Chapter 23 It Makes No Difference Whom You Choose

After reading the jokes from "Whiskey at Dawn," Su Chen didn't linger in bed any longer. He got up to wash and get dressed. As soon as he was ready, his phone buzzed with new messages from Zhang Fuyu.

Zhang Fuyu: I saw the new song chart on Penguin Music. Congratulations!
Zhang Fuyu: I'll help promote your two songs on Weibo later, though honestly, with this level of popularity, you'd make it onto the hot list even without my help.
Zhang Fuyu: To achieve this with just your new songs—I really have high hopes for your future, young man!

Su Chen smiled but didn't bother typing a reply. Instead, he sent Zhang Fuyu a voice message.

"Thank you in advance, Sister Fuyu! All my current success is thanks to your luck that day. Your immense kindness is something I'll never forget!"

Not long after his message was sent, Zhang Fuyu replied with a voice message of her own.

"Luck is for those with real talent. Even if it weren't me, someone else would have discovered you. In fact, you don't even need anyone to discover you—you're just made for this. I'm so envious!"

Su Chen laughed and replied, "Please, don't say that, Superstar! You're giving me way too much pressure!"

She giggled, "You cheeky thing!"

Su Chen hadn't expected the diva Zhang Fuyu to be so much like the girl next door in private—gentle, with a touch of playful mischief.

After their brief chat, Su Chen headed out to buy breakfast. On the way, Lu Hua sent him a congratulatory message, along with an electronic invitation.

It was an invitation from "Tomorrow’s Star," detailing the exact time and venue.

Just as Su Chen had expected, the show would be broadcast live on the tenth of this month, at the Hunan TV building in Shashi.

Aside from filling in his personal information, the invitation also required him to state his unique advantage for participating in the program—like singing and dancing, or rapping.

Without hesitation, he wrote that he could perform his own original songs.

After submitting all his information, the production team for "Tomorrow’s Star" would even help contestants book flights and hotels—a thoughtful touch.

Having completed everything, Su Chen continued on his breakfast mission.

This time, he skipped the noodle shop—it was a bit too far for breakfast, and there were plenty of breakfast places right downstairs. He avoided the chain stores, choosing instead a small, family-run shop, where he packed two servings of noodles, two bowls of soy milk, and a basket of steamed buns. Then he headed home.

He'd bought breakfast for Han Jiangxue as well. On his way downstairs, he’d messaged her to ask if she wanted breakfast.

She still hadn’t replied—she was probably still in bed.

"It's nearly nine, and she's still asleep? She must be part pig—can eat and sleep all day..." Su Chen muttered to himself.

When Su Chen was nearly home, he finally called Han Jiangxue.

The phone rang for a good thirty seconds before it was answered. A lazy female voice came from the other end: "Moshi moshi, this is the not-quite-awake fairy. If you don't need anything, just hang up yourself..."

Su Chen: "..."

Her voice was muffled and sounded a little distant from the phone. Su Chen guessed she’d put it on speaker and left it by her pillow—not even bothering to hold it up.

"It's almost nine, why are you still in bed?" Su Chen said helplessly.

"...Eh? Oh, it’s you! I thought it was some unlucky soul calling this early..." Hearing Su Chen's voice, Han Jiangxue finally sounded more awake.

But Su Chen was speechless.

She hadn’t even checked the caller ID. Did she answer the phone with her eyes closed?

"Get up! I’ve bought breakfast. Wash up and come upstairs. Hurry, or it’ll get cold and won’t taste as good."

"Okay..."

Su Chen hung up. About twenty minutes later, he heard the sound of slippers dragging outside the door. Before the sound got any closer, he opened the door.

Outside, Han Jiangxue stood in a pink bunny onesie, her slippers dangling with floppy bunny ears.

She wore no makeup, her bare face clean and fresh, her sleepy eyes making her look especially adorable.

Ignoring the hint of grievance in her eyes, Su Chen ushered her in.

"Come in already. If you’d taken any longer, I was about to come downstairs and drag you up."

"It’s already a miracle I managed to get up at all! Experts say sleeping in is good for your skin in the morning!" Han Jiangxue grumbled.

Su Chen shot her a look.

"Experts also say skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach. Why don't you ever listen to that? Eat up."

Han Jiangxue turned her head away from him, her pink bunny ears brushing softly across Su Chen’s face.

Surprisingly comfortable.

"Breakfast can be eaten at noon..." Han Jiangxue said, but walked over to the table and sat down. The aroma of breakfast quickly cleared her sleepy haze, and she dug in with gusto.

"By the way, the mentor lineup for 'Tomorrow’s Star' has been announced. Did you see it?" she asked, her mouth full of steamed bun.

"Yeah, I saw it," Su Chen replied.

"Tomorrow’s Star" had started heavy promotion just yesterday. The promo was already up on Mango TV, owned by Hunan TV.

The show was jointly produced by Hunan TV and several major entertainment agencies, with four mentors and four debut spots.

The four mentors were all top celebrities.

Two men and two women—one of the men was Zhou Zhiqian.

He debuted early as a pop singer known for his melancholic ballads, but his career had stalled due to issues with his management company, only to make a comeback recently with new songs.

Now, thanks to his music and standout performance on variety shows, he was more popular than ever.

The other man was Zheng Huayu, who had also launched his career through a Hunan TV talent show. Once dubbed a musical prodigy, his fame hovered between A and B-list, and his arrogant, outspoken personality divided public opinion.

Among the female mentors was Han Hong, a pure vocalist of exceptional skill—she was a national-level artist, known for her soprano and candid, unpretentious nature.

The last mentor was Yan Mi—the one Han Jiangxue wanted an autograph from. Strictly speaking, Yan Mi wasn’t a singer but an actress, with hardly any music works to her name. The one song she was known for had gone viral only because people thought she sang terribly.

Still, despite her average singing, her popularity was undeniable. Su Chen could guess why she was on the show—to boost ratings. She was essentially a mascot.

Han Jiangxue took a sip of soy milk to help swallow her bun, then asked excitedly, "So, which mentor do you plan to choose?"

"...Me? Honestly, it doesn't matter which one," Su Chen replied.

With his level of skill, he didn’t need much guidance, so it made little difference to him.

"Just pick one first!"

Su Chen thought for a moment. "...Yan Mi, I guess."

Han Jiangxue blinked in surprise. "Why?"

Su Chen shrugged. "So I can get you an autograph, of course!"