164: Chapter 164 A Chilling Feeling, A Soaring Spirit

Everyone was finally tired of complaining and lowered their heads to drink water and beverages.

Sekiya Guchi called Meimei and then cheered excitedly, "Great! Young Miss Meimei said she really likes my 'iPartment's Three-Legged Cat.' Tomorrow Culture not only wants my draft but also wants to sign a long-term contract with me!"

"Sekiya, what did you say? You said the person you were just talking to was Meimei?" Hu Yifei looked shocked.

Sekiya Guchi nodded, "Yeah. Why, do you know her?"

Hu Yifei shook her head, "I wish I knew her. Sekiya, your good luck has arrived. Do you know that the hottest singers and the hottest female star in Dragon Kingdom are all artists under Tomorrow Culture?"

Seeing that Sekiya was still confused, Zeng Xiaoxian interjected, "You know Phoenix Legend, right?"

Sekiya shook his head, "I don't know them."

"You don't?" Zeng Xiaoxian looked surprised, "You were singing their song just yesterday."

"Huh?" Sekiya was stunned, "You mean... 'IQ with the Wolf, I'm Raising the Baby'..."

Everyone simultaneously put their hands to their foreheads.

Hu Yifei reached out her hand, "Stop singing, if you sing again, I'll want to hit you. Anyway, it's just this song, it's all over the streets. Oh right, and the one Ziqiao always sings—'Once dreamed of walking the world with a sword'..."

Sekiya Guchi asked, "Is this one also by Phoenix Legend?"

"No, no, no, this is by Passerby, also from Tomorrow Culture."

Sekiya Guchi's eyes lit up, "Passerby, I know him. 'Sea of Stars' and 'Victory' are both his works. It's just that no one knows if he is a man or a woman."

"He must be a man," Lu Zhanbo said, "Women can't grow that tall."

"Why not? The national women's basketball team is all that tall," Hu Yifei retorted, "I've heard his voice, he must be a woman. Because a man couldn't sing female vocals that well."

"Then a woman couldn't sing male vocals that well either," Lu Zhanbo finished, then sighed, "Passerby hasn't released a new song in a long time, I wonder if he's just coasting on his past success. I really like his songs."

Hu Yifei shrugged, "Me too. 'You are my Rose, you are my flower, you are my lover, you are my concern'..."

Zhao Yang felt secretly ashamed. Yes, in recent years, apart from writing a few songs for Phoenix Legend, he really hadn't released any albums.

He coughed lightly, "You guys seem to have gone off-topic."

Hu Yifei slapped her forehead, "Oh right, what were we just talking about?"

Haizao covered her mouth and kept laughing, then she said, "Just now Sekiya said he was going to sign with Tomorrow Culture, we should congratulate him."

"Right, right, right, we should congratulate him. Cheers, cheers." Hu Yifei said while raising the beverage in her hand.

...

After the congratulations, Zhao Yang said, "Sekiya, Meijia and Ziqiao mean well. You should accept the help they offer. Once you get through this short period, you'll definitely be able to pay back the money."

Sekiya nodded, "Brother Yang is right. I'll go find them now."

"No need, I just had Haizao call them down."

As soon as Zhao Yang finished speaking, Lü Ziqiao and Chen Meijia entered the bar. Both of them opened their arms.

Chen Meijia smiled, "Sekiya, congratulations. I told you your drawings were the best. Tomorrow Culture even signed a contract with you. The manga publishing house in your country just doesn't know quality."

Lü Ziqiao grinned, "Future great manga artist, when you make money, remember to treat us."

Sekiya Guchi hugged them both, "Thank you, my friends. Meijia, Ziqiao, thank you."

Zhao Yang saw the happy smile on Guo Haizao's face and couldn't help but lament that the main cast of iPartment really had strong charisma. He suddenly looked around and realized someone was missing, so he couldn't help but ask, "Why don't I see Wanyu?"

Guo Haizao smiled, "Wanyu is at my place learning how to make braised pork belly from my sister."

"Brother Yang," Zhanbo interjected, "You might not know, but Hai Ping's braised pork belly is delicious. Last time Haizao brought us a bowl, even the plate was licked clean by Teacher Zeng. Wanyu said she must learn how to make it and make it for everyone in the future."

Zhao Yang smiled in sudden realization, but he felt a bit puzzled inside.

How did Lin Wanyu, this Young Miss, become interested in cooking? Could it be that seeing Lu Zhanbo and Haizao getting close gave her a sense of crisis, and she wants to capture Lu Zhanbo's stomach? That doesn't seem right either. In the original show, Lin Wanyu was never that proactive from beginning to end, and she even left Zhanbo for a period of time later on.

Perhaps Guo Hai Ping's braised pork belly is just Heaven-Defyingly delicious.

Afterwards, the topic began to drift. As they chatted, everyone became more and more familiar with Zhao Yang. Although no one dared to joke with him yet, their speech was no longer so constrained.

When they were leaving, Guo Haizao stopped Zhao Yang, "Brother Yang, Manager Chen Sifu said he would take me to play Golf this weekend to meet some big shots. Besides me, my colleague Su Tan is also going. I don't really want to go. Can I tell Manager Chen Sifu that you have something for me to do?"

Zhao Yang couldn't help but laugh, "The big shot he's talking about is Mayor Zhang's secretary, Song Siming."

"Oh... then Brother Yang, can I say that?"

"Besides Song Siming, there's also me."

"Huh?" Guo Haizao was stunned, her mouth slightly agape, not knowing what to say.

Zhao Yang smiled, "So you don't need to worry about anything. If you want to go, go; if you don't want to go, that's up to you."

Guo Haizao thought for a moment and asked, "Then what do you say, should I go?"

"Go. And don't always go against your boss. When the time comes, just act like you don't know I'm going too; you don't need to pretend you don't know me."

Haizao nodded with relief, "Okay, then I won't worry."

...

After saying goodbye to everyone, Zhao Yang returned to the villa and went straight into the recording room—Hu Yifei and Lu Zhanbo were right, Passerby hadn't released an album in too long, and today he was in the mood, so he would record one!

Although the equipment here couldn't compare to the one at 798, it was enough to record a solo album. Sitting in the recording studio, Zhao Yang thought for a moment and considered recording another hodgepodge style like 'Play,' but felt it was repetitive; this time he should go for a single theme.

Thus, Zhao Yang began to search through his memories and hum.

At first he wasn't very satisfied, until he hummed—'The person by your side, has taken my seat, his hands holding Roses, promising to accompany you for the rest of his life. And I could never learn, tears already scattered by the wind'—these few lines, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

This is the style—Unreconciled.

What other songs are there?

"I've felt the evening breeze that you've felt, so can we count that as an embrace."

"If I were young and successful, not insecure, and understood what is precious."

"It's all my fault, being silent when I shouldn't have been, and being weak when I should have been brave."

Zhao Yang couldn't help but laugh three times. These are the songs. This album won't be called 'Play,' it will be called 'Blade.' If it's not 'Unreconciled,' it's about missing an ex. Add a few previous ones like 'The Night I Miss You' and 'Let's Break Up,' and for the last one, let's go with 'Chilled.'

Hmm... a 'Piercingly Cool, Heart Soaring' blade!

Start recording!

Zhao Yang did all the accompaniment himself; piano and guitar were enough. It took less than two hours, and it was all done.

He carefully boxed the master tape, and early the next morning, he called Red Bean Express's one-on-one special delivery to send it off.

In the evening, Meimei's call came through, her voice hesitant, "Brother Yang... you... that... what..."

Zhao Yang frowned, "What's wrong with you? Just say what you have to say."

The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a long while, before Meimei finally said with difficulty, "You haven't broken up with Rose, have you?"