Chapter 141: I Want You

She had changed into her everyday clothes: a simple, chic cashmere cardigan with gold buttons, paired with a white tight-fitting shirt, skinny jeans, and over-the-knee boots. The entire ensemble radiated a youthful and lively charm. Her legs were shapely, straight, and slender; even through the denim, one could sense their remarkable suppleness. Perhaps out of shyness, a faint blush stained her fair, delicate cheeks, and her eyes darted away, not daring to meet Shen Xian’s gaze.

Shen Xian stared at her with intense curiosity. Online, "Peach Baby" was a music critic who had amassed over a hundred million followers. Why? Because she was incredibly professional, sharp-tongued, and unafraid of power. No matter whose song it was, she would critique it with remarkable objectivity, earning the deep affection of her fans. Later, she began curating a monthly list of top hits, which became so successful that many singers took pride in simply being featured on her charts. In the real world, however, she was a Huangmei opera performer and the leading lady of her troupe. Yet, a woman with such diverse identities was inexplicably shy the moment she met Shen Xian.

"I’m... I’m sorry, I have a bit of social anxiety," Peach Baby said, finally gathering the courage to look up while her fair, slender fingers toyed with the hem of her jacket. She had an exquisite, delicate face with bright, clear eyes and a pearly-white smile. Her peach-blossom eyes looked at Shen Xian with curiosity. *Is this the legendary 'Postman'? He’s much more handsome than I imagined.* She had pictured a middle-aged man with long, greasy hair and a sloppy, unkempt appearance. But looking at him now, he was clean and radiant.

"Hello, Teacher Postman. My name is Yang Tao; you can call me Peach," she said, extending a dainty, pale hand. Shen Xian reached out his own hand, his fingers slender and his knuckles prominent. "Hello, I am Postman. My name is Shen Xian."

Peach Baby nodded, but then suddenly looked up, her peach-blossom eyes filled with confusion as she stared at him. "Then, you..."

Shen Xian knew what she meant—why would he put himself in the eye of the storm? After all, without the heat and influence of Peach Baby, those news stories would never have reached the trending charts so quickly. Shen Xian replied, "A strategist must step onto the board himself."

Peach did not understand. "Come inside," Shen Xian said, inviting her into the private room before closing the door. Alone in the room with a man, Peach Baby felt her breathing quicken. She sat there, feeling incredibly uneasy. This was her first time being alone with a man, and she was terribly nervous.

"Teacher Postman, you’ve seen the state of our troupe. We desperately need publicity. I hope you can help me write a song—a song that promotes Huangmei opera, so more people will know about it and fall in love with it." Talking about her profession, Peach Baby lost her nervousness. Her voice was crisp and flowed at a comfortable pace.

Shen Xian nodded. "That isn’t difficult, but I don't think a single song is enough to promote Huangmei opera widely. To truly revitalize it, you need to find ways to improve the repertoire itself."

Peach Baby knew this to be true. "You’re right. Our youth opera troupe has been working hard to write various plays. Besides the widely circulated *Picking Pig Grass*, we’ve also written *The Double-Harvest Season* and *Autumn Harvest and Sowing*."

Shen Xian hadn't even heard of the latter two, likely because the scripts were poor. Nowadays, theaters everywhere were trying to expand their themes, leveraging the lyrical nature of Huangmei music, the actors' talent for character building, and the genre's pastoral charm to bring Huangmei opera to both domestic and international audiences. Whether on Earth or in this world, Huangmei opera was beloved by the older generation. Mr. Zhou Yanshi, in his youth, had even traveled to Taiwan to conduct academic exchanges to promote the art. But in recent years, due to lack of funding and the shrinking popularity of traditional arts, Huangmei opera had stagnated.

"We will find a way regarding the repertoire, but for the duets within the plays, I hope Teacher Postman can help," Peach Baby said. Huangmei opera relied on songs to convey stories, characterized by melodic and fresh singing styles split into two main categories: *Huaciang* (flowery tunes) and *Pingci* (plain lyrics). "So, you mean that if I write songs for you, I also need to understand, or even study, Huangmei opera?" Shen Xian looked at her with a cryptic smile.

Peach Baby nodded silently. Even though she knew it was difficult, she wanted to try. For years, the troupe had exhausted every avenue to find someone who could write music for their operas, seeking out hall-of-fame musicians and even masters of the craft, but with little success. Professionals do professional work; those who excel at pop love songs are rarely skilled at writing grand, narrative pieces. To this day, no one in the Chinese music industry had been able to write a proper duet for a Huangmei opera.

But to Shen Xian, this was nothing.

"I can perform the opera for you personally, so you can learn the basics quickly," Peach Baby said, feeling a bit bashful. Performing for a man alone felt strange. Shen Xian paused, looking at her. *What is this? Listening to music in a pleasure pavilion?*

In his mind, an image flickered: Peach Baby in thin gauze, her graceful curves highlighted, dancing and singing for him while he lounged on a sofa, with two maids feeding him grapes and wine... *Hiss!* The scene was vivid! *Delete it! Delete it now!* Shen Xian shook his head violently to clear the chaotic thoughts.

"Actually, it doesn't have to be that complicated. I can write the plays for you, and the songs will be integrated into the scripts," Shen Xian said.

Peach Baby blinked her eyes at him. "You’ll write the plays? Teacher Postman, I must say, Huangmei opera scripts aren’t easy to write..."

Shen Xian smiled. "Don't worry. They will certainly be better than any of the scripts you have now, and the songs within them will be highly memorable."

Peach Baby wanted to be skeptical, but she had witnessed the miracles Shen Xian had created for Wang Tianqi step by step. "I believe in you, Teacher Postman," she said, looking at him with excitement. "Do you have any conditions?"

Shen Xian looked at her with burning eyes, scanning her up and down. "I do have one condition. I want you."