Chapter 107: I Shall Write Another Song for You!

Chen Fang’s expression remained perfectly composed, revealing nothing. Xi Yuanyuan dropped her odd gaze and said, "I’ll say it again: it’s going to be very difficult."

"You should know the current state of Future Starlight."

"Nobody wants to come."

Xi Yuanyuan’s assessment was blunt. Directors, screenwriters, stage managers, extras—all were needed. Extras were easy; you could just shout on the streets of Hengdian, and plenty would drop their bowls to come over. After all, extras were the least demanding role. But how to solve the rest? By throwing money at it? That might work, but the problem was that those with money weren't necessarily willing to spend it on this.

Chen Fang pondered for a moment before looking at Xi Yuanyuan. "That’s why I want to meet your father. I want to ask for his help."

As a renowned director in China, Xi Dong undoubtedly had extensive connections. If he spoke up, they could certainly find suitable directors and stage managers. As for the screenwriters, Chen Fang planned to take on that role himself.

Hearing this, Xi Yuanyuan frowned slightly. On a personal level, Chen Fang was her artist, and his desire to enter the film industry was a good thing; she naturally wanted to support him. But logically, this offered no benefit to the Xi family and, if things went wrong, it could even damage her father's reputation. It wasn't worth it. Furthermore, she felt deep down that there was no need to rebuild Future Starlight’s film department. She couldn't understand why Chen Fang was so obsessed with it.

After a long hesitation, Xi Yuanyuan bit her lip. "I’ll discuss it with my father first."

Chen Fang smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Yuanyuan. Come here, let me give you a hug."

As he spoke, he reached out his arms. He expected her to dodge, as she had many times before, but to his surprise, she didn't. Caught off guard, Chen Fang bumped into her chest. Both of them froze. But the next second, Chen Fang’s thick-skinned nature took over. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace.

A strong, masculine scent flooded Xi Yuanyuan’s nose, making her head spin.

"You’ve grown up."

Chen Fang released her after a brief hug and walked toward the recording studio. Xi Yuanyuan’s face turned bright red, and steam seemed to rise from her head like a boiling kettle. His chest... it was so firm. And his body was so hot. She touched her cheeks; they were burning.

"What did he mean by 'grown up'?"

Xi Yuanyuan didn't react at first. After a long moment, she looked down at her own cleavage. Instantly, the steam atop her head reached a full boil, accompanied by a buzzing sound.

"That pervert!" she shouted in anger.

But soon, she glanced down again and muttered, "They do seem a bit bigger. Did I go through a second growth spurt?"

She felt a sense of satisfaction. She had always said she was Liu Ke’s daughter, inheriting her mother’s excellent genes—how could they possibly just be the size of steamed buns? With that thought, she skipped away.

In the recording studio, Chen Fang sat on the sofa without disturbing Wang Situ. After days of practice and Chen Fang’s guidance, Wang Situ had gradually mastered the techniques and emotions for the song "Lady Shexiang," though his voice had become raspier, making his delivery sound a bit weak.

Soon after, Xi Yuanyuan arrived. Chen Fang took an unconcerned glance at her chest. Indeed, they had grown, and based on his experience, there was definitely no padding. Seeing this, Xi Yuanyuan glared at him, but he pretended not to notice.

When Wang Situ came out for a break, Xi Yuanyuan placed a stack of documents on the table. "The *Road to Starlight* production team sent over your official contracts. You two should take a look."

"So late?" Chen Fang was surprised. The other contestants should have received theirs long ago.

They each took a copy and began to read carefully. After a long while, Chen Fang’s expression turned strange. The *Road to Starlight* team was up to their old tricks again. Most of the contract was fine, but they had added a brand-new rule: the "Challenge Prize Pool."

The show had already changed many rules, and now they had added this challenge format. For instance, if Chen Fang and Wang Situ performed and took first place, they would normally receive the agreed-upon performance fee plus a bonus from the prize pool. The last-place team would only get their base fee. But now, a new rule allowed lower-ranked contestants to challenge higher-ranked ones in a one-on-one duel. If a challenger succeeded, they would "steal" the first-place position, and the prize money would be split among the other contestants.

This was tricky. Chen Fang wasn't afraid—he was aiming for first place anyway—but if the challengers targeted Wang Situ, the result would be unpredictable. Every survivor of the three rounds of auditions was talented, and Wang Situ didn't have a clear advantage. The risk of failure was high. However, the challenge round had one benefit: it didn't restrict the song theme; you could sing your best piece.

"To boost ratings, the production team is really pulling out all the stops," Chen Fang said, shaking his head. It was undeniable that these reforms would help ratings, but it placed immense pressure on the contestants. Why? Because the very first rule of this season was that all performances had to be original. Challengers and the challenged both had to provide original songs, meaning they had to compose two songs in just over a week.

"The show has been in a decline, but the audition rounds broke viewership records. They want to capitalize on this to set a new record," Xi Yuanyuan explained. She felt it was excessive—the team wasn't treating the contestants like human beings—but there was no helping it. Money was king.

Still, Chen Fang had an out: he could refuse to sign the contract and withdraw. As long as the contract wasn't signed, he held the power. He had discussed this with Ji Mei, who had hoped he would participate for the exposure and buzz. But currently, Chen Fang didn't seem to lack popularity.

"If you want to participate, I’ll join you," Chen Fang said, looking at Wang Situ.

Wang Situ hesitated for a long time before saying, "I still want to do it."

"Alright. I’ll write another song for you to keep as a backup."

Although time was short and the task was heavy, inspiration had already struck. This song would be perfect for Wang Situ’s solo.