The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: I'll Tell You Who's the Boss

That night, Shi Si stayed over at the hospital. His mood was undeniably heavy, though he concealed it well. Nie Jia, engrossed in composing a new song, didn't notice much, simply lounging on the couch with Shi Si, occasionally feeling Shi Si run his fingers through his hair.

Before bed, Nie Jia recalled Chen Tian mentioning the show's production team changing the finals venue. Upon inquiry, it was indeed at Shi Si's behest. They settled on the Blue Theatre, capable of hosting tens of thousands, and in just a day, it was approved. Time was pressing; the production team was likely already preparing the stage. With the unconditional sponsorship of Shi Dong, the bigwig, the show's head director must have been ecstatic.

Nie Jia wondered when the production team would release details about the finals. Presumably, the fanbases of both male groups would go wild then. Before the arrival of the finals, Nie Jia found himself engulfed in a hectic bustle. Besides composing for the finals, there were reshoots for promotional videos and posters. There was barely any time to properly rest at the hospital, but having Shi Si by his side motivated Nie Jia to tackle these immediate issues.

He aimed to fulfill the original owner's wish soon, allowing him to focus solely on being with Shi Si without being swamped every day.

Ever since the production team released behind-the-scenes footage of Nie Jia arriving at the TV station the day before recording, the show's hype had remained consistently high. Three days before the official broadcast, due to incessant demands, the team dropped an unusually lengthy teaser.

Normally, teasers ran for at most two or three minutes. This time, it stretched to over seven minutes, promptly setting the internet ablaze.

However, it wasn't the duration but the content that stirred things up.

With only four teams remaining in the semi-finals, the shots of Box, Hertz Era, and Galaxy together barely amounted to two minutes. Fans of these three groups were somewhat disappointed as the teaser didn't offer much to discuss. Although they anticipated the new episode, the teaser didn't heighten that excitement.

The urgency lay with D Group's fans, both supporters and detractors, as the teaser allotted a whopping five minutes solely to the four members of D Group.

There were almost no formal stage appearances in the teaser—just raw and stark conflicts among the members.

The five-minute clip featured several venue switches but was edited seamlessly, making it seem as though everything stemmed from Nie Fei's demand to change songs.

Soon after the teaser's release, topics like "Nie Fei forcefully changes songs," "Nie Fei seizes the center," "Xie Yihang falls," "Latest Star Battle teaser," "Xie Yihang criticized to tears," swiftly dominated website headlines and Weibo trends.

Xie Yihang shedding tears was like a needle pricking the hearts of D Group's fans, instantly setting them off.

"Does Nie Fei have any shame? Smiling but seizing the center, changing songs last minute before the match. Is he determined to destroy DDD Group? No wonder the other three never played with Nie Fei in variety shows. There's a reason for that, heh."

"Nie Fei has truly crossed the despicable bottom line of the entertainment industry. What's a week's preparation for the three groups in his eyes? He says change, and it changes. Does he have any sense? And to seize the center from our little angel? Unbelievable!"

"I'm so enraged after watching this! If it weren't for this show, who would know this old man Chen Huanyin? Our little angel's fame outshines his by miles. Claiming our little angel is unprofessional? Maybe his eyesight is failing. Who doesn't know our little angel is a workaholic, releasing albums, holding concerts, appearing on shows, acting. Almost working year-round without a break. This old man must be selectively blind! Let's explode alongside Nie Fei right now!"

"Remember when the news broke that Nie Fei would be recording last week? That self-congratulatory look he had! Tsk tsk tsk, serves him right. Trying to turn the tide? I must say, Nie Fei sure knows how to stir up trouble."

The whirlwind of controversy sparked by the teaser promised stormy times ahead for the upcoming competition.

"Is Nie Fei intentionally declaring his participation in the show just before the recording? Is it because he can't stand Three's excellence? Honestly, in the previous round on DDD, Three was eliminated due to a cold affecting his performance. By this recording, Three's voice has surely recovered. Without Nie Fei, he wouldn't lose again. So, could it be Three who called him back? Let's entertain a conspiracy: this show has global attention. If Three wins, the whole of Asia will be swept by his popularity. Nie Fei was always at the bottom in popularity. With this show, if he doesn't show up, he might be completely overshadowed and kicked out by DDD. Perhaps, he volunteered to prevent being sidelined. Also, it's unclear why he's vying for Three's spotlight. Nie Fei rarely holds the center stage in DDD. His insistence might force Three or the other two (more likely Three, as he's too soft-hearted to refuse Nie Fei's request) to rearrange their positions. The competition is the next day. Is he trying to keep Three sleepless? How does this benefit the next day's match? Clearly, he intends to halt DDD's progress in the semi-finals. It's too scheming and malicious!"

"The analysis upstairs is spot on! Could Nie Fei be a spy sent by Galaxy? Can't stand D Team shining across Asia!"

"For a moment, almost everywhere, furious Three's fans could be seen cursing Nie Fei. Even the long-muted topic 'Nie Fei, get out of DDD' resurfaced."

Non-Nie Fei fans are equally angered, but their target is mainly the show's production team. The team's manipulation skills are outstanding. Anyone with average intelligence can tell the teaser deliberately highlighted the most controversial segments. But manipulating like demons and shifting all blame onto Nie Nie – what's the point?

"Using Nie Nie for show effects, thinking we're easy to bully?!"

Reportedly, the official website of the Rich Broadcasting Station was hacked for a full three hours that day. Programmers had a hard time restoring it. Specific culprits remain unknown, but Nie Fei's fans are the prime suspects...

The teaser's response was unprecedentedly intense. Three's fans from D Team were in an uproar, while supporters of the other three teams were ecstatic, enjoying the drama from the sidelines.

No one anticipated the production team cutting such a malicious teaser, not even Nie Jia himself.

However, Nie Jia couldn't care less about such trivial matters. After finishing the photo shoot for the poster, he immersed himself in creating new songs at the company every day. He'd completed writing and composing the song for the finals and was now fine-tuning the arrangement.

Shi Si had been by Nie Jia's side these days, accompanying him even when he went to the company, listening to him play the guitar.

Neither paid attention to the raging discussions outside. After all, the show would be airing in two days.

"Nie Jia spent a considerable time at the company. Chen Tian often dropped by to see if there was anything he could assist with. However, upon witnessing Nie Jia independently create an entire song, he wisely refrained from interfering. He had a sense of Nie Fei's self-sufficiency; probably, the only help Nie Fei might require would be for something like moving a guitar.

Xie Yihang visited a couple of times, not for assistance but timidly inquired about the progress. With the finals looming closer, he needed time to rehearse a new song. Could they mute his mic again this time?

Nie Jia held a disdain for Xie Yihang. After his third visit, without letting Xie speak, Nie Jia couldn't contain his irritation. 'Can you stop bothering me all the time?' he rebuked, his face darkened.

Shi Si, in an inconspicuous corner, handled work documents brought by a secretary. Hearing Nie Jia's outburst, he didn't bother to look up, impatiently gesturing for the secretary to escort Xie Yihang out.

Xie Yihang, unaware of the others in the studio, startled, blushed, and followed the secretary out. As he glanced in the direction the secretary came from, he saw Shi Si, calmly engrossed in official matters. 'He probably isn't part of the company,' Xie Yihang thought, his mind suddenly drifting back to the previous program recording... to Nie Fei's unusually flushed lips in the restroom.

His pupils contracted, heart racing, Xie Yihang swiftly left.

Shi Si lifted his head to sign the final document. His mild hostility dissipated as he saw Nie Jia still unsatisfied at the keyboard. Nie Jia seemed discontented after spending a while there, heading straight to record with an electric piano. Shi Si quickly lost any negative feelings, absorbed in Nie Jia's engrossment with the composition.

During Nie Jia's stay, Shi Yan didn't show up. Learning that his beloved suffered from a certain degree of manic depression, Shi Si covertly delved into his entire life story. The findings suggested that his younger brother, Shi Yan, was likely the cause of his mental instability.

Shi Yan had affections for a young man named Xie Yihang. However, his lover had a long-standing rivalry with Xie Yihang. Due to Shi Yan's identity, CBC Company comprehensively restricted resources for his lover, binding him to the DDD team and exploiting his value.

Thinking of this, a surge of violent emotions welled up in Shi Si again.

'We can go for dinner now!' Nie Jia finally finished work, cheerfully darting over. Since Shi Si's location wasn't within the camera's range, Nie Jia boldly hugged and kissed him.

Shi Si swiftly masked his emotions, lightly asking, 'Done writing?'

'Yeah, let's leave. I'll call Xiang Xianmin later for the sound test,' Nie Jia said, pulling Shi Si up. 'To prevent someone recognizing you, let's go now.'

Smiling, Shi Si rose with Nie Jia's assistance. The two left CBC together, the secretary promptly organizing the documents and following.

Once in the car, Shi Si's and Nie Jia's fingers intertwined. Looking at him, Shi Si softly spoke, 'Want to terminate the contract with CBC? You can choose any record company under Wankai.'

Nie Jia looked puzzled. 'Why suddenly?'

'CBC hinders your growth. My assets are yours too. Terminating with CBC would offer you better prospects,' Shi Si said, kissing his fingertips.

Nie Jia understood instantly. 'You found out, didn't you?'

'You can blame me. Others fawning over or appeasing Shi Yan isn't because he's the heir of Wankai but because he's my brother. You suffered because of that. I can't absolve myself,' Shi Si's eyes filled with concern.

'It's not your fault; you didn't know beforehand.' Nie Jia mimicked him, patting Shi Si's head. 'I'll terminate, but not now. You don't need to concern yourself with Shi Yan's matters. I have plans of my own. Don't worry, okay?'

Shi Si smirked lightly. 'Okay.'

Though his face bore a gentle smile, Shi Si's emotions weren't as relaxed as they appeared, harboring more anger towards others, especially Shi Yan.

Back home, while Shi Si cooked, Nie Jia scrolled through Weibo. The internet was ablaze with criticism.

Chen Tian retweeted the program's teaser from the official account, adding, 'Devilish editing! Don't believe it. Watch on Saturday before criticizing.'

His intent was evident. Even before the show aired, he was already dismantling it, seemingly reflecting deeply on himself.

Surprisingly, Xie Yihang had clarified via Weibo earlier than Chen Tian, but the content... better left unsaid.

Xie Yihang's post: 'Everyone, calm down. It's nothing serious, just for the show. Sad, sad, sad.'

Maintaining his usual provocative style, the comments under his post praised the little angel for being kind and standing up for others, followed by berating Nie Fei. Countless users rushed to Nie Jia's Weibo, mostly criticizing him, outnumbering Nie Fei's fans.

Nie Jia decided to playfully stir the pot and reposted Xie Yihang's tweet, adding, 'Oh. Eye roll.'

In no time, 'Nie Fei's response' shot up the hot searches.

Nie Fei's fans exploded, flooding the comments with queries and insults. However, the tide turned in favor of Nie Fei; when they stormed his Weibo, the hot comment section was already dominated by Nie Fei's supporters, igniting a fierce battle.

As Xie Yihang checked Weibo during the auditions at the company, his blood ran cold.

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