Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

With his eyes closed, accompanied by the rhythm of the music, what appeared in Chen Chao's mind were not any specific people or events.

And some more abstract things, like an empty platform at night, strangers brushing past you but not having time to see their faces clearly, and winds that seem to come from nowhere and go nowhere.

Just as the lyrics describe, many things in this world have no answers, just like love, which doesn't know where it comes from, yet it is so deep.

Some people's unexpected turn is a final farewell; some words, left unsaid at the time, are never spoken again; some brushes past each other are either missed opportunities or lucky breaks, you can never know.

But perhaps those who left didn't really leave; they simply went to another time and space, continuing to live in some parallel world, where they will one day meet again.

With this feeling in mind, Chen Chao spoke softly, as if talking to himself, "A movie that couldn't even fill half a row of viewers, until the lights suddenly came on at the end of the show..."

When the chorus arrived, his voice rose slightly, yet it still maintained that restrained gentleness, as if he were standing by a window in the dead of night, softly asking into the distance, "Are you alright?"

"I felt the evening breeze that you felt, so does that mean we've embraced..."

And so, until the last note faded, the recording studio was quiet for a while before Li Ronghao pressed the call button. "Achao, this take is perfect. No need to record it a second time."

Upon hearing Li Ronghao's words, Chen Chao let out a soft sigh, quickly snapping out of his emotional state, taking off his headphones, and walking out of the recording studio.

After Chen Chao sat down next to him, Li Ronghao played back the recording he had just made. Listening to his own soft, slightly hoarse voice coming through the monitor speakers, accompanied by the accompaniment, Chen Chao couldn't help but nod slightly.

Just as Li Ronghao said, there was indeed no need to record it a second time. The emotions conveyed in the song were already quite complete, and recording it again might actually make the effect worse.

After completing the recording of "Misplaced Time and Space", the next song to be recorded was "Love That Never Loses Contact". This song is the most difficult one in the album. The chorus has a high pitch and requires strong high-note support. If your vocal ability is not good enough, it is easy to not be able to reach the high notes.

Another issue is the frequent switching between true voice and falsetto in the song. If the transition is not natural, it will sound disjointed or obviously off-key. In addition to these technical issues, there are also extremely high requirements for emotional expression.

They recorded it seven or eight times in a row. Although Li Ronghao would say "that's enough" on the third take, there was always a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

However, Chen Chao was still not satisfied. Listening to the recording playback of the previous few times, he was a little lost in thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knees. Li Ronghao sat next to him without saying a word, just quietly keeping him company.

"Phew~ Brother Ronghao, I'll try again. I'm fine with the technique, but I'm still lacking in emotion." Chen Chao exhaled softly and stood up.

"Rest a little longer and let your voice relax." Seeing Chen Chao about to head towards the recording studio, Li Ronghao quickly stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and advised him.

Knowing that Li Ronghao was indeed acting in his best interest, Chen Chao did not refuse and sat back down in his chair, trying to regain his composure.

After a while, he finally went into the recording studio, put on his headphones, and began recording.

This time, his intuition was finally right. In terms of emotional investment, he poured all the emotions he usually kept inside and dared not think about in detail into his heart.

"You gave me a love that will never be lost—"

The sound had a momentary tearing quality at its highest point, like a string that had been stretched too tight finally snapping. It wasn't a perfect note, but it made the whole emotion feel more real.

Sitting in front of the mixing console, Li Ronghao couldn't help but clench his fist and silently wave it.

As we entered mid-December, the recording of the album entered its final sprint.

Although the arrangement of "Birds and Cicadas" was originally set to be based on piano and strings, Li Ronghao suddenly had a new idea during the recording process and added an acoustic guitar as an embellishment, which did improve the effect considerably.

The arrangement of "Won't Cry" was also adjusted based on Chen Chao's ideas and suggestions, making the emotional progression and rhythm more coherent.

However, the team struggled with the songs "Clouds and Sea" and "The World Is So Big, Yet I Still Met You".

"Isn't it a bit too much to put both of these songs on the same album?" Keyboardist Xiao Zhao couldn't help but say while flipping through the sheet music. "We already have songs with high emotional intensity like 'Light Wrapped in the Heart' and 'Love That Never Loses Contact.' Adding these two more might make the album a bit tiring for listeners."

"Hmm, in that case, let's differentiate the arrangements." After thinking for a moment, Li Ronghao drew a few lines on the score. "Use a large-scale arrangement for 'Clouds and Sea,' with strings filling the space, taking that kind of epic and moving approach."

"As for 'The World Is So Big, Yet I Still Met You,' we can simplify it, focusing on guitar, percussion, and ethnic elements, and taking a fast-paced approach. This way, the emotions of the two songs will be different."

Listening to Li Ronghao's idea, Chen Chao couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Clouds and Sea" uses natural imagery to metaphorically represent a love destined to be unfulfilled, while "The World Is So Big, Yet I Still Met You" also has the regret of love. It does need a slight adjustment to shift the mood.

With a clear direction for the arrangement, the recording process of the songs was accelerated. In just two days, Chen Chao finished recording all the vocal parts of "Clouds and Sea" and "The World Is So Big, Yet I Still Met You".

After all the songs were recorded, Li Ronghao played them all from beginning to end, starting with "The World Is So Big, Yet I Still Met You" and ending with "Wrapped in the Light of My Heart," a total of ten songs and more than forty minutes.

After the song ended, the recording studio was quiet for a while before bassist Ping Sheng spoke first, "Teacher Rong Hao, this album is indeed as you said, it's going to be a hit."

Drummer Lao Ke, on the other hand, didn't say much, only uttering two words: "Awesome!"

Leaning back in his chair, Li Ronghao let out a long breath, then laughed, his already small eyes narrowing into slits. "Ah Chao, I told you before that the quality of your debut album is very high."

"But now, I want to take back what I said. It's not just that it's very good, but that for the next few years, the Chinese music scene will probably not find another debut album of your caliber."