Chapter 28: Songs Can Be Written Like This?

"Is this tavern always this busy?" After their drinks were served, Chen Jiang looked around and realized that every seat was taken. The entire tavern was packed with patrons, and some were even standing by the entrance, as if they were all waiting for something.

As eight o'clock approached, the lights on the small stage flickered to life. A young woman walked from a dim corner into the spotlight.

"She's here," Yi Yunxue said, pointing toward the stage. "That’s Maya."

Fortunately, Chen Jiang didn't have poor eyesight, so he could clearly see the girl's face. She looked like a very ordinary girl, the kind who would easily blend into a crowd. She wore her hair in two braids and was dressed simply in a white shirt and jeans. Yet, as she stepped onto the stage, every customer in the room turned their gaze toward her. It was clear that the majority of the people here had come specifically to hear her sing.

The music began, and Chen Jiang recognized it immediately; it was a signature song of one of this world's divas. The track leaned toward the passionate, with very high notes. The moment Maya began to sing, the ordinary girl was ordinary no more. She navigated the opening high notes with ease.

Chen Jiang stared in that direction, his eyes lighting up. Her voice was pure, and within that purity lay a sense of free-spirited yearning—a truly unique sound. Chen Jiang was reminded of a female singer from his past life; the two voices were very similar, both equally distinctive. *Perhaps in this world, she is the only one who can truly master that song,* he thought.

When the singing stopped, the tavern erupted into thunderous applause.

"Bravo!"
"Great singing!"

"Thank you, everyone!" The girl bowed to the audience.

"Next, I'd like to bring you a song that’s been very popular lately—'Meeting'!" She smiled, glancing over in their direction. It was clear she had spotted them.

"I hear the winter leaving."
"I wake up in some month of some year."
"I think, I wait, I hope."
"But the future cannot be arranged because of this..."

As the music played, Chen Jiang listened quietly. She sang well, but due to the style of the song, it didn't quite reach the level of her previous performance. After finishing, she thanked the audience again and stepped off the stage.

A short while later, she appeared before them. "Sister Yunxue," she said, sitting down beside her.

"Let me introduce you. This is the music director of our Dream Rise Studio," Yi Yunxue said to her.

"Hello, I'm Chen Jiang," Chen Jiang introduced himself.

"You’re Chen Jiang?" Maya’s eyes lit up. As a music enthusiast, she naturally kept up with industry trends. Chen Jiang had gained great fame recently, hailed as a "mysterious genius composer who appeared out of thin air." No one in the industry knew his age. Seeing the young man before her, Maya found it hard to believe: Chen Jiang was actually this young!

"Hello, Mr. Chen!" she said, feeling a bit nervous.

Yi Yunxue looked at Chen Jiang, clearly leaving the decision regarding the contract to him.

"Give her a B-tier contract, and I will personally write a song for her," Chen Jiang said with a smile.

A B-tier contract was the highest tier a non-creative singer could obtain. Previously, Yi Yunxue had been debating whether to offer her a C-tier or B-tier contract. C-tier contracts offered fewer benefits and resources, while B-tier contracts were more generous, including a significantly higher base salary. Furthermore, for earnings generated after signing, a C-tier singer had to give seventy percent to the studio, whereas a B-tier singer only had to give fifty percent. However, B-tier contracts also came with more restrictions, and the penalties for breach of contract were much steeper.

"Thank you, Mr. Chen!" Maya was overjoyed and thanked him profusely. She hadn't actually thought much about the contract itself; the main thing was that Chen Jiang had agreed to write a song for her! The last song Chen Jiang had written, "Meeting," was a hit; he possessed talent easily on par with a gold-tier songwriter. Having such a creator willing to write for her was no less lucky than being struck by a gold nugget falling from the sky.

"Alright, come to the address I’ll send you tomorrow afternoon to sign the contract," Yi Yunxue said.

"Okay! Thank you, Sister Yunxue!" Maya said gratefully.

"You should thank Sister Li; she was the one who discovered you," Yi Yunxue said with a smile. "Sister Li took the initiative to propose nurturing you personally. I agreed, and she will take charge of you after the contract is signed. She will be your manager from now on."

Yi Yunxue had now become the boss of the studio. Since the studio was just starting out, the experienced Sister Li needed to quickly train a batch of potential artists. Yi Yunxue would look for an assistant later to handle her own subsequent affairs.

Leaving the tavern, the two walked along the nearby streets. This area was far less developed than the city center, but it had a sense of warmth and vitality. Chen Jiang always felt that the street food in the "urban village" was more delicious. When he shared this feeling with Yi Yunxue, she was skeptical. "It's all just snacks; what difference could there be?"

They bought two lamb skewers at a roadside stand. Yi Yunxue had her face covered tightly; she lifted her mask just a little to take a small bite of the skewer, all while keeping a vigilant eye on her surroundings.

Seeing this, Chen Jiang couldn't help but laugh. "You look just like a cat stealing a bite of fish! Exactly like Xiao Ju when she sneaks a treat—no wonder you're her owner."

"Hmph!" Yi Yunxue rolled her eyes at him. "If someone discovers us, you'll be on the headlines tomorrow!"

"Yi Yunxue suspected of a secret rendezvous with a mysterious man... is that right?" Chen Jiang teased.

"Shh! Keep your voice down," Yi Yunxue said quickly.

"This is an urban village, filled with young people who have been working hard all day. Don't worry, they probably won't recognize you." Chen Jiang thought about his past life; he had been the same. After a busy day, he would rush home to a rental unit in an urban village, sometimes even returning to work overtime. There was no time to pay attention to celebrities, and even if they were recognized, people would just walk on by.

"I'm worried about paparazzi..."

"If there are paparazzi, I'll beat them up!"

"Actually, you're right—the food here really is better than in the city center!" Yi Yunxue said with surprise.

"Of course. Most of the snack shops here are run by local uncles and aunties; they're old establishments, so the taste is naturally better than what you find elsewhere," Chen Jiang explained.

"Chen Jiang, you mentioned earlier that you were going to write a song for Maya. Have you thought about what you're going to write?" Yi Yunxue suddenly remembered his promise.

"I have. As soon as I heard her voice, I knew exactly how this song should be written. I can write it as soon as I get back," Chen Jiang said confidently.

"Then let's head back." A hint of anticipation flickered in Yi Yunxue’s beautiful eyes. She was very curious: what kind of song would Chen Jiang create for Maya?

Since they had been drinking, Chen Jiang called a designated driver. Back home, Chen Jiang went straight to his study. He began typing on his keyboard, and after nearly twenty minutes, he finished the composition, registered the copyright, and sent the file to Yi Yunxue.

[Chen Jiang]: It's done.

[Yi Yunxue]: ???

[Yi Yunxue]: I just finished taking a shower, and you're already done?

[Chen Jiang]: That's right. I sent the file; take a look yourself.

At this moment, Yi Yunxue was completely bewildered. She had assumed Chen Jiang was just joking; how could anyone write a song so quickly? It should have taken at least a whole night... She never expected it to be this fast!

She opened the file and, seeing the musical notation and lyrics, her expression instantly turned serious. After reading it, she was deeply moved, unable to find words to adequately describe the song.

"Can a song be written like this?" Yi Yunxue was stunned. Chen Jiang was truly incredible!