49: Discussing the arrangement

“Turned off!”

“No way! She’s someone who keeps her phone with her 24/7, how could she turn it off?”

“I don’t know. Let’s go to the company to check. She should be there.”

“Alright!”

The two got up to wash, not even glancing at Kim Jennie and Park Chaeyoung who were sprawled on the floor.

“Yah! Give us a hand, Lalisa.”

“Stop yelling, or you’ll get hit again. Get up quickly, we still have to practice!” Kim Jennie said, limping off to wash.

“Ugh! This is really a sin. I must have owed you in my past life.”

Xu Zhiyou was currently in the studio working on her original solo debut song. After arranging the music, she went next door to find Teddy Oppa to help her record it, as it’s difficult to operate the equipment alone.

Pushing open the door, she saw Kwon Ji-yong and Teddy Oppa in a heated discussion, so loud that one might think they were arguing.

“Are you two arguing? So loud?”

Teddy Oppa didn’t take her bait, directly asking, “You go sit over there for a bit. I need to talk to GD about the arrangement first.”

“Arrangement? What arrangement? Let me see?”

“For our concert tour, some songs need to be re-arranged,” Kwon Ji-yong said as he handed her the notebook.

Xu Zhiyou showed no expression even after reading it. Teddy Oppa and Kwon Ji-yong were both curious, why no reaction at all?

Kwon Ji-yong still couldn’t help but ask, “How is it?”

Xu Zhiyou then pointed to a section of the melody and said, “Adding an electronic synthesizer melody here would be cooler, and emphasizing this part…”

“This would make the melody too complex, difficult for listeners to follow. We can’t add it like that.” Teddy Oppa saw it wouldn’t work. Dance music isn’t suitable for overly complex styles.

Kwon Ji-yong knew how to solve this balance issue. He approved of this approach and said directly,

“We can try using simple harmonies, like thirds and fifths. This enriches the sound without making it too complicated.”

“We could also consider using some dynamic changes, like suddenly lowering the volume during the chorus climax, then raising it again. This can increase emotional fluctuations,” Xu Zhiyou added.

After speaking, the two high-fived. “GD Oppa, great chemistry! Haha~”

They originally came to record a song, but it turned into a three-person discussion. Arranging music is very troublesome, otherwise producers wouldn’t be so valuable.

Kim Ji-soo and the other three had arrived early. Through the transparent glass, they saw Xu Zhiyou hiding there. It wasn't appropriate to go in directly, so they eavesdropped at the door.

They had heard professional terms like dynamics, counterpoint, and modulation individually, but strung together, they felt a bit confused.

After the song was finalized, Teddy Oppa finally said, “Tell me about your business. Why did you come to find me?”

“Oh my! You two are delaying my work. What time is it now?”

“Six o’clock, still early. So, why are you here? You’re not just here to bother an old man like me, are you?”

“Am I that bored? Help me record a song. I can’t manage it alone.”

“Hmm? When did you write another song?!”

“Write what? It’s my old solo debut song. I want to get it out and find an opportunity to release it. It can’t just rot in my hands, can it?!”

“Actually, you could…”

Xu Zhiyou didn’t wait for Teddy Oppa to continue and interrupted directly, “Stop, no way, don’t even think about it.”

Kwon Ji-yong also knew what Teddy Oppa wanted to say and looked at him with disdain, “Teddy Oppa, it’s one thing that you used to trick me, but now you want to trick a young girl? That’s a bit much!”

Teddy Oppa was also helpless seeing Xu Zhiyou’s reaction. This girl couldn’t be PUA’d. “If you won’t give it, then don’t. You just don’t feel for an old man.”

“Oh, please! I’m lucky if I can manage my own group. The company still wants to dump songs on me for other people. Don’t even think about it!”

What happened to other YG artists was none of her business. She wasn’t YG’s boss, so it wasn’t her turn to worry. Besides, she didn’t even know them, so why should she contribute? Hmph!

“We’re all from the same company, one family…”

“Aigoo, here we go again. Well, your family treats you really well, threatening you with pay cuts at every turn, encouraging you to work all night…”

“Uh!!!”

Kwon Ji-yong saw Teddy Oppa’s astonished expression and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. As he laughed, he felt like crying. How did he get PUA’d by Yang Hyun-suk back then? He wanted to die.

He was too naive back then. Yang Hyun-suk praised him a couple of times, and he just kept pulling out his private works, which was fine when used for the group.

But many were taken by people he didn’t even know. If he had a time machine, he’d really want to go back and slap himself twice.

Teddy Oppa adjusted his thinking and continued, “Zoe! That kind of thinking won’t do. If the company does well, wouldn’t you feel a sense of honor?”

“Hehe! I’m just a lowly employee. Don’t give me all that. It’s still the same: if you want me to write songs for others, don’t even think about it.”

Teddy Oppa wasn’t angry. Tricking Xu Zhiyou was mainly to lighten his own workload; he didn’t have much sense of honor for the company either.

“Your composing ability is so strong, those who are capable should do more!”

“Teddy Oppa, did the CEO increase your workload again? You’re trying to harm me like this. Even that big dummy Park Chaeyoung wouldn’t believe that! Still trying to trick me, what were you thinking?”

Teddy Oppa was about to say something else when he was suddenly interrupted by laughter from the doorway.

“Pfft, hahahaha! Big dummy, haha~”

“Lalisa, I advise you to be kind!” Park Chaeyoung felt like today was a bad luck day, everything went wrong, and it was always her who was unlucky. She wanted to cry!

Xu Zhiyou heard the voices, turned, and saw it was Kim Ji-soo and the other three. She felt no shame about being discovered. If they saw her, they saw her. What could they do to her? She was just that arrogant.

“Teddy Oppa, GD Oppa, you two are busy, I’m leaving first.”

“Don’t you need help anymore?”

“No need, aren’t there four outside? That’s enough.”

She came out and saw Park Chaeyoung’s resentful little eyes. “Why are you cross-eyed?”

“Yah! You’re cross-eyed! If you can’t speak properly, shut up.” All of Park Chaeyoung’s misfortunes came from her. Now she just wanted to bite her to death.

“Hmph! Go operate the equipment for me. I need to record a song.”

“A new song? For the group? Didn’t we just release one?” When it came to songs, Park Chaeyoung wasn’t sleepy anymore. This was her hobby.

Xu Zhiyou didn’t even give her a glance. “You can have anything in your dreams. This is my original solo debut song. I’ll feel terrible if I don’t record it.”

Park Chaeyoung was even more curious now. They hadn’t seen Xu Zhiyou’s debut song, and she never talked about it when asked. Her curiosity was at an all-time high.

“What song? Let me help you evaluate it.”

Seeing such a shameless Park Chaeyoung, she was also helpless. “You? Oh, please!”

“Yah! Are you looking down on me?”

She shrugged and said to Kim Ji-soo, “Show Ge, isn’t it obvious what I think?”

Kim Ji-soo didn’t want to respond. If she didn’t have important things to do, she would have wanted to bite Xu Zhiyou. The pain in her neck was still there, it was infuriating!

“Yah!”

Xu Zhiyou ignored the silly Park Chaeyoung and walked straight to the recording studio. She needed to get this done and eat. She hadn’t had dinner yet, and she couldn’t let her stomach suffer.

“Hurry up, big dummy!” Lisa patted her heavily on the shoulder and ran off, leaving behind a wail of agony.