Chapter 275: Chapter 275 - 275 - 197: Exclusive First Interview, No One Leaves with a Smile_Part 2

“`

But by now, Xu Qingyan no longer had to personally engage in the game, nor did he need to plot meticulously to clash with others in public disputes—the rules of the game had changed.

Ji Chen was backed by the Xiliang Band and Starry Entertainment Company. Countless die-hard fans were cheering for them; they were practically walking money-printing machines.

If Ji Chen could be brought down by a few negative news items, the entertainment industry might as well rename itself the ’Fantasy Realm.’

“Ji Chen, you little rat, just wait.” Xu Qingyan muttered to himself, “You hire people to smear me, buddy hires someone to boost you, to make you a hooked-lip sucker.”

“You play the newbie, and buddy plays the good guy.”

The next day.

Xu Qingyan had scheduled a meeting with Chen Ling from the TV station in advance; Lin Chuan had told him a couple of days ago. After repeatedly verifying that she was trustworthy, he decided to meet her first.

It had been three days since the hot search issue. The “I Am the King of Singers” show tried to gain sympathy but ended up failing spectacularly and got criticized, after which they started to play dead.

After rejecting a bunch of people, the few who still insisted on calling Xu Qingyan could be counted on one hand. Even so, he had changed his phone number.

As for what Lin Chuan had said about the senior leader, no shadow had been cast. Hou Xueheng hadn’t contacted him; the chances were slim, and he hadn’t been holding much hope anyway.

When he arrived at the coffee shop, Chen Ling was already there ahead of time.

A white blouse, black suit dress, long legs in stockings, high heels, and light makeup on her face—Chen Ling exuded an intellectual beauty with her standard professional attire.

Hanging out with Pei Muchan all the time, Xu Qingyan was used to seeing slender waists and big busts every day; the frequent company of Lin Wanzhou and Shen Jinyue had raised his aesthetic threshold immensely.

“Hello, Miss Chen, right?”

“Yes, Teacher Xu, please have a seat.”

“I don’t deserve the title of ’teacher,’ that’s a moniker too heavy for me to carry.”

Seeing is believing. Out of professional habit, Chen Ling gave Xu Qingyan a quick glance, noting his calm demeanor and his respectful yet assertive approach to people.

“Is this a new show?” he asked.

“That’s right, it’s a new interview program established by our station.” Chen Ling looked up at Xu Qingyan, her gaze serious, “We hope to invite you as our first guest.”

“Oh? I am quite honored then.” Xu Qingyan smiled. He was just a songwriter at the moment, and the resources he could access weren’t considered extensive.

“May I first understand a bit about your program’s… uh.”

“Of course, our program…” Chen Ling began to elaborate on the program’s process and the logic behind it. “During the interview, there will be some questions…”

Xu Qingyan listened attentively, chiming in from time to time. There had been quite a few people approaching him to request songs over the past few days following the viral hot search incident.

Mostly singers or heads of music departments from companies contacted him. As for interview opportunities, there was just this one-offer from Chen Ling.

“Having you as the first guest on our show would be an honor for us as well.” Chen Ling played with her hair by her ear and smiled.

Whether she would host the new show was not yet certain, there was still no final decision. However, if she could secure Xu Qingyan as a guest, she was almost guaranteed the position.

“Our interview questions might be on the sharper side. Are there any topics that you prefer not to discuss?” Chen Ling asked tentatively, choosing her words carefully.

The interview had no script, but there would at least be a guideline. As the inaugural episode would receive special attention, it was essential to discuss the general direction of the interview and perform a mutual ’mine-clearing’ in advance.

“Topics I prefer not to discuss… would be family matters.” Xu Qingyan considered for a moment before responding frankly, “As you know, my online reputation hasn’t been exactly stellar.”

The new program could understand that; after all, he wasn’t quite eligible yet. Becoming popular through viral traffic, he had been in the industry for just over a month and was rather inexperienced.

Going viral came with a price. One always had to bear a bit of the negative impact that came with the traffic. Those who frequently trended online, and always in extreme ways.

“Okay, I understand.” Chen Ling displayed a proper smile.

“`

Many stars or artists don’t like to talk about their family or scandals, including friends, during interviews; asking in advance also avoids awkwardness during recording.

“Teacher Xu, is there anything else? Or is everything else okay to mention?” she asked with a smile, her tone gentle, “You are our first guest, so feel free to make any requests.”

“That’s all.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Xu Qingyan was surprisingly easy to get along with and his emotions were much more stable than most people’s.

“I’ve listened to ’Late Marriage’ that you wrote, Teacher Xu, and it left a deep impression on me,” she said with a laugh. “I’m very curious, how did you write such profound lyrics at such a young age?”

“Copied them.”

This was what he’d said in a private rehearsal; obviously, he couldn’t say this during the actual recording. He’d probably phrase it differently, like having developed a hobby in college.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Walking down the street, I heard a singer performing it. I thought the song was quite good, so I just took note of it,” Xu Qingyan said with an honest face.

“Haha, Teacher Xu is still as humorous as ever,” Chen Ling chuckled, then threw out another question, “Do you know that some people online are questioning whether you actually buy your songs?”

“I don’t really read the comments, but I’ve seen them,” he said, “However, it’s hard to understand, I don’t do live streaming to sell products. Even if I hype it up, it’s still about selling songs.”

“I can’t just be a middleman, simply selling the songs I get.”

“What if, though? That’s also not something impossible,” Chen Ling said, “There’s everything on the internet, such as speculations about hyping things up to make a profit off the difference.”

Having asked this question, Chen Ling still felt a bit nervous. But she had to ask in advance; it might offend some, but it was better to clear up any potential issues beforehand.

The success of the show depended on Xu Qingyan being reliable, not full of holes. If the first episode blew up in controversy, that would be the end of her career.

She wasn’t trying to be a contrarian, just as the host of an interview show. Sometimes, she was asking questions on behalf of the audience watching at home.

A host, especially one of a talk show, isn’t there to show off their own expertise or a breadth of knowledge. Their job is to lead the guest to speak more by asking questions in various ways.

To make the guest respond directly, to explain, or to justify themselves.

Even if these questions might seem foolish from a professional host’s perspective, they don’t necessarily appear too offensive to the interviewees.

If answered well, they can shut up some of the fools.

“That would be too tiring, it’s not like the songs are produced on an assembly line,” Xu Qingyan said with a laugh. “For now, I have no intention of selling songs, and that kind of markup probably wouldn’t be profitable anyway.”

“Do you only write songs for Pei Muchan and Lin Wanzhou?” Chen Ling asked.

“Er… for now, yes. I personally feel very fortunate,” Xu Qingyan carefully said after pondering for a moment, “to have met such outstanding singers who are willing to sing the songs I write.”

“What about Lin Chuan?” she asked, “He’s always been missing a signature song. Have you ever thought about writing one for him, or have you talked about it in private?”

The question was quite probing, but since it was a private inquiry, it wasn’t too out of line.

“We’re friends, and songwriting isn’t something that can just happen anytime,” Xu Qingyan said thoughtfully after a moment, “Lin Chuan is a very talented singer on his own.”

“He doesn’t lack resources, and if he wanted to request songs, he could find a better lyricist and composer than me. Plus, he hasn’t expressed any intention of asking for songs, so…”

“How do you view the phenomenon of going viral? For instance, doing something outrageous and then suddenly becoming famous,” Chen Ling’s questions grew sharper.

“I became more visible because I went viral, and consequently, my works were discovered; I’m a beneficiary in that respect,” Xu Qingyan didn’t shy away from it. He looked down slightly, his answer very sincere.

“Some things are beyond my control. Given a choice, I’d prefer to enter the public eye with new works.”@@novelbin@@

“The ’I am the Song King’ incident, was there any follow-up?”

He shook his head, “No.”