Chapter 57: Chen Yuan Is So Annoying

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Chen Yuan Is So Annoying

Chen Yuan’s singing was... hard to describe.

He was genuinely good. His pitch and high notes were perfect.

But for someone who could sing so well to be singing a children’s song... it was just a pain in the ass.

"Stop, stop, stop."

Li Dongyang cut Chen Yuan off, and the background music screeched to a halt.

"What was that? This is the Top Ten Campus Singers competition, not a children’s song contest."

"Hold on a minute!"

Qi Chen immediately grabbed a mic and interrupted him without holding back.

’We’re all fucking sophomores,’ she thought. ’The freshmen might treat you like a department head, but I don’t give a damn who you are.’

"What’s wrong with singing this song? The original artist is Sun Nan, a celebrity. Strictly speaking, it’s an OST. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, then shut up," Qi Chen said.

"Besides, you play the violin. What do you know about singing?"

"I..."

Li Dongyang wanted to retort, but when faced with Qi Chen, it seemed his words were no match.

"This is the Top Ten Campus Singers competition. You have to sing a proper song. Who sings a children’s song?"

"Forget that it’s an OST. Even if it were a children’s song, so what? It’s not like Chen Yuan sang with his pants down. How is that not ’proper’?" Jiang Shuyi said.

"I..."

Shot down again, Li Dongyang’s pride was in pieces. He looked at Fang Youning and said:

"Fang Youning, you’re the professional. You can give an evaluation."

"Chen Yuan was singing very well. Why did you interrupt him?"

Li Dongyang was speechless.

Standing on the stage, Chen Yuan had guessed that this bastard Li Dongyang would definitely try to make things difficult for him. No matter how he sang, there was no way he’d be allowed to advance.

’I haven’t even said anything, so why have these three beauties started arguing my case for me?’

"You can’t just be giving him a hard time because he beat you in a one-on-one basketball game," Jiang Shuyi said.

"Anyway, you figure it out. If Chen Yuan doesn’t advance, the 3,000 yuan sponsorship is gone."

"Alright, underclassmen, let’s go."

Qi Chen called out, and the students from Xinyuan got up one by one and left the multimedia classroom.

Seeing that things were going south, the people from the School of Science also left, leaving only Li Dongyang and three of his department members.

"Fang Youning, why didn’t you back me up just now!" Li Dongyang demanded.

"I don’t understand. Why did you interrupt Chen Yuan? He was singing very well."

Li Dongyang felt the world’s profound malice directed at him.

"But we’re on the same side!"

"The same side?"

Fang Youning clearly didn’t understand. ’How am I on the same side as you?’

"We’re in the same department, get it?"

"So I have to help you rig the competition, is that it?"

"I..."

Li Dongyang didn’t know what to say. He really was a bit slow-witted.

"Senior, what do we do now? If Chen Yuan doesn’t advance, the sponsorship for this event is gone," Fan Siyu said.

"If it’s gone, it’s gone! This is a huge university. You think we’re short 3,000 yuan to run an event? In any case, he can’t advance for singing a children’s song!"

...

After leaving the multimedia classroom, Qi Chen left with four other people, while Chen Yuan walked with Jiang Shuyi.

"Isn’t the External Relations Department having a meeting? You’re heading back already?" Chen Yuan asked.

"Meeting or not, it’s all the same. The External Relations Department is a tough gig. There are only a few businesses willing to give money. For those that aren’t, it doesn’t matter how much work you do."

"Then change your approach. Can you get them to come to us and pay for promotion?"

"Our promotional model is hanging up banners and some posters. They’d never approach us on their own, unless we had online fans."

"Then build a following yourself. Film some videos, and once you have enough fans, people will start coming to you. You know Qi Chen, right? She’s danced her way to over forty thousand fans."

"That’s actually a good idea. We could look into it," Jiang Shuyi said.

"The question is what to film. In the short video industry today, content is king."

Chen Yuan thought for a moment.

"What do you think about ’homemade college student videos’?"

"That name sounds a little... improper, doesn’t it?" A mischievous smile played on Jiang Shuyi’s lips.

"When we’re filming, do we also have to do that little finger-beckoning thing?"

"Senior, I didn’t realize you knew so much."

From the moment she’d called him "Daddy," Chen Yuan knew Jiang Shuyi was no simple character.

If you gave her the middle finger, she’d probably sit on it.

"Isn’t that just standard stuff? But what you said is a genuinely good idea. If we had even a small fanbase, we could seize the initiative instead of always having to bow to others."

"That’s exactly what I mean."

"If it’s the two of us filming, I’d be okay with it. I know all the tropes, and I’m a very gentle person, too."

"Huh? What do you know?"

"’You might have been a little tired recently, it’ll be better next time...’"

"Holy shit! Is this what they teach you in Automation?"

He processed the pun: Automation... self-motion.

Then again, he thought, how was that *not* a form of automation?

"Just kidding. But then again, a willing mind needs no teacher. You pick things up on your own," Jiang Shuyi said.

"Qi Chen is really good at Douyin. I’ll go talk to her tonight."

They were in the same school, and even though they weren’t in the same major, they always said hi when they saw each other. Chatting for a bit wouldn’t be a problem.

"Then go talk to her. Maybe you can make something happen."

"Mhm."

Jiang Shuyi pulled out her phone.

"What’s your Douyin ID? I’ll follow you."

He pulled up his Douyin QR code, and Jiang Shuyi scanned it.

"’Can you still rub in damp ointment?’ With a name like that, you’d fit right into our External Relations Department."

Chen Yuan looked at her profile.

"’She Talks Like a Child.’"

Chen Yuan frowned. ’This is the ’External Aid’ Department, isn’t it?’

"Do you want to follow Jin Yechao’s Douyin too?"

"Sure."

Jiang Shuyi searched through the list. "This is him: ’If I Could Be a Housewife for Three Days.’"

’That settles it. There isn’t a single normal person in the External Relations Department.’

After following him, the two arrived at the base of Dorm 11, and Jiang Shuyi went upstairs.

Just as Chen Yuan was about to head back to Dorm 3, he happened to run into Fang Youning and Fan Siyu.

"I’ll get going. You two take your time and chat."

Fan Siyu was quick on the uptake and made herself scarce.

"You’re just getting back?"

Fang Youning nodded lightly. "After you all left, there were still the auditions for the foreign language and business management schools. Don’t worry, you can advance. He’s just biased against you."

"It’s fine if I don’t advance, really. It’s the taking part that counts. I’m heading off."

"Oh, okay... If you want to know more about this stuff, you can contact me."

"Mhm, bye."

As Chen Yuan walked away, Fang Youning stared at his back and muttered to herself.

’You don’t even have my contact info, so how are you supposed to contact me?!’

’I didn’t do anything to offend him. I even bought him coffee today. Why doesn’t he want my contact information?’

’It seems like he doesn’t really want to talk to me, either.’

Dejected, Fang Youning headed toward her dorm.

When she entered the dorm building, she saw Fan Siyu waiting for her.

"You’re back so soon? Didn’t you two chat for a bit longer?"

"There wasn’t much to talk about. We just discussed the competition advancement, and then I came back."

"That’s true. Chen Yuan is kinda cute, but you’re just as popular. You have plenty of options."

"Siyu, I want to ask you a question."

"What is it? Go ahead."

"Tell me, can you still rub in damp ointment?"

"Huh? What kind of weird question is that?" Fan Siyu mumbled, then said:

"If it’s damp, it should be fine, right? The medicinal effect is still there. It’s not for an open wound or anything. I think you can still rub... HOLY CRAP, wait a minute!"

Fan Siyu suddenly stared at Fang Youning, her expression intense.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Where did you hear such a bizarre question?"

"I was just asking. What’s wrong?"

"But that’s not an innocent question! Did someone hit on you?"

"What does that have to do with someone hitting on me? I was just asking."

"Just... read that sentence again, carefully."

"Can you still rub in damp ointment...?"

Muttering it to herself, Fang Youning still didn’t see the problem.

It wasn’t until the second time that she sensed something was off. An intoxicating blush instantly crept from the base of her ears to her cheeks.

She wished she could find a hole to crawl into. How could she have asked such an embarrassing question!

’That Chen Yuan is the worst! Why would he pick that kind of username?!’

’So annoying!!!’

"I knew it! Someone definitely used that line to hit on you. Quick, tell me, who’s got the nerve to tease you with something like that?"

"No, really! I just saw it somewhere and wanted to ask you. This is my stop, I’m heading in."

Fang Youning scurried back to her room, muttering as she went, "Chen Yuan is so annoying."