A Song That Struck the Soul in One Go

"Which song should we record first?"

The moment they went upstairs, Yan Yu asked impatiently.

"Let's make that demo first. We need to finish the arrangement, and I'll need Sister Yu's help with the piano part."

Yan Yu agreed without hesitation and said she was pretty good at drums too.

She loved music just as much.

If she did not, there was no way she would have chosen this line of work.

Finished songs sounded great, but recording one was actually quite a troublesome process.

Why did Yan Yu and some audiophiles think Song Dao's first recording of See Through Love, See Through You sounded a little rough?

The truth was, it had only been made to get through that gala. When it came time to upload it afterward, there had been no other choice.

The buzz was there, and uploading even a minute earlier meant earning a little more money.

No matter how rough it was, it still sounded far better than that video.

But if he truly wanted to record a song well, he still needed to find a professional recording studio.

And even with the system's help, a complete arrangement, and the ability to adjust himself into peak condition at any time, it was still difficult to get everything right in one go.

Take writing an essay, for example.

Even if you had already composed the whole thing in your head and were in excellent form, it was hard to guarantee that there would not be a single typo once you wrote it down.

It was best to draft it first, then copy it over.

The reason the last recording had gone so smoothly was mainly because Song Dao was already very familiar with "See Through."

On top of that, both he and the original owner of the body had felt deeply about it.

With his emotions in place, he had handed in a perfect paper without a single typo.

But this time, it was the first time he had sung both songs as a professional singer.

From arrangement to performance, he wanted to make every detail as polished as possible.

In truth, that was a good thing. It was training for him.

He could not become a top-tier producer someday and still get muddled while arranging music, only to be exposed the moment an outsider was present.

Song Dao had the original owner's professionalism, along with the little items he had drawn from the lottery, so he could already skip the early stages of selecting songs, familiarizing himself with them, and communicating with producers.

That was also the advantage of a singer-songwriter.

Yan Yu went over to adjust the equipment.

She tuned the microphone, audio interface, speakers, headphones, mixing console, and everything else to their optimal working condition.

Then they began recording the song that had come from the Premium Bronze Treasure Chest.

—A Lifetime of Loneliness!

After receiving the lyrics and score, Yan Yu printed them out and placed them on the piano's music stand.

She carefully read through the lyrics a few times, then began playing the intro on the piano.

She was already beautiful, and sitting upright at the piano with such a focused expression made her seem even more refined.

Her ten slender fingers danced across the keys.

Smooth and graceful, a delight to watch!

A string of notes flowed out as she sat there and softly hummed.

"We've already sat facing each other through the night; I'm afraid dawn is about to break."

"I'm starting to understand that our love is about to fall apart too."

At that point, she stopped humming and began playing continuously according to the rhythm.

The curiosity and anticipation on her face gradually turned serious and focused.

A faint sadness appeared in her eyes.

When she reached the chorus, she became even more serious, even more immersed.

Her ten slender fingers unconsciously began pressing harder.

She poured all her emotions into it.

Not until the song had ended did she move for a long while.

Song Dao clapped softly.

Yan Yu turned around, her eyes slightly red as she looked at him. "You're not planning to let someone else sing this song, are you?"

Song Dao understood what she meant.

Zhang Yu had also been a first-tier superstar in that era when the music scene was full of legends.

And this song was one of his classics, too!

When he saw it appear in the Premium Bronze Treasure Chest, Song Dao could barely believe his eyes.

If bronze could yield something like this, what could silver possibly contain?

"This song doesn't quite suit my vocal tone, and it's also somewhat different from my current singing style."

Song Dao answered tactfully.

He couldn't exactly say that this was one of the Main Quests the system had specifically unlocked for Hu Wei, could he?

It wasn't that he couldn't sing it himself. The system had only suggested it; it wasn't mandatory.

But considering the countless songs yet to come, he would never be able to sing them all.

The reason he hadn't mentioned it to Hu Wei yet was that he wanted to observe him a little longer.

After all, stories of ingratitude were all too common in the entertainment industry.

He didn't want to end up nurturing some ungrateful bastard.

Even with airtight contracts in place, it would still be disgusting.

"What a wonderful song." Light shimmered in Yan Yu's beautiful eyes as she praised, "And what a heartbreaking one, too!"

She said nothing more. Who got to sing it was Song Dao's freedom.

Still, deep down, her curiosity and admiration for this young Junior Brother grew even stronger.

There were naturally geniuses in this world.

Especially in the arts.

There was no shortage of people who created works far beyond what their age and experience should have allowed.

But when such a person appeared beside you, it was still shocking—and inspiring genuine admiration from the bottom of your heart.

Afterward, the two of them recorded the remaining tracks together.

By then, it was already noon.

Neither of them mentioned lunch.

Yan Yu took her work seriously, and she also seemed eager to hear Song Dao perform the song first.

His earlier playing and humming alone had already moved her deeply.

She really wanted to know what kind of emotion its creator could bring to it.

The greatest joy of owning a recording studio was right here—you got to be the first to experience something new!

Once everything was ready, she signaled for Song Dao to do a test recording.

Song Dao nodded, walked into the recording booth, put on his headphones, and gave Yan Yu an OK gesture.

The next moment, a gentle piano intro began to play.

Song Dao took a deep breath and adjusted himself to his best state.

He hadn't eaten any of the gummies that stabilized his emotions.

There was no need.

—In his previous life, he had lost his job and gotten divorced in middle age, leaving his life a complete mess; in this life, the original owner's parents had died, and he had been dumped after being a simp.

All it took was a brief trip down Memories.

And the emotion came flooding in.

Standing outside, Yan Yu watched as Song Dao's eyes instantly turned melancholy and weathered. A sudden layer of goosebumps rose on her skin.

The aura he gave off made her empathize with him before he had even opened his mouth. She was already beginning to feel sad along with him.

[We've sat facing each other all night; I'm afraid dawn is about to break.]

The moment Song Dao opened his mouth using Primary Variable Voice, that faintly husky tone made Yan Yu's scalp tingle.

This emotional pull... was far too powerful, wasn't it?

Was this really the same person who sang "See Through Love, See Through You"?

She barely managed to suppress her shock.

[I'm starting to understand that our love is about to fall apart as well.]

[You walk toward me as you did before, wrapping both arms tightly around me.]

[Your tenderness is truly like a blade—what kind of smile do you want me to return to you?]

It was completely different from the feeling she had when she had played the melody and hummed it to herself earlier.

What it meant to be struck straight in the soul—she felt it all at once!

How many years had it been since listening to a song made her feel as though electricity was coursing through her entire body?

So Song Dao, you were telling her this was just a demo?

[I clearly know that this will be our final embrace.]

[You set a trap for me, yet I can neither jump in nor escape.]

[What do I have to argue with you about? What I wanted to keep, you wanted to forget.]

[The happiness and pain we once shared, what was yours and what was mine—all of it is written off from this day on.]

As the emotion built layer by layer, Song Dao's slightly husky voice pierced straight through Yan Yu's heart in an instant.

[What do I have to argue with you about? Those who feel no pain suffer no torment. It turns out that on the road we once walked hand in hand, I was the only one who believed in a lifetime of loneliness~]

As the chorus ended, Yan Yu's eyes immediately reddened.

She pressed her lips together hard, staring blankly at the thin figure in the recording booth.

Her mind was nearly blank.

She did not even notice that, just like last time, Song Dao had once again finished it in a single take!

There had not been the slightest pause in between.

And the result was nothing short of perfect!

The wondrous thing about songs was that the very same song could evoke entirely different emotions at different times, in different places, and in different states of mind.

Whether joy or sorrow, it could effortlessly stir the heartstrings and strike at memories long thought dead.

Bringing back that person from the past.

A piece of music, a story—once you were drawn in, you would be completely ruled by that emotion.

Song Dao had completely entered the zone by then as well.

Having the mindset and mentality of a middle-aged man did not mean he was truly invulnerable.

The grief and grievances accumulated deep within his heart had always been buried beneath his wealth of experience, but they had never truly died.

They would slowly sprout in the soil, slowly take root.

Perhaps they would never break through the earth for an entire lifetime.

But through a song, they could be rapidly magnified.

Until they erupted, unstoppable by anyone.

That was why Song Dao, with a middle-aged soul in a young body, could so easily convey the feeling of [A Lifetime of Loneliness].

In the end, Yan Yu still could not hold back her tears.

Many people might question it—could a song really possess such tremendous power?

In truth, it could.

Especially when a singer with formidable skill stood before you, singing with every ounce of emotion laid bare.

That wave of sorrow crashing straight into you—

There was simply no defense against it.

After a long while, Yan Yu finally came back to herself and went over to turn off the equipment.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at Song Dao as he walked out of the recording booth, concern in his eyes. She forced a smile, trying to salvage her composure.

She gently wiped the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes with a tissue.

"It's really good!"

She said softly, still slightly choked up.

Without waiting for Song Dao to say anything, she walked over to the equipment, put on the headphones, and pressed play.

She closed her eyes slightly and listened in silence.

This time, she did not cry.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes. Brilliant light shone within their faint redness.

Without saying anything, she simply gave Song Dao a thumbs-up.

"Do I need to do another take?" Song Dao asked.

"Do you think you'd still have the same emotion if you did it again? Besides, isn't this just a demo? What more do you want?" Yan Yu asked him in return.

Come to think of it, probably not.

Singing really needed enough emotion to support it.

Technique was something any singer who could be called a professional possessed.

Then came vocal tone and range.

Those were gifts from heaven.

But the emotion on the day of performing a work, and the ability to immerse oneself in it, were equally crucial for a singer.

Song Dao also walked over, put on the headphones, and listened through it once in silence.

No wonder Yan Yu had cried listening to it, he thought. Even he felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

You couldn't sing that feeling without twenty years of miserable experiences.

"Are you sure you really want to let someone else sing a song like this?"

Yan Yu took off her headphones and gazed at Song Dao with bright eyes.

Thanks to Number One Ink Fan for the Silver Alliance reward!

Bonus chapters for Alliance Leaders will begin after the premium release.