I'm Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

Chapter 132: Chapter 125: Jiang Jingshi’s Heart’s Voice

Lin Zhengran smiled and nodded.

”I did notice something was off, but first, I’d like to ask you a few questions, Jiang. You mentioned you’ve already spoken to your people?”

”Did you just ask around, or did you consult your music specialists? After all, since you’ve decided to get into the music business, you must have some experts you trust on your team.”

Jiang Jingshi looked at Lin Zhengran in surprise, pausing her wiping motion slightly.

”You really figured it out? I should have known. You’re better at some things than I am. As for my people, I did ask them, and it wasn’t just a casual inquiry. I have a man on my team named Jiang Cheng.

”He’s an expert in the field whom I recruited; he’s been with me for two years. He’s the one who introduced me to Sty, the celebrity judge in this competition, through his contacts.”

Lin Zhengran was surprised. ”So, you’re saying Sty is actually an expert you brought in?”

”That’s right.”

Lin Zhengran asked again, ”Then what about that New Star Studio?”

Jiang Jingshi laughed. ”You haven’t answered my question yet, Zhengran, and you’ve already turned around and asked me so many.”

Lin Zhengran explained, ”I’m just trying to sort through my thoughts. Then I should have a good idea of the situation.”

After a moment’s thought, she resumed wiping the lipstick from Lin Zhengran’s shoulder until it was completely gone.

”I hadn’t heard of that studio either, but my investigation showed it’s an independently formed music collective. They seem quite talented. Why? Is there a problem with the studio?”

Lin Zhengran stated his observation confidently.

”Yes, that’s the problem I was referring to. While this team is pretty good, they are nowhere near *that* good. Among the fifty singers who advanced in this competition,

fifteen of them are members of the New Star Music team. In my view, however, at most five of them actually have the skill to advance. The others are just average, and many can’t hold a candle to singers from other studios.”

”Oh? Really?” She mused, ”I’m not an expert on music, but I did notice a skill gap among the final fifty singers.”

Lin Zhengran said, a bit sheepishly, ”There’s one more thing... I hope you won’t get angry when I say it, Jiang, but it’s the truth.”

”Just say it. I won’t get angry no matter what you say,” Jiang Jingshi said slowly.

”What I mean is, while the team you manage is certainly skilled, in my opinion, they’re definitely not good enough for all twenty of your contestants to make the final list. At best, maybe ten could get in.

”However, since you’re the one who brought in Sty... just between us, it’s possible he showed you a little favoritism during the scoring. That’s to be expected.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled, her eyes fixed on Lin Zhengran’s.

”No wonder you told me not to get angry. If anyone else had told me that, I might have actually gotten mad.

”I’ve never asked anyone to bend the rules for me, but I trust your judgment, Zhengran. And, just as you said, some connections between people exist even if they’re unspoken.”

She nodded. ”It’s possible Sty would do that.”

Lin Zhengran looked at the beef on his plate.

”So, the strange thing today isn’t actually a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. Tomorrow’s final rankings for the ’Little New Star’ chart are determined by online voting. Even if the judges opened the back door a little during the eliminations, it’s not a big problem and shouldn’t really affect the final results.

”But... on my way here, a thought suddenly occurred to me. That New Star Studio... it’s not going to be merged into your operations in the end, is it?”

Jiang Jingshi’s brow furrowed slightly before she laughed.

”No, of course not. What would give you an idea like that, Zhengran? If we were merging with another studio, I, as the owner, would definitely know. I’m usually very busy and have to focus on many different operations, so Jiang Cheng is basically in charge of the music team when I’m not there. But he would certainly tell me if something like this were happening...”

Lin Zhengran suddenly asked a question Jiang Jingshi had never considered. ”But what if Jiang Cheng betrayed you?”

Jiang Jingshi froze.

Lin Zhengran continued,

”I’m just speaking hypothetically. This competition suddenly became such a huge event—inviting celebrities, holding an online vote... I imagine that exceeded your expectations as well, didn’t it?

”Now, if New Star Studio were to be merged into your operations without anyone noticing, it would create a situation where thirty-five of the fifty finalists chosen today are actually your people. It would be as if none of your people were eliminated at all.”

Lin Zhengran continued, ”But over thirty studios participated today, and all the other talented contestants were completely wiped out. If that list and the recordings from the past two days are posted online, it’ll feel... fake at a glance.”

Jiang Jingshi’s brow slowly furrowed as she, too, began to realize something. She thought,

’If that’s the case... we wouldn’t even need a merger. Just the fact that nearly all of my twenty-plus singers made the list would be enough to make tons of netizens suspicious once it’s posted. If you add another fifteen on top of that, what is it if not a rigged competition?

’And taking it to the worst-case scenario, what if Jiang Cheng really did betray me and paid Sty? Then what happens when people online demand an explanation from Sty? If he posts that I had someone bribe him to pass my singers, colluding with Jiang Cheng, my credibility would be destroyed.

’And that kind of collapse wouldn’t just involve my music team. It would directly implicate many of my other teams and even the Jiang Group. There would be an endless stream of people questioning if I rig my other ventures, too.’

Lin Zhengran added, ”After all, with the Jiang Group behind you, if someone really wants to make trouble for you, even a small incident like this will be blown way out of proportion. There will be a chain reaction.”

Jiang Jingshi picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks. ”I knew something felt strange today. It turns out my group’s advancement rate was just too high—so high that even I found it abnormal.”

She brought the beef to Lin Zhengran’s lips, and he ate it.

Jiang Jingshi then took a napkin and gently wiped the corner of Lin Zhengran’s mouth.

Lin Zhengran asked with a laugh, ”Jiang, there’s no need to be so... attentive with the feeding, is there?”

Jiang Jingshi froze for a second, realizing she had done it unconsciously. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, but she still finished wiping his mouth.

”Thank you for telling me all this. Even though it’s all just speculation on our part, I’ve had a very bad feeling all day, as if something like this was about to happen.

”And the most unsolvable part is that no one, except you, would be able to see through a plan like this. Nobody would question the evaluations of two celebrity judges; after all, none of the singers think they’re more skilled than them. Even if the singers had doubts, they wouldn’t voice them. It would only blow up on a massive scale after being released online.”

Lin Zhengran cut in, ”I don’t think I’m that skilled, either.”

His words made Jiang Jingshi laugh, and her gentle smile was exceptionally beautiful.

”Oh, come on, Zhengran, don’t be so modest. I can see it clearly now. It’s no accident my little sister never managed to beat you. You really know how to do everything, and you’ve mastered it all. With a master like you around, I’m afraid I could never win against one of your students. I admit defeat.”

At this, Jiang Jingshi suddenly sighed, weary of the constant backstabbing between corporations.

”You know, you see me juggling all these different projects over the years, and it might seem like I’m making a lot of money, but in reality, I’ve messed up plenty of things, too. I’m not as amazing as I might seem.

”Especially since in this second generation of the Jiang Family, it’s just me and Qianqian. My father is getting older, so the family arrangement is that when she’s grown, she’ll manage the company’s internal affairs, and I’ll be in charge of PR to help the group expand its influence,” she explained.

”Do you know why so many rich heirs get involved in all sorts of random ventures? It might look like a waste of resources, but it’s actually to promote their own family’s corporation. Brand recognition is a very difficult thing to build, but once your name spreads through the news, it can bring in a lot of unexpected profits for the company.”

Jiang Jingshi stared at Lin Zhengran.

”But doing all this promotion work is exhausting. My own abilities are limited, after all. Unless I had someone as multi-talented as you by my side, Zhengran... How about...” She looked up and asked tentatively,

”If you were willing to work with me, Zhengran, you could name any price, as long as it’s within my means...”

Lin Zhengran interrupted her with a smile. ”I’m sorry, Jiang. I don’t want to lead you on, but I’ve never intended to work for anyone.”

Jiang Jingshi had expected this answer. She gave a gentle smile.

”True. I knew someone with your personality would never work for someone else, Zhengran. But to be honest, after getting to know you, I’ve had a sudden thought these past few days. If I weren’t unable to leave my company...”

She spoke each word with what seemed like genuine sincerity.

”I would genuinely love to work with you, Zhengran, even as your assistant. I’ve met so many people in my life, but I have never been this optimistic about a person’s future. I’m certain you will achieve great things, and there’s a very good chance you’ll surpass me, and even the Jiang Family.”

Her red lips slowly parted, revealing the thought she’d been holding back.

”If that day ever comes, I hope we can be partners, not enemies. At the very least, I will never make an enemy of you. After all... after these past few encounters, I’ve really grown to like and admire you.”

”Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Jiang. With you saying that, I’m sure we won’t become enemies.”

”That’s wonderful.”

She speared another piece of beef with the same fork, but instead of offering it to Lin Zhengran, she ate it herself.

After chewing, she remarked that the beef was excellent, the flavor wonderful.

Just then, Lin Zhengran’s phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw it was a call from his mom.

She was probably asking what time he would be home.

Lin Zhengran gave a brief answer and hung up. He glanced at the time. ”I’m sorry, but I have to go. We’ve been talking for so long I didn’t realize it’s past nine o’clock. I still have things to do for the competition tomorrow.”

Jiang Jingshi seemed reluctant to see him go, but she nodded in understanding. ”Alright. I’ll walk you out.”

The two of them walked from the private room to the entrance.

The young staff member from earlier saw Lin Zhengran and quickly bowed.

Jiang Jingshi never spent evenings alone with a man. The staffer had felt something was amiss from the start, and only now did she understand. This must be Jiang’s boyfriend.

Once outside, a chauffeur drove a Rolls-Royce up to them. Jiang Jingshi said, ”Let me have someone take you home.”

Lin Zhengran didn’t think it was necessary. ”There’s no need, Jiang. My place isn’t far from here. I’ll just grab a cab.”

”Alright.” She knew sometimes it was best to go along with a man’s wishes. She suggested,

”We were so busy talking tonight that we barely touched our food. Let’s schedule another time to have a proper meal, just the two of us. As for what we discussed, I’ll remember it and find a way to resolve the matter in the next couple of days.”

Lin Zhengran smiled, then hailed a taxi, said his goodbyes to Jiang Jingshi, and headed home.

Watching the taxi’s silhouette disappear down the road, Jiang Jingshi’s gaze softened. She slowly bit her red lip. ”This is the first time I’ve ever felt shy around a boy.”

Just as she finished speaking, another Rolls-Royce pulled up. It was Jiang Qian’s car.