Chapter 14: Is It Possible?

Chapter 14: Is It Possible?

Zhang Suxin hesitated slightly as she spoke.

Lu Anzhi, noticing her hesitation, asked directly, “What’s the plan?”

Zhang Suxin said, “I want to register a studio, and you can affiliate yourself with it. The song will still bear your name but will be released under my studio’s name. All the income goes to you. I just need to fulfill the commissioned song.”

“If in the future there are projects that don’t suit me, or if I can’t write something, you’re welcome to try.”

Lu Anzhi was puzzled. “What’s in it for you?”

Zhang Suxin sighed. “I just want to complete the commissions.”

She sighed again, “I gained some minor fame in the industry about three years ago. Over these three years, relying on that reputation, I’ve been able to receive some song commissions, but it’s not enough for me to make a living solely from songwriting.”

“People say my songs only suit me to sing; others find it hard to capture the feeling. When I get commissions from top-tier stars like Zhou Bo, it’s tough. Most of the time, it’s second- or third-tier singers or newcomers.”

“If this continues, I might really have to make a comeback.”

It was clear Zhang Suxin was reluctant to return to the spotlight.

Lu Anzhi said, “If I’m using your name but all the income goes to me, isn’t that a bit unfair to you?”

Zhang Suxin smiled, “If you think I’m at a loss and you’re benefiting, how about you cover Qianqian’s milk powder?”

Lu Anzhi laughed, “Isn’t that only natural?”

At that moment, Qianqian caught the keyword, turned her head, and tugged on Lu Anzhi’s sleeve, saying, “Daddy, I want milk.”

Zhang Suxin said, “I’ll prepare it.”

Lu Anzhi replied, “Let me come along and learn. That way, I can prepare Qianqian’s milk in the future.”

He picked up Qianqian and followed Zhang Suxin out of the music room and into the kitchen. As she prepared the milk, she explained every step to him.

Zhang Suxin told him how much water to pour into the bottle, the ideal temperature, and the amount of milk powder to add. She carefully mixed the milk powder until it dissolved, then capped the bottle and handed it to Qianqian.

Her movements were practiced and gentle—a calming kind of beauty that naturally drew Lu Anzhi’s attention.

He watched quietly, and Zhang Suxin seemed to sense his gaze, suddenly becoming a bit self-conscious.

“So, I just hope this commissioned song doesn’t fall through. Getting a commission from a top star like Zhou Bo is really hard if I don’t make a comeback now.”

“My friend also put a lot of effort into helping me get this commission. If it falls through, it’ll be even harder for me to get good work in the future.”

Zhang Suxin quickly steered the conversation back to ease her discomfort.

Though unsure why, she didn’t dislike this uneasiness.

Lu Anzhi quickly regained his composure, noticing his own lack of tact, and withdrew his gaze.

Finally, Zhang Suxin asked, “Is that okay?”

Lu Anzhi replied, “Why not? Actually, I’m the one benefiting. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to land deals like this. Just an amateur, with songs that don’t fetch a good price.”

Zhang Suxin let out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just worried since I don’t have much fame, if you use my songs, people might reject them.”

Zhang Suxin shook her head. “No, when people want songs, it’s ultimately the quality that matters. Most listeners only care who’s singing and if the song sounds good. They rarely pay attention to who wrote it, especially if they’re not professionals.”

Lu Anzhi nodded, “That makes sense.”

“Finished drinking!”

Qianqian suddenly raised the empty bottle high, interrupting their conversation.

Only a few milk stains clung to the inside walls of the bottle.

Lu Anzhi remarked, “She drinks really fast!”

Qianqian giggled adorably.

Zhang Suxin took the bottle from her and went to wash it, saying, “She eats and drinks quickly and isn’t picky. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so chubby.”

Lu Anzhi sat Qianqian on his lap. “That’s great. It saves a lot of worries. And it’s good for kids to be a bit plump.”

Qianqian sat wobbling on Lu Anzhi’s lap, singing an off-key song in a language he couldn’t understand.

Lu Anzhi gently patted her small back, keeping rhythm.

Though her singing lacked melody and tune, her youth and cuteness made it amusing rather than unpleasant.

Zhang Suxin said, “Yeah, I’ve heard from some parents in the neighborhood that their kids don’t eat well, are often sick, end up in the hospital, or get overeaten. None of that happens with Qianqian. She knows when she’s hungry and when she’s full. It’s really good.”

Such simple matters of childhood seemed a source of pride in her voice, which sounded light and confident.

Lu Anzhi asked, “Aren’t you afraid someone will recognize you?”

Zhang Suxin finished washing the bottle, wiped her hands, and smiled, “No, I always wear a mask when I go out. Besides, who would expect me to live in a neighborhood like this? Many people say I look like Zhang Suxin anyway.”

Her tone turned playful. It seemed that after spending more time with Lu Anzhi, she felt more at ease.

Later, Lu Anzhi sat at Zhang Suxin’s computer and logged into the music copyright website.

Following her instructions, he used a specialized software to compile the lyrics and sheet music for “The Sea,” created a document, and then uploaded it.

Zhang Suxin explained that the software was a lyric and composition editor bundled with the music copyright website, released alongside the site and downloadable from there.

Though the software was small—only a few megabytes—when Zhang Suxin first downloaded it, it took her an entire day to complete the download.

Lu Anzhi found it puzzling. The official website was thoughtful in many aspects, but why hadn’t they improved their network speed?

Uploading the documents for “The Sea”’s lyrics, melody, and arrangement repeatedly failed.

Qianqian, watching nearby, curiously asked when the progress bar crashed and an upload failure message popped up, “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Suxin told her, “It means the upload failed.”

Then, beside the desktop computer with its slicked-back hair design, Qianqian’s voice kept ringing out:

“Oh no, upload failed.”

“Oh no, it failed again.”

…

Zhang Suxin asked Lu Anzhi to take Qianqian aside to play, while she watched the upload progress. But Qianqian found the failure screen fascinating and refused to leave.

So Zhang Suxin teased her, saying that staring at the computer too long would hurt her eyes and she wouldn’t be able to watch TV or cartoons anymore.

The little girl was startled but still wouldn’t give up watching the progress bar. She glanced away now and then, saying, “Still hasn’t failed.”

Then looking again, “Oh no, it failed again.”

After countless attempts over an indeterminate period, “The Sea” finally uploaded successfully and registration was complete. Qianqian even seemed a little disappointed.

Thanks to Xia Zhixuanlan and Happy Baby for their generous support. Being favored five times in one day—what an honor!

(End of Chapter)