Chapter 27

......

There's a Bao Qingtian in Kaifeng~

Impartial and fair, he discerns loyalty and treachery~

Heroes from the江湖 come to his aid~

Wang Chao and Ma Han are by his side~

......

At 8 PM, Lin Zai Shan stood in front of his workstation, frowning as he listened to the rough cut of "Bao Qingtian" he had recorded all afternoon. Although making such a rough cut didn't require too much attention to quality, the version of "Bao Qingtian" recorded with the old man's outdated equipment still didn't meet Lin Zai Shan's standards. The simulated accompaniment and sound effects created by software couldn't compare to the real instruments recorded in a studio. If it were an electronic song, using simulation software and a MIDI keyboard would be fine. But "Bao Qingtian" was a traditional style song, and when combined with Lin Zai Shan's voice, it sounded quite disharmonious. After adjusting for over two hours, Lin Zai Shan was still unsatisfied. If he submitted this version to Liu Mengmeng, it would seem too insincere. Lin Zai Shan considered whether he should spend some money to record a better version in a studio. After all, this was their first collaboration. He wanted to show his sincerity and get the job done right the first time. However, he only had 200 yuan, which wouldn't be enough. He wondered if Zhang Pengfei, the fat guy, had time to help him record a rough cut for free. Just as he was thinking about it, his phone rang. Seeing it was Sun Yuzhen calling, Lin Zai Shan immediately answered, "Hello?" "Uncle, I heard from Dove that she went to Xia City for inspiration?" "Yes, she'll be back on Sunday." "Do you have dinner tonight?" "Oh, I almost forgot about that!" Hearing Sun Yuzhen mention dinner, Lin Zai Shan suddenly felt very hungry. "If you don't have a place to eat, come to my place. Our station issued some benefits today, two pounds of shrimp for each person, and some seafood and squid. I can't eat it all alone. I was going to invite you and Dove for a meal, but since Dove isn't here, we can have it just the two of us?" "Sure! You've made me hungry just talking about it! Are you still at the station or have you already gone home?" "I just got home." "Then I'll come over now?" "Sure, come on over. I'll start cooking." "Make a lot of good stuff! At least half a kilo of rice, I have a big appetite, you know." "Ha, I know, I'll definitely make more." "Okay, I'll be right over." After hanging up with Sun Yuzhen, Lin Zai Shan washed his face, put on a white bamboo cotton T-shirt with an open collar, and hurriedly went downstairs in big shorts and flip-flops. This was already his third time visiting Sun Yuzhen's home. The first two times, he had been accompanied by Bai Ge. This time, it was his first visit alone. As he passed by the Water Through Stone café, the poster for the Saturday night JAZZ event caught his attention. It seemed that the two female owners of Water Through Stone had found a suitable pianist and were planning another themed music party. If he had time on Saturday night, Lin Zai Shan might go to listen to a few songs and relax. *Knock knock knock.* Sun Yuzhen's rented apartment was on the 7th floor. When he arrived at the door, Lin Zai Shan knocked with his head down. Sun Yuzhen quickly came to open the door for him. "You came pretty fast." She had just changed into a white sleeveless long dress, her arms bare, her hair still loose, and greeted him with a smile, looking pure and beautiful. Without makeup and after a tiring day at work, Sun Yuzhen still looked well and her skin had improved significantly. They say that women in love are the most beautiful because the hormones in their bodies make them radiant, and every inch of their skin glows. Sun Yuzhen was a bit like that now, though it might not be due to Lin Zai Shan's music. "I'm so hungry, my stomach is practically touching my back, of course I came fast." The fragrance of the room made Lin Zai Shan smile as he rubbed his empty stomach and took off his flip-flops, walking in barefoot. Sun Yuzhen's home was laid out exactly like Lin Zai Shan's, a very small studio, but it was cozy and pleasant. "If you're hungry, have some bread first. There's a croissant on the table. Dinner will take about half an hour." "Then I'll have some bread first, I'm really hungry." Lin Zai Shan sat down on the light yellow sofa and grabbed a croissant to eat. Watching Lin Zai Shan devour the bread, Sun Yuzhen smiled. She took off the pink hair tie from her left wrist, put it in her mouth, and raised her arms to tie her hair into a ponytail. Her clear and pure facial features were fully revealed, her eyes looking even brighter. She didn't wear glasses when she wasn't working or riding a bike. When she raised her arms, the light and thin home dress stretched over her knees, making her figure look especially graceful and charming. She was also barefoot. In her own home, Sun Yuzhen wasn't as formal when entertaining Lin Zai Shan, who was so familiar. "Did you not eat lunch?" Sun Yuzhen asked Lin Zai Shan with a smile. Seeing how Lin Zai Shan ate the bread, it was as if he hadn't eaten for years. He swallowed a large croissant in just two bites, which was quite exaggerated. "I did eat lunch, Dove made me lunch before she left." Lin Zai Shan hadn't even swallowed the bread in his mouth when he grabbed another croissant and ate it in two bites. Sun Yuzhen smiled helplessly and advised, "Eat a little less, just enough to tide you over. There's a big meal later, if you eat too much bread, you won't be able to eat the seafood." "Ha, don't worry, my stomach is a bottomless pit, I can eat anything." Being really hungry, Lin Zai Shan's third croissant disappeared as he spoke. "I really admire you, Uncle. I used to think Zhang Pengfei was a big eater, he can eat three large bowls of beef noodles in one meal, but after meeting you, I realize Zhang Pengfei's appetite is just a child's." "Ha, has Zhang Pengfei returned to Donghai?" "He should have, he came back a few days ago." Sun Yuzhen said, turning to rinse the rice and start cooking for Lin Zai Shan. "Then call him later and ask if he's free tonight. I want to go to Dongyi University to record a rough cut and need his help. It won't take long." "Sure, I'll call him now. What rough cut are you recording?" "A friend asked me to record a rough cut of a TV drama theme song. I recorded it on my computer all afternoon, but the effect wasn't good. It's better to record it in a studio." "You're helping someone write a TV drama theme song?" Sun Yuzhen was quite interested. "Not exactly. They wrote it, and I'm helping to record a rough cut to check the effect." Lin Zai Shan couldn't reveal that he was anonymously making the song. Although he and Sun Yuzhen had a good relationship, they hadn't known each other long, so it was better to keep it a secret. "I see, then I'll call Zhang Pengfei and ask." After rinsing the rice and putting it in the rice cooker, Sun Yuzhen quickly called Zhang Pengfei. Zhang Pengfei was helping the Believers band make an album that night. Hearing that Lin Zai Shan wanted to come and record a rough cut, Zhang Pengfei welcomed him warmly. However, the studio wouldn't be available until 9:30 PM, so he asked Sun Yuzhen and Lin Zai Shan to come after 9:30 PM. Sun Yuzhen told Lin Zai Shan the situation. Lin Zai Shan thought it was good that the Believers band would also be there, as he could write the accompaniment score and have them help record the music. Sun Yuzhen then started cooking the seafood without Lin Zai Shan's help. Sitting on the sofa, Lin Zai Shan finally stopped eating bread and idly flipped through the TV, asking Sun Yuzhen, "What album is Zhang Pengfei recording for the Believers band? Is it an official album?" "Not an official album, it's an underground record, without copyright." Sun Yuzhen told Lin Zai Shan, "I heard from Zhang Pengfei that the lead singer of the Believers band, Zhang Hao, comes from a wealthy family. He paid for the band to record this album, and they plan to sell it online." "Sell it online?" Lin Zai Shan perked up. "Those kids are studying art design, and they have quite modern ideas. When they formed the band, they created a website for it, a very cool one, and uploaded their songs there, attracting some female fans. They got a bit carried away and decided to record an album to sell online to see how many fans would buy it. ——That's what I heard from Zhang Pengfei. He said they probably won't sell many copies and will definitely lose money, but they have the money and are just being whimsical." "Is it legal to sell such underground albums online? Won't the copyright bureau investigate?" "At this scale, probably not." Lin Zai Shan had some ideas. Could his songs be sold online? But then he thought it might not be a good idea. In this world, people were used to listening to pirated music and enjoying free content. He doubted he would have much success selling his songs online, and they might even be pirated. "Do you know the website of the Believers band? I want to take a look." Lin Zai Shan got up and went to Sun Yuzhen's computer, asking, "Is it okay to use your computer?" "Sure, go ahead. The website of the Believers band is probably 'Believers Zhang Hao' in pinyin .com." Lin Zai Shan sat down, turned on the computer, and waited for a minute before the system interface of Sun Yuzhen's desktop appeared. The computer hardware in this world still needed improvement. The mainstream operating system was similar to the one in the previous world, a windowed system, but it wasn't made by Microsoft, as there was no Microsoft in this world. "You changed your wallpaper?" A very beautiful and dreamy blue aurora wallpaper caught Lin Zai Shan's eye. "Yes, I changed it yesterday. Isn't it pretty?" "It's okay, the darker colors are better for the eyes." Lin Zai Shan opened the browser and logged in, greeted by a cool, black-themed page. Indeed, they were studying art design. The kids had made their band's homepage quite stylish. At the bottom of the homepage, there was a view count, which read 58,921. The view count wasn't very high. In the top right corner of the website, there was an announcement in red letters stating that the Believers band's original album would soon be released, asking fans to stay tuned. The tone was as if they were a popular band. Lin Zai Shan turned off the TV and clicked on a few songs by the Believers band to listen to, but they were quite average. Just like when he heard them recording in the studio, the only redeeming qualities of the band were their dedication to music and Zhang Hao's powerful high notes. Their original songs were too immature, with occasional flashes of brilliance that didn't fully develop. To Lin Zai Shan, who had studied professional composition, it was clear they lacked compositional skills. After listening to the songs once, Lin Zai Shan lost interest and turned off the music. Sun Yuzhen had already put two pots of seafood into the pot, waiting for it to boil. She washed her hands, walked over to Lin Zai Shan, and said with a smile, "Uncle, I'll show you a fun software." Leaning forward, Sun Yuzhen grabbed the mouse and clicked on a software with a piano icon on the desktop. As she leaned forward, the large round neckline of her dress exposed a lot of cleavage right in front of Lin Zai Shan. The view was quite tempting, but Lin Zai Shan didn't dare to look. The crabs in the pot were already turning red. If he looked, he might be caught by the crabs. "This software can be used to play the piano and drums with the keyboard, very realistic." The screen showed the black and white keys of a piano and the icons of a drum set. Sun Yuzhen demonstrated by playing a few piano notes, the melody was fresh. The simulated piano sound was a bit inferior to Lin Zai Shan's MIDI keyboard, but the sound card of Sun Yuzhen's computer was excellent, so the piano sound was quite authentic. Lin Zai Shan tried playing as well. His fingers accidentally touched Sun Yuzhen's, and she blushed and pulled her hand away, looking quite reserved. The feel and position of the computer keyboard were completely different from a piano, but Lin Zai Shan, being very familiar with the piano, quickly adapted and could play harmonious melodies. "You're really talented, Uncle, you picked it up so quickly." Sun Yuzhen marveled at Lin Zai Shan's musical talent. "Many instruments are interconnected." As Lin Zai Shan played more, he could even combine the sound of the drum set, almost simulating a small, fresh band. "Uncle, don't just play, sing a song too. I've been listening to Zhang Hao's songs for so long, my ears are almost torn by his high notes. Sing something gentle to save my ears." "Ha." Lin Zai Shan was amused by Sun Yuzhen's comment, and the simulated piano sound had sparked his interest. "I'll sing a song I wrote a long time ago, for a former girlfriend. It's a Cantonese song." "A Cantonese song?" Sun Yuzhen hadn't heard Lin Zai Shan sing a Cantonese song before. "Yes, she's from Guangzhou." Sun Yuzhen gave Lin Zai Shan a playful look and said softly, "You have quite a wide range, with girlfriends from everywhere." "Too popular in my youth, couldn't help it." Lin Zai Shan joked, the melody gradually slowing down, creating a mood. Musicians were truly amazing; notes were their most powerful weapon and a source of charm. Every time Lin Zai Shan played a moving melody, Sun Yuzhen felt a sense of enjoyment, as if she were witnessing a beautiful scene. "The song is called 'Aurora'." "The aurora from my wallpaper?" "Yes, it's a bit melancholic, listen." With a smile of anticipation in her eyes, Sun Yuzhen settled down to listen to Lin Zai Shan's early work. Moved by the sad piano music, Lin Zai Shan slowly hummed a very lonely and melancholic Cantonese song from another life, "Aurora" by Karen Mok ——

......

How many nights have passed, never to return~

That weariness has sunk deep into my skin~

Night after night, I yearn, both tragic and decadent~

If there were no yearning, what would I do~

Spending a lifetime to see just once, how can it be considered greedy~

Knowing you, unlovable, yet hard to blame~

......

Each sigh melts the ice~

Yet it cannot make the heavens open their eyes~

Like a lonely Christmas, the snowflakes fill the road~

I am the darkest spot on this earth~

Even with hope in my heart, the cold does not lessen~

The wind is cold, my hands are turning blue~

......

Ah~~~ The more beautiful~

Ah~~~ The more impermanent~

The beauty of the moment, I have already caught a cold for you~

......

This song wasn't very popular in another life, but its Mandarin version was widely known. The Mandarin version was the famous "Fruits of Summer" that swept the nation. Although the Mandarin version was more popular, to a professional composer like Lin Zai Shan, the Cantonese version, with lyrics by the imaginative and talented Hong Kong lyricist Wyman Wong, was closer to the original song's theme of lonely longing, where only the stars could light up her dark heart. The original song, "Water Color" by Japanese singer UA, described the sadness of a lost love, like the blue of the water illuminated by the stars, causing a restless heart. Wyman Wong's "Aurora" lyrics deepened this sense of futile longing, making it a classic adaptation. Sung by Lin Zai Shan's weathered and calm voice, the song was particularly moving. Even though Sun Yuzhen didn't understand the full meaning of the Cantonese lyrics, she was captivated by Lin Zai Shan's magnetic voice. ...... How futile, yet wildly chasing~

You are a legend, a breathtaking sight~

Don't say I enjoy the hope for you~

At the end of the earth, there is a shore for me to lean on~

Even with white hair, looking up, there is no light~

Unattainable, yet unwilling to forget~

......

With the simple simulated piano accompaniment, Lin Zai Shan's sad voice vividly conveyed a heart-wrenching feeling of lost love. Sun Yuzhen sighed and smiled bitterly after listening, "Uncle, did you write this song about your girlfriend's breakup, not your own?" Lin Zai Shan smiled ambiguously. The old man, in his youth, couldn't possibly have such delicate emotions. "The melody of this song is really melancholic. Uncle, I have to say, you are a genius composer, completely capturing the heartbreak of a Cantonese girl who loved you. I really have to criticize you, knowing she loved you so much, why did you break up with her?" Moved by Lin Zai Shan's music, Sun Yuzhen felt a wave of sadness and pouted in complaint. "In my youth, love was like a rose, at its most beautiful moment, it was also the start of its withering." Combining his experiences from both lives, Lin Zai Shan played a romantic melody and talked to Sun Yuzhen as if sharing his heart. "What about now? Is love still a rose that withers as soon as it blooms?" Sun Yuzhen asked