Chapter 97

Ran Jie sang two old songs first, her facial expressions more lively than usual, and her singing style more delicate, which was a great way to thank all the friends and audience for their support.

Here, Qi Qingnuo and Tao Meng clinked glasses: "I'll drink up, you take it easy."

Tao Meng took a sip, pursed her lips, and said to Yang Jingxing: "It's quite good."

Yang Jingxing smiled: "Come, I'll toast to you too."

Tao Meng didn't even pick up her glass, looking at the stage: "She sings really well."

Qi Qingnuo asked Yang Jingxing: "Aren't you going to let Panpan know?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head: "Don't make her nervous."

After Ran Jie finished singing, she called Fu Feirong to the stage, and Yu Xinting led a round of applause. Yang Jingxing then sat back with Gan Kaicheng and his group, giving them a brief introduction to Fu Feirong's background and experiences.

Gan Kaicheng and his two companions watched the stage, then looked at Yang Jingxing, and then glanced at Tao Meng, Qi Qingnuo, and Yu Xinting's group. The manager of the planning department was rather blunt: "She doesn't look too good, and her height is a bit short." The market now is not the same as it was in Duan Liying's era.

Gan Kaicheng didn't say much, but when Fu Feirong started singing a song from last year, he raised his eyebrows. His deputy commented: "Her voice is pretty good."

Yang Jingxing didn't offer any comments, just watched Fu Feirong with them. Fu Feirong's first song was a simple, straightforward melody that showcased her voice well.

Fu Feirong also sang two old songs, and then Ran Jie took the stage again. Yang Jingxing asked Gan Kaicheng: "What do you think?"

Gan Kaicheng was thinking, and the planning department spoke first: "There's potential for packaging." The tone was somewhat reluctant.

Gan Kaicheng tilted his head: "She's an amateur... How did you find someone like this? There are plenty at school."

Yang Jingxing smiled: "The ones at school are too professional, too set in their ways."

Gan Kaicheng's deputy said: "They lack malleability."

Qi Qingnuo came over, toasted a few people, and asked Gan Kaicheng: "How about Panpan?"

Gan Kaicheng smiled: "Not bad, why isn't she singing a new song yet?"

Qi Qingnuo said: "What's the rush?" She patted Yang Jingxing's shoulder: "You're up."

After Ran Jie sang two more songs, Qi Qingnuo announced the surprise: "Next, Yang Jingxing and his beautiful high school classmate Tao Meng will perform a piano and trumpet duet, no, a piano and pipa duet, titled 'Together Through Wind and Rain.'"

Yang Jingxing and Tao Meng took the stage to applause, and Tao Meng bowed slightly before sitting at the piano. Tao Meng was indeed very beautiful, a pleasant surprise to those who had already noticed her, and a delightful discovery to those who hadn't.

Yang Jingxing sat next to Tao Meng, smiled at her, and she returned the smile before they began. As the piano prelude started, the bar fell silent again.

At first, Tao Meng was a bit worried that Yang Jingxing's pipa might ruin the performance, but after a minute, she was reassured. Wang Rui was still clapping enthusiastically, clearly for Yang Jingxing. After all, the composition department is different; their improvisation skills are indeed strong. If Wang Rui were to play, she might not be able to improvise as richly and fully as Yang Jingxing, despite her more mature and profound technique.

The trumpet and pipa are from two different worlds, so today's duet had a unique feel. To the two professional pipa players in the audience, Yang Jingxing's playing wasn't particularly outstanding, but it didn't significantly affect the overall effect, especially for the general audience.

Tao Meng was a bit affected, at least to Yang Jingxing's sensitive ears, and it wasn't as smooth as when she played with the trumpet, with occasional wrong notes or imbalances in volume.

However, this live version was still very pleasant to listen to, even captivating Qi Qingnuo and Yu Xinting. Gan Kaicheng and his group occasionally exchanged words, Ran Jie pointed Tao Meng out to her friends, Fu Feirong stood by the stage, watching Yang Jingxing play the pipa with wide eyes, and Qi Dawei and his wife looked up from behind the bar...

There was a small pause between the second and third sections of the piece, and the audience, not knowing it was a pause, started clapping, but quickly stopped.

In the third section, to capture the bright and stirring quality of the original trumpet, Yang Jingxing used the tremolo technique. The pipa's tremolo is more intricate than the guitar's, and here, Yang Jingxing performed it better than before. A friend of Qi Dawei's pipa player even laughed in appreciation.

After the eight-minute piece ended, Tao Meng looked at Yang Jingxing, who praised her: "Impressive, you weren't nervous at all?"

Tao Meng smiled, stood up, and Yang Jingxing followed, bowing together to thank the enthusiastic applause. As they walked back to their seats, people around them continued to applaud and watch. Gan Kaicheng's deputy stood up, waving to Yang Jingxing and Tao Meng: "Come, have a drink."

Tao Meng picked up her cocktail glass, lightly clinked it with a few people, took a small sip, and thanked them for their compliments with a smile before sitting back down, continuing to modestly accept praise from Chai Litian and the others.

The manager of the planning department was even more enthusiastic towards Yang Jingxing, seeing from a business perspective that both Yang Jingxing and Tao Meng had much more potential for packaging than Fu Feirong.

Yang Jingxing shook his head and smiled: "I can't, I get nervous in big crowds."

Gan Kaicheng urged: "It's getting late, have them sing the new song again."

Yang Jingxing said: "It's about to start."

Sure enough, Fu Feirong took the stage, her speaking voice much softer than her singing: "The next song is also... composed by Yang Jingxing, 'The Girl,' I hope you like it." She usually doesn't speak on stage.

Besides Yu Xinting and the others, some people in the front were already cheering, likely regulars. Fu Feirong's accompanist was Ran Jie's partner, whose piano skills were at least on par with Tao Meng's. This time, Gan Kaicheng picked up the sheet music and didn't look at the stage.

The piano was beautiful, but Fu Feirong's singing was even more enchanting. Within seconds, the bar fell silent, even the bartender stopped shaking the cocktail shaker.

This song truly showcased Fu Feirong's unique voice, full of vitality in the beautiful and joyful melody, making people feel happy and peaceful, as if they were transported back to a carefree childhood, yet filled with hope for the future.

Yang Jingxing also watched Fu Feirong, as she sang better than before, conveying genuine emotion through her voice. Seeing Fu Feirong occasionally close her eyes, she was clearly very engaged. The light and lively piano accompaniment and the human voice blended seamlessly, giving Fu Feirong's voice a penetrating quality. At that moment, the bar was so quiet that it seemed time had stopped, with only Fu Feirong's voice echoing in everyone's hearts.

Tao Meng suddenly reached out and gently tapped Yang Jingxing's collar with her index finger. Yang Jingxing turned and smiled at her, and Tao Meng smiled back, her eyes sparkling.

Gan Kaicheng kept his head down, reading the sheet music, while the planning department member stared at the stage without moving. Gan Kaicheng's deputy smiled at Yang Jingxing and nodded.

The ending was a few soft, long piano notes fading out with the vocals. The piano was played so well that the audience hesitated to clap, not wanting to break the moment.

Fu Feirong waited a few seconds and then nodded slightly, whispering: "Thank you."

At that moment, the applause erupted, and cheers began to rise.

At Yang Jingxing's table, only Gan Kaicheng didn't clap. He put down the sheet music and looked at Yang Jingxing: "Next song?"

Wang Rui was already preparing. This time, it was Ran Jie's turn to introduce, leading Fu Feirong by the hand: "The next song is 'Fingertips of Water,' a duet with Panpan, also composed by Yang Jingxing, but the lyrics are by someone you wouldn't expect... our boss!" After the audience's excitement, she continued: "We've been preparing this song for a long time, and tonight is its premiere. I also want to introduce the pipa accompanist, Wang Rui, a third-year student at Pu Yin University and a good friend of Nuo Nuo."

Yu Xinting and An Xin quickly went to the bar to get bouquets, and Chai Litian and the others were surprised: "So formal?"

Yang Jingxing turned and said: "Consider it from each of us."

An Xin walked over in two steps and handed the flowers to Yang Jingxing: "You go."

Yang Jingxing said: "You go."

An Xin pushed the flowers into Yang Jingxing's hands. He had no choice but to take them and stand up, saying to the hesitant Yu Xinting: "Let's go."

Yu Xinting had no choice but to follow. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yang Jingxing first handed the bouquet to Ran Jie, who laughed and thanked him. Yu Xinting then gave her bouquet to Fu Feirong, who blushed upon receiving it, her first time!

Wang Rui asked Yang Jingxing: "What about mine?"

Yang Jingxing said: "It's for all of you."

Wang Rui took a star from the bouquet Ran Jie shared and placed it beside her, then asked the pianist and prepared to start. Yang Jingxing and Yu Xinting returned to their seats. Gan Kaicheng picked up the sheet music again, and Fu Feirong's mother came over and stood by Yang Jingxing's table.

The pipa prelude was followed by the piano, and then Ran Jie started singing. The first line was noticeably better than when she sang for Yang Jingxing's approval, possibly due to the atmosphere or because she was less tired that day.

The bar remained quiet, even though "Fingertips of Water" and "The Girl" were two very different songs, the former being more complex and lively.

In the first half of the song, Ran Jie and Fu Feirong's different singing styles alternated, with the piano and pipa complementing each other. In the middle section, as the accompaniment and melody became more elaborate and full, the two female voices gradually merged, creating a sense of unity from their initial contrast. The climax and ending were the most spectacular, with the two instruments' virtuoso passages and the two female voices' high notes, which made the audience start to clap.

After the song, Ran Jie shouted like a superstar: "Thank you!"

The applause immediately became more intense, and cheers followed, led by Ran Jie's friends, with Qi Qingnuo and the others fanning the flames. The cheers grew louder, almost reaching a fever pitch.

Gan Kaicheng put down the sheet music and pointed behind Yang Jingxing. Yang Jingxing turned and quickly stood up, saying to the boss, who looked a bit teary-eyed: "Sister, I didn't let you down, right?"

The boss nodded vigorously. Qi Qingnuo ran over and hugged her mother's shoulder, teasing: "Oh, someone's eyes are red."

The boss pushed her daughter away, a bit embarrassed, and asked Yang Jingxing: "What else do you want to drink?"

Yang Jingxing said: "We still have some."

The boss said: "You chat, just give me a copy of the recording."

So Yang Jingxing sat back down, under the focused gaze of Gan Kaicheng and his group. Gan Kaicheng first invited everyone to have a drink, and after putting down his glass, he said to Yang Jingxing: "What do you think, just say it."

Yang Jingxing said: "Fu Feirong needs more training, and so do I."

Gan Kaicheng was serious: "Training for a singer is different from practice, you don't need it. I'm asking you, are your songs only for her?"

Yang Jingxing asked: "What do you think of her singing?"

Gan Kaicheng's deputy said: "There are definitely people who can sing better and more. If Cheng Yaoyao were to sing the first song, with better choreography, she'd be a standard heartthrob!" Cheng Yaoyao is a teenage pop star that Hongxin has been promoting in recent years, around twenty years old, with a stage style that balances cuteness and sexiness, and songs that follow a teenage girl theme. Cheng Yaoyao can sing and dance, a talented idol.

Yang Jingxing chuckled: "I like her a lot."

Gan Kaicheng said: "Let's get to the point, do you want us to sign this Panpan?"

Yang Jingxing was surprised: "I've thought about it, but her conditions aren't great... If you can sign her, that would be great."

Gan Kaicheng pressed: "If we sign her, what about you?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I'll write songs for you."

The manager of the planning department asked: "What form do you want? For a new artist, the company won't sign her as a studio."

Yang Jingxing said: "I don't know much about how you operate. I only have one requirement: Fu Feirong's activities should be decided by her and me." He chuckled: "Is that too much to ask?"

Not just too much, it was a pipe dream, even the biggest superstar wouldn't dare make such a request. The planning department member laughed coldly: "You want to be her agent?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head: "No, I just want her music career to be pure."

Gan Kaicheng organized the sheet music and said: "I'll take it back to the boss, and we'll set a time to talk again. That's it for today."

Yang Jingxing nodded: "Okay."

Gan Kaicheng and his group left without even meeting Fu Feirong, and Yang Jingxing and Qi Qingnuo saw them out. They didn't go back immediately, and Qi Qingnuo asked: "What are you thinking? You want to promote her, right?"

Yang Jingxing laughed: "I don't have that kind of ability."

Qi Qingnuo glared: "Then why are you doing this? Sometimes I really don't understand you!"

Yang Jingxing said: "I'm still getting to know myself, thanks anyway."

Qi Qingnuo sighed: "Don't be so formal!"

Back in the room, Yang Jingxing said to Tao Meng: "Let's go, it's not early."

Tao Meng checked the time: "Let's chat a bit more, leave at ten."

Yang Jingxing scolded: "Chat more! They're all saying bad things about me!"

Wang Rui laughed: "You heard that? How are they bad? They're all good, it shows you're steadfast."

Tao Meng chuckled: "He can be quite boring sometimes."

Shao Fangjie said: "If he were interesting, it would be a disaster, like Number Three..."

He Peiyuan was upset: "What's that supposed to mean? You say it all the time."

Liu Siman asked Yang Jingxing: "Hey, how long is the line of people who like Tao Meng?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I don't even bother counting."

Tao Meng glared at Yang Jingxing, pulled him down, and explained: "Actually, I'm fine, I haven't encountered much..."

Shao Fangjie laughed: "Oh, the way you say it."

Tao Meng was serious: "Really... Maybe it's because I'm not very outgoing."

Qi Qingnuo said: "You're very outgoing."

Liu Siman sang: "But she's still as passionate as ever..."

Qi Qingnuo was really angry: "Whoever mentions this again, I'll be mad!"

Everyone agreed that they should sing it once, but who would go? Wang Rui recommended Yang Jingxing, and a few people supported it, while Yu Xinting chuckled and watched the commotion.

Tao Meng said: "One time might not be enough to remember."

Wang Rui said: "He's a genius, he won't forget."

Yang Jingxing said to Qi Qingnuo: "With so many girls, it's not fair to sing just one, let's skip it."

Qi Qingnuo laughed softly: "I didn't ask you to sing."

After chatting for a while, it was ten o'clock, and Yang Jingxing had to take Tao Meng home. Yu Xinting and the other three girls squeezed into the back seat, heading back to school first. Tao Meng waved goodbye to them.

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