Chapter 322: Chapter 322

"But boss, even the best wine fears being hidden in a deep alley. Jiang Han had no prior reputation. If we push him out , I’m afraid the market won’t accept him."

"The market won’t ignore a truly talented singer. Remember this: Jiang Han is, first and foremost, a singer, then a star. Never forget that origin, no matter what."

"Looks like you have a lot of faith in him, boss. But honestly, I attended one of his recording sessions—he’s an absolute treasure. Your eye for talent is really unmatched."

"Alright, I’ll hang up now..."

"Wait, boss! A couple of scripts have been sent over for Qi Baotan. Can you take a look and see if any of them suit her?"

Zhao Heng wasn’t the type to trouble Shen You’an with every little thing, but seeing how attentive Shen You’an was to Qi Baotan, he figured he’d rather be safe and ask.

"Send them to my email. I’ll review them and get back to you."

Shen You’an hung up the phone and quickly received Zhao Heng’s email with the attachments.

Three scripts had been sent for Qi Baotan.

All were olive branches extended after learning she had worked under director Cen, but unfortunately, they were deeply insincere offers.

Two films and one television drama.

One of the films was a low-budget project by a rookie director with her as the female lead, while the other featured her as a fringe supporting role in a male-centric story.

The TV drama offered her the second female role, a malicious supporting character in a wartime storyline.

Shen You’an pondered over the options for a long time but didn’t recognize any of them.

She told Zhao Heng to turn them all down. An actor needs to protect their reputation; it’s better to have nothing than accept poor-quality work.

Right now, what matters most for Qi Baotan is studying. She should focus on preparing for next year’s film academy entrance exams and take the proper academic route.

The future is long; there’s no need to rush for short-term gains or losses.

At that moment, Luo Wan called from outside the door, "An’an, dinner’s ready."

"Alright." Shen You’an closed her laptop and walked out of her room.

She glanced toward the entryway, where her uncle’s slippers lay quietly on the floor.

"Uncle hasn’t come back yet?"

Luo Wan grinned from ear to ear. "I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet—your uncle is about to get promoted. He’s so busy these days he doesn’t even have time to touch the ground."

Shen You’an raised an eyebrow.

Looks like her uncle is about to take over Song Qi’s role.

Luo Wan sighed sentimentally, "Your uncle has endured so many years of hardship. He’s finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Heaven has taken mercy on us; good days are just ahead for our family."

Then, her brows knitted slightly. "An’an, have you seen Zhou Qin recently?"

Shen You’an took a bite of steamed bun and casually replied, "Nope, haven’t seen her."

"How strange." Luo Wan shook her head. "She’s disappeared. Maybe she eloped with that lover of hers. Best to never return."

Shen You’an raised her eyebrow slightly.

At 8 p.m., the top four contestants in Lanya High School’s campus heartthrob contest were announced.

Predictably, the finalists were Leng Yunyang, Jiang Shengyao, Liu Runxi, and Gu Bichen.

Leng Yunyang had an overwhelming lead in votes, closely followed by Jiang Shengyao.

Liu Runxi and Gu Bichen were also heartthrob-level figures, but one was too aloof while the other was overly friendly like a "human radiator." Neither left as striking an impression as Leng Yunyang and Jiang Shengyao.

Especially Leng Yunyang—he was exactly the type girls adored. They say "bad boys" are irresistible, after all.

Next up was a week-long showdown among the final four, though everyone saw it as a mere formality. The ultimate winner would undoubtedly be Leng Yunyang.

As such, Leng Yunyang, after a cursory glance at the forum, moved his fingers over the keyboard. He hacked into the forum and inserted a program to ensure no one could surpass him in votes later.

After finishing, Leng Yunyang paused for a moment.

Something didn’t feel quite right.

Given the vote-rigging incident last time, the forum admin should’ve upgraded their firewall. Why was it so seamless for him to hack in this time?

Could it be that the admin, "Shell," was just a so-called expert with a hollow reputation?

Out of caution, Leng Yunyang double-checked everything multiple times but found no issues.

Scoffing, he dismissed the idea. It was just a high school forum—what kind of tricks could they pull? Surely no one would bother setting up traps, right?

Leng Yunyang chuckled and shook his head, then opened a game to summon his teammates.

The next few days were calm and uneventful. Shen You’an went about as if she had no pressing concerns, much to Gao Yuyue’s frustration, who was on the verge of breaking out in cold sores from anxiety.

"For heaven’s sake, can’t you take this seriously? Alright, come over to my place tonight. I can at least teach you to play a basic Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti. Worst case scenario, you can just go on stage and play something simple like ’Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’"

Shen You’an glanced at her phone. "It’s the 28th today."

Shen You’an’s lips curved slightly. "Tomorrow, I’m taking half a day off."

Gao Yuyue gave her a suspicious look. "What are you up to?"

Shen You’an raised her hands and mimed a piano-playing motion, her slender fingers gliding gracefully through the air like ripples, exuding a captivating and elegant charm.

"Practicing piano, of course."

At that moment, Qin Xiangge walked by with a tray of food, intentionally casting a disdainful glance at Shen You’an, her gaze haughty and mocking.

Shen You’an didn’t even spare her a sideways glance.

After sitting down, Qin Xiangge was immediately approached by Hao Yun, who couldn’t wait to ask, "Xiangge, your competition is tomorrow. Are you nervous?"

Qin Xiangge laughed lightly. "Do you even know how many competitions I’ve participated in since I was a child? I’ve been in countless ones far bigger than this."

Hao Yun’s eyes filled with envy. "That’s amazing."

Then she shot a glance toward Shen You’an’s direction and clicked her tongue. "And Shen You’an thinks she can compete with you? She’s just delusional." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noveⅼfire.net

Qin Xiangge shook her head with a smile. "Don’t bring her up—it ruins my appetite."