CH 85

Song Yan didn't mind it and instead laughed on the phone.

Xu Li asked uncertainly, "Brother Ah Yan?"

"Yeah, I'm listening. Is there something wrong?" Song Yan said, "Do you have any plans to write songs recently?"

"Yes, the company asked me to prepare songs for a new album."

"Then let's wait until you're done with your own new song."

Listening to Song Yan's words, Xu Li speculated that he wanted to ask for his help.

He decided to ask directly.

"There is," Song Yan confirmed, "I want to ask you to help me write a song too."

Asking him for a song collaboration?

However, that wasn't what surprised Xu Li the most. What surprised him was, "Brother Ah Yan? Can you sing?"

In the years they had known each other, he had never heard him sing. When it came to singing, the vocal condition was one thing, and the pitch and musical sense were another.

Song Yan said confidently, "I can sing on key."

Emphasizing that he could sing on key, Xu Li understood.

It's likely that it won't sound good.

"..." Xu Li was speechless and held back his laughter, "Okay, let's talk about it in detail when you come back, Brother Ah Yan."

——

This year, for Wen Li's birthday, there was no fan meeting. Instead, the gaming company behind [Sheng Tang Fantasy] celebrated her birthday with a live professional esports event in the county.

Her personal fan club had held a lottery event half a month ago. Fans who won tickets could enter the event for free. This event did not require fan organization support and was entirely planned by the gaming company, saving both the team and the fans a lot of effort.

Song Yan returned to Yancheng two days before Wen Li's birthday with the small team responsible for filming him.

As soon as he returned, he went to find the gaming company.

For the tenth-anniversary celebration of [Sheng Tang Fantasy], the planning of the event was entrusted to Fengshu Technology, a young and vibrant company that had established a long-term strategic partnership with them. Fengshu Technology was also responsible for developing a new expansion pack and a brand-new mobile game for the tenth anniversary. The CEO of the company was still under thirty years old.

The CEO looked a bit like Bai Sen, with narrow and handsome fox-like eyes. He wasn't wearing a suit, just a simple T-shirt and pants. When Song Yan arrived at his office, the CEO was playing games on his computer.

"Mr. Song," the CEO smiled at him, "Are you here about Mrs. Song?"

"Yes, sorry for bothering you, CEO Hang."

The young CEO Hang gestured for Song Yan to sit on the visitor's sofa and went straight to the point, "I originally wanted Mr. Song and your wife to be our double spokespersons, but the person in charge, President Shen, told me that you declined due to other commitments. If you grace us with your presence at our tenth-anniversary event, I can even waive the endorsement fee."

Song Yan smiled faintly, "CEO Hang, you're too kind. It's my honor."

"For this tenth-anniversary, we have created a brand-new map for the game 'Sheng Tang Fantasy'," CEO Hang briefly explained the game itself and quickly shifted the topic to Song's wife, "Well, on the day of the event, Mrs. Song will be providing voice acting for one of the bosses in our new dungeon. This boss has a backstory, and I thought that having you on-site might enhance the live effect, rather than having Mrs. Song cooperate with the original voice actor."

"What's the backstory?"

"I just played that dungeon. Would Mr. Song be interested in taking a look?"

Song Yan was the previous spokesperson for [Sheng Tang Fantasy], so he had played the game before and had a general understanding of the game's world. He quickly understood the synopsis of the new dungeon.

It was just voice acting, nothing difficult. Song Yan readily agreed.

"I will be present at the event, but I hope CEO Hang can keep it a secret from my wife for now."

CEO Hang was momentarily surprised but quickly nodded in understanding, "I got it."

Song Yan had come for this matter, so after the conversation, he was ready to leave.

"Oh, Mr. Song, can I ask you and your wife for a dual autograph after the event? It's where you both sign on each side and draw a heart in the middle."

"Hmm?"

Song Yan instinctively expressed his doubt, clearly not expecting this request.

CEO Hang immediately explained, "It's for my younger sister. She's a CP fan of you and your wife."

So, it was a request from a CP fan.

Song Yan chuckled, "No problem."

Leaving the building, Song Yan got into the car with his assistant. The assistant informed him that Director Yan knew he had returned from Bin City and wanted to have a meeting with him.

Song Yan asked, "What meeting?"

"It's about the plans for the eleventh episode of the show. It coincides with Teacher Wen's birthday," the assistant said, "Director Yan wants the whole production team to celebrate Teacher Wen's birthday in this episode."

The gaming company wanted to celebrate her birthday, the production team wanted to celebrate her birthday as well. Several men from the Wen family also wanted her to come home on her birthday to celebrate.

The fans have also been reminding him under his Weibo post for half a month, saying that Wen Li's birthday is coming up.

Even if he didn't come back, her birthday should still be a happy one.

Song Yan smiled slightly, "Does Director Yan have any plans in mind?"

"Yes, but he didn't tell us," the staff suddenly lowered their voice, "He said he wants to give Teacher Wen a huge surprise."

For some reason, Song Yan always felt that whenever Director Yan mentioned a surprise, it would inevitably turn into a shock.

If that shock ended up causing him to be scolded along with his wife, it wouldn't be worth it.

Song Yan politely declined with great rhetoric, "Then there's no need to discuss it with me. Let Director Yan decide. I won't get involved, otherwise, two surprises will become one surprise."

The staff later relayed Song Yan's words to Director Yan.

Director Yan casually agreed, "Okay, let's do as he says."

Anyway, the surprise was big enough, with or without Song Yan, it would have the same effect.

——

The birthday girl herself had been looking forward to her birthday for a long time, and it had finally arrived.

At twelve o'clock that day, her phone was flooded with various birthday wishes. Especially her father, who called her on time, taking into account the time difference, to wish her a happy birthday.

"In the blink of an eye, you're already a married woman," Xu Shimao sighed on the phone, "How are you planning to spend today? Will you be with your fans?"

"Something like that. This year, I combined work and birthday, so it's easier."

"You're working on your birthday? What about Ah Yan? Isn't he with you?"

Wen Li felt a little disappointed and wrinkled her nose, "He's in Bin City, he has work and can't come back."

Xu Shimao didn't blame her, but his tone couldn't help but show some helplessness, "You two shouldn't always be thinking about work. Money is endless, but on your birthday, it's only right to celebrate it together."

Wen Li generously said, "It's okay. I didn't celebrate with him on his birthday either. It's just a birthday, it's not like there won't be another one after this."

They chatted for half an hour, and finally, Xu Shimao instructed her not to stay up late and to go to bed quickly. Wen Li agreed, said goodnight to her father, and hung up the phone.

But she didn't sleep, she continued to look at her phone.

Birthday wishes from Song Yan also arrived punctually, a simple "Happy Birthday".

In fact, in the previous two years, he had also sent birthday wishes on time, and Wen Li was very moved at that time.

But now her mindset was different, and she felt like she had slightly higher expectations for Song Yan.

Usually, she might have criticized him for not coming back to celebrate her birthday, but now she was more considerate. Since he was busy, then let it be.

Although she felt that no matter how many people celebrated her birthday today, it wouldn't be the same as having Song Yan celebrate with her alone.

——

Wen Li slept until dawn and got up early to do her makeup and dress up. She received birthday greetings from almost everyone she encountered on her way from home to the event venue.

The tenth anniversary event of [Sheng Tang Fantasy] will officially start in the afternoon and last until the evening. Since the recording location was several districts away from Wen Li's home, which was quite far, the gaming company thoughtfully booked a hotel nearby for her. This way, she could rest at the hotel the night after the event and return home the next day.

The afternoon's schedule included an entertainment match between professional players and celebrity artists. The original list of celebrity guests included Xu Xingyue's name, but because of the scandal, her name was naturally crossed out by the organizers and replaced with the girl group Starry Tears.

Currently, Xu Xingyue had suspended all her celebrity activities and Starry Tears was missing their center and popular top member. The management company was now selecting a new girl to take on the center position.

That's how the entertainment industry works, one person falls, and another one immediately takes their place. There's never a shortage of center positions.

And up to this point, Wen Li, whose position was still very stable, was coincidentally celebrating her birthday today, becoming the focal point of the entire event venue.

Before the start of the entertainment match, several young professional players shook hands with her, their hands trembling.

After the handshake, the players and artists took their seats.

"She's really beautiful," one player exclaimed, clutching his heart in an exaggerated manner, "We were just standing so close, I felt like my heart was about to jump out."

Another player reminded him, "Keep it composed, the microphones are open now, and everyone can hear."

The venue was filled with screams and they couldn't see the barrage of live comments. However, at this moment, the camera focused on Wen Li, and she turned her head and waved towards the seat of the professional players, indicating that she heard them too.

The professional player felt extremely embarrassed and slumped in his chair.

The atmosphere of the afternoon's entertainment match was very good. The outcome of the competition was not important. The commentators mostly focused on making jokes about the players and celebrities.

By evening, the newly developed map for the online game was officially launched.

[Sheng Tang Fantasy] takes place during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, with character creation and world-building based on that historical background. Humans and demons coexist, and each NPC and dungeon boss has their own story.

The new dungeon boss is a cat demon and the promotional photos Wen Li took for the game featured the appearance of this boss. To promote the new dungeon boss, the game company arranged for her to personally voice the script and story for this boss at today's event.

Xiao Qi is a cat demon who recently achieved human form. Out of curiosity, she came to the human realm. Unfortunately, at that time, her cultivation was low, and she appeared to be a young girl. She was captured and sold to the black market.

The cruelty of these mortals was no less than that of any evil spirits. Xiao Qi was sold to a brothel and later bought by a high-ranking military officer who came to recruit prostitutes, who paid a high price for her first night. Instinctively, she resisted and used her meager magical power to injure the officer.

The officer discovered that she was a demon and brought her back to the military camp. Demons were not always a threat to humans, especially weak ones like Xiao Qi. He put a soul-binding lock on her and planned to turn her into a powerful weapon with time.

Under brutal training, Xiao Qi was trained into an excellent assassin. She had no emotions and only knew obedience and killing.

The officer presented her as a gift to Prince Cong, whom he served loyally.

The old emperor was obsessed with alchemy and was incompetent. His dozen or so sons formed factions and fought openly and secretly. Among them, Prince Cong, who had practiced martial arts since childhood and had remarkable literary talents, was one of the most competitive princes in the struggle for the throne.

The animation that was displayed on the big screen at the event venue now showed the injured Xiao Qi being brought before the prince by the officer.

Because it was an animation, all the characters inside were flawlessly beautiful models.

When Wen Li voiced Xiao Qi, she felt that her voice didn't clash too much with the mesmerizing face of the cat demon.

The live audience's reaction was also very positive. They erupted into excitement the moment she started voicing the character.

The animated scene showed the prince in exquisite attire slightly opening his eyes, looking at the girl kneeling in front of him, barely dressed.

The prince parted his lips and asked, "Does she have a name?"

Wen Li suddenly widened her eyes, recognizing this voice...

Meanwhile, the audience at the scene and the live chat viewers had a clearer understanding and reacted faster than her.

「That's Song Yan's voice, right?」

「It's Beauty's voice!!」

「Was this voiceover done on the spot or pre-recorded?」

Wasn't he still in Bincheng?

Wen Li was also unsure whether it was pre-recorded or done live. For now, she suppressed her emotions and continued her voiceover work.

Xiao Qi was the prince's most obedient weapon, devoid of emotions. She only followed orders. If the prince wanted her to kill someone, she would do it swiftly and ruthlessly, without any demands. She would usually stand silently, expressionless, waiting for the prince's command.

As she grew older, shedding her youthful appearance, the prince and those around him began to notice her beauty.

There was a brother who was stubborn and wouldn't yield despite all efforts except for beauty. The prince planned to send a woman to that brother.

At that moment, the prince's staff had already noticed the female soldier by his side.

"The prince already has a breathtakingly beautiful woman by his side. Why bother searching elsewhere?"

Xiao Qi, who only understood killing, became perplexed at the prince's request for her to seduce a man. A hint of confusion finally appeared on her perpetually impassive face.

"What does seduction mean?"

The prince burst into laughter, momentarily unsure how to explain it to her. He simply had someone take her to change clothes, discarding her soldier's attire and donning the attire suitable for a girl of her age.

After Xiao Qi changed her clothes, applied makeup, and adorned herself with powder and lipstick, she appeared before the prince once again.

The prince froze, unable to utter a word for quite some time.

The budding feelings that had recently taken root ultimately failed to blossom.

The highly regarded Prince Cong, who had once been splendid, fell in the struggle for the throne. The new emperor was even more ruthless, killing brothers and committing fratricide. Overnight, the once illustrious prince became a fugitive.

Xiao Qi accompanied the prince on his escape, but he was, after all, a mortal. His old and new wounds tormented him, shattering his last trace of pride. Eventually, he was struck by an arrow, barely clinging to life.

When death was imminent, it was time to say the words that hadn't been spoken.

Xiao Qi didn't understand love, nor did she understand the prince's words. All she knew was that the prince had died, her loyal master had died, and as a soldier, her duty was to avenge him and follow him in death.

Afterward, rumors spread in the palace that the new emperor had been bewitched by a demon concubine, and the century-old dynasty was in danger.

After the new emperor's death, the court once again plunged into turmoil, and the people suffered greatly. However, the demon concubine disappeared overnight without a trace.

In the final level of the game's dungeon, players had to slay the calamitous demon concubine.

As the players achieved victory and the demon concubine transformed into a wisp of fireflies, the background music played, and the prince's words resounded once again.

"Xiao Qi, I never told you before..."

"I used to consider you no different from a man. That day, I suddenly had the urge to tease you, so I had you change into a woman's dress. Little did I know that when you put it on, I was the one who fell first."

"I am fond of you."

As the dying Xiao Qi finally understood the prince's words, she closed her eyes with contentment.

The plot concluded, and Wen Li was now certain that the voice of the prince was indeed Song Yan's, though she wasn't sure if he was present at the event.

The audience was still immersed in the sorrowful storyline of the dungeon. At this time, the prince, who had just been a part of the plot, now reverted to his usual voice.

He wasn't so low-spirited, nor was he so stern. There was a hint of a smile on his face as he appeared.

"Teacher Wen, Happy Birthday."

The scene erupted with excitement. Except for the host and some staff members, none of the guests and audience members present knew that besides Wen Li, Song Yan was also involved in this dubbing segment. They were even unaware that he was there at the scene.

The barrage of comments flashed with squeals and the scene was bustling.

Wen Li's mind was buzzing. On one hand, she felt that Song Yan was still the same Song Yan. The candle confession he used in high school was so cheesy. Little did she expect that after ten years, his approach was still just as cheesy.

On the other hand, she thought this man was really impressive. Clearly, it was a gaming event, but his sudden appearance and the words "Happy Birthday" made it seem as if the entire venue was arranged for her by him.

The evening event came to an end. Wen Li's birthday was also nearing its end. She temporarily didn't have the time to think about the impact today's live broadcast would have on Weibo. Several topics were already trending, but her fans' reactions were not within her considerations.

The event venue and the hotel were not far apart. During the short journey, Wen Li didn't say a word. When the car arrived at the destination, she directly asked her assistant and the driver to get off the car. She had something to discuss with Song Yan alone.

Wen Wen also had no intention of staying. Without hesitation, she got off the car and took the elevator straight to the floor.

At this moment, the hotel room was bustling with people, crowded to the brim. Let's not mention the director and the camera crew. The other three couples were also present. They had coordinated with the gaming company and Wen Li's team in advance. Taking advantage of Wen Li's presence at the gaming event, they secretly sneaked into the hotel room and meticulously decorated it as a birthday party venue.

Wen Wen's tone was excited, "Sister is back, she's in the car, talking to Teacher Song. She's probably coming up soon."

While instructing the staff in the hotel room to arrange balloons and ribbons, Director Yan immediately increased his urgency, "Faster, faster, if she finds out early, it won't have the desired effect!"

The people in the room were busy with the decorations, completely unaware of what had happened at the gaming event today. Wen Wen was exceptionally excited, gesturing and telling them how Song Yan's sudden appearance at the gaming event surprised everyone present.

"Alright, it's not our responsibility as the program crew," Director Yan waved at Wen Wen, "Don't just stand there, come and help. Wen Li will be here soon."

"Oh."

When the decorations were almost done, Director Yan gave the order.

"Is the camera ready?"

"Ready!"

"What about the microphone?"

"It's on!"

"Okay, you can turn off the lights now. Find your places to hide. When Wen Li enters after the door opens, we'll all stand up at once! Sing 'Happy Birthday' together! I'll hold the cake, and the others will pull the ribbons. Understand?"

Everyone responded in unison, "Understood!"

Director Yan nodded in satisfaction, "Alright. We're counting on all of you for the ratings of the eleventh episode."

The staff members were united and full of confidence. The low point of the tenth episode had completely faded away. They could already envision the explosive ratings of the eleventh episode that awaited them and the towering year-end bonuses.

The other three couples, who helped with the venue decoration, couldn't hide their envy.

Especially Qiu Hong; he even blamed his own birthdate.

"Damn, I'm unlucky. Why didn't my birthday coincide with our program?"

Director Yan treated everyone equally, "In the third season, if you come back, we'll arrange one for you too."

Qiu Hong pouted, "If it's the same thing, where's the surprise?"

There would definitely be surprises. The hotel suite booked by the gaming company for Wen Li was spacious enough. Some people hid behind curtains, some behind sofas, and some behind tables. Once the lights were turned off, nobody would know that there was a hidden group of people there.

Finally, the sound of the room key card being swiped echoed, and everyone held their breath in anticipation.

Director Yan's plan was to signal the opening of the lights. Once Wen Li turned on the lights, they would stand up at once. However, people entered, but the lights were not turned on yet.

Then they heard the sound of someone bumping into the wall.

Did they hit the wall because they couldn't see in the darkness?

As the confused crowd wondered whether to continue crouching or stand up, two people started talking.

First, Song Yan's slightly hoarse voice, "A gift at your doorstep. Do you like it?"

Then Wen Li's coquettish voice, slightly annoyed, "Of course, otherwise, what am I doing right now?"

Followed by Song Yan's low laughter, "Open the gift?"

At this moment, the people crouching down finally realized that something was wrong.

"..."

Help!