Chapter 273: Chapter 273: If Bai Xue Could Take Bai Tou’s Place
Jiang Leyi first froze in disbelief, then her eyes widened incredulously, tears welling up immediately. “You… you don’t hate me anymore?”
Jiang Nanshu smiled at her. “I used to dislike you quite a bit; after all, I am mom’s biological daughter, but she always treated you better than she treated me. That day at school, after she said some harsh words to me, you called me, and I unfairly took my anger out on you. I’m sorry; I have a bad temper…”
Jiang Nanshu couldn’t finish her sentence before she was pulled into a warm embrace. Jiang Leyi hugged her, crying and laughing at the same time: “That’s not true; you’re the best in the world. Whoever says you’re not good, I’ll be their enemy.”
“Wuwuwu, Nannan, thank you for not hating me. I felt so sad when you did. I’ve spent days thinking, wondering if there was something I did wrong.”
Listening to Jiang Leyi’s words, Jiang Nanshu’s eyes curved into a smile. “It’s my problem, not yours.”
Jiang Leyi suddenly felt that not hearing Jiang Nanshu’s inner thoughts was a good thing. The interactions between people should be an exchange of sincerity.
However, she found Jiang Nanshu’s change a bit unreal.
Duan Huaiyu plucked on the guitar strings, observing the two who were reluctant to part, and asked, “Shall we start now?”
Jiang Leyi released Jiang Nanshu and looked toward him. His buzz cut, robust facial features expressionless. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt paired with light blue jeans and black skate shoes—simple and clean.
Jiang Nanshu nodded and walked over to the digital piano inside.
Holding Duan Huaiyu’s sheet music, her slender fingertips played on the piano, humming a tune and occasionally pausing for several seconds to make markings on the sheet music.
Duan Huaiyu watched Jiang Nanshu intently, aware of Jiang Leyi’s gaze, forced himself to look away, focusing on the sheet music.
His hands rested on his knees, moving in rhythm with her humming.
Through Jiang Nanshu’s humming, it was a different flavor that left a slight bitterness in his heart.
It seemed he had met the person he liked at the wrong time, in the wrong place.
This sentiment, he could not reveal.
The shining Jiang Nanshu.
A lady he didn’t deserve.
“Armies march, hooves thunder, the moon shines brightly over the turbulent river, it’s the longing that spreads—why do we meet if we cannot spend our lives together?” Jiang Nanshu recited the lyrics Duan Huaiyu had written.
After thinking for a while, she turned her head and asked him, “What do you think about changing it to this?”
“Iron cavalry approaches, the mountains spread wide, the crowd scatters. The silver moon hangs over the city gates, our nostalgia darkly splendid, yet by the mountains and waters we do not meet, the world is filled with sorrow. If only the white snow could age in our stead, the years would not bear us ill.”
Duan Huaiyu’s calm eyes widened slightly, murmuring, “If only the white snow could age in our stead, the years would not bear us ill… the years, would not bear us ill.”
Having read the rough plot of “Luanying,” Jiang Nanshu spoke lightly, “The main essence of the lyrics and music is to create an atmosphere of desolation. Born in times of chaos, unable to stay together, the heroine is a general. After her lover dies, she’s wounded by an arrow that damages her heart and can no longer fight. Entrapped by schemes, she’s taken to the palace. As someone born free, she’s now imprisoned by high walls, under the supreme reign of the emperor, feared for her family’s outstanding achievements, they sought ways to eliminate her kin.”
“The heroine wouldn’t sink into despair for the sake of her family. She voluntarily gave herself away, conceived the Dragon Successor, hoping to seize power through the child. But at that moment, her supposedly dead lover returned. When they met, things had drastically changed, and the once fervent vows became delusions. Without a word, they bathed together in a snowfall, both their longings silently rotting away.”
Seeing Duan Huaiyu and Jiang Leyi in a daze, she continued, “You two should sing with that emotion in your duet. The intro doesn’t need to be too long, just add some mournful interludes.”
Jiang Nanshu’s fingers continued to play the piano keys, the tune intermittently connecting.
A song that was already good became elevated through Jiang Nanshu’s modifications.
This was the first time Jiang Leyi saw Jiang Nanshu writing a song, and that humming melody was really pleasant to the ears. She had never heard such a lovely tune before and had the faint feeling that if this song were released, it would be the kind played on loop.
Duan Huaiyu’s eyes sparkled; Jiang Nanshu’s proficiency in this area was indeed high.
“Miss, since you’re so good at composing, why don’t you pursue a career as an original singer?”
“My voice isn’t pleasant to listen to. I lack singing skills.”
Duan Huaiyu frowned. Jiang Nanshu’s voice wasn’t hard on the ears; reasonably, her singing shouldn’t be that bad.
Jiang Leyi reached out to tug at Duan Huaiyu’s sleeve and shook her head at him.
Signaling him to stop asking.
A year ago, Jiang Nanshu insisted on singing, even claiming that with her voice, she was a future singing queen.
But the outcome was… her singing was not great.
Jiang Leyi feared that Jiang Nanshu would be reminded of the sad past and be upset, so she signaled Duan Huaiyu not to ask any more questions.
Duan Huaiyu pursed his lips and ultimately kept quiet.
Jiang Nanshu used to be able to sing.
On the day Zhou Yanxu died, she had managed to break free from the firefighters’ restraint and rush into the blazing mansion.
Her throat was injured by the thick smoke.
Latter, Zhou Yanxu’s brother had someone force-feed her a bottle of pesticide. She was saved, but her stomach was damaged, and so was her throat. She could no longer sing.
When it came to life and death, these hobbies became trivial. What she thought about every day was how to survive.
In one afternoon, Jiang Nanshu had nearly finished the modifications.
She had added many new lyrics too.
All of them adjusted according to the entire drama’s mood.
Both Duan Huaiyu and Jiang Leyi were very satisfied.
For three straight days, Jiang Nanshu worked on this task.
On the day they finished recording, Jiang Zhouye also completed three songs.
He posted a short demo of the recording on Weibo, and it immediately caused quite a stir.
Leaving his previous company, he had actually brought more popularity to the current one.
Led by Lian Xingze, the boy band’s popularity was waning. They sat in the office, silent in the face of their manager, Brother Huang, who was visibly disappointed.
Brother Huang slammed a folder on the table, utterly baffled, “How did Jiang Zhouye’s voice recover? Why is he one of the Jiang Family’s four young masters? I was by his side for over three years, and even I was deceived.”
He thought Jiang Zhouye was a naïve dream chaser from the mountains, easy to bully. That’s why, when Lian Xingze wanted the lead singer position, he turned a blind eye and let them set Jiang Zhouye up.
If he knew he was the young master of the Jiang Family, he wouldn’t have dared, not for a hundred more chances.
Now, from the company’s leaders down to them, agents, they all deeply regretted their actions.
They let go of a golden opportunity, not only paying a hefty breach of contract fee but also earning the ire of the Jiang Family. Now, he still had to endure the company leaders’ wrath, making his life truly miserable.
He pinned his hopes on Lian Xingze, “Xingze, didn’t you say that the Zhou Family in Port City is your distant relative? There’s a schedule coming up in Port City, and I’ve arranged it for you, okay?”