Entertainment from Divorce

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

For those three days, the music department of Brilliant Entertainment was brightly lit.

Wei Yu and his arrangement team worked with Su Xiaoyu to refine the recording details of "Watching from the Sidelines".

The arrangement adjusted the ratio of the guqin and bamboo flute, weakening the heaviness of the accompaniment and highlighting the ethereal quality of Su Xiaoyu's voice.

Su Xiaoyu meticulously studied the emotions in each line of the lyrics, repeatedly practiced the melodic details marked by Tan Yue, and even stayed up two nights in the practice room, all to perfect every transition and every line of singing.

The final recording was not completed until this morning.

Wei Yu held the mixed audio file and listened to it three times. He was more and more satisfied with each listen, but he still couldn't hide his unease.

Tan Yue has always been strict with artistic works, and he would never lower his standards even for songs he composed himself.

He carefully saved the audio to a USB drive, printed out a copy of the lyrics with annotations, and after repeatedly confirming that everything was correct, he took a deep breath and walked towards Tan Yue's office on the top floor.

At this moment, Tan Yue had just finished a meeting with Zheng Tong from the film department and finalized the plan for transnational film cooperation. He was leaning back in his chair, rubbing his temples.

Scattered on the table were progress reports on the post-production compositing of "The Three-Body Problem." Qian Tao from the TV drama department had sent a message early in the morning, saying that the special effects compositing of the space scenes was 80% complete and a complete sample was expected to be submitted next week.

Chen Ye brought over a cup of warm tea and said softly, "President Tan, I just finished reviewing the daily reports from each department. There's nothing urgent, so you can take a short rest."

Tan Yue nodded, took the teacup, and had just taken a sip when a knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

Wei Yu pushed open the door and entered, clutching the USB drive tightly in his hand, a slightly restrained smile on his face: "President Tan, are you finished with your work? 'Watching from the Side' has been recorded, and I brought it over for you to review."

“Perfect timing, I just finished my work.” Tan Yue put down his teacup and pointed to the chair opposite him. “Sit down, let’s play something.”

Wei Yu quickly sat down, carefully inserted the USB drive into the computer, retrieved the audio file, and before clicking play, he deliberately looked up at Tan Yue, his expression becoming increasingly tense.

As the melodious sound of the guqin slowly rose, the office was instantly enveloped in an elegant, ancient atmosphere.

Wei Yu sat up straight, placed his hands on his knees, and even softened his breathing, afraid of making a sound that might interrupt Tan Yue's listening.

His gaze was fixed on Tan Yue's expression, trying to catch any feedback from the subtle changes in his expression.

Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly closed, his fingertips lightly tapping on the table in time with the rhythm of the melody. His expression was calm, revealing no emotion.

Su Xiaoyu's voice, ethereal and cool, came through the speakers, perfectly matching the serene mood of "Watching from the Wall".

Wei Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this recording had reached its best state.

The song, which lasted only a few minutes, quickly ended as Wei Yu waited anxiously.

Silence returned to the speakers. Tan Yue slowly opened his eyes, his fingertips resting on the table, and remained silent for a moment.

Wei Yu's heart jumped into his throat. He quickly stood up and said, "President Tan, what do you think? We've been refining the arrangement and vocals over the past three days, and we've also adjusted the mixing ratio to highlight Xiaoyu's vocal strengths as much as possible."

"Overall, it's good." Tan Yue said, his tone calm but with affirmation. "The arrangement is simple and doesn't overshadow the main theme. The use of traditional instruments is very appropriate. Su Xiaoyu's singing skills are also good enough to support this song. The emotional interpretation is quite accurate and doesn't deviate from the theme."

Hearing this, Wei Yu finally felt relieved and a relieved smile appeared on his face: "That's great, Mr. Tan, I'm glad you're satisfied."

But Tan Yue changed the subject and added, "It's just not quite there yet. It's not perfect. There are a few details that can be optimized, and after adjustments, it will have a more layered feel."

Wei Yu's smile froze, and he quickly nodded: "You're right. We'll adjust it immediately if you point out the problem. Tell me exactly which places it is, and I'll write them down."

Tan Yue got up and walked to the computer, reopened the song, and scrolled to the corresponding time point: "Listen here, the second line of the verse, she sang it too softly, lacking the composure that comes with experience."

Wei Yu listened attentively, quickly marking the lyrics and nodding in agreement from time to time: "Yes, you're absolutely right! We only paid attention to the smoothness of the transitions before, without considering the emotional connection. The ending notes of the opera style can indeed be adjusted further."

“Talking is useless. Su Xiaoyu needs to hear it in person. I’ll tell her face to face.” Tan Yue pressed the intercom. “Xiao Ye, go to the music department and call Su Xiaoyu to my office. Tell her to bring her lyric book.”

"Okay, Mr. Tan," came Chen Ye's reply from the other end of the phone.

Wei Yu understood that Tan Yue's personal guidance showed his high hopes for the song and his special regard for Su Xiaoyu. He quickly said, "I'll send a message to Xiaoyu right away and ask her to come over as soon as possible."

At this moment, Su Xiaoyu was in the practice room reviewing the recorded clips, holding a lyric book in her hand, repeatedly pondering the details of her singing.

Since the recording ended, she has been feeling very anxious, both looking forward to Tan Yue's review results and afraid that she might not perform well and let down this opportunity.

When she received Wei Yu's message, her heart raced instantly, and her fingertips went cold.

"President Tan... wants to see me?" Su Xiaoyu asked Wei Yu on the other end of the phone, her voice trembling.

"Yes, President Tan has reviewed the song and is generally satisfied. There are a few details he wants to discuss with you in person. Come over quickly and bring your lyric book." Wei Yu's tone sounded relatively calm, but Su Xiaoyu felt increasingly uneasy.

She hurriedly picked up the lyric book, straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and headed towards the top floor.

Throughout the journey, she kept replaying her own performance in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong.

Did you not sing the trill correctly?

Is the emotion too deliberate?

Is it because Mr. Tan thinks she sings too badly and wants to replace her?
She had been with Brilliant Entertainment for two years and had only seen Tan Yue a few times from afar at the company's annual meeting and departmental meetings. She had never met him so formally and alone, let alone right after her song had been approved.

Standing at the office door, she hesitated for a moment before gently knocking.

"Go in." Tan Yue's voice came, steady and powerful.

Su Xiaoyu pushed open the door, lowered her head, and walked in quickly, her voice barely audible: "President Tan, President Wei."

Her hands gripped the lyric book tightly, her fingertips turning white. She dared not meet Tan Yue's gaze, her breathing becoming rapid with nervousness. Standing there helplessly, she was convinced that there was a serious problem with her singing.

Seeing her nervous and uneasy appearance, Tan Yue's eyes softened, and he said in a gentle tone, "Don't be nervous, sit down."

Su Xiaoyu carefully sat down in the chair, only occupying half of the seat, her body ramrod straight, like a student awaiting criticism. Wei Yu quietly gave her a wink, signaling her to relax.

"Your singing is very good." Tan Yue spoke first, breaking the silence. "The song 'Watching from the Wall' is quite difficult. You were able to sing it to this level, which shows that you put in a lot of effort. You grasped the emotions and melody quite accurately and did not disappoint the song."

Su Xiaoyu looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief, then a glimmer of light appeared, and her nervousness dissipated somewhat: "Thank... thank you, President Tan."

She hadn't expected Tan Yue to praise her first, and her anxiety gradually subsided.

"However, there are still a few details that can be optimized." Tan Yue changed the subject, his tone still gentle and without any criticism. "I called you over because I wanted to talk to you in person. The song will be even better after the adjustments."

Su Xiaoyu nodded quickly, straightened her body, and said, "Please say so, Mr. Tan. I'll write it down and make the adjustments immediately."

As he spoke, he opened the lyric book and picked up a pen to write it down.

Tan Yue walked over to her, pointed to the corresponding sentences in the lyric book, and explained them to her one by one.

As he spoke, he hummed the line softly, his deep voice carrying a calm and collected aura, instantly conveying the essence of "watching from the sidelines."

Su Xiaoyu listened attentively, silently reciting the lyrics in her mind, trying to understand that state of mind.

"And the vocal runs in the chorus."

He paused, then added, "You cut the operatic ending too abruptly in the scene."

Every piece of guidance was precise and to the point, pointing out the problems and providing specific directions for adjustment.

As Su Xiaoyu took notes, she nodded frequently, a look of sudden realization on her face.
She had previously focused only on singing skills and melody, neglecting the deeper emotional interpretation of the song. Tan Yue's guidance instantly enlightened her.

“I understand, Mr. Tan.” Su Xiaoyu closed the lyric book, stood up and said, “I’ll try singing it now, and you can hear if it feels right.”

Tan Yue nodded: "Okay, you sing."

Wei Yu quickly picked up his phone to record her audition so he could compare and adjust it later.

Su Xiaoyu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, adjusted her mindset, and tried to adopt the "calmly observing" state of mind that Tan Yue had described, and began to sing softly.

After the short audition, the office fell silent.

Su Xiaoyu opened her eyes and looked at Tan Yue nervously: "Mr. Tan, what do you think?"

Tan Yue smiled with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "Very good, that's the feeling. It's much better than before; the sense of depth and artistic conception are all there."

Wei Yu couldn't help but exclaim, "Absolutely amazing! Xiaoyu, your adjustment has completely changed the feel of the song, perfectly capturing the core of 'Watching from the Wall'."

Su Xiaoyu finally felt relieved, a relieved smile appeared on her face, and she bowed deeply: "Thank you, President Tan. Thanks to your guidance, I hadn't been able to find this feeling before."

"No need to thank me. Your singing skills are solid, so you'll pick it up immediately." Tan Yue said gently. "When you get back, record it again according to this feeling. Remember to maintain this state of mind. Don't try to imitate it. Just let it flow naturally."

"Understood!" Wei Yu nodded quickly and jotted down the notes on the manuscript. "We'll arrange for a re-recording as soon as we get back. We'll have a new version out today, and I'll bring it over for your review as soon as it's finished."

"No need to rush, quality is the priority," Tan Yue instructed. "Carefully refine every detail and strive to get it right the first time."

“Yes, Mr. Tan.” Su Xiaoyu and Wei Yu replied in unison.

The two got up to say goodbye. As they left the office, Su Xiaoyu's steps were much lighter, and her face was full of excitement and gratitude.

Wei Yu looked at her and said with a smile, "Thanks to President Tan's personal guidance, this song is definitely going to be a hit. You have to seize the opportunity and not let President Tan down."

“I understand, Director Wei.” Su Xiaoyu nodded vigorously. “I will practice it several more times when I get back, and make sure I understand every detail so that I can perform at my best during the re-recording.”

The two hurried toward the elevator, eager to return to the music department and begin the re-recording.

In the office, Tan Yue re-opened the previous recording and compared it with Su Xiaoyu's audition, a faint smile on his lips.

He has always been demanding of his work, and he would never be perfunctory even with his own compositions. He was quite satisfied with Su Xiaoyu's comprehension and hard work.

This is not only the birth of a great song, but also the rise of a new star in the company's music department.

Chen Ye knocked on the door and came in, handing over a document: "President Tan, this is a publicity plan for Su Xiaoyu's 'Watching from the Sidelines' sent by Ma Wenru, the director of the new media department."

"She heard that the song was about to be approved, so she prepared a promotional plan in advance, including online topic building, short video clip releases, and collaborations with traditional Chinese style bloggers. She would like you to take a look."

Tan Yue took the document and began to examine it carefully.

The contingency plan was very detailed, divided into three stages: preheating, launch, and fermentation. It not only combined Su Xiaoyu's current popularity in music variety shows, but also highlighted the rarity of "Tan Yue's lyrics and composition", and planned for precise promotion within the traditional Chinese style circle. The overall idea was clear and highly operable.

"The plan is good. Have Ma Wenru proceed with it accordingly," Tan Yue commented on the document.

“Okay, Mr. Tan, I’ll send it to Director Ma right away.” Chen Ye nodded and added, “In addition, Director Qian Tao from the TV series department sent a message saying that the special effects compositing sample of the ‘Three-Body Problem’ universe scene has been completed and he would like you to come over for review at 3 pm this afternoon; also, the representative of the international film and television company has arrived in Beijing and Mr. Mark has confirmed that the meeting time at 9 am next Thursday remains unchanged.”

"Okay, I understand." Tan Yue nodded. "Remind Qian Tao that I'll be there at 3 p.m. sharp. Also, review the materials for next Thursday's meeting again, focusing on the investment ratio, copyright ownership, and actor audition arrangements to ensure nothing is overlooked during the meeting."

"Understood, I'll go prepare right away," Chen Ye replied, turning and leaving the office.

Tan Yue put down the documents, picked up his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and the melody of "Watching from the Wall" floated into his mind, reminding him of Chen Ziyu.

He took out his phone and sent Chen Ziyu a WeChat message: "The draft of 'Watching from the Side' is almost finalized. I'll sing it for you as soon as the recording is finished."

Not long after, Chen Ziyu replied to the message with a happy emoji: "Great! I'm waiting to hear it."

Meanwhile, in the music department, Su Xiaoyu was repeatedly practicing the adjusted singing details.

Wei Yu led the arrangement team to revise the accompaniment, and the staff performed their respective duties in a tense but orderly manner to prepare for the recording.

In the recording studio, the sounds of the guqin and bamboo flute rang out once again, intertwining with Su Xiaoyu's ethereal voice. A more perfect ancient-style masterpiece was being meticulously crafted.

Meanwhile, in the new media department, Ma Wenru has already launched a pre-launch campaign, connecting with various resources to generate buzz for the online release of "Watching from the Wall." A wave of enthusiasm for a fresh take on traditional Chinese style is about to quietly begin. (End of Chapter)