Chapter 14 - Original Chorus

Translator: Lynn

Doing nothing all day, time seems to stand still, while a busy and fulfilling life always flies by quickly.

Jian Jie dedicates himself to intense studying at school every day. When he returns home, he spends his time practicing guitar, vocal music, and composing songs. His hard work stems from his passion for music, so he never feels the strain. Under the influence of Long Zichen, he explores various genres of music, including country, jazz, rock, and disco. Immersed in the works of many masters, inspiration flows endlessly. During this period, his creativity blossoms like a spring, resulting in seven or eight complete songs.

Jian Jie eagerly shows all his compositions to Long Zichen, seeking his advice. Naturally, Long Zichen is delighted. He not only helps Jian Jie refine and perfect his works but also assists him in registering the copyright for the completed songs at the Sound Composer Association.

The newcomer training course is still ongoing. On a weekend after the training session, Tong Liangliang approaches Jian Jie with a sincere expression, seeking his help. “Brother Jian Jie, I saw the song you wrote when I showed it to Director Long. You are so talented and creative. Can you write a song for me? The company couldn’t find a suitable one, and they plan to release a single for Chen Hang and Tao Qianrui first. I feel really sad. Brother Jian Jie, please help me.”

Over the past few weeks, the company selected three promising newcomers based on their vocal performances: Tong Liangliang, Chen Hang, and Tao Qianrui. Initially, the company intended to form a boy group with the three of them. However, after the auditions, it became apparent that Tong Liangliang’s image and voice were quite different from the other two. Consequently, the decision was made to exclude Tong Liangliang and proceed with Chen Hang and Tao Qianrui for the single release.

Jian Jie was unaware of Tong Liangliang’s situation, as he was excluded due to the lack of a suitable song. Witnessing the tears in the young boy’s eyes and his sorrowful expression, Jian Jie’s heart softened. He realized that writing a suitable song for Tong Liangliang wouldn’t be difficult, so he reassured him, saying, “Don’t cry, I promise I’ll do my best.” Tong Liangliang joyfully pulled Jian Jie’s arm and exclaimed, “Brother Jian Jie, let me treat you to a drink! There’s a milk tea shop nearby, and I’ll buy you some milk tea and ice cream!”

Jian Jie accepted the offer without hesitation and followed Tong Liangliang to the mentioned milk tea shop.

Little did Jian Jie know that as he conversed with Tong Liangliang, two individuals stood by the window of a third-floor office, callously observing and commenting on them. The three-story building wasn’t very tall, so their conversation could be heard clearly from below. These two individuals were none other than General Manager Yuan Chao and Director Long.

Yuan Chao gazed out the window, displaying an expression of interest, saying, “This is perfect! Look at their pitiful eyes. Our little brother Jian Jie has fallen for it! It’s amusingly cute!”

Long Zichen, on the other hand, wore a dissatisfied expression and remarked, “Hmph! A cup of milk tea in exchange for a song? I want to make that deal too!” He was displeased seeing Tong Liangliang cling to Jian Jie as if his treasure had been taken advantage of. Silently, he added “Tong Liangliang” to his personal blacklist, determined to make this person deeply understand the meaning of “vengeance” and the shady nature of the days to come.

A few days later, Tong Liangliang happily approached Long Zichen with the song that Jian Jie had tailored for him. Although Tong Liangliang couldn’t read sheet music, he had an excellent musical sense and learned the song by listening to Jian Jie sings it a few times. With caution, he said to Long Zichen, “Hi, Director Long. I found a great song that suits me perfectly. Will the company still consider releasing a single for me?” Long Zichen raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance, and asked, “Oh, and where did you find this song?”

Tong Liangliang truthfully replied, “Well, it was written by Jian Jie from our company. Director Long knows him. He’s incredibly talented, and his compositions are amazing.” Tong Liangliang didn’t forget to praise Jian Jie.

Upon hearing this, Long Zichen couldn’t help but feel a little better. Crossing his arms, he raised his eyebrows and said, “Then sing it for me.”

Nodding, Tong Liangliang clenched his fists and began to sing, “You’ve lost everything, everything you hold dear, shedding tears that cannot be regained… I don’t know how to console you because I know you’ll face it with strength… No matter how fierce the storm, there will always be a day when the haze dissipates, and I’ll be here by your side, facing it with you…”

The song featured heartfelt and gentle verses, akin to a sincere confession between close friends. When the chorus arrived, several consecutive powerful and rhythmic high notes, reaching C3, conveyed boundless faith. Tong Liangliang’s singing was satisfactory, and Long Zichen had to admit that the song truly suited him. However, he couldn’t attribute it all to his “little Jiejie” alone!

Long Zichen inwardly sighed and inquired, “What’s the title of this song?”

“Nervously, Tong Liangliang replied, “It’s called ‘Hope.’ ” Long Zichen’s expression gave no indication, making Tong Liangliang even more anxious.

After a moment of silence, Long Zichen said to Tong Liangliang, “You can go now. The company will inform you of the decision in two days.” In truth, Long Zichen already had a plan in mind, but he didn’t want to give a definitive answer at the moment. He intended to keep Tong Liangliang hanging for a few more days. The thought of seeking revenge was truly unsettling.

After nervously waiting for two days, Tong Liangliang finally received an audition notice from the company. However, after the vocal audition, he received two pieces of good news and one bad news. The good news was that the company decided to release a single for Tong Liangliang, but he had to sing it as a duet with Jian Jie.

When Jian Jie received the notification, he was taken aback. “Well, this isn’t good. I didn’t receive a ranking in the vocal class, and I only wrote songs for Xiao Liang. I didn’t intend to sing. I don’t want to steal his opportunity.”

It was Long Zichen himself who informed Jian Jie about this matter. He shrugged his shoulders and innocently said, “It was Tong Liangliang’s suggestion. His voice lacks emotional depth when he sings the verses, so he proposed to sing with you.” Of course, Long Zichen’s “helpful reminder” played a crucial role in this, but let’s not dwell on that.

Long Zichen continued to persuade Jian Jie, saying, “It’s just singing a song together. I don’t want you to form a group. You two have great chemistry. Of course, if you don’t want to, I won’t force it. After all, our company will be focusing on Chen Hang and Tao Qianrui for now, so we can delay the release of Tong Liangliang’s single for a little while.”

Jian Jie panicked and didn’t want to hinder Tong Liangliang’s acting career. He quickly responded, “Then, let me give it a try.”

Long Zichen immediately displayed a mischievous smile and said, “Great! Once the weekend is over, let’s rehearse at the company first. The audition is almost complete, and then I’ll take both of you to a professional recording studio. It sounds simple, doesn’t it?”

After a week, Jian Jie realized how wrong he had been. He finally understood that recording was an agonizing process. In this world, he had encountered something that terrified him even more than physical training…

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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