Chapter 6: Tang Jiayi

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. He's just a small fry, and we have more important matters to deal with."
"Li Qingshan turned down our invitation. He said he's busy helping a friend produce songs for a new album. He didn't say who it was, so we'll have to find another way."
Xi Siyuan frowned. "Could it be for Jiang Yan's new album?"
Zhou Yuyan thought for a moment. "Don't worry, that's not the case. From what I know, she's been searching high and low for someone to write songs for her."
Xi Siyuan let out a breath of relief, though her worry lingered.
"Finding a good song these days is just too hard!"
Zhou Yuyan sighed as well, her voice heavy with concern. "Isn't that the truth? The golden generation of top composers has already passed their creative peak. Now, their output is so low that every song is snatched up the moment it's written."
"The younger generation hasn't produced any outstanding composers to fill the gap, so there are fewer and fewer good songs."
"In any case, let's just keep looking."
"Mm."
Seeing Xi Siyuan still looking anxious, Zhou Yuyan offered some comfort. "Don't stress too much! Even if we can't find one, Jiang Yan won't have any luck either."
"I'll get in touch with a few other composers tomorrow and see if anyone replies."
"The company is also doing its best to help us find songs."
Xi Siyuan nodded. "That's all we can do."
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Su Chen's home was in the old district of River City, a place steeped in the vibrant pulse of daily life.
Back when his parents were still alive, they ran a small business here, working from dawn to dusk, and managed to buy several apartments in the area.
But later, his parents were gone.
Because of a contract dispute with Imperial Entertainment, he was forced to sell nearly all the family's apartments, and even then, he couldn't clear the penalty fees.
Fortunately, Imperial Entertainment had a rare moment of mercy and forgave a portion of the compensation, allowing him to keep one last apartment.
He had lived there ever since.
"Mr. Bai, have you eaten yet?"
"Uncle Wang, out so late again?"
Su Chen was well acquainted with the neighborhood, greeting everyone he passed.
After all, he had lived here for more than a decade; most people knew him.
"Ah... Yes, yes!"
As Su Chen walked away, a few neighbors gathered together, puzzled.
"Huh? What's up with little Su today? He's so warm and friendly!"
"He never used to put on a pleasant face. You'd greet him and it was like he didn't even see you."
"Ah, the poor kid's had it tough. Let's try to understand. If it hadn't been for the Tang family these past few years, he'd really be all alone."
"That's right. He was so young when he lost his parents. It's harsh to say, but if someone bullied him out there, there'd be no one to stand up for him."
"We should help him out more from now on."
"Come on, we’ve already been helping as much as we can."
"Okay, okay, my bad. I’ll try even harder from now on!"
Su Chen, of course, didn't overhear any of this, but over the years, he had received much help from his neighbors and remembered it all in his heart.
As the saying goes, distant relatives aren't as good as close neighbors.
Even when his parents were alive, the family never kept in touch with their relatives.
So, he had little concept of family ties.
Holidays and festivals were always spent with neighbors, exchanging visits and celebrating together like family.
His apartment building sat on the edge of the complex, just a right turn from the entrance.
It was a six-story walk-up, separated from the main street by a single wall.
As a child, he used to hate living here—
All day long, the shouts of street vendors, the chatter and scolding from the roadside stalls filled the air.
In summer, the aroma of barbecue wafted in, making it impossible to concentrate on homework.
But later, he grew to love it.
The bustle of ordinary life is what truly soothes the soul.
After all the hardships he’d endured, only here did he feel grounded in the real world.
Fourth floor, three bedrooms and a living room, the decor was a bit worn.
The place was in disarray—though not dirty or smelly.
Empty water bottles were scattered everywhere; the coffee table was piled with wrappers, mosquito coils, disinfectant, plastic bags, all sorts of odds and ends.
A heap of clothes was thrown in the corner of the sofa.
A fallen stool lay on the floor.
Dead houseplants.
Good grief! Just how chaotic had his predecessor's life been?
First things first—clean up!
He needed to create a comfortable space for himself before worrying about anything else.
So, he rolled up his sleeves and began to tidy the place.
He was halfway through, gathering up all the clothes from the sofa in one armful to toss into the washing machine, when—
He turned around and saw a head peeking around the doorway, tilted with curiosity.
Tang Jiayi! The neighbor’s daughter, just started her first year of high school.
"Stop staring, you little rascal! Aren’t you going to help?"
Tang Jiayi grinned, stepping fully into view.
She was wearing her school uniform—a white short-sleeved shirt with dark trim at the collar and cuffs, blue sports shorts, and a pair of light gray running shoes.
Every inch the image of youthful energy.
She wore black-rimmed glasses, but they couldn't hide her bright eyes.
Her skin was fair and delicate, and when she smiled, her eyes curved like little crescents.
She was a beauty in the making.
Su Chen called her over while stuffing the clothes into the machine.
He turned to see Tang Jiayi standing right beside him, unmoving, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"What are you looking at? Help me clear out those dead plants!"
"Su Chen, how did you suddenly get the urge to clean up?"
Her voice was crisp and sweet, like a spring breeze.
Su Chen shot her a feigned glare and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"What are you thinking? Can't I clean my own place?"
"Ugh, you messed up my hair!"
She pouted in mock annoyance, but her hands quickly tidied her hair, a smile lighting up her face.
It had been a long time since Su Chen had been this close to her.
"Finished your homework already?"
At his words, she pulled a face.
"Su Chen, you just had to bring that up!"
He burst out laughing. Being around this girl always put him at ease.
"And you still laugh!"
She feigned indignation.
"You have no idea how mean those old exam writers are! They dig traps everywhere!"
"I wish they’d all retire soon!"
Su Chen couldn't help but silently mourn for those test setters—imagine how many curses they received every day.
But truth be told, Tang Jiayi’s grades were really nothing to write home about.
She looked every bit the top student, but her results told a different story.
It wasn’t that she didn’t try—she just didn’t try enough.
She wasn’t dumb—just a tad slower to catch on than most.
Maybe it was because she was a girl, but the sciences always gave her trouble.
Su Chen, on the other hand, had always been a top student, even though he majored in the arts. He’d scored over six hundred on the college entrance exam.
He’d only chosen River City Arts College to stay close to home.
When the little girl was in middle school, tutoring her had been a real struggle.
In the end, she got into an ordinary local high school.
At this rate, university would be a challenge.
"If you work harder now, you’ll have fewer detours in the future," he couldn’t help but lecture her.
"Stop, stop! You sound just like my dad."
"It’s easy to talk when you're not the one suffering!"
"Hmph!"
Su Chen could only palm his forehead in exasperation.