Volume 1, Chapter 49: If Auntie isn't looking for Shen Qi for a rehearsal, what is she doing?

Shen Qi walked into the living room with a smile on his face, leading a middle-aged to elderly woman dressed in an embroidered, bright red cheongsam.

"Auntie Zhang, it's really hot outside, isn't it? Let me turn on the air conditioner, and we'll get started in a moment."

Auntie Zhang made a startling statement: "Let's start right away! I can't wait anymore!"

With that, Auntie Zhang took off the sheer shawl from her shoulders.

[Holy crap, this young lady has to be at least sixty or seventy, right?]

[I refuse to believe my Shen Qi would lower his standards like that. It's definitely not what everyone is thinking.]

[Eating fine fish, meat, sea cucumbers, and abalone every day, sometimes you just want a bite of celery and potatoes.]

[Don't guess blindly! If you married Li Huange, would you be interested in an auntie like this?]

[You beasts! Let go of that auntie! Let me do it instead!]

Zhang Wei was dumbfounded. "Chief Director, should we set up a censorship block? Just in case..."

Hong Tao frowned and shook his shake. "Let's keep watching. I have a feeling Shen Qi isn't stupid enough to pull something like this while little Shen Kun is at home."

"But..."

Hong Tao retorted, "If you were Li Huange's husband, would you risk doing something world-shattering while a child is still at home?"

World-shattering...

Zhang Wei seemed to understand.

...

The audience in the broadcasting hall was buzzing with endless murmurs.

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Qinghe felt a slight surge of excitement in their hearts.

Everyone wanted to see the outcome they hoped for. What if Shen Qi really was that sordid? Wouldn't that be the best blow against the high-and-mighty Li Huange?

Zhuo Yiyi looked at Li Huange with a worried expression.

Li Huange also felt that the scene unfolding on the screen was deeply wrong, yet somehow she felt that Shen Qi wasn't that kind of person.

However, doubts still abounded, because for the past three years Shen Qi had strictly fulfilled his duties, and she had never witnessed any bad habits from him.

Could it really be that, unaware of the live broadcast behind her back, he was doing something that violated moral codes?

"I choose to believe Shen Qi. He is not a dirty person!" Li Huange said.

Fang Qian also chimed in quickly, "The matter hasn't been concluded yet. Let's keep watching."

...

After turning on the air conditioner, Shen Qi went into the room, while Auntie Zhang sat on the sofa and began patting herself down.

"Huh? Where on earth did I put it? How come I can't find it?"

[Holy crap! If I'm guessing correctly... is she looking for a little umbrella?]

[Is there even any need to use that at this age? Could she possibly get pregnant?]

[I believe Huange! Huange believes Shen Qi! Therefore, I believe Shen Qi too!]

[If Shen Qi really is this kind of person, then he truly isn't picky about his food at all.]

[There are no men in this world who won't stray, even the man who married Li Huange is no exception.]

Shen Kun was also puzzled. Could he have been wrong?

...

At that moment, someone knocked on the door again.

Since Shen Qi was absent, Auntie Zhang got up to open the door, and another auntie wearing a black dress walked in.

"Oh, Old Sun, you've come too."

"Yeah, little Shen said we should all get together."

"That's wonderful then! That way we can coordinate together."

[???]

[???]

[Two of them?]

[What the absolute blood-soaked hell!]

[Public morals are truly degenerating!]

Shen Qi returned, holding a few sheets of paper in his hand.

"Auntie Sun is here too. Take a look at this, I've revised it."

When Auntie Zhang and Auntie Sun took a look, their eyes instantly lit up.

"This is simply wonderful!"

"Little Shen is truly talented."

Shen Qi smiled and said, "Uncle Wang and Uncle Li should be arriving shortly as well. You two cool off and get familiar with things; I'll go get you some fruit and tea. The moment they arrive, we'll run through the process and rehearse the song."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the broadcasting studio, as if everyone was reluctant to shatter their favorable impression of Shen Qi.

[Heh, didn't I say Auntie Zhang and Auntie Sun were here for a rehearsal?]

[Right, right, right. What else could two aunties coming to see Shen Qi be doing if not rehearsing?]

[Those who misunderstood Shen Qi have dirty minds.]

[That scared me so bad my body shook and I shivered all over.]

[I was scared out of my damn mind; that auntie looks entirely too much like my mom.]

Li Huange was amused as well. For some reason, the huge boulder weighing on her heart seemed to have been lifted, and a faint trace of guilt toward Shen Qi welled up inside her.

These two aunties were older than Shen Qi's own mother—how could she have suspected Shen Qi like that?

A trace of disappointment flashed across the faces of Bai Qinghe and Lin Xiaolu.

"Even so, isn't this inappropriate? Shen Qi doesn't have a job, and the family's income relies entirely on Diva Huange. Shouldn't he have some sense of propriety in what he does?"

"I also feel that Shen Qi shouldn't be inviting other people over to his home."

Zhuo Yiyi found this hard to watch. "Everyone has their own social circle. The division of labor in a family might differ, but it's obvious Shen Qi has also demonstrated his own value. Surely he's allowed to have close friends visit?"

Lin Xiaolu retorted, "Without my permission, my husband is absolutely forbidden from bringing strangers into our home."

"Same in my house!" Bai Qinghe echoed.

Li Huange once again refrained from arguing with them, her heart filled with lingering doubts as she continued to watch.

This was the first time she had ever seen Shen Qi bring people home, and perhaps even the first time she was witnessing Shen Qi's social circle, making her inner doubts grow stronger and stronger.

...

Before long, Uncle Wang and Uncle Li arrived as well.

Judging by the attire of the two uncles and two aunties, they were all dressed quite meticulously.

Judging by their demeanor, they didn't look like ordinary elderly people at all.

A van was parked at the entrance of the villa. Shen Qi helped the uncles and aunties unload several black boxes from the vehicle, and within moments, a completely different scene took shape in the living room.

Only then did everyone realize that this was a small band.

Uncle Li played the electronic keyboard, Uncle Wang handled the flute and erhu, Auntie Sun played the guzheng, and Auntie Sun was also the lead vocalist.

From the casual chatter between Shen Qi and the four elderly folks as they prepared, everyone seemed to understand what was going on.

"The Daocheng Cultural Bureau's Mid-Autumn Festival Literary Gala is still two months away. If we prepare in advance, there shouldn't be any major issues."

"Right, right. Although this song is vastly different from the tracks we've rehearsed in the past, with little Shen helping out, there definitely won't be any problems."

"Speaking of which, little Shen, you really wrote an amazing song. I honestly feel like this track can make us feel much younger."

"The theme is also a perfect fit. When the time comes, we'll definitely make a stunning debut and put our Old Baby Band on the map!"

Shen Qi smiled. "I've already finished the arrangements for the pop instruments. You just need to follow the folk instrument parts I wrote for you and blend them in."

The uncles and aunties could hardly wait, and every single viewer in the livestream room was equally impatient.

Even the four members of Li Huange's observation group were consumed by intense curiosity.

What kind of song could Shen Qi possibly write for an elderly band?

And one that fit the theme of a Mid-Autumn Gala two months from now?

Shen Qi plugged a USB flash drive into the computer, and the high-quality Harman Kardon speakers that Li Huange usually used for listening to music began to play the introductory pop arrangement.

It sounded simple, but it was extremely catchy.

When the folk instruments played by Uncle Wang, Uncle Li, and Auntie Sun joined in, quite a few people instantly felt a tingling sensation ripple through their bodies!

[Hiss... It's got the right vibe!]

[Just listening to the accompaniment tells you this song is definitely extraordinary.]

[Did you guys see that? The moment the four old folks got into performance mode, their entire aura changed completely!]

[I think I've suddenly fallen in love with this Old Baby Band!]

[I am so looking forward to hearing what song this is!]

Auntie Zhang hit her timing and began to sing, her clear and bright voice ringing out.

"When will the bright moon appear? Raising my cup, I ask the blue sky."

"I wonder what year it is tonight in the heavenly palaces up above."

"I'd like to ride the wind and return there, yet I fear the crystal towers and jade mansions are much too high and cold."

"Dancing to create my clear shadow, how can this compare to being among mortals?"

Li Huange and Zhuo Yiyi dilated their pupils, widened their eyes, and stood up from their chairs almost simultaneously, staring fixedly at the massive screen.

One was a reigning diva, the other a rising pop princess; their professional mastery of music was at the absolute top of the industry!

They realized it instantly...

This song...