Singer

Chapter 19 - Unhealthy Wind

Translator: Lynn

It was the weekend when Jian Jie received a notification to go to Cedar Recording Studio to record a chorus song with King Ding Jiangyu. Accompanied by his assistant Zhou Jia, Jian Jie participated in the recording session. Ding Jiangyu was polite and courteous, but he also had high standards for his work. If a note didn’t meet his requirements, he would sing it again and again until he was satisfied. His dedication was truly admirable. Singing with Ding Jiangyu, Jian Jie felt for the first time that he was being overshadowed by someone. It seemed that he posed no threat to Ding Jiangyu in terms of singing, let alone being an equal partner. This realization left Jian Jie feeling a bit frustrated.

He had been naive before.

The recording of a single song took over three hours, and Jian Jie’s contribution didn’t actually account for the majority of the time. Ding Jiangyu had higher demands for himself, and he re-sang parts of the song far more times than Jian Jie did.

After the recording session, Jian Jie sincerely thanked Ding Jiangyu, saying, “Thank you so much, Ding Tianwang¹Ding Jiangyu’s nickname in the industry, for giving me the opportunity to sing with you. I’ve learned a lot from this experience. Thank you.”

Ding Jiangyu was momentarily stunned by the genuine gratitude in front of him. After working in the industry for so many years, it was rare to encounter such a pure and polite junior. Ding Jiangyu encouraged Jian Jie with a smile, saying, “I meet countless newcomers every year, but Xiao Jian, you are special and excellent. You have talent and a willingness to learn. With some good luck, I believe you will succeed. I’m already looking forward to working with you again.”

Many years later, Ding Jiangyu wrote in his autobiography, “The first time we met, he was just a shy boy standing behind the producer. He didn’t know how to express himself, but he wrote great songs. At that time, I thought to myself, this newcomer might soon become someone who works behind the scenes! (laughs)… His performance was remarkable when we collaborated for the first time, but he thanked me sincerely afterward. How long had it been since I had seen such a talented, humble, and polite newcomer? Usually, talented people are arrogant, and honest people are mediocre. To be able to write songs, sing well, be talented, and humble enough, his success is only a matter of time.”

However, Jian Jie was still an unknown newcomer, working hard to advance in his career. Along the journey, there would always be various trials and obstacles, including the necessary test called “unspoken rules.”

In the entertainment industry, there wasn’t a single artist who didn’t encounter unspoken rules, with the difference lying in the degree. Dining with wealthy businessmen, taking commercial performances and endorsements, and posing for photos with the relatives of influential figures—these were considered the least and most unavoidable unspoken rules. As for the ones involving compromising personal boundaries… In a society governed by the rule of law, we place importance on evidence and refrain from discussing things we haven’t witnessed firsthand.

As a newcomer, Jian Jie often encountered unfair treatment, such as being deceived by the company or facing difficulties when participating in programs. These were examples of the unspoken rules in the industry. Of course, Jian Jie didn’t let them hold him back, but such incidents still occurred from time to time. However, at this moment, he was experiencing the unspoken rules for the first time since entering the industry. The instigator or source of this was their perpetually unreliable and careless boss, Yuan Chao.

Yuan Chao, a rich second-generation classmate, enjoyed engaging in questionable activities despite his tall, wealthy, and handsome image. He often lurked in every corner of the company, and no one knew what he was planning.

This weekend, after Jian Jie and Tong Liangliang finished recording a radio program and returned to the company, they were resting in the public artist lounge when Yuan Chao suddenly appeared. He stood at the door, looking around, and once he confirmed that no one else was present, he waved his hand at Jian Jie with a smile and said in a low voice, “Xiao Jie, come to my office.” After speaking, he quickly ran back to his office.

Jian Jie was a bit confused. He hadn’t interacted much with Yuan Chao, so he left the lounge and made his way to Yuan Chao’s office in a daze.

“Mr. Yuan, hello.” The office door was tightly locked, so Jian Jie knocked on it.

In response, the door quickly opened, and Yuan Chao pulled Jian Jie inside, muttering, “Hurry, come in. Don’t let anyone see you!”

“What do you want from me?” Jian Jie was so startled that he didn’t know what to say. When he looked up, he saw a sweet-looking girl, around fifteen or sixteen years old, sitting on the sofa in the room. She was wearing a pure white knitted check sweater and a pale pink skirt, dressed in a very innocent and preppy style. Upon seeing Jian Jie enter, the girl stood up shyly and looked at him with a bashful expression.

Yuan Chao chuckled and said, “Don’t be afraid. I just want to introduce you to my cousin. Xiao Jie, come here. This is my cute and well-behaved little cousin, Sun Qianqian. You can call her Qianqian. She also loves singing and is currently in her third year of high school.” After hearing Jian Jie’s singing at his place, Yuan Chao’s cousin became envious. She wanted to see him in person since she had always listened to him the most. Naturally, as a kind cousin, Yuan Chao wanted to fulfill his little cousin’s wish and brought her to the company to meet Jian Jie. Of course, such encounters had to be kept away from Jian Jie’s super nanny, Da Chen, otherwise, he would definitely be scolded for “not distinguishing between public and private” and “bringing troublesome kids” and so on.

After Yuan Chao finished speaking, Jian Jie took a moment to understand what was happening. Sun Qianqian, with pink cheeks, greeted Jian Jie in a stuttering manner, “Hello! I listened to your CD, ‘Hope,’ at my cousin’s place. It’s really great. My cousin told me that you arranged the lyrics and music all by yourself. I think you’re so talented at such a young age.”

“Did I scare him? Oh no, my cousin used him and then abandoned him, saying he was the best when he was a child!” Yuan Chao pretended to cry, and it worked—Sun Qianqian’s arms turned outward!

It was the first time Jian Jie had encountered such a situation, and he blushed heavily, saying with confusion, “Thank you, that was the first song I recorded. I’m glad you liked it.”

Seeing Jian Jie and his cousin blushing, Yuan Chao found it amusing. He thought that the two of them must be quite attached to him here, so he said, “Qianqian, didn’t you say you wanted to give the song you wrote to Xiaojie? Look, I’m going for a walk now. Since you both love music so much, why not discuss it?” Yuan Chao turned around and opened the door to go outside, but he didn’t go far. Instead, he eavesdropped on the conversation at the door in a wretched manner.

After Yuan Chao left, Sun Qianqian took out a large notebook from her bag and handed it to Jian Jie with a blushing face, saying, “This is a song I wrote. I also love music and I’m learning to compose, but I’m not good at writing.”

Jian Jie took the notebook and carefully flipped through its pages. There were about five or six pieces, but they were all quite incomplete, with some having only two or three bars. The melody and lyrics were still immature but not terrible, especially considering that the author was still a high school student. Jian Jie said, “There are a few. This one and this one—these two are really good. With some modifications, we can change the chorus part a bit and add a few richer chords. There are a few lines in the lyrics that are difficult to pronounce, but overall, it will be a very good piece after the modifications.”

“When I tried singing them myself, I also felt they were too plain, and the lyrics were difficult to sing. I tried making changes a few times, but I still wasn’t satisfied,” Sun Qianqian said, forgetting to be shy as she talked about the problems that had been bothering her.

“If you don’t mind, I can give it a try and modify them for you,” Jian Jie offered.

Sun Qianqian happily agreed, saying, “Okay, thank you so much! The melody of ‘Hope’ has so many ups and downs, yet it all comes together harmoniously. I admire your creativity when I listen to it. How did you come up with it?”

“Well, I thought of the feeling of a gentle stream suddenly transforming into a waterfall,” Jian Jie explained his thoughts during the creation process. Surprisingly, this artistic expression resonated with Sun Qianqian, and the two young music enthusiasts began to enthusiastically discuss their creations.

Outside the room, Yuan Chao was relieved to hear their conversation. What pure and lovely young people! Young people truly should face the sun and pursue their dreams!

As he was feeling emotional, he suddenly felt a cold and chilling presence behind him. Then, Long Zichen’s terrifying and icy voice pierced his ears, “President Yuan, I heard that when I first joined the company, you took Xiaojie to your office. Can you explain what happened?”

Long Zichen emphasized the last few words with gritted teeth, clearly displaying his anger. Yuan Chao couldn’t help but shiver, slowly turning around. He yelled angrily, while his heart bled, “Wasn’t this guy supposed to be recording an album for newcomers? Why did he come back so early? And who betrayed me?”

For a moment, several staff members sneezed simultaneously.

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• 1Ding Jiangyu’s nickname in the industry