I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Ya finally spoke:

"I see."

Xia You asked, "How is Grandpa Asai's condition?"

"This is bad." Chen Ya's voice was low. "He's still alive, but that Mrs. Asai wasn't lying; his condition is deteriorating rapidly."

Xia You asked, "Are you going to die?"

"To put it bluntly, he was already on his deathbed," Chen Ya said. "His health was only maintained by the Triangle Group's boundless financial resources and modern medicine."

Xia You said, "You don't seem very happy? This old man is so old, it would be normal for him to die, right? Besides, it would be more advantageous if he died, wouldn't it?"

Chen Ya said, "I know. But after all, he is Liulizi's grandfather."

"Oh," Xia You whispered.

"I'm thinking about how to tell Ruriko about this."

“…Oh,” Xia You said.

She only remembered this after Chen Ya mentioned it.

This blood relationship tainted by money, the complex power struggles within aristocratic families, and the scheming and intrigue... it's hard to imagine that for a girl, it's simply about her grandfather being seriously ill.

Chen Ya, that straight man, is even more sensitive in this regard than she, a girl.

No wonder he's so popular with girls.

Xia You wrinkled her nose and thought to herself with annoyance.

“We must act immediately,” Chen Ya said. “At this stage, his condition changes rapidly every day. We must let Liulizi meet with him before the old man passes away.”

“I agree,” Xia You said.

“This action might conflict with your college entrance exam, so you don’t need to participate,” Chen Ya said.

"I don't want to." Xia You pouted.

"Do your best in the college entrance exam."

"I said I don't want it." Xia You was very stubborn.

How could X and Y, who are prominent figures in the hacker world, run away because of a mere college entrance examination?

I can just hand in my paper early!

……

Qin Yun Chu had no idea what Qin Yun Shang and Lu Qing Xuan talked about while she was in the restroom.

Anyway, as soon as she came out, she saw the two chatting and laughing, looking like best friends who had known each other for many years.

To put it bluntly, it was a battle of egos between the two. Lu Qingxuan was in the neutral and benevolent camp; she was just more sensitive to others putting down JX.

Qin Yunshang didn't look down on JX; she just had a soft spot for Chen Liang, which is why the two of them started arguing.

Once this point of disagreement is eliminated, the two will have nothing left to argue about.

The two had very different personalities, but they inexplicably hit it off and chatted enthusiastically, even agreeing to go to a livehouse to see Qin Yunshang's concert the next day.

After seeing off Liu Ruyan and her small tour group, Qin Yun Chu encountered another headache that evening.

At 8 p.m., everyone from the production team to the contestants stood outside the hotel, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Even Grandpa Ren Jinqing would occasionally come out for a stroll and glance at the end of the street.

"Grandpa, it's so late, you should go home and rest early."

When Ren Jinqing ran out for the third time, Qin Yunchu finally couldn't help but speak up to persuade him.

Ren Jinqing chuckled and said, "It's nothing. I wasn't supposed to be sleeping anyway, so I just came out to take a look around."

Ren Jinqing, leaning on his cane, slowly walked back. After a short while, he came out again and said to Qin Yunchu:

"Xiao Qin, if the diva comes, let me know. I want to come out and see her."

Qin Yunchu said, both amused and exasperated, "Okay, I definitely will."

After a pause, Ren Jinqing shook his head and murmured, "I've heard people say that she's a very beautiful person, but I've never seen her."

Seeing Ren Jinqing's smiling face, the image of the old gentleman in the hearts of the contestants instantly shattered.

I originally thought he was strict with all the new generation of artists, but I never expected him to show such an expression.

He's completely lost all the air of a reclusive sage!

"Jia Yi, you're still here?" Meng Xing asked with his arms crossed, staring at Jia Yi with a smile.

"What, you don't welcome me?" Jia Yi turned and glared at Meng Xing.

"No, didn't I hear you booking plane tickets to go back yesterday?"

After being eliminated, Jia Yi lost her previous confidence and composure. When Meng Xing teased her, she didn't have the energy to retort, and simply said:

"You didn't book a plane ticket? The earlier the ticket goes, the more expensive it is. A ticket to go back this week would cost tens of thousands of yuan, which is equivalent to me staying here for almost half a month. So I just booked a ticket after the finals so that I could go with them."

"Oh." Meng Xing nodded. He felt a little embarrassed after teasing Jia Yi earlier, and said, "When Jiang Tianhou arrives, shouldn't you, as the second-best among them, have a good chat with her?"

“That’s right.” Jia Yi pushed up his glasses. “You know what? This is the first time I’ve ever met Jiang Tianhou.”

"No way?" Qin Yunshang said from the side, "You're 'second only to the Emperor' and you've never even seen Empress Jiang?"

Jia Yi smiled and said, "It's all just what netizens say, how can we take it seriously? Besides, there's no one else like Jiang Xinhai these days."

“Who says there’s no second Jiang Xinhai? Isn’t our Yun Shang’er the second Jiang Xinhai?” Meng Xing said.

"You're asking for it." Qin Yunshang punched him, then said seriously, "I can't be the second Jiang Xinhai. How can I compare to her talent and other conditions? Besides, she also has Zhichi."

Guo Xiaoran chimed in, laughing, "Why don't you ask Teacher Jia Yi to write a few more songs? With him as the 'second best,' wouldn't most of your requirements be met right away?"

Qin Yunshang smiled but didn't say anything.

"Second only within reach" is indeed just something said online. Who in the industry doesn't know that this is a promotional tactic packaged by Jia Yi's marketing company?

Besides, it's not like she didn't give Jia Yi a chance. The songs he wrote couldn't even compare to Chen Liang's, let alone Zhi Chi's.

Qin Yunshang said earnestly, "I can't be the second Jiang Xinhai, but I can be the first Qin Yunshang."

After she finished speaking, Lu Chujiu, who was standing next to her, was stunned and looked at her very seriously.

She suddenly felt that Qin Yunshang was particularly charming when she said those words.

Just then, Qin Yunchu stood up: "Jiang Xinhai has arrived."

Everyone stood up and began to tidy their appearance, hoping to leave a good impression on the Empress.

Jiang Xinhai is indeed a decisive person; once she was told she had arrived, she really did arrive immediately.

A black Lexus pulled up at the entrance, and with a screech, Jiang Xinhai got out of the car.

In an instant, the crowd stirred, and the sounds of camera shutters and flashes rose and fell.

The production crew was well-prepared and brought in a barrage of cameras and microphones.

"Heart Sea!"

"Jiang Tianhou has arrived!"

"Queen of Song!"

Jia Yi leaned closer, cleared his throat, straightened his tie, and took the center position, walking straight towards Jiang Xinhai from the middle of the crowd.

"Empress Jiang..."

The camera flashed incessantly beside him. He knew that his photos would be posted tomorrow to grab the top spot on the trending searches, and would appear in front of his fans with the title "The Second One to Meet Jiang Xinhai in His History".

Therefore, he was extremely serious, even meticulous about the wrinkles on his face.

Jiang Xinhai, however, seemed not to see him at all.

Where is Chen Liang?

Jiang Xinhai looked around anxiously as he spoke.

Chapter 467 He couldn't stop talking about Chen Liang

Where is Chen Liang?

Jia Yi, who had finally managed to squeeze his way to Jiang Xinhai's side, was speechless.

His outstretched hand stood in the wind, suddenly appearing lonely and forlorn, and somewhat presumptuous.

Jiang Xinhai, wearing sunglasses, swept his gaze across the faces of the crowd, passing right past Jia Yi.

"Isn't Chen Liang here?" Jiang Xinhai asked, his disappointment evident in his voice.

He searched high and low, but the person he wanted to see was nowhere to be found. Jiang Xinhai suddenly felt that his trip to Japan had been a waste.

Qin Yunchu squeezed forward and said, "Chen Liang has something to do and isn't here for the time being. Xinhai, why don't you talk to the other contestants first?"

"What do you have to say about other people..." Jiang Xinhai was about to say what was there to talk about when Qin Yunchu quickly stopped him.

"Our contestants have been waiting for you for a long time; everyone is a big fan of yours."

Qin Yunchu was in a bit of a panic.

I had expected that Jiang Xinhai's first thing to do upon arriving would be to look for Chen Ya, but she was too direct.

The production crew is still live streaming! If Jiang Xinhai and Chen Liang have any more rumors, her show is definitely going to be a disaster.

The live stream had been heavily promoted beforehand, and the number of viewers exploded, all there for Jiang Xinhai.

The comments section exploded when the group met in such an awkward moment.

"Haha, Jia Yi is so embarrassed. He feels like he's been completely ignored."

"I've always heard Jia Yi's fans rave about him being the 'second best in a mile,' and I thought he was handpicked by Empress Jiang. But looking at his performance, it's clear the two of them don't even know each other!"

"I think Jia Yi's second place in the 'closest distance' ranking is undeserved. I declare that Chen Liang is the real second place in the 'closest distance' ranking!"

"Get lost! Chen Liang's little brat fans are disgusting. 'Second place' is about talent, not about who Jiang Tianhou will choose. Get lost and stop being so insensitive and polluting people's vision!"

"He's getting anxious, he's getting anxious."

……

Ren Jinqing walked out shakily, stood in front of Jiang Xinhai, and said with a smile:

"This must be Empress Jiang, right?"

Jiang Xinhai quickly said, "Mr. Ren Jinqing, please don't call me Empress Jiang, just call me Little Jiang."

Ren Jinqing looked her up and down. Jiang Xinhai was wearing a white puff-sleeved shirt, a workwear suspender vest, a dark gray short skirt, and gray calf socks that didn't go past her knees. Her shapely long legs shone with a healthy glow.

Ren Jinqing nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good!"

Jiang Xinhai is a queen of pop who rose to fame between the passing of the old generation of superstars and the rise of a new generation of popular actresses.

Her beauty has a modern feel, unlike the current crop of popular celebrities who all look the same. She gives off a generous vibe and appeals to men, women, young and old alike.

Ren Jinqing noticed that all the other contestants had stiff expressions, but he smiled only at Jiang Xinhai. This was because Jiang Xinhai's character and demeanor were unmatched by the current contestants.

Qin Yunshang is now known as the "Nation's Daughter," but back then, Jiang Xinhai was even more of a "Nation's Daughter."

Jiang's parents are the envy of countless people.

Qin Yunchu hurriedly invited everyone into the hotel. Along the way, Jiang Xinhai walked ahead, chatting and laughing with Ren Jinqing.

Contestants like Jia Yi were completely relegated to the background, following behind without daring to utter a sound.

Jia Yi was extremely angry.

He had originally planned to use the "second closest" and his first meeting with Jiang Tianhou as a gimmick to create a trending topic, but she completely ignored him.

Jia Yi found it almost unacceptable.

Fortunately, according to the program schedule, Jiang Xinhai and the contestants will have a brief meeting next, where they can ask each other questions to satisfy the audience's curiosity.

Jia Yi and his team attached great importance to the next stage—whether they could get a high score in Jiang Xinhai's eyes in advance depended on this round.

After entering the conference room and everyone was seated, Jiang Xinhai looked everyone over and said again:

Are these all the players?

She was still hoping that Chen Ya could give her a surprise, that he would suddenly appear from some corner just when she was about to give up hope.