A band, or a battleground?

So whenever he thought of this song, he wrote the lyrics for the first verse in one go, and then, while humming the main melody, he wrote the lyrics for the chorus.

Then, subconsciously, he turned his head and saw Ning Qianyu's shocked eyes.

The girl murmured, "Don't wait until a thousand years later, when everyone has forgotten me... I don't think my novel mentions how long it took for the protagonist to wake up."

Qi Yuan: "I took the liberty of setting it a thousand years in the future. Don't you think that's a bad idea?"

Ning Qianyu quickly shook her head: "No, although I envisioned three hundred years, a thousand years does feel better to sing. It's okay, my novel can be revised."

Qi Yuan laughed and said, "There's no need to change it. You didn't specify how many years had passed, so just leave it blank. There's no need to be so clear, and no need to make up for it for this song. By the way, are you planning to publish this novel?"

“I would like to publish it,” Ning Qianyu sighed, “but I’ve submitted my work to science fiction magazines before, and they’ve all rejected it. If I submit it again this time, I’ll probably get the same result. Anyway, I didn’t write the novel just to get it published; I just wanted to write it.”

Qi Yuan nodded and said, "Very good, quite pure."

Ning Qianyu was silent for two seconds, then couldn't help but ask again, "What about your song? Have you thought of a melody yet? Can you sing it for me?"

Qi Yuan pointed to the classroom door: "What if your teacher finds out I'm singing here? You'd better stand there as punishment. I'll keep the song and the novel for now. We'll continue rehearsing tonight and talk about it then."

If Qi Yuan were to bring out such a song during evening rehearsals, claiming it was inspired by his own novel... just imagining that scene made Ning Qianyu stand tall.

"Okay, we'll talk about it later!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"So here's the thing: Qi Yuan wrote this song based on my short story. What do you think?"

In the music classroom, Ning Qianyu looked at Jiang Yi and Qiu Mengxue with a smile on her face.

The two exchanged and read the novel and song manuscripts, then remained silent for a long while.

This time, Qi Yuan's manuscript not only included the lyrics but also the simplified musical score for the melody—his studies over this period had at least given him some knowledge of music notation.

Just by looking at the sheet music, Qiu Mengxue could sketch out the melody, as if she had 'listened' to the song in her mind.

But Jiang Yi couldn't do it.

So after reading the lyrics, she hummed along with the sheet music for a couple of seconds and then eagerly asked, "Qi Yuan, can you sing it? I want to hear how it sounds."

She didn't speak, but just quietly looked at Qi Yuan.

Ning Qianyu's gaze was also filled with anticipation as she looked at him. She had been waiting for this moment all afternoon.

Qi Yuan looked out the window.

From May to June, the days grow longer and the sun sets later. After the last self-study period today, everyone was dismissed, and the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. Through the west-facing window of the music room, one could see the golden afterglow.

My heart beats out of rhythm, and even my dreams are not free.

Love is an absolute promise, unspoken.

"Hold on for a thousand years"

"Let helplessness prevail, and let it bury the dust."

"I waited for you as you walked through the ruins."

My tears cannot bear it.

"All the love you want"

At this point in the song, Qi Yuan paused for two seconds, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

Looking at his three girls, different images came to mind.

Qiu Mengxue thought of the protagonist pushing open the alloy door of the base and seeing the desert and ruins outside.

Jiang Yi imagined that the protagonist frantically searched the base, only to find a bunch of hibernation pods that had been abandoned a hundred years ago, with no trace of his lover.

As the author of the novel, Ning Qianyu only focused on writing about everything the protagonist saw while creating the story, but never described what the protagonist actually looked like. However, at this moment, looking at Qi Yuan, the blank face of the male protagonist gradually became clear.

He seems to be just how he should be.

With his eyes gently closed and his face expressionless, only those who know the background of the story can understand the profound sorrow of parting from loved ones.

Because, a thousand years from now.

"I am no longer a part of this world."

I cannot hold your hand tenderly.

A light kiss on your forehead

"Don't wait until a thousand years later."

"Everyone has forgotten me."

"The desert at that time, at a red twilight"

"Who can untangle this loneliness that has bound us for a thousand years..."

Among Lin JJ's many songs, this one is considered relatively easy, especially since Qi Yuan only sings the first verse and chorus and doesn't sing the key change at the end.

However, he only sang it once a cappella, but he also noticed the difficulties involved.

Because the song expresses sorrow, and a lingering, poignant feeling, the singing style needs to be soft, not forceful. Fortunately, the recent special training at Qiu Mengxue's house has been effective, and combined with the body's original voice, Qi Yuan feels the effect is quite good.

Even if we don't compare it to the original singer, it's at least good enough to win applause in a karaoke bar.

After singing this part, Qi Yuan opened his eyes and was slightly taken aback.

Qiu Mengxue clapped her hands gently, without making a sound, but a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

Jiang Yi stared at him, her eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in thought.

The most bizarre reaction came from Ning Qianyu.

The short-haired girl had her head down, clutching the hem of her school uniform with both hands, as if she were pondering the floor of the music classroom.

Qi Yuan asked, "What do you think?"

Qiu Mengxue quickly said, "Very good, I never expected you to be so good at writing love songs."

Jiang Yi snapped out of her daze and immediately said, "It's absolutely fantastic! I really love this song, I think it's way better than anything on the current new song charts. Even though they're both love songs, it's on a completely different level!"

Qiu Mengxue laughed and said, "Now you understand, right? With Qi Yuan, we can definitely participate in those talent shows. I don't even need him to sing; I can tell just by looking at the lyrics and music."

Jiang Yi stuck out her tongue, then suddenly turned to look at the last silent companion and asked, "What do you think? This song was inspired by your novel."

Ning Qianyu moved her lips, hesitated for a few seconds, and then whispered, "Thank you."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

032 You really know how to pose difficult questions.

"Thank you."

After Ning Qianyu finished speaking, everyone waited a few more seconds, but did not hear anything more.

Jiang Yi asked with a smile, "You're just going to say thank you?"

Ning Qianyu took a deep breath, finally raised her head to look at Qi Yuan, and said earnestly, "Thank you for turning my novel into such a beautiful song."

Jiang Yi: "And then? That's it?"

Ning Qianyu glared at her: "Where did you get all this nonsense from! Of course this song is good, do I need to praise it? Besides, Qi Yuan's first two songs are also amazing, much better than those pop songs on the charts, need I say more?"

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your praise. This song can also be used as a performance piece for our band, but the style of this song is not so rock, it is more pop. We can't use the rock formula when arranging it, so we need to make some changes."

Qiu Mengxue astutely asked, "Can't we just have a guitar, bass, and drums all we have?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "It would be best to add a piano and a whistle."

After he finished speaking, the music classroom fell silent.

Ning Qianyu whispered, "We can't possibly bring the piano onto the stage, can we? And does anyone know how to play the whistle?"

Qiu Mengxue answered decisively, "That's easy. I'll use a MIDI keyboard to simulate the sounds of a whistle and piano, and then connect it to speakers for a live performance. However, it might be slightly distorted."

Qi Yuan then said, "Since we have a MIDI keyboard, let's add some synthesizer sounds. Of course, you'll have to help me figure out exactly how to add them."

Qiu Mengxue was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Do we still need a guitar, bass, and drums?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "Of course, it's necessary."

"You really know how to make difficult questions..." Qiu Mengxue shrugged. "I can operate the keyboard, but who will play the guitar?"

Jiang Yi: "If the guitar part isn't too difficult, I can handle it too."

Qi Yuan: "But a bass is also needed. Oh right, and don't look at Qian Yu, a drum is even more necessary."

So the three girls' gazes returned to Qi Yuan.

Qiu Mengxue sighed, "I only have two hands, it's impossible for me to play both the guitar and the keyboard."

Qi Yuan pondered for a moment and asked, "How long does it take to learn guitar from scratch?"

Qiu Mengxue's gaze sharpened: "You want to learn guitar too?"

Qi Yuan laughed and said, "Actually, I've been thinking about learning it for a while now. When we were performing in the square, you all had instruments, but I didn't. When I didn't have to sing, I could only stand there awkwardly."

Qiu Mengxue gasped, "You really know how to make things difficult. Not just for me, but for yourself too."

Jiang Yi said worriedly, "But the final exams are coming up soon. Besides preparing for the band, we also need to study for the exams. Don't you need to study?"

Qi Yuan: "There's no need to worry about that. Let's get straight to the point, how long would it take to learn guitar from scratch?"

Qiu Mengxue pondered for a moment. Over this period, Qi Yuan's learning ability had left a deep impression on her, especially considering the freedom he enjoyed at school and the fact that he didn't need to do homework…

The girl said, "Mastering the basics within a month shouldn't be a problem."

Qi Yuan was slightly surprised: "Is playing the guitar that simple?"

Qiu Mengxue laughed: "If you don't have high expectations, the guitar is actually quite simple."

Ning Qianyu also said excitedly, "If Qi Yuan can handle the guitar, that would be great. Meng Xue is a musical genius. If she can free up her hands, we can add more music to our arrangements and come up with more creative ideas!"

Qiu Mengxue quickly shook her head: "Don't say I'm a genius anymore, at least don't say it in front of Qi Yuan."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

And so, while other students were preparing for final exams, Qi Yuan started learning guitar.

He wasn't self-taught; he had Qiu Mengxue as his teacher. Furthermore, his family didn't own any musical instruments, and the guitar was a gift from Qiu Mengxue.

Her family already had an old folk guitar, which was perfect for him to practice with.

From Monday to Friday, he would practice at home with his old guitar. On Saturdays and Sundays, he would take his guitar to Qiu Mengxue's house.

So the girl's one-on-one vocal lessons turned into guitar lessons, with a little vocal practice.

The end of June, the last Sunday of the semester.

Qi Yuan rang the doorbell of the girl's house.

Su Wan opened the door.

"Qi Yuan is here. Please wait a moment, Meng Xue is still studying."

"It's alright, Teacher Su."

Qi Yuan put on shoe covers, entered the anechoic chamber with practiced ease, picked up his guitar, and started playing.

Su Wan stood at the door, leaning against the door frame, and listened for a while.

Then she said softly, "How come I never realized you had such musical talent before?"

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "Maybe it's only after experiencing certain things that one has the motivation to do things."

Su Wan seemed to be deep in thought.

She felt that the "experiencing some things" Qi Yuan mentioned undoubtedly referred to his father's imprisonment. For a teenager, this kind of event was incredibly impactful, enough to make him think about things he'd never considered before, such as how to live his life…

Just then, she heard her daughter's complaining voice behind her:

"Mom, why do you have to bring up something that you don't want to talk about!"

Su Wan turned around and saw Qiu Mengxue standing a few steps away, hands on her hips, frowning and staring at her.

"I didn't bring up anything I didn't want to discuss."

"Okay, okay, Mom, you go ahead with your work. I'm going to teach Qi Yuan."

As Qiu Mengxue said this, she slipped past her mother and squeezed into the anechoic chamber, closing the door behind her and leaving her mother outside.

Then she stared at Qi Yuan, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.