Chapter 39 : Showing Off Before a Master
Chapter 39 - Showing Off Before a Master
“What are you thinking about?”
Chen Ran’s voice drifted over.
Zhang Fanzhi came back to her senses and saw that Chen Ran had already shut down his computer; clearly, his work was finished.
This guy was certainly focused; he didn't get distracted even with her beside him, keeping his head down and working the whole time.
“Nothing,” Zhang Fanzhi said calmly.
Chen Ran packed up the insulated lunch box before saying, “Was watching me work very boring?”
Zhang Fanzhi said indifferently, “It’s all the same.”
Chen Ran smiled and said, “How could it be the same? You celebrities live lives far more colorful than this, running around the TV station all day.”
“It’s all more or less the same. Aside from attending events, it’s just practicing singing and dancing.” Zhang Fanzhi wanted to say being a celebrity was also very dull, but Chen Ran wouldn't understand.
The two left the TV station and got into Zhang Fanzhi’s car. Chen Ran saw her take off her mask once they were in the car, her nose rubbed bright red with tissues, and asked,
“How did you catch a cold?”
Zhang Fanzhi glanced at him, not blaming him for prying, and said in a muffled voice, “Didn't cover myself with the quilt properly.”
Chen Ran knew she was in a bad mood because of the stolen songs. He chose his words carefully and said,
“Actually, if you look at it from another perspective, having your songs snatched isn't entirely a bad thing.”
Zhang Fanzhi was just about to start the car, but her hands stopped as she stared at Chen Ran.
Chen Ran felt awkward under her gaze and said hurriedly, “After I went back last night, I listened to Lin Hanyun’s song—the one from last time—and the quality was actually quite average.”
Zhang Fanzhi knit her brows, not understanding why Chen Ran was mentioning this. Was he intentionally trying to make her feel worse?
Then she heard Chen Ran continue, “I don’t know much about music theory or anything, but from the perspective of an ordinary listener, that song is too ordinary. The melody isn’t catchy, and the lyrics are shallow. If it weren't promoted everywhere, I feel like no one would even listen to it.”
Zhang Fanzhi’s brows were tightly knit. “What are you trying to say?”
Chen Ran said, “Actually, it’s just as well that you didn’t sing that song. It’s not worthy of your voice. If that had been your new song, it would have definitely disappointed your fans.”
Zhang Fanzhi was taken aback. He’d talked for so long just to flatter her?
“With your current popularity and the fact you haven’t released a song in a long time, the fans have very high expectations. If your next song can’t satisfy the fans, it will definitely accelerate the loss of popularity,” Chen Ran analyzed for her.
Zhang Fanzhi looked at Chen Ran, not expecting him to be able to say such things.
“Don’t look at me like that. I may not have been in your entertainment industry, but I’m still a planner after all; I understand this logic. For example, this time, having your song snatched seems like a bad thing, but it’s actually not. Your fans have accumulated too much enthusiasm; there are over ten thousand comments on Weibo, all urging you for a new song. At a time like this, you have to be even more cautious about releasing a song. If the quality isn't good, it will over-consume the fans' enthusiasm.”
Chen Ran spoke while the iron was hot, seeing that Zhang Fanzhi remained silent.
“Are you saying all this to comfort me?” Zhang Fanzhi looked at Chen Ran without blinking.
Being stared at like this, Chen Ran conversely felt embarrassed. Losing the eloquence he'd just displayed, he coughed and said, “It’s not really about comforting you; I’m just telling the truth.”
Zhang Fanzhi wrinkled her nose. “Saying all this is useless.”
She also wanted good songs, but those were things that could be sought but not easily found.
In her opinion, the song she had fought for this time was considered a decent song—at least better than the previous one.
However, after she had negotiated with the musician, Lin Hanyun had intercepted it halfway again, and the company had sided with her.
No matter how bad these songs were, they were still stolen from her. No matter what Chen Ran said, she still felt bad.
Last night, she had considered it for a long time and planned to go back and have a talk with the company.
If they could talk, they would talk; if they couldn't reach an agreement, they would break up.
“Forget it, I’ll take you home first.” Zhang Fanzhi started the car and took Chen Ran onto the road.
Chen Ran asked, “I remember you seem to have a guitar?”
Zhang Fanzhi focused on driving and gave a noncommittal “mm.”
Chen Ran said, “Then let’s go to your house first. I’ll borrow your guitar to play for a few days. You won’t mind, will you?”
Zhang Fanzhi thought to herself: Since you’ve put it that way, how could I possibly mind?
She drove Chen Ran back to the house. Director Zhang and Auntie Yun were both there, and seeing Chen Ran being driven back by their daughter, they looked a bit surprised.
"Uncle, Zhizhi has a guitar here; I'm borrowing it to use for a bit," Chen Ran explained.
Chen Ran noticed that after he said this, the faces of the Zhang couple clearly showed expressions of disappointment.
What the hell is with the disappointment...
Zhang Fanzhi also couldn't quite stand those looks. She pulled Chen Ran into her room and handed him the guitar that was sitting next to the piano.
"Take it and use it, just don't break it," Zhang Fanzhi said.
Chen Ran asked, "Does this guitar have any special meaning to you?"
"Bought it with money from a summer job." Zhang Fanzhi remained concise as always.
Chen Ran curled his lip. As long as it wasn't a gift from an ex-boyfriend, that’s fine.
He sat down and tried to strum the guitar, but he found his hands wouldn't listen to him; he kept messing up.
Looking up, he saw Zhang Fanzhi watching him. Although she wasn't mocking him, that look was definitely not a good one.
"Cough, it's been a long time since I used a guitar, I'm out of practice. I'll take it back to kill some time." Chen Ran packed up the guitar, no longer willing to make a fool of himself here.
Zhang Fanzhi’s "politely observing a monkey" look was truly depressing. In front of a professional music student, he really was showing off before a master.
"When I first started learning, I wasn't much better than you." Seeing his embarrassment, Zhang Fanzhi said half-consolingly.
Chen Ran glanced at her, wondering if she was insulting him on purpose. When she first started learning, she was only in junior high, whereas he had played for some time; this was too disparaging.
Zhang Fanzhi drove Chen Ran home again. When they were almost there, Chen Ran had her turn into a side street where there was a clinic.
Chen Ran said, "This clinic specializes in treating colds, and the results are quite good. It's average for severe colds, but for someone like you whose case isn't too serious, one dose of medicine will fix you up. Wait for me here for a moment."
Zhang Fanzhi opened her mouth, but seeing Chen Ran open the car door and run over, she didn't say a word.
From the car, she saw Chen Ran run into the clinic and speak with the doctor inside. Before long, he paid via WeChat and returned carrying a small bag.
"Three doses of medicine, take them after meals. There's one small pill inside that will make you very drowsy; take that one when you go to bed at night. If you're busy with things, just throw that small one away." As Chen Ran spoke, he stuffed the medicine through the car window.
Seeing Zhang Fanzhi looking at him, Chen Ran pointed behind him and said, "Go on back. There's an alley here; I'll be home as soon as I walk through it. Since you have a cold, head back early."
Zhang Fanzhi looked at the medicine, then at Chen Ran, and said, "I'm not lacking for this bit of time. Also, you didn't take the guitar."
Chen Ran smacked his forehead; he had actually forgotten to take the guitar. He opened the car door, took out the guitar, then closed the door and said,
"Alright, be careful on the road."
After saying that, he turned and left first.
Zhang Fanzhi pursed her lips and didn't start the car.
Not until Chen Ran disappeared around the corner did she slowly start driving. Although her nose was still uncomfortable, her head didn't seem to ache as much.