.
Next, they would start filming 《Circulation》’s heaviest bus + explosion scenes.
Needs real-location shooting; Chi Ye is looking forward to it.
Same day.
While the 《Circulation》 film crew was withdrawing on a large scale, next door the 《Deep Sea》 film crew, Shi Jinwei stared at Chi Ye’s back, her sapphire pupils slightly complex.
“Sister Shi, Chi Ye’s gone, why aren’t you happy?”
The assistant nearby was surprised.
Shi Jinwei came back to her senses, even more surprised: “Which of your eyes sees me unhappy?”
“I’m super happy… hey you, get a fire basin to step over, plague god finally gone, let’s all go dispel bad luck!”
Everyone: “…”
Sister Qianzi truly lives up to the “little Sheng Ning” title; so petty, not only stepping over fire basin to celebrate herself, but inviting others: “Come come, together dispel bad luck!”
Not far away, Teacher You hunched over the desk, using his one-finger zen to revise the script tentatively named 《Latent》.
Hearing the noise, he glanced outside, shook his head with a chuckle, turned back to continue his creation.
The young man is nice, but acting skills really aren’t enough.
……
“Cut!”
Haixi City, Haicang Bridge.
《Circulation》 Group A.
Director Zhang excitedly called cut, praising: “Teacher Chi, acting skills too good, every hair strand is acting!”
Chi Ye, walking over with explosion makeup: “?”
Exaggerated!
Of course, he didn’t mind Director Zhang’s various evil gardenia plans.
His current acting skills aren’t outstanding; only lines and eyes barely count as “good.”
But he wasn’t worried at all.
Because after 《Reboot》 exploded, his favorability has grown to over 40 million, and with the songs fermenting, it will continuously increase afterward.
The difference is only in amount.
This is the benefit of having works; good works not only explode at the start but provide continuous “funding sources.”
One EP got this much favorability; hard to imagine how much a classic series, movie, and future albums will bring him.
Still that line: he doesn’t lack “money” now, just channels to spend it!
And this channel, in the past few days, he has found.
“《Time With You》… this is the 《Jian Ni》 director’s new S+ variety show?”
After wrapping up that evening, Chi Ye sat in the RV, flipping through the variety show announcement Director Li sent him a few days ago for 《Jian Ni》.
《Time With You》, Mango TV’s gold team, original crew of 《Jian Ni》 building an S+ travel variety show.
Tentative guests: Wen Lijuan, Shang Youshu, You Han, Jiang Cheng, Xiang You, Chu Luan Yu.
First episode flying guests: Jin Xia, Chi Ye.
