Chapter 76

The two sat facing each other, the room in disarray.◇↓◇↓Point◇↓Novel,

She said, "This room is such a mess."

He replied, "Just moved in, it's always like this. It was the same when I first moved in."

Then, the two fell silent again.

Yes, they were both a bit awkward.

Indeed, Li Qian's new neighbor across the door was none other than Teacher Qi Jie.

To think, they hadn't seen each other for over two months, and their last meeting had been somewhat unpleasant. So, it was inevitable that they would feel a bit awkward upon meeting again, even though they had become neighbors.

However, even after Li Qian helped her move all the things, and the movers took their money and left, the two still didn't mention that day's incident.

After a moment, Qi Jie asked, "Has a new teacher come to the class?"

Li Qian nodded and smiled, saying, "It's Teacher Zhao Chen."

Qi Jie nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "When I was first assigned to the school after graduation, I listened to Teacher Zhao's class. As a new teacher, I needed to learn from experienced ones. I still remember that Teacher Zhao's class was very effective! And since it's the third year of high school, he has more experience than I do in teaching the third year. You guys are lucky!"

Li Qian smiled but didn't say anything.

In front of Teacher Qi Jie, he didn't want to join in praising Teacher Zhao, right?

So, after a while, Qi Jie asked again, "How are you and Wang Jinglu?"

Li Qian looked up and said, "She's going to apply to the Film Academy, which was already decided. So her sister arranged for her to transfer to a high school in Shuntian County for the new semester. She wanted to say goodbye to you before she left, but... she couldn't get in touch with you."

Qi Jie nodded and sighed imperceptibly.

Then there was a long silence.

After about two or three minutes, Li Qian stood up. Seeing Qi Jie also look up, he said, "So... that's it? Teacher Qi, you can tidy up. If you need any help, just knock on the door."

Qi Jie stood up as well, smiled, and said, "Alright, come over when you have time."

Li Qian nodded and then left.

From start to finish, the two didn't mention that day's unpleasantness, or even Liao Liao. It was as if they were just two old acquaintances meeting, exchanging a few polite words, and then parting ways.

However, after returning home, Li Qian took a shower, lay down on the bed, and couldn't help but think about that day's events.

Why did she suddenly get so angry?

Was it really the 20,000 yuan that hit a nerve, causing such a significant change in her?

Li Qian was still puzzled.

...

The next afternoon after school, Li Qian chose to eat a bowl of noodles on the street and then rode his bike to Old Struggle Records. He had received a text message from Li Jinlong at noon, saying he had brought back the instrumental tracks for the two songs they had recorded.

However, after listening carefully to the instrumental tracks for the two songs at Old Struggle Records, Li Qian wasn't entirely satisfied. So, as Li Qian spoke, Li Jinlong took notes, recording Li Qian's suggestions for fine-tuning the instrumental tracks. Li Jinlong would return to Shuntian County early the next morning to make the adjustments.

By the time they finished with the instrumental tracks, it was already around seven o'clock, but Li Jinlong was still busy. Li Qian then called the five girls of Wu Xing Wu Su to come over and sing the songs they were currently practicing for Li Jinlong to listen to and give feedback. Although the last album produced by Li Jinlong for Wu Xing Wu Su didn't sell well, it didn't mean that his abilities as a music producer were entirely negated. After all, he was a veteran in the music industry with nearly twenty years of experience, and while his talent might be slightly lacking, his experience was undoubtedly rich.

Of course, when it came to "Happy Baby" and "Love Bird," two songs that, despite their different styles, perfectly matched Wu Xing Wu Su's overall style, and which they had been practicing for several days under Li Qian's personal guidance, Li Jinlong had nothing but praise for their a cappella performances.

So, after a short two hours, everyone left, and the next day, they would continue with their respective tasks.

Because they had been practicing songs individually and then singing together, the workload for both Li Qian and the girls of Wu Xing Wu Su wasn't heavy. On Saturday morning, Li Qian gave them another morning of guidance, and then in the afternoon, he gave everyone a day off. A car sent by Hua Sing Records, along with Wang Jingsnow's small sports car, took Li Qian and Wang Jingsnow, along with Xie Bing and Sima Duoduo and their agent Aunt Wu, to play at Daming Lake for the afternoon.

The next day was a weekend, and the girls were planning to spend the day at Lingyan Temple, but Li Qian didn't join them. He had already decided to stay home and try to write something.

In recent days, his creative impulse had become increasingly strong, and many melodies that excited him kept appearing in his mind, quickly filling three or four pages of his small notebook.

One could say that the final mature work was just one step away.

So, on this weekend day, after exercising and having breakfast, Li Qian first strummed some disconnected melodies on his guitar, then continuously recorded his inspirations on a blank sheet of paper.

Finally, he put down the guitar, stood up, and walked to the window, silently looking at the flower bed below.

Yes, the work was just one step away from being fully integrated and completed, but that one step seemed insurmountable. He couldn't find something that would move him, whether it was an emotion, a tone, or a direction, to help unify these scattered melodies.

Standing by the window for a long time, his brows remained furrowed.

Then, at a certain moment, he suddenly moved, his face quickly showing excitement.

He walked back to the sofa, picked up a pen, hesitated for a moment, and finally wrote the title "Spring Wind for Ten Miles, Not as Good as You" on a new A4 paper.

Once the title was set, it seemed that all the inspiration found an outlet. In that instant, Li Qian felt a surge of energy and, with a furrowed brow and restrained joy, quickly began to write.

...

"You wrote a letter, calling me to the south, saying the flowers in the south are charming, saying the birds in the south sing sadly, the southern spring wind blows over the white water, the southern green stream winds around the pavilions. You wrote me a letter, calling me to the south.

You smiled and laughed, calling me to the south, saying the southern tide is like the sea, saying the green stream's lotus is white, saying the southern plum is ripe, the painted boat blows the flute in the rain, you in your white robe and oiled paper umbrella, calling me to the south.

I came to the south, peach trees planted near the door, met the white water at the bridge, the green stream winds around the pavilions.

The southern spring water rises, the southern spring forest thrives, the southern spring wind for ten miles, not as good as you.

Not as good as you."

Writing often works this way. Daily accumulation is essential, even a single sentence or an incomplete melody. Accumulating these is a form of practice. However, no matter how much you accumulate or how hard you think, it can't compare to the spark of inspiration when it strikes.

In less than an hour, Li Qian smoothly wrote the melody for "Spring Wind for Ten Miles, Not as Good as You." However, he felt it was too complex, so he started deleting, keeping only what he considered the most essential and beautiful melody. The song quickly took shape.

Then, with just a bit of thought, he quickly wrote the lyrics on another blank sheet of paper.

The lyrics weren't particularly good, but Li Qian was quite satisfied. After filling in the lyrics, he picked up his guitar and played and sang, making adjustments as he went. By midday, he was confident that he had completed the song.

Perhaps the lyrics alone were just average, as Li Qian's strength wasn't in this area. But a song is never just about the lyrics or the melody; a good song is meant to be sung, requiring a melody that is moving and lyrics that convey the song's emotions and ideas in a straightforward way.

From this perspective, the lyrics were certainly up to par.

Paired with his composition, Li Qian was confident that the quality of the song was definitely above average, good enough to be shown to others!

He then copied the song into a larger notebook, completing the work.

After finishing the song, he felt that the creative impulse that had been building in his mind for a long time had been cleared. Feeling both elated and a bit empty, he thought about sharing it with someone, but after some thought, he closed his notebook and carefully put it away.

Looking back, although he had only been in this timeline for a few months, he had already produced two relatively mature works. If he accumulated more, perhaps he could really show them to others.

Of course, after nearly two hours of intense mental labor, he was now ravenously hungry. So, he quickly tidied up the messy coffee table, took his keys, and went downstairs to eat at Shengshi Garden.

Recently, Li Qian's parents were in good spirits, and it was clear that they were feeling quite well.

At first, Li Qian's mother was upset for several days when he moved out, even complaining that her son was avoiding her before he was even an adult. But after gradually adapting, they both actually enjoyed the life without Li Qian's interruptions.

In the morning, Old Li would drive his new car to take Li Qian's mother to work and pick her up after work, making her colleagues envious. Li Qian's mother naturally felt a bit of happiness.

Moreover, Li Qian no longer asked them for pocket money and could even cover his tuition fees. When it came to college, Li Qian promised to pay for everything himself, so the couple's financial pressure was immediately relieved. When they were in a good mood, they would occasionally go out to eat, living a much more carefree life than Li Qian!

On the way back from eating, Li Qian couldn't help but think: Perhaps, after finishing the album for Wu Xing Wu Su, he wouldn't take on any other jobs before the college entrance exam?

Look at the two of them, living so comfortably. In contrast, he, a high school student, was working so hard every day.

But even as he thought this, he knew that, regardless of the money, he needed to focus on building his future. He had to finish the album for Wu Xing Wu Su well.

Reputation is hard to build but easy to destroy.

One mistake, and half of it is gone!

Especially since this was his first time as a producer in the music industry, he had to be careful and meticulous.

When he returned to his rented small house, Li Qian noticed a strange car parked at the entrance of the building. Although he didn't see who was inside, he was sure someone was in it. Recalling, he vaguely remembered seeing the car when he returned after breakfast.

However, he didn't pay much attention, just took out the song "Spring Wind for Ten Miles, Not as Good as You" he had written that morning, played and sang it to himself, and then went to his bedroom to prepare for a nap.

But before he could fall asleep, after just a few minutes, he heard some commotion outside.

Furrowing his brow, he turned over to the other side, trying to continue sleeping. But soon, the argument from the hallway grew louder.

It seemed to be... a man and a woman.

Li Qian was annoyed and helpless.

He wanted to ignore it and continue sleeping, but he vaguely heard a name and immediately sat up.

Qi Jie?

Listening again... yes, Qi Jie and... Lu Liang? Lu Liang?

He quickly got out of bed, grabbed a T-shirt, and put it on haphazardly, then walked to the door and looked through the peephole.

Actually, he didn't need to look. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, the argument in the hallway was already clearly audible.

"How I live is none of your business! Don't say I'm just selling cosmetics at a counter. Even if I sell vegetables, whether I earn more or less, whether it's noble or low, it's my choice. What's it to you? I'll say it again, Lu Liang, we've broken up, and I'm not your fiancée anymore. If you dare to harass me again, don't blame me for calling the police!"

"Why? What have I done wrong? Do you think returning the engagement gifts means we have no relationship? Don't forget, you've been my fiancée for over a decade. Can you just break it off like that in your mind?"

"You haven't done anything wrong, but I don't like you! I don't want to spend my life with you! Do you understand? ... What are you doing, don't touch me! I'm telling you, Lu Liang, if you dare to touch me again, I'll call the police!"

The door creaked open.

Actually, as soon as the door opened, Li Qian regretted it.

He could guess the relationship between the two and knew that this wasn't a situation for an outsider to intervene. But seeing the man, Lu Liang, pulling and tugging, and Qi Jie refusing to open the door and insisting on driving him away, Li Qian felt that since he knew, he shouldn't pretend he didn't.

So, he opened the door, and seeing the two in the hallway freeze, he forced a smile and looked at Teacher Qi Jie, asking, "Teacher Qi, do you need any help?"

Qi Jie, seeing him open the door, initially looked flustered but quickly regained her composure. Then, she pointed at Lu Liang and said, "He's harassing me, help me get rid of him!"

Lu Liang, seeing someone come out of the opposite door, was initially embarrassed and flustered. But when he saw that it was just a young man who called Qi Jie "teacher," he immediately lost interest in dealing with Li Qian and continued looking at Qi Jie, saying, "Listen to me, it's just a misunderstanding. Let's find a place to talk it out, okay?"

Qi Jie shook off his hand and said, "We've known each other for over a decade. What more is there to understand? What more is there to talk about? I don't want to talk to you, please leave immediately!"

She then turned to look at Li Qian.

"Uh..." Li Qian was taken aback and asked, "Is he good at fighting?"

Qi Jie raised an eyebrow, seemingly angry, and immediately said, "If he's good, you won't help?" After a pause, as if realizing she was directing her anger at the wrong person, she added, "Don't worry, he definitely can't beat you!"

Li Qian immediately relaxed, stepped out of the door, closed it behind him, and smiled, saying, "That's a relief."

Lu Liang's eyes widened at this. But before he could speak, Li Qian shrugged and smiled, saying, "Look, you're not as tall as me, and you don't seem as strong. And I play basketball, you know! Oh, and I've been practicing martial arts for seven years! So... how about we go downstairs and find a place to practice?"

Lu Liang looked at him in shock.

Mediators and biased helpers were not uncommon, but someone who openly threatened to beat you if you didn't leave was rare!

But to really fight... Honestly, seeing Li Qian's height and the muscles showing under his short-sleeved T-shirt, he was a bit intimidated.

These teenagers, around seventeen or eighteen, were always reckless when it came to fighting!

Lu Liang was a businessman, a civilized person, and certainly wouldn't fight with a teenager.

But to back down in front of Qi Jie would be embarrassing. So, he had a sudden idea, pointed at Qi Jie, and sneered, "Alright, I see. I see why you broke up with me. You found this little kid and want to play a younger man, right? Tell me, do you have any shame..."

Slap!

Qi Jie slapped him hard.

Even Li Qian couldn't help but squint.

Lu Liang staggered, almost falling down the stairs.

"Get out of here!" Qi Jie said.

***

The lyrics of "Spring Wind for Ten Miles, Not as Good as You" in this chapter are original and are not to be used commercially without the author's permission. Please credit the source if you share it.

By the way, a 5,000-word chapter, please vote! (To be continued...)

PS: The lyrics of "Spring Wind for Ten Miles, Not as Good as You" in this chapter are original and are not to be used commercially without the author's permission. Please credit the source if you share it.

By the way, a 5,000-word chapter, please vote!