hotmtlnovel Chapter 187
Chapter 187
The busiest period had finally passed, and the Spring Festival was just around the corner. Most of the work had been wrapped up, and the atmosphere in the office was filled with the joy of the upcoming holiday. Employees sipped coffee at their desks, chatted leisurely, and enjoyed the relaxed vibe.
As usual, Jiang Juyou drove into the elevator and took it up to the second-floor parking lot. Though it was a familiar route, today felt distinctly different.
Today was Jiang Juyou’s last day working in the office. She had already given all the necessary instructions earlier, so today was just a final check-in before her departure tomorrow.
As she walked in, the assistants at their desks greeted her warmly, “Good morning, Producer Jiang!”
“Good morning,” Jiang Juyou replied, carrying her bag as she entered.
The company had just announced that they would have a fourteen-day holiday for the Spring Festival, which was incredibly exciting news. Everyone was in such high spirits that they could hardly focus on work, instead chatting away.
When an assistant brought her a cup of hot tea, Jiang Juyou noticed the joy on the assistant’s face and knew the holiday announcement must have been made.
“How many days until the holiday?” Jiang Juyou asked with a smile as she accepted the tea.
The assistant couldn’t contain her excitement, grinning widely. “Just one week!”
Jiang Juyou couldn’t help but laugh along. “Alright, go enjoy yourself. I don’t have much to do today, so don’t worry about me.”
“Hehe, thank you, Producer Jiang. Just call us if you need anything. We’ll be right outside.”
“Sure.”
Though there was still a week until the Spring Festival holiday, the festive atmosphere had already taken over. The administrative department was busy preparing the holiday gifts for the employees, and people from various departments took turns going downstairs to collect them, reminiscent of the excitement of receiving textbooks back in school.
Two floors down, however, the atmosphere was completely different. The groups were busy preparing for their upcoming performances. The choreography and song selections were finalized, and today marked the start of their practice sessions.
Even during practice, they kept an eye on the time. Pei Luming kept checking his phone and reminding his teammates, “It’s almost eleven. Producer Jiang should be at work by now.”
“Obviously she’s here. The question is, when is she leaving? What if we miss her?”
“Who decided to schedule this during lunchtime? Couldn’t it have been earlier?”
“How could it be earlier? We had to learn the new choreography this morning.”
“...This is giving me a headache.”
People in other practice rooms were also keeping track of time, worried they might miss their chance. Some even called upstairs during bathroom breaks to ask if Producer Jiang had left yet.
“Not yet,” the assistant replied, glancing toward the office. “Producer Jiang is still here. Do you need to see her? You should come up now if you do, because she’s about to leave soon.”
Jiang Juyou was planning to head downstairs to check on the preparations for the holiday gifts, so she wouldn’t be in the office for much longer.
Misinterpreting the situation, the anxious group members panicked, clutching their phones nervously.
Han Lemi frantically spoke into the phone, “No, no! We were just asking!”
“Oh... alright. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, nothing else. Goodbye!”
“Okay, goodbye.”
The four of them were like ants on a hot pan. Si Yanyu nudged Pei Zhiping, urging her to notify the others quickly.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Jiang Juyou was discussing this year’s plans with the managers of several groups.
“I’ll say it again: you need to bring something new to the table. Before the public’s perception of the group’s music becomes fixed, you have to break the mold. Don’t rely solely on the group’s popularity. You need to be vigilant. Sometimes, good results come because the music is genuinely good, not just because the members are popular.”
“In the last few album releases, the discussions have mostly been about the album design or the content, with very little focus on the music itself. At our core, we’re a performance group. Don’t let these things overshadow that. I hope everyone will pay more attention to song selection for the next comeback.”
“If you really can’t decide on the songs, you can delay the comeback, but make sure to keep up with other activities to maintain exposure.”
The people sitting on the sofa nodded in agreement.
After finishing her reminders, Jiang Juyou’s pre-holiday work was officially done.
She rubbed her knees, let out a long breath, and said, “Alright, everyone, go grab lunch. It’s almost noon.”
As she stood up, the others followed suit. Lin Jie suggested, “Let’s have lunch together, boss.”
“Yeah, we won’t be able to see you off at the airport tomorrow.”
“Exactly, let’s have lunch together. We haven’t really gotten together much this year.”
Jiang Juyou smiled helplessly. “Alright, you all go ahead. I need to head home. I promised to have lunch with my family.”
“I’m just moving my work location to London; it’s not like I’m quitting. You’re all being so dramatic. We’ll still have online meetings after the holiday. Let’s not make this awkward,” she said, rubbing her shoulders.
Hearing this, Lin Jie fell silent and silently prayed for the kids downstairs.
Downstairs, chaos ensued as they rushed back and forth to the Galaxy Venue. Some were assigned to go upstairs to find Jiang Juyou, and even before the surprise began, they were already feeling emotional.
After seeing off her subordinates, Jiang Juyou began packing up her office, planning to take the last few books home.
Rather than feeling sentimental, she was mostly looking forward to finally being able to relax without worrying about company matters.
Just as she was about to leave with her bag, there was a knock on the door.
“Knock knock—”
Jiang Juyou turned around. “Come in.”
Pei Zhiping and Pei Luming shuffled in, with Pei Luming almost tripping over himself. Once inside, they both scratched their heads in unison.
Jiang Juyou looked at them. “What’s up? Do you need something?”
“...Producer Jiang, we’ve practiced enough. We’d like you to come down and take a look,” Pei Luming said, having been pushed in without a proper excuse.
Jiang Juyou thought for a moment. “For the music festival?”
“Yes, yes!” the siblings nodded.
Jiang Juyou was a bit surprised. “Already? That was fast.”
In her mind, Cong Lixia chimed in, “I bet they’ve prepared a surprise for you.”
Jiang Juyou mentally replied, “Isn’t it a bit rude to just reveal it like that?”
“...Hmph.”
Jiang Juyou had already guessed that the kids downstairs were planning a surprise. With over forty of them, no matter how quietly they tried to keep it, the staff around them had figured it out, and word had eventually reached her ears.
No one had told her directly, but she could tell from the way they occasionally glanced at her. She had initially thought it was Lin Jie and the others, but after she politely declined their invitation, they didn’t push further, so it probably wasn’t them.
Now, it seemed the answer was clear.
Jiang Juyou nodded with a smile. “Alright, let me just grab these books.”
She picked up the three books from her desk, which had been cluttered with items. Now, it was almost empty, with only her nameplate left behind.
Pei Luming and Pei Zhiping stepped forward, offering to help carry the books, but before they could even reach out, Jiang Juyou had already packed them into her bag.
“Producer Jiang, let me carry your bag for you,” Pei Luming said, eyeing her bag.
Jiang Juyou shook her head. “No need. Lead the way. The main practice room?”
Pei Luming and Pei Zhiping exchanged a glance and shook their heads.
—
After some frantic preparations, the large screen in the venue was finally set up.
Pei Luming and Pei Zhiping led Jiang Juyou through the underground passage. As they walked, Pei Luming kept giving Pei Zhiping meaningful looks.
“Uh, Producer Jiang, I’ll go ahead and check if they’ve decided on the order!” Pei Zhiping said, preparing to run off.
Jiang Juyou, already aware of their little scheme, nodded and let her go.
As they walked, Pei Luming was uncharacteristically quiet. He wasn’t sure what to say, worried he might make the atmosphere too sentimental. He didn’t want to end up crying before Producer Jiang did.
“What day is your comeback again?” Jiang Juyou asked casually.
“Oh, it’s on the third day of the New Year. We’ll release the song then and promote for three weeks.”
“That’s not far off.”
“Yeah, we’ve been practicing hard lately.”
Because it was winter break, most of the groups under Random Entertainment were active during this period. This year was a bit different—besides their usual album promotions, they also had to prepare performances for the music festival.
The performances for the music festival couldn’t be the same as before, so parts of the choreography and introductions had to be reworked, making them especially busy.
They barely had any time to go home for the New Year.
Finally, Pei Luming mustered up the courage to ask, “So, Director Jiang, are you spending the New Year abroad?”
“No, I’ll be celebrating it here in the country,” Jiang Juyou replied directly.
Pei Luming, who had been walking, suddenly stopped. Wait, the intel was wrong. He had heard that Director Jiang was leaving tomorrow and that today was her last day at work.
But if she was staying in the country for the New Year, the information clearly didn’t add up!
Jiang Juyou noticed the flicker in his eyes and tried hard to suppress a smile, pretending not to notice as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“...Nothing,” Pei Luming replied, feeling like he wanted to disappear. Why had they given him such a difficult task?
If today wasn’t actually Director Jiang’s last day at work, and they had already said their goodbyes, only to see her again tomorrow, it would be beyond awkward.
He closed his eyes briefly, then trudged forward, turning back to say, “Director Jiang, take your time. I’ll go ahead and check on things!”
Behind him, Jiang Juyou could barely hold back her laughter.
“It seems like their surprise is going to fail,” Cong Lixia commented.
Jiang Juyou smiled, not minding at all. “The fact that they prepared something is already a surprise. Where else can you find kids like this in the industry nowadays?”
“...You really like them.”
“Of course I do. I’m the one who chose them.”
In the quiet hallway, Cong Lixia suddenly asked—
“What about me?”
“What about you?”
“Am I No. 3?”
“Yes, yes, you’re No. 3.”
As they wandered, Jiang Juyou arrived at the entrance of the Galaxy Venue.
It had been a long time since she’d been here. The last time was around this time last year when they were preparing for a music show.
Passing by the restroom, Jiang Juyou glanced at it and said, “I still remember the moment we drew the restroom.”
Memories of her struggles here flashed before her eyes. She looked at the path she used to walk frequently, then continued forward, arriving backstage.
She estimated that everything inside was ready and finally walked in.
Pei Luming happened to be coming out to fetch her. Seeing her approach, he quickly shouted, “We can start now!” before hurriedly running off.
To cover up their real plan, they had actually prepared a segment of the music festival’s opening performance. On stage were the seven members of Fructose, while the rest pretended to be seated in the audience, looking as if they were waiting for the show to begin.
In reality, Jiang Juyou had already spotted the bouquets hidden by their legs.
“I’m pumped, everyone!”
The ad screen switched, and the camera panned over the crowd—a sea of heads packed tightly together.
“Holy cow, so many people!”
“This stage is always packed. The previous DJ is really famous.”
“Dancing with this many people must be amazing!”
“I’ve been there—the smell at the venue is not great.”
“Why? Do foreigners have strong body odor?”
“It’s not just that... Don’t ask if you’re too young!”
Without any introductory VCR, the screen lit up with green flames, displaying the group’s name: Equals3.
The sound of drumsticks clashing rang out—once, twice, and then a third time, successfully grabbing everyone’s attention. The beats grew faster and faster.
Jiang Wangran stood at the center of the stage with his guitar and shouted in rhythm, “One, two, three—”
The electric guitar roared to life, instantly igniting the crowd as the other instruments quickly filled the soundscape.
Sang Mo wildly swung his guitar on stage, his fingers dancing across the strings. Each note was played with precision and passion, the melody pulsating with his emotions, leading the band and the audience into a sea of music.
Jiang Wangran stood at the center, eyes slightly closed, fully immersed in the emotion of the song. His voice, like a heavenly instrument, rose and fell with the melody, brimming with intensity.
The audience couldn’t help but sway their heads, and those at the front cheered loudly. They might not have known who was on stage, but that didn’t stop them from getting swept up in the music.
Chen Wu played the bass, swaying to the rhythm, adding a steady foundation to the music. His fingers jumped across the low strings, providing a solid backbone for the performance, perfectly synced with the drummer to create a dynamic musical atmosphere.
No one expected the first song to be this electrifying, and the entire crowd started jumping.
Jiang Juyou and the others stood further back, unable to see the stage clearly, but the music reached them just fine.
Jiang Liuxing shouted in her ear, “Ahhh, I’ve fallen for Sang Mo all over again! Hubby! I’m your number one sit-up queen!”
Liu Yue, who was dancing with her hands in the air, turned and saw Jiang Juyou standing still. She grabbed her hand and pulled her into the dance, “Come on! You’re not here to work!”
The performers on stage radiated boundless charisma, every note shining like a twinkling star. The crowd’s enthusiasm soared higher, and everything felt perfect, as if this moment was frozen in time.
It seemed some people even knew the song, as faint voices started singing along.
Jiang Liuxing and Liu Yue were surprised by this and exchanged a glance before dancing even more joyfully, more energetically than they ever did at bars.
Liu Yue shouted, patting Jiang Juyou, “Stop holding back! Can’t you hear it—” She pointed at the speakers and yelled into Jiang Juyou’s ear, “The sound of money coming in!”
Jiang Juyou finally relaxed a little, laughing at the comment. She nodded and started swaying slightly.
Equals3’s opening performance brought them back into the spotlight for domestic audiences. Regardless of public opinion, the livestream viewers were already losing their minds over how cool they were.
The comments were a chaotic mix of excitement and adoration.
“Ahhh, stop promoting them! What if my Equals3 actually gets popular because of you?!”
“Everyone here is responsible for Equals3’s rise to fame!”
“I don’t get the comments—weren’t they already popular?”
“We just wanted to be Random Entertainment’s backup, not have them blow up like this!”
“Ahhh—my husband! I can’t take it! I want to squish you and stuff you in my mouth! Nom nom nom!”
“The moment the guitar started playing, I felt at peace.”
As the main groups promoted by Random Entertainment, Equals3, Timetrain, AIcho, and FLXT each had a stage time of about three and a half songs, lasting around ten minutes, with Timetrain’s being slightly longer.
During the transition, Equals3 chose a high-energy track, with the dancers at the front of the stage urging the audience to jump along.
When it was Sang Mo’s turn to sing, he joined in the dancing, showing no signs of fatigue even as sweat drenched his neck. He kept bouncing around the stage with endless energy.
Their performance completely captivated the audience, even those standing at the back who had been on higher ground came down to join in the jumping.
Fans watching the livestream from home were practically ready to leap through the screen and join the fun.
Discussions on forums erupted almost instantly—videos of their performance were up as soon as they finished a song.
“It’s been said before—the stage is their domain.”
“Unlike the polished beauty of K-pop, I feel like our idols (specifically Random Entertainment’s) have this raw, apocalyptic, all-out beauty and vitality.”
“I saw an interview where they said they’re starting a tour after the music festival, performing for three hours every day while running around.”
“Reply: That’s gonna kill me.”
“Reply: ?”
“I saw their own poll saying the best stage was the five androids... Could the androids be the closing act? I can’t wait!”
“I don’t care, just give me ‘Midsummer 2’ already! I can’t take it—I’m in college now, finally able to go see it!”
“Their lung capacity is insane.”
“No one expected Sang Mo to end up like this.”
“Even the ‘pretty faces’ at Random Entertainment turn into steel—Sang Mo and Ye Xing, I really admire them. Looks and talent!”
“It’s NiGHT’s turn!”
“I want to lick their sweat... it’d probably burn me...”
“Why are there so many weirdos in this thread... hehe, me too.”
As the livestream continued, Coachella’s popularity in China skyrocketed. It seemed like today’s mission for all the marketing accounts was solely to focus on this event—every post and discussion revolved around it.
The entertainment hot searches were completely dominated by Random Entertainment’s artists—no other news could be seen.
Random Entertainment once again proved its dominance in the domestic entertainment industry.
When it was AIcho’s turn to perform, Jiang Juyou finally relaxed. She clapped and cheered as the four members took the stage. The moment the intro ended, the entire audience broke into a chorus.
The family album was originally meant to give ‘Neon Light’ a second wind, but unexpectedly, the English version of AIcho’s summer song became a hit. The sped-up track carried a fizzy, carbonated summer vibe, with bubbles popping in your ears.
The voices of the four on stage were completely drowned out by the crowd, only the hype-man’s shouts managed to cut through.
Just as the audience started to feel a bit tired or bored, a new group would take the stage with a different musical style. The crowd, who had been saying they couldn’t go on, would immediately perk up again, whistling and cheering for the new performers.
The livestream’s comment section suddenly tensed up—six groups had already performed, and the next one to take the stage would definitely be Timetrain.
Both domestic and international fans were eagerly anticipating them, and their name kept popping up in the comments.
Ke Youming, who had just finished performing, took a moment to catch his breath before shouting into the mic as the lights dimmed, “I’m pleased to introduce you to the next group—Timetrain!”
The venue erupted into cheers louder than ever before.
Down in the crowd, Jiang Juyou felt a shiver of excitement, reminiscent of the day “Timetrain” first appeared in the public eye—back then, the screams had been just as deafening.
The lights went out, and when they came back on, the name “Timetrain” appeared on the big screen.
The melody of ‘Neon Light’ began to play, and the crowd went wild. It was as if only now did they truly connect the five members on stage with the song’s creators.
Before the melody even kicked in, the audience was already singing along to the intro.
Standing on stage, Gao Xiayu looked out at a sea of red. The lights bathed the audience in color, turning them into a blazing fire that lit up the night.
He wore in-ear monitors, and though the backing track played clearly, the voices of the audience still managed to pierce through, every note ringing out distinctly.
He suppressed the surge of emotions rising within him and picked up the mic to sing the moment the lights came on.
“Goosebumps!”
“Watch the fan cams! The audience’s singing is so loud!”
“Case closed—Random Entertainment’s pillars are the five androids. No arguments.”
“Who’s crying? Me... wuwuwu!”
With every line they sang, the members on stage seemed to return to the first time they had come here. Back then, they had been in the audience at the Sahara stage, awkwardly trying to mimic the way others enjoyed the music.
Now, things had changed. Of the original twenty-one, only a few remained in the industry.
After finishing his part, Ye Xing moved to the side, wrinkling his nose to hold back the tears. Pei Luming, who took the center position, bit down on his necklace to keep it from hitting him while dancing.
The director gave a close-up of this moment—from Ye Xing to Pei Luming—and those three seconds of footage sent all the girls into a frenzy.
International fans in the official comment section were going wild, especially over the ten-second clip of Pei Luming dancing with his necklace in his mouth. Within moments, the GIF was already circulating on Twitter.
The viewership of the livestream was also skyrocketing. Normally, the number of viewers would only be in the hundreds or thousands unless a particularly popular artist was performing.
When Equals3 started their performance, the viewership broke 9,000. By the time they finished, it had surpassed 20,000. After an hour of performances, as Timetrain took the stage, the real-time viewership had already exceeded 90,000.
Backstage, the staff were busy as well. Lin Jie had already contacted the media in advance, hoping to promote today’s stage.
She was currently texting Jiang Juyou, trying to find out where she was.
Jiang Juyou, fully immersed in the performance, kept her eyes fixed on the five on stage.
In the past, since she had personally trained this group, she had always seen them as kids. But today, something felt different.
Standing in the audience, there were so many moments, but only this one made her truly feel that they were “artists.”
Their seamless coordination brought the atmosphere to its peak. Every note of the melody seemed to cast a spell, immersing the audience in a sea of music.
The massive sound system on stage roared, and colorful lights flashed across the venue. The music burst forth from the stage, full of passion.
Perhaps the dreams they had spoken of years ago were finally coming true tonight.
The festival reached its climax, with lights exploding in the night sky, illuminating the entire Sahara. Timetrain delivered their final melody on stage, and the audience erupted into cheers and thunderous applause.
This night would likely remain etched in her memory forever—the magic of the music, the feeling of celebration, would become an eternal memory.
The dazzling lights of the festival would eventually fade, but the emotions stirred by the music would continue to resonate within her.
People live for those few moments, and this one would undoubtedly be one she’d never forget.
She heard—
“You’ve found the answer.”
“Yes.”
“So you’re not planning to go back?”
“Back where? I am Jiang Juyou.”
At that moment, she sensed that Cong Lixia might have smiled.
-
One year later.
“Title: Gossip/Discussion—It’s official! The hangover cure is back!!!”
"The hangover remedy is back!"
"No sooner had she boarded the plane than sjyl released a teaser poster! The hangover remedy has returned with the girl group she nurtured from scratch! Ahhh, the entertainment scene is getting exciting again!"