After concluding the call, she let out a sigh of relief and allowed herself a few moments to unwind. The entire conversation had been undeniably stressful, and she needed some time to clear her head.
It was pretty vexing to think she had to invest her hard-earned money in such a venture. However, with the plan she had devised earlier, she anticipated a swift return on her investment.
With the initial framework in place, there was no need to rush into the nitty-gritty details just yet. In the meantime, she decided to indulge in a light snack and coincidentally bumped into An Qiuying, who was preparing food.
Taking advantage of her "Personal Chef," she decided to wait and eat dinner together with her and engaged in a pleasant conversation with An Qiuying.
After a satisfying dinner, Tang Miaoyi took a refreshing shower, intending to turn in early that night. She had noticed a peculiar trend lately—she seemed to grow increasingly sleepy with each passing day. It was quite the transition from her previous night owl routine to becoming an early bird.
However, just as she was about to settle down, with her hair nearly dry and ready to put her phone aside, the persistent device rang once more.
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring...
"Ugh, what now? Why are there so many phone calls lately?"
Being interrupted by a late-night call just as she was about to drift into the realm of dreams was incredibly frustrating. Assuming it was a telemarketer due to the unknown number, she promptly ended the call. Who would willingly entertain such a dubious call at such an hour?
Tang Miaoyi couldn't speak for others, but she certainly had no intention of answering. If it were someone she knew, the number would be familiar. Disregarding the call, she switched her phone to silent mode, nestled beneath the covers, and rolled over to sleep. Fatigue clouded her thoughts as she succumbed to the embrace of slumber.
Little did she know that in the manager's office of the Dream Art Studio, Song Ziyin wore a puzzled expression as she returned her phone to the desk.
- - - - - - - - - -
Time swiftly passed, and a new day began with the fading moon sinking below the horizon while the sun timidly peeked above the cityscape.
Unlike the bustling shopping excursion of the previous day, today, she held no such obligations. Tang Miaoyi, who had resolved to attend her classes without skipping, arrived at school together with An Qiuying.
Miaoyi had gradually adapted to the rhythm of early sleeping and waking, evoking a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of her initial school days.
The routine of the school still failed to capture her interest. Having already experienced it once, couldn't she be granted a free pass this time around?
Reluctantly, she endured all her regular classes throughout the day, counting down the hours until she could finally return home. However, one peculiar occurrence stood out. The class monitor, Lin Ruofang, remained absent, which struck Tang Miaoyi as odd.
Nevertheless, Tang Miaoyi didn't dwell on it too much. Perhaps he had some urgent matters to attend to? It seemed like a plausible explanation.
Around 7:30 in the evening, after arriving home and enjoying dinner, Miaoyi quickly took a shower. When she emerged, her phone displayed 7:50 pm.
Wrapping herself in a towel, she made her way to the second-floor living room. An Qiuying sat on the sofa, donning a relaxed expression.
Upon noticing Miaoyi, who appeared to be clad only in a towel, Qiuying's relaxed expression shifted to one of shock.
Miaoyi, shamelessly unfazed, approached Qiuying, settled herself beside her on the couch, and rested her head in Qiuying's lap.
Taken aback, Qiuying could do nothing as Miaoyi, humming and mimicking the gestures of a contented cat, curled up in her lap.
Qiuying allowed Miaoyi her moment. Today held significance for her as she finally received the "Solo Dance" payment from Tianyou Entertainment. According to the agreed-upon terms, Tang Miaoyi was entitled to a total income of 5 million Yuan. After deducting taxes, the actual amount she would receive was 4 million Yuan, which had been deposited into her account earlier in the day.
In this world, the tax rate on copyright-related income remained consistent with her previous life at a reasonable 20%.
Tang Miaoyi reminisced about receiving the bank notification while she was still in class at school. Upon reading the text message, she couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
After all, this was a substantial sum of money she had earned entirely on her own. Despite knowing she wouldn't hold onto it for long, it failed to dampen her excitement. Furthermore, repaying her mother's publishing house was, in a way, an investment. With Tang Miaoyi's confidence in her new business strategy, she was willing to endure a temporary sting for long-term gains down the line.
However, just as Tang Miaoyi began to fall asleep, An Qiuying shook her awake and gently reminded her of something she had forgotten about today.
While the premiere episode came out yesterday, a live promotion was happening today for "Street Dance of China." It was scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm tonight.
Actually, if An Qiuying hadn't reminded her, Tang Miaoyi would probably have completely forgotten about it. But now that she thought about it, maybe it would be a good idea to see how this so-called street dance show was doing.
Hmm, she could give it a try.
And so, with Tang Miaoyi still comfortably leaning against An Qiuying's thigh, Qiuying turned on the tv and switched to the Tianyou app.
"Alright, it's about to begin now. It's time for you to get up." Qiuying glanced at the time displayed on the screen and playfully poked Tang Miaoyi's cheek. "The show is about to start. Hurry up and get up."
Reluctantly, Miaoyi sat up straight as the screen transitioned from a blank waiting screen to a still image. It showcased a striking poster of "Street Dance of China," featuring several well-known contestants striking dynamic dance poses, creating a powerful atmosphere that could be felt even through the screen.
Still pouting from being forced off of her pillow, Miaoyi grumbled, "If it's starting, it's starting. Do I really have to sit up to watch? Besides, this part is just about introducing the individual contestants, and their skills will vary. The only skilled ones at this stage will be the team leaders or coaches."
"That's what makes it interesting. Even in this initial showcase, you can learn a lot," An Qiuying replied, undeterred by Miaoyi's skepticism, as the poster transitioned to a brief introduction.
Precisely at 8:01, a captivating opening sequence unfolded, featuring dancers on a weathered rooftop. Although their faces were indistinct, their expressive dance moves took center stage, accompanied by the striking "Street Dance of China" logo.
The bottom right corner of the screen displayed small subtitles that read: Song: "Solo Dance" - TMY.
The comments section had already been exploding with activity for the past 30 minutes, but now nearly half of them had shifted to discussing the music. Of course, internet comments seemed to be the same across every world.
"Late!"
"What do you mean late? It started at 8:00!"
"Nonsense! It's clearly 8:01! Prove me wrong!"
"Do either of you know how time works?"
"Late!"
"Sup all."
"This song is FIRE."
"Hail to the great TMY."
"TMY = best girl."
Stream comment sections were never known for being calm, but they were pretty tame so far. Tianyou had taken the time to find a professional moderator team so that comments didn't affect the quality of a video.
The issue was there were too many people commenting. Qiuying was forced to turn the comments off, as they were too distracting from the actual program.
"Hey, Miaoyi, that's your name!" Qiuying excitedly tugged on Miaoyi's sleeve, pointing to the small subtitle in the corner.
"Stay calm, stay calm. They have to add that there by law." Tang Miaoyi sniffed and replied.
On the television screen, the scene suddenly changed. Amidst several street backgrounds, there was a bustling atmosphere. Young people with fashionable outfits took turns posing and making stylized gestures toward the camera, accompanied by the faint sound of "Solo Dance" in the background.
A deep voice echoed, "This is Street Dance. A form of culture. A form of expression. A way to be your true self! Welcome to 'Street Dance of China.' I'm the director, Zhang Yuan. Welcome to our live show, where we've prepared the most authentic Hip-Hop experience for your entertainment. Are you ready?"