People experience joy and sorrow in different ways.

While Gu Xingyi was at home, hugging his wife and child in warmth and bliss, over in the artist dorms of Shengshi Entertainment, Miao Anyun was quietly packing her things with a look of loneliness on her face.

Her assistant Yu Ranyan silently helped at her side. No matter what decision her Yunyun-jiejie made, she would support her with everything she had.

Ever since Gu Xingyi appeared, the entertainment industry had shifted so rapidly. Just a few days ago, Miao Anyun had still been feeling sorry for Xia Xiyao being blacklisted. Who would’ve thought that in just one week, Gu Xingyi would completely turn the tide for Xia Xiyao?

The overwhelming online buzz left all other singers struggling to breathe—and she was one of the victims too.

But Miao Anyun had never complained. The legend Gu Xingyi created was built on his own strength, and that deserved respect.

All she could do was work even harder in her daily life. She believed that one day, she too would succeed.

Unfortunately, reality could be brutally harsh.

Shengshi Entertainment had never prioritized the music scene. After the recent events, the company’s decisions became even more incomprehensible. Some singers even started transitioning toward acting.

But Miao Anyun would never switch tracks—singing had always been her dream. Yet just this afternoon, she found herself the target of an unspoken rule from the higher-ups.

A board member named Ma Liang not only pressured her to switch to acting but also spoke and acted inappropriately. When he tried to get handsy, she couldn’t hold back and slapped him across the face.

And that one slap ended her career.

It wasn’t anything dramatic—just being shelved. Miao Anyun didn’t regret it. Even if she had to choose again, she would still throw that slap.

Now, the apartment was being reclaimed by the company. The “new housing” they arranged for her was basically a glorified storage room. If not for the sky-high penalty in her contract, she would’ve left long ago.

She came from an ordinary family. After three years of hard work, she still hadn’t earned enough to pay the full penalty.

“Ranyan.” Miao Anyun looked up at the packed luggage, then turned to Yu Ranyan, who was still by her side. She forced a small smile and said, “I really might not have a future anymore. Once I earn enough to pay off the penalty, I’ll leave the company.”

“You…”

Even someone like Miao Anyun, who was usually upbeat and bold, sounded down now. She didn’t know how to explain things to Yu Ranyan. All she felt was guilt.

“Ahhh, Yunyun-jiejie, you don’t have to explain anything to me! We’ll figure something out eventually!”

Yu Ranyan knew Miao Anyun must be feeling terrible right now. She could only pretend to be cheerful and cheer her up.

In truth, she was heartbroken too. Once Miao Anyun left, she would surely be reassigned to someone else. But compared to her own situation, she was more worried about Miao Anyun.

Yunyun-jiejie loved singing so much. She worked so hard. And now, she had no choice but to fade out in silence.

This entertainment industry… it’s really gone to hell.

Yu Ranyan thought to herself, and then she suddenly remembered Xia Xiyao, which naturally led to thoughts of Gu Xingyi. Her eyes lit up instantly.

If only Gu Xingyi would be willing to help Yunyun-jiejie, the outcome would be completely different!

But then her face fell again. They weren’t relatives or even friends—why would Gu Xingyi help Miao Anyun?

The next day, October 1st.

The day Xia Xiyao’s album officially launched—and also the final day of the three-day music celebration.

From early morning, the internet was abuzz nonstop. Netizens were all eagerly waiting for the moment the album dropped. Right now on the Huayin platform, the top spot on the new song chart was firmly held by Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart, released by Huayang the night before.

This left many netizens speculating:
Which rank would a song from Xia Xiyao’s album be able to climb to on the new song chart?

Just then, some sharp-eyed netizens suddenly noticed that Tianmei Entertainment and YinHai Entertainment had both just released announcements on Huayin, stating that their singers had new songs going live on the platform.

At the same time, Tianmei’s previous-generation diva Lu Ying and YinHai’s new-generation singer Cheng Di both posted on Weibo.

Each of them used the post to promote their new songs launching on Huayin that day.
Lu Ying brought a sorrowful love ballad titled “The Day Doesn’t Understand the Heart of the Night”, while Cheng Di released a track called “I Love You”.

The moment this was discovered, the internet exploded. Chatter and heated debates filled the air.

   “Whoa! What are these two companies thinking? Dropping new songs now? Aren’t they afraid of getting steamrolled?”

   “They’re clearly not here to play nice! Not here to play nice! Bros! Remember what we said before? Tonight, this is our home field!”

   “For real! Lu Ying… okay, even though she’s got a bad temper, bad attitude, bad looks… a whole list of bads, BUT her singing? Gotta admit—solid.”

   “Don’t underestimate Cheng Di either. That sweet little voice? Melts this old man’s heart every time!”

   “Either way, we’ll find out tonight. When it comes to skill, Xia Xiyao is no worse than those two. And in terms of songs—come on! Gu Xingyi hahahaha! No one’s beating him!”

   “Lu Ying’s still brave enough to show up? Did she forget how bad she got roasted before? One Douyin video—hundreds of thousands of likes, tens of millions of comments. If you know, you know!”

   “HAHAHAHA! I gotta say—one of those comments? That was mine!”

   “Gotta admit, it’s been ages since the entertainment scene was this lively! Hahaha! We’re in for a show tonight!”

The announcements from Tianmei and YinHai only fired up the netizens even more. Now everyone felt like time was crawling—they couldn’t wait for the songs to go live.

Tonight, it was truly a battle of the titans.

And the audience? They were the main characters in this showdown!

Ever since Xia Xiyao made her comeback and brought Gu Xingyi along with her, the melon-eating crowd had grown bolder and bolder.

Meanwhile, in Jiangcheng.

Unlike the eager anticipation of netizens, Xia Xiyao felt a bit nervous inside. She knew just how important the sales of this album were to Gu Xingyi. Even though half the songs were available through free channels, she couldn’t help but feel the pressure.

Gu Xingyi, though confident in every track, couldn’t shake a little unease himself. At the moment, he had absolutely nothing to his name. He still didn’t have the funds for the entertainment company he planned to start, or that five million for Xingyao Animation either.

All of it now rested on how this album performed.

As for whether or not the netizens would buy the songs? That wasn’t something he could control.

Time slipped by as everyone waited without realizing it.

8 PM sharp.

Xia Xiyao’s full album.
Lu Ying and Cheng Di’s new songs.
All launched at the exact same time on Huayin.

Netizens, who had been itching to go, suddenly froze. With so many new songs dropping at once… which one should they listen to first?

Just as everyone was hesitating, someone suddenly posted a thread titled:

    “Holy crap! It’s SO GOOD! I hit the jackpot! Everyone, go listen now! It’s Xia Xiyao’s new track in the album—《As You Wish》!”

And just like that, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Damn! Why were they even hesitating?! Of course they should start with Xia Xiyao’s brand new mystery song! Written by Gu Xingyi! Never heard before! That had to be the top pick!

In an instant, the entire internet rushed in unison to click on that song.

《As You Wish》