Chарtеr 4: Тhis Lеvеl оf Skill? Might as Wеll Sing It Муsеlf
In Studiо 1 of Luo Shen Меdia, Prоducer Сhеn dоwnеd а сup оf Rоbustа cоffeе, his fingers uncоnsсiouslу taррing аgainst thе сup.
【Вrеаking nеws～Воss Сhen аctuаllу showed up in Studio 1 еarlу this morning.】
【Воss Сhеn is here—dоes that mеаn thеrе’s a nеw work сoming out?】
【I rеаllу wаnt tо prеtend to bump intо Воss Сhеn by chanсе.】
【Nеither thе Song Gоd nor the Sоng Quееn hаs apреared, sо why would Воss Сhеn cоmе to the company?】
【I sаw Prinсеss Luо соme tо the comрanу this morning.】
【Right, isn’t Рrincеss Luo participating in the National Style Grand Prize? Could it be…】
【Having Boss Chen play second fiddle for Princess Luo? Isn’t that like using a cannon to kill a mosquito?】
The leaderless creative group chat of Luo Shen Media instantly went wild with messages. At that moment, Fei Jiajun brought Luo Qingxu to Studio 1.
“Hello, Teacher Chen,” Luo Qingxu greeted politely.
“Sit!” Producer Chen, who never liked wasting words, immediately began discussing matters with Fei Jiajun and Luo Qingxu.
“The concept is very innovative, the lyrics and melody are beautiful, and it has a unique Eastern charm. This song is excellent—I’ll take it. We don’t have much time left; the fastest we can produce the accompaniment is tomorrow.”
Fei Jiajun discussed some details with Producer Chen before turning to Luo Qingxu and saying, “I’ve already arranged for available minor singers and trainees from the company to come for auditions. If you want Qinghuan to help, we can squeeze in some time, but there might not be much time for practice.”
That’s right—Fei Jiajun was not only Luo Qingxu’s manager but also the manager of her older sister, the Song Queen Luo Qinghuan.
Aside from Luo Qinghuan, she also managed three second-tier singers, but their careers were now on track. Fei Jiajun only needed to oversee the big picture, leaving the rest to her assistants.
She had just started to relax recently and was planning to go on vacation when Luo Qingxu stirred up trouble. Fei Jiajun couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
Fei Jiajun was well aware of the mess Luo Qingxu had caused. She had also heard from her close friend that an ultimatum had been given to this troublesome kid. Whether as a manager or an elder, she didn’t want Luo Qingxu to lose. If she could add more weight to the scale, she would. While other first- or second-tier big-name singers couldn’t be arranged directly, Luo Qinghuan, as Luo Qingxu’s own sister, had to be included if needed.
Previously, when Fei Jiajun found out that Luo Qingxu had privately joined the program, she had already arranged songs with other composers. She had even prepared a full plan for retrieving the paintings if Luo Qingxu lost the competition. Now that her own kid was stepping up, those arrangements were no longer needed.
“No, no need to trouble Sister!” Luo Qingxu waved her hands repeatedly upon hearing this. No matter how popular the National Style Grand Prize was, it was still just a platform for newcomers to indulge themselves. To deal with a small fry like Bai Xinyao, there was really no need to ask her sister Luo Qinghuan, who was already a Song Queen, to lend support.
“Alright then. We’ll hold auditions in a bit, and after that, we’ll interview some dancers. Let’s start rehearsals as soon as possible,” Fei Jiajun efficiently arranged the schedule.
Outside Studio 1, about a dozen obscure, low-tier singers and vocal trainees had gathered.
“To think we’re actually at Studio 1—Mom, I’ve made it!”
“Who’s releasing a new song that we actually get a chance for?”
“I heard Sister Jun sent out the invitations. We’ll find out soon.”
The female singers waiting outside were quietly discussing among themselves…”Lu Mengjiao and Jiang Yutong are both here—they’ve actually released songs before,” Liu Tingting whispered quietly to Zhen Chang beside her.
“Since the company has given us this opportunity, we’re all on equal footing, Tingting. Let’s be more confident.”
“We trainees are definitely just here to make up the numbers, running along as extras.”
Just then, the door to Recording Studio 1 opened, and an assistant stepped out: “Come and draw your number tags. When your number is called, come inside.”
“Here are the lyrics and melody. Sing these two lines a cappella. You have five minutes to prepare.”
“The wind blows sand, butterflies love flowers, an eternal tale of beauty
Like the moon in water, infatuated with the flower in the mirror
Bamboo fence, wooden pipa, under the moon by the arched bridge
Who is singing of longing, missing someone far away?”
“Voice isn’t suitable. Next!”
“All technique, no emotion. Next!”
“Did you even understand the lyrics? Next!”
“Unstable breath control. You rely too much on post-production tuning—work on your actual skills. Next!”
After listening to seven or eight in a row, Luo Qingxu felt her ears had been assaulted. She had thought the minor singers who had released songs might bring a Surprise, but instead, it was a shock:
“Aunt Jun, if even those who’ve released songs are at this level, are they just here to blow up the stage for me? If they’re all like this, I might as well sing it myself!”
“What a waste of time, being judged by some clueless rich girl who just happened to be born into the right family.”
Being criticized as worthless by someone she believed relied entirely on family privilege—a “second-generation heir”—Lu Mengjiao gritted her teeth in anger.
“Oh, my dear, keep your voice down. That’s not something you should say.”
Her agent quickly covered Lu Mengjiao’s mouth, utterly exasperated. In the entertainment industry, the first thing you learn is how to speak. When you don’t know what to say, the best approach is to keep quiet. With Lu Mengjiao’s mouth, her agent always worried it would cause some major trouble.
The next one to come out, Jiang Yutong, also looked displeased, though she didn’t say anything, leaving with a dark expression.
The remaining candidates exchanged uneasy glances, the atmosphere growing tense. They shared complicated looks—if even singers who had released songs fared this poorly, then trainees stood even less of a chance. The intentions of Miss Luo became increasingly mysterious.
“Hello, teachers. I’m contestant number 10, Zhen Chang.”
Luo Qingxu, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly choked upon hearing the name. Fei Jiajun immediately shot her a sharp glare, and Luo Qingxu quickly pressed her lips together, swallowing the water.
Zhen Chang was long accustomed to people’s reactions upon first hearing her name. Even more coincidentally, she had studied vocal music, which truly made her singing genuine rather than fake.
After listening to Zhen Chang’s performance, Luo Qingxu nodded in satisfaction: “The tone is soft with a hint of melancholy, gentle and delicate. There’s a slight lack of emotional depth, but you’re on hold for now. Wait for further notice.”
After everyone had finished their auditions, Luo Qingxu had already made her choice: “Sister Jun, I’ve decided. It’s contestant number 10, Zhen Chang.”
“Alright. Xiao Li, notify Zhen Chang to go to Practice Room 8 this afternoon.”
Fei Jiajun nodded in agreement and immediately gave the order. As a seasoned professional agent, she naturally knew that among all the candidates, Zhen Chang’s audition was the most suitable for this song. Though there were minor flaws, it was more than enough for the initial stage performance.
“As expected, the overall level just isn’t up to par. Even Lu Mengjiao and Jiang Yutong met their Waterloo. Who on earth could possibly catch Princess Luo’s eye?”
“Changchang, what did Princess Luo say about your performance?””Tingting, sorry, I need to take this call first.”
“Yes, speaking. Really? Okay, okay, thank you.”
After hanging up, Zhen Chang hugged Liu Tingting tightly and spun her around in the air: “I got selected, I got selected! I can sing on stage now, I’m really… I’m just so happy.”
As she spoke, Zhen Chang couldn’t help but choke up a little. Her family wasn’t wealthy, and art students cost more than regular students, yet her parents had always supported her dreams without complaint or regret.
For private tutoring lessons costing 800 yuan per session, her parents paid without hesitation, while they would hesitate for a long time over an 80-yuan piece of clothing. Now about to graduate, Zhen Chang was working as a trainee at Luo Shen Media, earning a meager salary while hoping for the day she could make a name for herself and properly honor her parents.
“Really? Changchang, you’re amazing!”
“Remember your friends when you make it big!” Liu Tingting was genuinely happy for her friend and hugged Zhen Chang back joyfully.
“Whew~ so tired. The selection is done. I’m just too good.”
Returning to her apartment, Luo Qingxu immediately changed into comfortable home clothes, threw herself onto the soft bed, and hugged a pillow while rolling around contentedly.
The dancer selection went much smoother than the singer selection. She simply had to quickly choose Tang Shijing from among the ethnic and classical dance trainees—the one with the strongest professional skills and best stage presence. Now she just had to wait for Producer Chen’s accompaniment music tomorrow so they could start practicing together.
Exhausted from the long day, Luo Qingxu soon fell asleep, completely unaware that a trending topic about her, pushed by certain individuals, had climbed onto the tail end of the hot search list and was slowly rising.