His ice-queen wife technically worked in the entertainment industry, but if he told her about this...
Yun Xiaoran carefully considered whether that would work, then ultimately gave up on the idea.
It definitely wasn't because he was afraid of her.
After thinking for a long while, the silhouette of a woman gradually came into focus in Yun Xiaoran's mind: Zhou Yanqi!
When they had eaten at the restaurant last time, Zhou Yanqi had mentioned knowing a little about music. From their conversation, Yun Xiaoran had also felt that her voice suited this sort of singing, with its blend of sexy and cute.
If only he hadn't thrown away that business card. Now he would have to contact her through Zhou Zeyu.
After giving Audrey Cat his word, Yun Xiaoran hurriedly logged off, then took out his phone and started a WeChat call with Zhou Zeyu.
"Xiaoran, what brought you calling? I was just about to contact you. I need something!" When Zhou Zeyu saw that the call was from Yun Xiaoran, he was delighted.
Zhou Zeyu had been about to ask Yun Xiaoran to write him a song and a love poem. Love poems might be a little old-fashioned these days, but if one came from the great Lone Cloud, who had written lyrics as beautiful as those of Blue and White Porcelain and Silence, it would make perfect sense.
"I do need something. Could you send me Zhou Yanqi's number? I want to ask her to sing a song for me," Yun Xiaoran explained his plan.
"Sure. I think she'd agree. Last time at the restaurant, she seemed like she hadn't had enough of talking to you..."
When Zhou Zeyu heard how simple Yun Xiaoran's terms for the exchange were, he agreed. All he had to do was send his younger cousin over to sing a song for him. Surely nothing too disastrous would happen.
Zhou Zeyu's request was equally simple: he wanted Yun Xiaoran to write him a love poem and a sad song.
After all, Zhou Zeyu dreamed of becoming a music content creator. He wanted to use them in a video and have his own moment in the spotlight.
Lyrics by Lone Cloud, music by Lone Cloud, and even promotional copy by Lone Cloud-if that still got only a lukewarm response, the platform itself must be the problem.
"Then it's settled. Send me her WeChat contact." Yun Xiaoran took a deep breath after hanging up, and Zhou Zeyu soon forwarded his cousin's contact to him.
Zhou Yanqi's WeChat display name was "Yanqi." Yun Xiaoran could easily tell that her profile picture was a side view of her enjoying herself at the beach.
Friend request: I'm Yun Xiaoran.
While sending the friend request, Yun Xiaoran didn't sit idle. Since he needed to write a catchy song suited to dancing, one song from his previous life was a perfect fit: Calories.
The song was upbeat and infectious. If it suited the public's taste, it could become almost as big a hit as Silence.
The lyrics and melody were also easy to remember, relying largely on lively music to carry the song, so Yun Xiaoran finished both shortly before noon.
Meanwhile, Shen Jin was practicing her song out of sheer boredom. It was difficult to master and demanded all the singer's emotion. Only by singing it repeatedly could she grasp its nuances.
As she practiced, Shen Jin listened for sounds outside her room. To her surprise, Yun Xiaoran had spent the entire morning in his room.
Shen Jin was terribly bored, barely holding herself back with what reason she had left. Even bickering with Yun Xiaoran would have been better than the two of them hiding in their separate rooms.
Then they would eat lunch mechanically and drag themselves through the rest of the day like the walking dead.
"So this really is marriage. Utterly boring, with nothing interesting about it. Yun Xiaoran is still hiding in his room."
Shen Jin helplessly sent Sister Hua a message to complain. When Yun Xiaoran had first moved in, she had found something to complain about almost every day. Now she only complained when she absolutely had to.
"You two only got into this fake marriage to meet your own needs. Even roommates can become friends. Nothing has actually happened between you two, yet somehow you're like fire and water."
"Well..."
Shen Jin held her phone in her slender, delicately boned hands and stared at Sister Hua's message. She did seem to have a point.
Sister Hua had originally worried that Yun Xiaoran might bully Shen Jin while she was home alone with him. But after these past few days, she only found the situation increasingly strange.
"Jin'er, do you really think he's a stalker fan? He doesn't seem like one to me. He still doesn't even know what you do for a living." Shen Jin stared at those words.
Thinking it all through, she also found it rather strange. She called Yun Xiaoran a stalker fan, but the only time they had been remotely intimate was when he had been drunk. Other than that, there had been nothing.
"I don't know." Shen Jin thought it over but couldn't find an answer, so she sent Sister Hua that reply.
"It doesn't matter if you don't know. You're getting divorced in a month anyway." Sister Hua sent the message helplessly, reminding Shen Jin not to get too caught up in the act.
"Well..." Shen Jin stared at Sister Hua's message. The strange thing was that she didn't feel any deep hatred when Yun Xiaoran came up. Instead, a complicated feeling she couldn't quite explain was slowly rising in her heart.
Briar, Bramble, and Logger Vick had fought for eleven years and become friends. Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf had battled for seven years and become close friends too.
After letting her thoughts wander for a long while, Shen Jin decided to distract herself by singing.
She turned on her computer, logged into China Star Entertainment's official account, and sent Lone Cloud a private message asking for singing advice. When she used her alternate account, he wouldn't bother responding.
"May I ask what tone I should use for the final part of the chorus?" After sending the message, Shen Jin began waiting anxiously.
"Although the lyrics of the chorus are easy to remember overall, they aren't that easy to sing. You need enough breath support and excellent vocal control to make it sound right. This part will be fairly difficult." After finishing the song, Yun Xiaoran had sent it to Zhao Ruoxi in advance so she could familiarize herself with the lyrics.
Now that his paying client had messaged him, he had to give her proper attention.
"Oh, all right." Seeing how quickly Lone Cloud replied, Shen Jin couldn't help feeling a little better.
And so, in this bizarre fashion, the two unwittingly started chatting freely again.
For the most part, Shen Jin would ask a question, and Lone Cloud would give a fairly formal answer with instructions. This song had been quite difficult even in his previous life.
But as a diva, Shen Jin certainly had some talent for singing, so she quickly grasped the essentials.
"Lone Cloud, would you be willing to become a lyricist for China Star Entertainment? We'd be happy to offer you generous compensation." Shen Jin typed out the question. Lone Cloud's approach to singing and his unconventional bursts of inspiration often resonated perfectly with her.
Talented people were common, but those who could recognize their talent were rare. That was why Shen Jin was willing to pay a hefty price to recruit Lone Cloud.
"No, thank you for your company's confidence in me, but I'm not interested in the entertainment industry. I just enjoy music." After thinking for a long time, Yun Xiaoran still turned down the lucrative offer. He planned to start his own label and entertainment company in the future. Once he tied himself to China Star Entertainment, he would practically have to depend on it for the rest of his working life. Yun Xiaoran didn't like feeling that someone else held him in the palm of their hand.
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