The Reincarnated Science Whiz

Chapter 38: Jing Tian

All around him, hundreds of audience members closed their eyes. Lost in the melody, they seemed to witness a pair of lovers deeply in love, experiencing a romantic and genuine love story. “Bravo! That was truly wonderful!” No one knew how much time had passed when a shout of praise rang out, followed by a burst of enthusiastic applause from the crowd. “That was amazing!” “So moving—it’s been ages since I’ve heard such a beautiful song!” “That young man looks familiar—I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Hundreds of audience members all turned their gaze toward the young man with his eyes slightly closed. He seemed very familiar—as if they’d seen him somewhere before—yet they just couldn’t quite place him. “Mr. Qin, hello! It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jing Tian!” A young woman approached Qin Yuanqing. “I never would have guessed that Mr. Qin isn’t just a top student—he’s also such a great singer!” Qin Yuanqing opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with a stunning beauty. She had a truly sizzling figure, dressed in a black-and-white ensemble—a short black skirt paired with a white T-shirt—wearing a hat and carrying a black bag slung across her waist. She exuded an air of innocent youthfulness, and her long, fair legs were particularly eye-catching. In that instant, Qin Yuanqing finally understood what “beautiful legs” meant and why so many men were obsessed with them. He then instantly recognized who she was—the superstar “Jing Tian”! Jing Tian’s most striking impression on Qin Yuanqing was that she was truly a woman of destiny—she’d been showered with opportunities ever since her debut. In 2011, she starred in *The Warring States* alongside Sun Honglei and Wu Zhenyu; in 2013, she co-starred with Zhen Zidan in *Special Identity* and starred in Jackie Chan’s *Police Story 2013* that same year; and in 2014, she co-starred with Zhou Runfa in*The Storm Over Macau*. This level of treatment must have made countless female stars envious and green with jealousy. If any other actress had been given such resources, she would have long since become a huge star—a sensation. Yet Jing Tian remains stubbornly obscure. Despite a slew of TV dramas under her belt, she has yet to achieve major stardom—falling far short of contemporaries like Liu Sisi, Yang Mi, and Tang Yan, not to mention award-winning stars like Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun. So, some people have wondered, “No matter how hard they try to promote her, Jing Tian just won’t become a star! Of course, Qin Yuanqing’s strongest impression of Jing Tian isn’t from her starring roles in big-budget films or high-investment TV dramas, but rather from *Si Teng*, which aired in 2021. It wasn’t because *Si Teng* featured grand spectacles or was particularly spectacular, but because Jing Tian in *Si Teng*, clad in a cheongsam, walked with such graceful poise and a swaying, alluring gait. In every episode, she wore a different outfit—sometimes dignified, elegant, and commanding; other times gentle, serene, and enchanting—simply beautiful beyond belief. It was precisely after watching *Si Teng* that Qin Yuanqing finally understood why Jing Tian is called the “Flower of Wealth and Honor in the Mortal World”! He also realized why Jing Tian—who, despite starring in so many big-budget films and high-production-value TV series, has yet to become a household name—still maintains her status as a second-tier star. “She’s really beautiful!” Qin Yuanqing murmured to himself, then smiled and said, “I didn’t expect a big star like you to know who I am—it’s an honor.” As he shook hands with Jing Tian, her skin felt so soft and smooth that he almost didn’t want to let go. “So it’s you—Qin Yuanqing, the super-genius from Fujian Province who was the first to score 750+20 on the college entrance exam. No wonder you looked familiar!” “His hair has grown out a bit—it’s quite a change from his old crew cut.” “He’s not only a brilliant student but also a great singer. If he became a singer, he’d definitely be a superstar. I’d definitely buy a copy of his album if he released one.” As Jing Tian revealed Qin Yuanqing’s identity, the onlookers around them all recognized him. It was no surprise—more than a month had passed, yet the buzz surrounding Qin Yuanqing had not subsided, and the sensation caused by his college entrance exam results still lingered. “Look, everyone recognizes you. You’re even more famous than a lot of celebrities, aren’t you?” Jing Tian smiled, her beauty sending a shiver down his spine. Qin Yuanqing silently cursed himself for being such a beast—he’d actually had a physical reaction, and a small tent had sprung up below. Then he mused to himself: women truly are a source of temptation; no wonder so many emperors throughout history loved beauties more than their own kingdoms and couldn’t resist their charms. “There is a beauty in the North; with one smile, she captivates the city; with two, she captivates the nation; with three, she captivates my heart! This phrase truly captured Qin Yuanqing’s current predicament. It wasn’t appropriate for the two of them to remain at the outdoor seating, so they moved to a private booth inside, where Qin Yuanqing treated this earthly beauty to a cold drink. “Mr. Qin, you sang beautifully just now. If you entered the music industry, I’m sure you’d achieve great success,” Jing Tian said with a smile. She had released an album herself—as far back as 2006, Jing Tian had put out an EP titled *Who Are You? *, which had won several awards. So Jing Tian knew a thing or two about singing. Although Qin Yuanqing had only sung one song just now, his vocal skills were on full display. Jing Tian hadn’t met many people with better vocal skills than Qin Yuanqing. Moreover, she had never heard the song he sang before, but it was undoubtedly a rare gem. “Forget it, I’d better just stick to my studies. Being a celebrity isn’t for me.” Qin Yuanqing quickly waved her hand. What a joke—the system was a “Black Technology Academic Genius System,” not a “Singing God System.” If she gave up being a top student to pursue a singing career, wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse—a foolish move that would mean sacrificing the big picture for trivial gains? He’d much rather be a top student—standing tall above the rest! No matter how well you sing, can it really compare to being a great scientist? In the eyes of many people in Huaxia, celebrities are really no different from actors in ancient times—they’re not taken seriously. “That’s such a shame,” Jing Tian said, then asked, “Mr. Qin, I’m not sure if you wrote this song—do you still hold the copyright?” “Yes, I got the inspiration while drinking milk tea just now, so I wrote this song. What’s the matter?” Qin Yuanqing said without batting an eye. After all, Zhou Jielun hadn’t written “Fireworks Fade Easily” yet, so he’d naturally staked his claim first. “Here’s the thing: I just wrapped up filming a TV series called *The Great General of the Northern Wei*, and the director is looking for an ending theme song for it. I think your song would be perfect…”” As soon as Jing Tian heard Qin Yuanqing sing “Fireworks Fade Easily,” he felt the song would be perfect as the closing theme for the TV series he’d starred in: “By the way, Mr. Qin, what’s the title of this song? I’ll give the director a call.” “*Fireworks Fade Easily*!” Qin Yuanqing said nonchalantly; having it used as a TV series ending theme would mean some extra income. Jing Tian picked up his phone and called the director right away. What a big spender! Qin Yuanqing noticed that Jing Tian’s phone was an Apple iPhone 3GS—it had been released less than two months ago, and Jing Tian was already using it. Meanwhile, he was still using a Nokia, dubbed the “fighter jet of cell phones.” But in reality, Qin Yuanqing knew that with Apple’s iPhone ushering in the era of smartphones, Nokia’s mobile empire was already teetering on the brink. Once the fourth-generation iPhone 4 was released next year, Nokia’s empire would come crashing down, and Apple would replace Nokia as the new mobile giant, adored by countless Apple fans. “Everyone says Jing Tian comes from an extraordinary background—it seems the rumors might not be entirely unfounded after all!” Qin Yuanqing muttered to himself. People say Jing Tian comes from an extraordinary background—some claim she’s Principal Wang’s stepmother, while others say she’s the girlfriend of a certain coal magnate… In any case, there are all sorts of rumors, but none have been confirmed. After finishing her call, Jing Tian took Qin Yuanqing to a hotel in Hengdian, where they met the director. The director was in his forties; Qin Yuanqing didn’t recognize him, so he probably wasn’t a big-name director. The director was thrilled to see Qin Yuanqing. He hadn’t expected that the ending theme song—which had been giving him such a headache—would suddenly have a glimmer of hope, especially since it would be sung by Qin Yuanqing, that academic superstar. His own child had just taken the college entrance exam, so he was paying close attention to this year’s test results and, naturally, knew all about Qin Yuanqing. Qin Yuanqing was currently riding a wave of popularity, a regular on the news trending lists, with a fame that rivaled that of top-tier celebrities. If Qin Yuanqing’s song could serve as the theme song, the director would naturally jump at the chance. In front of the director, Qin Yuanqing sang “Fireworks Fade Easily” a cappella. Although it was just an a cappella performance, both the director and Jing Tian looked utterly captivated. “Brilliant! the director exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration. “That was absolutely wonderful!” the director said excitedly. “Mr. Qin, you absolutely must give us this song. Don’t worry about the fee—we’ll make sure you’re completely satisfied.” When the director mentioned a fee of 100,000 yuan—which Jing Tian noted was on par with top-tier singers’ rates, with no need to sell the copyright or anything else—Qin Yuanqing thought it was a fair offer. However, he felt a bit torn: “Director, there are only a few days left before school starts, and I need to rush to Beijing to register.” “It’s still plenty early. Come on, let’s head to the recording studio right now. With your vocal skills, Mr. Qin, it won’t take long!” The director was also an impatient sort and immediately took Qin Yuanqing to a recording studio. It was Qin Yuanqing’s first time seeing a recording studio. As Hengdian is the nation’s largest film and television studio complex, with numerous production crews filming there, it naturally had professional recording studios. Qin Yuanqing wrote the lyrics and melody on the spot, then recorded the song right there in the studio. It went very smoothly; after singing it a few times, the song was recorded in just two hours. The director took a copy, and Qin Yuanqing took the final copy. The director hurriedly left with his copy, but before he went, he slipped an envelope into Qin Yuanqing’s hand—it was his payment. “Beautiful lady, I made some extra money today, so let me treat you to a late-night snack to thank you,” Qin Yuanqing said with a smile to Jing Tian. A hundred thousand yuan in payment—not a huge sum, but certainly not small either. Since leaving home, his expenses hadn’t even reached thirty thousand, so this hundred thousand would be more than enough for him to travel, sightsee, and enjoy good food and drink along the way. In high spirits, Qin Yuanqing invited Jing Tian to join him for a late-night snack. The girl was also a straightforward person; she laughed and said she was going to eat Qin Yuanqing into the ground. The two left the recording studio, walked a few hundred meters, and arrived at a barbecue restaurant, where they ordered a serving of crayfish and several skewers. In the heat of summer, grilled skewers were just the thing. Grilled skewers paired with beer—it was practically a life of luxury! Qin Yuanqing and Jing Tian chatted and laughed as they ate. Jing Tian shared some entertainment industry gossip and behind-the-scenes stories from filming, which made Qin Yuanqing marvel at just how much fun this circle really knew how to have. Female stars vied for attention and popularity, while male stars engaged in cutthroat competition—whether male or female, the infighting never stopped.