Volume Two: Shadows of the Past Chapter Eight: Preparations

"That's right, Ah Jing won the championship, didn't he?" After listening to Chen Shuo recount how Chen Jing participated in the international street dance competition abroad and ultimately won the championship, Lin Zitan couldn't help but smile with delight.

Chen Shuo nodded, grinning, "Yes, Ah Jing faced all nine of the remaining contestants in the finals, challenging them one after another, eliminating each one, and finally winning the title."

"I knew Ah Jing would definitely win." Lin Zitan couldn't contain her happiness for Chen Jing. Indeed, trusting Ah Jing was the right choice—he could do it.

"This time, we really owe it to Chen Jing. He came through when it mattered most and secured the victory. I had planned to go with him and help out, but in the end, I just became a burden, making things more difficult for him. He had to look after me for several days and almost missed the championship because of it." Chen Shuo couldn't help but smile wryly.

Chen Jing shook his head and said earnestly, "That's not true, Chen Shuo. You helped me a lot, too. And getting sick is just something that happens to everyone—it wasn't a burden."

"Alright," Chen Shuo replied, feeling a little guilty. Chen Jing was just too kind, and Chen Shuo couldn't help but feel he hadn't done enough—he'd hoped to help at the international street dance competition but ended up holding Chen Jing back and making things harder for him.

"As long as you won, the process doesn't matter," Lin Xi said with a faint smile from the side. Chen Jing always managed to surprise people; she hadn't expected him to actually win the world street dance championship. Frankly, Lin Xi hadn't thought it was possible—she knew Chen Jing hadn't been learning street dance for long, and then, all of a sudden, he entered a world-level competition and took the crown. It was almost unimaginable.

Yet, no matter how hard it was to believe, Chen Jing had still won the championship. In the end, you just couldn't judge a person like Chen Jing by ordinary standards.

Upon returning from the airport to Jingrun Entertainment Co., Ltd., Chen Shuo left first, while Chen Jing followed Lin Xi and the others back to the office. After a week abroad for the competition, there was much awaiting Chen Jing's attention.

"Who was it that tried to smear me before? Do we know who was behind it?" As soon as he was back, Chen Jing heard that someone had deliberately manipulated public opinion online to slander him, and he frowned as he asked.

Lin Zitan responded indignantly, "Who else? If not the other three major entertainment companies, who else has the means to buy off so many internet trolls?"

"The identity of the culprit doesn't really matter anymore," Lin Xi said to Chen Jing. "Everything's been resolved, and the outcome is in your favor, so let's just leave it. Chasing after them would be too much trouble."

Chen Jing nodded, agreeing that Lin Xi had a point. Although he wouldn't pursue this time, he would remember it. He'd let it go for now, but if it happened again, he wouldn't be so forgiving.

"So, what are your plans next?" Lin Xi changed the subject.

Chen Jing thought for a moment and replied, "I want to finish filming the music videos for my first solo album. I planned to before, but never had the time. Now that I'm free, I should get it done."

Lin Xi nodded in approval. "Yes, that's a good idea. You should make the first album as good as possible—give your fans some music videos to enjoy."

"By the way, Xi, did you find the professional photographer I mentioned before? For filming the music videos, I want someone really skilled. Ideally, someone who's worked on TV series or movies."

"I did. I found an excellent director—she's made short films and online videos, and her work is very popular. I'm confident she'll meet your requirements," Lin Xi replied calmly.

"Good. Try to work out the arrangements with her. I'll finish writing the script tonight, and then we can start scouting locations for the shoot."

"Alright. I'll invite her to the company tomorrow so you two can discuss the collaboration in detail."

After a busy afternoon at the company, Chen Jing returned to his apartment. The moment he opened the door, Molly ran up and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly without a word.

"Hey, Molly, were you good at home these past few days? Did you miss me?" Chen Jing wrapped his arms around her, laughing heartily.

"Yes." Molly's answers were always so simple and direct.

Carrying Molly inside, Chen Jing was greeted by Zhang Jingzhi, who sighed with relief, "Ah Jing, you're back."

Chen Jing nodded and smiled at her. "Yes, Sister Jingzhi, I'm back." He'd already spoken with Sun Ruoqing, arranging for Zhang Jingzhi to stay and look after Molly, and Sun Ruoqing had provided her with a new identity, so Zhang Jingzhi didn't have to relocate or change her identity again.

For the past week, Zhang Jingzhi had been taking care of Molly. Chen Jing called home every day, worried that Molly would miss him, and knowing that Jingzhi would feel uneasy in his absence.

Originally, after the street dance competition, Chen Jing had intended to take Molly to the headquarters for a check-up on her health and abilities, but Sun Ruoqing and the others were sent out on another mission, so the trip had to be postponed.

Nothing felt as comfortable as being home. Although he hadn't felt particularly anxious abroad, once back, everything seemed more settled.

The night passed peacefully.

Early the next morning, Chen Jing went to the company. He hadn't done any vocal training in days, so he arrived early to practice.

Close to ten o'clock, Lin Xi called to tell him that the director was already at the office, and asked him to come over.

When Chen Jing arrived at Lin Xi's office, he saw a tall woman seated on the sofa.

As he entered, Lin Xi stood up and smiled, introducing him, "Shumin, this is Chen Jing. Chen Jing, this is Wang Shumin, an outstanding graduate of Huaxia Film Academy. She has directed several very successful online films." The last part was addressed to Chen Jing.

Chen Jing extended his hand and shook hers. "Hello, Miss Wang, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Wang Shumin smiled, "I've heard so much about you, Mr. Chen. I'm actually a fan—I've really enjoyed your songs and your album."

"Thank you for your support. Having you appreciate my work is the greatest encouragement for me," Chen Jing replied with a smile, uncertain whether her words were simply polite or genuine.

"Haha, of course I'll keep supporting you. I never tire of your songs," Wang Shumin said, gazing at Chen Jing with a cheerful smile.

Returning to the matter at hand, the three of them began discussing the details of filming the music video.

"Chen Jing, are you looking to make a really high-quality MV, or just something simple—some clips edited together?" Wang Shumin was well aware that for some singers, music videos were just an afterthought; since their main focus was singing, they didn't always care about the quality of the video.

"I definitely want a good music video," Chen Jing replied with a smile. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you to direct it."

Wang Shumin understood his expectations and nodded. "In that case, it will be a bit more demanding. If you want the MV to truly match the song, you'll need a storyline tailored to the lyrics—only then will the fans feel immersed."

"That's not a problem; I've already written the script for the MV."

"You've already written the script?" Wang Shumin asked, surprised. After a moment's thought, she continued, "Was it written by a professional?"

Chen Jing shook his head. "No, I wrote it myself."

"You wrote it yourself?" Wang Shumin frowned slightly, then said in a serious tone, "Mr. Chen, it's not that I doubt your script, but I do think it's best to have a professional handle these things." She genuinely thought Chen Jing was being a bit overconfident, though she couldn't say that outright.

Seeing Wang Shumin's skepticism, Lin Xi spoke up for Chen Jing. "It's alright, Shumin. You can read his script first. If you think it's good, we can follow his version. If not, we'll have someone else rewrite it professionally."

"Fair enough. Let me take a look, then." Since Lin Xi insisted, she had to at least read it—even if she was sure, without looking, that it couldn't be anything special. After all, Chen Jing was a singer—exceptional in music, but writing scripts was another matter entirely.

Chen Jing said nothing more and asked Lin Zitan to send the script he'd given her that morning to Wang Shumin.

Taking the script, Wang Shumin glanced at the cover—"Jialan Monastery." She knew the song; it was the title track of Chen Jing's album and her favorite. She hadn't lied—she was genuinely a fan, and precisely because she loved his music, she didn't want the MVs to be handled carelessly. She wanted to make them with heart, because in her eyes, Chen Jing's songs always told stories.

As she flipped through the pages, she was drawn in by the script almost immediately.

Looking at Chen Jing in disbelief, Wang Shumin asked, "Did you really write this?"

Chen Jing nodded. "I did."

Wang Shumin said nothing more, continuing to read.

Chen Jing and Lin Xi remained silent as well, not wanting to interrupt, and waited patiently.

After a while, Wang Shumin finally finished. She set the script down, looked up with a smile, and said, "Chen Jing, I must admit I underestimated you. Besides your talent in singing, your scriptwriting is exceptional. I'm thoroughly impressed. If there are no other requirements, let's proceed with your script for the MV."

"Excellent. Then it's settled. I look forward to our collaboration."

"As do I."