Chapter 2

After several consecutive nights of sleepless nights, Qin Qingzhuo took up the role of leading mentor with ease. As the music director, he controlled the overall style and song selection of the first episode of the program, plus he had almost communicated face-to-face with every band during rehearsals. Xia Qi was right; no one was more suitable for this job than Qin Qingzhuo.

However, there was one band outside of his control. Qin Qingzhuo looked at the stack of band profiles in his hand. The top page was the personal information of the young man he had just encountered. The information was extremely simple:

Jiang Ji, male, 19 years old, 187cm.

High school dropout, lead singer and guitarist of Asperatus band.

Apart from this, there was no other information, not even hobbies—how could a lead singer of a band not have any hobbies listed?

Seeing Qin Qingzhuo seemingly lost in thought after looking through the materials, the makeup artist struck up a conversation with him. “Teacher Qin, do you remember me? I did your makeup many years ago when you were only nineteen.”

Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t recall; he had worked with too many makeup artists. It could be said that Qin Qingzhuo had been in the music industry for many years, participating in countless large and small events and banquets. He had encountered almost every makeup artist with some fame and experience in the industry.

He smiled, “Is that so? You have a good memory.”

“It’s not that I have a good memory, but you made a memorable impression… You still had baby fat on your face back then. I specifically asked about your age.” The makeup artist lightly brushed some shadow on Qin Qingzhuo’s face with a brush. “By the way…”

After saying “by the way,” he hesitated, and Qin Qingzhuo could tell that he was struggling to speak. “What’s wrong?” Qin Qingzhuo asked.

After hesitating for a moment, the makeup artist asked, “Why haven’t you been singing in public these past few years?”

The soft bristles of the brush tickled his face a bit, and Qin Qingzhuo closed his eyes. “Have I earned enough money?” he joked.

Hearing the jest, the makeup artist said, “I see you’re still writing songs for others. Let me tell you, no one can sing your songs the way you do.”

“Thank you.” Qin Qingzhuo smiled. “But you can’t say something so offensive in front of others.”

“Of course not.” The makeup artist also smiled and put down the makeup brush. “Teacher Qin, you’re done.”

Qin Qingzhuo opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror. Perhaps it was because the makeup artist mentioned his nineteen-year-old self just now, he couldn’t help but reminisce about what he used to be like.

Was he also wearing an expression of “this screwed-up world” like the young man named Jiang Ji just now?

Probably not.

When he first entered the Central Conservatory of Music, not long ago, he became famous for singing the theme song of the movie “Thirteen Days” and breaking the sales record for his new album within a week of its release. With such a smooth life, no matter who he faced, he always smiled sincerely from the bottom of his heart.

But now was not the time to reminisce. Qin Qingzhuo stopped his thoughts and looked at himself in the mirror. “Is my hair a bit too long?”

“It’s a bit long,” the makeup artist said, using his fingers to adjust Qin Qingzhuo’s hair. The lower layer of hair had grown long enough to cover half of his neck. “But I think it’s fine like this. It suits your temperament. Compared to being short…this length has a more…amorous feeling.”

“Amorous feeling? That’s an interesting choice of words…” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled, standing up. “Alright, I’ll trust your judgment. Thanks, Teacher Tian.” With that, he left the dressing room and headed backstage.

The audience had already entered, and the program recording was less than half an hour away. The backstage was brightly lit, chaotic, with each member of the staff busy confirming their respective tasks. Until the last minute before the program recording, the backstage would not quiet down easily.

The chief director, Shi Yao, was as busy as a spinning top, running around to ensure that there were no oversights in any aspect.

Qin Qingzhuo came backstage intending to inquire about the band “Asperatus” that he hadn’t had a hand in managing. He felt they were a variable, and he wasn’t sure about them.

But neither Xia Qi nor Chen Jia was around. Qin Qingzhuo was about to go directly to the waiting room to find the lead singer of that band when Shi Yao saw him and walked briskly towards him.

“Qingzhuo, I was just looking for you,” Shi Yao said, patting Qin Qingzhuo’s shoulder. “Thanks for agreeing to step in and help out.”

“What does Director Shi want with me?” Seeing that Shi Yao was busy, Qin Qingzhuo skipped the pleasantries and asked with a smile, “You didn’t come here just to say thank you, did you?”

Shi Yao didn’t beat around the bush either. He pulled Qin Qingzhuo to a corner where no one was around and handed him a piece of paper.

Qin Qingzhuo took it and quickly glanced at the contents—a list of bands. Not only did it have the order of appearance for the bands, but there were also some markings beside a few of them.

Qin Qingzhuo furrowed his brows slightly. “What does this mean?”

“You already know,” Shi Yao smiled. “It’s what the capital father wants. These are the bands that have signed contracts in advance. Not many. Take a look and remember them. Don’t eliminate them later.”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t say anything, his expression neutral.

“Please, Qingzhuo, consider it a favor owed to you by me,” Shi Yao lowered his voice. “The bands sponsored by the investors are the ones we had our eyes on before. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”

Shi Yao wasn’t wrong. These marked bands were all above average in terms of creative standards. If they didn’t make any mistakes during their performances, there shouldn’t be any problems.

At twenty-eight years old, Qin Qingzhuo understood that there was no point in needlessly antagonizing the sponsors at this age. Moreover, although the production team hadn’t explicitly told him, he could sense that there were several bands that the production team had marked as favorites to win, such as the band that had just caused a fuss about removing their drum shield, Urban Collapse.

So he suppressed the slight discomfort in his heart, nodded, and handed the paper back to Shi Yao. “I got it.”

Shi Yao relaxed and asked, “By the way, were you looking for someone just now?”

“Yeah, that new band that just joined,” Qin Qingzhuo said, “I’d like to meet with them.”

“Oh, that one? Weren’t they still negotiating with the production team? These troublemakers could be a liability. Let Chen Jia handle it; you don’t need to worry about it too much. Just focus on getting ready for your appearance later.” After finishing his sentence, Shi Yao greeted Qin Qingzhuo and hurriedly continued his busy work.

After wandering around the waiting room without seeing Jiang Ji, Qin Qingzhuo was about to go elsewhere to look for him when Chen Jia hurriedly ran over. “Brother Qingzhuo, the recording is about to start. Get ready for your entrance.”

As Qin Qingzhuo followed Chen Jia towards the entrance, he asked, “What about the band you brought in at the last minute?”

“They’re discussing stage effects. There’s someone specifically responsible for coordinating with them, so you don’t have to worry,” Chen Jia said, pointing not far away. “The other three mentors invited by the production team are waiting over there. It’s just you missing.”

Qin Qingzhuo had worked with the other three mentors invited by the production team before. He walked up to them, shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and discussed their recent activities.

From Qin Qingzhuo’s perspective, he could see that the audience seats were all filled, and everyone was sitting quietly, waiting for the program to begin. He stepped back, standing in a slightly darker area to avoid being seen by the audience.

As the program recording began, the host on stage warmed up the audience. After introducing the program format, he looked towards the waiting area for the mentors and said, “Now, let’s welcome the four mentors. They are: Hong Kong’s Prince of Love Songs, Yang Jingwen, renowned music producer Ren Yu, multiple-time Golden Melody Award-winning diva Shen Cha, and the popular singer Qin Qingzhuo, making a comeback after four years of silence—”

With each name announced, the audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause. However, when Qin Qingzhuo’s name was mentioned, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became somewhat strange—some people looked surprised at first, then stretched their necks and cheered loudly, while others furrowed their brows and whispered to their companions.

Thus, against the backdrop of the previous enthusiastic applause, this “two-sided” atmosphere seemed somewhat abrupt—making the words “popular singer” sound somewhat ironic.

In previous years, Qin Qingzhuo would have to stick to the script for these kinds of programs. Every word spoken by the host would have to be rigorously reviewed by his agent. However, Qin Qingzhuo no longer had an agent, and the decision to become a mentor was made too hastily, skipping this step. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed the words “comeback” and “popular” to be associated with him.

As he walked towards the mentor’s seat, Qin Qingzhuo noticed the gaze of the audience behind him—enthusiastic, curious, indifferent, disdainful… various emotions mixed together, all falling on him, making him feel uneasy as he took his seat.

“Each mentor has a green light in front of them. If the green light is on, it means the mentor has issued a pass to the band. If multiple mentors choose the same band, then it enters the band’s reverse selection mentor phase…”

After the host introduced the format, he recited a series of sponsor advertisements, and then the first band came on stage.

The opening band was chosen by Qin Qingzhuo, and according to the request of the chief director Shi Yao, the atmosphere had to get lively right from the start.

The band performed well, even better than all the rehearsals, and the first chorus lifted the crowd into a small climax. The audience also gave face, although they were impatient downstairs before, but when it came to recording, most of the audience quickly got into the mood, giving plenty of screams and applause.

The other three mentors beside him quickly got into the groove. After a song ended, they interacted enthusiastically with the musicians based on the character profiles provided by the production team.

Yang Jingwen was the gossip master: “So you almost broke up because of a girl? Who does she like the most? Is it the guitarist? Is he the most handsome among you guys…? Come to my team, I’ll teach you how to chase girls.”

Shen Cha was enthusiastic about dismantling the other mentors’ platforms and offering empty promises to the contestants:

“Don’t believe him, Teacher Jingwen only managed to chase his wife because I helped him make that album ‘With You’. If you come to my team, I can also tailor-make an album for you…”

“Ren Yu, your schedule is booked for the next five years, right? It’s been two years since we agreed to collaborate, and you still haven’t fulfilled it. Let me give you something real; our company is currently planning a music label and intends to start a nationwide tour for bands next year. Do you want to choose me? It’s up to you guys.”

…

As for Qin Qingzhuo, it seemed like he could never fully integrate into the atmosphere of the scene.

During the first half of the program recording, Qin Qingzhuo felt a bit dazed, as if the scene before him was a dream—bands coming on stage one after another, curtain calls, the stage shining brightly, and the entire studio always in a restless, high-energy atmosphere.

Although in some sense, he was the music director manipulating the heat in the room, now it seemed like he was the only one floating outside of the atmosphere.

Fortunately, Qin Qingzhuo had listened to every song on stage several times, and he had also followed along during rehearsals. He was more aware than anyone else of the merits, highlights, and flaws of each performance, so even if he felt a bit absent-minded, he could still provide insightful comments.

During the intermission, the host announced the current team selection results. In the fervent atmosphere of the first half, the mentors had already chosen many bands, leaving few seats available. Shen Jia had only one left, while Yang Jingwen and Ren Yu each had two. Qin Qingzhuo had the most seats left, with four.

The Asperatus band was scheduled to perform in the second half of the program.

The stage effects were hastily made, with only a long and deep tunnel, and a beam of light at the end. The light poured onto the center of the stage like a waterfall, enveloping the lead singer as he walked over with his guitar. The drummer took his place, picking up his drumsticks, while the bassist stood behind the singer.

Almost all the previous songs had been lively, and now the entire studio was filled with a noisy and restless atmosphere. The audience’s emotions had been completely stirred up by the bands in the first half, waiting for a new round of emotional climax in the second half.

Jiang Ji raised his hand and adjusted the microphone in front of him. With just a few words, he introduced the band and the song: “Asperatus band, ‘Train Platform’.”

The lead singer’s vocal conditions were indeed good, especially when his voice spread through the high-quality microphone, highlighting the texture of his voice even more.

After the brief intermission, Qin Qingzhuo adjusted his state. Sitting up a bit straighter, he focused a bit more on this band that was beyond his control.

Without an introduction, the fingers lightly strummed the guitar strings, and the flowing melody of the acoustic guitar and the vocals began:

“The tides come and go, people come and go
Groups of three or five, bustling
The broken window, the gray-white walls
The long train,
On the way that’s just begun…”

There was no accompaniment in the first section, only the simple guitar melody and the low singing of the lead vocalist.

Without the anticipated emotional impact, there was some unrest in the audience. Following several lively songs, this quiet song seemed disadvantaged.

Qin Qingzhuo could guess the reason why this band was not selected to participate in the program at first, perhaps because they weren’t “hot-tempered” enough.

At the time when Shi Yao communicated with him, the established theme of the program was “hot-tempered,” as evident from the name “Restless, Bands.”

However, based on Qin Qingzhuo’s personal preferences, he preferred quieter music. Especially in the current situation, the dynamic atmosphere that had been rising in the studio quickly subsided with the low singing of the lead vocalist. A sense of loneliness, unanchored, slowly floated in the invisible space.

It felt like escaping from a chaotic nightclub, taking a deep breath of cool sea breeze.

It was the kind of refreshing feeling where every pore could breathe freely.

As the program recording passed the halfway mark, Qin Qingzhuo immersed himself in listening to the songs for the first time.

“Young people, carrying backpacks on their backs
Loneliness expands, immeasurable
Traveling far from home, wandering everywhere
The bumpy train,
Carrying how much silent panic

The crowded and wriggling crowd
Where are they all rushing to?
Is it heading home or aimlessly searching
Setting out alone
Or going together with someone

To that place gradually getting farther away
People call it a hometown
Its mornings and sunsets are like the closing of the night
Some want to escape
While others are thinking of heading there

Where to settle down
In the quiet suburbs or the bustling old streets
When to stay
In the hot late summer or the gradually cooling autumn
How to live
Struggle desperately or make do with it
Continue moving forward
Or look up at the silver hook
Continue moving forward
Or look up at the silver hook…”

The young lead singer, focusing on singing while playing the guitar, appeared entirely different from before, when he was bargaining with Chen Jia by the window. The sense of recklessness was almost completely gone, replaced by a seemingly serene temperament.

The lingering and clean trailing note of the final tone lasted for a long time. After a while, it seemed as if the resonance was still lingering in the studio.

When the song finished, the drummer and bassist stepped forward, standing on either side of the lead singer. Most of the audience returned to reality only after the song ended.

There was silence in the studio for a while. The previously enthusiastic atmosphere had disappeared without a trace, replaced by a somewhat melancholic mood. It wasn’t until the host came on stage and spoke that the atmosphere slightly eased: “Do the mentors have anything they’d like to say?”

The mentors were not as lively as before. They seemed afraid of disturbing the current atmosphere.

After a brief silence, Ren Yu spoke first, playing the role of the “villain” who spoiled the scene: “Did the drummer miss a beat in the second section?”

The drummer, Zhong Yang, appeared to be a quite delicate and obedient young boy. He scratched his forehead with a bit of embarrassment. “Um… yes.”

Ren Yu sighed. “Actually, I quite like this song, but the chorus part is indeed a bit messy. How did such a basic mistake occur? Did you not rehearse properly?”

No one on stage spoke, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.

During the rehearsal, the other mentors were not present, so they were unaware of what had happened behind the scenes. However, as the music director, Qin Qingzhuo knew that they had been called in at the last minute. In this situation, mistakes were somewhat understandable. However, the lead singer, who had been bargaining with Chen Jia earlier, remained expressionless and silent, seemingly unwilling to offer any explanation for the band.

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Qingzhuo spoke up. “As far as I know, they were called in last minute to participate in this competition, so it’s possible that they didn’t prepare as thoroughly,” he said, looking at the band members on stage. “Right?”

“Exactly,” the drummer nodded hastily. “If we can advance smoothly in this round, we definitely won’t make such mistakes in the next.”

Qin Qingzhuo smiled – He’s quite good at making excuses, but this kid is likable. He didn’t come across as annoying when he said that.

After hearing this, Ren Yu also nodded. “That’s understandable.”

Qin Qingzhuo continued with his assessment of the band’s performance. “Setting aside the technical issues during the performance, it’s rare to hear such a quiet song, and I quite liked it. Especially the lead singer, with a textured voice, excellent control over the low tones, and the high notes in the chorus were quite impressive. Also, I noticed that you wrote both the lyrics and the music for this song. Have you had formal music training?”

Jiang Ji’s gaze swept over and landed on Qin Qingzhuo’s face, still expressionless. “No.”

“Well, you’re quite talented then,” Qin Qingzhuo said. “Following such a lively performance, choosing a quiet slow song takes courage. What’s even more remarkable is that you were able to convey the emotions of the song to the audience, and judging from their reaction, most people received it well. That’s impressive.”

He felt the lead singer’s gaze lingering on his face, with a hint of scrutiny.

Having had many years of experience as a singer, Qin Qingzhuo was accustomed to various scrutinizing looks, but this particular gaze made him slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps because… the lead singer’s expression was cold, and the gaze felt somewhat intrusive.

But he didn’t pay too much attention to it and ignored the gaze.

The critique was almost over at this point, but Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t help but ask one more question after a pause: “Another question, your band is called Asperatus, so what kind of cloud is Asperatus?”

Before anyone on stage could speak, Shen Cha chuckled beside him. “Qingzhuo, you suddenly became quite talkative.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, you were particularly aloof before, but now you’re asking non-music related questions.”

“Perhaps it’s because I’m interested in various types of clouds,” Qin Qingzhuo smiled.

“Then, Jiang Ji,” Shen Cha looked at the lead singer on stage, “Teacher Qin is rarely this curious, so you’d better explain it to him.”

“It’s a type of stratocumulus cloud,” Jiang Ji replied briefly, without offering a detailed explanation as Shen Cha suggested.

The atmosphere inside the studio became slightly awkward. Shen Cha promptly came to the rescue, laughing, “Describing it as a stratocumulus cloud is a bit too straightforward… Qingzhuo, it seems this lead singer is even more aloof than you.”

Ren Yu also turned to Qin Qingzhuo. “So, Qingzhuo prefers aloof people after all.”

Yang Jingwen, sitting at the end, also helped lighten the mood. “So Qingzhuo isn’t aloof; he just isn’t aloof when facing aloof people.”

The mentors teased Qin Qingzhuo with their banter, and the atmosphere on stage heated up again.

“Asperatus is a type of cloud that looks particularly sinister,” explained Peng Keshi, the female bassist standing next to Jiang Ji. She had a princess cut hairstyle and was quite tall, resembling a delicate mannequin at first glance. “When those twisted dark clouds cover the sky completely, you’ll feel like the end of the world is coming any second.”

“I see,” Qin Qingzhuo nodded, looking at Peng Keshi. “So it’s a sign of severe weather?”

“Sort of,” Peng Keshi said.

The interaction was about to end there, and the host was about to move on to the next segment when suddenly, a brave girl in the audience shouted, “The lead singer is so handsome!”

Laughter erupted from the audience, and they began to buzz with excitement, whispering among themselves.

Qin Qingzhuo glanced at the stage. The lead singer had a kind of wild and untamed aura about him, indeed quite captivating.

Yang Jingwen turned around to look at the audience. “Wow, so many girls are nodding in agreement.”

Another round of laughter filled the room.

“I trust Shen Cha’s taste more,” Yang Jingwen turned to Shen Cha. “So Shen Cha, as the representative of the girls, what’s your opinion?”

“He’s indeed handsome,” Shen Cha chuckled. “If I were ten years younger, I might be head over heels.”

“And now? Aren’t you smitten?” Yang Jingwen asked.

“Now,” Shen Cha pondered for a moment, “I still prefer mature guys like Qingzhuo.”

This remark was followed by whistles from the audience, and they began chanting, “Get together! Get together!”

When the excitement from the audience subsided slightly, the host turned to Qin Qingzhuo teasingly. “Teacher Qin, don’t you have a response?”

Regarding this Asperatus band in front of him… He really liked the lead singer, unique temperament, unique voice, and had his own ideas for lyrics and composition.

If this were a program to select singers or songwriters, Qin Qingzhuo would undoubtedly press the button without hesitation. But now, the program was about selecting bands, and if judged solely based on their recent performance, it wasn’t particularly outstanding— as Ren Yu had said, the chorus part was indeed somewhat messy in terms of listening experience.

No one pressed the button, and the host began the countdown: “Last three seconds, three—two—”

Jiang Ji… Should he give the entire band a chance because of this one person?

For the first time during the recording process, Qin Qingzhuo began to waver.

Watching the lead singer on stage who seemed indifferent to the outcome, Qin Qingzhuo remembered his bargaining appearance with Chen Jia, as well as the “none” in the hobbies section of his resume. He also recalled his serious singing posture just now.

Did he agree to go on stage because he liked singing, or was it just for the money?

This young man… Was he worth Qin Qingzhuo giving him a green light?

As the countdown reached the final second, with a “snap,” Qin Qingzhuo pressed the green light in front of him.

TN:

Am I the only one who gets awkward with singing parts in novels? Just reading it like a text is weird but then how am I supposed to sing it without knowing the beat and how it’s supposed to sound? I usually end up reading it as some sort of spoken word or rap 💀.