Chapter 61

Oh my goodness!

The sound of "Teacher Li Qian" made Teacher Li Qian's hair stand on end!

For a moment, he felt a bit like he was on China's Got Talent—how awkward it felt, really!

In his previous life, he had lived to be in his thirties and worked in music and film, so he had certainly been called "teacher" many times. But in this life, he was only seventeen and hadn't even graduated from high school. To be called "teacher" right away, it felt like a mountain he couldn't climb... and the person calling him that was Wang Jingsnow! She was Wang Jinglu's sister!

But... he could see that Wang Jingsnow was very serious.

Although at this moment, Li Qian felt his expression was even more twisted than hers, he thought about it and still nodded, sitting up straight and saying, "Alright, go ahead and sing, I'll listen."

Wang Jingsnow clearly looked relieved. Then, she took a deep breath, took the guitar that had been on her back, hung it in front of her, held it in her arms, and closed her eyes.

Then, a familiar intro began.

It was actually "Persistence" again!

Wang Jingsnow's guitar playing was quite good, and the arrangement was simple. Although it wasn't as flashy as Cao Zhan's, it still conveyed the right atmosphere.

Then, she closed her eyes and sang, "Every time night falls, loneliness is always by my side..."

Hearing the first line, Li Qian frowned.

As he listened, he couldn't help but reach for his chin, frowning in deep thought.

Wang Jingsnow had a very good voice and excellent singing skills, with a clear, high, and penetrating voice. But it was obvious that her voice lacked a certain flavor.

That flavor... it was hard to describe, but it was very crucial.

In a certain sense, you could understand this flavor as the emotional sedimentation that time and the accumulation of years bring to a singer, which allows them to find the right entry point and the right flavor when expressing and interpreting a song's emotions.

But ultimately, it's still a matter of talent.

Some people have such high talent that even at seventeen or eighteen, when they open their mouths, they are full of emotional sedimentation and a sense of time.

And some people really need to be polished by time, gradually revealing their wisdom and the subtle grasp of a song's emotions.

So, a song like "Persistence," when Liao Liao sings it with a calm mindset, she can sing it more soulfully than Li Qian, the "original author," making it sound good no matter how you listen. In Li Qian's view, her version is even better than the original in another timeline. But when it comes to Wang Jingsnow, everything is right—her guitar chords, her pitch, and her voice's power are all excellent. If she sang this version in a KTV, it would scare a lot of people. But if you took her version to professionals, they would say, "No, your singing lacks flavor!"

Of course, it must be admitted that Wang Jingsnow sang very seriously and emotionally.

The song "Persistence" was quickly finished. She took a breath, looked up at Li Qian, and seeing his calm expression, she gritted her teeth and said, "Can I sing another song?"

Li Qian nodded.

The second song was "Wildflower."

It was clear that she really liked the songs Li Qian had written for Liao Liao. She must have listened to them a lot and practiced a lot, putting in a lot of effort, so she sang them quite well.

But she was still missing that little bit of flavor.

With that little bit of flavor, she could be Liao Liao, recognized as a powerful singer, and even if she suddenly became famous, she would still be well-regarded in the industry, with no one envying or slandering her.

But without that little bit of flavor, even if she became famous, it would be considered a fluke!

She quickly finished "Wildflower."

And, whether because of nervousness or something else, Li Qian, despite being distracted, still noticed that she seemed to have gone off-key on one line, lowering it by half a note.

She clearly knew it too, so when she looked up at Li Qian after finishing, her usually expressionless face showed a hint of anxiety.

Li Qian didn't look at her, didn't speak, but just lowered his head in deep thought.

So, she gritted her teeth and started singing again.

This time, it wasn't light rock; she chose "My Passionate Hometown."

Indeed, compared to "My Passionate Hometown," a grand and unrestrained song, the emotions required were more rugged and didn't need such a clear and delicate layer, so her performance was clearly better than "Persistence" and "Wildflower."

Li Qian listened for a few lines and slowly nodded, looking thoughtful.

Then, she actually sang a fourth song, "Unfinished Love."

But... it was unbearable to listen to!

Her voice was excellent, and singing a gentle Chinese-style song like "Unfinished Love" should have been effortless, with a unique clear and bright feeling, very different from Liao Liao's version.

But... there was none of that!

Perhaps because she was from the north or because of her cold personality, this gentle and slow love song sounded stiff and hard when she sang it.

Li Qian's brows furrowed tightly.

Alright, it was clear now. Her voice was very good, but her musical talent wasn't exceptional. At least compared to Liao Liao, she was a notch or two behind.

Don't underestimate that notch; it would take her about ten years to catch up!

And she might not even catch up!

So, songs that require skill, songs that emphasize style, and more artistic songs... were not suitable for her.

Finally, "Unfinished Love" was finished.

This time, she completely stopped and didn't continue singing.

Li Qian pushed the glass of water on the coffee table towards her, then sat on the sofa, frowning in thought.

Wang Jingsnow didn't hesitate, picked up the glass, and took two sips.

Then, she looked at Li Qian with some anxiety.

After a moment, Li Qian looked up, smiled at her, and waved his hand, saying, "Sister Jingsnow, please sit down first!"

Then, he got up, walked to his speakers, and found the cassette of Liao Liao's album. He looked at it, put it in the Walkman, rewound it, and pressed play, turning on the speakers.

Coincidentally, it was the end of the previous song, and the next song was exactly the one Wang Jingsnow had just sung, "Unfinished Love."

As soon as Liao Liao started singing, Wang Jingsnow's face turned a bit pale.

Yes, although her talent was a bit worse than Liao Liao's, she was still a professional, a professional singer. She knew very well whether her singing was good and how it compared to Liao Liao's original.

Moreover, out of the four songs she sang, this one was the worst!

And Li Qian specifically played this one!

So, she had to lower her head.

Halfway through the song, Li Qian got up and turned off the Walkman. Then, he sat back down and saw that Wang Jingsnow was still standing, so he called her to sit down again.

Finally, Wang Jingsnow sat on the small stool.

Her legs were long, the stool was short, and she was wearing high heels, so the posture was... as awkward as it could be.

At this moment, Li Qian asked, "Did you write the chords yourself?"

Well, this hit another sore spot.

Wang Jingsnow shook her head, "I asked a teacher to help with the arrangement. All five songs you wrote for Liao Liao were arranged. I... I don't know how to write sheet music or arrange music."

Li Qian nodded and fell silent.

After about half a minute, or maybe a minute, Li Qian suddenly spoke, saying, "Sister Jingsnow, actually, no matter what identity you claim, to me, you are still Sister Lulu, right?"

Wang Jingsnow's face turned pale.

Li Qian didn't wait for her to speak but continued, "So, actually, as long as you come to me for a song, I can't really refuse! You should know that, right?"

After a moment, Wang Jingsnow nodded with difficulty.

Yes, she knew.

And she had known from the beginning.

Otherwise, how could she have been so confident in front of producer Li Jinlong that she could get a song from Li Qian?

But for her, admitting this was indeed a bit difficult. So, before coming, she had made what she thought was the most thorough preparation, telling herself that she would meet him as a singer, sing to him as a singer, and use her voice to move him...

All nonsense!

No matter how many words she used, the reason she came to him was because she was Lulu's sister.

Now, the veil was suddenly lifted.

Wang Jingsnow's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but feel an urge to quickly leave. But in the end, she held back.

Well, maybe Li Qian just wanted her to bow her head?

He wanted her to admit that she owed Lulu?

So... you always disagreed with Lulu getting close to me, right? You've always looked down on me, even not letting me play with Lulu, right? So what now?

If you weren't Lulu's sister, why would I write a song for you?

At this moment, Wang Jingsnow felt she should say something, whether to bow her head or to maintain her pride, which no longer existed, but she had to say something.

But at this moment, she felt her throat tighten and dry, and she couldn't say a word.

Well, actually... she didn't want to say it.

If she held her ground, she would have to go back to dance provocatively, but if she bowed her head... she wouldn't be able to meddle in Lulu's and his affairs anymore! Because she would become a beneficiary of their relationship!

But at this moment, unexpectedly, Li Qian didn't wait for her to speak but spoke again.

He said, "When you came in, you said you hoped today's matter would have nothing to do with Lulu, and you didn't want to involve her. I thought about it, and I think it's actually better this way. Not just her, I think we should let the past be the past, whether it's old grudges or childish misunderstandings. So, between us, it's clean, okay? And we can pretend Lulu doesn't exist. You are the singer, Wang Jingsnow of the Wuxing Wusu group, and I am a musician, Li Qian. What we need to talk about is a pure musical collaboration. Can we do that?"

Wang Jingsnow looked up in surprise.

But Li Qian's expression was calm and serious, with no hint of mockery or teasing.

He was serious.

However, such a good opportunity to lose face and no longer meddle in his and Lulu's affairs, he just let it go?

Wang Jingsnow was a bit incredulous, but after a moment, she nodded.

Because she had to nod.

What Li Qian said was exactly what she had hoped for before coming.

Seeing her nod, Li Qian said, "If that's the case, then okay. You are a singer, and I am a musician. I need to sell my work to make money, and you need to buy my songs to release an album, so... the next thing we need to talk about is the price."

Hearing this, Wang Jingsnow quickly said, "Don't worry about that. Absolutely no problem. Before I came, my producer said that if you're willing to write songs for us, 80,000 yuan is not enough, then 180,000 yuan. If that's still not enough, I can go back and help you get a higher price!"

Li Qian smiled and said, "This issue shouldn't be discussed with me. But... well, who made me not have an