"How should I start?"
On the way to Huang Yifan's house, Liu Siyu frowned, recalling what her old classmate Huang Yilian had told her.
"I'm telling you, even we teachers can't quite figure that kid out. If you want his help, you'd better be sincere. Maybe then he'll agree."
With those words in mind, Liu Siyu knocked on Huang Yifan's door.
"Yes?"
Opening the door and seeing an unfamiliar woman, Huang Yifan asked curiously, "Who are you looking for?"
"Hello, let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Siyu, I'm a classmate of Teacher Huang Yilian."
"Teacher Huang's classmate?"
Huang Yifan found it odd. Why would his teacher's friend come looking for him?
"Do you have time? I'd like to treat you to a cup of coffee."
"Hah, in a small place like Tieshikou, where are you going to find coffee? Let's just have milk tea."
"That works too."
The two of them soon arrived at a milk tea shop on Renmin Street in Tieshikou.
Xijiang Province had never been particularly developed, and Tieshikou was such a small town that it was barely visible on the map. Milk tea shops had only appeared in recent years, and business was usually slow. It was summer break now, so there were a few people around, mostly playing cards.
"Miss Liu, it's quiet here. You can say whatever you need."
After ordering two cups of milk tea and sitting down in a small private room, Huang Yifan looked at Liu Siyu.
She was very pretty, around twenty-three or twenty-four. Her clothes were stylish but not flashy, with light makeup and no jewelry. One detail caught his attention: her right hand had calluses, similar to his own from playing guitar.
He quickly guessed her profession.
But he didn't say anything, waiting for her to speak.
"Actually… I don't quite know how to say this…"
Biting her lip, Liu Siyu glanced at him.
From the moment she met him, she had been observing him. On the surface, he looked like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy. But his mannerisms and speech felt far more mature. It made her unsure how to begin.
"I saw you at Tieshikou Middle School yesterday. You were playing guitar, and that song you sang was beautiful. May I ask… did you write it yourself?"
"Yes, I did."
Huang Yifan nodded.
"You're amazing. I admire people who can write songs the most. Unfortunately, there are very few songwriters in Xiangjiang. You know, ever since I was young, I've wanted to be a singer. But this path has been difficult. To be honest, since entering the industry, I haven't even released a single album.
I came here this time to visit my classmate Yilian and relieve some stress. But I know… if things continue like this, my career is over. Then I met you. I don't know if this is a chance given by fate, so…"
"So you want me to write songs for you?"
"Yes!"
Seeing that Huang Yifan understood immediately, Liu Siyu nodded eagerly.
"Of course, I only need Mandarin songs, not Cantonese. Like your song… what was it called again…"
"'Dear, That's Not Love.'"
"Yes, that one. As long as it's at that level. With how lacking the mainland music scene is, a song like that would definitely attract attention."
"So you don't plan to sing in Xiangjiang anymore?"
"There are too many singers there, and the competition is intense. The mainland market is huge and lacks good songs. If I get the chance, I'd prefer to develop here."
"But unfortunately, a song like 'Dear, That's Not Love' might not suit the mainland."
"Not suit it?"
Liu Siyu was confused.
"You might find it strange, but many people wonder the same thing. Why is Xiangjiang music so developed, while mainland music lags behind, even though both are part of Huaguo?
The answer isn't that the mainland lacks good songs. It's that many good songs don't match the tastes of mainland audiences."
Huang Yifan had spent years studying the music industry. Since he had no intention of becoming a singer himself, he still wanted to make use of the countless songs in his memory.
But his explanation seemed too complex.
"I… don't quite understand."
"Let me put it simply. Earlier, you wanted to treat me to coffee. But how many people here in Tieshikou actually drink coffee?"
"…Very few."
"That's the point."
Taking a sip of milk tea, Huang Yifan continued:
"You're judging mainland tastes from a Xiangjiang perspective. A song like 'Dear, That's Not Love' might be good, but whether it can become popular here is uncertain. You've been immersed in Xiangjiang's music culture for too long. It's hard for you to produce something that fits mainland preferences."
"I see…"
Liu Siyu felt her heart sink.
She had assumed that one good Mandarin song would be enough to break into the mainland market. Now she realized how naive that was.
But remembering what her agent had told her before she left, she couldn't give up.
"Is there… no other way?"
"There is. If you can find a Cantonese master songwriter, you'd still have a chance."
That answer made her even more helpless.
"If only that were possible…"
Countless people could sing.
But very few could write songs.
Even the most talented singer couldn't succeed without good songs.
And finding a good song was incredibly difficult.
Some singers spent decades without producing a single memorable hit.
At that thought, Liu Siyu felt defeated.
"Maybe… I'm just not suited to be a singer."
She drained her milk tea in one gulp.
Her agent's words echoed in her mind:
"Next time you come back, the company will arrange a different path for you."
She knew exactly what that meant.
According to company practice, unsuccessful female singers were pushed into a "sexy" route.
Once on that path, there was no turning back.
"I'll go back to Xiangjiang tomorrow. Even if I quit singing, I won't take that route."
Putting down her cup, she nodded to Huang Yifan.
"Thank you for your advice. I have something urgent, so I'll head back now."
"You're giving up on singing?"
Huang Yifan had already guessed what was going on.
"How did you know?"
"Just a guess. Personally, I think you should keep going."
"I want to… but…"
She shook her head.
"I was naive about the mainland. But if I go back to singing Cantonese songs, I still don't have a chance. If there's no chance either way, then there's no point continuing."
"Not necessarily."
Huang Yifan put down his cup.
"Why didn't you ask whether I can write Cantonese songs?"
"You can write Cantonese songs?"
She froze.
"A little."
Huang Yifan nodded modestly.
"I can't compare to the masters in Xiangjiang. But writing a few good Cantonese songs for you… that shouldn't be a problem."
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Glossary:
Xiangjiang (香江) is a poetic or literary name for Hong Kong. The term literally means "Fragrant River" and is often used in Chinese novels and media as a more elegant or stylistic way to refer to Hong Kong, rather than using its official name directly.
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