Chapter 958: Her name is Rao Aimin!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Jiang Hanwei left!
Or rather, he fled!
Meanwhile, the people who stayed behind in the banquet hall were staring at each other in bewilderment. None of them could understand what they just seen, nor did they understand what was going on!
Chen Guang gasped several times. "Zhang Ye!"
"Hey." Zhang Ye looked at him.
"Who is this?" Chen Guang asked.
Zhang Ye laughed and said, "A friend of mine."
Stunned, Fan Wenli said, "Why did Old Jiang leave?"
Zhang Ye simply said, "He probably realized he was in the wrong and suddenly found a conscience."
Found a conscience?
Found a conscience, your sister!
Everyone was floored by his explanation. How do you keep coming up with such nonsense!
Xiaodong and the others also came up to him in surprise. "Zhang Ye, this…"
With the matter settled, the look on Zhang Ye's face also changed. He looked at Xiaodong with apology written all over his face. "I'm sorry, Sister Dong. I must apologize for today's disturbance. I didn't want to cause this much trouble. It's all my fault, so be angry with me if you must. I promise I won't say a word. I know that I've spoiled your birthday celebration."
Just like he said, Zhang Ye had always been a very reasonable person. Of the conflict between Jiang Hanwei and him, Zhang Ye had handled it based on his principles and wasn't afraid to do it that way in any other circumstances. How can you go around threatening that you'll beat up my agent? Go fuck yourself! But, Zhang Ye definitely felt bad about doing that here at Xiaodong's party. After all, she had invited him out of goodwill and whether Jiang Hanwei started the provocation first or not, Zhang Ye still had to apologize to her.
Xiaodong agonized, "I wouldn't have invited the two of you if I had known this was going to happen ahead of time. It's all my fault!"
Li Xiaoxian blinked several times. "Teacher Zhang, are you not going to introduce us to this big sis?"
"Oh, right." Zhang Ye smiled and gestured to Old Rao. "Let me introduce her to everyone. This is my agent from now on, Ms. Rao Aimin. Big Sis Rao is a good friend of mine. She's actually never been a part of our circle. I hope everyone will treat her well."
Rao Aimin?
Everyone looked at her with intense curiosity.
Amy changed the subject. "Let's start the party then!"
Xiaodong quickly added, "Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. Today…hai, sorry about today, everyone. Xiaoxian, Amy, and I will put on a performance for everyone, how's that?"
"Great!"
"Hahaha!"
"I'm looking forward to it!"
"Happy birthday, Sister Dong!"
"Happy birthday! Stay forever young!"
With the subject steered into a different direction, the music started playing and everyone clapped along to it. Jiang Hanwei and Zhang Ye's dispute could only be placed in the back of their minds for now as it was not the main event today!
Spring Garden sparkled onto the stage!
Xiaodong sang, "See the sunlight, it's blinding."
Li Xiaoxian smiled and walked to the center. "My heart beats, dan-ger-ous-ly."
Amy started dancing to the song, singing as she did so. This was the style of their group. They were mainly geared toward the younger crowd, singing about the spirit of youth, love, and other similar topics.
At this moment, Rao Aimin said, "Alright, I'll be leaving now."
"Right now?" Zhang Ye said, slightly taken aback.
"There's nothing left for me to do, right?" Rao Aimin waved. She was leaving like she'd said she would. She didn't mince her words. "I still have to pick up the kid in the afternoon."
"OK," Zhang Ye said.
Several new celebrities had suddenly gone up to Rao Aimin.
"Sister Rao, do you mind leaving your number?"
"Let's exchange contact info, shall we?"
"Big Sis Rao, do you have a business card? If Teacher Zhang produces another show in the future, I wonder if I could be considered for a guest role on it? You don't even have to pay me!"
Rao Aimin looked at them and acknowledged, "Sure."
Seeing that, the people in the room hesitated for a split second before coming over to ask for her contact information as well.
Back when Zhang Ye did not have an agent, a lot of people could not, and had no way to, get in touch with him. Because Zhang Ye's reputation had grown so much, even if a newcomer or some small-time celebrities were able to contact him, it wasn't proper for them to contact him directly. Now that he had an agent representing him, everything had changed. A lot of matters and work could be liaised with Zhang Ye's agent from now on. That made it much more convenient for everyone.
There were even a few rather well-known celebrities who got their assistants or agents to go over to get Rao Aimin's contact information. Some of them wanted it for work purposes, while some were asking out of curiosity. That was because this agent of Zhang Ye's was clearly not an ordinary person, and the reason for that? It was obvious! Just by showing up, she could scare away as big a brother of the entertainment industry as Jiang Hanwei, so how could she be an ordinary person? Therefore, when a lot of these people were asking Old Rao for her contact information, they asked her very politely and formally. They would never act impudently just because she was a new agent in the entertainment industry!
Rao Aimin had gotten into the zone as an agent.
Zhang Ye ignored what was going on with Old Rao as he had his mind on Xiaodong's birthday present at the moment. He had already prepared a present for her. It was a bracelet which wasn't cheap nor too expensive. Zhang Ye had gone to a mall to buy it for her. But after the dustup just now, he knew that this gift wouldn't be enough to make up for things. Zhang Ye felt rather embarrassed.
So what should he give her?
Gift her a song?
Alright, that would work!
Spring Garden began as singers after all. This was their main profession. If he gifted them a song, it would surely be the most unique and most suitable gift. It would also be able to express Zhang Ye's apology to them.
What song should he gift them?
A song meant for a group?
For a trio?
Eh, that's it! Wouldn't that song be great for them?
Besides, it was impossible that he would ever sing that song, so there was no point in saving it!
Since he had decided, Zhang Ye immediately called a hotel employee over. "Do you have pen and paper?"
"Yes, we do. Please wait a moment." The employee immediately went to fetch the requested items.
Onstage, the members of Spring Garden were still performing the song that shot them to fame.
In the audience, quite a few people had noticed Zhang Ye's actions. They did not know what he was trying to do by asking for pen and paper. What stunt was this fellow trying to pull this time?
Rao Aimin had left already.
When Zhang Ye got pen and paper, he immediately lowered his head and started writing.
Lyrics…
Musical notation…
Finally, the performance onstage ended!
Amid the applause, Xiaodong and her sisters went off stage with smiles on their faces. "Thank you, everyone. All of you present today are my good friends, seniors, and my teachers. I am so happy that so many of you could be here today for me to spend my birthday with. I'm really thankful for that. When any of your birthdays come along, I will also be there as your guest!"
A fellow celebrity who was her close friend walked up slowly and handed something to her. "Happy birthday, Xiaodong."
"Wow, thanks!" Xiaodong smiled.
Then someone else came forward. "Here's your birthday present."
"Thank you, Brother Kai." Xiaodong gave him a smile.
One by one, the birthday presents were presented to her. Soon, she had received almost all of them.
At this moment, Zhang Ye finished writing everything. After giving it a once-over, he smiled to himself. He then got up and walked over. "Sister Dong, I'm sorry for today. This is my present to you. Please keep it safe."
Xiaodong was stunned.
Li Xiaoxian and Amy were also stunned.
Everyone gazed at each other in dismay. Your present? So you requested pen and paper just now because you needed to prepare your birthday present? Damn, how could you be so petty! Just writing some things down and giving it as a gift? You had just created so much trouble by crashing into a car and scolding others, and now you're coming up with such a thing?
But Chen Guang did not seem to think so. He understood Zhang Ye quite well and said with a laugh, "Everyone, don't belittle Zhang Ye's gift. Anything that is written by him has a lot of worth."
Has worth?
True, Zhang Ye was a calligrapher after all!
Xiaodong gave a wry smile. "Zhang Ye, you're apologizing for the third time. It's fine."
Zhang Ye handed the piece of paper to her. "Hur hur, take a look and see if you like it. If you don't, I'll change it for you."
"I'll definitely like it," Xiaodong remarked. She then lowered her head to have a look.
Li Xiaoxian and Amy went over to have a look as well.
Then, shock appeared on the three faces!
This is?
This is a song?
It's a song that Zhang Ye wrote and composed by himself?
Amy became excited all of a sudden. "Sister Dong!"
Li Xiaoxian also gulped at what she was seeing. They of course knew what a composition of Zhang Ye meant. "Woman Flower"? "Wishing We Last Forever"? "I Believe"? "A Letter to Home"? Which of those songs did not get famous and renowned throughout the country! Zhang Ye's songs had even been televised on Central TV's Spring Festival Gala before! Even a big shot celebrity like the Heavenly Queen, Zhang Yuanqi, who had a very good relationship with him, had to promise that she would be a guest on his show before he agreed to write her a song!
They read the lyrics.
Then sight-read the notation.
Xiaodong and her sisters were very musically inclined, so they started humming it in their heads.
Praising your smile,
Your knitted brows break my heart.
I cannot notice me,
I only feel what you feel.
Wherever you go,
Bring my soul along with you.
It's captured in your spell,
What use is leaving it?
You're a zap, you're my light,
You're my only fairy tale.
I love just you.
You are my super star.
You decide, I abide.
There is nothing better here.
Loving just you.
You are my super star.
This…
Xiaodong was utterly surprised!
Amy was very excited!
This song was simply perfect for their group!
Has worth?
They knew clearly that this was not something money could measure! Zhang Ye would never write a song for others for money!
"Zhang Ye!" But the more Xiaodong knew, the more she felt she couldn't accept this gift. She quickly placed the paper back into Zhang Ye's hand and insisted, "This isn't right, this really isn't right!"
Everyone was puzzled when they saw that.
What?
Why was she declining a scrap of paper?
Zhang Ye did not accept it. "Nothing's wrong, as long as you like it."
Li Xiaoxian immediately said, "We like it very much!"
Zhang Ye said, "Then that's enough. Just take it."
A close celebrity girlfriend of Xiaodong's could not bear the suspense. "Xiaodong, what good stuff did you receive?"
Xiaodong gave a wry smile and said, "Zhang Ye wrote us a song for my birthday present!"
Ah?
He wrote a song?
Did he write it on the spot?
Everyone looked shocked. They only just now understood why Zhang Ye had requested pen and paper. So it was because he wanted to write and compose a song for them! Goddammit, how can you be so quick! They hadn't even finished performing their song and you were already done writing the song? And judging from the expressions of Xiaodong and her sisters, this song seemed like it was really good too?
Of course it was a good song! This was the song in his previous world that shot S.H.E to fame, " Super Star 1 ." It was a song that was heard almost everywhere by many people! A song like that was something Zhang Ye would never bother singing himself, even in his next life. So it was more than suitable to use it here as a gift for them.[1.]
A female singer went over quickly. "Show it to us!"
Xiaodong hurriedly put it away. "Absolutely not. This is confidential, highly confidential!"
"But why?" asked the female singer, floored.
Xiaodong pondered for a moment. "For our next album, I'm thinking of using this song as our title track!" She turned around to look at Zhang Ye and said, "I've always been hoping to get a song from you, but was too embarrassed to ask. But today…thank you so much!"
Chen Guang was full of envy. He came over immediately and said, "Zhang Ye, my birthday is coming soon too!"
Zhang Ye: "…"
Then Fan Wenli spoke up too. "Although my birthday has passed, I can still celebrate it again."
Zhang Ye: "…"
Everyone laughed.
In an instant, Jiang Hanwei and Zhang Ye's conflict from earlier seemed to have been played down some.
...
Outside.
A BMW 7 Series with a badly damaged rear was traveling on the road.
Jiang Hanwei sat in the car with a sunken expression. He did not say a single word.
Beside him, his martial arts choreographers were stifling their anger with all they could. Ever since they'd joined the Jiang Hanwei Stunt Team, when had they never gotten their way in the entertainment industry? They had never experienced something that left them so aggrieved before!
"Brother Jiang!"
"Say something!"
"Just why? Why did we have to leave?"
"Yeah, we should have fought her!"
"She's just a woman. What storm can she brew? Now that we left, it's as good as slapping our own faces! How many of our peers will be laughing at us now!"
They simply could not understand it!
Jiang Hanwei was still not saying a word!
"Brother Jiang!"
"Brother Jiang!"
Eventually, Jiang Hanwei got annoyed by their questions. He suddenly lost his temper. "What can we do if we don't leave? Ah? You guys fucking think it's that simple, but do you know who that woman is?"
The three martial arts choreographers asked, "Who is she?"
Jiang Hanwei said in a grave voice, "Her name is Rao Aimin!"
"Rao Aimin?"
"Is there such a person in the entertainment industry?"
"Which talent agency is she from?"
"Is she the relative of one of their bosses?"
"Eh, why does that name sound so familiar?"
After those words were uttered, the three of them suddenly realized. Their looks on faces changed to horror and their voices squeaked in terror!
"Rao Aimin?"
"The grandmaster from the Eight Trigrams School…Rao Aimin?!"
"Holy shit!"
"How's that possible!"
"Th-This is impossible!"
"Why would a Chinese martial arts grandmaster go and work as a celebrity's agent? Much less an A-list celebrity like Zhang Ye, even if it were a fucking international S-list superstar, that would not be possible!"
They were petrified!
On top of that, the cold sweat from the fear they were experiencing had soaked their clothes through and through. When they thought about how they had pointed at a martial arts grandmaster and scolded her earlier, they could feel their legs turning to rubber!
No wonder Jiang Hanwei turned and left!
What could he do besides leaving?
Actually fight her?
Even if she used just one arm, the four of them teaming up would still be unable to beat her!
Jiang Hanwei said, "Who the fuck knows the answer to your question? Like hell I would know why a formidable female grandmaster like her would go and become Zhang Ye's agent!" Right, if he knew that, he wouldn't have spread word even on threat of death. Beating Rao Aimin up every time he saw her? He wasn't trying to court death! He wouldn't even stand much of a chance if he faced Zhang Ye. If he had to face a grandmaster? He wouldn't even try to make a move!
Jiang Hanwei knew that he had made himself look like an idiot this time!
He had been toyed with to his grandma's house by Zhang Ye!
"And there's something else that you guys don't know." Since it had come to this, Jiang Hanwei had nothing he couldn't say. "You aren't exactly members of our martial arts world, so you might not know yet. But Zhang Ye is no ordinary person either. Have you guys heard of the Taiji Fist that has been lost for over a hundred years? The Taiji Fist successor has reappeared in the martial arts community. He made an appearance together with Rao Aimin at the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference some days back. That person was Zhang Ye!"
What?
Zhang Ye is Taiji Fist's successor?
He was the one who allied with Rao Aimin and battled against two grandmasters?
Zhang Ye was the person who defeated all the large sects by himself?
When they heard what Jiang Hanwei had to say, the martial arts choreographers were once again petrified!
One was the successor of Taiji Fist!
The other was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster!
Fuck! Did these two ally and sneak into the entertainment industry as well?
Then who in the circle could fucking do anything about the two of them!?