A song called "The You of the Past" has prompted the entire internet to beg me not to leav

Nine o'clock the next morning.

The meeting room in Qingqiu Studio was unusually quiet.

Old Liang held the sheet music for the five songs in both hands, his hands trembling like a leaf.

The expression on his face during those short half hour was like he was on a rollercoaster.

From the initial disdain that writing five songs in one night could produce any good ones, to the surprise of "Oh, this tune is quite interesting."

Now, their faces are filled with extreme shock, as if to say, "Who is this deity who has descended to earth? We mortals can only kneel and listen."

The other executives sitting on either side of the conference table didn't dare to utter a sound.

Old Liang, who is usually arrogant and hot-tempered, now holds those few pages of paper with more reverence than if he were holding his ancestral tablets.

"Incredible... Absolutely incredible!"

Old Liang slammed his hand heavily on the table, startling Lin Yan, who was dozing off with her eyes half-closed.

He suddenly stood up, rushed to Lin Yan in a few steps, grabbed Lin Yan's hand tightly, and was so excited that he couldn't even speak properly.

"Director Lin! I, Lao Liang, have swallowed all the nonsense I uttered yesterday! This isn't just five songs; this is a timeless masterpiece worthy of being included in the museum of Chinese pop music!"

"The layering of this arrangement, the sophistication of this chord progression—I've been in music for fifteen years, and I'm not even worthy to shine your shoes!"

Lin Yan pulled his hand away with a look of disgust and rubbed it vigorously on Lao Liang's clothes without any politeness.

"Alright, Lao Liang, that's enough. Just compose these five songs. Do you have any technical difficulties?" Lin Yan leaned back lazily in his chair.

"Absolutely no problem!" Old Liang thumped his chest loudly. "If even a single note is off, I, Old Liang, will jump off this twentieth floor!"

Shen Qingqiu sat in the main seat, thoroughly enjoying Lao Liang's utterly subservient manner.

She tapped the table with her fingers, bringing the group back to their senses.

"Old Liang, stop with the flattery. Let's start the meeting now."

Shen Qingqiu instantly switched back to cold-blooded CEO mode.

"Everyone has seen the quality of the five songs. Now the question is, what are the planning department's ideas for the initial concept of this new album?"

The planning director, a capable woman with short hair, immediately stood up upon hearing this and deftly turned on the projector.

A PowerPoint presentation filled with data reports and screenshots of trending topics was projected onto the screen.

"Ms. Shen, Director Lin. Based on our team's data collection across the entire internet over the past week, the most talked-about label for Ms. Shen right now isn't 'Queen of Pop' or 'Independent Musician'..."

The short-haired woman paused, her tone somewhat subtle: "It's 'A cold, aloof female CEO pursuing a lazy, handsome young man.'"

Upon hearing this, several executives in the conference room tried desperately to suppress their laughter, their eyes darting uncontrollably between Shen Qingqiu and Lin Yan.

Shen Qingqiu's ears burned instantly, but his face remained as calm as an old dog, and he uttered three words in a cool tone: "Get to the point."

"The key point is that users on short video platforms are now pursuing short, fast, and easy content. Director Lin's five songs are all top-quality slow and long songs that require listeners to calm down and appreciate them."

The planning director is highly capable and his analysis is insightful.

"If we use them as the first to go, they'll definitely have enough prestige and buzz, but they won't generate enough buzz."

"What we need most right now is a catchy song that can grab the attention of the entire internet within ten seconds, a song that countless internet celebrities will cover and dance to wildly, or use as background music for their costume changes."

"It has to be light, lively, and full of contrast!"

Old Liang nodded vigorously beside her: "Right, right, right! President Shen has always been known for her aloof, sophisticated, and melancholic diva persona. If her first single is an incredibly sweet 'little sweet song,' this extreme contrast in her persona will definitely set the entire internet ablaze!"

Shen Qingqiu turned to look at Lin Yan.

Their eyes met, and Lin Yan instantly understood why she had complained last night that it wasn't "sweet enough."

"Want something sweet? Then write one."

Lin Yan shrugged, making it sound simpler than eating.

Old Liang now sees Lin Yan through a lens of pure cynicism, rubbing his hands excitedly.

"Since Director Lin dared to make such a bold statement, he must have something in mind! Could you hum a couple of lines right now to whet our appetites?"

"No problem." Lin Yan tapped his fingers on the table.

"This song has a light and upbeat style with reggae and electronic elements. The chorus rhythm must be broken, to give it that playful, girlish feeling of being in love. Here, get me a pen and paper."

Lin Yan took the pen from his assistant and wrote down a chorus melody and lyrics with flowing ease.

Everyone quickly peeked out.

The paper read:

If you suddenly sneeze, it must be because I'm thinking of you.

"If I get woken up by my phone in the middle of the night, oh, that's because I care."

"Holy crap! That's an amazing phrase!" Old Liang slapped his thigh. "The imagery, the saccharine sweetness of love, it's so cloying it's almost sickening!"

Shen Qingqiu stared at the words on the paper, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

This wording is too straightforward. Is this guy trying to imply something?

"Director Lin, could you sing a demo live so we can get a feel for this sweetness?" Old Liang's eyes lit up, waiting for Lin Yan to feed him.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan's hand holding the pen froze in mid-air.

He looked down at the lyrics, and a picture instantly popped into his mind.

I'm a tough guy, 1.85 meters tall, standing in the middle of the conference room, swaying my hips as I sing "If You Suddenly Sneeze"...

Lin Yan shuddered violently. The scene was too brutal; it was simply an eyesore.

"Don't even think about it!" Lin Yan refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.

"I'm a grown man, with a deep, resonant voice. You want me to sing this kind of girly song that's all pink bubbles on the screen? Lao Liang, are you trying to disgust me to death?"

Old Liang grew anxious: "But Director Lin, it's hard for everyone to get that unique 'sweetness' just by looking at the sheet music. Besides, what's the difference between men and women when it comes to playing music..."

"I said I wouldn't sing, and I won't! I have my pride!"

Lin Yan threw down his pen, and his cunning and cheating nature completely erupted.

"The melody and lyrics are here; you can figure out how to sing it yourselves. Anyway, I absolutely will not sing this kind of song in a strained voice. If word gets out, how will I ever be able to make a living in the music industry?"

The entire conference room instantly fell into an awkward stalemate.

Shen Qingqiu found it amusing to look at Lin Yan's stubborn and chaste demeanor.

She now fully understands this guy's nature of being swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force.

She waved her hand: "Alright, you can all go out and get ready. Meeting adjourned. I'll discuss the specific details of this song with Director Lin privately."

The executives felt as if they had been granted a pardon and all ran away in a flash, making sure to close the door tightly before they left.

In the huge conference room, only the two of them remained.

Shen Qingqiu stood up, her high heels clicking silently on the carpet.

She slowly walked to Lin Yan's side, placed her hands on the edge of the desk, and stared down at him.

"Really not singing?"

"I'd rather die than sing. Just deduct my pay." Lin Yan crossed his arms, looking like a dead pig that doesn't fear boiling water.

"I'm your boss. It's written in black and white in the contract that you have an obligation to cooperate with all aspects of the album's production." Shen Qingqiu used the contract to pressure him.

Lin Yan didn't even lift his eyelids: "It's written in the contract that I don't accept coercive orders. This is a tough guy's bottom line. Boss, even if you freeze me out, I will never compromise."

Shen Qingqiu stared at him for a few seconds.

Suddenly, she leaned down slightly.

The distance between the two instantly shrank to the point where their breaths could mingle together.

Shen Qingqiu's flawless and beautiful face magnified in Lin Yan's eyes, and a faint scent of high-end perfume wafted into his nose.

Her eyes sparkled, and her voice suddenly became extremely soft and gentle, carrying a seductive quality that she herself was unaware of.

"Lin Yan..."

"Please, I'm begging you, is that alright?"

Lin Yan's mind went blank.

The usually aloof and icy top diva of Xinghai City, a well-known iron-fisted female CEO in the entertainment industry, is now begging him in such a soft and cuddly tone.

This soul-stirring contrast is a hundred times more deadly than this sweet song!

Lin Yan felt a sudden dryness in his throat, swallowed hard, and felt his mental defenses, known as the "bottom line of a macho man," crumbling away.

"Okay...okay."

Lin Yan let out a long sigh, slumped in the chair like a deflated balloon, his face etched with utter despair.

"Let's go to the recording studio. Let's make it clear first, I'll only teach you once."

"I won't sing the demo; I'll personally come into the studio and teach you how to sing it step by step. Is that alright, ma'am?"

A glint instantly flashed in Shen Qingqiu's eyes, indicating his composure.

"You said it yourself, let's go!"