Entertainment from Divorce

The next morning, as the tranquility of the morning faded from the offices of Brilliant Entertainment, Wei Yu stood with Su Xiaoyu at the door of the top-floor office.

Su Xiaoyu gripped the lyric book tightly in her hand, her fingertips turning white from the force. Last night, she practiced the revised version repeatedly until late at night, her voice becoming hoarse, yet she still couldn't hide her anxiety.

Even though she had optimized her singing according to Tan Yue's guidance, she was still afraid that there were details she hadn't done well enough and that she would let down this rare opportunity.

"Don't be nervous. President Tan approved your adjustments yesterday, so this version will definitely be fine," Wei Yu reassured him in a low voice, though his tone betrayed a hint of tension.

He arrived at the company half an hour early this morning to remix the re-recorded version of "Watching from the Wall" and repeatedly checked the ratio of accompaniment and vocals to ensure there were no flaws before bringing Su Xiaoyu over.

Su Xiaoyu nodded, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her wildly beating heart.

She followed Wei Yu and knocked gently on the door. After hearing Tan Yue's instruction to "come in," she lowered her head and quickly walked into the office, her eyes sweeping across the desk hastily, not daring to look Tan Yue in the eye.

At this moment, Tan Yue was reviewing the special effects sample of "The Three-Body Problem" on his computer. When he saw the two of them come in, he stopped what he was doing and said in a calm tone, "You're here. Have a seat. Play some music."

Wei Yu quickly stepped forward, plugged the USB drive into the computer, and pulled up the re-recorded audio.

Su Xiaoyu sat in the chair, her body ramrod straight, her hands on her knees, even her breathing was light, her eyes fixed on the speaker, as if she wanted to engrave every note into her heart.

Wei Yu also sat up, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Tan Yue, awaiting the final judgment.

The melodious sound of the guqin filled the office once again. Compared to the first version, the re-recorded version had a more profound and clear artistic conception.

Su Xiaoyu's voice had lost some of its gentleness and gained more of the serenity that comes with experience in the world.

Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly closed, his fingertips gently tapping the table to the rhythm of the music, his expression calm yet focused.

He listened carefully to every detail, from the emotional control of the vocals to the balance of the accompaniment, not missing a single nuance.

Only the sound of singing filled the office.

Su Xiaoyu's heart rose and fell with the melody, and only when the last note of the song fell did she dare to secretly raise her eyes and look at Tan Yue's expression.

After a few seconds of silence, Tan Yue slowly opened his eyes, a clear smile appearing in them, and nodded slowly: "Very good, this version is completely up to standard. The emotions, melody, and artistic conception are all perfectly integrated, even better than I expected."

He looked at Su Xiaoyu, his tone full of certainty.

"You have a high level of comprehension. You must have put in a lot of effort last night. The details are all very well done."

"Phew—" Su Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief instantly, her tense body completely relaxed, her face flushed, and her eyes slightly warm. She quickly stood up to thank her.

"Thank you, Mr. Tan! It's all thanks to your excellent guidance. I practiced it several times last night and memorized all the details you mentioned."

Wei Yu also breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on his face. The anxiety that had been hanging over him for two days finally subsided completely: "That's great, President Tan, now we feel much more at ease."

Tan Yue waved his hand, gesturing for the two to sit down. He then picked up the documents on the table and said in a calm tone, "The song is finalized. Now, let's arrange the follow-up matters."

"Su Xiaoyu, you will be singing 'Watching from the Wall' in the semi-finals of 'Sound of Melody'."

Su Xiaoyu looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with unbelievable surprise: "President Tan, you mean... you want me to sing this song in the semi-finals?"

As the most popular music variety show right now, "Sound of Melody" has garnered a lot of attention in its semi-finals. Being able to premiere a song written by Tan Yue herself on this stage is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for her.

“Yes.” Tan Yue nodded, his tone certain. “The semi-finals are a crucial point for you to boost your popularity. This song, ‘Watching from the Wall,’ fits your style and has enough quality to support it, allowing you to maximize your strengths.”

"On the day the show airs, 'Watching from the Side' will be simultaneously launched on major music platforms, achieving a synergy between the music variety show stage and online promotion."

He had already made plans.

Su Xiaoyu has gained some popularity through cover songs, but lacks original representative works.

Her semi-final performance of "Watching from the Side" not only won her fans with her stage presence, but also sparked discussion by leveraging the rarity of Tan Yue's lyrics and music. Combined with the buzz generated by the platform's release, this allowed her to quickly establish herself in the industry.

Su Xiaoyu was overwhelmed with excitement, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Thank you, President Tan! Thank you, Director Wei! I will do my best to perform this song to the best of my ability on stage, and I will never let you down!"

She clutched the lyric book tightly, her heart filled with gratitude and anticipation.

This was not just a stage performance, but also a major turning point in her career.

"I've already asked Ma Wenru from the new media department to prepare a publicity plan," Tan Yue added. "Before the show airs, we'll release a clip of you practicing and a snippet of the song's arrangement to whet the appetite of netizens."

"When the program aired, we collaborated with the official Weibo account of music variety shows and bloggers in the traditional Chinese culture circle to repost it and guide the discussion."

"After the song is released, the platform will recommend it in the resource slots and arrange for the official Weibo account of 'Star Stage' to interact and drive traffic, so as to maximize its influence."

Wei Yu nodded quickly: "Understood, President Tan! Our music department will fully cooperate with the publicity, prepare the stage choreography for Xiaoyu in advance, and match the appropriate costumes and stage design to highlight the ancient style of 'Watching from the Wall'."

"The stage design doesn't need to be too complicated," Tan Yue instructed. "The core of this song is the vocals and the artistic conception, so the stage design should be simple and elegant, highlighting the ethereal and detached atmosphere, and not overshadowing the main theme."

"In addition, we should have the music department prepare live accompaniment, which is more authentic than backing tracks."

"Okay, Mr. Tan, we'll take care of it right away." Wei Yu quickly jotted down notes in his notebook, afraid of missing any details.

Su Xiaoyu listened attentively, silently noting Tan Yue's requirements in her mind, and planning how to refine her performance by combining them with stage choreography when she got back.

"That's all. You can go back and prepare." Tan Yue waved his hand. "Su Xiaoyu, get yourself in the right mindset and make sure your practice is thorough."

"Wei Yu, keep a close eye on the stage choreography and accompaniment preparation. If there are any problems, communicate with me promptly."

"Yes, Mr. Tan!" the two replied in unison, and stood up to take their leave.

Stepping out of the office, Su Xiaoyu's steps became much lighter, and her face was full of excited smiles.

Wei Yu looked at her and said solemnly, "Xiaoyu, you need to understand how rare this opportunity is. President Tan rarely writes songs for artists, and he specially arranged for you to perform in the semi-finals of the music competition. This shows how much he values ​​you."

“I know, Director Wei.” Su Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, her eyes firm. “I’ve known since the day I joined the company that Director Tan has extremely high standards for both works and artists. I’m really lucky to have his recognition and support.” “I will definitely prepare well, spend every day in the practice room, and hone my singing, stage presence, and emotional expression to the extreme. I will never let Director Tan and you down.”

"Very good, I believe in your abilities." Wei Yu smiled and patted her shoulder.

"After we get back, I will arrange for the arrangement team to work with you on the live accompaniment, and then ask a professional stage coach to guide your stage presence and body movements, so that you can present the most perfect stage in the semi-finals."

“During this time, you should focus all your energy on this song. I will help you turn down other trivial work.”

The two quickly returned to the music department, where Wei Yu immediately convened an emergency meeting with the arrangement team and stage director to convey Tan Yue's requirements and finalize matters such as stage choreography, accompaniment preparation, and costume design.

Su Xiaoyu took the lyrics book, went straight into the practice room, put on her headphones, and played "Watching from the Wall" again, carefully studying the emotional expression and physical coordination on stage line by line.

In the practice room, Su Xiaoyu sang repeatedly, sometimes pausing to adjust her breathing, and sometimes correcting her posture and gestures in front of the mirror.

She knew that the semi-final stage was under the spotlight, and every detail had to be perfect.

From the very first line, to the vocal transitions in the chorus, to the final notes of the operatic style, and even a glance or a gesture on stage, everything must precisely match the mood of the song.

The stage director soon arrived at the rehearsal room and designed physical movements for her based on the ancient style of "Watching from the Wall".

Su Xiaoyu listened attentively and practiced repeatedly with the stage instructor.

Meanwhile, Wei Yu was leading the arrangement team to adjust the instrument ratios for the live accompaniment.

Meanwhile, in the top-floor office, Tan Yue was on the phone with Ma Wenru, the director of the new media department, finalizing the details of the pre-launch publicity campaign.

"President Tan, the pre-release footage has been arranged. This afternoon, we will film a clip of Teacher Su practicing in the practice room, edit it into a 15-second short video, and add the caption 'Tan Yue tailors a new ancient style work for her, Su Xiaoyu is fully preparing for the music variety show semi-finals.' It will be released simultaneously on the company's official Weibo, Douyin, Weibo and other platforms."

Ma Wenru's voice came through the phone, clear and organized.

“Okay.” Tan Yue nodded. “Don’t reveal the full melody in the behind-the-scenes footage. Just release the first two lines of the verse, the a cappella version, and the guqin prelude to whet the appetites of netizens.”

"In addition, we contacted several leading bloggers specializing in traditional Chinese style music and sent them a short clip of the arrangement in advance to help generate buzz and guide netizens to guess the song's style and title."

“Understood. I have already contacted three top-tier bloggers in the ancient style music scene, and they are all willing to cooperate,” Ma Wenru added. “The platform has also made arrangements. On the day the song is released, it will be featured on the homepage and pinned to the top of the new song chart.”

"I've also communicated with the official Weibo account of the music variety show. They will promote it before the semi-finals air and will highlight the stage clips of 'Watching from the Side' during the broadcast to support our promotion."

"Very good, proceed as planned." Tan Yue instructed, "Pay attention to controlling the pace of publicity, avoid excessive marketing, focus on the quality of the song and Su Xiaoyu's singing, and avoid causing resentment among netizens. In addition, monitor the popularity of the topic and respond to any emergencies in a timely manner."

After hanging up the phone, Tan Yue picked up the special effects sample report for "The Three-Body Problem" from the table and continued to review it.

Qian Tao sent a message early in the morning, saying that the special effects compositing for the space scene was complete and that final adjustments were being made. He expected to submit a complete sample next week.

Tan Yue looked at the special effects screenshots on the report and nodded in satisfaction.

Both "The Three-Body Problem" and "The Wall-Watcher" are key projects for the company this year. One focuses on the science fiction field, while the other delves into traditional Chinese music. The simultaneous development of both is expected to bring a double breakthrough to the company.

Chen Ye knocked on the door and came in, handing over a schedule.

"Mr. Tan, this is the schedule for next week."

"Next Monday morning, we will review the complete sample of 'The Three-Body Problem,' and in the afternoon, we will hold a mobilization meeting for the rehearsal of 'Starry Stage.'"

Tan Yue took the schedule, quickly glanced through it, and nodded, saying, "Okay, I understand. Adjust the review time for the 'Three-Body Problem' sample to next Monday afternoon. In the morning, I'll free up some time to go to the music department to check on Su Xiaoyu's practice and listen to the live accompaniment to see how it goes."

"Understood, I'll adjust it right away," Chen Ye replied, turning and walking out of the office.

Tan Yue put down his schedule, leaned back in his chair, and simultaneously conjured up images of science fiction scenes from "The Three-Body Problem" and the ancient Chinese aesthetics of "Watching from the Wall."

Despite his busy work schedule, he felt a great sense of accomplishment as he watched projects progress steadily and the company's artists grow.

In the evening, Tan Yue finished her work and went home on time.

Chen Ziyu was sitting on the sofa, looking at a maternity and baby magazine, her pregnant belly slightly protruding, her expression gentle.

Seeing Tan Yue return, she stood up with a smile: "You're back? How was work today? Did you finalize the decision for 'Watching from the Sidelines'?"

"It went smoothly, the draft is finalized." Tan Yue walked over and gently helped her sit down, his tone gentle. "We've arranged for Xiaoyu to perform the song for the first time in the semi-finals of 'Sound of Melody,' and it will be available on major platforms on the same day the show airs. The promotional plan has also been finalized. I'll play the song for you after the recording is finished."

"Great!" Chen Ziyu smiled. "Su Xiaoyu's voice is perfect for ancient-style songs. This song is sure to be a hit. Oh, by the way, Mom made pigeon soup. It's ready. Come and have a taste."

Tan Yue nodded, sat down at the dining table, sipped the warm pigeon soup, and listened to Chen Ziyu recount the amusing stories of buying baby supplies during the day. The fatigue of a busy day instantly dissipated.

Meanwhile, in the practice room, Su Xiaoyu was still practicing repeatedly.

As night deepened outside the window, the lights in the practice room remained bright. Her singing, accompanied by the melodies of the guqin and bamboo flute, flowed through the air, each note filled with focus and anticipation.

She knew that the semi-finals were getting closer and closer, and only by giving it her all could she seize this hard-won opportunity, prove herself with her singing, and live up to Tan Yue's trust and her years of hard work.

Wei Yu arrived at the practice room and, seeing Su Xiaoyu so engrossed in her work, didn't disturb her but simply stood quietly at the door.

He didn't come in until the song was finished.

"Xiaoyu, don't practice too late. Take care of your voice. You still need to practice with the accompaniment team tomorrow."

Su Xiaoyu stopped, her face covered in sweat, but her eyes were bright: "President Wei, I'll practice two more times and then I'll leave. I want to thoroughly understand every detail."

Wei Yu looked at her, his heart filled with satisfaction: "Okay, but you must take care to rest. We've all seen your hard work, and we believe you'll deliver a perfect performance in the semifinals."

Su Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, picked up her water glass, took a sip to moisten her throat, put her headphones back on, and immersed herself in her practice.

As night deepened, the offices of Brilliant Entertainment gradually fell silent, except for the practice rooms and recording studios in the music department, which remained lit. (End of Chapter)