Chapter 26: Conflict in the Recording Studio

Luo Jiaxing and Qu An’an felt as though they were in a dream. Was this... a song written in just ten minutes? And it seemed to be tailor-made on the spot for Luo Jiaxing’s voice and style? How could that be possible?

After several seconds of stunned silence, they finally accepted this reality.

Su Chen handed the sheet of paper to Luo Jiaxing. “Take it and get familiar with it. Sing it later and let’s hear how it sounds!”

Luo Jiaxing took the paper and began humming softly. Once he had gone through the entire song, he looked up at Su Chen as if he were staring at a monster. Incredible! Absolutely incredible!

The lyrics thrilled him to the core. “Teacher Su, I want to sing it!” He quickly voiced his desire.

Su Chen glanced at Qu An’an with a smile, as if to say, “See? He speaks his mind! No need to be afraid—learn from him!”

Qu An’an cast a jealous glance at Luo Jiaxing but did not dare speak. But it was only because this was Su Chen; if it had been any other composer, Luo Jiaxing’s attitude would probably have prompted a sneer: “Who do you think you are?”

Such a quality song was usually reserved for debut artists, even as a lead single for an album. How could it be given to a mere trainee? Unless the company intended to groom this trainee for debut—but even then, he would have to be exceptional.

Luo Jiaxing’s qualifications weren’t poor, but they were merely average. Someone like him would normally have no chance of debuting. He had stayed here only for that faint, unattainable dream—or perhaps “fantasy” was a more fitting word.

“You want to sing this song? Then you’ll have to practice it well first. I’ll see if you have the chance after that.” Su Chen treated Luo Jiaxing differently from Qu An’an; his easygoing nature meant he needed to apply some pressure.

But to Su Chen’s surprise, Luo Jiaxing seemed not to grasp his intention, replying with extreme excitement, as if Su Chen had already agreed. Su Chen was speechless.

Luo Jiaxing had many flaws, especially when it came to singing; he lacked attention to detail. He made several mistakes in succession, all of which Su Chen pointed out. After nearly two hours of practice, Luo Jiaxing was finally able to sing the song from start to finish.

When it came time for the official recording, Su Chen and Qu An’an sat in the outer room of the studio. Su Chen gave Luo Jiaxing an “OK” gesture.

“I once doubted myself, walking in the desert, Never reaping results, no matter what dreams I sowed. Only when I spread my wings, the wind turned silent, Accustomed to pain—can that be counted as gain...”

The first verse was decent and met expectations.

“To those indifferent souls, thank you for once looking down on me...”

But when he reached the high notes, his voice cracked. His technique still needed work! Though Luo Jiaxing’s vocal range was high, singing this kind of song required more than brute force. Otherwise, no voice could withstand it.

Su Chen stopped him and coached him on how to enunciate correctly and use his technique skillfully. Luo Jiaxing and Qu An’an listened from the side, gazing at Su Chen with admiration.

Teacher Su was not only a composer capable of writing such powerful songs but also had deep knowledge of vocal technique—more nuanced than even their vocal coach. It was hard to believe! Could Teacher Su sing as well? He didn’t look much older than them.

After countless takes, Luo Jiaxing finally found his groove.

“The one who understands me best, Thank you for silently accompanying me all the way, Letting me have a good story...”

Just as he was about to sing the last line, the studio door burst open with a loud bang. Luo Jiaxing froze, his performance interrupted.

Su Chen’s face instantly turned cold at the sight of the intruders. “Get out!” he said icily.

After working all afternoon, just as it was time to see results, they were interrupted. Who wouldn’t be angry at such a thing?

“Su Chen, right? We need to use this studio. Would you mind leaving?” The intruders were the woman and her effeminate manager whom Su Chen had run into in the corridor that morning. The manager was now shouting at Su Chen with arrogance.

Su Chen repeated curtly, “I said, get out!”

The woman stood beside him, head held high, silent, while her manager pressed, “According to company rules, debut artists have priority access to the recording studios. When we need to use them, you have to vacate!”

Su Chen frowned. If he remembered correctly, only Studios One to Three were reserved for debut artists. These two were clearly here to cause trouble—retaliation for this morning’s incident?

That incident was, at most, a personal conflict, and Su Chen could be accused of disrespecting his seniors. But now they were invoking company rules—how interesting! They wanted to escalate and entrap Su Chen.

“If I’m not mistaken, Studios One to Three are your exclusive spaces,” he said.

“But all the other studios are full,” the manager replied smugly.

Su Chen nodded, confirming his suspicions—they were here to pick a fight.

He didn’t bother checking whether the other studios were actually full. If they could come to him and use this excuse, they had a hundred ways to occupy the other rooms and make it seem legitimate.

The manager saw Su Chen nod and assumed he was conceding, sneering. So arrogant this morning, but now he must bow to his sister. Just a rookie! He’d even asked a trainee after returning and learned Su Chen was a new hire.

He was about to mock them when Su Chen coldly continued, “If they’re full, find another way. Now, get out!”

“You!” The manager hadn’t expected such defiance. Why was this newcomer so unruly?

“Heh, where do you get the nerve?” he started, but Su Chen suddenly stood, grabbed him, and shoved him and the woman out the door. With a resounding bang, he slammed the door shut and locked it.

No point wasting words!

Qu An’an was dumbfounded. “Teacher Su, she’s our company’s second-tier singer, Wu Di. That guy next to her is her manager, Bai Dehou...” she whispered. Luo Jiaxing had emerged from the inner studio, looking worriedly toward the door.

They all knew Wu Di—a pillar of the company and the general manager’s favorite. She acted arrogantly, and the trainees often suffered her wrath if they accidentally crossed her.

“A menopausal woman and a drama queen—what’s there to be afraid of?”

“Pfft!” Qu An’an couldn’t help but laugh at Su Chen’s blunt description. Everyone thought so, but no one dared say it aloud. Su Chen was the first.

“All right, ignore them. Let’s continue!” Su Chen saw their lingering worry and pressed on. “Let’s finish the recording first!”

Hearing this, Qu An’an and Luo Jiaxing had nothing more to say and resumed recording. After being interrupted, Luo Jiaxing lost his momentum and needed several tries to regain it and finish the song.

Once complete, they listened to the playback and made copies. Everything was settled.