Chapter 424: 196 My Fate (Second Watch of the Night)_2

Translator: 549690339

Her name was just as prominent as Shen Zhou, even holding the title of a national goddess.

Her scandal with Qu Feitai had caused a stir for a few days but then gradually sank away. After having three meals a day, Qu Feitai shut himself away to start working on his new album and hadn’t appeared in public for over a month.

“Manager Zhang, Xiao Fei is intently working on his new album. As you know, he has high standards. The production cycle for this album is lengthy. With the talent show, you should find someone else. Xiao Fei can’t take this on.”

“Just take out one day a week. I’ve already talked to the show’s crew, they will arrange everything according to Xiao Fei’s schedule and won’t interrupt his time. We’ve agreed on this. The first recording will start on the 25th of October, and we still have a month, which is enough.”

The other party didn’t give Huang Chao a chance to speak and hung up after finishing his sentence.

Huang Chao was dumbfounded. Is there such a thing as forced buying and selling?

After packing some beef brisket rice at the restaurant, Huang Chao rushed towards Chunshui Garden.

Qu Feitai lived on the tenth floor, in a luxurious big flat with 180 square meters. Each floor only had one unit, extremely private.

Huang Chao entered the password to open the door, “Xiao Fei, it’s time to eat.”

Huang Chao walked to the recording studio and knocked on the door: “Xiao Fei?”

He quietly opened a crack in the door. The teenager was sitting in front of the computer with headphones, adjusting the sound track while video chatting with Lin Huan. Occasionally, he would talk about some professional terminology and English words that Huang Chao did not understand.

Xiao Fei had not left the house for a month now, declined every single job and focused on making the new album. Looking at the teenager’s earnest look now, Huang Chao was quite relieved.

Not wanting to interrupt him, Huang Chao put the food in a thermal container to keep it warm, and started rolling up his sleeves to clean.

By the time he had finished cleaning, it was already dusk outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Huang Chao walked out of the bathroom, stretching his back, and saw Xiao Fei sitting at the dining table, eating while still adjusting the audio frequency.

Huang Chao walked over, closed the computer, and said seriously, “Xiao Fei, we need to balance work and rest. You are still young, why are you being so driven? We are not in a rush, take your time.”

Qu Feitai did not say anything and continued eating.

Huang Chao sat opposite of Qu Feitai, staring at him for a long time.

Xiao Fei had been staying up late every night for the past month to write songs. Huang Chao knew that Xiao Fei was most inspired when the night was quiet, but this was not good for his health in the long run. If it weren’t for him delivering meals to Xiao Fei every day, Xiao Fei might have become nothing but skin and bones by now.

Such a handsome face has now become much more haggard, and he has become more and more silent. The whole person gives a very oppressive feeling, like the calm before a storm. Beneath the calm surface of a lake hide turbulent undercurrents.

“Xiao Fei, don’t always stay in the house writing songs, go outside for a walk, go climbing. The maple forest at Xiang Mountain is beautiful right now, let’s go take a look tomorrow?

Qu Feitai shook his head.

“There are a few good prospects in the entertainment industry lately. There is a guy called Dong Jiahe who is not bad. His songs are full of spiritual energy. I think he is somewhat imitating your style, Xiao Fei. Because you are hidden away, many of your fans have flooded in his direction. Why don’t you make a Weibo post to let your fans know you’re still alive?”

“The music industry is a place that values talent and ability. If he is truly talented, it’s a good thing for the industry.” Qu Feitai threw away the food container and turned back into the recording studio.

Huang Chao sighed heavily.

Honestly, having an artist who is too ambitious is a real headache!

Qu Feitai kept recording until around midnight. He put down the headphones, exhaled deeply, and sprawled in the chair for a moment.

As he got out of the recording studio, he saw Huang Chao curled up on the sofa asleep. Qu Feitai found a blanket and covered him before turning to the bathroom to take a shower.

A “ding ding” sound rang out twice from the mobile phone on the coffee table. Qu Feitai quickly went over to pick it up and have a look.

It turned out to be a news push notification.

A twinge of disappointment flared in Qu Feitai’s eyes, but then they narrowed. The title of this news notification contained a familiar name.

So familiar that it pained him to see.

—National Goddess Ming Jing Recognized as Shen Zhou’s Relative, Scandalous Couple Turned Siblings, Century’s Greatest Turnaround!Qu Feitai opened the news with trembling fingers. After reading it all, a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

He had always known she was not happy at the Zhu’s. Only Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen must have been extremely good to her to let such an apathetic person willingly become a member of their family.

Suddenly, Qu Feitai paused, a quiver of excitement reaching his core with an unexpected revelation.

Ming Jing wasn’t truly heartless, she did have feelings as a human.

The Shen family was an example of this.

Over the past month, he had immersed himself in music, used busyness to numb his mind. However, in the quiet of the night when he lay in his bed tossing and turning, something always managed to creep into his brain through the tiny gaps in its defenses, numbing his nerves, controlling his thoughts, destroying his actions, this thing called longing.

From a young age, his goals were always clear. What he wanted, he would strive for. If he couldn’t get it, he would put in a hundred times, a thousand times the effort until exhaustion set in, until he had no more regrets.

Ming Jing was not a thing, she was a living person.

This road was even more rugged, filled with more thorns. Was he afraid?

If he was, he wouldn’t be Qu Feitai.

Qu Feitai sat on the balcony sofa, his gaze deep in thought during the unbearable silence and darkness.

In the grand scheme of life, ups and downs, triumphs and joys all lay in a single thought.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced the pale sky and spread across the earth, Qu Feitai squinted his eyes. He got up and walked to the railing, taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air. With his breath, he expelled all the repression, listlessness, and sorrow from his lungs.

The sunlight hit the bottom of his eyes, and Qu Feitai smiled, his features relaxed and confident.

“The master’s fate can’t dictate mine, my life is under my control, not mandated by the heavens.” Qu Feitai shouted to the sky, as if trying to voice all the frustration inside him.

“What happened?” Huang Chao was startled. He immediately sprang up from the sofa and looked around in fear.

Qu Feitai walked in, bypassed him, and went straight into the recording studio.

Huang Chao clutched his chest, “Why did you shout so early? You scared me. I thought something had happened to you.”

Huang Chao followed Qu Feitai into the recording studio, “Let me see how you’ve written the new songs?”

Qu Feitai clicked a folder and deleted all the audio files with one key.

Huang Chao was about to blow a gasket, “Have you gone mad? That’s a month’s worth of your hard work.”

Qu Feitai shook his head, “It’s not the effect I want.”

Huang Chao stared at him, feeling that today’s Qu Feitai was different. His gaze was no longer dull and numb, but lively and full of confidence. This was the Qu Feitai he had known from the start.

“My dear ancestor, what is the effect you want? That’s a month’s work you’ve just deleted, aren’t you upset? You have to start all over.”

Qu Feitai laughed, “So what? The fans and the public like my songs, I need to give them the best music. How can I fob them off with rubbish? That would be irresponsible to them and to myself.”

These new songs he had written were filled with depression, sharpness, and negative emotions. He was venting through music, but he couldn’t use his fans as a dumping ground.

Huang Chao was stunned, slowly releasing his grip, “As long as you’re sure.”

Qu Feitai clicked his mouse, deleting all the audio files, as if he was erasing all the negative emotions in his heart as well.

Big bro always remarked how he never grew up, childish at heart.

But growing up often happens in an instant, with no consideration for time or place.

He was clear on where to go from here.