Chapter 132: Adding a Singer Identity

The next day.

Chen Qi was awakened by the ringing of his phone. Still deep in sleep, he reluctantly picked up his phone and glanced at it. The caller ID showed Xu Man. He checked the time; it was 7:03 AM.

"Oh, come on!" Chen Qi groaned in agony. He pressed the answer button and complained, "Big sister, do you have any sense of public decency? It's the crack of dawn, what do you want?"

"What's the situation with that song?" Xu Man’s voice, filled with utter bewilderment, came through the phone. In her urgency, she didn't even bother to take offense at being called "big sister."

Lack of public decency? If she really lacked decency, she would have called the moment she heard the news late last night!

Because the commotion "To You" had caused online the previous night was significant, word had reached some celebrities in the industry by late evening. When they learned that Chen Qi was busy finding new ways to dig his own grave, they were amused, though they couldn't help but shake their heads. Was living really that unappealing to him?

However, after watching the video and hearing the song, they were stunned.

What surprised them wasn't that Chen Qi could write songs, nor that the song sounded quite good. The entertainment industry was full of people who could write and sing; one more Chen Qi wasn't a big deal. What shocked them was that Chen Qi had released a song so casually!

Other artists would spend months of preparation and maintain airtight secrecy before releasing a good song. But he? He just let it out in such a setting? Was this not just a little too reckless?

These stars were dumbfounded! It was the first time they had ever seen someone treat a good song with such disregard. In the decades of the music scene's history, no one had ever released music this way!

In that instant, many stars couldn't help but reflect on their own age. Were young people today really this bold?

When Xu Man first saw the video, she was also struck speechless. Like the other stars, she was floored by how casually Chen Qi had tossed such a song out into the world. As a singer, she knew exactly how much profit a good song could generate if managed correctly, especially in the current slump of the music industry.

But Chen Qi... Honestly, if it hadn't been so late, she would have called him right then. What was going on?

She wasn't particularly surprised that Chen Qi admitted to writing it; she had strongly suspected he was the one behind "Beyond the Light Years," too.

"Song? What song?" Chen Qi was clearly still half-asleep.

" 'To You'!"

"Oh, that's just the situation you saw."

"..." Listening to Chen Qi's nonchalant tone, Xu Man didn't know how to respond. After two seconds of silence, she got straight to the point: "Give that song to me."

"No," Chen Qi refused flatly.

"...I'll pay."

"It's not about the money..."

"Five million!"

"It really isn't about the money." Chen Qi finally woke up a bit and said, "The song doesn't suit you."

"Then give me another one that does."

"I don't have any."

"..." Xu Man was speechless.

"Anything else?" Chen Qi was already thinking about going back to sleep.

"Then what are you planning to do with this song? Who do you want to sell it to?" Xu Man asked curiously.

"Why must I sell it? Can't I sing it myself?"

"Sing it yourself?" Xu Man was surprised.

"Yeah, didn't you say I was very talented the other day? I'm planning to give it a try."

"..." Xu Man was once again at a loss for words. She asked, "What happened last night? Was it designed by you? Was that proposal something you arranged?"

"..." Chen Qi's mouth twitched involuntarily. "Big sister, your imagination is truly rich!"

Xu Man’s voice rose sharply: "You're the big sister! Your whole family is big sisters!"

"Hiss—" Chen Qi shivered at the sudden volume, instantly wide awake.

"I'm hanging up!" He couldn't be bothered to argue with her.

*Ha, women!* As soon as she realized the song was a lost cause, she started getting petty!

After hanging up, Chen Qi sat on his bed in a daze before checking the buzz online. After a night of fermentation, "To You" had climbed into the top three of the trending charts; he wasn't sure if it had hit number one.

In truth, he had noticed the attention the song was getting online the night before, and to be honest, he was quite surprised. When he sang it, he hadn't thought much about it—he just wanted to give his blessings to that couple, nothing more. Though the subsequent events had far exceeded his expectations, he didn't really mind. Since the timing, the place, and the people were all aligned, he might as well add the title of "singer" to his profile and officially release the song.

He made the decision just as recklessly as that. He later found the video of him singing and listened to it—and he had to admit, he had actually sung it quite well!

Afterward, he opened his Weibo. Just as expected, the comments were filled with requests for him to release the full version of "To You." Chen Qi smiled, then got up to wash and make breakfast, patiently waiting for the music websites to call.

To his surprise, his phone rang again while he was brushing his teeth. It was an unrecognized number. Chen Qi glanced at it and didn't answer. He guessed it was a music website, but he had no intention of picking up. It was only seven-something in the morning! Calling this early was simply insane!

The website was being too selfish; to reach him first and prevent competitors from poaching the song, they had abandoned basic courtesy. He had zero interest in collaborating with such a company.

After ringing for over fifty seconds, the call ended automatically. But the shamelessness of the caller exceeded his expectations; a few seconds later, the phone rang again—the same number.

Chen Qi hesitated for two seconds before finally hitting the answer button.

"Hello, Mr. Chen, I'm from 99 Music..."

Before they could finish, Chen Qi hung up and blocked the number. The entire process was smooth and seamless.

And so, the world became quiet again.

His phone didn't ring for a while. It wasn't until 8:30 AM that another call finally came through. It was Tang Yan from Tian Tian Music! The same website that had collaborated on "Beyond the Light Years" with Xu Man last time.

Seeing that the time was exactly 8:30, Chen Qi couldn't help but smile.

*Thoughtful! The attention to detail is perfect.*

"Director Tang," he answered the call.

"Director Chen, I heard the song you sang last night. Do you have time now? Could we meet?" Tang Yan went straight to the point, her tone somewhat urgent.

Putting aside her ability as a veteran music professional to recognize the quality of the song, she was desperate to sign it just for the massive attention it had garnered online. She knew she wasn't the only one eyeing the song, but she had a natural advantage: she knew Chen Qi, and they were on decent terms!

"Sure," Chen Qi agreed without a second thought.