I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

Yanjing, East Fourth Ring Road, a rented room of less than 40 square meters.

Li Ronghao sat on the sofa, holding a guitar, his fingers casually strumming the strings.

Lu Yao had just returned from a magazine shoot. She threw her bag on the bed, kicked off her high heels, and slumped into a chair.

"Has the rent been paid?"

"No," Li Ronghao said without looking up, "the landlord is urging me again."

Lu Yao sighed and took out a card from her wallet: "I'll transfer it tomorrow. You can keep it for now."

"No need," Li Ronghao put down his guitar, "I'll have money soon."

Lu Yao was taken aback: "Really?"

"Really. I took on a job with Cinepoly Records, making an EP for a new artist."

"New Cinepoly? Why are they looking for you?"

"The other party is an actor who is still in school and doesn't have time to go to Hong Kong to record, so we outsourced it."

Li Ronghao narrowed his eyes, and he was almost gone...

"And they specifically asked for me."

"Specified name?" Lu Yao asked with a smile. "Who is it? Such good taste!"

Jiang Chen. She acted in "Palace" and wrote the theme song for "Beijing Love Story".

How did he know you?

"Sigh," Li Ronghao put his guitar aside, "You're looking down on me. I've done albums for Chen Kun and Xiao Yanzi, so I have some reputation in the industry."

Lu Yao leaned closer, "How much is this order?"

"Enough to pay six months' rent," Li Ronghao said, "and enough to buy a new guitar."

"Then treat me to dinner."

"no problem!"

Seeing his girlfriend's smile, Li Ronghao breathed a sigh of relief.

Being a kept man isn't a good thing!

He came to Beijing from Anhui in 05 and officially began his life as a "Beijing drifter".

The first two years were pretty tough; I lived in a basement and made a living by transcribing sheet music, recording demos, and taking on cheap arrangement jobs.

However, he met his benefactor in 08.

He served as the producer of Chen Kun's album "Mystery" and also invited him to be the music director of the concert.

He later made a name for himself, met many celebrities, and his life was pretty good. However, he didn't want to stay behind the scenes forever, so he released a mini-album called "Little Yellow," which flopped terribly, and he ran out of money again.

But talented men always manage to pick up girls.

His current girlfriend, Lu Yao, is not only a model but also a moderately famous artist. She basically covers all their expenses, making him a freeloader.

The next afternoon, at Lejiaxuan Recording Studio.

When Jiang Chen arrived, Li Ronghao had already arrived.

This place is known as the largest recording studio in Asia, and it is located in an inconspicuous building in Dongcheng District.

Fourteen professional recording studios, equipped with SSL J-9000 mixers and top-of-the-line ProTools HD3 equipment, are where veterans like Zhang Yadong, Yin Wenqi, and Chen Jianping regularly reside.

Jackie Chan, Sun Yanzi, Han Hong, and Li Yuchun have all recorded songs here, and the 2008 Olympic theme song "Beijing Welcomes You" was also created here.

"Jiang Chen?" Li Ronghao called out.

"Teacher Li?" Jiang Chen extended his hand. "I've heard so much about you."

"I'm flattered," Li Ronghao said, shaking his hand. "I'm truly honored that you specifically asked me to come."

The two entered Studio B, and Li Ronghao sat down at the mixing console. "Let's talk first, an EP? Or should we go straight to an album?"

"Mini album," Jiang Chen put his backpack down beside him, "five songs."

"Five songs." Li Ronghao nodded, showing no surprise at the number.

For a new artist releasing an EP, five songs are the standard configuration. This allows for controllable investment, prevents the production cycle from being too long, and leaves room for adding songs to expand it into a full-length album if done well.

"Write it yourself?"

"Yes, I wrote it all myself."

Did you bring the song?

Jiang Chen took out a few sheets of paper from his bag and handed them over.

Anhe Bridge

Ideal Thirty Years

"got windy"

Spring Breeze Ten Miles

Young and Promising

Li Ronghao read the song titles aloud one by one. "The order of these song titles is quite interesting. It starts by reminiscing about the past, moves on to expectations for the future, and then settles into the tenderness of the present. Is this your journey of life?"

"It's clear you put your heart into writing these songs; the emotions flow seamlessly across each one. Could you tell us about the background of your creative process, and where your inspiration comes from?"

Jiang Chen nodded. "I wrote 'Anhe Bridge' after leaving my hometown and coming to Beijing. At that time, I had just been admitted to the Beijing Film Academy and was living alone in a rented room in the Huangtingzi community. I couldn't sleep at night, so I would sit by the window with my guitar, looking at the streetlights downstairs, and remembering the days when I played under the bridge with my friends when I was a child. The bridge is still there, but the people are gone, so I wrote this song. Of course, the name of the bridge has changed."

"I wrote 'Ideal Thirty Years' during my freshman year of college. Some of my classmates were looking forward to the future, while others were anxious about finding a job. I looked at their state and also at my own, switching back and forth between filming and studying. I was young and spirited but also a little confused, so I wrote this kind of restraint and gentleness."

"I wrote 'The Wind Rises' last winter. On the set of 'Swords of Legends,' it was especially cold in the mountains. After work, I sat on the steps wrapped in a down jacket, and the wind blew by, as if someone was pushing me forward. I thought of myself from Jinan to Beijing, from a supporting role to the male lead, being pushed by the wind all the way, not knowing where I was being blown. The youthful yearning for the world and the melancholy of growing up were all in that gust of wind."

"I wrote 'Ten Miles of Spring Breeze' this spring. Returning to school, the playground, the evening breeze, the friendships with classmates, the budding feelings of affection—the most authentic life. I was acting in other people's stories on set, but it was only when I returned to school that I felt like myself again. So I used a minimalist guitar to simply and directly record this tenderness."

"Young and Promising" is written for all teenagers like me. We stand at the crossroads of youth, looking forward to the future, yet afraid of leaving regrets. Looking at the graduating seniors around me, seeing everyone's anxiety and expectations, I wanted to write down these feelings, both for others and for myself.

Jiang Chen thought about these five songs for quite a while before choosing them.

On the one hand, his singing skills are not particularly impressive.

That means you can only choose folk songs and lyrical pop, with simple melodies, strong storylines, and the ability to move people with emotions and stories, without needing too many skills.

In addition, the album style must be consistent.

We can't have one folk song, one rock song, then a traditional Chinese style song, and then an electronic song popping up...

Li Ronghao was stunned.

He always considered himself a talented person, capable of writing, composing, playing instruments, and making things.

He never admits to anyone when it comes to talent.

But at this moment, he was somewhat convinced.

He had just gone through all five songs in his mind, from the nostalgia in "Anhe Bridge" to the regret and expectation in "Young and Promising". The narrative arc of the entire EP was seamless, like a road he had walked himself.

These five songs are not just cobbled together; they represent a young man's entire emotional journey over the past two years.

He unconsciously started humming the last song, especially the last one.

"If I had been successful and self-assured in my youth... and understood what is truly precious..."

Listen... listen...

This is what a song should be!

Then look at my own writings, "Little Yellow" and "Old Street," compared to others, they're nothing...

I wish he could write such good songs someday.

"Mr. Li, I would like to ask you to be my producer long-term. Not just for this EP, but for every album I release in the future."

Li Ronghao was taken aback: "Long-term?"

"Yes," Jiang Chen said, "I believe you. You understand my songs, my state of mind, and what I want. And..."

"You need a stable job too, right?"

"Okay, I agree. But there's one condition."

"explain."

"From now on, for every album, we'll co-write at least one song. You write the lyrics, I'll write the music, and we'll be credited together."

"no problem."

The two shook hands.

"By the way, what's the album called?"

"Evening breeze and youth".