Chapter 144: Song Selection for the Fifth Episode

Fang Xing was not particularly fond of staying in hotels because he was sensitive to his sleeping environment.

After recording the fourth episode of "The Voice," he took a red-eye flight back to Xiangjiang. It was already past three in the morning when he returned to his home at Tianlan Garden. Upon opening the door, he found the living room tidied up, though the robotic vacuum had gotten stuck under a chair and run out of power. Fang Xing walked over, lifted the silly machine out, placed it back on its charging dock, and took a moment to clean out its dust bin.

The next morning at ten, Fang Xing, having slept soundly without a single dream, was woken up by a text message alert. He checked his phone to find the studio meeting schedule sent by Qiao Yinghong. The meeting had already begun, but as the boss, Fang Xing enjoyed the privilege of being late. He sent a quick WeChat message asking his assistant to prepare some breakfast, then freshened up and drove to the office.

Once he arrived, Qiao Yinghong had already finalized the work plan for the following week and moved on to the most important topic.

"The airing of the second episode of 'The Voice' was a massive success. We’ve taken first place for two consecutive episodes, and we’ve already caught the attention of major international brands," she reported. "Yesterday, I received a call from Louis's Asia headquarters; they are interested in discussing an endorsement deal for next year."

The staff members in the studio were pleasantly surprised. "We’re going to be endorsed by Louis?"

Qiao Yinghong corrected them, "Nothing is set yet, but the fact that their Asia headquarters reached out to us shows we are on the radar of these international powerhouses, which is a great sign."

Guo Keda’s eyes lit up. "Louis is several tiers above Baoboli. If we can land this deal, let’s see if Liu Hongsheng’s management team dares to act so arrogant when they see us again."

Qiao Yinghong waved her hand dismissively. "Think bigger. Our goal is to boost the studio's brand recognition; getting back at Liu Hongsheng’s team is just a side benefit—a mere side benefit."

Even though Fang Xing had brushed it off when they lost the Baoboli deal, the staff had been deeply frustrated. If nothing else, landing that deal would have meant their bonuses last month would have tripled. Now that they had a chance at an even higher-tier international brand, everyone was determined to give it their all.

Qiao Yinghong continued, "I’ve hinted to Louis's executives that the boss isn't just a two-time winner on 'The Voice,' but a four-time winner—something never seen before in the show's history."

Although the third and fourth episodes had not yet aired, it wouldn't be difficult for a major international brand like Louis to verify the information. As such, being the sole four-time winner of "The Voice" was a powerful bargaining chip. Since only two episodes had aired, signing an endorsement now would be highly cost-effective for Louis.

However, for such major brands, cost-effectiveness wasn't the primary consideration. They cared more about whether the celebrity's image aligned with the brand and whether they had any negative press. Therefore, a major brand required due diligence through a consulting firm before signing a spokesperson, a process that couldn't be rushed. It would still be some time before a deal was finalized.

Qiao Yinghong added, "Boss, from what I gather, they still feel our credentials and national recognition aren't quite enough, so we'll need to put in more effort to truly seal the deal."

Fang Xing smiled. "Understood. I'll just keep dropping 'bombshell' performances. That’s my specialty."

Qiao Yinghong said with great enthusiasm, "That would be best. However, I spoke with Caiwei yesterday, and she mentioned that the theme 'Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu' is extremely difficult."

Fang Xing remained calm and nodded. "It is indeed difficult. Is Li Caiwei the one joining as a substitute next episode?"

Qiao Yinghong nodded. "Yes, so she’s already received the theme from the production team. She also mentioned that the vast majority of pop songs don't fit the five-tone requirement of 'Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu.' Unless you rearrange the music, you can't sing them."

This theme was a formidable hurdle, effectively ruling out almost all the signature hits of mid-career singers like Liu Hongsheng and Xie Yuwen. Fang Xing hadn't re-listened to all their hits to confirm, but he knew for certain that the familiar ones usually contained the notes 4 and 7, making them unusable. As for rearranging them into the five-tone scale, the songs would end up sounding quite strange.

In other words, singers like Liu Hongsheng and Xie Yuwen would have to cover other people's songs to meet the requirements. Moreover, the proportion of existing pop songs that fit the "Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu" scale was quite small. Even Xu Xinxu, the first-tier singer known as the "Goddess of Ancient Style," found that most of her own songs didn't fit.

Fang Xing, however, was unbothered. In fact, when Zheng Tao announced the theme yesterday, he had immediately thought of two "bombshell" songs. It was just that releasing those two might be a bit excessive.

That afternoon, Li Caiwei sent a WeChat message: "Are you free tonight? Want to grab dinner?"

Fang Xing: "Are you cooking?"

Li Caiwei: "I can, if you like. What would you like to eat?"

Fang Xing: "Lotus root soup. I’ve suddenly got a craving for it."

Li Caiwei: "Pork rib and lotus root soup isn't hard to make, but it's not guaranteed that I can buy the 'powdery' type of lotus root. You never know until you cook it whether it will turn out soft."

Fang Xing: "It’s fine, let’s give it a try. If not, it’s no big deal."

Li Caiwei: "I'll see what I can do."

At six in the evening, Fang Xing arrived at Li Caiwei’s home on time. He rang the doorbell, and the door opened to reveal Little Douya, who was standing there full of anticipation. Seeing it was Fang Xing, she immediately helped him get his slippers.

After changing his shoes, Fang Xing reached out to pinch her cheeks. "Not shy this time?"

Little Douya rubbed her face with both hands and giggled, saying in her milky voice, "Mommy is making soup, it smells so good."

As soon as Fang Xing entered, he could smell it—it was indeed the scent of lotus root soup. However, he knew that store-bought lotus roots were usually the crunchy variety, which were great for stir-frying but stayed hard when stewed.

Li Caiwei poked her head out of the kitchen. "It's been stewing for over an hour, it's almost ready. You two go wash your hands first."

Fang Xing took Little Douya to wash her hands, playing with the water for a while. After washing, she grabbed Fang Xing and ran to her room. She took off her shoes, stood against the wall next to the door, and gestured to the top of her head. "Look, I’ve grown taller again!"

There were pencil marks on the wall, clearly tracking Little Douya's height. She had indeed grown a little bit.

After playing with her for a while, Li Caiwei’s voice came from the living room: "Dinner's ready."

When they returned, the dishes were already on the table. Li Caiwei used a towel to handle the lid of the soup pot, and the fragrance of the lotus root soup wafted through the air.

"Is this the taste you wanted?" Li Caiwei asked.

Fang Xing took a sniff, his mouth watering. "It’s the right smell, but I wonder if it’s the powdery kind."

Li Caiwei smiled triumphantly. "I guarantee the lotus root I bought today is the powdery kind." She ladled some soup into a bowl and placed it in front of him. "Try it first."

Fang Xing picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of lotus root, blew on it, and took a bite. He gave a thumbs up. "This is excellent! Where did you buy it?"

Li Caiwei looked even more pleased. "Powdery lotus root is hard to spot. Even people who have cooked for years have to rely on luck at the local markets. I occasionally order takeout from this clay-pot soup place, and their lotus root soup is always made with the powdery kind. So, I went to their shop this afternoon and asked the owner to help me buy some."

The lotus root was delicious, and the pork ribs were stewed until tender. With every bite, the rich broth from the bones spilled out, making it incredibly flavorful. Fang Xing drank two bowls of soup before starting his meal, sighing, "This soup tastes exactly like it should."

Little Douya nodded in agreement. "Mommy's cooking is so delicious."

Li Caiwei ruffled her daughter’s hair, beaming. "Little Douya is such a sweet talker today."

Little Douya nodded seriously. "Mommy’s cooking is extra good today, but you didn't cook yesterday, and you didn't cook the day before."

Li Caiwei’s face twitched. "Who asked you to say that? It’s not like you went hungry."

Little Douya tilted her head and pouted. "But I like eating Mommy’s cooking."

Li Caiwei asked, "Isn't Grandma’s cooking delicious? If Grandma heard you, she’d be sad."

Little Douya immediately backtracked, "Grandma’s cooking is delicious, too."

After they had finished eating, Fang Xing asked, "You're recording the next episode of 'The Voice' soon, right?"

Li Caiwei nodded. "Yes, but the theme is a bit difficult. None of my previous songs fit the requirements."

Fang Xing thought for a moment. "I actually have a song that fits 'Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu.' I'm just not sure what kind of style you want to perform."

Li Caiwei gave a mysterious smile, pulled out her phone, and played a video. "I think this one is quite good."

Fang Xing glanced at the video and was surprised. It was the clip of him singing "Life Like a Summer Flower" at Fenghuang Ancient Town, which had been filmed by a passerby and uploaded online. The video had even trended. Many netizens had guessed who the singer was, with many suspecting it was Fang Xing and tagging his Weibo account. However, Fang Xing hadn't responded, and the buzz had slowly died down. He hadn't expected Li Caiwei to bring it up now.

Li Caiwei smiled, biting her lip. "This is you, right? An average person might not be able to tell, but I’m confident in your voice. Even without seeing your face, I can be sure it’s you."

Fang Xing had no choice but to admit it. "It is. I was filmed while I was visiting Fenghuang Ancient Town."

Li Caiwei watched the video, tapping the table to the rhythm of the song. "This song fits the 'Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu' requirements perfectly. Could I sing this on 'The Voice'?"

"Life Like a Summer Flower" did indeed fit the requirements. The theme for the next episode didn't specify that the song had to be "ancient style," just that it had to follow the scale. Since it fit, there was no issue. Fang Xing figured that all the other contestants were scrambling to find ancient-style songs, as those were more likely to follow the scale.

As for "Life Like a Summer Flower," the original singer was Pu Shu, whose voice was naturally deep. Of course, many female singers had covered it, and it sounded lovely. For instance, Zhang Liangying had performed it on "I Am a Singer." Li Caiwei’s vocal range overlapped significantly with Zhang Liangying’s, so she could handle the song easily—provided she sang it in a transposed female key.

Li Caiwei wasn't just making a casual suggestion; she had brought it up because she genuinely loved the song after hearing it. Furthermore, her strategy was quite clever. Because the theme was "Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu," every other contestant was diving into the "ancient style" genre. If she followed suit, it would be too competitive. Singing a song that fit the scale but wasn't "ancient style" would allow her to win by taking an unexpected approach.

After struggling in the pop music industry for so many years, her mindset had matured. As long as she could win and stay on "The Voice" for a few more episodes, she was willing to put in the effort and use strategy.

Fang Xing considered this and replied, "If you want to sing this song, that’s fine."

Li Caiwei pressed, "Will it affect you? You have to pick a song for the next episode too, and this one sounds great when you sing it. Plus, it fits the theme."

Fang Xing laughed. "You don't need to worry about me. I have other 'bombshells' up my sleeve."

Li Caiwei became curious. "Can I hear it in advance?"

Fang Xing shook his head. "It's a secret for now. However, I can play 'Life Like a Summer Flower' for you again."

Li Caiwei immediately agreed. "That would be great, even though I've already practiced it myself."

"You're very well-prepared," Fang Xing said with a smile.

"Of course. When an opportunity comes, you have to grab it tightly," Li Caiwei said, clenching her fist.

Little Douya asked happily, "Is Uncle going to sing?"

Li Caiwei nodded. "Yes, can we use your piano?"

Little Douya nodded like a bobblehead. "Yes! Yes!"

After dinner, Li Caiwei put the dishes in the kitchen sink and said, "I'll wash them later. Let’s listen to the music first."

The three of them went to the piano room. There was a piano there, nominally Little Douya’s, though Li Caiwei played it occasionally. Fang Xing sat at the piano, preparing to play and sing "Life Like a Summer Flower" again.

Little Douya climbed onto the chair. "I want to play, I want to play!"

Fang Xing simply picked her up and sat her on his lap, pointing to two keys. "Then you play these two, follow the rhythm. Like this: *ding, ding, ding*. Can you do that?"

Little Douya nodded immediately. "I can."

"Let's begin."

Fang Xing started playing and singing "Life Like a Summer Flower" as a piano duet. Although Little Douya only used two fingers, her sense of rhythm was excellent; she truly pressed the keys in time.

Li Caiwei took out her phone and recorded the performance. The video filmed by the passerby previously had too much background noise, making some parts unclear. This home recording, though just from a phone, was clear enough. Moreover, having heard it once, Li Caiwei was already quite familiar with the melody.

After the song ended, Little Douya turned around, beaming. "Mommy, I can play the piano!"

Even though she only used two fingers, it was indeed a duet, so she wasn't wrong. Li Caiwei ruffled her daughter’s hair. "Yes, you played beautifully."

Fang Xing asked, "How about I play it again, and you sing? We can transpose it to a key that feels comfortable for you."

Li Caiwei was a professional; she naturally knew what key suited her. Fang Xing planned to listen to her sing and then make adjustments.

"Okay."

Li Caiwei had already practiced the song, so she had no trouble rehearsing it with the piano. Fang Xing noticed Little Douya’s good sense of rhythm and asked, "Shall we increase the difficulty? How about you play three keys? Like this—this one, this one, and this one."

Little Douya nodded earnestly. "Okay."

Fang Xing began playing from the start. Li Caiwei sang the female version of "Life Like a Summer Flower," her voice incredibly beautiful. Not only did she get her practice in, but she also kept her daughter entertained. Little Douya successfully helped her mother play, and it sounded so wonderful that she was thrilled—she played it once, and then wanted to play it again and again, never tiring of it.

Once they were exhausted, Li Caiwei carried her off to bed.

"Thank you. Little Douya didn't really like learning the piano before," Li Caiwei said gratefully.

"She’s still so young," Fang Xing remarked, feeling that at her age, learning piano was just play.

"It’s not just that. I take her to her piano teacher, and there are many children her age who can already play a full piece," Li Caiwei explained.

Fang Xing had seen that before; some children could play simple pieces at a very young age. However, it had little to do with talent. Even if a child could play a piece, it was usually by rote memorization rather than an understanding of music theory. In reality, at such a young age, fostering an interest in music was the most important thing.

"Take it slow. As long as she likes it, she’ll learn eventually," Fang Xing said.

"That's true. Cultivating an interest is so important. Little Douya used to dislike playing, but she’s so happy whenever she's with you," Li Caiwei said, clearly surprised. She hadn't expected her daughter to be so happy playing with him.

"I think the reason she’s happy is that she gets to help you play," Fang Xing laughed.

Li Caiwei knew that was true. She glanced at her sleeping daughter in the next room, her eyes filled with tenderness. Turning back, she said sincerely, "Thank you. With 'Life Like a Summer Flower,' I finally have confidence for my performance on 'The Voice'."

Fang Xing encouraged her, "Your singing is solid. You definitely have the strength to compete for the top three on 'The Voice'."

Li Caiwei waved her hands quickly. "I wouldn't dare say that. I just hope to stay on for a few more episodes. On 'The Voice,' everyone is either a superstar or a powerhouse singer; there isn't a single weak one. I’m not like you—you’re like a monster of talent. Four first places in a row; just thinking about it is scary."