Chapter Ninety-One: Chen Zuming’s Other Side

The graceful melancholy inherent in classical-style melodies carries a uniquely inborn sorrow. Though there was no accompaniment of piano and bamboo flute at this moment, once the song’s antique lyrics were sung aloud, the lofty, expansive spirit so characteristic of Chinese artistry emerged naturally.

It was a lyrical classical-style song, highly prone to stirring deep resonance, and its melody also blended in modern popular elements.

Added to that was the profound breadth of ancient poetry and song culture; every line bore a rhythmic cadence, making it wonderfully singable even on the page alone.

Then, when sung by that clear, lingering male voice, the rhyme was brought to its fullest effect, leaving the two listeners stunned into silence, though he could not see the expression on Jin Xishan’s end.

The more they listened, the stronger the dreamlike sensation of being carried into the scene became.

At that moment, the very air in the room seemed steeped in a faint sorrow and delicate beauty, and one could even vaguely hear the refined sound of silk and bamboo and the vigorous, soaring strains of the zither winding through it all.

The lyrics told a story with great force, making it easy to conjure images in the mind; that feeling of wanting to say something yet holding it back grew ever more profound and evocative. Even Liu Qingshan, the singer himself, was for a time lost in it.

Only after he finished the song were the strange currents of thought in both of them broken by his voice.

“I know this song is beautiful enough, but it’s hardly the sort of classic that will be remembered forever. Your reactions seem a little too drawn out!”

At the other end of the line, Jin Xishan burst out laughing. “I knew you’d be all talk! Fine, I admit it’s a really lovely song, and I did promise to sing it with you. But first tell me, how did your voice suddenly get so good? I’ve heard it before, and it was barely better than a duck’s quack!”

Her question struck straight at the heart of the matter, and Liu Qingshan was just as worried about how to explain it.

Fortunately, he had already prepared a story.

“To be honest, I find it odd too. One day I suddenly felt a blockage in my throat, like something I had to spit out before I could speak, so I went to the bathroom and coughed it up once. As for how my voice got better after that, I’m not sure either, because I never thought to question it at the time.”

“So you only discovered it by accident afterward?”

“That’s right. I thought about it carefully later, and the only explanation I could come up with was that one incident with my throat. But I can’t really say what the cause was.”

This was the limit of the lie Liu Qingshan could make up. He figured that perhaps the harder something was to explain by common sense, the easier it was for people to accept; after all, the change in his voice had come far too abruptly.

“Though that explanation isn’t very convincing, it does seem possible.”

“This song is actually better suited to a woman’s voice,” Liu Qingshan said. “A pure, lovely female voice, somewhere between a child’s and a woman’s, can be almost spellbinding. One person could sound like an entire choir. Why don’t you try singing it alone?”

Jin Xishan’s vocal condition was still below eighty, not yet at a professional singer’s level, but if accompanied by some children’s harmonies and further refined in tone, he believed she could still deliver it quite perfectly.

“Mm...” From her end came a drawn-out, almost coquettish note, sounding like a whimper. Caught off guard, Liu Qingshan could not help shivering all over.

“I don’t want to. You promised to sing it with me, and you can’t change your mind!”

That same soft and teasing tone made Liu Qingshan’s heart grow even hotter, but it sent a chill over Chen Zuming from head to toe.

He could no longer restrain himself and cried out, “Stop, stop, stop! I can’t take it anymore. You’re actually flirting in front of an outsider like this? I protest! I strongly protest!”

A burst of laughter from Jin Xishan rose sharply at the other end. “Hahaha, Chen Zuming, you’re so funny. I’m a woman, aren’t I? Isn’t it normal to act a little spoiled?”

“Sister-in-law, call me Jaycee from now on. That’s what all my friends call me!”

Chen Zuming seemed to explain himself this way every time he corrected how someone addressed him.

“Why are you calling me sister-in-law? I remember you’re two years older than Qingshan!”

“In our martial arts circle, skill commands respect. I even wanted to become his apprentice, but Qingshan wouldn’t take me!”

“Hm?” Liu Qingshan was the first to notice something different about Chen Zuming. “Aren’t you always insisting that you’re a musician, not some brute with muscles for brains?”

He had reason for saying this. Before, Chen Zuming had indeed been determined to distinguish himself from his father, even though martial arts were also one of his interests.

He simply did not want to live forever in the shadow of Chen Long, and drawing a line between himself and the action world had only been a form of inner struggle.

“What can I do? You’ve put me on the action-design team now, and besides, I really do want to learn something. Don’t I have to do my best to please you and flatter you?”

Liu Qingshan laughed heartily. “So from now on, do you have to call me big brother?”

“Don’t get cocky. Sister-in-law is sister-in-law, and you are you. I think I’d still rather call you Qingshan—it feels more natural!”

Jin Xishan on the phone then said, “Jaycee, be honest. Does Qingshan’s song sound good?”

“It sounds good, really! The key point is that this is a song with a distinctly Chinese classical style and an old-world grace. It’s rare in the domestic scene right now, so beyond its moving melody, it also has immense potential to become a huge hit!”

It had to be said that for Chen Zuming to have such an opinion was enough to show that he did have a professional ear for music, even if the songs he wrote were nothing special.

“Then do you think it would be more suitable for the two of us to sing it together?”

“Yes. Using a male-female duet to interpret Li Qingzhao’s poetry is ideal. If it’s sung too softly, it loses some contrast; if it’s sung too forcefully, it loses its original charm. Only the interplay of male and female vocal lines can better sketch and restore the scenes of the past described in the lyrics. The union of tenderness and strength, infused with sorrow, can gradually draw the listener’s emotions in, singing out Li Qingzhao’s lingering romantic spirit and gentle longing.”

“Wow!” Liu Qingshan could not help giving Chen Zuming a thumbs-up. “I never expected our distinguished Young Master Chen could come up with such profound insights. Your cultural foundation is deeper than I thought!”

Chen Zuming could not help looking somewhat pleased with himself. “Of course. Who do you think I am? Don’t interrupt—I’m not done yet!”

From Jin Xishan’s end came, “Exactly, exactly. Qingshan, don’t butt in!”

Chen Zuming went on, “Whether in its overall elegant style or in the handling of emotion, this song makes one sigh at the changes of time and the fleetingness of youth, while also bringing a sense of warmth from tender companionship. So I believe a male-female duet is the best choice!”

“Mm-hmm, that makes sense. I’ve decided—once I learn it, I’ll record it right away and recommend it to Director Kan. The Grand Song Forensic Official is a costume drama too, after all.”

Liu Qingshan immediately killed off Jin Xishan’s idea. “That won’t do. It’s completely the wrong fit! Besides, this song of mine has a story behind it. That means the lyrics themselves carry a narrative with a plot. Someday I plan to turn it into a screenplay!”

“Wow, Qingshan, I love you—you can even write screenplays!”

Liu Qingshan was sitting down at the moment. If he had still been standing, hearing those words would surely have sent him staggering, for that sudden happiness had come on a little too abruptly.

But from Chen Zuming’s perspective, those three words did not seem the least bit improper.

He laughed. “I say, Qingshan, what’s with you? You actually look flustered?”