91: Chapter 91 President Su is truly righteous

Pushing open the door to the conference room, Director Lu Chuan was already sitting inside.

He was in his early forties, wearing a dark grey casual suit with his hair slicked back. He looked clean and neat, possessing the exact temperament of someone who makes art-house films.

Sitting next to him was a middle-aged man wearing glasses; he was the film's music director, Zhao Peng.

"Director Lu Chuan, sorry to keep you waiting."

Director Lu Chuan stood up and shook her hand.

"Not at all, not at all. I happened to be nearby discussing some business today, and I thought it was time to follow up on the theme song."

Su Yuyan sat down opposite him and placed the USB drive on the table.

"The person who wrote the song recorded it and gave it to me directly. I've been busy with the release of my own two new songs these past few days, so I haven't had a chance to tell you."

Director Lu Chuan's gaze fell upon the USB drive.

"Who wrote the song?"

"Jiang Fan."

Director Lu Chuan leaned back against his chair, his expression changing.

"Jiang Fan? The one who wrote 'perfume is poisonous' for you?"

"Yes."

"My assistant played your new song for me in the car today; it's truly impressive." Director Lu Chuan rubbed his chin. "His control over a singer's vocal timbre is incredibly precise. I felt from the very first listen that no one else could sing that song but you."

Su Yuyan smiled, picked up the USB drive, and inserted it into the conference room's playback device.

There was only one audio file in the folder.

Su Yuyan pressed play.

The prelude began to play.

Piano notes, a few very clean notes.

Then came the guitar and cello.

There was no superfluous build-up, no flashy arrangement—just a few simple chords playing out, like opening a yellowed diary.

Then the vocals came in.

Su Yuyan's fingers hung in mid-air.

That voice—clear, resonant, with an articulation that carried a restrained depth of emotion.

Every word landed steadily on the beat, the breath control clean and sharp.

She was all too familiar with this voice.

Xu Qingya.

The corner of Su Yuyan's mouth twitched.

She suppressed it back down.

Director Lu Chuan didn't notice her abnormality.

From the very first line, the director had sat up straight.

With his hands crossed and resting on the table, he was completely focused.

Beside him, Zhao Peng was also staring at the direction of the speaker, motionless.

"In the 'fleet of time', how many times did we say goodbye only to keep delaying—"

"It's a pity that whether or not anyone has loved isn't a debate fueled by seven emotions—"

Xu Qingya's voice flowed through the conference room.

During the verse, she sang with restraint, keeping her emotions tightly contained, as if recalling an old memory she dared not touch too forcefully.

When it reached the chorus, the emotion progressed in layers, pushing upward, until it reached the highest point—

The sense of regret and reluctance was sung with such restraint yet was so moving; just when it seemed to reach the critical point of eruption, she pulled it back, turning it into a light tremor in the tail note.

Su Yuyan stared at the USB drive on the table, the tear mole at the corner of her eye twitching slightly.

The song was three minutes and fifty-eight seconds long.

After it finished playing, the conference room was silent for about four or five seconds.

Director Lu Chuan and Zhao Peng exchanged a look.

Zhao Peng spoke first, using only two words: "Incredible."

Director Lu Chuan stood up, paced the conference room twice, slapped the edge of the table, and turned back.

"This voice, this emotional processing—it perfectly matches the temperament of the female lead in the film. That sense of regret is a natural fit for the breakup scene in the rain in the script. Diva Su, who is the person singing this song?"

Su Yuyan picked up her water glass and took a sip.

She used the action to steady her mind.

"Xu Qingya."

Director Lu Chuan was stunned for a moment.

Everyone in the industry knew about the competitive relationship between Xu Qingya and Su Yuyan.

Both were among The Four Heavenly Queens, and their fans bickered with each other every year.

Marketing accounts would drag the two out to compare them every few days.

"Xu Qingya? The Xu Qingya from Tianyu Entertainment?"

"Yes."

Director Lu Chuan opened his mouth, then looked at Zhao Peng, who was also wearing a look of surprise.

"Diva Su, that is truly righteous—"

Director Lu Chuan rubbed his hands, carefully choosing his words for two seconds.

"You actually took the initiative to recommend Xu Qingya for your own project—I admire your magnanimity. I won't say any polite pleasantries; if you need anything in the future, just come to me. I'll remember this favor."

Su Yuyan smiled slightly.

Initiative to recommend?

Recommend my foot.

Director Lu Chuan didn't notice; he was becoming more and more excited as he spoke, starting to pace back and forth in the conference room.

"Zhao Peng, think about it: Xu Qingya's national popularity combined with the quality of this song, the buzz during the promotional period will at least triple. If we can invite her to sing when we do our roadshows—"

"Director Lu Chuan, let's discuss the roadshows later." Zhao Peng pushed up his glasses, being uncharacteristically rational. "Let's sign the contract first."

"Yes, yes, yes, sign the contract first."

Su Yuyan sat in her chair with a polite smile on her face.

She gripped the water glass in her hand a little tighter.

You really are something, Jiang Fan.

We agreed you'd decide who sings it.

You chose Xu Qingya, but you could have at least told me.

You had to wait until it was a done deal.

Director Lu Chuan was still over there discussing with Zhao Peng: "The lyrics for this song are too good. When editing the trailer, we can use the chorus as the background, and the visual sense will be complete..."

Su Yuyan took out her phone from under the table and sent a message to Jiang Fan.

"Jiang Fan."

He replied instantly: "Hmm?"

"I just listened to 'fleet of time'."

[Jiang Fan: How was it?]

Su Yuyan typed a line, then deleted it.

She typed another line, then deleted that too.

Finally, she sent five words: "You wait for me tonight."

Jiang Fan replied with an [innocent] emoji.

Su Yuyan turned her phone face down on the table and looked up at Director Lu Chuan with a perfect business smile.

"Director Lu Chuan, then it's settled regarding the theme song. I'll have my legal department coordinate the contract details with you."

"Good, good, good, I'm very satisfied." Director Lu Chuan said "good" three times in a row, pulled back his chair to stand up, then remembered something.

"Oh, right, Diva Su, could you help me reach out to Xu Qingya's side later to see if she can cooperate with a round of cross-promotion during the promotional period? If she could attend the premiere—"

"No problem."

Su Yuyan stood up to see them off, shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, and watching Director Lu Chuan and Zhao Peng enter the elevator.

The moment the elevator door closed, the smile on her face vanished.

She turned and walked back into the conference room, closing the door behind her.

She stood alone in the empty room.

The playback device's screen was still lit, the filename resting on "fleet of time".

Su Yuyan looked down at her phone.

Jiang Fan sent another message.

"Congratulations, Diva Su, 'perfume is poisonous' is number one on the new song chart."

Su Yuyan stared at these words for five seconds.

This man really needs a lesson.

First, he feeds her with two songs until she's completely compliant, then he pulls this stunt with the theme song.

Su Yuyan pulled the USB drive from the device and gripped it in her palm.

Sigh, what's the use of waiting? Scold him? His skin is thicker than a city wall.

Ignore him? The three-million project has already landed; Director Lu Chuan was so satisfied he almost jumped up on the spot.

At the end of the day, Jiang Fan choosing Xu Qingya is flawless in terms of business logic.

Xu Qingya's vocal timbre is indeed more suitable for this type of campus youth theme than hers.

She understands the logic.

But understanding is one thing, and swallowing this frustration is another.

Su Yuyan took a deep breath, opened the conference room door, and walked out.

Assistant Xiao Zhao came up to greet her: "Diva Su, there is still one more at 3:00 PM—"

"Cancel it."

"Ah?"

Xiao Zhao opened his mouth, nodded, and ran off.

Su Yuyan returned to her office, closed the door, and spun around twice in her chair.

She picked up her phone again and flipped to her chat with Jiang Fan.

That innocent emoji was still hanging on the screen, looking punchable.

Su Yuyan typed a line and sent it: "Same place tonight."

Jiang Fan: "Received, Diva Su."

Su Yuyan threw her phone into her bag, pulled open a drawer, and took out a small mirror.

The woman in the mirror had exquisite makeup, with a hint of lingering annoyance between her brows.

She looked at the mirror for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Xu Qingya, oh Xu Qingya."

She put the mirror back into the drawer and closed it.

"You are truly blessed."