CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 51: FEELING SOMETHING WATCHING YOU SING

Chu Tian, looking utterly bewildered, was dragged in and then abandoned there. Inside the recording studio, the recording engineer and the sound engineer sat before the mixing console, their attention entirely on Xu Qingqiu, completely ignoring Chu Tian, who had inexplicably appeared.

"Eh? Chu Tian? What are you doing here?"

Just then, Yiyi came in with a large water cup and curiously asked Chu Tian, whom she spotted standing inside.

"How would I know? I was dragged in here out of the blue."

"Who did it? Sister Qiu?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Ohh..."

"What does that mean?"

What else could it mean? As soon as Chu Tian mentioned Xu Qingqiu, Yiyi, who knew the situation perfectly, immediately guessed what was going on.

She had been there when Xu Qingqiu insisted on singing this song and had understood why at a glance.

Sister Qiu has been out of sorts all day, unable to find the right feeling. Now that she’s dragged Chu Tian here, isn’t the intention clear?

Yiyi, with her sharp little mind, instantly understood Sister Qiu’s subtle intentions.

"Sister Qiu, I’ve put it here~"

Seeing that Sister Qiu had noticed her, Yiyi pointed to the water cup and then to the table beside her, speaking softly through the glass, seemingly afraid that Sister Qiu wouldn’t hear her yet also afraid that she would—a complete contradiction.

Xu Qingqiu gestured an "OK" with her hand and incidentally rolled her eyes at Chu Tian, who stood next to Yiyi, still oblivious to the situation.

"Hold on, what does she mean by that? Wasn’t she the one who asked me to come? She tells me to come, doesn’t say why, and then rolls her eyes at me? Is she nuts?"

"You’re done for. You just said the boss is nuts; I’m going to tell her."

"I didn’t. You heard wrong."

Realizing that this little rascal beside him was in league with the boss, Chu Tian immediately clammed up. He feared that if he said too much and got ratted out, his wages might be docked. What would he do then?

After waiting a long time and seeing that Chu Tian truly remained silent, Yiyi finally couldn’t resist leaning in and whispering to him, "Did the boss call you here because she feels something when she sings looking at you?"

"She feels something when she sings looking at me? What do you mean?"

Before Chu Tian could fully grasp her meaning, the recording engineer gave a signal, and the music started.

"Spending the whole night in restless reverie, the night is so inviting,"

"It keeps me awake,"

"Why do you always want to flee?"

As soon as the music started, Xu Qingqiu, inside the recording booth, took one last glance at the lyric sheet on the stand before turning to look outside. When she looked at Chu Tian, her gaze began to change unconsciously. At a certain moment, as if everything had clicked into place, the lyrics naturally flowed from her mouth.

"If this yearning can’t be cured,"

"It must be because I can’t find an antidote,"

"You’ve never given me a sign of love,"

...

Sitting with Yiyi, Chu Tian finally understood what ’feeling something while singing looking at you’ meant.

So this is what it means?

He might not be sure about other songs, but how could he not know this one? Wasn’t this the very song, "So Proud," that he had given Xu Qingqiu just a few days ago? A classic love song from the turn of the millennium, with lyrics by Li Manting, composed by Liu Dajiang, and sung by Jin Haixin—it was even the album’s lead single. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it. He just needed to earn some Reputation Points and was looking for someone to help achieve that, so he’d casually presented it. After all, the system held a vast collection of excellent songs. The output from just one golden age of music could sustain dozens of singers for a lifetime, not to mention that his collection contained the essence of an entire other world. He really didn’t care much about a few songs; as long as he had enough Reputation Points, he could bring out countless songs. What he never expected was how this particular song had ended up circling back to him. If it were just an ordinary song, it wouldn’t matter, but combined with what had happened a few days ago, it suddenly painted a vivid picture.

Chu Tian carefully savored the lyrics. He had to admit, when Xu Qingqiu sang it, she truly captured that feeling of unrequited love, that sense of being so close yet so far away. Yeah, somehow, he’d accidentally become the villain in this song, hadn’t he?

Faced with this situation, Chu Tian wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.

Cry? He was definitely the main villain in this song, and now the protagonist herself had dragged him here to be metaphorically flogged. No wonder her little assistant said she felt something watching him sing. That wasn’t just a ’feeling’; it was murderous intent!

Laugh? He was witnessing a classic song being revitalized by Xu Qingqiu. Not only was her performance perfect, but she also poured her own emotions and story into it, unsurprisingly elevating the song’s emotional impact to a whole new level. For that alone, Chu Tian felt quite gratified. Despite seeming carefree and undisciplined all day, it was really just a rebound from the repression of several decades as a celebrity. Although he didn’t plan on being a celebrity in this life, he still wasn’t averse to singing and always held a trace of respect for it. After all, it was a passion he had cherished his whole life, one that had taken him to great heights. A hobby isn’t something that changes just because you transmigrate; he still loved music, was still passionate about it. Even when earning Reputation Points and, to an extent, using Xu Qingqiu as a means to that end, the works he gave her were chosen with careful consideration to ensure they were the most suitable. Wasn’t it all in the hope that she could perform it perfectly and do justice to these classic works from his past life? His goal was somewhat achieved now. Even if it felt like he was being implicitly criticized, the good outcome was all that mattered.

With this thought, the gloom in his heart almost entirely dissipated, replaced with a growing excitement as he listened to the singing and started keeping the beat.

In the recording studio, Xu Qingqiu was initially lost in the music, recalling the lyrics, her eyes on Chu Tian. She perfectly blended the regret of unattainable love with the apprehension and longing beneath her composure into the first verse.

Everything was going well until she saw Chu Tian frowning outside the booth upon hearing the song. For some reason, her heart also clenched in response, and this emotional shift permeated her singing, as if the indescribable heartache of wanting to give up in that very moment had infused her voice.

The recording engineer monitoring outside was instantly impressed. This emotional shift was, one could say, sublime. It not only enriched the song’s layers and added tension to the details but also made its narrative even more vivid.

When Xu Qingqiu realized this, she panicked inwardly. Luckily, her solid foundation ensured her performance remained unaffected. Then, seeing Chu Tian happily keeping the beat outside, she suddenly felt a wave of vexation—a mix of shame and anger—and shot him a fierce glare.

Yet, in Chu Tian’s eyes, this glare was somehow rather cute. He’d never seen his usually cool and aloof boss display such a playful side. He’d always thought Xu Qingqiu was consistently cold and aloof, albeit soft-spoken, the very picture of a well-bred young lady—definitely not his type, which was why he hadn’t pursued her. It was only today he discovered that this beautiful boss could actually make such expressive faces, huh?

Seeing him remain unfazed, even enthusiastically tapping the beat and bobbing his head to the rhythm, Xu Qingqiu, who had been slightly upset, suddenly felt a surprising sense of happiness.

The frustration that had accumulated over several days vanished, replaced by a feeling of acceptance.

Regardless of how things stood with their feelings, at the very least, he was happy—wasn’t that enough?