A band, or a battleground?

After shooting enough footage, the photographer left first.

Assistant Zeng stayed at the villa a little longer.

She watched Qi Yuan and Shen Yihan's solo rehearsal closely, carefully observing their interactions when the cameras weren't rolling, and finally felt increasingly reassured. Sure enough, the title of "Martial Monk" wasn't just for show; this kid was single-mindedly focused on music, only thinking about how to perfect the song for the stage. He showed no mercy when reprimanding Shen Yihan, a stark contrast to his behavior during lunch.

Assistant Zeng felt that the more this was the case, the less likely Miss Shen would be interested in Qi Yuan. Who would like a strict teacher?

It seems we can put the alarm bells down today.

During a break in rehearsals, the three people in the study came downstairs and sat on the sofa with the three girls who were stationed downstairs.

The sofa in this living room is quite spacious; it can comfortably seat six people.

Assistant Zeng suddenly asked a question: "When you go on stage next time, will you wear the same clothes you wore in the previous performances?"

Qi Yuan's expression brightened: "Now that you mention it, I do remember. To match this song, we also need to design our stage costumes. Ideally, they should be black suits, the really cool kind of style."

Qiu Mengxue subconsciously said, "Then we have to go to the mall again?"

Assistant Zeng laughed and said, "Why go to a shopping mall? Do you know how many businesses outside want to cooperate with you? They just can't come to you directly."

Qi Yuan: "We can't exactly put up a clothing franchise advertisement."

Assistant Zeng: "There's no need for advertising. Our company has many business contacts, especially in the fashion and beauty industries. I can help you make those connections, and they'll definitely be happy to deliver the best products to your door for free."

Qi Yuan: "But we didn't sign a contract with the sponsors."

Assistant Zeng: "So not giving you sponsorship fees is actually them taking advantage of you. What clothes you wear when you go out, especially what you wear on stage, is all business. In short, having the merchants expedite custom-made clothes and deliver them to your door for free is definitely more convenient than you going to the mall to buy them yourself."

Qi Yuan and Qiu Mengxue exchanged a glance.

Qiu Mengxue leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Is this what a professional is like?"

Qi Yuan also whispered, "Her title is still just assistant."

Qiu Mengxue: "I think my mom is a terrible agent..."

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.

085 needs to make a living, right?

It rained in Beijing today.

The sweltering heat of the past few days was largely swept away by the torrential rain. Although there was no difference in the air-conditioned villa, looking at the rain outside the window, Jiang Yi still felt much calmer.

She's been feeling a bit unsettled these past two days, not because her rehearsals have gone poorly—quite the opposite, her part has been going too smoothly.

In Teacher Zhou and Qi Yuan's arrangement score, the bass part was very simple, especially compared to Qiu Mengxue's keyboard part. So every time Jiang Yi saw Mengxue struggling, she felt really embarrassed.

It's like everyone rowing a boat together. Some people are rowing hard with an oar in each hand, but I only have one oar in both hands, and it's lighter than everyone else's.

"It makes me feel like a fraud..." the girl muttered to herself.

"What Mr. Nan Guo?"

Jiang Yi was startled and turned her head sharply, only to find that Qi Yuan had actually walked up to her side.

Today he wore the black suit that the merchant sponsored for free, along with sunglasses, looking cool and aloof, like a character in a movie who could pull out a gun and shoot someone at any moment.

She asked in surprise, "How come you... walk without making a sound?"

Qi Yuan smiled and sat down on the empty sofa next to her: "It's not that I walk silently, it's that you're too lost in thought. What are you daydreaming about, watching the rain?"

"Watch the rain, and think about things while you're at it."

"Since you have so much free time, how about I give you some more tasks?"

Jiang Yi stared at him blankly: "What mission?"

Qi Yuan took off his sunglasses and casually hung them on his collar. His eyes were revealed, and with them, a smile appeared, softening his previously cold demeanor.

He said, "Mengxue is indeed too busy, but we still need harmonies and a certain singing ability. I'll leave it to you."

The girl, who had never sung on stage before, couldn't help but wonder: "Can I do this?"

Qi Yuan said confidently, "I've heard you sing, you can definitely do it. And it's not just singing, I'd like to give you another task."

Jiang Yi: "Huh?"

Qi Yuan: "I see that your English grades are good, and I've also heard you talk about it in English class. Your pronunciation is good, so I'd like to add a spoken part to the intro of the song and give it to you."

Jiang Yi: "Is it spoken in English?"

Qi Yuan smiled slightly: "No, Italian."

Jiang Yi: "...Are you deliberately picking a fight?"

"I just have confidence in your ability to learn foreign languages. Besides, you don't need to learn Italian for that narration; you can just read it according to the marked pronunciation."

As he said this, Qi Yuan handed over a piece of paper. The paper was written in unfamiliar characters, and there were two paragraphs. However, neither paragraph was long, and each line had its Romanized pronunciation marked below it.

Compared to the original version he often listened to in his previous life, he simplified the version he was preparing to bring to the stage. It was a necessary simplification, because the original was far too complex; he couldn't possibly remember every detail. Moreover, the band only had a few members, limited instruments, and limited rehearsal time, so they couldn't possibly replicate it indefinitely.

Qi Yuan explained, "These are prayers, the beginning and the end of the song. When you recite them, keep your voice low and imagine the feeling of a nun. Have you seen movies with this theme? I also found audio recordings of these two prayers, which I can play for you later."

“I’ve never seen an Italian movie, but…” Jiang Yi hesitated for a moment and said, “I’ll listen to one later, that should be fine.”

Qi Yuan was slightly surprised that the girl agreed so readily.

Jiang Yi noticed the surprise in his eyes and could guess what it was about. She sighed, "I always felt that you all had so much to do, and I was the only one with an easy job. I feel a little bad about it."

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "Okay, Yi Yi, you've improved."

Has there been progress?

"Of course, if it were you in the past, your first reaction would definitely be to back down, but now you take responsibility yourself. The band needs your sense of responsibility to continue."

Qi Yuan's praise was delivered with great seriousness. Jiang Yi, however, couldn't tell whether he truly meant it or was merely offering encouragement.

But no matter what, this feeling of being valued... is really nice.

Jiang Yi perked up slightly and suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, I also have a question."

Qi Yuan: "What's the problem?"

Jiang Yi tentatively asked, "These past few days, you've spent the most time with Sister Yihan. What do you think of her...? Is she easy to get along with?"

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "You're very easy to get along with, so much so that sometimes I can't help but take advantage of you."

"What?" Jiang Yi gripped her skirt tightly. "What did you do?"

Qi Yuan: "Because she is so easy to get along with, I sometimes scold her like a teacher scolds a student. I think if it were any other top star, they would not be able to take the scolding as obediently as she is."

Jiang Yi loosened her tense hands: "Phew, I see..."

"Okay, I'll send you the reference audio in a bit. Try reading it a few times yourself first. I need to go check on Shen Yihan's progress."

Qi Yuan said this, then got up and walked away.

Shen Yihan continued to practice alone in the study on the second floor.

Qi Yuan knocked on the door and then pushed it open, where he saw Shen Yihan staring at him excitedly.

She said, "I think I did a great job practicing both times just now. Would you like to listen?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "Of course."

Then Shen Yihan turned to look at the rain outside the window, paused for a few seconds, and began her a cappella rap.

Qi Yuan listened quietly.

Nearly three minutes later...

Qi Yuan clapped, but this time not to help her find the rhythm, but to express his appreciation.

He said, "Today's result is much better than yesterday's. The pitch is basically on track, and the rhythm is almost in sync."

But this praise did not satisfy Shen Yihan. She turned around and stared at him, pressing, "Don't you feel anything else?"

Qi Yuan: "How does it feel?"

“I was thinking about your lyrics again last night. And speaking of which, your lyrics are really good…” Shen Yihan’s speech suddenly quickened. “The more I think about them, the more I feel that it’s like telling a movie story, involving gangs, revenge and the like. And it’s not just a straightforward narrative; there are a lot of subtexts.”

Qi Yuan nodded: "That's true."

Shen Yihan quickly said, "That's why I discovered that if you think of yourself as a character in a movie, as the protagonist of a story, you'll feel it really well!"

Qi Yuan laughed: "The feeling of acting?"

“Yes!” Shen Yihan’s thoughts wandered elsewhere, and she said as soon as she thought of something, “I’ve discovered that your talent might not just be in music. Would you be interested in acting with me?”

Qi Yuan smiled and shook his head: "Let's forget it. I'm still most interested in music right now."

He's certainly not considering making any movies or TV shows right now.

When it comes to music, he writes lyrics, composes music, and oversees the arrangement, so the final product is very reliable. But when it comes to acting, he can only be an actor. Which classic from his previous life can he recreate? He doesn't even have a say in the overall production, so he can't fully utilize his truly unique advantages.

But Shen Yihan didn't give up easily and asked again, "If there are other variety shows in the future that don't involve singing on stage, but won't take up too much of your time, would you consider it?"

Qi Yuan: "Then let's see the appearance fee."

Shen Yihan pouted: "You're so materialistic."

Qi Yuan spread his hands and said, "I'm not a free man; I need to make a living."

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.

086 car accident scene

The backstage waiting area of ​​the studio was filled with the smell of tension and sweat.

The recording of the crossover competition for "The Coming One" has begun, with the top 12 contestants being narrowed down to 10.

Compared to the crowded and noisy atmosphere of the previous rounds of auditions and the initial stage, the waiting area now appears much emptier.

Qi Yuan, dressed in a custom-made black suit provided by the sponsor, sat in the corner of the sofa. Ning Qianyu, Jiang Yi, and Qiu Mengxue, who were next to him, had also changed into black women's suits. Even Shen Yihan was wearing a sharply tailored black retro suit with silver trim.

The five men sat together, glancing at the screen on the wall and then at the other bands in the waiting area. It was clear that the situation seemed quite bleak for Zhou Taishan.

Of the twelve bands in this round, six are under Chen Jiashu's name and four are under Liang Fei's name.

Among the mentors, Zhou Taishan, the most senior rock veteran, only has two teams left in his group. One is the highly anticipated Chunriying, and the other is Yehuo.

Unlike Spring Shadow, Wildfire Band plays pure hard rock, with solid technique, a fierce stage presence, and has overcome numerous obstacles along the way.

At this moment, beside the four veterans, there was a man in a red and yellow tracksuit, none other than the famous world champion of table tennis, Long Heng.

To generate buzz and create hype, the show invited a wide variety of crossover guests. Actors and stand-up comedians are somewhat related to the entertainment industry. But inviting sports stars to sing is a bit much.

"They're the first team to go on stage," Qiu Mengxue said softly, looking at the countdown on the screen.

Qi Yuan nodded.

Actually, Wildfire Band drawing Long Heng wasn't a good draw, but it wasn't the worst either. Sports stars usually have large lung capacity, so as long as they choose a powerful song, they can just belt it out. It's better than drawing someone like Shen Yihan who can't even sing children's songs off-key.

However, Qi Yuan glanced at the tense expressions of the Wildfire Band members and vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

A commotion arose from the stage in front, and the host He Dong's voice came through the speakers:

"Next, let's welcome the first group of contestants in the crossover collaboration competition, the Wildfire Band, and their collaborating guest, table tennis Grand Slam winner, Long Heng!"

A round of polite applause rang out in the waiting area. The heavily pregnant lead singer took a deep breath, put the walnuts in his hand into his pocket, and led his teammates and Long Heng out of the passage.

The large screen switched to the main stage.

As the lights dimmed, several red spotlights pierced the darkness like sharp swords, shining on the center of the stage.

The Wildfire Band members were all in position. The guitarist strummed the strings, and a furious electric guitar riff instantly ignited the atmosphere. The bass drum beat like a machine gun.

They chose a widely popular inspirational old rock song, "Proudly Running".

This is also a song that Long Heng often sings in karaoke.

The intro was very steady, and the lead singer, holding the microphone stand, sang the first verse:

"Facing cold stares and ridicule—"

Even if the mud is in the way—

His husky voice, high notes, and powerful vocals immediately drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience. Zhou Taishan, sitting in the judges' panel, nodded slightly.

There's an eight-beat pause before the first chorus, which, according to the arrangement, is Long Heng's highlight moment as he enters the stage.

The big screen gave Long Heng a close-up. This world champion, who never holds back on the table tennis table, was holding the microphone with a slight tremor in his hand.