Chapter 11: He Actually Had a Hidden Ace Up His Sleeve!
1:00 p.m., Terminal 2, Capital City Airport.
“Wow! Su Mu, Su Mu! Brother, you’re so handsome!”
“Oh my God, he’s really come to Capital City!”
“You’ve worked so hard, I brought you some cotton candy!”
“Take care of yourself, we’re all behind you!”
The arrival hall was already crowded with fans holding signs, all here to welcome him.
Su Mu emerged, pushing his luggage, feeling a bit out of place. Before coming, Qian Jida had insisted on keeping things low-key. But the moment they arrived, word had somehow gotten out. There were even a few entertainment reporters lurking nearby.
Su Mu turned to look at Qian Jida.
Qian Jida shrugged, feigning innocence. “Don’t look at me—I know nothing.”
Su Mu eyed him suspiciously. “You know nothing? Then what’s with all these fans up front?”
Qian Jida replied, “Don’t accuse an innocent man. I was hoping we could keep a low profile for your audition this time—if you failed, maybe no one would notice.”
“So, according to you, these people have some supernatural way of knowing my travel plans… Wait a minute!”
Halfway through the sentence, Su Mu and Qian Jida suddenly realized something was off.
They spun around to see Little Orange, who had been quietly pushing a suitcase, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Feeling their gaze, Fan Little Orange lifted her head and forced a sheepish grin.
“Hehe, why aren’t we moving? Wow, you have so many fans, Su Mu, you’re really popular—haha… um, my bad…”
The atmosphere froze for a second.
Everything became clear.
Su Mu: “…”
Qian Jida: “Fan Little Orange!”
Little Orange snapped to attention, saluting nervously. “Boss Qian, I’m sorry, I just wanted to cheer Su Mu up with his fans. I didn’t expect… the entertainment reporters would show up too…”
Qian Jida was so exasperated his mustache nearly curled up in fury.
“Little Orange, when will you ever learn? There are always entertainment spies lurking in those super-topic support groups—this is their usual trick.”
Little Orange looked utterly pitiful under the scolding and could only turn to Su Mu for help.
Su Mu gave a helpless chuckle, then patted Qian Jida’s shoulder. “Let it go. I’ve been trending nonstop these past few days—there’s a whole crowd waiting to watch me make a fool of myself. Even if we kept my itinerary a secret, it’d all come out at the audition anyway.
We might as well be open about it. I’m an artist relying on my craft to make a living—if I make it, great; if not, so be it. It’s not the end of the world. Besides, since I’m dressed this sharply today, I ought to have some airport street shots taken. Now it’s perfect—my handsome photos will definitely be trending tomorrow.”
Su Mu’s mindset was always optimistic. Ever since his rebirth, he had no complaints—he’d pocketed tens of millions, lived a comfortable life, far better than before.
And if you have a chance to show off, why hide?
Being handsome is enough.
Qian Jida was a bit stunned by Su Mu’s easygoing attitude. Of course, he hadn’t truly been angry.
“Hmph, you always indulge her. Put on your sunglasses later—this jacket of yours needs a bit of a cool edge to really bring out the style.”
Su Mu nodded, then looked over at Little Orange.
Fan Little Orange’s eyes sparkled with gratitude. Suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly rummaged through her bag and handed Su Mu his sunglasses.
The moment Su Mu put them on, the fans erupted in screams.
“Wow! So cool!”
“Su Mu, you’re so handsome!”
Su Mu stepped forward, waving and smiling gently, exuding effortless charisma. He signed autographs, accepted a few small gifts and toys from the fans, and then got into the car to leave the airport.
…
In the car on the way to the hotel, Qian Jida pulled out his tablet and began discussing the upcoming schedule.
“I’ve already called Director Zhang’s team. They were polite, but auditions won’t start for another two days. They have a lot of actors to see, so there’s a queue. In the meantime, we should network as much as possible. Since we’re in Capital City, it’s best to make connections—it’ll help your career down the line. Tonight, once we check into the hotel, just get a good rest and—”
“Resting tonight might not be possible,” Su Mu interjected.
“???”
“???”
Both Qian Jida and Little Orange looked at him in confusion.
Su Mu didn’t waste any time and got straight to the point: “Boss Qian, it’s time to use your connections. Find me the best music producer in Capital City and book a recording studio. I need to record a single.”
Qian Jida: “What?”
Fan Little Orange: “!!!”
The atmosphere in the car instantly stiffened.
They had assumed Su Mu would suggest going out for Peking Duck, since it was such a rare trip to the capital. Instead, he wanted to record a song? What was going on?
Qian Jida was baffled. “Wait, Su Mu, are you feeling alright? Why on earth do you want to record a song now? I mean, of course, I support you branching out, and we can arrange for a single after your audition, back at the company. Right now, your focus should be on resting and preparing for the audition—study the script carefully.”
Su Mu had expected this reaction. He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket.
The moment they saw it, Qian Jida and Little Orange exchanged glances. They’d noticed Su Mu scribbling on the plane earlier—so this was what he was working on?
Qian Jida took the paper. It was covered in lines of text.
Lyrics, apparently.
Lyrics?
Was this a song? Could it be… Su Mu had written this on the plane?
Qian Jida quickly read through it.
LISTEN
May the clamor of the world forget us,
To hear the sorrow in your breath,
To hear the wildness in your heartbeat,
To feel the warmth in your embrace spreading over the hills,
Who grinds red beans to perfume, thread by thread,
Let longing spill through the cracks into rivers,
A startled swan’s song softens the years…
…
After reading the lyrics, both Qian Jida and Little Orange were stunned.
Damn! These lyrics… they were something!
The way the words were arranged—could someone like Su Mu, known more for his looks, have written this?
Little Orange blurted out, “Did you write this song?”
Su Mu nodded. “Yes, I did.”
Qian Jida eyed him warily. “Su Mu, you didn’t plagiarize, did you? Because if you get caught, you’re finished.”
Heh. Plagiarized? Maybe—but not from this world. Let them try to sue me.
Su Mu replied, “Don’t worry, it’s completely original.”
Qian Jida hesitated. “The lyrics are good, but do you have a melody? How would you sing it?”
Su Mu smiled and began to hum a rough melody.
“To hear the sorrow in your breath… enduring as the earth and sky…”
“!!!”
“!!!”
Silence.
Qian Jida and Little Orange stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief.
They were beginning to question reality. Even though Su Mu’s humming was a bit rough, it couldn’t hide how beautiful the song was.
They could tell—it was good. It was one of those ‘big songs’ with soaring highs and lows that lingered in your mind, especially paired with those lyrics.
They were completely stunned.
Had they simply misunderstood Su Mu all this time? He’d been hiding this talent?
Su Mu smiled inwardly; he’d expected as much. After all, this song had once swept across the whole country in his past life, and the way Zhang Jie sang it—clear and powerful—had left a deep impression.
“So, should I release this single?”
Qian Jida replied, “Yes! Absolutely! Don’t worry, I know tons of music producers. I’ll make some calls right now—let’s get started!”