yournovel Chapter 28 The Inside Story of the Crystal Record
Chapter 28 The Inside Story of the Crystal Record
On May 16th, Xie Anran woke up feeling completely refreshed and full of energy. The only downside was that a small, soft body was pressing heavily against her chest, making it impossible for her to move.
Xie Anran lowered his head helplessly, gazing at the delicate, youthful face so close to his. The irritation and resentment he felt from getting up suddenly dissipated. He thought to himself, he'd never realized how popular he was with this little girl before, but now he truly understood. No wonder everyone on short video platforms in later generations longed to have a daughter; Qianqian's obedient and adorable appearance was indeed exceptionally heart-warming.
He sighed silently, wondering what this little girl would look like when she grew up. He feared that she would gradually drift away from him, her childhood sweetheart.
Xie Anran understood this all too well. His childhood sweetheart in his past life had been the same. At five, she was clingy like a taffy, never leaving his side. But by the time she was in third grade, nine, she deliberately kept her distance and stopped being close. According to her, boys and girls were different, and girls should maintain boundaries with boys. Later, she moved and disappeared, and the two never saw each other again in this life.
The thought vanished in an instant. Xie Anran suppressed his thoughts, carefully moved Qianqian's small hand away, and quietly got out of bed to wash and stretch. His body was weak, so he needed to take good care of himself. Although daily exercise could not change his innate constitution or extend his lifespan, neglecting his health would only make his body worse and worse, which would be a loss.
Not long after, Zhang Yun got up and busied herself preparing breakfast. Xie Anran knew perfectly well that Qianqian was particularly grumpy when she woke up; when she got angry, she would even kick her own mother, Liu Xiaoli, a couple of times—her fighting power was off the charts.
Knowing he didn't have Liu Xiaoli's abilities, he prioritized safety and only dared to gently wake the little girl. Sure enough, Qianqian was furious upon being woken, and Xie Anran immediately dodged away, not daring to provoke her. The little girl threw a tantrum for a while before reluctantly getting out of bed to get ready.
The noisy and busy morning passed in a flash. After getting ready, the family drove together to the Crystal Records building. On the way, Xie Anran looked at Qianqian, who was still sulking beside her, and earnestly advised her, "Qianqian, there's nothing to see in the post-production. Just go back to school as usual."
"No, this is my album, I have to participate in the whole process." Sisi raised her little face, her attitude particularly stubborn.
Xie Anran's lips twitched slightly as she silently complained to herself, "This little girl has absolutely no idea how tedious and complicated post-production arrangement and mixing is; she's just joining in for fun." Liu Xiaoli, watching the two children interact, couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
She was also curious about the entire post-production process of the album. Besides, Xixi was exceptionally intelligent and had already completed her first-year coursework on her own, so she didn't have to worry about her studies at all. Xie Anran was a genius student who was reborn with a cheat code, while Xixi was a genuine original genius who not only cultivated her artistic talents but also did not slack off in her academic studies. She was very impressive at such a young age.
When the group arrived at the recording studio, Zhang Songyu was already there with coffee, ready to get started. Seeing Xie Anran enter, he immediately smiled and said, "A professional accompaniment band will be here today. During the arrangement and tuning phase, you might need to sing a few verses to get a feel for the music and match the rhythm of the arrangement."
Instead of responding to the work-related conversation, Xie Anran suddenly asked gossipily, "Teacher Zhang, I heard you have a very good relationship with the Princess, is that true?"
"We're fairly familiar with each other. I helped her out when she was making her albums in the early years, and we worked together for a while." Zhang Songyu waved his hand, his tone indifferent. "Later, I realized that I couldn't make it in the Beijing music scene at all, so I simply went back to Jiangcheng and opened my own studio."
"To be able to work with such a top star, how amazing is that?" Xie Anran casually flattered her.
"What's so great about it?" Zhang Songyu smiled wryly. "Big stars are just ordinary people. If I were really capable, I wouldn't have to slink back to my hometown to make a living."
"Is it really that hard to make it in the Beijing music scene?" Xie Anran pressed for details. He had heard that the Beijing music scene in this era was heavily stratified, with complex and intertwined networks of connections. Without a background or connections, even the most talented person would find it difficult to stand out and establish themselves.
"Let's not talk about it, that's just how the world is." Zhang Songyu sighed softly, full of helplessness. His arrangement and mixing skills were not bad, not top-notch, but definitely enough. But the Beijing music scene has never lacked talented people. To gain a foothold, you either need to have overwhelming strength, or have your own circle of connections and background, or at the very least, you have to spend money to pave the way. You can't do without any of that.
Seeing the complex expression on his face, Xie Anran had already grasped most of the situation. The rumors of Beijing's closed and xenophobic music scene were true, and the chaos in the music industry was not unfounded. Zhang Songyu's face was a mixture of disdain, contempt, and helplessness, clearly indicating that he had suffered a lot of losses and grievances in Beijing.
Seeing that the time was right, Xie Anran changed the subject and asked the core question that had been on her mind: "By the way, Teacher Zhang, does Crystal Records really have a long-term program to cultivate child singers?"
Zhang Songyu was taken aback upon hearing this, and subconsciously lowered his voice, no longer treating Xie Anran as an ordinary child: "I only heard about this project after Lin Zhe got involved with it."
"Huh?" Xie Anran's eyes widened instantly, her heart filled with shock. Could it be that this generous contract and exclusive opportunity were truly tailor-made for her?
"I heard about this from an old friend in Beijing. The document for this project was issued directly by the overseas headquarters, and its origins are very suspicious." Zhang Songyu cracked his knuckles, his tone serious. "It looks like it was tailor-made for you. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that you just got incredibly lucky."
A special document issued by the overseas headquarters... Xie Anran nodded silently, keeping this crucial information firmly in mind, and pondering the mystery behind it.
"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get to work." Zhang Songyu waved his hand, abandoning his idle expression and getting into work mode. "Today, I'll teach you how to operate the mixing console and get familiar with the equipment."
Not far away, Qianqian watched Xie Anran and Zhang Songyu whispering together, trying to hide it from her, and a feeling of unease instantly welled up inside her. Anran was actually talking to someone behind her back; in the little girl's eyes, this was blatant betrayal.
Liu Xiaoli tugged at Zhang Yun's arm and whispered with a laugh, "An Ran and Mr. Zhang's relationship is getting better and better; they can talk about anything now."
"It must be the attraction between like-minded people, the tacit understanding between musicians," Zhang Yun replied with a smile. "I've been observing him for a while now, and I've found that Mr. Zhang is indeed quite pure and doesn't have any ulterior motives."
"Indeed, you can tell he's a very honest person," Liu Xiaoli nodded in agreement.