This Is the Song I Want

After Zhang Han tidied up the kitchen, he walked to the white dining table with a rag.

He picked up the small stack of hundred-yuan bills on it and put them into the drawer of the computer counter without even looking.

The three of them had eaten a total of five Egg Fried Rice and six cups of milk. Yu Qingqing was very satisfied and left twenty-one hundred yuan. Normally, five Egg Fried Rice would cost fourteen hundred yuan and six cups of milk would cost four hundred and eighty yuan, totaling one thousand eight hundred and eighty yuan.

But Yu Qingqing's calculation wasn't like that. She calculated each Egg Fried Rice as three hundred yuan and each cup of milk as one hundred yuan, which came to one thousand five hundred plus six hundred, totaling twenty-one hundred.

However, Zhang Han was too lazy to check the money. Money was just a number to him. Although he didn't have much now, Zhang Han had never worried about lacking money in the future.

He threw the paper boxes and utensils on the table into the trash can, wiped the table, and then his phone rang.

Glancing at the time, it was only eight o'clock. The call at this time must be from Ziyan, who usually chatted with Mengmeng.

"Zhang Han." Ziyan's voice was as ethereal as ever, but Zhang Han could still detect a hint of fatigue.

"Mm."

"You always just say 'mm' and 'ah,' are you that unwilling to talk to me?" Ziyan's tone was a little displeased.

For some reason, every time Zhang Han responded with a faint 'mm' or 'ah,' Ziyan would get so angry her teeth would itch! If she were by his side, Ziyan would definitely scold him fiercely without a second thought.

Zhang Han, on the other hand, was always bewildered.

You called me and just said my name, what do you expect me to say?

There was a moment of silence on the phone, and Ziyan's voice turned cold: "Give the phone to Mengmeng, I want to talk to her!"

"Oh." Zhang Han nodded and walked towards Mengmeng. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "How is the MV shoot going? You sound a little tired."

"Hmph! Now that sounds like something a person would say." Ziyan snorted lightly, her tone softening by three points. "It's quite tiring. We filmed until three in the morning yesterday and slept for four hours. I have to go to the outskirts to film today, and it must be finished before the tenth. I'll rest for a day on the eleventh, and on the twelfth, I have a commercial performance at Victoria Harbour. On the thirteenth, I have to check the final production of the song, and on the fourteenth, there's a promotional press conference."

Zhang Han's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. "Is it necessary to work so hard?"

In this information age, releasing a few high-quality songs at home and holding a couple of concerts when bored would be enough.

But Ziyan was busy with a series of activities like MVs, commercial performances, and press conferences. In Zhang Han's opinion, it was too much. If she hadn't drunk the Pure Yang Water, her fatigue would probably be doubled.

Moreover, what were celebrities and money in the end but fleeting clouds? With his status as a cultivator, he would eventually leave Earth with Mengmeng and his family. After all, when one person achieves enlightenment, their family and even their pets ascend. Uh... Ziyan should... be considered part of the family, right?

"I want to spend quality time with Mengmeng too, but I can't. I need to earn money to give Mengmeng a good education and a life free from worry. Also, I haven't achieved my reputation as an actress yet. I retired for five years, and in this rapidly developing information age, people will forget me. When I come back, I'll have to work harder than others to succeed." Ziyan said slowly.

In fact, she was under immense pressure. Anyone in her situation would feel a lot of pressure. At times like these, women also desperately need a man to share their burden, but in her eyes, with Zhang Han's personality and his views on the entertainment industry, he wouldn't be able to help her in any way.

"Mm, then you decide. Take care of yourself while you're out. Don't worry about making money; as long as I'm here, we won't lack money." Zhang Han pondered for a moment and said a naturally caring sentence.

"Thank you." Ziyan's voice softened by another three points, with a hint of a smile. "By the way, Mengmeng said your cooking is delicious?"

"Mm."

Zhang Han replied.

"Hmph! So confident, you must have some real skills then?" Ziyan chuckled and said, "Also, stop instilling that 'ant' nonsense into Mengmeng's education, or I'll make sure you regret it when I get back. Alright, give the phone to Mengmeng, I want to talk to her."

"Oh."

Zhang Han was slightly stunned. Unknowingly, he had been chatting with Ziyan by the sofa for five minutes. He handed the phone to Mengmeng, who was watching cartoons. Hearing her mom's voice, Mengmeng stopped watching TV and started chattering animatedly.

They chatted for half an hour. Ziyan had to go to work, and Mengmeng obediently said goodbye before hanging up.

Throughout the morning, more than a dozen groups of customers came to the restaurant one after another. The restaurant's location was good, and through the bright glass, one could see the unique interior decoration. The crystal chandelier on the dining table, the elegant piano, and the tidy decor all attracted quite a few customers.

However, because Zhang Han didn't cook, these people could only sigh and leave.

Zhang Han pondered. This situation couldn't continue, so he placed a notice board on the side of the restaurant's entrance.

Business Hours: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Not necessarily open every day. Please do not disturb during non-business hours.

Food: Egg Fried Rice - 280 yuan per serving. Milk - 80 yuan per cup. Occasionally, goat milk is available, 80 yuan per cup.

The first clause, with its "take it or leave it" business hours, already seemed unscientific to people. The price in the second clause further enraged those who didn't know the truth.

They only sell Egg Fried Rice, and the price is so expensive. Who would come to this restaurant to eat?

Even after Zhang Han put up the notice, the female staff member from the Sichuan restaurant next door curiously came over to take a look. After seeing the message, she stifled her laughter and went back, inevitably leading to another round of sarcastic remarks.

Meanwhile, at Xue Qian's home.

"Ugh! What is all this garbage! It's driving me crazy!" Li Fan took off his headset irritably and said angrily, "Damn it, they dare to submit songs after researching music for less than half a year? I'm really impressed. If they submit it, the sheet music isn't even complete. Are they playing a 'listen and fill in the score' game with me?"

"Hehehe." Xue Qian smiled slightly. "I'll listen to the songs this afternoon. You take a break; I think you'll go crazy if you keep listening."

"I'm already crazy. I'm crazy from hunger." Li Fan's stomach growled. He stood up and said, "I'm going to make some instant noodles."

"Don't do that, let's go out to eat? You've been working hard these past few days, let's go out and treat ourselves." Xue Qian asked.

"Let's not go out. Making instant noodles won't delay listening to songs, and the concert date is approaching. There isn't much time. The concert won't be complete unless we can pick out two good songs." Li Fan shook his head.

Although those endorsements, business events, and variety shows couldn't be recovered, the public opinion was no longer one-sided. His fans were very supportive, and Xue Qian's face occasionally showed a smile these past two days. Li Fan saw this and felt a sense of relief.

"Then I'll order some food, don't eat instant noodles." Xue Qian said, putting down his guitar and taking out his phone to order some delicacies.

"That works too. I want an eight-inch pizza, two six-ounce steaks, and some random desserts and snacks." Li Fan smiled upon hearing this and sat back down at his computer desk.

"You're not being polite at all!" Xue Qian said with a laugh.

Li Fan had been with him for over four years. He was serious and conscientious in his work, and their relationship was very good. They would also joke around in private.

"What's with the politeness between an employee and their boss?"

Li Fan grinned, put on his headset, and looked back at the computer screen, opening the next email.

The name of this song was "Actor."

"Huh? The name seems okay, but the content is probably garbage. They've got all the info, even a piano accompaniment... Huh? What is this? They're actually asking for a hundred thousand yuan for this song? Holy crap! Are they crazy?"

Li Fan exclaimed loudly.

Generally, from the income of a song, the main creators get a 5% royalty, the singer gets 20% to 40%, and the rest goes to the record company. However, due to piracy, these royalty incomes aren't very high. Sometimes, good songs are bought out for full copyright, usually for fifty to sixty thousand yuan. Only producers who are somewhat famous would command prices over a hundred thousand.

Li Fan was already very familiar with all the qualified producers, and he had never heard of anyone named 'Hanyang.'

So, for a newcomer to dare ask for a hundred thousand yuan, Li Fan thought it seemed a bit arrogant.

"Oh? A hundred-thousand-yuan song? Let's play it through the speakers, I want to hear it too."

Even Xue Qian himself felt a surge of curiosity.

"Then let's hear this so-called hundred-thousand-yuan song!" Li Fan sneered, pulled out his headset, plugged in a USB drive, and started playing the music accompaniment.

When the melodious and solemn piano accompaniment began, Li Fan was slightly taken aback.

"This is getting interesting!"

Li Fan's expression instantly became extremely serious as he listened intently to the accompaniment.

Meanwhile, Xue Qian had already closed his eyes to feel the music.

Before he knew it, the accompaniment finished.

"Finally, a song that sounds somewhat decent. Let's listen to the piano accompaniment," Li Fan said, and began playing the piano track.

After listening to the piano track, Li Fan's eyebrows shot up. He glanced at Xue Qian and said in a deep voice, "I think... we've found a gem!"

"Let me see the lyrics!"

Xue Qian quickly leaned in.

"Speak simply, in a simple way. Omit the escalating emotions. You're not an actor, so don't design those scenes..."

After reading the lyrics, Li Fan's expression became somewhat agitated. He said with a trembling voice, "Good, good, good! These lyrics are truly amazing! They're fantastic. I feel, I feel that if you sing this song, it will absolutely be perfect, absolutely perfect!"

"Actor..." Xue Qian's gaze was a little lost as he murmured, "This is the song I wanted!"