Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

After Zhou Yutong and the others had walked away, she grabbed Shen Nian's arm and whispered, "Sister Nian, wasn't that Tang Yingxue?"

Jiang Fan pressed the elevator up button.

It's her.

The system has already given you a notification.

[Target: Tang Yingxue]

[Appearance: 9.2/10]

[Compatibility: SS+]

She's a level above Su Yuyan.

Jiang Fan didn't linger on the number and looked away.

Zhou Yutong gasped. "That glance she gave Nian-jie just now—"

"It's just one look, what's there to be afraid of?" Jiang Fan stepped into the elevator and pressed the floor button.

The elevator doors closed.

Shen Nian stood in the corner, her hat brim pulled low, obscuring her expression.

Two seconds later, she spoke.

"I know her."

Jiang Fan turned his head to the side.

"A year ago, Hua Xingyu took me to Tang Yingxue's private party." Shen Nian's voice was very soft. "At that time, Hua Xingyu was not famous yet, and Tang Yingxue was her mentor."

The elevator has arrived.

The door opened, and three people walked out.

Shen Nian walked at the front, her pace a little faster than before.

"So she must know about me and Hua Xingyu."

Jiang Fan swiped his card to open the door and pushed his suitcase inside.

"So what if she knows? The copyright is yours, the apology video has been released, and the law and the facts are on your side. If she says anything on the show, that's unprofessional."

Shen Nian stared at him for three or four seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Um."

She turned and walked to the next room, and Zhou Yutong followed behind, swiping her card to open the door.

As the door was about to close, Zhou Yutong turned around and whispered, "Brother Fan, what time is dinner?"

"Six o'clock."

-

At 6 p.m., the three of them were having dinner at the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel.

The food in Xingcheng is on the spicy side, and Zhou Yutong was sweating profusely while eating.

Shen Nian picked at the few light dishes laid out in front of her a few times with her chopsticks before putting them down.

Halfway through the meal, a few people came in through the restaurant entrance.

The one leading the group was a man in his early forties, with a buzz cut, wearing a gray polo shirt, and was rather thin but very energetic.

Two staff members followed behind, carrying folders.

The man scanned the restaurant and his gaze landed on Jiang Fan's table.

He walked over.

"Jiang Fan?" He extended his hand. "I'm Fang Yiming."

Jiang Fan stood up and shook hands with him, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy.

"Hello, Director Fang."

"Yu Yan mentioned you to me." Fang Yiming looked him up and down. "You're younger than I thought."

"Director Fang, you flatter me."

Fang Yiming's gaze shifted to Shen Nian.

Shen Nian stood up and bowed slightly. "Hello, Director Fang."

Fang Yiming nodded without saying anything more.

"Get ready." He said this, patted Jiang Fan on the shoulder, and led the group inside.

After he walked away, Zhou Yutong poked at the chili peppers in her bowl with her chopsticks and whispered, "Director Fang seems quite easy to talk to."

Jiang Fan sat back down and continued eating, offering no comment.

Whether someone is easy to talk to or not is unimportant. This person has been making shows for twenty years, and there's only one thing he cares about—whether the show is entertaining.

The key is whether Shen Nian can provide him with a good stage.

-

On my way back to my room after dinner, I ran into someone again in the elevator.

A woman in her mid-twenties, with short hair and headphones around her neck, stood next to an assistant holding a water glass.

The girl's eyes lit up when she saw Shen Nian.

"Shen Nian?"

Shen Nian was taken aback. "You are...?"

"My name is Lin Ke, and I'm also participating in this program." The girl extended her hand. "I've listened to your song 'Underwater' many times, and I especially like it."

Shen Nian shook her hand. "Thank you."

Lin Ke smiled and turned her gaze to Jiang Fan.

I paused for half a second.

"Wait—you're Jiang Fan?! The Jiang Fan who wrote 'Nocturne' and 'Blue and White Porcelain'?!"

Her voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and her assistant tried to tug at her but couldn't stop her.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I listen to 'Blue and White Porcelain' on repeat every day, you know that?!"

Jiang Fan: "...Thank you for your support."

"Can I add you on WeChat? No, no, I mean—is there any chance we could collaborate in the future? I work really hard at singing!"

The elevator arrived at her floor.

The assistant half-pushed and half-pulled her out.

Lin Ke stood outside the elevator, waved to Shen Nian, bowed to Jiang Fan, and shouted, "Teacher Jiang, I'm really your fan!"

The door closed.

Zhou Yutong finally burst out laughing after holding it in for so long.

"Brother Fan, are you that influential in the music industry?"

Jiang Fan ignored her.

Shen Nian lowered her head, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, but she suppressed it again.

"I've looked into Lin Ke. She came from a talent show last year. She has good singing skills and a fan base." Zhou Yutong stopped smiling and became serious. "She's one of the popular contestants this time."

Jiang Fan hummed in agreement.

Of the eight singers, he had previously asked Li Cheng to compile all the information.

Lin Ke can be considered an above-average player.

The people you really need to pay attention to are two others.

One is Chen Hao.

Male singer, debuted three years ago, two albums, with extremely strong live performance stability.

His mid-to-low range vocal depth is virtually unmatched among singers of his age.

The other one is Zhang Yihan.

Nominated for Best New Artist at last year's Golden Melody Awards, she has a highly recognizable voice and is backed by Universal Entertainment.

They have ample resources and their people are intelligent enough.

Tang Yingxue previously worked at Universal Entertainment.

After his contract expired, he established his own studio, but he still has close ties with Universal.

In other words, Tang Yingxue and Zhang Yihan are naturally on the same page.

Back in his room, Jiang Fan sent Shen Nian a message: Go to sleep early, we're leaving at nine tomorrow.

The reply came very quickly.

Shen Nian: Okay.

A dozen seconds later, another message came in.

Shen Nian: Goodnight.

Jiang Fan typed two words and sent them.

Jiang Fan: Good night.

-

The next morning at 8:30.

Jiang Fan knocked on the door next door.

Zhou Yutong opened the door. She was already packed and carrying a bulging backpack.

"Sister Nian is putting on makeup."

Jiang Fan glanced inside. Shen Nian was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, drawing her eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil.

He leaned against the door frame and waited.

Ten minutes later, Shen Nian stood up.

She wore light makeup, her hair down, and a beige shirt dress—simple, clean, and very pleasing to the eye.

"Let's go," Jiang Fan said.

The three of them went downstairs, and the production crew's car was already waiting at the door.

Fifteen minutes later, the car stopped at the back door of the recording venue.

The venue is bigger than I imagined.

The curved facade was covered with huge posters of "The Voice of China", several broadcast trucks were parked on the side, and cables were laid all over the ground.

The staff led them through the passageway.

Other teams were already moving around in the passageway.

Some people were moving equipment, some were shouting into walkie-talkies, and the makeup artist was jogging with her toolbox.

It's not much different from a vegetable market, except everyone is wearing a work badge.

After walking through a long corridor and turning a corner, you'll find yourself in the dressing room area.

Eight dressing rooms were lined up in a row, with the singer's name posted on the door.

Shen Nian was in the sixth room.

Jiang Fan pushed open the door and took a look.

Sofa, mirror, clothes rack, bottled water, and the row of lights on the dressing table are bright enough.

The conditions are not bad.

"Wait here for now."

Shen Nian went inside and sat down on the sofa.

Zhou Yutong put down her backpack, unzipped it, and took out a bag of cashews, placing it on the coffee table.

Shen Nian's gaze fell on the makeup mirror. She stared at it for a while before reaching out, picking up a piece, chewing it twice, and swallowing it.

"Jiang Fan".

"Um."

"When we draw lots, what number do you hope I'll draw?"

Jiang Fan thought for a moment.

"The further we go, the better."

Shen Nian looked up at him.

"The closing act is the most memorable. After everyone else has finished singing, the judges' ears are tired. That's when you come out and bombard them with 'The Wind Rises'—"

He paused for a moment.

"Everyone's attention will be focused on you."

Shen Nian didn't say anything, and held the cashew in her hand for a long time without putting it in her mouth.

Zhou Yutong, standing next to her, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and mumbled something.

"May Sister Nian draw the last one. Please, please, please."

Shen Nian glanced at her and couldn't help but laugh.

Jiang Fan looked at Zhou Yutong.

This girl can be quite useful sometimes.

At least Shen Nian isn't as nervous now.

Just as I was about to speak, I heard footsteps in the corridor.

The door to the fifth dressing room next door was pushed open.

A woman walked in, followed by two assistants.

The name on the door: Zhang Yihan.

Jiang Fan stood up, walked to the door, and glanced outside.

At the end of the corridor, Tang Yingxue was walking from the mentor's passage. She paused for a moment as she passed Zhang Yihan's dressing room.

He smiled through the half-open door and swirled his coffee cup in the air.

Zhang Yihan's voice came from inside: "Good morning, Sister Xue."

Good morning, Yihan. Do your best tomorrow.

Tang Yingxue continued walking forward.

As I passed by Shen Nian's dressing room, I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye.

Their eyes met.