Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

As night falls, the lights are on.

Tianxing Entertainment's official Weibo account posted an update precisely at 8:00 AM:

[Tianxing Entertainment V: August, the summer breeze will blow towards you. @Xu Nian, new song "Summer Breeze" on August 15th, stay tuned.]

The accompanying image is a silhouette of Xu Nian's profile, standing against the light, her hair gently tossed by the wind, the picture as clean as an unfinished poem.

The comments section exploded instantly.

"Holy crap! Xu Nian is releasing a new song?!"

"She finally has new resources? Tianxing has finally acted like a human being again?"

"Summer Breeze... The song title is so gentle, I can't wait!"

The topic trended on Weibo within just half an hour, and the hashtag #XuNianSummerWind# quickly entered the top 20.

A high-end residential community in Beijing.

Wu Liang's home was decorated in an extremely extravagant manner. The European-style crystal chandelier was so bright it could blind the eyes. Several abstract paintings that were incomprehensible hung on the living room wall, and there was even a valuable Pixiu ornament next to the TV cabinet, symbolizing bringing wealth and treasures—although no visitors had ever come, the grandeur had to be shown first.

At this moment, this balding man in his forties with a beer belly was wearing a tight silk pajama set, sunken into an imported leather sofa. The buttons of the pajama set were stretched taut by his belly, as if they might spring off at any moment. He was Wu Liang, the director of the composition department at Starway Entertainment.

Wu Liang stared at the official announcement from Tianxing Entertainment on his tablet, his thick lips pressed into a thin line. After a long while, he picked up his phone from the coffee table and dialed a number.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Teacher Chu, am I disturbing you?" Wu Liang's voice carried a deliberately contrived warmth, like an expired cream cake, so sweet it was nauseating.

On the other end of the phone, Chu Nan sat at home, relaxed: "Mr. Wu, what's up?"

"Tianxing has officially announced it, did you see it?" Wu Liang leaned forward, his tone tinged with schadenfreude. "Xu Nian is releasing a new song in mid-August, it's called something like 'Summer Wind'."

Chu Nan chuckled: "I saw it. What's wrong, Mr. Wu, are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" Wu Liang seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He leaned back on the sofa, which groaned under its weight. "Why should I be nervous? That girl Xu Nian hasn't made a name for herself in three years at Tianxing. Giving her resources now is just Tianxing grasping at straws in desperation."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "I just wanted to confirm, have any other high-level composers worked on projects at Tianxing this month?"

"No." Chu Nan took a sip of red wine, his tone certain. "Before I left, I knew the situation at Tianxing's composition department better than anyone. Zhao Heng and his group were all booked up with projects, and those without projects were just average. During the August summer season, apart from me, no other senior composer in the entire industry had any free time."

"That song..."

"Probably some mediocre composer who rushed this out on an assembly line; it's not even worthy of shining He Ying's shoes," Chu Nan said dismissively. "Or maybe Tianxing just bought it from somewhere. What good material could a singer like Xu Nian possibly deserve?"

Wu Liang forced a smug smile onto his face: "Teacher Chu is right. Without you, Tianxing is like a martial arts master whose internal energy has been crippled. They still want to compete with us on the August Star Ranking? What a joke."

"How are He Ying's preparations going?" Chu Nan asked.

"Don't worry, everything will be done to the highest standards." Wu Liang patted his beer belly, making a loud thud. "The production team is top-notch in China; the arrangement, mixing, and mastering are all gold-medal stuff. The marketing budget has also been approved—eight million, covering all channels. This song isn't just going to take number one on the Star Cloud Chart; it's going to do it spectacularly, showing those guys at Tianxing who the real king of the music scene is."

Chu Nan nodded in satisfaction: "That's good. He Ying's singing skills and popularity are both superior to Xu Nian's, and with my lyrics and music, she'll be number one on the August charts without a doubt."

"Teacher Chu is right!" Wu Liang quickly flattered, "Once we take number one on the charts, you'll be the biggest winner of this summer's box office. A Golden Melody Award nomination will be a piece of cake! Let Tianxing cry their eyes out!"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Wu Liangcai hung up the phone, satisfied.

He leaned back in his leather chair, turned around, and gazed at the night view of Beijing outside the window, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

Tianxing, you've finally met your match.

In the August Star Rankings, without Chu Nan, you are like a toothless tiger.

What else can they use to compete with our Star Tour?

Just wait and see, the August Nebula Rankings will be a pillar of shame for your Tianxing.

On the other side, in a high-end villa district in Beijing.

Shen Wei, dressed in a silk robe, leaned against a recliner by the French windows, holding a glass of red wine in her hand, but her eyes were fixed on the Weibo post on her phone screen.

This is an official announcement from Tianxing Entertainment.

Xu Nian.

Summer Wind.

Every word was like a needle, piercing her eyes.

Her fingernail left a white mark on the screen, and her lips were pressed together until they turned white.

"Xu Nian..."

She gritted her teeth and squeezed out the name.

That little singer who couldn't make a splash in Tianxing for three years, that second-tier singer who wasn't even worthy of carrying her shoes in her eyes, has now actually gotten the resources to climb the charts in August?

And what about her songs?

What about her ranking plans?

It was ruined by that bastard Lin Yuan!

Shen Wei recalled the look Fei Zhao gave her in the karaoke room.

Indifferent, detached, as if looking at a stranger.

And then there's that phrase, "Turn right when you leave, no need to see me off."

She debuted five years ago, is a top-tier singer, has three albums, and has two songs that made it into the top ten of the year's hit songs.

When has Shen Wei ever suffered such humiliation?

"Fei Zhao..."

Shen Wei took a big gulp of red wine, the liquid sliding down her chin and dripping onto her expensive silk nightgown, spreading a dark red stain.

She stood up and paced back and forth in the living room, her slippers making a hurried and anxious sound on the floor.

No.

She couldn't just let it go like that.

She has already missed the August Star Chart Awards, which is very detrimental to the Best Female Singer selection. If she doesn't achieve good results in the Star Chart Awards in the next few months, she will have no hope of winning the Best Female Singer award this year.

And Tianxing Entertainment...

Shen Wei stopped in her tracks, her gaze falling on the dazzling lights outside the window, her eyes gradually turning cold.

Tianxing has already given up on her.

Fei Zhao would rather give resources to someone like Xu Nian than keep her.

What's the point of staying at a company like this?

She gripped her phone tightly; the official Weibo account of Tianxing Entertainment was still there on the screen, glaringly obvious.

Fei Zhao? Lin Yuan? Xu Nian?

just wait.

I will make you regret it, regret not kneeling down and begging me to stay.