Daily Life in the Pet Shop Ch. 161

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The director said he'd consider it, but he needed to check with Du Qianze first. It didn't seem like a big issue. Most importantly, Chi Rui wasn't at the company today—and hadn't been bothering him recently. For Hai Yang, that was the best news possible. Ever since he found out about the shady stuff Chi Rui had been up to, he felt a chill down his spine every time he saw him.

"Nice, looks like I picked the perfect day to come in. Let's chill downstairs for a bit so people know I was here today." Du Qianze, now fully recovered from his injuries, figured it would look bad if he kept avoiding the office. The lobby was the most visible place in the whole building. After meeting with the director, he planned to stay there for a while—just enough to make sure people saw him. That way, if Chi Rui asked later, he'd have an answer.

After meeting with the director, they talked about the pay. When the director learned that the film had a low budget, he tried to persuade Du Qianze not to take it. But Du Qianze insisted, so the director didn't push further. Lately, Du Qianze had been getting quite a bit of attention—his movie received great reviews, and his drama was a huge hit. While he wasn't A-list yet, he was steadily climbing the ranks. Plus, since he had some ties with Chi Rui, the director didn't want to offend him.

Walking out of the office, Du Qianze and Hai Yang exchanged a knowing smile. With this new project, they wouldn't have to come to the company for a while—finally, a breather.

They still had time before their meeting with Pei Haoyan, and Fang Yi was coming over later too. So Du Qianze and Haiyang stayed on the first floor, enjoying the rare peace. Since Chi Rui wasn't around, Du Qianze was in an unusually good mood. He even sent Hai Yang out to grab some cakes and handed them out to everyone in the lobby.

"Hai Yang, don't run away!"

Just as Du Qianze was happily eating his cake and admiring the view outside, a sudden voice behind him startled him so much that his hand shook, nearly dropping the cake.

"I didn't run! I'm right here!" Hai Yang, arms full of cake boxes, looked up in confusion.

"And you too, Du Qianze! You two are such untrustworthy guys! You actually ditched me last time—way too much!" The recording engineer stormed up to Hai Yang, scolding him with a straight face.

"Master, come on, why are you still holding onto that? Didn't we agree? I'll get you a hamster, and we'll call it even!" Hai Yang quickly pulled the recording engineer down onto the couch, all smiles. He handed him a piece of cake and even went to pour him a cup of coffee.

"Where's the hamster, then?"

The moment the engineer brought it up, he got even angrier. It had been months, and he hadn't even seen a single hamster hair.

"Uh... my hamster isn't pregnant yet. But the pet store's hamsters are! When the time comes, I'll get you a few." Hai Yang laughed awkwardly. His hamster had already given birth to over a dozen babies, but his little sister had given them all away. He figured that since so much time had passed, the recording engineer might've forgotten about the whole thing—so he never brought it up.

"Hmph." The recording engineer obviously didn't believe Hai Yang. Then, turning his head, he said, "They know where that person is."

"Huh? Superstar...?" Haiyang turned around and saw that Tian Yanming had somehow appeared behind him without him noticing.

"Hello." Du Qianze, who had his back turned, also hadn't realized Tian Yanming was there.

"Du... Du Qianze, right? Hey, I just wanted to say, I really enjoyed Home with Pets! My daughter watches it every day." Tian Yanming greeted him enthusiastically and reached out for a handshake.

Tian Yanming was a veteran in the company—one of the first batch of singers to make it big. He had won numerous awards, and his songs all had a unique personal style, incorporating strong Chinese elements. His music was widely recognized, and even though the record industry had declined over the years, his albums still sold in the hundreds of thousands, and his concerts were always packed. However, a few years ago, he shifted his focus to family life. He rarely released new albums or held concerts, limiting himself to a maximum of five per year.

"Thank you."

Although Tian Yanming wasn't as frequently in the public eye anymore and couldn't compete with today's hottest newcomers in terms of visibility, his foundation was solid. The moment he released new work, it would blow up instantly. People like him were way more powerful than most current top-tier stars.

"My daughter is a huge fan of yours. Could you sign a photo for me?" When Tian Yanming mentioned his daughter, his expression softened. He didn't seem to think that asking for an autograph—despite his status—was embarrassing at all. He spoke naturally and openly.

"Of course! I actually brought a whole bunch with me today. I'll give you as many as you want!" Hai Yang chimed in enthusiastically.

"We were just having some afternoon tea. Want to join us, Superstar?"

Du Qianze finally registered that Tian Yanming was still standing there. It was rare to see him in the company, and even when he was here, he usually stayed in his private lounge. Getting a chance to talk to him was a big deal. Plus, from the way he was acting, Du Qianze had a feeling he wasn't just here for an autograph.

"I'll pass. I'm in the middle of recording, so I can't have sweets." Despite saying that, Tian Yanming still took a seat next to Du Qianze. He carefully tucked the signed photo Hai Yang handed him into his pocket, thanked them, and then finally got to the real reason he was here.

Tian Yanming hadn't specifically come to see Du Qianze, and the recording engineer wasn't just here to settle scores with Hai Yang. It turned out that Tian Yanming had overheard Fang Yi singing while visiting the recording studio. After learning that Fang Yi was someone Du Qianze had brought in, he decided to come find him.

"He... probably hasn't had any vocal training." Du Qianze had listened to the song Fang Yi sang countless times—it was on repeat for him. It was good, no doubt about that. But reaching Tianwang levels? That seemed like a stretch. Fang Yi had never trained professionally, after all.

"That's exactly what makes his voice special. The best thing is that he hasn't been trained." Tian Yanming had worked with countless singers. He knew all about vocal techniques—every professional singer did. But Fang Yi? He sang with pure emotion, without any calculated embellishments. His voice was raw and unpolished, but that was what made it so compelling.

All credit goes to the original author
Feel free to pinpoint us if there are any grammar error or typos
Please don't use Guazi's translation to re-translate in other languages

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