"Uh, haha, there was nothing I could do about that. I hadn't really looked into it, and it sounded impressive, so I couldn't help nodding along."
Eden smiled awkwardly, embarrassed by her own ignorance.
When they had discussed the contract terms earlier, she had barely been able to get a word in. Ye Chang'an had carefully asked about her needs, then relayed them to Maris and demanded they be added.
If she had been alone, she truly couldn't imagine what kind of contract she would have ended up signing.
She was too young and naive, only understanding music and Chang'an.
"Hey, you really should learn more about this sort of thing."
"I know. I'll learn slowly. Besides, don't I still have you? You definitely won't let me get taken advantage of, right?"
Eden giggled and rewarded Ye Chang'an with a sweet kiss right there on the street. Ye Chang'an instantly felt that all the haggling with Maris had been worth it.
He disliked haggling with people. He was the type who preferred using his fists over his mouth whenever possible.
He had not intended to get too involved with the contract matters either, but Maris's contract had simply contained too many problems.
Fortunately, everything had been settled now.
"Of course. I definitely won't let you get taken advantage of." He patted his chest in assurance. Eden became even happier, and the two chatted and laughed as they strolled back to school.
Starting tomorrow, they would be trainee idols under Tianyin Media, receiving training alongside the other students.
This training was not about teaching them how to sing or play instruments, but things like stage style and posture etiquette.
Once they mastered those, performances could be arranged for them.
So tonight, they should get a good rest.
Yes, the two of them would rest together.
The contract had been signed. You became an idol trainee under Tianyin Media and completed your training ahead of schedule with outstanding results after two months. Two months. Compared to someone who had trained for two and a half years, that was absurdly short.
Yet Ye Chang'an and Eden had graduated in such a short time because they learned faster than anyone else.
Thus, under Maris's arrangements, the two officially debuted as the duo Sleepless Chang'an.
"Eden, why did you give the group that name?"
Ye Chang'an did not understand. He genuinely thought the group name was pretty terrible, yet Eden had submitted it to Maris herself.
"Didn't the manager say the group name should preferably be connected to the members' names? So I chose this one. It sounds nice, doesn't it?"
"How does that sound nice? And can you stop putting my name into every name you come up with? First Chang'an Melody, then Sleepless Chang'an. Just how obsessed are you with the words 'Chang'an'?"
He had to complain. Eden's naming sense was truly worthy of ridicule, like she was hopeless at naming things.
The Eden in the game had not been bad at naming things. Her names had been quite poetic.
So how had his girlfriend ended up like this... Oh, she had probably been spoiled crooked.
She had definitely been spoiled crooked.
"Haha, I am obsessed with Chang'an. The kind of obsession I'll never forget for the rest of my life."
Eden took the opportunity to flirt with him. Ye Chang'an immediately lost all momentum to complain and suggested cautiously,
"Let's change it. How about Eden's Paradise? It's connected to your name, and it sounds nice too."
"No. We're not changing it. It's Sleepless Chang'an. 'Sleepless' has such a beautiful mood to it. It means night will never fall, that there will always be light."
"Paradise is nice too. Just hearing it makes people think of happy things."
"Nope, nope, absolutely not."
She refused to listen, covering her ears and wildly shaking her head.
She was clearly a glamorous mature beauty, yet she was acting like a child. Ye Chang'an did not know whether to laugh or cry, and he no longer felt like insisting on changing the name.
Let her have her way. As long as she was happy, that was enough.
Still, seeing this childlike side of her, Ye Chang'an could not help thinking of the gentle and virtuous Eden from the game.
Judging by their figures alone, there was not much difference. Both were tall, voluptuous red-haired beauties.
Their personalities, however, were indeed very different.
I really did spoil her crooked.
Ye Chang'an smiled and affectionately ruffled Eden's hair.
Soon, the day of their first performance arrived. Ye Chang'an and Eden finished their makeup separately and waited backstage.
"Chang'an, are you nervous?"
"What's there to be nervous about? It's not that different from usual."
"It's very different, okay? This is our first performance. What if we mess it up?"
"Don't overthink it. We won't mess up."
Ye Chang'an comforted her, then had Eden silently recite Chang'an Melody to calm herself.
Like the Sword Heart Art, Chang'an Melody could also temper the mind. Reciting, silently chanting, and listening to it could all produce an effect.
The Sword Heart Art's effect, however, was to empty one's mind of distracting thoughts, leaving one aware of nothing and feeling nothing.
Chang'an Melody's effect was to grant insight into oneself, precisely identifying the emotion one needed most and amplifying it.
It was hard to say which was better. Each had its own strengths.
The Sword Heart Art was suited for fighting, preventing emotions from influencing one's actions and allowing one to focus solely on defeating the enemy before them.
Chang'an Melody was suited for performances. It was good at stirring emotions, making it perfect for singing, playing instruments, and the like.
"Mm, I really don't feel nervous anymore. That's amazing."
After silently reciting it, Eden marveled at the change. She truly was no longer nervous, and she was even eager to begin performing.
Fortunately, they went onstage soon afterward, stepping onto the stage once the host had introduced them.
"Whoa, he's so handsome, and she's so beautiful."
"Oh my god, who are these two? Does anyone remember their group's name? Please tell me~"
The moment they appeared, they drew quite a few gasps. People whispered to those beside them, asking who they were.
But why ask anyone else? Ye Chang'an and Eden would introduce themselves after they finished singing.
Thus, the audience stopped discussing it and eagerly awaited the performance the handsome man and beautiful woman onstage were about to bring. Some had already raised their phones to record.
No matter how well they sang, Ye Chang'an's face alone was worth recording and taking home to admire.
At worst, they could mute the sound.
Ye Chang'an was still unaware of this. Once he took his place, he exchanged a glance with Eden, and they nodded to each other.
The performance began. Ye Chang'an drew the long flute from his waist and spun it stylishly a few times, successfully drawing the audience's attention.
Then he raised the flute horizontally, brought it to his lips, and played the first song of their duo.
There was no extra background music, only Ye Chang'an's flute.
The instant he began playing, the audience was completely captivated by the melody before they even had time to wonder about it.
After the brief introduction, the flute did not stop, and a female voice rose alongside it.
Eden began to sing. She did not even use a microphone, yet her cool, clear voice reached every listener.
After all, this was not a large-scale performance, with only a little over a hundred audience members.
That was precisely why the two had chosen not to use microphones, relying only on their most primitive and genuine voices to begin their debut performance.
On this day, the duo Sleepless Chang'an officially debuted.
Chapter of Creation: Journey to a New World: Eden, Don't Be So Forward
In the internet age, there was no shortage of people becoming famous overnight, because the internet could swiftly spread something interesting across the world.
As long as something was appealing enough, anyone could quickly become popular.
And recently, a duo had exploded in popularity online.
A video titled "A Leaf of Chang'an: The Revival of Classical Music, Heavenly Sounds at the Peak of Music" appeared online. Anyone who clicked on it could not help liking, commenting, and sharing it.
Overnight, its shares surpassed ten million. By the following evening, they had directly exceeded one hundred million.
"Heavenly music. This is absolutely genuine heavenly music. I've never heard anything this good before."
"It sounds so good. He's so handsome, and she's so beautiful."
"When was this performance? Where was it held? I want to hear it live, I want to hear it live."
Comments like these were as numerous as stars. People across Mu Continent were deeply curious about the duo called Sleepless Chang'an in the video, all wanting to hear them perform live at least once.
After all, Mu Continent was the most economically developed place in this era, and the people here did not lack for material comforts.
Once humans had their material needs met, they often sought spiritual fulfillment, including but not limited to music, games, movies, television, and animation.
Yet among the countless choices available, very few could truly offer that sense of spiritual fulfillment.
Even in music, songs they genuinely liked rarely appeared. Some even felt that the music industry was beyond saving.
Cheap catchy songs were rampant, everything sounded the same, plagiarism was everywhere, lyrics were randomly changed and made up, and the whole scene was a mess beyond description.
Online users had nearly given up hope, until they saw this video and heard the song within it.
They liked it.
They liked it very much.
They loved it.
If they had to give a reason for that love, it was because this song was just so damn clean.
There was no electronic music and no mixing, only pure voices singing beside their ears. The singing was excellent, and it blended perfectly with the flute in the background.
They could listen to it without ever growing tired of it. That was why they liked the song.
"I want to know where they'll perform next. Go buy me tickets, the best seats available."
Wealthy people eagerly threw money around for information and tickets, while video creators began riding the trend by analyzing whether the song had been lip-synced.
All sorts of discussions sprang up around the video, and its popularity soared higher and higher.
The buzz did not die down for half a month, when the duo created another sensation.
They appeared midway through someone else's concert. Videos of that performance were also uploaded online, and this time they performed a different song.
It was still original classical music.
"Damn it, why couldn't I get tickets? I want to hear them live!"
The wealthy people were going crazy, but being upset was useless.
Ye Chang'an and Eden still had no plans to hold a concert, because they did not have enough songs.
They could not hold a concert with only two songs. It would be over in ten minutes.
So until their repertoire could support two full hours, they would not hold a solo concert. For now, they simply relied on guest appearances.
After all, plenty of singers were begging the two of them to appear at their concerts.
"Chang'an, Miss Maris sent over some songs and said they're for us to use. Can you see whether they'll work?"
Eden came over carrying her laptop and sat down, showing Ye Chang'an the sheet music. He looked at it with a face full of disdain.
"They won't work. They're too bad."
"Mm, I think so too."
"If you knew that, why make me look at them? Just refuse her directly."
"That wouldn't be very nice. I had to ask what you thought before replying to her."
Eden smiled awkwardly, still lacking the confidence to directly stand up to her manager.
Before you continue