The battle for traffic in Chinese entertainment

Chapter 529 Oh! Dou De!

After a long exchange of pleasantries, it was almost 8 p.m. when the recording officially began.

The two sang a duet first.

Ms. Taylor sat at a piano covered in vines and played the piano. Xu Xing walked over and started singing, then joined in the singing.

Having focused entirely on music for the past two weeks, Xu Xing's voice is in its best condition. Even if she has to perform a live concert the day after tomorrow, Xu Xing is confident that she can demonstrate the live performance skills of a world-class superstar.

A rosy glow is good for people, and it seems to enhance singing skills as well, at least for Hsu Hsing.

Although Xu Xing is usually busy, she actually sings almost every day to use her voice and practice her guitar, which they all enjoy listening to.

Taking a nap and singing a little tune are also pleasures in the boudoir.

In the first round of the chorus, Hsu Hsing performed perfectly, and Ms. Taylor sang quite well as well.

Her part was inherently more difficult than Xu Xing's, requiring falsetto and vocal transitions. It didn't have the same quality as the recording studio version, but it was more emotionally resonant.

Ms. Taylor was not entirely satisfied with her own performance, but felt that both of them were in good form, so she decided to record a complete performance to see how it went.

It started with her singing "Cardigan".

Xu Xing had no objection.

One scene of the performance was Taylor lying on the roof of a moss-covered cabin and starting to sing "Cardigan". After finishing the song, she came down, the cabin lights came on, and she and the band members performed "Willow". The lights went out, she walked to the piano and sat down to play the piano, and Hsu Hsing appeared on stage.

Xu Xing maintained her perfect performance.

And Ms. Taylor... hilariously made a mistake during the vocal transition in the chorus.

"I'm very sorry, I wasn't at my best. Xing, you know, this song means a lot to me, every song means a lot, and sometimes I just have a hard time controlling my emotions."

Ms. Taylor kept explaining.

It's hard to believe. Even after more than ten years in the industry, Taylor Swift is still the same little girl who gets upset when she sings. She clearly felt that Xu Xing's performance was too good and didn't want to lose to Xu Xing, so she failed in her attempt to show off her skills.

The second attempt was still not very successful.

The third time, Ms. Taylor finally behaved.

"But I think it might be better to record them separately."

She said it during her break.

"Maybe, but there's still time tomorrow."

Xu Xing didn't care about the Dao.

Now I understand why Ms. Taylor wanted to record today; she knew she wasn't feeling well.

“Hmm…” Taylor pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “Hey, I haven’t heard you sing ‘Blinding Lights’ yet. It’s such a beautiful song! I’ve heard it countless times, but never live.”

"So now you've had your first time."

Xu Xing did not refuse.

Xu Xing wouldn't be inconsiderate if her partner wasn't in the best condition.

When Xu Xing started singing, Ms. Taylor seemed quite excited, and she applauded enthusiastically after the song ended.

"I absolutely love this song, really! And your performance today was incredible!"

"Thank you."

Xu Xing smiled.

“And you?” Ms. Taylor asked. “What song would you like to hear me sing? I remember you said you’ve been listening to my songs since high school, and I was very honored.”

"Of course it's 'All Too Well'."

"No!"

“Okay, so let’s start with Love S – Fearless. Youth is always fearless and unstoppable. I always hope that I can always be like that, and I hope that everyone can be like that.”

Xu Xing smiled.

As we all know, Taylor Swift's favorite song is "All Too Well," which is also her highest-rated single by music critics. She wasn't satisfied with Hsu Hsing mentioning that, and felt that Hsu Hsing was being too polite when asked to talk about "Love Story," her first global hit.

She finally smiled happily after turning to "Fearless".

"Xing! Now I believe you're truly my fan! I will, forever 'Fearless'!"

Emmmmmm……

Then Ms. Taylor went and grabbed a guitar and started singing "Fearless".

After finishing the song, Ms. Taylor, holding her guitar, smiled and raised an eyebrow at Xu Xing, who was clapping, before strumming the strings again.

A light, cheerful chord played.

"We were both young when I first saw you."

Love Story.

After she finished singing the song, she raised her eyebrows again.

All Too Well.

She must have adjusted well from the two songs just now; she was smiling while singing this sad song.

After the three songs were finished and the last chord fell, Xu Xing was about to applaud and shower Taylor with compliments when Ms. Taylor shoved the guitar at him.

"Your turn!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Do you remember when I told you which of your songs I liked the first time?"

"Love Yourself?"

Hsu Hsing herself doesn't have many English songs.

"Correct!"

Ms. Taylor clasped her hands together, anticipating an unusual sight.

Then sing!

After all, they sang three songs.

Xu Xing was also surprised that Ms. Taylor invited him to go to karaoke.

After singing "Love Yourself," Ms. Taylor asked Hsu Hsing what song she wanted to hear.

"I Knew You Were Trouble."

Xu Xing deliberately made a song request because it was a song that was easy to sing off-key and had electronic music elements, with "oh! Oh! Oh!" in the middle.

Ms. Taylor simply resorted to dishonest tactics.

"You sing! Xing, I know you can do it!"

"……it is good."

Xu Xing is not unable to sing.

However, looking up, Xu Xing realized that the two had been playing and singing for a while and all the staff had left. Just as Xu Xing was about to go to the worktable to find the accompaniment, Ms. Taylor plucked the strings.

"You can sing like that!"

"All right!"

Then, Hsu Hsing, who had never tried singing this song before, finally made a mistake and sang off-key before even getting to the chorus.

Ms. Taylor laughed heartily, but then joined in the singing.

Then... she sang off-key too.

However, the two still persevered and sang the whole song together, even though they sang off-key many times in the middle. Her guitar playing was terrible, and the "oh oh oh" in the chorus really sounded like two groundhogs making noises.

After they finished singing, the two laughed for a long time.

"If that performance had been recorded and put online, music fans all over the world would be devastated."

"A catastrophe sweeping the world! Hahahaha!"

As she laughed, Ms. Taylor strummed the strings and began to sing "Something Just Like This".

But she only sang the first two lines before realizing she didn't know the rest of the lyrics, so Xu Xing took over and sang along. She hummed along with Xu Xing until the chorus when she finally "roared":
"I want something just like this!"

She then sang "Blank Space," Xu Xing sang "Old Town Road," she sang "Shape of You," Xu Xing sang "Sparks Fly," and she even invited Xu Xing to sing "Evermore" with her. She also regretfully said that she wanted to invite Xu Xing to collaborate again, but it didn't happen.

Xu Xing sang very few English songs, so later on she mainly sang her songs.

She even went to get a bottle of whiskey, and the two of them had a few drinks.

Finally, Ms. Taylor got a little tired and checked the time, only to be surprised to find it was almost midnight.

"I didn't realize it was so late! Thank you so much! I haven't been this happy in a long time!"

"I'll be even happier the day after tomorrow."

Hsu Hsing refers to winning a major award at the Grammy Awards.

“I hope so!” Ms. Taylor nodded with a smile. “Hmm… how about we sing ‘Exile’ again? I feel much better than before, but unfortunately the staff have all gone home, so we can’t record it. So…”

She shrugged.

“We can sing together tomorrow, if you’re in a hurry to go home. I know you just got off the plane and came straight here, you must be very tired. It’s incredible that your condition wasn’t affected at all. Actually, I felt a little bad for inviting you here today, so…”

She was making excuses for Xu Xing while also expressing her expectation that Xu Xing would sing together; her words were very incoherent.

“Of course there’s no rush.” Xu Xing shook his head. “Singing state is like inspiration, it’s fleeting. The most important thing is to seize the inspiration and the state immediately. Remember how you feel today, and you’ll achieve twice the result with half the effort tomorrow.”

"Thank you!"

Ms. Taylor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but a teasing smile immediately appeared on her face.

“Xing, you’re a liar. You’re not selfish at all.”

"..." Xu Xing sighed, "Then goodbye."

Ms. Taylor quickly stopped Xu Xing, who was about to turn and leave.

"Don't go! I was just kidding!"

"I was just kidding, too."

After a night of "not doing their job," the chorus began again. Ms. Taylor, sitting in front of the piano, was all smiles, and her smile didn't disappear even after she started playing the piano.

"Exile" is a melancholic and sad song.

Hsu Hsing's singing maintained the same emotion from the moment she opened her mouth, and Ms. Taylor didn't get serious until she started singing.

She was indeed in much better shape than before, delivering a perfect performance in both emotion and technique.

So many signs.

"You didn't even see this signs."

During the second chorus, just as she was getting to the crucial part, Ms. Taylor suddenly stopped playing the piano, took off the microphone, and stood up.

She started improvising and designing the scene.

"You're not my homeland anymore, so what I defending now——"

You are no longer my home, so what am I protecting now?

"what!"

thump!
pat!

Screams, the sound of someone falling to the ground, the sound of a microphone being dropped.

The woodland scene was uneven, the lighting was dim and bluish, and the grass covered the lines. Without rehearsing beforehand, and improvising while constantly looking into Xu Xing's eyes, it was inevitable that someone would trip over something. Xu Xing didn't have time to look behind her and tripped over it as well, which easily led to such an accident.

Xu Xing offered an explanation for Taylor, who had fallen onto the grass.

After all, Ms. Taylor and her boyfriend had been dating for five years, although it was speculated that they broke up this year in their previous life. Ms. Taylor, who was on top of Xu Xing, was extremely embarrassed, her face flushed red.

Her blushing might also be due to having drunk a little alcohol.

But why didn't she get up quickly? Her eyes were getting increasingly... were these the kinds of tests that Fopo was putting her through?
Xu Xing thought for a moment, but Ms. Taylor still showed no sign of moving away.

...Then let's get on the horse!
Xu Xingzhen really didn't believe that Fobol would suddenly jump out.

Although Ms. Taylor was only moderately attractive, she still drove a stretched Lincoln.

Today she also brought stage makeup and styling, wearing a blue sequined dress, with her hair styled in a loose updo adorned with delicate metal hair accessories, giving off a forest fairy vibe.

It wasn't this high before, so it felt novel.

Hey!
Beans!

Hey!
The starry sky could have stood tall and proud!

Westerners are too cunning. Xu Xing can't do anything about it. All she can do is teach Taylor Swift a lesson for making them lose face!

Why!

Are you going to hurt the baby's breath?!

During the interview, Ms. Taylor emphasized that she had to record a performance video the next day and could not affect her voice. However, Ms. Hsu was adamant in her refusal. But Ms. Taylor laughed as she refused and then raised her head slightly to kiss him.

Perhaps it was because she was lying on the roof of the cabin, just like the opening scene of the performance, and was afraid of getting hurt if it collapsed?

The piano is also an instrument that Xu Xing particularly loves. All those who are good at something and those who haven't learned it have shown their charm on the piano. For musicians like Taylor, the piano is her home turf.

It's all finally over.

"This is insane! I never expected this... I admit I acted impulsively, an inexplicable impulse. I shouldn't have... Your body is ridiculously good, and what's even more ridiculous is... Actually, I'm a little angry. After all, this is only the first time, and you weren't very respectful. I feel like I've been deceived, but..."

Ms. Taylor stopped muttering, her eyes still somewhat vacant.

Xu Xing found the hair ornaments around the piano, helped her gather her wild, messy hair, tied it into a simple bun, and put the hair ornaments on before gently laughing and picking up on her words that had been lingering for a long time.

"But is this exactly what you need? Actually, I've already restrained myself enough. After all, you know I'm an extremely selfish person, and at times like this, I only care about my own enjoyment."

“…No,” Ms. Taylor, whose eyes had finally come to their senses, looked over. “Actually, I find you surprisingly thoughtful and considerate, but not disrespectful, really. I just feel that this is the first time we’ve met, and you’ve crossed the line a little.”

"Isn't this our last time?"

Ignoring the fleeting anger in Taylor's eyes, Xu Xing smiled and pinched Taylor's chin.

“Yes,” Ms. Taylor said with a straightforward, yet helpless smile, “so I think you’ve pushed the boundaries to make tonight as perfect as possible.”

"You just said I crossed the line."

Xu Xing complains.

Ms. Taylor feigned anger.

"You've crossed the line. Your finger is still on my chin. I'm six years older than you, you—"

"You seduced me."

Xu Xing interrupted her in a joking tone, his fingers not only not leaving her chin, but also touching her lips.

Taylor's annoyance was even more evident.

"My God! What are you talking about? Sleeping with me isn't for someone like you from the East—"

She didn't finish speaking.

Because Xu Xing had already released her with a cold look in his eyes, and even went to the side to pick up his pants and put them on, ready to leave.

"Feel sorry."

A voice came from behind.

"I just... I didn't... I really did consider you a friend. I apologize. It was supposed to be a perfect night, and I ruined it. I'm really sorry. I—"

Ms. Taylor was unable to continue speaking again.

Because Xu Xing had already returned to her side.

"Should we finish right away tonight?"

"..."

Ms. Taylor, looking up at Xu Xing, gently shook her head.

"No—"

This time, Xu Xing went even further, gripping his neck more tightly.

It's only the beginning of the second half of the night.

The arrogance and sense of superiority that white people have in their bones, right?

Punish them severely!!!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“I’m not messing around. I know I have to be extra careful this time in the US. I can’t fall for their tricks or be fooled by their sweet talk. I just went for a morning run. I didn’t bring my phone with me. It’s not that I woke up late. I have a ton of things to do today. I’m not someone who doesn’t know what’s important.”

Xu Xing suppressed a yawn and explained to Sun Man, who had called to remind him during a video call.

It was almost 9:30 a.m., while Xu Xing usually woke up at 7:30 a.m., and would get up half an hour to an hour later.

“Okay,” Sun Man nodded suspiciously, then said helplessly, “I originally wanted to go with you, but I really couldn’t get away. Luckily, Zhen Huaiwei will be here soon. Isn’t Aespa in the US too? If you really can’t resist, they’re safer.”

"...I came to America to do legitimate business!"

Hsu Hsing emphasized.

She acts like she'll go crazy if she doesn't sleep for a day!
What an outrageous situation!

Sun Man continued to nod.

"It doesn't conflict with proper relaxation. Just tell me if there's anything you need. I'm in Singapore right now, and if it's really necessary, I'll fly over immediately."

"I'm not a child who needs a guardian."

Xu Xing rolled her eyes at her.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Xingcai finally let out a satisfied yawn, stretched, and prepared to get up.

It must be said that the new assistant is quite conscientious. Last night, during the perfect night with Ms. Taylor, which lasted so late, she stayed outside the door the whole time and even knew to discuss with Ms. Taylor's assistant about deleting the surveillance footage from the studio. Afterwards, she did not inform Sun Man at all.

It's really reliable!

After washing up and without having breakfast, Xu Xing arrived at Interscope's recording studio at almost 11 o'clock.

It just so happens that Aespa hasn't come to visit yet.

Thanks to the collaboration between SM Entertainment and CJ Entertainment, Aespa came to the United States shortly after his debut, getting some scraps of material, but enough resources to boast about his hard work in the US.

Recently, Universal Music held its own Grammy Artist Showcase. Riding on the coattails of the Grammys, they performed a live rendition of their debut single, "Black Mamba." Of course, it was pre-recorded and released this morning.

—Performing "Black Mamba" in Los Angeles was indeed very abstract, and people on the Chinese internet are already joking about it.

After that, they will return to South Korea to prepare for their next comeback single, which is Aespa's early peak, "Next Level".

Xu Xing had barely exchanged a few words with the producer in the recording studio when the four members of Aespa were brought over by their manager.

Oh no, the highest-ranking person is Lee Sung-soo, Lee Soo-man's nephew, who is also the co-CEO of SM Entertainment.

In his previous life in 2023, with the support of Kakao, he challenged Lee Soo-man, who wanted to sell SM to Hybe, and ousted Lee Soo-man from SM.

Lee Soo-man has now tasked him with contacting CJ Group and Interscope to handle the company's expansion into the United States.

Xu Xing wasn't very concerned about their SM family affairs. Anyway, Lee Sung-soo bowed down to Xu Xing just as deeply as the four members of Aespa.

The four girls from Aespa were all very awkward in front of Xu Xing.

Perhaps it's Xu Xing's aura as a world-class superstar, and his handsome and dashing figure.

They've only just started out.

Although Ning Yizhuo is Chinese, she is the youngest in the team. Xu Xing gave her some smiles as a gesture of care for a fellow countryman, but Xu Xing had no interest in her whatsoever.

Giselle's looks are about the same level as hers, so Xu Xing wasn't interested.

Actually, none of the four Aespa members are particularly beautiful, although they all came with youthful and glamorous looks.

Among the four reserved individuals, Kim Min-jung was the most eager to try and had the widest smile. Although she was modeled after Kim Tae-yeon from SM Entertainment, she was still young and in good spirits as she had just debuted.

As for Ms. Yoo Jimin, she is indeed unique. Her idol makeup and styling are also good. Her proportions are average, but she tried her best to accentuate her curves... It can only be said that she truly deserves to have fallen in love with Lee Jae-wook at first sight after awkwardly watching a Prada show in her previous life.

She was the most unnatural-looking of the four, with the most infatuated look in her eyes.

It completely lacks the mysterious and dangerous Black Mamba incarnation feeling that is the core of the group's concept in the MV and on stage. It's not even as good as the time when Xu Xing met her at the elevator door when she was still a trainee.

Oh, Xu Xing remembered now. Miss Liu Zhimin's coyness probably stemmed mainly from the leaked chat logs, in which she was clearly infatuated with Xu Xing.

If Xu Xing simply nodded, Liu Zhimin and Jin Wenting could immediately fly to Xu Xing's bed, but Xu Xing, being a senior, wasn't interested for the time being and there was no need for it.

Let's give them some praise and some encouragement.

They were so excited that they expressed their admiration for Xu Xing incoherently.

Group photo.

Miss Kim Min-jung tried to squeeze next to Xu Xing, but as soon as Xu Xing showed any intention of moving aside, Lee Sung-soo pulled her outside and made Ning Yi-tak stand next to Xu Xing.

Asepa's usual position is between Yoo Jimin and Kim Min-jung.

Finally, Lee Sung-soo wanted to invite Heo Haeng to lunch together, but Heo Haeng declined as her assistant had already delivered takeout.

When they learned that Xu Xing was so busy that she could only eat takeout in the recording studio, Lee Sung-soo took the lead, and the four members of Aespa, who were originally trying to suppress their smiles and act like ladies, looked at him again and again and laughed again, and were unsteady on their feet, immediately became respectful.

This is why our predecessors were able to become world-renowned superstars!

Let's see!
This is the power of role models!

If Xu Xing directly names so-and-so and so-and-so to stay behind, immediately clears the area, and makes them stand still while holding onto the soundproofing panels, will they ever know how to write the word "struggle" again?

After reluctantly saying goodbye to Aespa, having a simple lunch, and getting her stage outfit ready, Hsu Hsing headed to yesterday's recording studio to record a performance video with Taylor, whose legs were still weak.

When she first arrived, Xu Xing only felt that Ms. Taylor was avoiding her gaze. It wasn't until the recording started and Ms. Taylor stood up in front of the piano as she had rehearsed the new routine, just like last night, but then suddenly fell down again, just like last night, that Xu Xing realized that Ms. Taylor's legs were still weak.

Last night, due to the limited environment, there weren't many variety options, but Xu Xing still managed to exceed the absolute intensity.

Nothing tripped her this time.

But Xu Xing did not falter; instead, she stood firmly and politely, offering the panicked and embarrassed Taylor a strong forearm.

Maintain the most polite distance between the two.

The staff watching were all amazed, saying that Xu Xing was a true gentleman!

Ms. Taylor, who finally stood up with Xu Xing's forearm support, was speechless with mixed feelings. All her thoughts eventually coalesced into one assessment: Xu Xing's performance in front of outsiders was impeccable.

Fortunately, Ms. Taylor's legs were just weak; she did remember how she felt last night and was in top form during her performance.

Last night, Ms. Taylor completely surrendered, but fortunately, she remained rational and it did not affect her recording of the song today.

When the staff and Xu Xing praised her for singing well, Ms. Taylor inexplicably gave Xu Xing a grateful look.

Nothing else went wrong, and the entire performance video was recorded before 6 p.m.

Ms. Taylor was reluctant to leave.

“There was supposed to be a party tonight. But you’re also busy working on a new album? Everyone, including me, has been waiting for this for so long.”

"Yes." Xu Xing nodded, smiled as she said goodbye and wished her well, "See you tomorrow. I hope you have the happiest tomorrow."

On March 14, the Grammy Awards ceremony finally began.

(End of this chapter)