Chapter 52: Going to the Restroom and Eavesdropping

Despite Lu Anzhi's explanation, Zhou Bo still looked utterly bewildered.

As a first-tier singer in the music industry, he was completely oblivious to the musical style of Sakura Country. Expecting him to instantly grasp that particular vocal technique was simply asking the impossible.

With no other choice, Lu Anzhi had to coach Zhou Bo right there on the spot. However, while the gifts of his previous life allowed him to sing quite well himself, explaining the nuances to someone else was a bit of a stretch for him.

Fortunately, Zhang Suxin possessed exceptionally strong professional skills. She could always decipher Lu Anzhi's instructions to Zhou Bo and translate them into terms Zhou Bo could easily understand. Working together in close coordination, the two of them managed to get Zhou Bo up to speed in no time.

"I don't want you to leave, distance cannot keep us apart, longing turns into an ocean, outside the window it cannot get in..."

Following their guidance, Zhou Bo sang a verse in the room, and the flavor was finally right. Hearing this, Ma Fang's eyes lit up as she noticed the distinct difference from before.

"Well, this trip was definitely not wasted. Thank you both for your guidance," Ma Fang said, giving a round of applause.

Lu Anzhi replied, "It's mostly thanks to Mr. Zhou's exceptional vocal skills. He catches on immediately."

Ma Fang smiled and said, "Teacher Lu, your singing sounds quite impressive too. Plus, you're so handsome and good at writing songs—have you ever thought about entering the music industry as a performer?"

Lu Anzhi chuckled as well. "Haven't I already entered it? I'm writing songs for such a popular singer like Mr. Zhou, after all."

Zhou Bo humbly said, "I wouldn't dare! Please, Teacher Lu, don't call me 'Mr. Zhou.' You are my mentor; just call me Little Zhou or Student Zhou."

Ma Fang remarked, "Writing songs happens behind the scenes. I mean, Teacher Lu, haven't you ever thought about stepping into the spotlight? With your conditions... and Suxin, I truly feel it was such a pity when you chose to retire from the industry back then."

Zhang Suxin smiled faintly. "What's so pity about it? Can't I still write songs now? Besides... there are so many good singers—like Mr. Zhou, for instance—they don't need one more, do they?"

Mid-sentence, she suddenly recalled Lu Anzhi mentioning the concept of independent internet musicians, and the phrase "Besides, I can also be an independent musician" almost slipped out. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and changed her words right on the tip of her tongue.

Lu Anzhi echoed, "I feel the same way. Writing songs is quite nice. As for singing, we should leave that to professionals like Mr. Zhou."

Although Zhou Bo had invited Lu Anzhi to call him Little Zhou or Student Zhou, Lu Anzhi was no innocent teenager lacking worldly experience. Naturally, he wouldn't just start casually addressing him as "Little Zhou," so he still politely referred to him as "Teacher Zhou."

"What a shame, truly," Ma Fang said, her tone carrying genuine regret. "Teacher Lu, if you ever want to develop a career in the music industry, feel free to contact me. I can certainly lend you a helping hand."

Lu Anzhi politely replied with a "Sure," and temporarily excused himself to visit the restroom. Sitting through the meal, Zhou Bo had constantly been refilling his teacup. Cup by small cup, he had ended up drinking quite a lot.

The private room at Qinfang Pavilion actually came equipped with a private restroom, featuring a seated toilet. Although disposable seat covers were provided, Lu Anzhi couldn't be bothered with the hassle and decided to step out to use the public washroom instead.

After relieving himself in the restroom and washing his hands at the basin, he was suddenly surprised to see Zhang Suxin walk in as well.

"Why did you come out too?" Lu Anzhi asked. In his memory, Zhang Suxin hadn't drunk very much tea.

Zhang Suxin smiled. "Because of you, of course. As soon as I left the table, they kept questioning me about you—asking which rock you crawled out from under and why they had never heard of you before. I couldn't handle the interrogation, so I escaped out here, and decided to use the restroom by the way."

Lu Anzhi chuckled. "I'm a complete amateur, what is there to recruit? I think she'd be much better off trying to sign you back. Look at you now—you're completely free, your skills and standards are still there, and you already have a solid fan base. You're way better than me."

Zhang Suxin gave Lu Anzhi a sideways glance and said, "I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to the ladies' room."

Of course, Ma Fang also had designs on recruiting Zhang Suxin. Just as Lu Anzhi pointed out, if Zhang Suxin were to make a comeback, she would be much easier to manage than Lu Anzhi. Part of the reason Zhang Suxin couldn't handle the pressure inside was because Ma Fang had been subtly trying to court her.

Lu Anzhi said, "Then I'll wait for you here, and we can go back together in a moment."

"Mhm," Zhang Suxin replied.

With that, Zhang Suxin stepped into the women's restroom. Lu Anzhi waited outside for a little while until she emerged, washed her hands, and walked back with him.

As they strolled down the corridor leading back to Qinfang Pavilion, Zhang Suxin casually remarked, "Seriously, the company Zhou Bo is with is very strong, and they've got real integrity—much better than my old agency. Manager Ma is also an agent with formidable professional capabilities, quite famous in the industry. She honestly extended an olive branch to you; didn't you even want to give it a try?"

Lu Anzhi laughed. "I'm not the one calling the shots here. I'm currently affiliated with your studio, which practically makes me your person. If you're willing to let me go work for someone else, you might as well just sell me off."

Lu Anzhi was merely making a casual joke. But while the speaker had no intention behind it, the listener took it to heart. Zhang Suxin's nerves had already been stretched thin by Song Xiaoqin's recent remarks, and hearing Lu Anzhi say this instantly made her tense up.

"What does that have to do with me?!"

Zhang Suxin shot Lu Anzhi a glare and quickened her pace.

Lu Anzhi followed behind her, and the two quickly reached Qinfang Pavilion. However, just as they were about to step through the entrance, Zhang Suxin suddenly came to a halt. Lu Anzhi stopped right behind her, and together they heard voices drifting out from inside the private room.

"How many times do I have to tell you! I told you to listen to me, to follow my lead, but you just wouldn't listen. Is that mouth of yours just too clever? Do you think you're the only one who can talk? I was kicking you under the table and you still wouldn't stop."

"Don't be mad, Big Sis, calm your anger. Didn't I just mention something that's already an open secret in the industry anyway? The guy has been around the circle; he knows about copyright fees and the going rates for songs whether I say it or not. I was just being honest."

"You're honest, you're sincere, you're the good guy, alright? I'm the one with too many schemes, my head is full of business, I'm the villain!"

"I didn't say that."

"Ha! What do you mean by that?! You didn't say it, so that's what you're thinking in your heart, right?"

"Big Sis, you're overthinking it. How could I possibly think that? Don't I know you have my best interests at heart? Calm down, calm down..."

"As if you actually realize it! Why do you think I told you to keep your mouth shut? Industry pricing just shifted not long ago, and everyone's still trying to test the waters. Even if everyone already knows about this change, as long as it isn't brought out into the open, there's still room for negotiation! What do you think I'm trying to achieve by saving money on song acquisitions for you? Isn't every penny saved going straight into promoting your album?"

"I know promotion is important, but at the end of the day, songs are what matter most for an album. To be honest with you, Big Sis, I really think highly of Teacher Lu..."

Standing outside eavesdropping, Zhang Suxin couldn't help but turn her head to glance at Lu Anzhi, blinking her eyes in surprise.