"I need your help," Yu Jia said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need new songs. Something… fresh. I can't afford to keep falling behind."
There was a pause on the other end, then a dry laugh. "You really can't do this on your own, can you?"
Yu Jia's grip tightened around the phone. She ignored the sting of his words. "Just get me something. I'll pay whatever it takes."
"You know there's always a price for everything," he said casually, as if he were talking about a transaction, not her career.
"I don't care. Just get it done. I need something that'll make the label happy. Something that'll put me back where I belong."
"I'll send something your way soon," he replied, his voice lacking any real warmth. "But you know, you're going to owe me for this."
Yu Jia didn't respond. She was too desperate to care about the cost anymore. All she could think about was getting back to the top, where she could shine like she once had. She hung up quickly, her mind spinning.
