“Then it’s a yes?” Tang Yiyi asked.
Iris wanted to say yes so badly but couldn’t. She sighed and with a heavy heart, she said, “It’s one of my biggest dreams to have my own solo concert in a big venue but…I’ll have to say no this time. I’m sorry, Elder Sister Yiyi. I can’t prepare for a concert right now or even next year. Maybe in two or three years.”
“What?!” Tang Yiyi was shocked by her answer. “Iris, why? Your popularity this year is on a great momentum. You’re on fire! This is the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot! Tell me why you’re rejecting this amazing offer.”
“I’m not rejecting it, just delaying it for two or three years. Believe me, Elder Sister Yiyi. I want this much more than you do but I just can’t do it right now.”
Tang Yiyi was silent. Then she said, “I know very well that you have great ambition for your career. I’ve seen how hard you work. As a matter of fact, you have one of the best work ethics in the industry that I’ve ever witnessed. That’s why I don’t understand why you’re suddenly withdrawing from all these amazing career opportunities knocking at your door right now. You’re not telling me something, Iris.”
Iris’ heart jumped but she didn’t reply.
“I’m your manager. You have to tell me if something happens to you that makes you unable to work. Remember that I have your best interests. If you just talk to me about whatever you’re going through right now, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
Iris sighed. Although she felt bad for not telling her manager about her pregnancy, it was a decision she made with Jin Liwei. Career was her number one focus before meeting him. But now, their family had become her top priority. She wanted her own solo concert and felt a little twinge in her heart for letting this opportunity pass her by for now, but she would never put her babies at risk for it.
“I’m sorry, Elder Sister Yiyi,” she said, sighing again. “I can’t tell you anything right now, but I promise that I will soon.”
“Fine. If that’s what you want. I can never persuade you once you set your mind on something. You even regularly butt heads with Mr. JJ who’s well-known for being one of the worst hotheads in the music industry and not lose against him. I can’t win against you.”
Iris could only smile at that.
“So what are your plans now, then?” Tang Yiyi asked. “You made me wipe almost your entire schedule. The higher-ups are not going to like it, especially since they reserved so many resources for you next year.”
“I’ll focus on making music,” Iris said. “Especially on my collab with Teacher Enrique.”
“Oh, right! All of us are very excited about your collab with Mr. Legendary Hitmaker Enrique Valdez. The higher-ups at Bright Summit are especially eager about it. How’s that coming along?”
“I have a lot of ideas that I need to organize and make sense of first. But he says that I shouldn’t rush anything and just let everything happen naturally. Only then will we be able to create great, meaningful music.”
Tang Yiyi made a sound of approval. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you’re not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It’s very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! Also follow me on Instagram @arriacross]
“Actually, I’m feeling very inspired. I was able to compose some new music during my free time but they’re not suited for the collab. Therefore, I just discussed with Mr. JJ on the phone yesterday about whether I should give them to other artists to sing and just be credited as the songwriter.”
“Hmm.” Tang Yiyi sounded hesitant. “Why don’t you record those songs for yourself? Or maybe do another duet like what you did with Jin Chonglin? Or another collab like what you did with Pandemonium back then? You sing your own songs better than anyone, Iris.”
Iris chuckled and felt good about what her manager said. “Indeed, I sing my own songs better than anyone.”
“Then why do you plan on letting others sing your songs?”
“The songs that I have now are too much of a mishmash of different styles,” Iris explained. “Even if I want to sing them, I won’t be able to fit them in a cohesive album and I don’t want to release them as singles either when they’re so different from each other. That’s why I thought that it’s better to give them to other artists whose musical styles match the songs perfectly.”
“What did Mr. JJ say?” Tang Yiyi asked next.
“Oh, he sent me a list of all the artists signed under his record label and told me to choose which ones I like to perform my songs.”
“Fine. I get it. Since Mr. JJ himself approves of your decision, then who am I to stop you? I’ll just have to explain this to the higher-ups and use Mr. Enrique Valdez and Mr. JJ’s names a lot to make them relent.”
“Thank you, Elder Sister Yiyi,” Iris said in a sincere tone. “I owe you.”
“Of course, you owe me. I want Orchidia Beauty’s new lotion but they’re already sold out when I tried buying. Reserve me some when you restock.”
Iris laughed. “Alright. I’ll do that.”
Afterwards, they talked about tonight’s event again for a short time before finally hanging up the call. Iris returned the phone to Dom. Then she started to change into her dress. As she was doing so, she thought about her conversation with her manager.
Although she omitted the part about her pregnancy, the other parts were all true. She was indeed working on music but that was normal. Music had always been an integral part of her life.
After learning that she was pregnant, she began to experience an incredible flood of inspiration even as her emotions were becoming increasingly unstable due to hormones. The inspiration surged even more after her confession to Jin Liwei a few days ago.
If only Jin Liwei wasn’t monitoring her workload so closely, she would be able to pump song after song every day without rest.
