Zhao Xianjun hung up the phone and immediately received a call from Qin Qijian's agent.
"Brother Jun, Xiao Qin asked Huo Rou about that melody, and she said she wrote it years ago... This matter, what do you think..." The agent didn't know how to articulate it, never expecting R to be involved in plagiarism.
The most skilled ancient-style song composer in the country, only ever paired with Zhao Xianjun's lyrics, Zhao Xianjun's talent was evident to all, and R, whom he highly praised, was someone everyone longed to see.
Unexpectedly, such a scandal would arise before even meeting R.
And the scandal had been confirmed.
Zhao Xianjun paused after hearing what the agent said. "Huo Rou? Xiao Qin was eating with her?"
"Yes." The agent was a bit flustered by his question.
Zhao Xianjun's tone became more intense. "So what's being spread online and his explanation are all true? Huo Rou is really in Yu Chang City, and she's really Xiao Qin's brother's girlfriend?"
"Yes." The agent, sensing his agitation, suddenly had an idea.
He spoke with a trembling voice, "You're not thinking of going after her, are you?"
"It wouldn't be worth it for R! That's Qin Ningyi's girlfriend!" The agent feared Zhao Xianjun might have ill intentions, as in the entertainment industry, such matters were usually dealt with by targeting the unknown individuals.
He worried that Zhao Xianjun, as a fervent fan of R, might do something to protect R's reputation, which would be detrimental to his own standing in the industry.
Zhao Xianjun looked out at the dark night sky, the stars exceptionally bright, and tried his best to suppress his urge to go out.
"I have no such intentions. Don't worry about the plagiarism; there's no issue. We don't need to halt the promotion of the new song; everything proceeds as usual."
After giving the agent a somewhat unconvincing reassurance, Zhao Xianjun hung up the phone, lost in thought, gazing at the name "R" on his phone screen.
When Huo Rou returned home with her family, the paint on the door had been completely redone, and several well-dressed men in suits, wearing sunglasses, stood at the entrance late at night.
Upon seeing Huo Rou approach, they all nodded in greeting.
"Hello, Sister Huo."
Some among them were older than Huo Rou, but they all addressed her as "Sister" out of respect.
This display made Qin Ningyi frown. It seemed he needed to have someone investigate the Jiang family from Tai Chuan. Their excessive attentiveness was suspicious.
Old Wang opened the door from inside and cheerfully beckoned Huo Rou. "Xiao A Rou, you're back. Come see the calligraphy this young brother is learning from me!"
Wang Haozhuo, standing beside them in a black suit, smiled helplessly. He had brought people to guard the place to prevent any accidents, but Old Wang, seeing his scarred face, was not only unafraid but enthusiastically pulled him in to teach him calligraphy.
What was the point of learning calligraphy for people in their line of work? He felt nervous just holding the brush himself.
An An politely greeted everyone and walked in first. "Where is it? An An wants to see!"
Old Wang led An An to the table. Looking at the scribbled characters on it, he couldn't help but laugh. "Little Uncle Zhuo, your calligraphy needs a lot of practice."
"Mom says handwriting reflects character. You're so handsome, your writing should be beautiful too," An An said, mimicking an adult's tone and looking at him like a little sage.
Wang Haozhuo rubbed his head. He had watched Old Wang write several pieces, and the difference between them was vast. However, this was quite interesting, and he might practice it when he had free time.
An An then looked at some rolled-up scrolls by the desk.
"What are these?" An An reached out to take them, but Old Wang stopped him.
He chuckled and pulled An An's hand back. "These are my masterpieces. I'll show you after I finish them!"
Huo Rou watched Old Wang's hand regain its steadiness and felt a deep sense of relief. Being able to write calligraphy was the best thing for Old Wang.
Meanwhile, Wang Haozhuo felt a pang of unease under Qin Ningyi's scrutinizing gaze and quickly took his leave.
Huo Rou spoke on the phone while seeing him out. "Take these brothers with you; I'm fine here."
Wang Haozhuo knew she was fine, but Elder Jiang had given instructions, and he dared not disobey.
"Sister Huo, the old man has made arrangements. We'll leave after things have completely calmed down. Just consider these people as extra company."
Huo Rou asked the person on the phone to wait, then looked at the two brothers at the door and suggested, "Why don't you find a place to stay nearby? You can call me if anything comes up. Standing here all night will scare the neighbors."
Just then, a passing elderly woman overheard this. Seeing Huo Rou's reasonable demeanor, she quickly chimed in, "That's right. I've been afraid to go home because you've been standing here."
Those men in sunglasses all looked at the elderly woman. Huo Rou was extremely exasperated. "My words don't work either? Go on, I'll explain to Elder Jiang if he asks."
Unable to refuse Huo Rou, Wang Haozhuo took his men to stay nearby.
Only then did Huo Rou pick up the phone and continue, "Brother Zhao, I haven't looked yet."
Zhao Xianjun blinked, remembering that he had sent Huo Rou some lyrics a few days ago for her to revise.
He quickly explained, "Teacher Huo, it's not about that; it's about something else."
"Did you... see Weibo?"
Huo Rou felt a bit exasperated hearing "Weibo." Lately, it felt like she was frequently trending, ever since Zhou Wu appeared.
"No, what happened this time..." Huo Rou drawled, leaning back on the sofa, asking lazily.
Zhao Xianjun deliberated for a moment before finally speaking. "It's like this, someone online discovered your ringtone is the same as our new song's intro, and then things kicked off."
"The young lady who played the guzheng with us today posted on Weibo, implying you plagiarized the melody..."
Mentioning this, Zhao Xianjun felt extremely awkward.
Huo Rou had plagiarized Huo Rou's melody.
Huo Rou sighed. "This can cause a fuss?"
Zhao Xianjun explained, "Everyone values originality these days, so they strongly oppose plagiarism. Plus, you're quite famous among composers."
"So, what do I need to do now? Prove that I am myself?" This was becoming quite troublesome.
"Yes, if you could send me the manuscript of the song back then, or the creation file with the timestamp, I can help you issue a statement to explain your true identity." Zhao Xianjun had been pestered for years about not revealing Huo Rou's true situation, and now this was a good opportunity to announce it.
Huo Rou fell silent for a moment. Qin Ningyi walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
Huo Rou pursed her lips and said, "It seems I've made a lot of money from your brother, and now I need to find proof."
"How did you make it? A little more is fine. He has nowhere to spend it anyway." Qin Ningyi didn't take it seriously and was looking at his phone reports.
Huo Rou smiled and shook her head, then continued on the phone, "I'll look for it. It's been a while."
Let Qin Qijian be comfortable for a little longer.