Chapter Thirty-Eight: Was It Deliberate, or Merely an Accident?

As soon as Bai Ling said goodbye to Bai Zihao, Sister Ge was already in such a hurry to whisk her away.

At this moment, Bai Ling felt somewhat confused and bewildered.

"Sister Ge, is there really any need to rush like this?"

Sister Ge laughed, "Me, in a rush? Not at all!"

Saying this, she picked up Bai Ling's bag, stuffed a few things into it haphazardly, grabbed Bai Ling's clothes, and draped them over her shoulders, all the while striking a "please, let's go" pose.

Bai Ling said, "Are you sure you're not in a hurry, Sister Ge?"

"Of course not. Let's go quickly," replied Sister Ge. "The recording studio is already booked and waiting for your grand arrival."

Bai Ling rolled her eyes dramatically.

Fortunately, once today's recording was done, she wouldn't have to work again until the weekend. Comforting herself with this thought, she felt much more at ease.

Before long, they arrived at the company. Ge Fenfen, looking spirited, led Bai Ling to the door of the recording studio.

The company's recording studio had been built at great expense, equipped with the finest gear and technology, and staffed with the best recording engineers, mixers, and sound technicians in the industry. It was far superior to those privately owned studios.

Bai Ling had been here before when she recorded "Under the Sea," and was already quite familiar with the place.

But just as she and Sister Ge reached the studio door, they realized someone was already inside.

Bai Ling and Sister Ge exchanged a surprised glance.

Bai Ling said, "Someone's in already—let's call it a day!"

Sister Ge muttered, "But I made a reservation, didn't I? How could someone be here already?"

They spoke in unison, and Sister Ge couldn't hide her disappointment that she and Bai Ling weren't on the same page, giving her an exaggerated eye roll.

Ignoring Bai Ling, Sister Ge strode forward and knocked on the door.

The recording engineer was interrupted, and several people in the monitoring room outside the studio looked up, disturbed.

The door opened, and out stepped a middle-aged woman. Her looks were plain, but her outfit was more fashionable than Sister Ge's, even a bit gaudy for her age and appearance—striking, but not exactly a good fit. She lacked Sister Ge's natural air.

Yet, upon seeing Ge Fenfen, she put on an exaggeratedly surprised expression.

"Well, if it isn't our star manager, Ge Fenfen!" she exclaimed. "What brings you here? Don't tell me you want to use the studio now—what a pity, I beat you to it. Honestly, you might as well pay out of pocket and go to one of those outside studios."

Sister Ge's expression sharpened as soon as she recognized the woman.

Watching their exchange, Bai Ling immediately realized that Sister Ge knew this woman—and probably had a history with her.

Miao Miao, standing nearby, pulled Bai Ling aside and whispered in her ear, "Sister Bai, let's step back. Looks like there’s going to be a war of words soon."

"That’s another famous artist in the company, Ou Qianqin. We call her Sister Qin. She joined the company around the same time as Sister Ge—they’re both old hands, real veterans."

"You know how it is—rivalry. I think they even fought over artists and resources back in the day..."

By now, Bai Ling and Miao Miao had moved aside.

Sister Ge and Sister Qin had already launched into their verbal sparring.

Bai Ling glanced at Miao Miao. "Didn't you just start working at Spring and Autumn a few days ago? How do you know all this?"

"And the way you were gossiping just now—I almost thought you were actually there when they fought over resources."

Miao Miao smiled sheepishly. "Hehe, you know how it is. When things are slow, I like to chat."

Bai Ling was speechless. It really was a natural talent among girls.

Even she was tempted to stick around and see the drama unfold.

But before she and Miao Miao could say much more, someone stepped out of the recording studio—and Bai Ling was taken aback.

"Sister Qin, what's wrong?" the newcomer asked. "Did someone already book the studio? Did I make a mistake?"

"Sorry for causing you trouble, Sister Qin."

The girl's voice was sweet and delicate, impossibly soft, making people want to take care of her.

As for her looks and figure, there was no need to elaborate—she was a first-rate beauty, the gentle and endearing type.

No one was a stranger to her.

Not long ago, everyone—including Bai Ling—had witnessed her on stage.

Bai Ling had even performed with her.

Yes, it was Wen Yan!

Bai Ling stared at Wen Yan in astonishment, as did everyone else.

Even Ge Fenfen had no idea what was going on.

At this moment, Ou Qianqin spoke up. "Sweetheart, how could this possibly be your fault? You're an artist with the company, so of course you can use the studio."

"Ge Fenfen, I don’t want to argue with you. Company policy is clear: to reserve the studio, you need to book at least a day in advance. Even if you called, if I arrived first, I get to go first—isn’t that fair?"

Ge Fenfen was momentarily stunned. First, she didn't know when the company had signed Wen Yan. Second, Ou Qianqin was technically correct—the company did have such a rule.

But rules were meant to be flexible. No one else was supposed to use the studio today—she’d dragged Bai Ling here first thing in the morning. Was that a problem?

Besides, if Ou Qianqin wanted to use it, why hadn’t she reserved it in advance? If she had, none of this farce would have happened.

"Forget it," Ge Fenfen muttered, feeling unlucky.

But there was nothing worth arguing about—it was just a recording studio. Worst case, they could rent one outside.

Of course, there was another reason: Wen Yan clearly had connections. No one knew why she’d signed with Spring and Autumn Entertainment, but she was obviously backed by someone influential.

Better not to stir up unnecessary trouble.

With this in mind, Ge Fenfen rolled her eyes at Ou Qianqin and prepared to leave with Bai Ling.

But even though Ge Fenfen had conceded, Wen Yan had no intention of letting the matter rest.

She stepped forward and said, "No, it’s really my fault. I’m so sorry."

"How about this—I won’t record for now. Let Sister Bai Ling go ahead. I don’t mind at all."

With that, she began to gather her things to leave.

Bai Ling glanced around. Not far off, several company employees were watching the spectacle, whispering and chattering amongst themselves.

Even though they weren't openly pointing fingers, Bai Ling knew that if she let Wen Yan leave, she would soon be labeled as a "diva" behind her back.

Her brow furrowed, and she felt helpless.

Indeed, being around someone like Wen Yan was bound to invite trouble.

Bai Ling wasn’t sure if Wen Yan was doing this on purpose or if it was just a mistake.

If it was intentionally unintentional, then as long as they worked under the same roof, things would only get more complicated for her in the future.