Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

However, as long as they had enough time, they would still choose to write their own songs, if only to nourish a sense of pride.

It wasn't until noon that Pei Muchan made her appearance.

Having flown back to Xinghai overnight, after resting for just one night, Pei Muchan had hardly rested at all. She arrived at the studio at nine in the morning and started thinking about the album.

In mid-September, the weather in Xinghai was sultry, and occasionally one could see naive university freshmen on the streets. Their eyes, uncorrupted by the ways of the world, shone with transparent foolishness.

The two of them went out together to have a meal in the wild, and by the time they got to their usual spot and ordered food, they both looked somewhat wan.

"How's that song going?"

"Not smoothly." She shook her head, a weary expression on her face as she leaned back in her chair, "You've set the bar so high with the songs you've written; I might need a year just to come up with something comparable."

Given her current workload, it would indeed take about a year, rendering the album's release indefinitely postponed. This was quite in line with the current state of affairs for singers in the music industry, always 'coming soon' (computer starting).

"There's no rush, take your time." Xu Qingyan said casually, "I've been mulling it over all morning and haven't even started, it's all the same, the hardest part is getting started."

Hearing this, Pei Muchan felt a bit better inwardly.

All morning, she had scrapped several beginnings. Hearing that even Xu Qingyan faced the same struggles, she breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed everyone had their limits.

When she was younger, she could write several songs in a day, and at the peak of her career, she could produce a chart-busting album in just a month by hand. But now, she could no longer do it; her inspiration was drained dry.

The older she got, the less originality she had, though she had an abundance of experience. Her heart had raced several times on the plane, so much so that when she got home in the wee hours, she didn't sleep well and had strange dreams...

Besides, after she became famous, almost every aspect of her work was set in stone.

Adding to that, she had been too decadent over the past two years, almost entirely closed off from new things and neglecting to learn. Writing good songs would be a hard process.

"It's okay, you're just starting out." Pei Muchan picked up some bright green vegetables with her chopsticks, flicked off the oil, and then placed them in her bowl, which contained only a third of the rice.

"This month I've spent too much effort on songwriting, occasional dry spells of inspiration are normal. The competition is next week, there's still plenty of time, there's no need to feel too pressured."

"Yeah." Xu Qingyan wasn't discouraged, and after hurriedly eating a few bites of food, he took out his phone and replied to a few messages, "After we're done eating, are you going to take a nap?"

"What's up?" Pei Muchan looked up.

"I just need a bit of your time, I've been working on a melody this morning and I'm not sure about it." Xu Qingyan put his phone down on the table, "If you're free, try singing it a cappella."

"I'll sing one line, you sing the next, just like we used to. Let's see how it goes first, and if it doesn't work out, I'll think of something else."

"Didn't you say it wasn't going well?" Pei Muchan stared at him, her phoenix eyes glinting with irritation that made it hard for her to continue her meal, "I'm such a fool for believing your nonsense."

"Hm?"

Xu Qingyan waved his hand in front of her, "Didn't I learn all this from you?"

Learn?

"I taught you basic music theory, not how to write good songs." Pei Muchan's eyes widened in disbelief, "In just one night's sleep, you've come up with something new?"

"No, no, just a line or two." Xu Qingyan gestured with his hands to calm her and glanced around, "It was a stroke of luck, I don't know if you'll be able to sing it."

Hearing him mention 'a line or two,' Pei Muchan was momentarily dazed, but she had a hunch that it wasn't going to be as simple as that.

During the lunch break.

Back in the studio, after a brief rest, both of them headed straight for the singing room on the second floor. The walls here were specially treated so that the sound wouldn't be muffled.

"Ahem, shall I sing a line and then you follow with the next?" he asked.

"Alright." Pei Muchan pursed her red lips, still somewhat skeptical in her heart.

Logically speaking, you shouldn't expect any musical miracle in just half a day's work. But if that person is Xu Qingyan, it was hard to say, he was uncannily gifted.

As for her own capabilities, she knew them all too well. She could be considered a master teacher, but she wasn't at the level of imparting 'Inner Strength'—at best, she could offer enlightenment and blessings.

And yet, here he was, popping out good songs like he was on a roll. At first, she suspected Xu Qingyan was hiding his true skills, but after seeing his music transcriptions, she dismissed that thought.

How should she put it? Xu Qingyan's songwriting... had a kind of beauty as if he were crafting high technology by hand.

"Let's start then, ahem." He cleared his throat in a quite unprofessional way and began to sing slowly, "I love whom I cannot get over, and never felt it was a mistake."

"Thinking that by clinging to the pain, one can hide in the memories."

At that, the singing abruptly stopped.

""Alright, try singing it now," Xu Qingyan lifted his hand, signaling her to follow along.

"That's it?"

Pei Muchan took a breath, couldn't stand it, this guy was playing games again. Last time it was like this with "Pian Ai," and it was still the same with the new song this time.

"That's all, I've only got this much for now." He spread his hands, an expression that made people's teeth itch.

"Oh." Pei Muchan suppressed the urge to bite him to death, took a deep breath, and slowly began to sing, "Whose love I can't get over, never....."

An expert reveals their skill instantly.

Professional indeed, with breath and articulation, soft blends, all techniques adeptly managed, she sang almost exactly as Xu Qingyan had envisioned in his mind.

Clap clap clap, Xu Qingyan listened with raised eyebrows, clapping involuntarily.

"You sing very well, exceptionally well."

"Hm?"

Pei Muchan was bewildered, now suspecting Xu Qing was praising to kill her off, but without any evidence. With these song lyrics coming out, one could only say they were quite catchy.

Definitely not something hastily written, he was deceiving her again!

"Isn't that what you just sang?"

"I'm not good enough, I'm far off." He waved his hands, in denial, thinking this is my own lyric, "Those, um, a couple of lines in the middle, sing it one more time."

Xu Qingyan suppressed the urge to retort and sang the middle part.

"I ride a white horse through three passes."

As this verse leaped out, it surprised Pei Muchan, her eyes wide open. She had thought it was a love song, but suddenly the whole style changed into Minnan language.

"I change into plain clothes, return to the central plains, leave behind Xiliang without anyone's concern. I only long for, Wang Baochuan."

After singing, he asked Pei Muchan.

"Can you sing this? I added a bit of Minnan language, just these two lines, um... I can't sing it well. When you sing 'return to the central plains,' you need to switch tones."

"I can't switch well, but you probably can, Baochuan needs a slight vibrato. It's fine if the Minnan sounds a bit stiff, uh... my singing is pretty stiff anyway."

Pei Muchan didn't respond, her body tensed slightly, looking serious. After a few seconds of contemplation, a segment of Minnan singing far surpassing Xu Qingyan by leagues resonated.

"I ride a white horse through three passes...."

Her singing voice was delicate yet clear, like high-flowing clouds, holding on to the last whisp of tone. With the final word "Baochuan" dropping, the vibrato was also perfect.

This time it was Xu Qingyan's turn to be stunned, unable to even clap.

"You learn this all at once? The student surpasses the master, are you challenging your teacher now?"

Pei Muchan gave Xu Qingyan a white look, flustered.

"What nonsense are you talking, my mother speaks Minnan, I learned some when I was a child. Your pronunciation is genuinely strange, it's hard for me to listen to."

"Your aunt is Minnan?"

"Yes." Pei Muchan wanted to say more but then held back.

At such a moment, going on about family matters out of the blue would seem odd.

"Is this all you have for the song?"

"Yes, I can't write anymore." Xu Qingyan came up with these excuses on the fly, almost instinctively, "Lucky moments, smudging and tweaking, just got these few lines."

Upon hearing this, Pei Muchan almost blurted out a reply but swallowed her words in an instant. Here he goes again.

Ask and it's just luck, you taught me, even one or two lines make a song. No ideas, stuck again, hastily written. The first-day support for you, my buddy's vanity, likes to spend a little money.

Just starting, not quite understanding, an absolute newbie, what is a quality song, I penned it randomly.

Pei Muchan took a deep breath, rubbed her slightly red ears.

Damn it, how much is he hiding?