pertwk Chapter 85 Xu Manlin bids farewell to the music scene
Chapter 85 Xu Manlin bids farewell to the music scene
After a while, Shen Yuege finally lowered her hand from Lu Ran's waist.
It wasn't because she intended to bypass Lu Ran, but because she was exhausted. She hadn't expected Lu Ran's waist to be so firm.
In particular, Lu Ran's next sentence completely broke her defenses.
"Eat your vegetables first, then you can wring them out later, they'll get cold."
After a while, Shen Yuege spoke to Lu Ran again.
"Lu Ran, if this contract marriage expires in one year, I'd like to renew it with you. Would you agree?"
Shen Yuege stared at Lu Ran, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Seeing Shen Yuege staring at him like that, Lu Ran was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Yes, of course I will."
"Who wouldn't want to marry a big star and drive a luxury car and live in a big villa?"
"Besides, there's also the 1000 million in tips a year."
"If you were to publicly advertise these conditions, the line of people would stretch all the way to France."
Lu Ran analyzed it seriously, but in reality he was secretly overjoyed.
Good days are on again, year after year, who knows, something might actually happen in the future... It's so exciting just thinking about it.
"Don't you feel like I'm taking advantage of you? After all, you're already so successful; if you wanted to, you could easily create a superstar..."
Lu Ran interrupted her: "You are Shen Yuege, a superstar, an idol to countless people. You must remember, even without me, you can still become a superstar. If anyone is taking advantage, it's me taking advantage of you."
Shen Yuege smiled, but her eyes were a little red: "When did you become so eloquent?"
"I always have, I just didn't bother to say it before." Lu Ran put a piece of pork rib on her plate. "Okay, let's eat first. We can talk about this properly after you're done with this busy period."
"If you really feel you don't deserve it, you can get a raise. I won't mind giving you more."
"Okay." Shen Yuege nodded. "Then I'll give you a raise."
After dinner, Lu Ran washed the dishes in the kitchen, while Shen Yuege sat on the sofa scrolling through her phone.
Suddenly, she saw a trending topic on Weibo: #XuManlin bids farewell to the music scene in a late-night post#
Shen Yuege was taken aback, then clicked on it.
Xu Manlin's Weibo post was quite long; it was a reflection on her music career and a thank you to her fans for their support.
The following content states that after completing the promotional activities for her final album, she will temporarily withdraw from the music scene to study abroad for a year.
"Music is a part of my life, but not my whole life. Over the years, I've lost myself in the pursuit of an obsession. But now, I've figured it out. I want to stop and rediscover the person I was when I first fell in love with music. So, thank you all for your support, see you again someday."
Below the Weibo post, fans were in tears, but many others expressed their understanding and support.
Shen Yuege had mixed feelings after reading it.
Looking at the diva on Weibo, who is both a rival and a senior, Shen Yuege recalled meeting Xu Manlin backstage that day. Xu Manlin smiled and asked her how her album was selling, her eyes calm and gentle.
It turns out, she really has let go.
"What are you looking at?" Lu Ran asked as he walked out, wiping his hands.
Shen Yuege handed him her phone: "Xu Manlin is retiring from the entertainment industry."
After reading the Weibo post, Lu Ran remained silent for a moment: "For her, it might be a good thing."
"Yes." Shen Yuege nodded. "She has finally let herself go."
The two chatted for a while longer, then Shen Yuege went to rest early because she had work to do the next morning.
Lu Ran returned to his room, turned on his computer, and sent the full version of "Another Me in the World" to Xu Manxue.
She also left a comment saying, "Give it a try, don't feel pressured. Your voice is very unique, this song suits you quite well."
When Xu Manxue received the file package "Another Me in the World" sent by Lu Ran, she was reviewing the script in her dormitory at the training base.
Upon seeing the email notification, her heart inexplicably quickened.
Although Lu Ran had said he would write a song for her, she wasn't sure if he was just saying it casually and would just throw together a random song. She would still write a song of above-average quality.
Others may not know for now, but she has already guessed that Lu Ran is Mingri.
Based on our interactions over the past few days, and given her control over tone, it's highly likely.
If that's the case, then any song by Lu Ran would be a chart-topping hit.
When I opened the email, there was only a brief note and a folder titled "Another Me in the World".
"Give it a try, don't feel pressured. Your voice is very unique, this song suits you quite well."
Xu Manxue read the short sentence three times.
She took a deep breath and opened the folder with trembling hands.
It contains complete lyrics, music score, arrangement ideas, and even a simple demo made by Lu Ran using software.
The intro is a simple guitar sound, warm and gentle, like the winter sun.
Next came the temporary vocals that Lu Ran created using a synthesizer. Lu Ran was clearly just demonstrating the melody, so he sang very casually, but that lazy and carefree attitude made the song seem more approachable.
"One second I was watching fireworks in Taipei"
The next second you're drinking a Mojito in Shanghai
You feel me the way I feel you.
Another version of me in the world…
The lyrics are simple yet ingenious, the melody is catchy, and the whole song exudes a warm and healing power.
As Xu Manxue listened, her eyes reddened.
This is not a song that requires superb skills. There are no high notes to show off, no complicated vocal transitions. All it wants is a sincere expression of emotion.
Her voice, though no longer perfect, is precisely full of storytelling.
Xu Manxue could almost imagine that even if she sang this song with her current voice, it would have a different feel.
"It's so good... As expected, Lu Ran never produces a bad song." Xu Manxue murmured to herself.
She listened to it five times, then picked up her phone, wanting to send Lu Ran a message to thank him, but she didn't know what to say.
He typed and deleted, deleted and typed again, and finally only sent one sentence: "Teacher Lu, I received the song, I...I don't know how to thank you."
A few seconds later, Lu Ran replied, "You're welcome. Just sing well. The recording studio is open tomorrow; you can give it a try."
Xu Manxue stared at the message, and tears finally fell.
For so many years, ever since her vocal cords were damaged, she thought she would never have the chance to stand in the recording studio again, never have the chance to sing her own songs again.
Even just trying it out felt like a dream to her.
She wiped away her tears and replied, "Okay! I'll definitely sing my best!"
After putting down her phone, Xu Manxue couldn't help but wander around her dorm room twice, then opened the demo and started humming along.
She sang very carefully, afraid that her hoarse voice would ruin the beauty of the song.
But as she sang, she discovered that her voice actually had a unique charm.
Just like Lu Ran said, it may not be perfect, but it can become a unique feature.
Just then, there was a knock on the dormitory door.
Xu Manxue quickly wiped away her tears and went to open the door.
Standing outside the door was Tan Yu, carrying a plastic bag in his hand.
"Manxue, I bought some late-night snacks, do you want some…?" Tan Yu stopped mid-sentence, noticing her slightly reddened eyes, and froze. "What's wrong? Did someone bully you?"
...