yournovel Chapter 232 Leader, Keep a Low Profile!
Chapter 232 Leader, Keep a Low Profile!
Chapter 232 Leader, Keep a Low Profile!
"Clingy?"
Yu Songnian casually tossed the bone in his hand into his bag, his lips still glistening with oil, and joked:
"Brother Huan, you can only say that to my face. If you have the guts, try saying it to your wife's face!"
Yu Huan shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
Put a rolled-up piece of roast duck into your mouth and chew it slowly.
Just then, the phone on the edge of the table vibrated. Yu Huan glanced at it and saw that it was a photo sent by Lin Yourong. She then double-tapped the screen with her little finger.
The image then unfolds.
In the photo, several exquisite dishes in front of a large round table come into view.
Classic dishes such as sweet and sour carp and braised sea cucumber with scallions can still be vaguely discerned.
Yu Huan smiled and slowly typed a reply on the screen with one finger: 'The food is so good! Last night it was Quanjude, and tonight it's Shandong cuisine again.'
"To be precise, this is Beijing-Shandong cuisine." Lin Yourong's message popped up quickly.
Upon seeing this reply, Yu Huan, despite having her mouth full, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Fun fact: Peking duck is actually a traditional Shandong dish.
Immediately after, Lin Yourong sent another message: 'But I feel like they all taste pretty much the same. Are you busy tonight?'
Yu Huan was replying to a message with one finger when he noticed Yu Songnian half-standing up, peeking at his phone screen.
He quickly moved his phone aside and tapped send: 'The demo has a minor flaw and needs fixing, but I'm not busy.'
"Can't I even look?!" Yu Songnian plopped back into his chair, picked up the can, and gulped down a big mouthful of cola.
Yu Huan glanced at him sideways: "My wife and I are having a chat, what are you doing here? Go eat your food!"
Yu Songnian placed shredded scallions and cucumber on the pancake, then added a few slices of roast duck, muttering discontentedly as he wrapped it up:
"It's been so long, and I still don't know what my sister-in-law looks like. Even Sister Chengzi said that if we saw her, we would be very surprised and say that she is very beautiful!"
After a pause, Yu Songnian shook his head and continued, "Also, Huan-ge, you're really unfair. You showed it to Sister Chengzi but not to me!"
Hearing Yu Chengcheng finally couldn't help but reveal the information, she still held her ground and didn't leak the fact that her sister-in-law was a female celebrity.
Yu Huan smiled and said teasingly:
"What's so interesting about them? Aren't they all just one nose and two eyes?"
Yu Songnian put the rolled-up roast duck into his mouth and sighed helplessly, "Fine..."
He just finished speaking.
Yu Huan's phone vibrated on the table in front of her; it was a message from Lin Yourong: "Shall we video chat at 7:30?"
"No problem!" Yu Huan slowly typed out the three words and sent them.
He thought to himself, "This guy is really a clingy person."
Not long after.
The two brothers devoured a whole roast duck meant for four people.
Satisfied, Yu Huan let out a long sigh, stood up, and began to clean up the mess after the meal, putting all kinds of trash into her tote bag.
"That was delicious!"
Yu Songnian tilted his head back and drank the last bit of cola, then stood up, supporting himself on the edge of the table with both hands:
"Brother Huan, I have to go back to the county now."
Even so, she first turned around and went to the kitchen sink, squeezed some dish soap onto her hands, turned on the tap, and "splashed" the grease off her hands.
Yu Huan watched his retreating figure and said, "Please drive carefully."
Yu Songnian nodded, casually wiped his damp hands on the hem of his clothes, and strolled out of the kitchen: "Brother Huan, do you want me to take the trash downstairs for you?"
“Okay!” Yu Huan immediately handed him the handbag.
"Goodbye, Boss!" Yu Songnian saluted him with his right hand while carrying a bag in his left.
Upon hearing these three words, Yu Huan was left speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
After seeing his younger brother off at the door, he closed the door and glanced back at the wall clock.
It's 6:50 now, and there's still some time before my video call with Lin Yourong.
Yu Huan calmly walked into the bedroom and onto the balcony, turned on her laptop, put on her headphones, and entered her password.
Then, I used the mouse to open the music production software.
In what seemed like an instant, the phone next to the mousepad suddenly vibrated, and the notification sound of a video call echoed in the quiet balcony.
With the melody of "The Wind Rises" filling her mind, Yu Huan quickly glanced at the bottom right corner of her computer screen; it was already 7:30.
He quickly took off his headphones, paused the playback with the mouse, and answered a video call from his wife.
The screen froze slightly, then Lin Yourong's sweet and melodious voice came through the speakers: "Good evening, darling!"
Yu Huan carefully listened to his wife's voice.
Ok.
There's a slight pinch.
But it sounds very pleasant.
He raised the phone in his hand and positioned the front-facing camera directly in front of him.
Looking at Lin Yourong leaning against the headboard on the screen, I saw that her long hair was hanging down her shoulders and she was wearing a nightgown.
He couldn't help but smile and say, "Honey, you're healthy now, huh?"
Lin Yourong raised her chin slightly: "That's right. If I have to get up at three to catch a flight, then of course I have to go to bed at eight or nine o'clock."
"My wife has worked so hard!" Yu Huan blurted out.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yourong's big, round almond-shaped eyes and face lit up with a smile. She said with a smile, "I heard my dad is going to your hometown to go fishing?"
Yu Huan thought for a moment before speaking, "It's not really going to my hometown. We've arranged to go fishing at Laodao River, and then have lunch at my house. It's quite a distance between the two places, about a half-hour drive."
"Oh." Lin Yourong nodded knowingly.
Yu Huan joked, "I reckon your dad wants to be the vanguard, scout things out for you, and check out the situation at your son-in-law's house."
"Well……"
Yu Huan noticed a hint of embarrassment creeping onto her face.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly changed his words to:
"The demo is almost finished. After fixing a few minor flaws, I can send you the sheet music and audio together. Would you like me to play it for you on my computer's speaker now?"
“Okay!” Lin Yourong nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Yu Huan switched the phone to her left hand, skillfully operated the mouse with her right hand, dragged the progress bar back, and then clicked play.
In the tranquil balcony, melodious piano music slowly began to play.
As numerous instruments joined in one after another, the human voice of "Aoh Goose" slowly emerged, and the accompaniment gradually changed from gentle and melodious to passionate and powerful.
The music seemed to spill out from the balcony and drift into the night sky.
Yu Huan felt an unparalleled sense of accomplishment at this moment.
Thousands of tall buildings rise from the ground.
I haven't played any of the built-in Windows games at work lately, and I've given up almost all my rest time. I even downloaded music production software on my work computer and used every spare moment to learn the software and study music theory.
This demo is the result of his meticulous work over the past few days, crafting it from scratch bit by bit.
Finally, at this moment, it shone with a fairly dazzling brilliance.
Even though the sound quality was somewhat lost after passing through multiple layers of transmission, Lin Yourong closed her almond-shaped eyes slightly and nodded her chin slightly in sync with the rhythm, listening very attentively.
It was as if I was completely immersed in it, feeling a little intoxicated.
Looking at his wife's subtle expression, Yu Huan felt that this was the best affirmation for him, and everything was worthwhile.
As the song ended, Lin Yourong opened her eyes, a look of disbelief on her face: "This intro, this arrangement... did you really create this while learning it?"
Yu Huan raised her chin slightly and replied with a confident smile, "Otherwise what?"
Sister Ru's voiceover came through the screen: "This song is really good! The melody is very catchy!"
"Hmm, apart from the slightly jarring electronic sound added to the vocals, this demo is absolutely perfect! The level of completion is too high!" As soon as Lin Yourong finished speaking, she raised her hand and seemed to slap the blanket hard, making a dull "bang".
“Uh…” Yu Huan scratched the back of his head.
I really want to refute that even the original singer couldn't reach the high notes in the recording studio. The auto-tuning made the sound a bit electric, to the point that it had a bit of an internet celebrity vibe.
After all, he was just recording a demo vocal track for internal reference, not for anyone else to hear.
It's perfectly reasonable to make some modifications to it, isn't it?
Lin Yourong's attention wasn't on that at all; she simply stated the truth in one sentence, then stroked her chin thoughtfully before speaking:
"Although the chorus follows the conventional 4536251 chord progression, the chord progression in the verse is so interesting that the whole song, when put together, is truly unconventional! Moreover, the main instrument is the piano, and its vocal range spans two octaves—"
With a soft "thump," she patted the blanket again, and said with admiration and appreciation, "Darling, this is really perfect for me!"
"Really?" Yu Huan asked with a formulaic smile.
But she secretly wondered if Lin Yourong would imagine that it was tailor-made for her.
"The melody sounds very positive and gives people a sense of positivity. Is what you wrote about beautiful love?" Lin Yourong's big eyes sparkled as she waited for Yu Huan's answer with a look of anticipation.
See this.
Yu Huan coughed lightly and uttered two simple words: "Youth".
"Oh." Lin Yourong nodded slightly.
Seeing that her enthusiasm had immediately waned, Yu Huan thought she was being love-struck and wanted him to write her a love song.
He quickly added, "Although it sounds a bit like bragging, this song is not only good in its melody, but the lyrics are also really good! I will send you the sheet music later, and you will see for yourself."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yourong's eyes curved into crescent moons with laughter: "Hmm, I want to hear it one more time, and then go to sleep."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Huan quickly clicked play on the mouse.
This is such a small request, of course we'll grant it!
As the demo played, Yu Huan smiled and said:
"Because this song spans sixteen degrees, a live performance requires an effective vocal range of two octaves. It has a catchy melody and is also very suitable for competition. The verses are low, the chorus has a dense rhythm and high-pitched enunciation, and it also needs to be sung with a smooth and flowing feel to perfectly interpret the youthful spirit in the song."
"I understand." Lin Yourong nodded emphatically, her expression very serious.
You know, when we gave her the first two songs, we focused on a relaxed and casual style, and we never analyzed her like this before.
Considering that she sang this song when she first appeared on the stage of "I Am a Singer," it's clear that there were high expectations for this song.
"Although the song is very difficult to sing, I heard you perform live at Happy Camp. Your mid-range is excellent and you handle the high notes with ease. With your singing skills, this singer can easily defeat you."
Sister Ru clicked her tongue in admiration: "No wonder they're a couple who fell in love at first sight, their shared interests—and the way they praise each other—"
The words have not yet fallen.
Lin Yourong turned her head, rolled her eyes with a hint of annoyance, raised her hand, and slapped it hard off-screen.
"My wife and I are having a chat, can you please stop interrupting?"
Yu Huan couldn't help but chuckle, but after pondering Lin You Rong's words, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
Lin Yourong turned around, her expression somewhat hesitant.
"What's wrong?" Yu Huan asked.
Lin Yourong's lips moved a few times, as if she was carefully considering her words.
After a moment of silence, she said hesitantly, "This voice, you didn't record it yourself, did you?"
"That's right, it's me." Yu Huan nodded frankly.
Lin Yourong sighed, "It's been edited so much that it doesn't sound like your voice at all anymore!"
Yu Huan was speechless.
If it weren't for the fact that AI technology in the field of audio these days relies solely on the defense, he wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths, going to such great lengths to record and edit.
Otherwise, we really should have Silang sing "The Wind Rises".
“One of you can write songs, and the other can sing. That’s great, a perfect match!” Sister Ru interjected again.
Lin Yourong smiled with a hint of smugness: "Of course!"
Yu Huan made the same expression as the baby with a clenched fist: "I can't wait to see my wife take over the Chinese music scene!"
"Boss, keep a low profile!" Sister Ru raised her voice a few decibels.
"I don't even have such high expectations for myself, that's too much." Lin Yourong smiled and said, "My current goal is to last three rounds on the 'I Am a Singer' stage, and that would be a success!"
The format of the first season of "I Am a Singer" was relatively simple.
Each round consists of two rounds: the first round adds singers, and the second round eliminates singers, and so on.
Lin Yourong's insistence on three rounds of filming is equivalent to recording six episodes.
She joined in the fifth batch, which shows she has quite a bit of ambition.
Yu Huan was fully aware of this, but felt it was still not enough.
They should at least hold on until the thirteenth episode of the singing competition, right?
He lowered his fist and said with a smile:
“I feel that 99.9% of the singers who are popular now are studio singers. Apart from a small number who can compose, most of them rely solely on their voices. Once they go to a live performance, their lack of vocal quality is exposed. It’s rare to see someone with solid singing skills like you. Moreover, the currently active and powerful female singers, such as Han Hong and Na Ying, all transitioned from folk singing to pop singing.”
Lin Yourong nodded slightly.
She listened attentively with a smile on her lips.
"So when you participate in 'I Am a Singer,' you don't need to feel any pressure facing those seniors. On the competitive stage, we don't care about seniority. Just sing 'The Wind Rises' perfectly from beginning to end, and you'll definitely take the stage!"
Yu Huan paused briefly, then encouraged her with a burning gaze:
"Music should come from the soul, not from age and seniority!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yourong nodded. Although the video call quality was slightly blurry, it couldn't hide the bright light in her eyes and the look of agreement on her face.
"Yu Huan, you've said it so well!" Sister Ru exclaimed sincerely.
The demo had already finished playing on its second run.
Yu Huan ignored Ru Jie's startled remark, instead focusing on Lin Yourong on the screen, and said with a smile:
“Think about these words carefully. You are currently at the peak of your singing ability, and you also have a body of work to show for it. Youth has its advantages, and you don’t need to be afraid of Qi Zhen at all.”
"Huh, how did you know Qi Zhen was one of the initial singers?"
Lin Yourong's mouth formed an "O" shape in surprise, and she tilted her head, looking incredibly cute.
"Honey, I don't think I've talked to you about this before?"
Yu Huan coughed slightly.
More than that.
He knew even more clearly that Lin Yourong, as a replacement singer in the fifth episode, would never actually meet Qi Zhen.
Qi Zhen, as a pillar of the pop music scene in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, represents a pop king of an era and holds an unshakable position in the history of Chinese music development.
He could sing and write songs, had an excellent personal image when he was young, and was a pioneer of mainstream pop music.
This is what you call an idol.
However, Qi Zhen has now entered his later years. Time is merciless, and his voice has deteriorated significantly. His voice is no longer as clear and bright as it used to be, and he has also suffered burns.
Qi Zhen's performance on "I Am a Singer" was unsatisfactory twice, and he was already embarrassed. If the show's producers were to manipulate the results and win him the title of "King of Singers," it would definitely raise questions from the audience.
If they lose, as a legend, they will lose face even more.
Therefore, Qi Zhen will withdraw from the competition in the fourth round, citing "the old lady doesn't have much time left," and travel to the United States to visit his mother.
Yu Huan rested her chin on her hand and said with a smile, "Of course I have my own sources of information, otherwise why would I have strongly suggested that you participate in this program?"
“Okay~” Lin Yourong nodded.
"My wife is no less capable than anyone else!" Yu Huan emphasized.
"Yes, I'm bursting with confidence right now!"
Lin Yourong chuckled, then suddenly raised her small hand and waved:
"I'm going to sleep now. Don't stay up late either. I think the demo is already quite complete. There's no need to be too perfect. Just do some minor tweaking and send it to me."
"Okay, goodnight, wife!" Yu Huan waved back.
"Bye~"
Her gentle voice echoed in the balcony, then fell silent with a "beep".
(End of this chapter)