Huayu: Starting with living with a girl from Taiwan

Chapter 120 Lin Mo, you'd better cry! Lin Mo, you'd better cry!

After Lin Mo left, Zeng Peici stayed on the sofa and browsed the forum for a while.

Just like a novice online novelist who can't help but refresh readers' comments again and again, Zeng Peici also experienced the pleasure of Lin Mo spying on her.

I glanced at the time; it was almost time to head out and meet up with Lin Youhui for our upcoming gig.

She closed the forum page, intending to glance at the entertainment news one last time before getting up.

That one glance made her stop in her tracks as she was about to stand up.

In the "Entertainment News" section of the page's sidebar, several words that she least wanted to see popped up:

[Breaking News] Has the relationship between a popular contestant from "Super Star Avenue" and his fellow student Zeng Peici been exposed?

The sweet duet song "Little Dimples" is suspected to be the song that sealed their love!

"Oops..

"7

Zeng Peici's heart skipped a beat, and her good mood from just now vanished in an instant.

What she feared still happened.

What should I do?

Why didn't Sister Youhui and Amo inform her beforehand or discuss a solution?

Don't idol dramas usually have some kind of public relations measures for these kinds of plots?

As Mr. Chai once said, such scandals can be very troublesome for newly established artists if not handled properly!

Feeling a bit anxious, I hurriedly clicked on the title.

The article was written with great seriousness, analyzing the interaction between the two and providing an in-depth analysis of their relationship. It also cited vague revelations from so-called "insiders," and concluded that "their relationship is very close, and they are suspected of dating."

Zeng Peici frowned as she looked at the scene, wondering whether she should call Lin Mo or Lin Youhui immediately.

However, my attention was drawn to several related news articles below.

[Rookie star Lin Mo is suspected of having a close relationship with beauty pageant champion Guo Biting; are the two possibly a couple?]

[Pop star Zhang Shaohan and Lin Mo filmed a music video together, behaving intimately. Lin Mo wrote a song for her; is this a declaration of love?]

[Late-night visits to the gym: The untold stories between Lin Mo and Adidas' Asia-Pacific general agent]

Zeng Peici was stunned.

She subconsciously clicked on the first one.

The video shows Jang Hsiao-kwon, the male lead of "Sleeping Youth," being interviewed on an entertainment program.

When asked by reporters if he was dating actress Bea Hayden, Chang Hsiao-chuan smiled and shook his head in denial, saying that he and Bea Hayden were just good friends.

But when pressed by reporters, he changed the subject, "However—I can secretly reveal a tidbit: Lin Mo, who sang the theme song for our movie, and Bi Ting had a pretty good relationship on set."

The host then gave an exaggerated "wow" expression and followed up with questions that suggested something was up.

Zhang Xiaoquan smiled without saying a word, leaving much to the imagination.

"Really?" Zeng Peici wondered to herself.

How could Amo chat so intimately with the female lead while recording a theme song?

She clicked on the second one.

It was Fan Weiqi who revealed the news, saying that her best friend Zhang Shaohan had a close relationship with the new singer-songwriter Lin Mo, writing songs for TV shows and even filming a music video together.

Then the reporter asked her if Zhang Shaohan acknowledged their relationship.

Fan Weiqi said no, they're just good friends or something.

Seeing this, Zeng Peici's initial anxiety gradually subsided.

Instead, there was a sense of bewildered realization, a feeling that was both funny and absurd.

She suddenly remembered what Lin Mo had casually said that day when she was worried that "Little Dimples" was too sweet and would cause rumors: "It's okay, I'll just go and create some rumors with other female celebrities to counteract it."

At the time, she thought Lin Mo was joking and teasing her.

Could this be the "solution" that Amo was talking about?

Zeng Peici was both annoyed and amused.

To dilute and blur the focus of attention by using more true and false rumors?

Or perhaps, when there are too many rumored romantic partners, they all seem less credible?

Zeng Peici leaned back on the sofa, pondering it carefully, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

And this trick seems to actually work...

At least now, seeing the screen full of "suspected romances" between Lin Mo and different actresses has reduced her anxiety about her own relationship.

"Ding ding ding"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a text message notification on her phone; it was Lin Youhui coming to pick her up.

Zeng Peici closed her laptop, took a deep breath, patted her cheeks, and tried to regain her composure.

Who cares? Anyway, Amo and Sister Youhui will definitely handle it.

What she needs to do now is to complete today's publicity work well.

Also, you must trust Amo!

Meanwhile, HIM International Music...

The sales of the new album "Garden Fairy" continued to decline, and several interview programs that had been scheduled to appear on the show declined for other reasons.

The reason is obvious to anyone with eyes to see.

"Mr. Wu,"

The assistant asked cautiously, "Should we still proceed with our book signing event in Taichung next week?"

After a long silence, Wu Laoba said, "Do as you say."

"So... shall we continue with the additional advertising budget?"

"Add my ass!"

Wu Laoba finally snapped.

"Haven't you thrown away enough money already?! From now on, all promotions are suspended. We'll see what happens next!"

"Also, don't let those two girls be idle; arrange some commercial performances for them!"

The assistant quickly acknowledged and withdrew.

Wu Laoba sat alone in his office, staring at the glaring sales figures on his desk, feeling a wave of dizziness.

He suddenly realized that he might have underestimated Lin Mo.

Should we listen to Wang Weizhong and befriend Lin Mo?

But Wu Laoba soon abandoned this idea.

It's too late for regrets now.

All he can do now is try to minimize his losses, and then...

A sinister glint flashed in Wu Laoba's eyes.

Then, wait for the next opportunity.

CTV Building.

The recording studio for the semi-finals of "Super Star Avenue".

Today is the semi-final of the top five to top four competition.

In order to ensure the show's ratings and generate buzz.

Executive producer Wang Weizhong specially invited five talented singers to be guest performers for the "Celebrity Guest Performance" segment.

The five guest performers are: Zhang Zhicheng, Zhou Hui, Zhang Dongliang, Lin Zhixuan, and — David Tao.

"Wow, I really love Teacher Zhang Zhicheng!" Pan Yuwen exclaimed softly as he looked at the guest list in his hand.

"I absolutely love Sister Zhou Hui's 'The Promise'..." Little Xie Zhenting said with anticipation.

"I hope I can draw Teacher Lin Zhixuan, his singing skills are too strong," Zhou Dingwei prayed softly.

"David Tao, the godfather of R&B!" Lin Youjia exclaimed inwardly.

Of all these guests, David Tao is undoubtedly the most popular right now.

But Lin Mo made a silent wish in his heart:

Please, please, please don't let it be David Tao...

It wasn't that he disrespected this talented senior in the music industry; it was just that... he was afraid of the "abstract" nature of the material.

David Tao was chosen as the guest performer because he was afraid of crying!

What if David Tao spontaneously performs a piece on stage—

"Lin Mo, you cry! Lin Mo, you cry! Lin Mo, you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry~"

Then he exploded.

The draw took place backstage, and although cameras were on, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed.

One by one, the contestants stepped forward and drew the small ball that would determine their fate from the opaque lottery box in Wang Weizhong's hand.

Pan Yuwen drew Zhang Zhicheng.

Hsieh Chen-ting drew Zhou Hui.

Lin Youjia drew Zhang Dongliang.

Zhou Dingwei drew Lin Zhixuan's name.

Lin Mo had no choice.

Amidst the envious glances of the other four members of the Starlight Gang, Lin Mo only hoped that David's name wouldn't be too abstract.

The actual recording of the program takes place in the evening, while the afternoon is reserved for practice.

Each contestant has a private dressing room/practice room to practice with their guest performers.

Lin Mo waited in the lounge for a while, then the door was gently knocked on and then pushed open.

David Tao walked in.

This was the first time Lin Mo had met this godfather of R&B in the Chinese music scene in real life.

At this time, David Tao was in his thirties, at the peak of his career.

In 05, he won the Golden Melody Award for Best Album with "Peaceful Times", and last year he won the Best Male Singer in Hong Kong and Taiwan with "Too Beautiful", enjoying unparalleled popularity.

His duet with Jolin Tsai, "Today You're Going to Marry Me," became a huge hit and won the Song of the Year award.

But the David Tao in front of us didn't have much of a superstar's airs.

He was wearing a simple black T-shirt and jeans, with a smile on his face, and looked very approachable.

However, he immediately stumped Lin Mo with his first words.

"Lin Mo, hello, hello! Have you thought of any new songs lately? Let's sing one together!"

At 7 p.m. sharp, the studio for the semi-finals of "Super Star Avenue" was brightly lit, the audience seats were full, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic.

Host Tao Zi walked onto the stage with a beaming smile: "Welcome back to 'Super Star Avenue'! Tonight is the semi-final night where our top five will compete for the top four spots!"

Applause erupted like a tidal wave.

Tao Zi began by introducing tonight's special competition format: "Today's competition is divided into two rounds—the first round is the 'Celebrity Guest Performance' segment! We are honored to have invited five talented singers to perform with our contestants!"

"The second round is the R&B challenge," where contestants will need to perform an R&B song solo.

"The contestant with the lowest combined score from both rounds will unfortunately be eliminated in the top five and bid farewell to our star-studded stage!"

A tense atmosphere instantly filled the studio.

Taozi then introduced the five guest performers, and each time she read out a name, the audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

When the name "David Tao" was announced, the cheers reached their peak—a testament to the immense popularity of this R&B king.

"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to our first pair tonight—Teacher David Tao and our contestant, Lin Mo!"

Amid thunderous applause and screams, David Tao and Lin Mo walked onto the stage side by side.

Tao Zi smiled and walked between the two: "Welcome, both of you! Mr. Tao Zhe, how was it working with contestant Lin Mo?"

David Tao picked up the microphone, his smile gentle: "Fantastic! Lin Mo is a very talented young man, and our collaboration this afternoon was very pleasant."

"Wow, to receive such high praise from David Tao!"

Tao Zi nodded and got to the point, "So, which classic song by David Tao will you two be performing for us today? Is it 'Love Is Simple'? 'Love Me or Her'? Or a special arrangement of 'Today You're Marrying Me'?"

Before Lin Mo could speak, Tao Zhe raised the microphone and said, "We're not singing my song today."

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