Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

Shen Nian was pulled out of her dream by the aroma of scallion oil.

She threw off the covers and sat up, the sudden movement causing her to hiss.

My waist and legs felt like they'd been run over by a truck; they were both sore and weak.

After supporting my back for about ten seconds, I managed to slip on my slippers and shuffle to the bedroom door.

In the kitchen, Jiang Fan stood in front of the stove, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, stirring noodles in boiling water with long chopsticks.

"Awake?" Jiang Fan turned around and glanced at Shen Nian.

"Hmm." Shen Nian walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down, her movements somewhat slow.

Jiang Fan scooped out the cooked noodles, poured them into two large bowls, and quickly stirred them with chopsticks.

Each noodle is evenly coated with a dark brown sheen of oil, and the scallions are vibrant green, making it look incredibly appetizing.

He pushed a bowl in front of Shen Nian.

"Scallion oil noodles, eat them while they're hot."

Shen Nian picked up her chopsticks and her gaze fell on the dining table.

Near her, on the edge of the table, there was a noticeable water stain, darker in color than the surrounding wood grain, and it wasn't completely dry yet.

The tips of her ears slowly turned red.

He lowered his head and took a big gulp of noodles.

The noodles were chewy and the scallion oil was fragrant. They slid down my throat and warmed my stomach, which had been empty all night.

Jiang Fan sat opposite him and ate very quickly, finishing his bowl in three minutes.

Shen Nian ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully, her mouth stuffed full of noodles, her cheeks bulging.

"After you finish eating, let's go to the studio. I'll let you familiarize yourself with the song first." Jiang Fan wiped his mouth.

"What type?"

"ballad."

Shen Nian's eyes lit up.

Folk music. That was her favorite genre when she first started learning guitar.

An acoustic guitar, a story—no need for much embellishment, it's a pleasant experience for both the singer and the listener.

-

The two arrived at the studio.

Jiang Fan handed her the printed sheet music for "A Diao".

Shen Nian took it and glanced at the title.

A-Diao sounds like a person's name.

Turning to the first page, my gaze fell upon the first line of words.

"A-Diao lives somewhere in Tibet."

"Like vultures, they perch on the mountaintop."

Her fingers unconsciously traced the words.

Just reading silently makes my throat feel a little tight.

"Ah Diao, the area in front of the Jokhang Temple is bathed in sunlight."

"Let's brew a pot of sweet tea and reminisce about the past."

The lyrics seem to be telling the story of a person.

A silent and resilient person living on the plateau.

The finger stops here.

She looked up at Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan leaned against the desk, arms crossed, and didn't say anything.

"This song..." Shen Nian's voice was a little hoarse, "was it written for me?"

"Of course."

Shen Nian lowered her head again and read the lyrics of the chorus twice.

He closed the sheet music and held it to his chest.

"Let's go to the recording studio."

She was already getting impatient.

-

In the recording studio, Shen Nian put on her in-ear monitor and held the microphone.

The accompaniment flows out.

The guitar strings are plucked cleanly, with a layer of Tibetan-style harmonies floating on top—

Eeya eeya yo, eeya eeya yo—

"A-Diao lives somewhere in Tibet..."

It was very soft, like talking to oneself.

But he pronounced each word clearly.

Jiang Fan stood behind the mixing console and put on his monitoring headphones.

The first time, she sang with restraint, her voice unconsciously rising a little, carrying a stubbornness that refused to bow down.

Jiang Fan made a mark on the mixing console and gave her an OK sign.

The third time, she went through the entire song from beginning to end without stopping.

After the last note was sung, there was a three-second silence in the recording studio.

Shen Nian took off her in-ear monitor and looked at him through the glass window.

Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were already glistening with tears.

Jiang Fan gave a thumbs up.

That's all for today. Go back and process this on your own, then we'll work out the details tomorrow. There are still four days until recording, so there's plenty of time.

Shen Nian pushed open the door, took the warm water handed to her by Zhou Yutong, and drank half a cup in one gulp.

"Sister Nian, this song is so beautiful." Zhou Yutong's eyes sparkled. "When I listened to it outside, I got goosebumps."

-

At 2 p.m., the studio door was pushed open.

Li Cheng had huge dark circles under his eyes, his hair looked like a bird's nest, and his suit jacket was wrinkled and draped over his arm.

He strolled to the front desk and waved to Zhou Yutong.

He wandered over to Jiang Fan's office and pushed the door open.

"Jiang Fan..."

He slumped into the chair, resting his head on the desk.

"I didn't say anything I shouldn't have last night, did I?"

Jiang Fan looked up from the computer screen.

"You said you have a crush on Xu Qingya."

Li Cheng's head bounced off the table, his face deathly pale.

"I didn't say that."

"You also said her legs are white."

"impossible!"

"You said it. You said it twice."

Li Cheng's expression froze instantly, and he slumped back into his chair.

"Brother Fan, please, keep this to yourself. What if Empress Xu finds out..."

"So what if you know?"

"She could kill me." Li Cheng's voice was weak.

Jiang Fan stared at his face for two seconds.

"Okay. Watch your mouth from now on."

Li Cheng relaxed completely and slumped into the chair.

"Yes, yes, yes. I can't thank you enough..."

"This afternoon, we need to finalize Shen Nian's schedule and clarify the arrangements before and after the recording of the fourth episode of 'The Voice of China' to avoid any mishaps."

"Do it immediately!"

Li Cheng quickly left the office and closed the door behind him.

He could be heard whispering to Zhou Yutong in the hallway: "Quick, get me a strong cup of tea, really strong... My head is killing me..."

Zhou Yutong's voice drifted over from afar: "Brother Li, how much have you drunk?"

"Don't even mention it... I wasn't feeling well yesterday, I only drank a dozen or so bottles."

Jiang Fan: ...

-

Jiang Fan returned to his computer.

The two songs that Su Yuyan owes us can't be delayed any longer.

He opened the system store, entered keywords in the search bar, and flipped through a few pages.

The song I picked out last night is still on my playlist.

"sigh".

He clicked to listen. The melody flowed through his mind—lazy, charming, with a touch of ancient style.

Su Yuyan's voice is naturally suited for singing this kind of song.

The captivating yet sassy quality in her voice, paired with these words, is simply divine.

[Exchange for "Sigh"? Consumes 200 Life Points]

confirm.

[Exchange successful. Current lifespan: 34400 points]

The lyrics and melody flooded my mind.

Jiang Fan closed his eyes and went through it once.

nice one.

He pulled over the sheet music and began writing the arrangement framework.

This song is to be played with the guzheng and single-stringed instrument, accompanied by an electronic bass drum, with an additional layer of strings on the chorus.

I wrote until 6 p.m. and finally finished.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Su Yuyan.

"The song is finished. I'll give you a demo tomorrow."

Su Yuyan replied quickly: "Yaoyao, I'll be waiting for you at the company tomorrow. By the way, guess who I ran into today?"

"Who?"

"Tang Yingxue." Su Yuyan sent an eye-rolling emoji.

"She actually initiated a conversation with me, subtly inquiring about you several times. Finally, she asked how much you charge for songwriting?"

Jiang Fan raised an eyebrow.

"What did you reply?"

"I told you you're very expensive, most people can't afford to hire you." Su Yuyan sent a "hehe" emoji.

"Then she left, and she didn't look too good."

Tang Yingxue went to Su Yuyan to inquire about him—which shows that she was still hesitant.

This person has an inflated sense of self-esteem.

Let's see how long she can hold it in.

Jiang Fan replied, "Okay. Ignore her."

Su Yuyan: "You don't actually want to write a song for her, do you?"

Jiang Fan: "Let's see how she performs."

Su Yuyan: "...I feel like you're fishing for me."

Jiang Fan didn't reply. He turned off the computer, stood up, and stretched.

I grabbed my coat and left the office.

I went downstairs, took a taxi, and returned to my apartment.

I won't go to Shen Nian's place today—that girl needs a good night's rest.