The Road to Superstardom: Starting as a Singer

On the morning of the 27th, after a brief rehearsal for the CCTV live broadcast event "Welcoming the Olympics," Huang Weijie hurriedly headed to the airport.

"I already told you I didn't need you to pick me up."

Huang Shengchang patted Huang Weijie's arm with a smile, but there was no hint of blame in his tone.

"Grandpa, I took on a job these past two days..." Huang Weijie scratched his head sheepishly.

He originally planned to spend the 27th and 28th with his grandfather, except for rehearsals, but plans changed and the opportunity offered by Shanghai Film Studio was really good.

"Oh, it's alright. Grandpa has old friends in Beijing too. He came early this time to catch up with them. If you want to come along, I'll have to send you away!" Huang Shengchang waved his hand with a smile. "You, if you have work to do, go ahead and do it. But remember to do your best in the live stream two days from now!"

"Yes, sir!"

Huang Weijie gave a joking salute, which made Huang Shengchang laugh and shake his head.

……

The summer heat hadn't subsided. After settling Huang Shengchang in, he returned to Jive's Beijing branch, still slightly sweaty. The receptionist whispered, "Mr. Huang, Ms. Zhang Liangying is already waiting for you in recording studio number two."

"Okay, I understand, thank you."

Huang Weijie smiled slightly and nodded before walking into the company.

The receptionist was left with a lovesick expression.

He's gotten used to it since he came back.

It wasn't that he was used to girls' infatuation—he'd experienced that before—but rather that he was used to being addressed as "teacher" so readily.

I thought the term "teacher" was a derogatory term that originated in the era of internet traffic, but I didn't expect that people would start using it so early.

At a young age, Huang Weijie inevitably became a teacher, it's just a pity he can't stop time...

Pushing open the door to the recording studio, a wave of cool air from the air conditioner hits you.

Zhang Liangying was facing away from the door, looking at the "Painting Heart" project file displayed on the computer screen in the control room.

Hearing the noise, she immediately turned around.

A pair of light blue high-waisted denim shorts, a plain white short-sleeved shirt without any extra patterns, and a high ponytail.

Simple yet full of summer energy.

Her long, straight, white legs were the most eye-catching feature, followed by her pretty face with light makeup.

With smooth skin, clear eyebrows and eyes, she looked like a polished water droplet, refreshing and eye-catching.

Is she 24 years old?

She's clearly 18!

Huang Weijie glanced at her discreetly and smiled slightly.

Upon seeing Huang Weijie, Zhang Liangying's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately bloomed on her face. She took two steps forward to greet him: "Jace, you're here!"

"Just call me Weijie, no need to be so polite." Huang Weijie picked up a bottle of water. "How long have you been waiting? Sorry, something came up."

"No, no, I just arrived recently. I'm just taking this opportunity to look at the sheet music and familiarize myself with it."

Zhang Liangying quickly waved her hand, her tone light, but the anticipation and nervousness in her eyes were undeniable.

She was indeed very excited after receiving the QQ message last night.

Maintaining good contact with Huang Weijie as instructed by General Manager Wang is one thing, but actually receiving a collaboration with him on a movie song that he personally composed, and which is clearly a major project, is quite another matter.

She had also worked in the US before, so she knew how capable someone was to make a name for themselves there, and that someone like that would invite her to collaborate...

She was well aware of the significance of this opportunity.

"How's the sheet music?" Huang Weijie walked to the control panel, sat down, and gestured for her to sit down as well.

"It's really well written," Zhang Liangying said, sitting down in the swivel chair next to him, leaning forward slightly, her attitude serious. "The melody's rise and fall and the emotions of the lyrics are so well matched. Especially the line in the chorus, 'I can draw you, but I can't draw your bones,' just looking at the score makes my heart clench. Thank you, J... Weijie, for entrusting me with such an important part to sing."

Seeing her sincere gratitude, Huang Weijie smiled, unscrewed the water bottle, took a sip, and casually said, "Don't be so polite. I haven't made many friends in the industry since I came back this time. I remember you always sending me messages to check on me, and of course I'll think of my friends first when I have suitable projects."

He said the word "friend" very naturally.

Zhang Liangying was slightly taken aback when she heard this, and then a smile spread from the corner of her mouth to the depths of her eyes, as if the slight tension she had felt earlier had been smoothed out in an instant.

"Well... friends can't let each other down. How should we record today? I'll leave it to you."

"Okay, then let's hurry up."

Huang Weijie suppressed his smile and got into work mode. "The accompaniment track is basically finished. My idea is that we record each of our main vocal parts separately today."

I'll record the verses and my harmonies on the bottom track, while you focus on mastering the powerful chorus sections and high-pitched harmonies. This is the most efficient way.

Tomorrow we'll re-record the interactive segments and make final harmonic counterpoint adjustments.

"Okay, let's begin!"

Both are professional singers, and once they get into work, all small talk and personal feelings quickly fade away.

Huang Weijie recorded first.

He sat in front of the microphone and put on his headphones.

When the ethereal yet slightly melancholic prelude of "Painting Heart" played in his headphones, his gaze instantly became focused and serene.

"I can't see through your lost soul, I can't fathom the color of your pupils..."

Every word was pronounced clearly and with great texture; the emotions were restrained, yet surging beneath the surface.

Zhang Liangying watched and listened quietly through the glass in the control room.

This was her first time listening to Huang Weijie record a song live. Being so close and in such a focused state to experience his interpretation of his work made her secretly admire him.

Technically impeccable and with excellent control, but what is even more moving is the ability to instantly immerse oneself in the scene and shape space with sound.

When it was Zhang Liangying's turn, she took a deep breath and walked into the recording area.

Standing in front of the microphone, Zhang Liangying slightly adjusted her posture to relax herself and improve her breathing.

As the powerful melody of the chorus surged forward, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her eyes were filled with the almost desperate intensity and plea required by the song.

"Loving you is like a heartbeat, hard to feel..."

On her first audition, her voice was fully unleashed, with clear and metallic high notes that were so full of emotion they seemed to burst through the headphones.

But Huang Weijie, behind the console, calmly gave guidance through the microphone: "Liang Ying, your power is great, but you can tone it down a bit in the first chorus to leave enough room for the later burst."

What I want is a gradual build-up, not a complete outpouring at the beginning. Also, in the line "I can't draw your bones," try pronouncing the word "bones" with a more desperate, trembling, sobbing tone.

Zhang Liangying nodded, showing no displeasure at being interrupted. On the contrary, she became even more engaged because of the specific and professional guidance.

"Okay, I understand. Let's try again!"

Once, twice, three times...

They were like two meticulous craftsmen, repeatedly refining each musical phrase.

Time flew by in the metronome.

The sky outside the window gradually turned from a bright afternoon to a golden hue, and then to a deep, dark blue.

Around 8 p.m., when Zhang Liangying sang that soaring, seemingly piercing night sky high note perfectly for the last time, Huang Weijie and the recording engineer in the control room breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Great!" Huang Weijie pressed the call button. "This one's done. Liangying, your part is all done for today, absolutely perfect."

Zhang Liangying took off her headphones and walked out of the recording area, her face showing a hint of excitement and her eyes sparkling.

"Really? I feel a bit short of breath." She joked, took the water Huang Weijie handed her, and gulped down a big mouthful.

"The main vocals are basically done today," Huang Weijie said, glancing at the densely packed audio tracks on the project file. "It's faster than expected. The remaining harmonic interweaving and final mixing are the technical work. You've worked very hard today, so go home and rest early. Come back early tomorrow, and we'll work on the details."

Zhang Liangying was indeed tired, but she felt immense satisfaction and excitement.

She looked at Huang Weijie and said sincerely, "Weijie, it was really enjoyable to work with you, and I learned a lot."

"Let's learn from each other." Huang Weijie smiled. "Let's go, I'll see you downstairs."

Stepping out of the building, the warm summer night breeze caressed my face.

As Zhang Liangying sat in the car, looking out at the dazzling night view of Beijing, the excitement she felt from receiving an important job opportunity gradually subsided into a more solid expectation.

She had a vague feeling that this collaboration might be a very important turning point in her career.

The boy who seemed to glow with focus in the recording studio is not only a friend worth making, but also a remarkable partner with whom you can achieve mutual success.