Chapter Twenty-Three: Xu Chubby's Declaration

"Qian, I've had my eye on you for a long time. From today onward, I'm going to pursue you! Until you're nestled in my arms like a gentle little bird..." The chubby girl declared with absolute confidence, not a trace of jest in her voice. She was resolute, experiencing her first fluttering heartbeat in this life, and she refused to let such feelings fade away without a fight. She was determined to seize this chance.

It might seem difficult, perhaps even impossible, but what if she succeeded?

"Don't be so quick to refuse! Let's get to know each other first. My surname is Xu, and my given name is Pangpang. As the name suggests, I am indeed chubby. But... even a chubby girl has the right to chase after handsome men. From today onward, Qian, you are my prey!"

Uh...

Ren Qian was speechless.

Other parents give their children names laden with beautiful meanings—like Yao or Qiong, or, if less refined, Cuihua or Dongmei. To name a child Pangpang was truly outrageous.

And paired with her robust figure, it was a combination that stuck in your mind.

Though her physique might easily invite negative assumptions, Ren Qian did not show any sign of disgust, nor did he outright reject her. In his previous life, he had been unattractive, overweight himself, and knew well the bitterness of being judged for one's appearance. He was careful with his words.

"There are plenty of flowers in the world—why cling to just one? Besides, I already have a girlfriend, whom I love dearly..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Pangpang lowered her head and said nothing. For a long time, she remained silent, and Ren Qian almost expected her to make a dramatic move. Instead, she looked up and smiled.

"Is your girlfriend a slim, curvy, seductive socialite? I—can—be—that—too!"

After shouting this declaration, Xu Pangpang darted away with surprising agility, leaving Ren Qian bewildered in the breeze.

...

The news of his father-in-law's return would likely be released on January fifteenth, and the album itself was scheduled for the end of February.

There was barely more than a month before the album’s debut—time was tight, but a tight schedule didn’t necessarily mean shoddy work.

It’s important to note that the actual production of an album doesn’t take that long; the bulk of the time is spent on preliminary planning and songwriting, the preparation phase. Some albums take over two years to prepare, and that’s not unusual.

Many factors affect the timing of an album’s release.

First, song selection.

Contrary to popular belief, selecting songs for an album doesn’t mean the producer must rely solely on personal connections to solicit songs from songwriters. Going from one songwriter to another is troublesome, and if you approach a big-name songwriter, their schedule might delay things by ten days or even weeks.

So, usually, after confirming the concept for the album, the artist's agency will send a request for songs to major copyright companies—these companies have vast libraries of original music.

Once the request is sent, the producer simply waits for a flood of song materials to arrive.

The materials sent by the copyright companies include songs of various genres. If the producer finds a song suitable and pays the necessary copyright fees, they can use it—write lyrics, adapt it, whatever is needed. Foreign songs are equally fair game, with no restrictions.

Sometimes, the agency’s producer will invite specific songwriters to contribute. For instance, Eason Chan’s "Elimination" was arranged and written by Jay Chou; JJ Lin's "If Only" was composed and written by Stefanie Sun.

If the production team isn’t overly picky or demanding, the song selection phase doesn’t take too much time.

Another time-consuming phase is arrangement.

Arrangement is a crucial step in perfecting a song’s melody. Choosing which instruments to use, and how to blend them for the best sound, are all part of the arranger’s job.

After arranging comes recording the accompaniment, which requires meticulous attention—so it takes time.

Next is the vocalist’s recording.

The speed of this phase depends on the singer's ability. If the singer doesn’t grasp the producer's demo well, recording efficiency drops drastically. Some singers need up to half a month to record a single song.

The final time-consuming stage is post-production.

This mainly includes mixing and mastering, and these can usually be completed within a month.

In summary,

His father-in-law's album was being produced and released at lightning speed. To accomplish so much in so little time required unwavering confidence—unless a superstar led their team in a focused rush, there was no other way.

Surely, the preparations must be almost complete by now, right?

At the very least, the concept and song selection should be finalized. The reason they were still seeking songs from Ren Qian was probably because of the nurse girl...

So, after lunch, Ren Qian found himself riding a taxi toward Poetic Entertainment Company.

"How’s your contract coming along? Let me take a look at it! Don’t act so calm—if your songs turn out to be subpar and make a fool of yourself, it'll be embarrassing!"

The nurse girl was eager to see the manuscript Ren Qian had tucked into his pocket, but he sat like an immovable monk, no matter how she jostled him, keeping his hand over his pocket and gazing calmly out the window.

...

The nurse girl was on the verge of a breakdown. One failed tactic, so she immediately tried another.

She resorted to provocation—what do men care about? Reputation, of course! Showing off in front of girls! If she used disparaging words, maybe he would obediently hand over his songs.

Unfortunately, Ren Qian ignored her comments as well.

"Don’t force me to take drastic measures! I’m serious now!"

She bared her teeth and lunged for Ren Qian’s shoulder, reaching into his other pocket.

She was very focused.

Ren Qian, who had previously only admired her from afar, was delighted, though he kept silent. He quietly enjoyed the moment, savoring the exquisite softness. Just as the nurse girl was about to succeed, the taxi braked suddenly and stopped. The view from the window changed from moving vehicles to the grand entrance of Poetic Entertainment Company.

"Passengers, we've arrived at the headquarters of Poetic Entertainment Company. The fare is twenty-four imperial coins."

Ren Qian was still reluctant to let the moment end, but the nurse girl had already sat up. He could only smile, amused but restrained, and then opened the door, stepping out. He glanced up at the towering buildings of Poetic Entertainment Company, nearly thirty stories high.

The old trees growing between the buildings, rooted there for at least forty years, their trunks covered in green moss, proved that this was no upstart company, but a titan with deep roots in the entertainment industry. Such a tranquil environment was the birthplace of inspiration for every outstanding musician.

"We probably can't get in on just looks alone. I'll call my father-in-law and ask someone to come get us."

"Okay."

The nurse girl climbed out of the car as well, stretching carelessly. All she wanted now was to rush into her father’s studio and hear Ren Qian present his two songs. If their quality didn’t satisfy her...

She cast a glance, both vengeful and mischievous, at Ren Qian, who remained perfectly calm.