Chapter Thirty-Eight: Journey to America

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Journey to America

Once again, Zhang Le found himself embroiled in a conflict, and Yang Xiner was the first to leap to his defense. Her performance of “Piggy Song” was playful and endearing, filling listeners with joy.

Even a goddess can have her moments of cuteness.

From lyrics to melody, this song was clearly meant for children. Yet its creation was rife with drama; mention of the song inevitably brought to mind a sensational brawl and a notorious rich playboy, making it impossible to associate it with children’s music any longer.

A perfectly innocent children’s song had somehow become an insult.

As a singer, I sell my voice—amidst self-mockery, the song revealed strong dissatisfaction with Lin Xiaofan.

How much is a children’s song worth? The question itself was a biting satire. And who’s the buyer? Naturally, people were reminded of Lin Xiaofan spending half a million to be publicly insulted.

Lin Xiaofan’s claim that singers are mere performers for hire stirred up quite a media frenzy and drew the ire of countless artists. When Yang Xiner posted her response online, it was instantly liked and shared by throngs of musicians.

The song that had sparked the infamous fight between Wu Xiaoyong and Lin Xiaofan was already the subject of much curiosity online. Zhang Le’s version was widely known by name but seldom heard. Now, with Yang Xiner’s rendition, the song spread across the internet like wildfire.

Her performance shot up the search rankings, its influence only growing.

Not long after Yang Xiner’s version appeared, countless covers followed. The most memorable was a three-year-old girl’s rendition—her voice and appearance utterly melted hearts everywhere.

In the end, it truly was a children’s song again.

The song became a sensation, and Lin Xiaofan suffered a tremendous loss of face.

What enraged him even further was that the five hundred thousand yuan he’d paid Zhang Le was used by Wu Xiaoyong for a grand donation ceremony, with countless media outlets invited. The massive banner on display was impossible to miss:

“Thank you, Mr. Lin Xiaofan, for making a contribution to education in impoverished regions on behalf of Mr. Zhang Le!”

The irony was unmistakable. That single word—“on behalf of”—stood out like a glaring neon sign.

It was as if they wanted everyone to know: Lin Xiaofan paid half a million for a song, Zhang Le donated the money. Lin Xiaofan provided the funds, but the credit went to someone else—he was left looking like a fool.

Though Lin Xiaofan had been beaten down, his injuries were minor, and he left the hospital in just a couple of days. But upon discharge, he flew straight to the United States, clearly too embarrassed to remain at home.

Yang Xiner’s public support turned the couple into a hot topic once more. What did Zhang Le possess to win her unwavering loyalty?

Naturally, Feng Lei also found himself thrust into the spotlight. Already a much-watched star’s son, his involvement in the scuffle earned him widespread support, especially for his candid response to a reporter: “If your brother is being attacked, are you just going to sit back and enjoy your drink?”

Xinle Film Studio was still in its infancy, and the post-production of “Crazy Stone” inevitably slowed as a result. But with September just begun and the Spring Festival film season still far off, there was ample time to perfect every detail.

With Zhang Le and Yang Xiner back in the headlines, the promotion for “With You All the Way” was relentless. Zhang Le’s musical talent was once again on display, and in the publicity, it was impossible not to mention that he’d performed a song in French, while Yang Xiner sang the Chinese version. The public eagerly anticipated the broadcast and the reveal of this much-discussed duet.

The program was set to air the following week, and soon it was time for the second recording session.

With the experience of last time, everyone was more at ease this round.

“It looks like we’re headed to the airport again, isn’t it?” Zhang Le glanced outside, then asked a staff member, “Are we really just flying off somewhere again? Isn’t there anything new?”

The staffer only smiled, offering no answer.

“So where are we going this time?” Yang Xiner asked.

“America!” came the reply.

At Los Angeles airport, Zhang Le and Yang Xiner walked hand in hand, pulling their luggage behind them.

“We’re not expected to find our own way to the hotel again, are we?” Yang Xiner asked.

“No,” the staffer assured her.

“So good to be true?” she replied, a touch of skepticism in her voice.

“The show needs a bit of novelty!” the staffer said with a smile.

As they chatted, the group reached the airport exit, where the production team’s vehicle pulled up.

“Mr. Zhang Le, could you come over for a moment?” a staff member called as Zhang Le and Yang Xiner loaded their suitcases into the trunk and prepared to get in the car.

Zhang Le hesitated, a little puzzled, but then a thought struck him and he grinned. He called out to the staffer, “You’re not trying to trick me into coming over so you can whisk Xiner away while I’m gone, are you? Some kind of kidnapping and rescue storyline, where I have to complete a mission to reunite with her?”

The staffer was momentarily dumbfounded, and so were the others nearby.

“Don’t tell me I got it right?” Zhang Le said in surprise.

“Of course not, Mr. Zhang Le, you’re overthinking it,” the staffer quickly replied, regaining composure.

“Really? Your expressions just gave you away,” Zhang Le said, glancing at Yang Xiner.

“We’re just surprised you guessed it,” the staffer replied with a laugh.

“Really not? You know, besides your faces, the giveaway was the number of cameramen in the car. Do Xiner and I need two cameramen between us? At first, I was just guessing, but now I’m pretty sure. There aren’t enough seats for everyone, so someone has to stay behind. If it’s not me or Xiner, why have extra cameramen?” Zhang Le replied, grinning.

“Alright, you got us, Mr. Zhang Le. They need to go ahead, and you have to stay behind to complete a mission,” the staffer admitted with a wry smile.

“Heh,” Zhang Le chuckled. “How about we reshoot that bit? Maybe Xiner gets in the car first, and I go to load the luggage. As soon as I’m done, the car drives off without me? I bet you hadn’t planned on Xiner helping me with the bags and delaying your script, right?”

The staffer could only smile ruefully. Indeed, Yang Xiner’s decision not to leave Zhang Le behind had thrown their plans off. The other three pairs of guests had stuck to the script, but with Zhang Le and Yang Xiner, nothing went as planned, and Zhang Le had even guessed the plot twist.

As the car drove off, Zhang Le grinned into the camera and said, “You think you can just sneak off with my future wife in front of me? Who wouldn’t keep a close eye on such a beautiful fiancée?”

Not long after the car left, Zhang Le’s phone rang. He answered and immediately burst out laughing.

“Alright then, Xiner’s been kidnapped. So what do you want me to do?”