Wenhui’s booked private room was very large—more than enough even after adding everyone from Xu Tang’s side.
Since Zong Xuan was the one treating today, he naturally sat in the main seat, and as his “family member,” Xu Tang naturally had to sit beside him.
“Everyone, feel free. Don’t be polite,” Zong Xuan said with a smile.
The people from Xu Tang’s PR department were naturally socially adept wherever they went, and they had good personalities. The people from Zong Xuan’s studio were also very good at speaking and treated Xu Tang’s side warmly, so the atmosphere remained lively throughout.
Zong Xuan pushed the menu toward Xu Tang. “Order whatever you like.”
At home, when Xu Tang wanted to eat something, he usually had a plan and would occasionally request dishes from the cook. But when eating out, he could not really think of anything in particular he wanted; he usually just chose things that everyone might like.
He pushed the menu back. “Anything’s fine. You order.”
Zong Xuan raised an eyebrow, a faint dissatisfaction rising in his heart, thinking Xu Tang was being perfunctory, when he heard Xu Tang say, “I don’t usually order in situations like this. Sister Kang usually does. I’m afraid what I like might not suit everyone.”
In gatherings like this, he usually prioritized the staff. If he wanted to eat something, he could always have Yuan Shang buy it for him. The main point was to make sure everyone ate well, not to waste the purpose of his treat.
Zong Xuan smiled. “There’s no need to worry about that. Just order what you want. Put it right in front of you—others can eat it or not.” As he spoke, he pushed the menu back again.
Continuously pushing it back and forth was not ideal, and Xu Tang did not want to spoil the mood, so he opened the menu and ordered two dishes he liked.
Soon, the food was served, filling the table so full it felt like they were dining lavishly off someone’s wealth.
When Xu Tang’s dishes arrived, Zong Xuan had the server place them directly between the two of them instead of on the rotating center table.
The girls from the studio teased and laughed at them. Zong Xuan took a sip of tea and said with a faint smile, “Whoever teases next time has to get their boyfriend to treat. You can show off however you want.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend, what then?”
From the side, Xu Tang lifted an eyebrow. “Then endure it.”
During the meal, no one was pretending; the atmosphere was extremely relaxed.
A serving of sea cucumbers was turned toward Zong Xuan first. He picked up two and both were given to Xu Tang.
“You’re not eating?” Xu Tang asked. This was something Zong Xuan had ordered himself.
“You eat them. They’re good for the kidneys,” Zong Xuan said with a smile.
For a moment, Xu Tang did not know whether to use his chopsticks or not. Not eating would seem disrespectful, but eating both might make others think he had issues in that department. That kind of reputation he absolutely could not accept—he was young and healthy and perfectly capable!
“No!” Xu Tang shoved one back onto Zong Xuan’s plate. This concerned his masculine dignity; even his “male god” status did not help.
Zong Xuan leaned close to his ear. “Doing that so openly makes people think our married life is not harmonious. But speaking of which, whether I’m capable or not can’t just be decided by words. Want to try?”
Damn it! Xu Tang cursed internally—Zong Xuan, can you not flirt with me?!
Zong Xuan did not notice his irritation and continued, “When are you planning to go home?”
Xu Tang’s agitation suddenly cooled halfway. He lowered his eyes. “Not going back.” They were not lovers quarrelling, nor married couples fighting; he simply wanted to solve the problem from its root. That would be better for both of them.
Zong Xuan gave a faint, unreadable laugh. “Trying distance to create beauty?”
Hearing that, Xu Tang felt Zong Xuan thought he was playing hard to get. A sense of helplessness rose in him, along with the exhaustion of not wanting to explain. “Between us, there has only ever been distance. There is no beauty.”
Zong Xuan frowned, momentarily unable to refute. Xu Tang was not wrong. Real couples gradually move from distance to closeness, but between him and Xu Tang, they had not even reached near-zero distance yet.
To outsiders, their whispered conversation looked intimate. But Wen Hui and Kang Duo, sitting on either side, clearly knew it was not what it seemed. They could not hear everything, but the atmosphere was not pleasant. Wen Hui finally realized something was wrong between them, but it was not the right time to ask.
After the meal, everyone dispersed, heading home to rest for the weekend.
In the underground parking lot, Zong Xuan grabbed Xu Tang’s arm. “I’ll take you.”
Xu Tang felt the spot he was holding burn slightly, but forced himself to resist the pull. “No need. I’ll go with Sister Kang.”
Zong Xuan did not let go. He only said lowly, “Either I take you home, or you come home with me. Choose.”
Kang Duo and Wen Hui noticed something was off and turned back.
After a few seconds, Xu Tang compromised. “Fine. You can take me.”
Satisfied, Zong Xuan said, “Let’s go first,” and pulled Xu Tang toward his car.
Wen Hui frowned at their backs, then looked at Kang Duo. “It’s still early. Let me treat you to something to drink?”
Kang Duo smiled. “Sister Wen, I’m exhausted. Let me go home and sleep.”
Wen Hui knew Kang Duo definitely understood more than she did. Now she was the only one in the dark—truly frustrating, like she had become both agent and detective at once.
After getting into the car, Xu Tang fastened his seatbelt and gave his address.
Zong Xuan did not start the car immediately. He locked the doors from the inside and asked, “What exactly are you dissatisfied with? Everything’s been clarified, everything’s over. What are you still upset about?”
With the doors locked, Xu Tang could not leave and had no choice but to face him.
“I’m not dissatisfied,” Xu Tang said quietly, forcing himself to stay calm. “Three years of marriage is enough. The cooperation between our families is stable now; there is no need for an alliance marriage anymore. We are both busy, and maintaining a nominal marriage has no meaning. So I think it should end here. You can live the life you want, instead of being tied to me.”
“The life I want?” Zong Xuan frowned. He tried to think—but the more he thought, the more he realized his current life was already fine. No, something was missing. But he could not tell what.
After failing to reach a conclusion, he started the car. Neither of them spoke on the way back, the silence awkward.
After dropping Xu Tang off, Zong Xuan left first.
Neither of them gave ground, and they continued living separate lives. Fortunately, Xu Tang was careful and did not let reporters notice anything.
One morning, Xu Tang was invited by his senior, Shen Jiajia, to serve as a guest mentor on the popular music talent show King of Melodies, helping select songs, arrange compositions, and guide contestants for the quarterfinals.
These music competition shows were always popular, but most followed the same pattern: strong in the first season, average in the second, then gradually declining. Yet King of Melodies was already in its fourth season and still extremely popular.
The reason was not that contestants were overwhelmingly talented, but because it was broadcast live.
Live broadcast, unlike recording, had no editing or post-production. It tested improvisation heavily. Mentors had to be sharp and engaging, and contestants had to perform well; any accident could change the outcome. Though harsh, it was more authentic.
Mentors changed every year, but all were strong performers—top vocalists, composer-singers, or the strongest idols in the industry.
The show had invited Xu Tang two years ago, but he had been keeping a low profile then, so he declined.
This time, Shen Jiajia personally invited him, and he could not refuse. She was a senior in his company and a respected singer-songwriter, so both professionally and personally he had to attend. Also, Kang Duo did not want him to stay low-profile for too long, so she arranged high-quality exposure work periodically. This program fit perfectly and only took one week.
Shen Jiajia’s team was arranged to rehearse in Huayan Entertainment’s music rooms. The company had even set aside two rehearsal rooms for convenience.
At 9 a.m., Xu Tang arrived on time. Shen Jiajia and the contestant also arrived, along with two production staff members.
Shen Jiajia introduced him. “This is Yu Lun, just turned twenty. Very strong at high notes.”
Then she turned to Yu Lun. “No need for me to introduce this one, right?”
“Yes!” Yu Lun quickly nodded and smiled. “Hello, Teacher Xu Tang.”
Xu Tang nodded slightly with a smile, not being modest. At times like this, modesty would make it seem like Shen Jiajia’s guest mentor was not strong enough.
Yu Lun had a baby face and looked quite cute, with a smile that easily won people’s favor.
Before this, Xu Tang had already reviewed all of Yu Lun’s performances in the competition so far. The remaining contestants in the top eight had also been studied.
They were all strong.
Shen Jiajia handed him the selected song. It was a xianxia-style ancient song originally performed by a singer known for distinctive vocals and style. It had been very popular among young audiences.
But Xu Tang felt the song was not very suitable for Yu Lun.
In short, while such songs emphasized emotion and cultural aesthetic, they required strong vocal expression and storytelling ability. Not everyone could handle them well.
Yu Lun’s strength was a wide high-note range, but his voice lacked narrative depth. If forced to simulate emotion through technique, it would likely feel artificial.
After reviewing everything and giving suggestions on arrangement, Xu Tang proposed a structured reinterpretation of the song: a grounded emotional opening, stylistic imitation in the repetition, a pseudo-falsetto effect in the chorus, and a return to natural voice in the climax, finishing with a controlled high-note ascent.
Shen Jiajia slapped the table in excitement. “That’s it—perfect!”