Volume One, Chapter 16: Chu Mian Impersonates the Famous Music Composer Bo Yan?

“Isn’t that so?” Xie Anyue cast a suspicious glance at Chu Mian. “Then what exactly are you here for? You’re not thinking of entering the entertainment industry too, are you? Chu Mian, your ambitions sure are high! This connection must have been arranged by Second Master, right? You really should know your place before dreaming of the entertainment world…”

“Crazy,” Chu Mian muttered, eyeing Xie Anyue as if she had lost her mind.

Ignoring her, Chu Mian stepped past Xie Anyue and the manager, heading toward the recording studio inside.

“Brother, the big shot is here!” The manager grinned and hurried over to a young man, nodding toward Chu Mian.

The man wore a white hoodie and ripped jeans, a necklace hanging around his neck. He lounged lazily in a folding camping chair, engrossed in a script. Hearing the sound, he lowered the script.

A delicate, handsome face came into view—soft and refined.

Seeing that face, Chu Mian was momentarily dazed.

He looked so much like… her third brother.

Their features were similar, but this man’s skin was even fairer, lending him a more gentle beauty. As Jiang Huai had said, he did have a somewhat feminine air about him.

Mo Li was equally stunned upon seeing Chu Mian, then stood up. “You must be Boyan?”

He had imagined Boyan as a scruffy man in his thirties or forties, dressed like a street performer. But this girl, barely in her early twenties, with a clean, pure, and beautiful face, was far more striking than any actress he had worked with.

Could this mysterious musician Boyan really be her?

Were those passionate, stirring songs really written by such a young girl? Mo Li doubted it.

Chu Mian nodded. “Hello.”

“Hello.” Out of politeness, Mo Li stepped forward to shake her hand, then asked, “Are you a college student?”

“Hmm?” Confused, Chu Mian looked down at her clothes.

She did look like a recent graduate, dressed comfortably as she always was at the Chu household. “Weren’t you asking me to write a song? Let’s start—I still need to buy groceries.”

Last night, her father, Chu Guanshan, came home from work to find the table empty of any rich food. He was helpless.

She had noticed and planned to buy some meat in the city today to nourish him.

“Groceries?”

Mo Li narrowed his eyes. “Fine, let me see what you can do.”

***

He simply couldn’t believe this little girl could compose such powerful songs.

Chu Mian glanced around the studio, then picked up the sheet music from the table and looked it over before asking, “What kind of style do you want for the song?”

“Anything works. Just do it your way.”

Mo Li had no expectations for Chu Mian.

He even wondered if he had chosen the wrong person.

Chu Mian pursed her lips thoughtfully. Judging by Mo Li’s attire, she guessed he preferred explosive, intense tracks. With this preliminary understanding, she pulled out her phone and began composing on specialized software.

Mo Li and the manager, seeing her start, stepped aside quietly to avoid disturbing her.

Next door in the adjacent recording studio…

Xie Anyue was with the manager assigned to her by the Xie family. The manager was testing Xie Anyue’s songwriting skills since she was debuting with a girl group.

Who entering a girl group didn’t have some talent?

But apart from her barely passable looks and voluptuous figure, Xie Anyue truly had nothing else.

After a series of pointed criticisms from the manager, Xie Anyue finally snapped, angrily throwing the sheet music onto the floor. “I can just join the girl group training directly! Aren’t there professionals who write these songs? Why are you wasting my time here?”

The manager, a sharp woman in her early thirties wearing black-rimmed glasses, hadn’t expected Xie Anyue’s temper.

She frowned at the music on the floor and sighed helplessly. “Miss Xie, maybe this is all a bit sudden. Why don’t you take a break and we’ll continue later?”

This manager was a top-level appointee, so she dared not offend her.

“Hmph!” Xie Anyue shot the manager a venomous glare and strode out of the studio.

“Hey, have you heard? The big shot Boyan is here!”

“Who’s Boyan?”

“Tsk, tsk! You’re in the entertainment industry and don’t even know the famous musician Boyan? Let me fill you in. This maestro has created legends! Those viral hits from past years were all written by Boyan. Many music companies tried secretly to work with him, but he refused. He’s incredibly mysterious and has never appeared in public. In short, he’s a powerhouse!”

Boyan?

That name sounded vaguely familiar…

Leaning against the glass window, Xie Anyue listened carefully to the excited chatter inside, a growing smile spreading across her face.

***

Is he really that amazing? If she hired Boyan to write a song for her, wouldn’t she easily get past that damned manager?

With that thought, Xie Anyue overheard a few more words, realizing Boyan was in the studio next door.

She quickly tidied her appearance and strode confidently inside, finding Mo Li and the manager huddled closely together, intently focused on something.

“Excuse me, is Boyan here?”

No one responded.

They seemed captivated by something.

Frowning, Xie Anyue stepped into the recording room and raised her voice, “I said, who is Boyan? Come out and let me get to know you!”

Her harsh tone made Mo Li and the manager look up simultaneously.

Seeing Mo Li, the famed heartthrob, Xie Anyue’s hostile expression froze. “Mo… Mo Li…”

It was none other than the wildly popular Mo Li himself!

Mo Li frowned at her flirtatious pose. “Do you need something?”

“Hello, idol! I’m Xie Anyue, from the girl group studio next door…”

She coquettishly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and puckered her lips as she spoke. Even Chu Mian, in the midst of composing, couldn’t help but look up.

Their eyes met, and Xie Anyue’s pupils instantly widened. “Chu Mian?!”

“What are you doing here?”

That sharp voice nearly burst Chu Mian’s eardrums.

“Do you two know each other?” Mo Li sat back down, crossing his legs, his eyes flicking between Xie Anyue and Chu Mian.

Suddenly, Xie Anyue smiled slyly at Mo Li, then leaned in to whisper fiercely in Chu Mian’s ear, “Chu Mian, you’re clinging to Second Master Fu while trying to seduce idol Mo Li? Do you really think someone as poor-looking as you could catch the idol’s eye? Get lost!”

Chu Mian looked at her with a blank expression. “Are you sure?”

Xie Anyue didn’t understand and was about to chase her out when Mo Li suddenly spoke from behind, “What are you whispering about? Hey, you—get out of here. Don’t waste the big shot I hired to write songs.”

At first, he didn’t believe this little girl was Boyan.

But after seeing the song she composed on the spot, Mo Li was beginning to waver.