Chapter 113: Your girlfriend won't be angry, will she?

"Once you have a girlfriend, you'll understand—she hates the smell of alcohol."

Xu Tian gave a faint smile, not offering much explanation. "I won't drink. I'll drive your car back for you in a while."

"What does your girlfriend do? Why don't we all have a meal together sometime?"

Shang Yiran was genuinely curious about what type of girlfriend someone like Xu Tian would have.

"My girlfriend is quite busy. I'll ask her later," Xu Tian said evasively.

He wasn't sure if Shang Yiran had ever met Tang Bingyan, but during their secret marriage, he didn't intend to expose anything that might cause trouble for her.

Even though he and Shang Yiran were now friends, he didn't want to complicate things unnecessarily.

"Alright, then ask her." Seeing that Xu Tian didn't want to talk about his girlfriend, Shang Yiran assumed he was just being low-key and didn't mind. "By the way, I heard you requested Murong Xue?"

"That's right," Xu Tian nodded.

"Why her?" Shang Yiran was a bit puzzled.

With so many artists in the company, even if Xu Tian had picked an un-debuted trainee, it would have been better than Murong Xue, a "transparent" nobody who had been in the industry for two years without a trace.

"I think she has talent; she's been held back under Du Xiaowei," Xu Tian explained.

"Hmm, that's true..."

Shang Yiran recalled the Murong Xue he had seen. "She's pretty, and her vocal timbre is good. The music scene really is lacking this style lately."

"That Du Xiaowei is good at crooked, sensationalist hype, but it's all just bluffing. Plus, he likes to form cliques within the company. Many talented young artists at Qingguo Music have been held back."

"Anyway, you're just starting out. If you need my help with anything, just say the word."

Shang Yiran thought for a moment and continued, "I'm planning to release a new album next quarter. It wouldn't be a problem to save a duet for her or have her be the lead in the music video."

"Thanks. If I need your help then, I won't be shy about it!"

The waiter brought over what they had ordered, and Xu Tian picked up his sparkling water to clink glasses with Shang Yiran.

"Yiran, so you're here!"

Just then, a woman wearing a long black dress and long, curly hair walked toward them, stepping in seven-centimeter stiletto heels.

The woman reached their side, bringing a rich scent of roses. She was slim and tall, like an elegant black swan, and she sat directly on Shang Yiran's lap as soon as she arrived.

"You don't look like you're in the best health. Do you want me to recommend an old Chinese doctor for you to see?"

"Sister Shanshan!" Shang Yiran gave the woman some space with a speechless expression. Only then did she lift her hem and sit properly in front of the two men.

Xu Tian sized up the newcomer and immediately recognized her as the Heavenly Queen, Wang Manshan.

Wang Manshan was a household name, but because of her overly striking appearance, she had been pigeonholed early on. Although her singing skills were good, the songs she chose when she first debuted didn't fit her vocal characteristics, causing her to miss out on the Huaxia Golden Melody Award for Best Female Singer several times.

Xu Tian remembered that Wang Manshan had released a new album this year with a major breakthrough in musical style, which had received unanimous praise from industry critics upon its release.

Furthermore, she had won the honor of Best Female Singer at the 36th Huaxia Golden Melody Awards for this record.

However, there was still some time before the Golden Melody Awards ceremony. Currently, while Wang Manshan had a certain status in the music scene, she wasn't yet considered a "Heavenly Queen" level figure without the awards to back it up.

Xu Tian's knowledge of Wang Manshan from his past life, aside from the scandals netizens loved to gossip about, was limited to this award-winning album, which was truly well-deserved.

After settling in, Wang Manshan fixed her gaze on Xu Tian. Her look was naked and direct, which reminded Xu Tian of the rumors about her in the entertainment industry—that she changed boyfriends faster than she changed clothes and specifically targeted young, fresh meat.

"Yiran, you have such a top-tier handsome guy by your side, why haven't you introduced him to your sister?"

Shang Yiran looked at Wang Manshan helplessly and spoke up.

"His name is Xu Tian, he's my friend. But Sister Shanshan, don't you go setting your sights on him; he has a girlfriend."

Seeing her intentions laid bare by Shang Yiran, Wang Manshan wasn't annoyed; instead, she gave Xu Tian a look full of hidden meaning.

"I didn't say I wanted him to be my boyfriend."

"Of course, given Sister Shanshan's personality, you just want a one-night stand."

It seemed Shang Yiran and Wang Manshan had a pretty good relationship, at least to the point of being able to speak without restraint.

"Don't be so direct. If you scare him off, what will you use to keep me company?"

Wang Manshan feigned a coquettish pout at Shang Yiran, then stood up and squeezed between Xu Tian and Shang Yiran.

"Sister Shanshan, don't waste your effort. He doesn't do hookups."

Shang Yiran's eyelid twitched. Xu Tian was someone he had brought along, so naturally, he had to protect him a little.

"He doesn't do them now, but he could in the future."

Wang Manshan still refused to give up. "Sister has plenty of time."

"Heavenly Queen Wang."

Xu Tian calmly shifted his gaze. "I suspect that in a while, you might not have that much time."

"Heavenly Queen?" Wang Manshan was stunned, then laughed at herself. "No one has ever called me that. Little brother, you've buttered up the wrong person."

No one in the entertainment industry had ever addressed her that way. Although she debuted early and had some influence in the music scene, she had been ostracized by the mainstream Huaxia music circle precisely because she had never won an orthodox award.

"In the future, people will call you that."

Seeing Wang Manshan's displeased reaction, Xu Tian's expression didn't change. Instead, he said with calm confidence, "I can read faces. Miss Wang, your career luck is very strong lately."

"Little brother, your way of picking people up is truly unique."

Wang Manshan naturally didn't believe Xu Tian's rhetoric, but she still played along naturally. "Then tell me, what kind of development will my career have? In a while, I'm going to attend the Golden Melody Awards. Do you think I can win an award?"

Xu Tian deliberately turned his head, stared at Wang Manshan's face for a long time, and continued:

"Of course you can win an award, and it will be for Best Female Singer."

The Xu Tian before his rebirth had spent a fairly long time idling about, so he had a lot of knowledge about these entertainment industry news items.

It was precisely because of the memories from his past life that entering the entertainment industry as a newcomer wasn't an uphill battle for him now.

He was certain that the Best Female Singer of this year's Golden Melody Awards belonged to none other than Wang Manshan.

"Little brother, who did you learn your sweet-talking skills from?"

Wang Manshan chuckled upon hearing this. "Although it's cliché, I'm actually quite enjoying it."

"It's not sweet-talking; it's that the Best Female Singer of this Golden Melody Awards belongs to you. And I can even calculate that the Best Male Singer this year is..."

Wang Manshan stared at Xu Tian, dumbfounded, as he listed several important award winners. Finally, she sighed helplessly.

"How much have you had to drink?"

"I haven't been drinking, and I'm not drunk." Xu Tian picked up the sparkling water in front of him and shook it in front of Wang Manshan. "Do you want to make a bet with me?"

"A bet?" Wang Manshan narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing up the man sitting beside her. It was the first time she had found someone she couldn't see through. "What do you want to bet on?"

"Let's bet on who the Best Female Singer of this Golden Melody Awards will be. If I'm right, you have to agree to one condition for me."

"And what if you're wrong?" Wang Manshan's eyes rolled as she quickly calculated in her mind. "Can you agree to one condition for me, too?"

"Of course," Xu Tian answered with certainty.

"Anything?" Wang Manshan looked at him with a half-smile, leaning forward slightly until she was right in front of Xu Tian, whispering, "If the condition I propose is very excessive, your girlfriend won't be angry, will she?" ===== CHAPTER 114 =====