Chapter 123: Come to My Place Tonight

The performance had barely begun when the seven singers started filing in one after another.

At first, they were all grinning and joking around. But the moment they noticed that God Qian was onstage, with the musicians completely immersed in their playing, they realized that they were about to enjoy another one of his demonstrations.

True professionals knew where the real substance lay. They could learn a great deal from Ren Qian’s live performances. Music was a language, and only those who understood it could use it to communicate.

So the singers wisely shut their mouths, tiptoed to their seats in the audience, and settled down to enjoy a textbook demonstration.

Ren Qian was in particularly fine form. His breath control was steady and deep, and every line had the polish of a studio recording. More often than not, when people listened to him perform live, they would mistake it for a recording made in a studio. Then, at the very end, applause would suddenly erupt, and only then would they realize—

This was a live performance!

A live performance without the slightest mistake!

There were only a handful of singers in the country capable of that, and every one of them was a top-tier musician.

These singers did not dare cause any trouble. They obediently sat in the audience and quietly listened to Ren Qian’s heartfelt rendition.

“If only that day, I had said what needed to be said…

If only I had let go of what should have been understood,

What would you have done?”

The lyrics were ordinary, and the melody was not particularly dazzling. Yet when the two came together, they produced a dreamlike, hazy quality, as though someone had finally awakened after losing the person they loved. It caused a faint ache in the heart.

The singers felt ashamed of themselves.

This was God Qian. Whether it was refined, elegant traditional-style music or tender tales of love between men and women, he could master it all perfectly.

This could no longer be described as mere brilliance.

He was a freak.

A complete and utter freak.

Knowledge or techniques that took others a year or two to master could perhaps be understood by him in two or three months, allowing him to apply the principles elsewhere with ease.

Take the ocarina, for example.

Ren Qian had never touched one before.

Yet over the past few days, he had somehow found time to hang around with the instrument teachers.

After half a month, the moment he picked up an ocarina again, he played it with astonishing skill.

Even veteran musicians who had spent more than a decade immersed in the instrument praised him without end. They said he had been born for this profession, and that his ability to comprehend and learn was downright monstrous.

Actually, Ren Qian himself did not understand what happened to him. Whenever he encountered something related to music that he liked, he could devote himself to it completely. He would think about it day and night, even working through it in his dreams. Apart from figuring out how to get the pretty nurse into bed, it was the second most important thing occupying his mind.

That was probably why he had been able to master the ocarina so quickly.

If you did not go mad with devotion, you would never truly succeed. That was probably the principle at work.

“If only there had been no what-ifs…”

Throughout his performance of this song, Ren Qian did not sing from the perspective of one of the people involved. Instead, he sang as someone who had already been through it all, advising a young couple deeply in love to be more forgiving in their relationship, to let some things go, and to learn to consider one another.

Was God Qian trying to enlighten someone?

It seemed so.

“All right.”

When the song ended, Ren Qian smiled brightly. For a singer, nothing was more satisfying than throwing oneself wholeheartedly into singing.

The cameraman was the first to applaud. Then he shook his camera.

“Brother Ren, I’ll have the video sent to the post-production team later. They can add subtitles and edit it before giving it back to you.”

“No need. Leave it as it is. I’ll upload it to Weibo now. The fans must be getting impatient.”

“I envy the great god with forty million followers…”

“Envy plus one.”

“Envy plus one.”

The singers began joking around nearby. Ren Qian’s expression immediately turned stern.

“What are you envious of? Trying to use every spare moment to slack off? Do you know what time it is? Eight twenty-eight! I told you to come train at eight. You’ve been dragging your feet in the audience this whole time. Get back to your rooms and practice!”

The singers instantly fell silent and hurried toward their rooms.

Ren Qian was no joke when he started scolding people. He never used foul language. Instead, he would list all your shortcomings one by one, then demand to know why, with so many flaws, you still had not worked harder. He would shatter the little pride you possessed with ruthless precision.

That was how harsh he could be.

So whenever Ren Qian’s expression changed, it was time for them to turn around and run.

…

The singers spent the entire morning rehearsing and training, and there was no need to elaborate on how hard they worked.

There was plenty to practice: breath control, phrasing, diction, transitions, and countless other details that could not all be listed. At times, they also had to cooperate with the production crew to film scenes from their daily lives.

The fact that every singer was drenched in sweat made it clear that this was no easy task.

Wasn’t there a saying that one minute onstage required ten years of work behind the scenes?

The better a singer performed onstage, the more effort they had usually invested in private. Even those blessed with extraordinary talent were no exception.

Ren Qian was the same.

Although Heaven had given him excellent natural gifts, if he spent every day loafing around, his voice and singing ability would only deteriorate. To maintain his advantage, he set aside time every day to practice the fundamentals.

There was no need to say more.

After the morning rehearsal came a two-hour lunch break. The other singers could enjoy a pleasant nap during that time, but Mu Rongxue could not.

Under Ren Qian’s guidance, she had to prepare for her new album. Ren Qian was almost harsh with her. Even the slightest flaw had to be pointed out, and he ordered her to correct it.

Mu Rongxue nearly buckled under the pressure. But whenever she wanted to give up, she would think of Wen Run—and of her rival in love. That girl came from such a good family, yet she was still working so hard.

Mu Rongxue had nothing.

If she did not fight with all her might, she would never catch up to Wen Run. And if she could not catch up to Wen Run, she could forget about ever taking Ren Qian from her!

A boundless fighting spirit had already begun to burn within her heart. A man as outstanding as Ren Qian was worth giving everything she had to pursue and hold on to!

But for now, she could only hide that burning heart deep in her chest, afraid to let anyone see it.

…

By evening, the singers’ rehearsal was nearing its end. Ren Qian still wanted to keep Mu Rongxue training, and Mu Rongxue was willing to continue working hard. But the studio had to close. The staff needed to go home, and the musicians needed to rest as well.

“Come to my house. I have a music room there… Wait, let me call Wen Run first.”

Ren Qian picked up his phone and dialed.

“Girl, I’m bringing a singer home to rehearse tonight. What are you doing at home?”

“Brother Qian, I’m busy working at Gushi. I’m afraid I’ll have to sleep at Aunt Feifei’s place tonight. Take care of yourself at home.”

“All right. Don’t overwork yourself, and remember to go to bed early.”

Ren Qian felt a little sorry for her. Wen Run had to make a name for herself at Gushi so that one day she could use the entire company as his backing and allow him to move through the entertainment industry without fear of anyone.

But taking full control of Gushi was no easy task…

Mu Rongxue, standing nearby, began entertaining a few private thoughts.

Wen Run wasn’t going to be home tonight…

And judging from her tone, could Mu Rongxue use this opportunity to steal Ren Qian away? This was precisely the sort of chance she had been waiting for.

Mu Rongxue did not think there was anything immoral about being the other woman. In her view, striving and pursuing happiness for oneself was only natural.

While Mu Rongxue was lost in thought, Ren Qian patted her on the shoulder.

“All right. My girl won’t be home tonight, so you can rehearse a little longer. Come to my house.”

Heaven itself could testify that Ren Qian truly had no ulterior motives.