Recording the song didn't take much time, because Xiao Ruawen had already memorized "Misaligned Time" by heart, so after only two takes, the supervisor indicated it was good to go, sticking with the first version.
"Ruan Wen is amazing!"
"Heehee~ Ruan Wen is going to be a big star!"
When she emerged from the recording studio, the four girls surrounded her, laughing.
Zhang Chunxue had arrived while Xiao Ruawen was recording. She watched with a smile as her daughter and her friends shared their friendship, her gaze then drifting to Xu Qingfan, who was standing to the side, watching the scene unfold.
"Alright, we're all hungry now, let's go have a meal." She clapped her hands to signal.
"The driver has already parked the car downstairs, and the restaurant reservation is set. Let's go." Xu Qingfan flicked his phone, though Lin Juan was so busy, he had snatched up the task that was meant for a secretary.
The five girls crowded out in a dense group, with Xu Qingfan and Zhang Chunxue following behind, exchanging smiles.
"You've grown taller again." Zhang Chunxue reached up to pat his head, easily doing so in her high heels.
Xu Qingfan gave her a bright and sunny smile, gentlemanly offering his arm, "Auntie has become even more beautiful, too."
Zhang Chunxue wrinkled her nose and gave him a look, but after a charming smile, she took his arm.
"Always spending money recklessly, how much did you spend on the rights this time, and it's only for a twenty-year term." Zhang Chunxue spoke in a relaxed tone.
It was like a mother chiding a child for wildly buying toys, and like a wife complaining about her husband spending money on such an expensive gift.
"Twenty years is enough; even the best song will tire people after twenty years. Besides, it'll be going public within ten years, and by then it'll have earned back a thousandfold, maybe even ten thousandfold."
Xu Qingfan's tone was filled with pride, like a child acing an exam and expecting praise from his parents.
"Duck neck hasn't even gone public yet, and you dare to dream." Zhang Chunxue tapped lightly on the back of his hand.
Xu Qingfan just grinned, which left Zhang Chunxue at a loss for words.
"I say it'd be best to focus all your energy on the food delivery app, with widespread adoption of smartphones just around the corner, based on the market forecasts done by the company and our early strategic positioning, a trillion-scale market is definitely within reach."
"When you start college, auntie will hand over the company to you to manage, by then, I'll be old~"
Zhang Chunxue's voice trailed off into a somewhat melancholic tone.
"Nonsense, auntie will only be at most thirty-eight in twenty years, like an eighteen-year-old. Always going on about being old, what about those programmers who start going bald in their twenties?"
Xu Qingfan spoke just as an engineer passed by. He had intended to greet the two bosses, but after hearing the second half of Xu Qingfan's sentence, his shoulders slumped, and he walked past with his head down.
[Think you're great just because you're the boss? Were we using your family's shampoo for our baldness?]
Zhang Chunxue saw this too. She wasn't sure if she was more amused by Xu Qingfan's comment or by the engineer's expression.
"Always talking nonsense." She hit Xu Qingfan lightly, pulling him along to quickly leave the office area.
Xu Qingfan shrugged and followed his aunt out of the company.
After waiting at the reception for Lin Juan to finish all her work, the group of eight took the elevator down from the office building.
Once in the car, the conversation was once again dominated by the five girls.
"Brother Fan, is the new song going to be released at midnight tonight?"
"Yep, right at zero hour."
Xu Qingfan nodded. Everything was already arranged; the video would be shared by all the big Vs on social media as soon as it was released, and there was also scheduled coverage by local news stations. Ruawen's new song was bound to be a hit.
"Heehee~ then I'm staying up late to watch it!"
"Staying up late will stop you from growing taller." Xu Qingfan teased her.
Lin Wanning pouted, "Then I'll fall asleep right after watching it!"
The laughter filled the car instantly.
It wasn't long before the car arrived in front of a high-end Chinese restaurant. The greeter quickly led them to a vintage-style private room.
Xu Qingfan had specifically requested a round table over the phone, so there was no worry about who would sit opposite him.
Xu Qingfan quickly took the seat beside Zhang Chunxue, and the other spot next to him was swiftly claimed by the ever-clinging Lin Wanning.
No sooner had they sat down, when a server, dressed in a slit cheongsam, brought over warm water for handwashing. There were eight of them, and just as many servers, ensuring one-on-one service.
Xu Qingfan mused inside that the spending mentality of the people in Hong Kong was gradually changing. This kind of flashy but impractical boutique was previously unheard of, yet now it was blooming everywhere.
[In another two years, it'll be time to upscale the milk tea shops too.]
A plan formed in Xu Qingfan's mind; for the foreseeable future, consumerism would be booming. Starting to develop the market for lower-tier e-commerce, he wouldn't likely face much resistance from competitors.
"What are you thinking about?" Zhang Chunxue shook her hair and waved her hand in front of his eyes.
Xu Qingfan snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "I was thinking about how many days it is until auntie becomes the world's richest person."
As expected, Zhang Chunxue rolled her eyes at him, "Stop talking nonsense, the food is going to get cold."
"Tell the truth and nobody believes you, probably thinking about how to marry five wives instead, right?" Xu Qingfan blurted out and immediately panicked; he had really just spoken without thinking.
The five girls, who had been happily chatting, froze their smiles momentarily and then turned their deathly gazes onto Xu Qingfan in unison.