176: Chapter 176 The Eastern Melody of the Golden Hall

Jingdu, General Manager's office of Tiantian Media.

The newly appointed Artist Department Manager, Tie Yuanwu, was respectfully reporting his work to Xu Jie, his robust muscles twitching rhythmically as he spoke.

Xu Jie, who was signing documents, couldn't help but steal a few glances.

"President Xu, we just received an announcement from the National Day Gala production team. The company's artist, Li Wei, has been soft-banned due to moral misconduct."

"Reading between the lines, they want the company to put Li Wei on hiatus."

Xu Jie slammed the pen in his hand onto the desk and let out a light snort. "First they canceled his slot for no reason, and now they've outright banned him."

"Don't they even give a reason?"

Seeing Xu Jie's displeased expression, Tie Yuanwu bowed even lower.

"According to reliable sources, Li Wei's slot was taken because Young Master Ping wrote a song and requested Zhou Bule to sing it."

"So..."

"As for the ban, it's because Li Wei contacted his cousin in the production team to frame Zhou Bule during makeup, trying to prevent him from attending the gala."

"However, the scheme was exposed, and they were caught red-handed."

"For the sake of the bigger picture, CCTV didn't call the police or publicly announce the ban."

Xu Jie's eyes were sharp, and his voice was as cold as ice shards. "First Xu Kun, now Li Wei. Our people don't seem to fare well against Tongxing Entertainment. Interesting, very interesting."

Tie Yuanwu's lips curled slightly. "President Xu, as far as I know, Manager Cai is now working at Tongxing Entertainment, also as the Artist Department Manager."

"He's already scouted several agents for the new company."

"Oh? For a small company wanting to grow, recruiting management from a large corporation is indeed a good move."

Xu Jie praised with his words, but his expression was grim. "Do they have any projects recently?"

"President Xu, they have a movie scheduled for release during the National Day holiday slot," Tie Yuanwu replied.

"Is that so? There are plenty of finished films that no theater is willing to screen, aren't there?"

"Artists moving to companies with more resources and opportunities is normal, isn't it? It's just following the strong."

Xu Jie paused, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "The one called the sweetheart leader, her singing is actually quite good."

"President Xu, I know what to do." Tie Yuanwu understood, bowed respectfully, and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment, Manager Tie. There's a social gathering tonight; come along with me."

Xu Jie said nonchalantly.

"Yes, President Xu."

...

When Chen Shaoping returned home, a delicious aroma wafted toward him.

He lightened his steps and crept into the kitchen, intending to hug Zhang Ying's slender waist from behind.

She sidestepped and dodged him; Chen Shaoping ended up hugging thin air.

Zhang Ying turned around, pointing a spatula at Chen Shaoping. "Trying to 'sneak attack' me? I knew it was you the moment you opened the door."

"Wash your hands, bring out the dishes, and let's eat."

Seeing the sneak attack failed, Chen Shaoping's eyes darted around as he quickly changed his strategy.

With a gentle voice and a pouting, spoiled tone, he said, "Darling, hug me."

Regardless of whether Zhang Ying agreed, he gently pushed aside her right hand holding the spatula and hugged her.

He pressed tightly against her, his hands not staying idle either.

Zhang Ying let out a soft moan, her body feeling a bit weak.

Looking at Chen Shaoping, who seemed intent on pushing his luck further, she shook her head speechlessly.

A cold spatula blocked his puckered lips.

"That's enough hugging, time to let go," Zhang Ying said crossly.

Inwardly, she was actually a bit smug; this guy seemed to be getting more and more greedy for her.

"It's not enough. I want to hold you forever."

"I'm hungry. Let's eat first. After dinner, you can hug me however you want."

Zhang Ying could only coax him for now, trying to get the octopus on her to let go.

"Mm, okay." Smelling the aroma of the food, Chen Shaoping's stomach betrayed him with a growl.

"Then why aren't you bringing the dishes to the table?"

Chen Shaoping seized the opportunity to peck her on the cheek before finally letting go.

He quickly carried a plate of braised pork out of the kitchen.

By the time Zhang Ying raised her spatula, he was already gone.

She shook her head with a smile and scooped the last dish onto a plate.

Just as she was untying her apron, Chen Shaoping's voice came from outside.

"Darling, the braised pork you made is delicious. It's even better than what professional chefs make."

"Did you wash your hands? You've already started sneaking bites."

"Washing them now, washing them now."

"Hehe."

Fearing a scolding, Chen Shaoping quickly offered a fawning smile.

Soon, all the food was on the table, and Chen Shaoping ate heartily.

Watching him wolf down the food, a sense of accomplishment welled up in Zhang Ying's heart.

On the other side.

While Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying were enjoying their sweet dinner,

on the other side of the ocean, inside a Golden Hall,

men and women were all dressed in formal attire, clearly placing great importance on this occasion.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on a beautiful Eastern woman on the stage.

She was performing with total absorption, her fingers dancing across the keys as beautiful notes flowed out, touching everyone present.

When the piece first began, the audience felt something different; it was unlike the music they usually encountered.

There weren't many technical flourishes or transitions; instead, a poignant sense of sorrow began to permeate the hall.

Gradually, the smiles on everyone's faces vanished, replaced by a deep sadness.

It was as if they saw two beautiful butterflies encountering countless hardships and obstacles.

For the sake of noble love and freedom, they determinedly sought to break the shackles of society, only to end up perishing in the end.

When the piece ended, Li Li stood up, gave a deep bow to the audience, and then gracefully walked off the stage.

It wasn't until she had completely left the stage that a tidal wave of continuous applause erupted from the audience.

A tall, blonde, blue-eyed female reporter with an impressive figure approached Li Li and interviewed her with a smile.

"Li, this is a brand new piece. Does it tell a tragic love story? May I ask who composed it?"

Li Li smiled and took the microphone, her voice clear. "Yes, this piece tells a poignantly beautiful Dragon Country-style love story. I hope everyone here can feel this legendary romance through the music."

"As for the composer, you might not believe it, but his name is Young Master Ping, and he's just a young man in his twenties."

"I believe that in the near future, we will be able to hear more of his compositions."

Seeing the enthusiastic reaction of the audience, Li Li was very happy.

Despite her sister's opposition, she had firmly chosen the butterfly lovers.

From the moment she chose this piece, Li Li hadn't placed much importance on winning an award.

Her heart held only one thought: to let the world know Dragon Country-style piano music.

Time passed minute by minute as the contestants took the stage one by one.

The judges were also constantly communicating and discussing.

Finally, the most exciting moment arrived.

The judges continuously announced the names of the winners.

When Li Li heard her name called, she was so moved that tears filled her eyes.

This award was not only an affirmation of herself but also represented the acceptance and recognition of Dragon Country piano music.

One of the judges shook Li Li's hand and said excitedly, "Li, congratulations! I hope you can bring us more pieces like this in the future."

"Thank you. I will, I definitely will," Li Li choked out.