After resting a day at home, Yu Nian made a meal to reward himself, arriving at Xingyao office at six in the morning.
Meng Yuan held a printed timetable in his hand, speaking as he walked.
“Classes start at 8:00 in the morning and end at 6:00 in the evening. There is a two hours break at noon. In the morning, there is dance class and afternoon is vocal music. You can arrange the time at night. Can you do it?”
After learning the timetable Yu Nian replied, “No problem, I can handle this much.”
Meng Yuan fanned the class schedule and sighed, “Even if you can’t handle it, you have to manage. Our time is very tight. Five days later, He Qiubai from “The Sound of Nature” will come to see you. My connection with him is there, but whether this deal can be finalised or not, it still depends on you.”
Seeing that Yu Nian understood the importance, he didn’t go on, and pointed his finger on the paper. “The 30th to the 35th floors are all practice rooms. 307 and 337 are under my name. Don’t run around these days. Follow your teachers.”
Yu Nian nodded in agreement. He guessed that there was a reason why Meng Yuan specifically said “Don’t run around”, but Meng Yuan didn’t say any more, and he didn’t ask any more either. The most important thing at the moment is to train well.
While talking, two of them had reached the 33rd floor, and Meng Yuan raised the timetable in his hand. “The teacher is inside. I have another meeting to attend. See you at noon!”
When Yu Nian entered the dance room, the conversing voices inside stopped instantly, as if drawn to a sudden rest. In the vague words previously coming through, it seemed that there was his name, probably talking about him.
As if he didn’t hear anything, Yu Nian stood there and bowed, “Hello both teachers, I am Yu Nian, and I will work hard with both of you in the next few days.”
An Cheng smiled seeing the pleasing face of Yu Nian. “No wonder Meng Ge Qiang told us that we must take care of this one. Just from the appearance conditions, we can say that we indeed have a treasure this time.”
This man, about 30 years old, well maintained, raised his hand and said, “Hello, I am An Cheng, happy cooperation!”
For more than a year, he raised his hand to hold An Cheng’s hand and said politely, “Hello, Teacher An.”
Huo Xing, standing next to An Cheng, didn’t have much expression. There were faint wrinkles on his brows, and he looked serious, difficult to approach. “Huo Xing.”
Yu Nian, he smiled and said hello, “Hello, Teacher Huo.”
An Cheng held his arms, winking at Yu Nian, “Your teacher Huo is of this temperament. If you are lazy and cutting corners during practice, you will be killed.”
Yu Nian folded his hands together, blinking innocently, “If I am lazy, Teacher Huo, please be sure to scold me.”
An Cheng laughed and slapped Yu Nian on his shoulder, “This kid is good, let’s get started!”
But this morning, there was no chance for Yu Nian to be scolded. When Meng Yuan came to see the situation at half past eleven, Huo Xing was carrying a black water bottle, looking from a distance as Yu Nian was following An Chengxue’s movements. He briefly commented, “Very good.”
Meng Yuan raised his eyebrows and said proudly, “The person I chose is of course very good!” He was a little surprised, “But to be able to get this evaluation from stingy teacher Huo, what did Yu Nian do?”
Huo Xing glanced at Meng Yuan, “Willing to endure hardship, not complaining about pain, serious, smart, obedient to teacher, patient and persevering, and good physical condition.”
Meng Yuan tsked several times, jokingly, “How much benefit has Yu Nian given you, you are praising him so much?”
Seeing that Huo Xing concentrated on drinking water and didn’t reply, Meng Yuan became more serious, “There’s only five days, do you think Yu Nian will be ready?”
He would rather hear Huo Xing’s opinion on this issue.
“Before meeting him, I thought you were dreaming. After meeting him,” Huo Xing refused to give an absolution, “you can try.”
“With your words, I feel relieved.” Meng Yuan watched Yu Nian falling on the floor, getting up neatly and standing up again. Seeing him continuing to learn the movements, Meng Yuan hissed between his teeth, “It hurts just from listening to that ‘bang’.”
Huo Xing snorted, “Where doesn’t it hurt to learn dancing?”
At exactly twelve o’clock, the music stopped, An Cheng turned around, threw a white towel to Yu Nian, and raised his eyebrows, “Good job on working hard, you have learned well.”
Yu Nian folded the towels in two and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. His skin was very white, and because of the heat was flushed into a healthy pink now. His black hair was wet with sweat, stuck to his forehead, and his eyes were bright. “Teacher An and Teacher Huo also worked hard.”
His voice still had a slight gasp to it, and the arm holding the towel was trembling involuntarily. An Cheng looked at it, and the appreciation in his eyes became two points deeper.
Huo Xing walked over and said directly, “The last movement just now wasn’t stable, and when he raised his leg, it was too low and not in place.”
An Cheng spoke for Yu Nian, “The intensity of the exercise was too much, and he is just learning, by the end he had all but lost his leg strength, it’s already good to be able to lift it up, okay?”
Huo Xing’s temperament is really unbending, he frowned, “The movements must be standard, otherwise it is a waste of practice. He doesn’t have much time, and must utilize every second.”
Yu Nian spoke up with a smile at the right moment, “Thank you, Teacher Huo, I really couldn’t lift my legs this time. Next time, I will definitely meet the height.”
Huo Xing watched Yu Nian for two seconds, then hummed out an “um” and said nothing.
An Cheng turned to face Yu Nian, quietly pointed his finger at Huo Xing, and rolled his eyes.
Yu Nian pursed his lips, smiling.
After having lunch with Meng Yuan at noon, Yu Nian went back to the dance studio to find a mat and spread it out, and laid down with sore arms and legs. But after only lying down for two minutes, he stood up again and practiced the action Huo Xing had marked before till he could confirm that it was up to the standard, sighing.
After lying down this time, Yu Nian really didn’t want to move, his hands and feet didn’t feel like his own anymore. He didn’t know when he fell asleep. When the alarm clock rang, he realized that it was already one forty.
Sitting up, Yu Nian forced his limbs to move and took the elevator downstairs.
When he arrived at the practice room of the vocal music class, the teacher hadn’t come yet. After considering it Yu Nian started to do his own practice. After finishing it, he found someone standing at the door. Yu Nian quickly stood up and said, “Hello Teacher Zhao, I am Yu Nian.”
Zhao Xi was at least forty years old. She was wearing a black dress, was good tempered, and softspoken, “Sit down, let me see your class schedule, did you have dance in the morning?” Seeing Yu Nian nod, she smiled, “Dance practice is hard work. You were doing opening exercises just now?”
“Yes. Well, I don’t know if it was done right or not.”
“It was alright.” Zhao Xi asked while putting down the books in her hand, “Can you read scores?”
“Can.”
“Good,” Zhao Xi opened the book and handed it to Yu Nian, “Sing something for me with this beat.”
Yu Nian followed the beat once through by himself, then sang it accurately.
Zhao Xi nodded in satisfaction, thinking for a few seconds, and asked, “Have you learned the basics of vocal music before?”
Yu Nian did not conceal it, “My grandmother sang very well. When I was a child I used to sing along and grandma taught me a bit.”
Zhao Xi carefully analyzed, “Your vocal position is relatively forward. After the sound is emitted from the throat, it hits the hard palate. For breathing, you are using the combined thoracic-abdominal breathing method. This way of vocalization is not bad, but you – you can do better. In addition, your intonation, timbre and range are all very good, truthfully speaking, God has already gifted you your bread and butter[1].” She pulled out a white manuscript paper and said, “Okay, let’s start practice.”
In the next five days, Yu Nian basically shuttled between these two training rooms. After dinner, he would seize the time to practice for two more hours in the dance studio.
Huo Xing realized that he was willingly staying back by himself to practice dance, and first said coldly, “So desperate?”
Seeing Yu Nian just laughed without arguing. Huo Xing didn’t say anything, but he started working overtime for free every day, staying to guide Yu Nian.
On the morning of the 11th, just after Yu Nian had arrived at Mengyuan’s office, he was stuffed with a glass of milk, and then pulled into the elevator bodily.
Meng Yuan was more nervous than Yu Nian, “Are you confident?”
After taking a sip of milk, there was a little milk froth on Yu Nian’s lips, making him look even more young. He nodded, “Confident.”
Meng Yuan put his palms together, raising the joined hand over his head in prayer , “Tathagata Buddha[2], God[3], Lao Tze[4] in heaven!” After that, he muttered something that Yu Nian could not hear clearly. He held the milk and sipped it with a smile in his eyes.
When he arrived in the recording studio, Meng Yuan had recovered the calmness that the ace agent should have.
“After a while you go in to figure out if your voice is opening alright. He Qiubai should still take around 20 minutes to come. Then you can perform well, I believe in you!”
Yu Nian bumped fists with Meng Yuan. “Well, I believe in myself!”
Entrance of Xingyao Building.
Qu Xiaoran sat in the co-pilot, yawned three times and gave a hippy smile, “Xie You, drive me to work!”
He went to the Xie house for dinner yesterday, drank wine till late in the evening, and simply stayed at Xie house. In the morning, ignoring Xie You’s cold face, he grabbed a ride in Xie You’s car facelessly.
Xie You’s face was covered with frost, “You can get lost.”
“Take me along first, then will get lost,” Qu Xiaoran was not afraid at all, still whispering, “Speaking of the last time you came to me, didn’t you ask whether there were any newcomers in my company recently? I thought about it and asked around. After asking, I found that there really has been a newcomer.”
Xie You moved her fingers on her lap.
“…It was signed by the agent Meng Yuan, named Yu Nian, only 21 years old.”
“Yu Nian?”
“Well, Nian for every year and Yu for abundance – ‘Long life’ – that Yu Nian[5]. I looked at the photos, they look pretty good, and I heard that the voice was also very good. Meng Yuan is planning to let him appear in the second season of “Sound of Nature”. Someone from the program team will come to test him today.”
Having said that, Qu Xiaoran eagerly suggested, “Do you want to go and have a look as well?”
Qu Xiaoran was always worried that Xie You would be suffocated from being busy with work every day. For anything interesting and exciting he would take Xie You to it. But in every ten invitations the result was almost ten rejections .
“Good.”
“Hahaha I know you have a lot of meetings to attend but—” Qu Xiaoran froze, “Hey, what did you just say?”
Xie You didn’t bother to answer him, opened the door and got out of the car. Seeing Qu Xiaoran still stunned, he frowned impatiently, “Not going?”
“Go. Of course we go! Xie You, you are definitely not the Xie You I know!”
When the two walked into the studio, several people were already standing inside. Meng Yuan was the first to discover Qu Xiaoran, and heart jumped, and took two steps with a smile, “Why are you here, President Qu?”
Then his line of sight moved, his gaze fell on Xie You’s amazing face, and everyone was a bit strangled . “Hello, Mr. Xie! You are here too!”
Qu Xiaoran made a “hush” gesture and said in a low voice with a smile, “Don’t be alarmed, we are just here to watch the excitement, you can keep working, don’t worry about us.”
After speaking, he really stood quietly.
Xie You stood behind Qu Xiaoran, looking through the glass, looking at the microphone before Yu Nian, his expression unmoving. A middle-aged man in a plaid shirt gestured at the inside, and after Yu Nian returned another gesture, three seconds later, a very clear voice came out of the speaker.
Everyone held their breath, Qu Xiaoran raised his eyebrows in surprise, and was about to look back to ask Xie You what he thought, but found that the other party seemed to be… in a daze?
Xie You had relaxed unconsciously, leaning not very obviously against the wall. His gaze was fixed in the glass room and with half closed eyes he was fully focussed on the singing of Yu Nian. His heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
Yes, this is the voice, there was no mistake.
When he heard this sound for the first time in the elevator, he was not quite sure it was Yu Nian, until now that he heard the singing, he was sure that it was this voice.
With this pleasing timbre, it seems that time was passing by much faster. After Yu Nian had finished singing the last sentence, He Qiubai, who was standing at the front, applauded.
With glass barriers, Yu Nian could not hear outside sounds, but he could see Meng Yuan’s thumbs up and He Qiubai’s applause. He took off the headset, exhaling, and then smiled.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure from the back, and Yu Nian was slightly startled – that figure by the door just now seemed to be familiar?
But before he had time to think, he was walking out of the glass room and Meng Yuan greeted him, “Come here, let me introduce you to Qu–” Meng Yuan turned around and found that Qu Xiaoran and Xie You were gone.
At his confusion, Yu Nian reminded in a low voice, “When I took off the headset, I saw the door moving.”
Meng Yuan nodded in response, thinking that this was really just to watch the excitement. Then he smiled, “This is He Qiubai whom I have mentioned several times to you.”
Yu nian bowed slightly and said with a smile, “Hello, Teacher He.”
He Qiubai and Meng Yuan are old friends for many years, and Yu Nian was already favourable in his eyes – he answered kindly, “This young one sang very well, and lao Meng showed me your dancing video. It was also very good. I am looking forward to us working together!”
Yu Nian patted his heart with a smile, “I heard your praise, my heartbeat has finally stabilized.”
He Qiubai smiled heartily.
The deal was final. In the afternoon, someone from the show crew would come to discuss the contract. He Qiubao was entangled with Pepsi, and he could not leave for too long, so he did not stay any longer.
When the recording studio was emptied, Meng Yuan handed Yu Nian a glass of honey water, and said relievedly, “You really lived up to your confidence, the old man is very picky, you actually caught his eye in one breath, not bad.”
After drinking a glass of water in one go, a little sweat came out on Yu Nian’s forehead, and he wiped it casually. “I didn’t expect that when practicing. I was mentally prepared for the worst.” He put down the cup and hesitated for a few seconds, before asking, a little embarrassed. “Brother Meng, can I… get a bit of the salary in advance?”
Meng Yuan reacted. “Short of money? Yes, the finance department hasn’t transferred the contract money yet, I’ll have to urge them to hurry. The salary is only around five or six thousand, it’s OK to pay you the full in advance. It’s not a problem at all.”
“I have troubled Brother Meng.” Yu Nian breathed a sigh of relief – others might not have believed it, but there was only 20 yuan left in his purse.
It was still early, and the morning class still had to be attended. Yu Nian took the elevator to the 33rd floor, walking and recalling the content of the dance class yesterday. After turning around a corner, two people stopped him.
The author has something to say:
Mr. Xie: Lord Tyrant is very busy and has no time to watch the excitement and listen to songs!
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Translator’s Note
[1] MTL was translating it to – “God has given you food to eat.”
[2] Tathagata is the name given to Siddharth, the one who was also called Gautama Buddha, after receiving Buddhahood, that is, after he reached nirvana. He is also the one called Amitabha Buddha – there are other buddhas is buddhism, but Tathagata is the one who was in India, and was the most well known as the founder of buddhism.
More on Tathagata – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81gata
More on Gautama Buddha (Siddharth) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
[3] The pinyin in Ye He Hua – signifying YHWH, or Jeehovaa or God as his name is written in the Hebrew Bible, that is Meng Yuan here is naming the christian god.
[4] Laozi, or Lao Tze. The pinyin is laojun – this is the founder of Taoism, a chinese philosopher circa 500 BC
[5] He is explaining the particular characters here, because different characters have different meanings, but may be homophonous. Every year is Niannian (年年), abundance is Youyu (有余) that is, to have (有 – to have) more (余 – more) – so Yu Nian means More (余) Year (年), that is, signifying a prayer for him to have a long life – point to note, Yu is the surname, but the name was chosen with this meaning in mind, that is, it was matched with the surname.
Droid 
Thanks for the chapter!
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I don’t know chinese but seeing the words “for more than a year” sounds really awkward. Thinking about the MC’s name (it’s meaning), could it be referring to Yu Nian?
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