Chapter 47: Anciently, Two Peaches Killed Three Warriors; Today, One Song Kills Three Beauties

"The song *Bachelor* is quite good, and I'm willing to sing it." Hu Ge got up and threw his arm around Zhang Li's shoulder. "However, there is one thing I must say first."

"Go ahead." Zhang Li slightly raised his chin, curious about what trick Hu Ge was trying to pull this time.

"If I'm still single by the time I turn thirty after singing this song, then you'll have to take responsibility." Hu Ge flashed a meaningful smile.

To an outsider, one might easily mistake them for being involved in some scandalous romance.

"Take responsibility for your head, don't even think about trapping me." Zhang Li brushed Hu Ge's hand away with a look of utter disgust. "You're already twenty-six. Who can guarantee you'll find a partner within four years? It's entirely possible you'll date, break up, date again, and then happen to break up right around then. Are you going to hold me responsible for that too?"

At this, Zhang Li narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Wait a minute, you don't happen to be trying to trick me into being your wingman to help you find a girlfriend, do you?"

"Oh my, oh my, you can actually do that?" Yang Mi and the other girls' gazes toward Hu Ge instantly shifted.

Hu Ge: ?

"Stop talking nonsense and ruining my image." Hu Ge immediately argued—no, corrected himself. "How about this: as long as I date someone at least once before I turn thirty, regardless of the outcome, you won't have to take responsibility. How does that sound?"

"Doesn't sound good at all." Zhang Li shook his head, refusing to fall for the trap. "You might as well say that if I'm not married by the end of my life, you'll make me responsible. I might actually agree to that."

"Hey~ That works." Hu Ge's eyes lit up. "A lifetime is too long. Let's make it forty. If I'm not married before I'm forty, it'll be because I sang your song *Bachelor*, and you'll have to take responsibility."

The corner of Zhang Li's mouth twitched, his instinct urging him to refuse.

For a grown man unable to find a partner and get married by forty, one should naturally reflect on one's own shortcomings.

How could he possibly make an outsider like him take responsibility?

Yet, figuring there was no way Hu Ge would still be single by forty, he nodded and agreed, "Fine, if I have to take responsibility, I will."

"It's a deal." Hu Ge extended his pinky finger.

"Tsk, childish." Zhang Li looked thoroughly disgusted, yet extended his pinky finger anyway.

Tang Shi muttered inwardly: You're no better yourself!

"Aside from *Bachelor*, there's also *Unchanged for This Lifetime*." Zhang Li withdrew his hand and looked at Hu Ge. "Let's duet this one."

The original version of *Unchanged for This Lifetime* was performed by Flying Bird and Green Fish, a duo consisting of two male singers.

In *Chinese Paladin 3*, Xu Changqing and Jing Tian share quite a few cooperative scenes, so a duet between the two men was entirely fitting.

In a glimpse of the future he had foreseen, the "Hu-Huo CP" was immensely popular, meaning a "Hu-Zhang CP" might not do poorly either.

Besides, as the second male lead, singing one ending theme and three insert songs would be far too conspicuous, and that woman Kak Tsui might not agree.

However, if he took three, Hu Ge took one, and they sang a duet together—considering he was the original creator of all six songs—she might just agree to it.

"A duet?" Hu Ge was slightly stunned, then smiled and nodded. "Alright."

And so, the allocation of the theme songs and insert songs was settled.

"Send the demos of the songs to Tangren's company email later," Li Guoli said to Zhang Li. "I'm going to find President Tsai and have her discuss purchasing the television broadcast copyright with you."

"Got it." Zhang Li did not refuse.

He had already registered the copyrights for all the songs, so he wasn't afraid of Tangren breaking the rules, losing their conscience, or trying to seize them by force.

After Li Guoli left, Tang Yan and the other two women all turned their gazes toward Hu Ge in unison, bringing immense pressure upon him.

"A-Li, Xiao Hong is looking for me, I'm heading out first."

Hu Ge casually grabbed an excuse and fled the lounge as if escaping for his life.

He wasn't actually lying; once outside, he went straight to find Yuan Hong, a complex expression on his face.

"What's with that look?" Yuan Hong asked, puzzled.

"I am in utter awe of A-Li," Hu Ge said honestly.

"Are the songs he wrote that good?" Yuan Hong's eyes lit up.

If Zhang Li's songwriting was truly exceptional, he could try to secure one or even pay Zhang Li to write one for him.

In the entertainment industry, having money didn't guarantee you could buy a good song; connections and networking were equally essential.

"The songs are indeed fantastic. I claimed one and a half," said Hu Ge. Having shared a close friendship with Yuan Hong for years, he could tell what the other man was thinking at a glance.

Thinking of the songs Zhang Li had written, he felt that *Promising Not to Love You* was relatively weaker and could be handed over to Yuan Hong to sing.

However, he didn't plan on mentioning this to Yuan Hong just yet, because the songs belonged to Zhang Li, and he couldn't overstep his bounds.

Once he had some free time in private, he could drop a hint to Zhang Li—after all, they were all friends.

At this thought, Hu Ge sighed. "What I really admire, though, is how he can navigate so effortlessly among three women—Yang Mi, Tang Tang, and Shishi. I couldn't handle even one."

Yuan Hong reached out and poked him in the chest. "The way you talk makes it sound like he's dating all three at once. Be careful if Shishi and the others hear you and come beat you up."

Hu Ge immediately made a zipping motion over his lips.

On the other side, the object of Hu Ge's ultimate admiration, Zhang Li, was currently the one facing "immense pressure."

"A-Li, I want the song *Love for Generations*," Yang Mi spoke up first, extremely direct.

Given her relationship with Zhang Li, she felt there was no need to beat around the bush.

Hearing her words, Liu Shishi, who had originally intended to wait until they returned to the hotel to bring it up, immediately chimed in, "I want to sing this song too."

If Zhang Li were to agree to Yang Mi right then and there, any effort on her part to contend for it afterward would put her at a disadvantage.

"I want to sing it as well." Tang Yan's eyes flickered as she spoke up too.

When she heard Yang Mi make her claim, she had originally planned to suppress the thought in her heart.

She knew her relationship with Zhang Li wasn't as close as Yang Mi's, and moreover, she had lost the initiative.

Yet Liu Shishi following suit made her feel she still had a fair shot at competing.

*Swish—*

The three women exchanged glances, and the atmosphere instantly turned subtle.

Zhang Li: "..."

Ancient times had two peaches kill three warriors.
Today had one song kill three beauties.

The question was: how to use a single song to make the three beauties of Chinese Paladin fight over you?

"You all want it, how am I supposed to choose?" The corners of Zhang Li's mouth twitched.

He couldn't help wondering if he should just make the three of them sing it as a trio.

Hearing his hesitation, Yang Mi immediately pressed on, "I've known you the longest, we have the best relationship, and I'm the female lead. It's only right that I sing the theme song!"

Liu Shishi's pretty eyebrows arched slightly as she refused to yield. "When it comes to having the best relationship, you don't get to decide that—A-Li does."

After all, her relationship with Zhang Li involved mutual penetration of heart and soul; did Yang Mi really think knowing him longer gave her an advantage?

"I, I..." Tang Yan suddenly realized that entering this competition was a mistake.

She seemed to have no points of leverage to compete against Yang Mi and Liu Shishi.

No, wait—there was still one.

With a flash of inspiration, Tang Yan spoke up, "I want to sing it for the sake of the television drama! A-Li, you're singing the ending theme as Xu Changqing, and I'm playing Zixuan—singing the theme song would create a perfect echo between the opening and ending, paired with *Partiality*, it forms a flawless bridge from start to finish."

At this, Tang Yan paused, glanced at Liu Shishi and Yang Mi, and added, "So the two of you don't need to fight over it anymore, right?"

Yang Mi and Liu Shishi: "..."

It sounded somewhat logical.

But at the end of the day, wasn't she just trying to snatch the song for herself?

"You decide—who do you pick!" Liu Shishi and Yang Mi ignored Tang Yan and stared fixedly at Zhang Li.

Tang Yan silently activated her "Zixuan Buff" and looked at Zhang Li as well.

Zhang Li: "..."

Normally, in a situation like this, people would say, "Children make choices, I want them all."

But he wasn't an ordinary person...

"Can I choose Crystal Liu instead?"

The three women: ?