Chapter 24: Recording a Song

"No way... I only just found out about it myself," Zhang Suxin said helplessly.

Song Xiaoqin nodded and remarked, "It seems it has nothing to do with talent, then. So it’s purely because of his looks?"

Zhang Suxin shot her an indignant glare. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting!"

Song Xiaoqin replied, "Fine, fine. I can’t be bothered to argue with you about this. Anyway, he’s your daughter’s father, not mine."

Zhang Suxin retorted dismissively, "If you're so good, why don't you go make a daughter of your own before saying things like that!"

Song Xiaoqin: "..."

The recording resumed, and Song Xiaoqin put on her headphones. Zhang Suxin put on another pair and listened from the side.

Only little Xianxian was looking around aimlessly, her tiny hands nearly unable to stay still. Fortunately, her movements were neither fast nor strong, and whenever she started to stir, Zhang Suxin was able to catch her in time.

As another recording session ended, Song Xiaoqin and Zhang Suxin took off their headphones to discuss adjustments in instrumentation with Lu Anzhi.

Seizing the gap, Song Xiaoqin continued to chat with Zhang Suxin. "You still haven't told me, what exactly is going on with you two? Where has he been all this time? I've asked you so many times before, and you never told me anything, but then today you suddenly bring him here. Do you have any idea how much you scared me?"

Zhang Suxin hesitated for a moment and said, "It wasn't convenient to tell you before. Anyway, don't worry about it. Look, isn't everything fine now? He can take care of Xianxian and help me solve the song-request issue... I haven't told you yet, but I've registered a studio, and the paperwork will be finished in the next couple of days. Xianxian's father is going to be affiliated with my studio, and I plan to present this song to Zhou Bo in the name of my studio."

Song Xiaoqin’s eyes lit up. "A studio? What’s it called? Can I join too?"

Zhang Suxin replied speechlessly, "It’s just a tiny shell company for convenience so that Xianxian's father and I can write songs. Why are you trying to get in on this?"

Song Xiaoqin curled her lip. "Fine, don't let me join then. But don't change the subject. Tell me more. I feel like the relationship between you and that guy is a bit off. It doesn't look like you’re a married couple."

Zhang Suxin’s expression stiffened slightly. "How is it not like one?"

Song Xiaoqin said, "If you were a real couple, you wouldn't call him 'Xianxian's father.' You aren't some old folks; what young people call their partners that nowadays? Why isn't it 'darling,' 'baby,' or 'honey'?"

Zhang Suxin shuddered. "Are you trying to be gross?"

Song Xiaoqin let out a cold laugh and put her headphones back on to continue working.

Zhang Suxin took a deep breath with a complex expression and let it out slowly. She put her headphones on as well, thinking that when Song Xiaoqin took hers off later, she was definitely not going to take hers off.

Because it was just a demo recording, the quality requirements were not high, and the progress was swift.

By the end of the morning, all the necessary instruments had been recorded. As Song Xiaoqin completed the initial mix, Lu Anzhi walked out of the recording booth, watching from behind while playing with Xianxian.

Both father and daughter were staring at Song Xiaoqin’s work; though they couldn't understand it, it felt sophisticated to them.

Zhang Suxin, meanwhile, felt a sense of relief.

When Lu Anzhi stood by her side, Song Xiaoqin wouldn't ask her those messy questions, which made her feel more relaxed. She was now hoping that Lu Anzhi would stay right there and not leave until they were out of Song Xiaoqin’s place.

However, that was impossible.

Song Xiaoqin quickly finished the rough mix. After listening to it once and feeling satisfied, she signaled for Lu Anzhi to enter the booth, played the music, and began the vocal recording.

Zhang Suxin’s heart couldn't help but leap into her throat again. As she watched Lu Anzhi head toward the recording booth, she noticed Song Xiaoqin staring at him with a very strange expression.

She always felt that there was a whiff of gossip in that gaze, which made her nervous.

Fortunately, Song Xiaoqin seemed curious about the final effect of the song. Once Lu Anzhi went inside, she put on her headphones and focused on the recording, not letting her gossipy nature spill over onto Zhang Suxin.

Zhang Suxin breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet, for some reason, she felt a subtle sense of disappointment.

It was as if she had inexplicably wanted Song Xiaoqin to talk to her about these things.

Perhaps it was the hidden desire to confide in someone acting up? Zhang Suxin wondered.

Perhaps it was...

These messy entanglements, so deep and with such an uncertain future, sometimes truly felt suffocating. She had felt the urge to confide in someone before.

But who could she say these things to?

With others, the relationship hadn't reached that point.

With Song Xiaoqin, the relationship was there, but with her fiery temper, who knew what she might do if she learned the messy details of the situation.

And with Lu Anzhi...

If she did that, she would be holding him hostage.

She had already used the child, Xianxian, to hold him hostage once; to use other matters and emotions to bind him further would be too much.

Lost in her troubled thoughts, she unconsciously put on her headphones and sat silently to the side.

She was startled when the music from Song Xiaoqin’s initial mix began to play in her ears.

The prelude to "Sea" flowed into her ears.

Zhang Suxin had already heard Lu Anzhi play the flute and piano, and she had seen the sheet music and imagined the full arrangement in her head. But hearing it now, the prelude that instantly drew one in still left her slightly amazed.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Perhaps... Song Xiaoqin wasn't staring at Lu Anzhi out of gossip earlier, but because of the mixing effect?

"Everything is at a standstill, all the blooming; the love has grown distant, yet become clear..."

Lu Anzhi’s voice rose along with the music, effortlessly blending into the rough but high-quality background track. His delivery remained as steady as ever, instantly pulling the listener into the emotions of the song.

Zhang Suxin had expected this; having heard him sing at home, she simply closed her eyes and listened quietly.

Song Xiaoqin, however, widened her eyes, peering through the transparent glass into the recording booth, then glancing at Zhang Suxin. Seeing that Zhang Suxin had her eyes closed in focused concentration, she looked away and continued her work.

Both of them were lost in the music, leaving Xianxian to the side.

Seeing that both adults had headphones on and were ignoring her, Xianxian grew restless. She ran over to Zhang Suxin, grabbed her slender leg, and tried to climb up.

Noticing this, Zhang Suxin opened her eyes, saw Xianxian, and lifted her onto her lap. "What's wrong?"

She watched as Xianxian’s little mouth opened and closed, though she could only hear Lu Anzhi’s singing in her ears.

She took off her headphones, and Xianxian reached out with her small hands to grab them. "Xianxian wants to listen! Xianxian wants to listen too!"

Zhang Suxin laughed. "Come on, let's listen with Mommy."

She held the headphones at an angle, placing one earcup against Xianxian’s ear and the other against her own, holding her daughter close as they listened together.

This way, the sound flowing from the headphones wasn't too loud for the child, yet it was perfectly audible.

"I don't want you to leave, distance cannot separate us, the longing turns into an ocean, unable to enter through the window..."

Xianxian swayed her head back and forth, listening happily.