26: Chapter 26 She gave me life, I'll return her the pedestal.

The day after the program recording was finished, Xu Qingya and Jiang Fan left Pengcheng one after another, taking different flights to the Magic City.

In the Magic City, an inconspicuous old Western-style house was hidden in the shadows of the plane trees.

This was Xu Qingya's private apartment, registered under the name of her manager, Manager Chen.

Paparazzi in the industry had been tailing her for years, but none of them had discovered this residence.

Xu Qingya pushed open the door and changed into slippers.

She walked to the living room, took those two music scores out of her Hermès bag, and spread them flat on the glass coffee table.

《Red Bean》 and legend.

Xu Qingya sat on the carpet, staring at the notes and lyrics Jiang Fan had written on the paper.

The melodic progression of these two songs was completely different from the style of all her previous albums.

There were no grand, showy high notes, nor were there any ornate, complex vocal runs layered on top.

The melody was gentle and seemingly simple.

Yet, this type of song is the most demanding on vocal technique.

Every fluctuation of emotion and every transition point between chest and head voice relied entirely on the singer's own vocal control.

These two songs were tailor-made for a top-tier singer.

Xu Qingya put the music scores away, leaned back on the sofa, and picked up her phone to check the flight information.

Jiang Fan's plane would land in forty minutes.

She opened a food delivery app and placed an order.

She ordered all heavy dishes.

Braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, broccoli with garlic, and old duck soup.

After placing the order, she herself was stunned for a moment.

Xu Qingya had lived for thirty years and had never ordered takeout for any man.

At six in the evening, the doorbell rang.

Xu Qingya got up to open the door.

Jiang Fan stood outside the door. He was wearing a black T-shirt, that old backpack hanging on his shoulder, and he was carrying a guitar case in his hand.

Jiang Fan changed into slippers and walked into the house.

The house wasn't big, but it was kept very clean.

In the corner of the living room stood a white upright piano, and a pothos plant was sitting on the lid.

It didn't look like the home of a top-tier diva.

At this moment, the delivery arrived just in time.

The two of them unpacked the food containers and sat down at the dining table.

"Have you thought about the Chinese-style song?" Xu Qingya ladled a bowl of old duck soup and pushed it in front of Jiang Fan.

"I have." Jiang Fan picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of rib.

"What are you singing?"

Jiang Fan swallowed the food in his mouth and put down his chopsticks.

"Have you heard of blue and white porcelain》?"

Xu Qingya shook her head. She searched through the library of Chinese music in her mind, but there was no such title.

Jiang Fan didn't explain further.

He stood up, walked to the white piano in the corner, and lifted the lid.

"I'll sing a bit, and you can get a feel for it."

Jiang Fan's right hand fell casually onto the keys, and a simple melody flowed from his fingertips.

Then, he began to sing.

"The plain porcelain outlines the blue and white, the brushstroke fading from thick to thin."

"The peony painted on the bottle is just like your initial makeup."

Just one line.

Xu Qingya put down the soup spoon in her hand.

This melody, paired with the ink-wash texture in the lyrics, created an extremely unique classical Oriental charm.

Xu Qingya's pupils contracted.

This wasn't the so-called "Chinese style" that was currently on the market, which forcefully piled up flowery language and added a couple of guzheng accompaniment sections.

This was a complete grafting of pop music Arrangement onto traditional cultural heritage.

Jiang Fan stopped and closed the piano lid.

"Shenghai Entertainment wanted to use the competition rules to block me, but they chose the wrong direction." Jiang Fan walked back to the dining table and picked up his chopsticks again.

Xu Qingya looked at the man sitting opposite her.

Arrogant, yet possessing absolute confidence.

"I'll go with you to Tianyu Entertainment to record the song tomorrow." Jiang Fan took a bite of the sea bass.

"Okay." Xu Qingya nodded.

After finishing the meal, Xu Qingya went to take a shower.

The sound of water came from the bathroom.

Jiang Fan sat on the sofa, holding the two music scores in his hand, checking the details of the Arrangement.

Half an hour later, the sound of water stopped.

Xu Qingya walked out of the bathroom.

She was wearing a black lace nightdress, the hem barely covering her thighs.

Her hair was half-dry, draped over her shoulders.

Jiang Fan, sitting on the sofa, looked up.

Hmm, she looks better without makeup than with it.

Xu Qingya walked to the sofa, curled up directly beside Jiang Fan, and rested her head on his shoulder.

The scent of shower gel from her recent bath drifted into Jiang Fan's nostrils.

"Jiang Fan."

"Hmm."

"When you used to work the night shift in the underground parking garage, did you ever imagine today would happen?"

Jiang Fan tilted his head.

Xu Qingya's damp hair rested on his T-shirt, leaving a small dark watermark.

Jiang Fan was silent for two seconds.

"Back then, every time you passed through the lobby, you were followed by four or five assistants. You walked with such flair, chin held high, not even glancing at the security guards."

Jiang Fan looked down at her.

"I thought to myself back then, this woman, why does she walk so arrogantly."

Xu Qingya was stunned for a moment.

Immediately, she reached out and pinched the soft flesh on Jiang Fan's waist hard.

"Who are you calling arrogant?"

Jiang Fan didn't dodge.

He grabbed Xu Qingya's wrist with a backhand motion and pulled her entire body into his arms.

Xu Qingya lost her balance and fell onto Jiang Fan's lap.

The back of her head bumped against Jiang Fan's solid chest, and she let out a muffled grunt.

Jiang Fan's arms wrapped around her waist, locking her in his embrace.

The two of them stayed quietly on the sofa.

Xu Qingya closed her eyes, her ear pressed against Jiang Fan's chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.

Jiang Fan lowered his head, his lips touching the top of her hair.

The temperature in the room began to rise.

Jiang Fan's fingers slid inside along the hem of the nightdress.

Xu Qingya's breathing became erratic.

— —

later, there was nothing worth detailing.

The pothos plant on that white upright piano shook violently.

The edge of the flower pot slid off the piano lid.

With a "bang".

The flower pot smashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces, and the black potting soil scattered all over the ground.

Late at night.

The system notification sound rang on time deep within Jiang Fan's consciousness.

[Deep interaction with a high-compatibility target occurred, Lifespan Value + 3000 points.]

[Current Lifespan Value: 9200 points. Remaining lifespan: 8 days.]

Jiang Fan lay on the bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

Xu Qingya beside him was already fast asleep.

Her breathing was steady and long, and one of her legs was still draped over Jiang Fan's waist.

Jiang Fan turned his head.

Through the moonlight filtering in from the gap in the curtains, he looked at Xu Qingya's sleeping profile.

Her eyelashes were long, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned; he didn't know what kind of dream she was having.

This woman had given him life.

Every increase in Lifespan Value was given by her.

She had given him life.

He had to return her an album worthy of being recorded in the history of Chinese music.