Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 56

The harp was a large instrument. To keep the excitement alive for “Sing for the Song 2,” the director shamelessly asked a friend to lend one. As soon as it arrived at the site, he handed it directly to Mo Ying, repeatedly reminding her to handle it carefully and avoid any damage.

The three girls closed the door and gathered around the harp, examining it from every angle. Wanqi Tianxin had chosen the drum set, while Chen Ruiling had tentatively selected the bamboo flute. However, neither of them had begun formal rehearsals yet due to lingering issues with Wu Si and the instruments.

“Xiao Yu’er, why don’t you play something for us?”

“Mmm.”

The harp Mo Ying remembered was more classical than this exquisite modern version. The distinct resonance that once came from seawater flowing through its strings was no longer there. Even so, its tone remained as clear as running water. After testing a few notes, she quickly adjusted. She chose a nocturne. The melody flowed gently, like a summer breeze or quiet whispers between lovers.

Outside, Yu Xuan happened to be passing by. She paused as the familiar, heavenly sound drifted out through the door crack. Feeling completely relaxed, she leaned casually against the door. Su Bai, who had followed her, froze at the sight. Enchanted, he slipped into a corner, watching her silhouette with greedy eyes until the door suddenly swung open.

Yu Xuan stumbled and nearly fell through the door.

Startled, Wanqi Tianxin caught her just in time. When she looked up and recognized who it was, she stood frozen in shock. “Yu Mei— Teacher Yu.”

Yu Xuan regained her composure and gave Mo Ying a playful wink from behind them. “I heard the music and came in. That was a lovely performance.”

With that, she turned and exited with graceful ease.

After a brief silence, Wanqi Tianxin suddenly grabbed Mo Ying by the shoulders and shook her with all her might. “Xiao Yu’er, did you hear that? Yu Meiren praised you. She said your playing was beautiful!”

Mo Ying wobbled from the force, nearly falling apart. Her Fourth Sister offering praise was nothing unusual. “Xinxin, stop shaking me. I heard her.”

Chen Ruiling’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “When should we try playing all together and see how it sounds? Then we can choose a good time to talk to Sisi.”

The three of them quickly came to an agreement.

Hiding nearby, Su Bai gave Mo Ying a strange glance before slipping away in silence. Mo Ying looked up with a hint of suspicion. A faint streamer of light flickered as it faded into the distance.

“Xiao Yu’er, what are you looking at?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Before Mo Ying could turn her head, Wanqi Tianxin slipped an arm around her shoulder and steered her away. She pressed half her body against Mo Ying, completely blocking her view.

Soon, Mo Ying let go of the brief distraction and turned her full attention to harmonizing their instruments, making adjustments to the composition as they went.

The remaining contestants at the site were all working intensely to build rapport with their teammates. Every moment of rehearsal mattered. Outside, the voting campaign had reached a fever pitch. Within just a day or two, the popularity rankings for “Sing for the Song 2” were already taking shape. However, the fans’ enthusiasm meant the numbers and leaderboard shifted constantly, making it impossible to predict who might make a surprise comeback at the last moment.

“Boss, our little beauty is ahead of second place by three hundred thousand votes. She’s safe.”

Chu Shu had been staring at the screen all afternoon until her eyes turned blurry. She could not understand why her boss, even with such a wide lead, still clung to her phone and worked relentlessly to earn more votes.

Talk about being seriously distracted.

“Mmm.”

Lou Anran replied with a cold tone, her eyes never leaving the screen. She kept a close watch on the second-place numbers. Every time the figures changed, she picked up her phone again. “Handle that matter as soon as the voting ends.”

Lately, the little one had been relentlessly pestering her for updates. Not willing to back down, Lou Anran used the opportunity to demand a few girlfriend perks. Once or twice, it still felt like harmless teasing. Too often, and it risked turning against her.

Lou Anran understood the balance well. You could not keep plucking fur from the same spot or you would leave it bare.

Chu Shu felt the urge to complain. She had received a first-rate education, yet here she was running around with trivial tasks. “Boss, wouldn’t it be better to let Sister Ni take care of this? She’s the one who really knows what she’s doing.”

Lou Anran furrowed her brow. “What’s the current rank of that friend of the little one… the one named Si?”

Wu Si’s early performances had been underwhelming. Although she joined the four-member group after the semifinals, she managed to attract some fans, but her popularity remained average. Compared to the quirky and androgynous Wanqi Tianxin or the ethereal Chen Ruiling, who looked like she had stepped out of a painting, Wu Si lagged far behind. She stood no chance against Mo Ying, and her low ranking reflected that.

What made things worse was that the director refused to air the semifinal footage early for ratings. So after discussing it together, they had come up with a compromise.

Chu Shu could not help but grumble again. The rankings were right there on the screen. A mouse click would have shown them. Yet her boss was tapping on her phone as if she were on a noble mission.

She quietly pulled out her phone and searched. “Just hit rank nineteen.”

Lou Anran said, “Think of a way to push her into the top nine. At least make sure she stays in the top ten during the live interview.”

Chu Shu replied, “I still think we should let Sister Ni handle it. I don’t want our good intentions to backfire.”

Lou Anran waved her off, not particularly concerned. As long as someone did it, she could say she had done her part for the little one.

It took Chu Shu tremendous effort to convince Ni Xinyu. The woman was clearly in a foul mood and ranted at both her and Lou Anran.

Naturally, Chu Shu didn’t report that part to her boss.

“Boss, it’s done.”

Lou Anran waved her hand, signaling her to leave and stop interfering.

As Chu Shu turned to go, she hesitated. “Boss, about the Lou Corporation stock you asked me to monitor. I’ve noticed something strange, and I’m unsure what to do.”

Lou Anran lifted her eyes. “Speak.”

“You told me to hold off on approaching the shareholders and wait until they came to us. Then we would buy their shares. But someone beat us to it.”

Facing Lou Anran’s cold and piercing stare, Chu Shu swallowed nervously. “They’re buying at a price one yuan higher than ours.”

Lou Anran’s hand stilled on the mouse. “One yuan?”

Chu Shu thought she heard her boss grinding her teeth. A chill ran down her spine. “Yes. When I spoke privately with Elder Zhang, he said someone else had made an offer. Since we hadn’t responded, he assumed we weren’t interested and sold.”

It was a classic business tactic. No one expected a last-minute spoiler to use such an underhanded method.

After meeting with Elder Zhang, Chu Shu sensed something was off. When she tried contacting the other directors she had lined up, they either ignored her or gave evasive answers. Their attitudes had shifted completely. The only good news was that only fifteen percent of shares were floating on the market.

“At least I caught it in time.”

Lou Anran sneered. “Caught it? How do you know they hadn’t already acquired other scattered shares? They might already own more than we imagined.”

Chu Shu shivered. The Lou Corporation had weathered several crises over the years. Some shares had indeed ended up scattered. No one could be sure whether this was the first time they were buying in or not. It could be a hostile takeover, or something even more sinister.

Invisible hands were quietly orchestrating everything behind the scenes.

Chu Shu didn’t dare interrupt Lou Anran’s thoughts. She stood silently, running through all the possible culprits in her mind and dismissing them one by one.

Suddenly, Lou Anran chuckled. “Interesting. I didn’t expect anyone else to be interested in our Lou family.”

Chu Shu stared in disbelief. Wake up, Boss. They’re already at your doorstep. Next step, storming into the boardroom and collapsing the Lou empire.

Lou Anran sat up straight. “Since someone wants to play, I’ll play along.”

Chu Shu’s eyes lit up. “You have a plan?”

Lou Anran wasn’t sure what kind of person the other party was, but she was certain it wasn’t Lou Annie. “It’s simple. If scattered shares are what they want, I’ll give them some.”

Chu Shu, “….”

Lou Anran smiled maliciously. “But I want to meet them in person.”

Mo Ying had no idea her darling Lou Xiaohei was facing a bit of trouble. In her eyes, Lou Xiaohei was the smartest and most capable person alive. Nothing ever seemed too difficult for her. Mo Ying was completely absorbed in the new song and refining their group performance.

Wu Si returned sooner than anyone had expected.

The director even arranged for the livestream crew to interview each of them about how they felt when Wu Si left the group. Wanqi Tianxin cried so hard her snot bubbled, nearly ruining her image. Chen Ruiling’s eyes reddened, though she tried her best to maintain her goddess aura. When it was Mo Ying’s turn, her smile nearly curved her eyes shut. “This is wonderful. Not one girl should be missing. I believe in Sisi. When she makes her beautiful transformation, you’ll love her even more.”

Outside, Wu Si listened and cried her heart out.

Back when she was found by the crew at the hospital, she had been extremely resistant. The idea of facing her small group of fans through a livestream felt like ripping open old wounds. But the staff spent hours talking with her, and she finally understood just how much her friends had done for her.

She really loved the stage of “Sing for the Song,” especially because it had brought Xiao Yu’er into her life, but her father had ruined everything. Just when she thought she was sinking into an abyss, doomed to be tangled in everything she wanted to avoid for the rest of her life, she found many hands reaching into the darkness, pulling her up and urging her not to give up.

Her idol even sent an invitation. “Would you like to stand on stage and sing with me?”

Wu Si’s heart surged with emotion. In that moment, it felt like she saw light again.

Their song this time was about transformation, breaking out of a cocoon, and becoming a butterfly. It reflected everything the four of them had gone through. Wu Si hugged them tightly and poured all her emotions into two words.

“Thank you.”