Chapter 140: Affirmation from a Young Girl

Saturday arrived in a flash, and the day for the broadcast of "King of Love Songs" had come.

General Director Ke Ming was both nervous and excited; the moment to verify the results had arrived.

Luo Mo specifically sent a WeChat message to his apprentice, Ding Xiaoyu, saying: "Yu, your master's program is airing tonight. Remember to watch it. Your master will play the piano for you."

Luo Mo was doing piano singing in the first episode, and Ding Xiaoyu was a piano prodigy who had won awards at the Chopin International Piano Competition; it was actually a bit like showing off one's skills before an expert.

On Ding Xiaoyu's end, it quickly showed "typing," then she deleted and edited for a long time, and finally sent: "I happen to have nothing to do tonight, I will watch it with Mom."

Luo Mo smiled and replied: "Give my regards to your aunt."

Logically speaking, he was Ding Xiaoyu's "cheap" master, and he should be of the same generation as her mother.

But if he really had to call her mother "sister," Luo Mo truly couldn't bring himself to say it; it was better to just address each other separately.

When evening came, Ding Xiaoyu had already sat down in the living room early and selected Penguin Video on the television's streaming platform.

Her mother, Chen Ru, cut a small fruit platter and placed it in front of Ding Xiaoyu.

"Thank you, Mom," Ding Xiaoyu said.

Many people rarely say thank you to their parents at home, but Ding Xiaoyu had been like this since she was a child.

Chen Ru was a woman who looked quite serious; she had worked as a lawyer for a period of time, but had no success in the industry. Later, when her daughter became a child star, she began to manage her daughter's team full-time.

Sometimes, her say was even greater than Ding Xiaoyu's agent, which was the current status quo for many child stars.

Chen Ru nodded and sat down beside her daughter; the mother and daughter didn't actually look very close, and Ding Xiaoyu had never dared to act spoiled in front of her mother since she was a child.

Because acting spoiled was useless; her mother would only keep a straight face and lecture her on logic.

When she was young and filming, it was very tiring, and she would sometimes get hurt, like scraping her knees. Other child stars would cry and make a scene, and their parents would coax them, prepare snacks, and promise to go to an amusement park after filming, but Chen Ru never would.

She would only say: "Only by suffering more now will you have more prospects than those who only know how to cry."

Perhaps Ding Xiaoyu was truly a gifted girl, the kind that Heaven chases after to feed.

Whether it was in terms of Yueqi or acting, she was extremely spirited.

She really did have more prospects than others; the family moved into a big house, and her parents bought a new car. Even the successful lawyer colleagues from the law firm where her mother once worked didn't drive cars as good as her mother's.

Relatives and friends would shower her with praise whenever they met, and her mother's serious face would occasionally reveal pride, and then she would be even stricter with her.

Her mother seemed to always believe: "You can still do better."

After recording "Walking and Singing" back then, the thing Ding Xiaoyu worried about most was that her mother and agent would not like her prank-loving master after seeing the program broadcast.

After all, when Luo Mo took her as an apprentice, he nominally did so under the banner of teaching her the "Art of Pranking" and wanted to teach her how to pull pranks.

In Ding Xiaoyu's view, this was what her mother detested the most.

When the program aired, she clearly saw Chen Ru's expression fluctuate.

It wasn't just because of her relationship with Luo Mo, but also because she had secretly learned the drums.

Chen Ru believed that a piano prodigy should have her own elegance; wasn't playing the drums ruining her own persona?

If the persona collapsed, that was destroying her own future!

Therefore, after watching that episode of "Walking and Singing" at home, Chen Ru immediately picked up the phone, scolded Ding Xiaoyu's cousin, and flew into a rage.

You couldn't argue with this woman who had worked as a lawyer in her early years; the logic was always on her side.

But later, there was nothing but praise on the internet.

At the same time, as a Top Traffic, after Luo Mo took Ding Xiaoyu as an apprentice, a large group of "Mo-born people" came to "recognize their kin."

Ding Xiaoyu was already likable, and it instantly became unstoppable.

In just one night, her Weibo followers increased by hundreds of thousands, and her fan activity surged.

At the same time, she continuously appeared on the Hot Search, and the footage of her drumming was even made into a GIF and spread widely.

Tying relationships in the entertainment industry is very useful, which is why many people hype up scandals or establish intimate relationships like "besties," master-apprentice, "frenemies," or father-son.

This made Chen Ru realize all of a sudden that her daughter seemed to have been carried to success.

The next day, people with keen senses came knocking, bringing their respective resources and endorsements.

Only then did Chen Ru realize that she had underestimated Luo Mo.

It was precisely because of this that when Luo Mo invited Ding Xiaoyu to do voice acting for "That Rabbit," Chen Ru agreed without even thinking.

As a result, Luo Mo sent a massive gift!

Participating in the "That Rabbit" team was equivalent to broadening her future path.

Luo Mo had notified Ding Xiaoyu that "That Rabbit" would be broadcast on the Children's Channel and Penguin Video. After the girl told her mother about this, Chen Ru was so excited she couldn't sleep at night.

She and the agent had previously been trying to find a way into some tribute dramas, but it never worked out.

Who could have thought that they would inexplicably walk down another alternative path and bask in Luo Mo's glory.

Therefore, this woman shifted from initial detestation to attaching extreme importance to this master-apprentice relationship.

Ding Xiaoyu didn't think that much; she just needed to be able to continue getting along with her master.

Even if it was just chatting with her master from afar, she would feel very happy and relaxed.

The candy Luo Mo gave her last time to eat on the way back—she still hadn't been able to bring herself to finish it.

When she was in a bad mood, she would eat one, and her mood would immediately get better; it was very magical!

Privately, she stuck a sticky note on that bag of candy, on which she wrote 【Magic Candy】.

Just like what was said in an episode of "Odd Talk," for someone whose life is very bitter, how much sweetness is needed to fill it?

A sliver of sweetness is enough.

Therefore, although Ding Xiaoyu still kept herself closed off in a small world most of the time, as long as Luo Mo came to chat with her, she would become lively.

Everyone is born with their own wings, but some have had theirs cut off by scissors.

But it doesn't matter; there will always be a Doraemon who appears and takes a 【Bamboo Dragonfly】 out of their pocket for you.

………

………

At eight o'clock sharp in the evening, the first episode of *King of Love Songs* aired on time.

Ding Xiaoyu watched the television with rapt attention, looking forward to her master's appearance.

Chen Ru glanced at her daughter and said, "Remember to get on Weibo later and post something for your master to help promote him."

In her view, relationships need to be maintained.

"At the same time, you need to post news related to Luo Mo every so often so that those 【Master-Disciple Fans】 will remain stable."

Ding Xiaoyu nodded vigorously; she had no ulterior motives, she just wanted to openly brag about her master on social media.

As soon as the program started, it showed the scene of Luo Mo getting out of a car.

The cameraman followed by his side, filming his Back Shadow, making people feel that this man's shoulders were very broad; he was a real clothes hanger who could pull off wearing anything.

If one were to open the bullet comments, it was estimated that people would already be praising: "Pacific-wide shoulders spotted!"

One Singer after another appeared, followed by the rehearsal content.

Luo Mo was the first to start Singing, and before the official stage performance was played, his interview and personal profile were shown.

When the voice-over appeared, a smile emerged on Ding Xiaoyu's face because it said: "Since your Total Debut Duration is—1 Day, you will be the first to perform on stage."

She had watched *Creating Idols*, so she found it particularly funny. Back then it was 【Total Training Duration 0 Days】, and now it was 【Total Debut Duration 1 Day】.

"Master is truly a huge weirdo! Tee-hee!" Ding Xiaoyu said in her heart.

Her toes, wearing bear slippers, would lift up from time to time and then gently fall, keeping the beat.

Chen Ru didn't say much, only remarking, "He is indeed very handsome; no wonder his popularity is so high."

Ding Xiaoyu subconsciously retorted, "His popularity isn't high just because he's handsome."

By the end of the sentence, her voice grew softer and softer, because from childhood to now, she had almost never contradicted her mother's words.

At home, her mother's word was always law, and her father never tried to persuade her otherwise.

Chen Ru also looked at her daughter with slight surprise, but because the subject was Luo Mo, she just smiled and didn't say much more, instead saying something rare: "Fine, after all, he is our Yu's master, so he is naturally extraordinary."

Ding Xiaoyu nodded slightly, carefully ate a piece of fruit, and said nothing more.

At this moment, Luo Mo finally took the stage, and wearing a white shirt, he sat down in front of the piano.

Chen Ru's eyes lit up and she said, "Hey, isn't this the brand you endorse?"

Ding Xiaoyu's attention had been on Luo Mo just now, but looking closely at this moment, it really was the high-end brand of piano she endorsed.

It was clearly just a small coincidence, yet it made Ding Xiaoyu's bear slippers tap out a rhythm on the tiles again.

After Luo Mo took a deep breath, he began to play the piano.

Ding Xiaoyu quickly reached a verdict in her heart: "Master's piano performance level isn't as good as mine!"

This made her feel a little smug.

If humans still had tails, she would probably be wagging hers in pride.

Although Ding Xiaoyu was only 16, she was someone who had won an award at the Chopin International Piano Competition, so strictly speaking, she was already a little pianist.

Her personal level, let alone crushing everyone in her own age group, was considered super strong even when looking at the whole country.

Once the piece was finished, when others took the stage, Ding Xiaoyu lost interest.

Only when Wei Ran went on stage did she become slightly more focused.

Then, when the camera cut to Luo Mo, she would watch very intently again.

Finally, before the segment announcing the rankings, Ding Xiaoyu's little nose suddenly wrinkled up, and her face, still slightly chubby, looked just like a little meat bun.

Because she heard the sentence Zhao Xueqin said to Luo Mo: "The lyrics are not bad, the entry point is very clever, but as for the music, you could actually put a little more effort into it."

The implication was too obvious; how could she not hear it?

Even if she were naive, she knew what kind of chain reaction would follow. After all, she hadn't been without experience in being bashed by netizens, and she had experienced it when she was very young.

Honestly, with Ding Xiaoyu's own temperament, even if her piano attainments were extremely deep, she wouldn't be angry if Zhao Xueqin critiqued her like that.

However, you can talk about me, but you can't talk about Master!

Ding Xiaoyu took out her phone and quickly reposted a promotional Weibo from Luo Mo Studio, adding the caption: 【The piano part in the song is very impressive!】

After this sentence, this piano genius girl also added three thumbs-up emojis.

(PS: First update, asking for monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)