Chapter 55: Gaining a Fangirl

12:10 PM.

Jiang Ning rode her little pink scooter, carrying Qi Wen along as they wobbled their way to the entrance of Orange Music.

Parking.

Getting off.

As soon as they stepped inside, Qi Wen glanced at the various instruments filling the store and asked hesitantly,

“Jiang Jiang, are you sure they have the accompaniment I need here?”

“Relax.”

Jiang Ning chuckled, then called out loudly into the store,

“Tang Tu-jie!”

“Tang Tu-jie! Are you here? Tang Tu-jie!”

“Tang Tu…”

“Stop shouting.”

A twin-tailed head suddenly popped up from behind the counter, pouting with a look of complaint.

“I’m eating lunch.”

“Xiao Jiang Ning! Do you guys not eat lunch or something?”

Seeing Tang Tu’s greasy mouth, Jiang Ning smiled sheepishly and said,

“Hehe, well, I came to see you today because I need your help with something.”

“What is it?” Tang Tu tilted her head and lifted her meal onto the table from below the counter. Her twin tails swayed along with her movement.

“Do you have blank tapes and a recorder?”

“Yeah, but what do you…” Mid-sentence, Tang Tu suddenly realized something, and her eyes widened.

“Wait, do you have a new song again?”

A new song?

Qi Wen, standing beside them, caught onto that phrase and glanced curiously at her best friend.

But she didn’t say anything.

She simply stood quietly by the side.

“It’s not really a new song, just an accompaniment for my best friend’s dance performance.”

“Oh, an accompaniment.”

Hearing that word, Tang Tu’s enthusiasm visibly dimmed.

Ever since she had listened to the full version of Passing Through the Mortal World, Tang Tu had been obsessed with hearing it again.

But since the song hadn’t been officially released yet, there wasn’t even a preview version online.

And now, the singer herself had shown up in front of her.

How could Tang Tu just let this opportunity slip by?

So she quickly swallowed her food, cleared her throat, and said,

“Xiao Jiang Ning, you know…”

“Those tapes are valuable store assets.”

“Even though I have the right to use them…”

“It’s fine, I’ll pay for it.”

Jiang Ning understood what Tang Tu was hinting at.

But since she had already come here, she didn’t mind spending a little money.

That’s right—this was the confidence of a rich woman.

However, to her surprise, Tang Tu didn’t seem interested in money.

Instead, she fidgeted, looking at Jiang Ning with a hesitant expression.

That look…

Could it be she wanted me instead?

Jiang Ning couldn’t help but give Tang Tu a once-over.

Fair skin, big eyes—though her nose was a little flat, overall, she still fit into the category of a cute girl.

Add in her long twin tails and those curvy lines…

Cough, cough.

Not bad at all.

“Can you sing Passing Through the Mortal World again?”

???

Oh, so that’s what you were after.

Jiang Ning sighed in disappointment.

“Alright.”

Meanwhile, Tang Tu cheered with a “Yay!” and happily ran off to the back.

At this moment, Qi Wen finally spoke in a soft voice,

“The song Chen Yu hasn’t released yet… it’s also called Passing Through the Mortal World, right?”

Jiang Ning nodded naturally.

Honestly, bringing Qi Wen here today, she had expected this to come up.

But thinking it over, knowing Qi Wen’s personality, as long as she gave her a heads-up, there was no risk of her spreading it around.

“So… you wrote that song?”

“Yep.”

Jiang Ning smiled.

“Wanna hear it? I’ll sing it for you later.”

Hearing Jiang Ning confirm it, Qi Wen’s expression froze for a moment.

She stood there, staring blankly at Jiang Ning, as if the world had suddenly turned surreal.

Classmate. Best friend. High school sophomore. Lyricist. Composer. Producer. Singer.

No matter how she tried, Qi Wen just couldn’t connect all these words to Jiang Ning in her mind.

The sheer disconnect made her feel like she couldn’t tell reality from illusion.

At that moment, Jiang Ning turned back to look at Qi Wen, who was still in a daze.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into her head.

She leaned in, bent slightly, and whispered into Qi Wen’s ear in a teasing voice,

“Wen Wen, this is my secret.”

“You have to keep it for me, okay?”

In an instant, Qi Wen’s face turned as red as blood.

Like a shy little bride, she took a step back, opening her mouth as if to say something but unable to form the words.

In the end, all that came out was a soft, embarrassed murmur, her face still flushed,

“Got it…”

A little while later.

Jiang Ning sat alone in the recording booth, holding her guitar and wearing headphones.

Once everything was set up, she gave an “OK” sign toward Tang Tu outside the glass.

The next second—

A beautiful guitar melody filled the studio’s speakers.

“This sounds amazing.”

“I never thought a guitar could play something so classically elegant.”

Tang Tu’s expression at that moment was no different from any fangirl of a future era.

Even Qi Wen nodded in agreement.

As someone who had studied classical dance for years, she had developed a refined taste for traditional music.

She could instinctively gauge a melody’s style and rhythm the moment she heard it.

So, as she listened, Qi Wen began to blend her practiced classical dance moves with the music in her mind.

And just like that—

Inside the recording studio, one person listened, while the other moved.

Both completely immersed, yet never interfering with each other.

Over three minutes passed.

Jiang Ning pushed open the door and walked in.

“So? How much can we add?”

Tang Tu considered for a moment.

“Guzheng, pipa, xiao flute, small drums…”

“These are the ones we have in the store. The rest, we can mix in some sound effects. That should be enough for now.”

Hearing how Tang Tu could break down her guitar piece and add in so many instrument layers, Jiang Ning was delighted.

Then—

She and Tang Tu got to work, testing out the instruments, layering their sounds, and integrating them into the guitar track.

Meanwhile, Qi Wen took the initial recording and went into the lounge to choreograph her dance.

And just like that, the three of them worked tirelessly until 3 PM, finally completing the full composition.

At that point, there was less than an hour left before Qi Wen’s performance.

In the end, listening to the final, polished track—

Jiang Ning couldn’t resist.

She sat back down in the recording booth.

But before she began singing, a sudden idea struck her.

She took out her phone and dialed a number.

After a few rings, the call connected, and a deep yet slightly serious voice came through.

“Xiao Jiang Jiang, what’s got you calling me at this hour?”

Hearing that, Jiang Ning silently smiled.

“Liao Liao-jie, I have a song here. Wanna listen?”

—