Chapter 52: Everyone is Shocked!

Chen Weiwei stared quietly at the dim lighting.

She couldn’t imagine what it was like for someone to work in this environment day after day.

She looked at Zhang Yang.

Sometimes, when he chatted with people, he seemed humble, occasionally flattering them or sucking up.

And yet.

He always seemed to carry a smile that was neither haughty nor humble.

Li Ziwen, Zhou Yang’s manager, was focused entirely on Zhou Yang.

She saw him staring intently at that single page of lyrics, reading them over and over, pondering them, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.

She had rarely seen Zhou Yang make such an expression.

Even last year, when he saw the lyrics for “Wind Blast,” he hadn’t looked like this.

Just what were these lyrics?

She glanced again at the other stack of A4 manuscripts in Zhang Yang’s hand.

Zhang Yang held them firmly.

That stack looked like it had over a dozen pages.

Could it be that all of them were…

No, that’s impossible!

A wild thought flashed through Li Ziwen’s mind, but she quickly suppressed it.

Maybe it was possible, but there was no way every single one could be…

The thought felt insane!

She looked back at Zhou Yang.

She saw his hands trembling and his face beginning to flush, as if he were trying his best to suppress a deep, inner excitement.

She caught a glimpse…

There were only lyrics!

No musical notation!

………………………………

“The sky is a hazy blue, waiting for the misty rain, while I am waiting for you…¹“

There are many beautiful things in this world.

But…

The moment Zhou Yang saw this line of lyrics, he felt himself being deeply captivated.

Images began to materialize in his mind!

He had researched Blue and White Porcelain before and knew the intricacies of its production.

Sky blue!

It was an incredibly rare color.

Even with the same glaze, the same clay, the same craftsmanship, and the same firing process, the only difference lay in the day the kiln was opened. It had to be a day of misty, drizzling rain for the layers of moisture to permeate the porcelain body, rendering that dreamlike, illusory sky-blue color.

Unfortunately, out of an entire kiln of vessels, less than ten or twenty percent would achieve that color, and those with a perfectly even hue were as rare as phoenix feathers.

That artistic conception, that foundation of classical literature combined with the theme of love!

They were a perfect match!

These were brilliant lyrics!

Truly brilliant!

He wanted this song. No matter what, he had to have it!

Furthermore, this song had to be the lead single!

A voice in his heart was screaming at him, a call he couldn’t resist.

He continued reading…

He felt himself sinking into the profound atmosphere of this alternative style of songwriting, which carried the essence of ink-wash landscapes and ancient pagodas.

It felt like a shock delivered directly to the depths of his soul!

After an unknown amount of time, he looked up at Zhang Yang.

“Mr. Zhang, these… these lyrics, you haven’t shown them to anyone else, have you?”

He tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart, but his voice betrayed a sense of anxiety, a fear of losing something precious.

Although he was a top-tier singer in Huaxia, holding the status of a Little Heavenly King in the music industry…

That status was built upon a foundation of meticulously selected, high-quality works!

For a great singer, encountering a masterpiece that perfectly suited them was a matter of luck that couldn’t be forced!

If he missed this, Zhou Yang would regret it for a very long time…

In this moment!

He was actually nervous, terrified that Zhang Yang would shake his head and say he’d shown it to others, or worse, that the song had already been given away!

But finally…

When he saw Zhang Yang shake his head, he let out a massive sigh of relief.

“The sky blue is waiting for the misty rain. This song is likely waiting for you, Mr. Zhou…”

Hearing those words, Zhou Yang stood up abruptly from his chair!

He nodded frantically in his excitement.

Then, he took a deep, forced breath and looked at Zhang Yang.

“Mr. Zhang, how does this song go? How do I sing it?”

“Should I sing it for you?”

“Yes—no, wait, no! Give me the sheet music, I’ll sing it myself. You absolutely must not sing…” Zhou Yang started to nod, but his expression changed as he realized something, and he ended up shaking his head.

“I don’t have the sheet music. I only know how to sing it… Actually, I don’t know much about music theory, so I don’t really understand notation… but I know the melody. I can sing it…”

“Huh?”

You can sing it?

You, you, you…

Seeing Zhang Yang’s serious expression, Zhou Yang was stunned.

No sheet music?

You’re going to sing?

What are you going to sing?

He felt his head buzzing.

The scene of Zhang Yang singing “Common Jasmine Orange” flashed through his mind.

If he hadn’t analyzed the melody of “Common Jasmine Orange” and found it stunningly brilliant, he would have passed on that song!

And now, Zhang Yang said he wanted to sing “Blue and White Porcelain”?

You’ll ruin the song!

He felt like his heart couldn’t take the strain…

However, looking at Zhang Yang’s expression…

He felt a deep sense of helplessness.

“Then… Mr. Zhang, could you sing a bit? Do you need me to accompany you? Wait, Mr. Zhang, you have a guitar here. You must know how to play, right? Can you tell me the chords?”

“The guitar… I learned it once, but I’ve basically forgotten it now. Yeah, I can’t really play… However, this song, ‘Blue and White Porcelain,’ starts with a C9 chord, and then the next one should be…”

“Like this?” Zhou Yang quickly picked up the guitar and gave it a strum.

“Yes!” Zhang Yang recalled the opening chords of “Blue and White Porcelain,” surprised that Zhou Yang could actually play them just like that.

“Continue?”

“Then I’ll start singing?”

“Uh, go ahead!”

Zhou Yang nodded and watched Zhang Yang.

Then, he saw Zhang Yang clear his throat.

“Wait!”

“Eh?”

“President Chen, and, Sister Li, would you two mind… stepping out for a moment?”

“Alright.”

Zhou Yang paused instinctively and glanced at Chen Weiwei and his manager, Li Ziwen.

The two of them were still in a state of daze and shock.

It seemed they found it difficult to accept such an incredible situation.

Nevertheless, they nodded and left the office.

Watching the two of them leave, Zhang Yang cleared his throat once more.

Then…

“The plain base outlines the blue and white porcelain, the brushwork shifting from thick to pale². The peonies painted on the vase are just like your first makeup…”

…

A few minutes later.

By the time Zhang Yang finished singing, Zhou Yang was completely numb.

“Mr. Zhang, if you trust me, could you step out for a moment?”

“Huh?”

“Just for a moment. I need a quiet environment while the memory is still fresh… Don’t worry, I won’t touch anything in here.”

“Alright then.”

Zhang Yang nodded, picked up his A4 paper, and left the office, closing the door behind him.

As soon as Zhang Yang left, Zhou Yang broke into a cold sweat.

His face was pale, but he desperately recalled the melody, adjusting chords and composing the score.

It had to be said!

The lyrics and music of Blue and White Porcelain were absolutely stunning.

Setting aside Zhang Yang’s occasional cracked notes, the rest of it made Zhou Yang’s heart tremble.

“Um…”

“Mr. Zhou…”

Just then, the door creaked open again.

Zhou Yang looked at Zhang Yang.

“Mr. Zhang?”

“I… Mr. Zhou, do you think I have a talent for singing? Do I have what it takes to be a singer? When I was singing just now, I felt so immersed, and the song flowed so smoothly…”

“…”

Hearing this, and especially seeing the smile on Zhang Yang’s face, Zhou Yang felt his entire body go numb again.

…

Outside the office.

Sun Lili stared at the scene inside.

She plucked up her courage and crept over to Zhang Yang.

“Pre-President Zhang, what… what are you two talking about in there?”

“Oh, Zhou Yang took a liking to two of my songs and wants to buy the copyrights. He’s helping me write the score right now…”

“What?”

She stared at Zhang Yang as if she had seen a ghost, then glanced back at the office as the occasional sound of a guitar drifted out.

Sun Lili was already shocked, but now she felt like she was losing her mind.

As for the others…

Every single one of them looked like they were witnessing the end of the world.

What the hell!

Was this for real?

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes