Marriage Concerto (Small Thing Called Love) Chapter 72

Marriage Concerto (Small Thing Called Love)

Chapter 72 – One who does not advance loses ground[1]

When the signing event concluded, Ding Meng quickly plunged herself into a large load of work. In addition to the offers from the three advertising companies that she had accepted, a company in charge of an animated movie had invited Ding Meng to sing the chinese version of their theme song. She was also invited to dub for the animation as a guest.

Ding Meng never dubbed for an animation before, so she took the job br.i.m.m.i.n.g with curiosity and excitement. Although the character she was dubbing for did not have many lines, Ding Meng still retained a strong interest towards the opportunity.

During the dubbing, Ding Meng had already learned the lyrics of the new song. The t.i.tle of it was 《Light of the Forest》, by Qiao Yichen who was the lyricist and producer.

It was an unavoidable encounter between the two within the recording studio.

Recording with Qiao Yi Chen, Ding Meng had steeled her heart for the countless roars from him. Needless to say, she was for sure going to pay him back double tonight.

Don't ask how :).

This time, Sima Xiaoxiao was also here at the recording studio. Her new alb.u.m was in the midst of its completion. However, she and Producer Qiao did not seem to be getting along all too pleasantly.

Ding Meng eyed at Sima Xiaoxiao coming out, slamming the door behind her. Ding Meng walked up to her with blinking eyes: "h.e.l.lo."

Sima Xiaoxiao glanced over and spoke in a frustrated tone: "It's great that you arrived. Help me go in their and give your husband a lesson."

Ding Meng formed a slight smile, inquiring: "He also scolded you?"

Sima Xiaoxiao responded: "He can curse at me, sure. But he is not permitted to insult me!"

Ding Meng: "…"

"In the field of music, he's an expert. In acting, he's nothing. On what basis is he insulting my acting! Should people not have dreams? People who have no dreams are as dry as a desert!"[2]

Sima Xiaoxiao spoke indignantly and ended her speech poetically.  The recording room's door then opened from within; Qiao Yichen stood at the entry. He crossed his arm as he eyed at Sima Xiaoxiao: "With modern people, one of the most common delusions are to carry pipe dreams, but yet believe that they are attainable."

Ding Meng: "…"

Sima Xiaoxiao: "…"

She couldn't stand it anymore and tugged at the nearby Ding Meng: "Do you see this? This is the kind of person you're married to! If you want a divorce you can contact me, I know a lot of professional divorce attorneys."

Qiao Yichen let out a mocking laugh: "Ah, despite having yet to find a single partner, people have already gotten themselves divorce attorneys, believing that one day they'll marry. This is yet another common delusion amongst modern people."

Sima Xiaoxiao: "…"

Ding Meng: "…"

Ding Meng could not help but fathom what kind of horrific singing had triggered this man's slanderous tongue in the first place.

Qiao Yichen swept a glance at the two, eventually stopping his gaze on Sima Xiaoxiao: "If tomorrow you are still in such a state, the release of your alb.u.m can be postponed until the end of next year. First go and practice the basics."

Sima Xiaoxiao: "…"

Even Ding Meng could not longer listen. His remarks sure enough put everyone else to shame![3] Ding Meng quickly took a step forward and pulled Qiao Yichen by the arm and into the recording room, simultaneously letting out a chuckle while eyeing at Sima Xiaoxiao: "What did you say earlier? You wanted me to humiliate him, right? Nice little me will humiliate him right now!"

Sima Xiaoxiao: "…"

Not knowing whether she remembered or not, but what she had said earlier was to teach him a lesson.

Seeing that the recording room's door had closed shut, two thoughts flashed over Sima Xiaoxiao's mind.

One, this couple has strange tastes.[4]

Two, the sound engineer is still inside.

……

Closing the door shut, Ding Meng blinked and turned her body over.

Within the recording room, Ding Meng did not plan on performing anything obscene. She poured herself some water and leaned against the wall with eyes on Qiao Yichen: "In regards to Sima Xiaoxiao's singing, it couldn't have possibly been that bad. Weren't you being too harsh earlier?"

Qiao Yichen responded: "In regards to the majority of singers, Sima Xiaoxiao's singing can be considered not bad. However, she is not part of the majority, she's Sima Xiaoxiao." Qiao Yichen then recalled his first time listening to Sima Xiaoxiao singing all of 《First Flower of February》.

"She can sing much better. Only if she didn't spend the last two years chasing an unrealistic dream, then she would have improved so much more. But not only did she not improve, instead, her neglection in training her voice led to her regressing. How could she explain this to her fans who have waited for two years?"

"Uh…" Ding Meng was rendered speechless. She too has also seen the hungry and eager little fans on Sima Xiaoxiao's Weibo. Every time Sima Xiaoxiao would emerge on Weibo, her fans would all surge out, making efforts to urge her to release an alb.u.m. It was a bit frightening.

Ding Meng spoke in a comforting tone: "Rest a.s.sured. It's just that it's been a while since she has been in a recording studio, just a bit rusty. She'll be fine once she gets used to it again."

"En." Qiao Yichen nodded his head, gazing at her, "The same goes for you. As the saying goes, one who does not advance loses ground. Don't think that because your alb.u.m sold well that you can afford to be complacent and not train your voice anymore."

Ding Meng straightened her body, demonstrating her resolution: "I would never! As long as I have the time, I will always be able to attend the lessons at the training center! Moreover…" If you stopped capturing her at night to perform 'special training', then she would have more time to practice.

She did not speak of the latter, but Qiao Yichen understood tacitly. He let out a dry cough with eyes closed, then opened his mouth to speak: "This is for the best, don't forget about your goal. That is to defeat Gu Xin and receive this year's Golden Melody Awards."

At the side laid the corpse of the sound engineer, twitching in place.

Defeat Gu Xin and get the Golden Melody Awards? He swallowed a bit of saliva. Big Producer Qiao dared to set such a goal. Being so confident, does Gu Xin know of it?

However, in regards to Ding Meng's potential, defeating Gu Xin does not seem to be impossible.

Ding Meng, on the other hand, did not have much confidence; Gu Xin's fame was not acc.u.mulated through a year or two. His achievements and charisma towards his fans was not something Ding Meng could compete with.

But her alb.u.m 《Thank You》 was completed through the complete efforts of her and Qiao Yichen. Even if she were to fail in the end, there would be no regrets.

Ding Meng then appeared as if she thought of something, abruptly looking at Qiao Yichen and said: "Right, Gu Xin's new alb.u.m was released. I had my a.s.sistant manager go and buy me a copy. She had already listened to it and said it was not bad."

Qiao Yichen responded: "Gu Xin's works are definitely not bad. In addition to that, he has a strong unique style in his works. This is his strong point, and also a weakness."

Ding Meng was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

"In the last two years, the styles of the songs he released were all similar. He himself should be aware of this problem, but he has no means of solving it. Furthermore, the ma.s.ses are rather vulnerable to museum fatigue.[5]"

Ding Meng nodded her head pensively. So was that what he meant during the awards ceremony, that the music industry is stagnant? If the music industry continues like a pool of stagnant water, then no matter how much Qiao Yichen alone rises, there will never be a time he is not worn out.[6]

But if there's a rival, then things are different.

With a good rival, the rivalry can be your pedestal. It can help you break yourself free.

Qiao Yichen watched Ding Meng's contemplative state, slightly squinting his eyes: "Aren't you rather engrossed in thinking about Gu Xin."

Ding Meng: "…"

In order to make the imminent recording session to be less brutal, she firmly spoke: "I was contemplating the future of music, the meaning of life."

"Oh." Qiao Yichen nodded his head, "So according to your words, the future of music lies in Gu Xin, which is the meaning of life?"

Ding Meng: "…"

Don't leave just yet Sima Xiaoxiao, let the both of us humiliate this man!

Puckering her lips, Ding Meng eyed at Qiao Yichen sincerely: "Goudan, in all honesty, are you perhaps secretly in love with Gu Xin?"

"Pu—" The nearby photographer finally couldn't endure any longer, spraying out all the tea that he had just took a sip out of.[7]

Qiao Yichen: "…"

When Ding Meng's 《Light of the Forest》 finished recording, 《Heavenly Voice》 also  concluded. This time's champion was Jia Shuai, not bad. He was the one who competed with Ding Meng last year who, due to singing Gu Xin's 《Rhapsody》, was eliminated.

This year he partic.i.p.ated again after having undergone one year's worth of closed-door training.[8] His singing has improved drastically. In the finals, Jia Shuai once again sang the same song that caused his elimination last year; 《Rhapsody》. But this time, with this song, he won the compet.i.tion.

Ding Meng suddenly felt emotional. All this time, this year, it wasn't just her that was working hard, growing up. There are many other people out there who are also doing their best.

Just like Mu Shuang, whose new alb.u.m was released last month in which Ding Meng had bought a copy. She recalled the PK round between her and Mu Shuang, where when Qiao Yichen was casting his vote, mentioned that the biggest flaw in Mu Shuang's singing was her inability to express emotions. But now that Ding Meng had listened to Mu Shuang's new alb.u.m, she found that Mu Shuang feelings were wholeheartedly transmitted in her singing.

In front, there are the emperor and queen Gu Xin and Sima Xiaoxiao. Behind them, Jia Shuai and Mu Shuang. Ding Meng felt rather…

Why does thinking about these fellow singers make her so desolate? Why is that once she stepped into this world, it has become so difficult?

Life was always this difficult.

Ding Meng did not dare to stop attending her daily lessons and the training center. Just like what Qiao Yichen said, one who does not advance loses ground.

The days pa.s.sed promptly, entering into December with big strides.

This month for Ding Meng was an extraordinary one. In addition to her first concert on December 12th, there is also the music festival's award ceremony which occurs on the same day.

This time Ding Meng was nominated for two awards, Best Alb.u.m of the Year and the Golden Melody Awards.

Sima Xiaoxiao's new alb.u.m was too late for the awards, giving others more of a chance to receive it. But Gu Xin, as always, was like a mountain who blocked everyone from receiving the said award.

During this period of time, Ding Meng was overloaded with work. Trying out clothing, dress rehearsals, also singing rehearsal for the concert; her nerves were all tight.

When Qiao Yichen looked at Ding Meng's state, he felt his heart ache. Her face appeared to have thinned a good amount.

Qiao Yichen wasn't afraid of her becoming fat, but was afraid of her getting too thin. Perhaps having seen her pictures when she was sick during her high school days had impacted him a lot.

Thus, he pushed back all of his work in December, only wholeheartedly focusing on two things—

Preparing Ding Meng's concert, as well as fattening Ding Meng back again.

In addition to changing the type of foods Ding Meng eats everyday, he also developed a hobby of giving snacks to her; like feeding a pet.

In the refrigerator there would be a variety of snacks. Though people say that eating too many snacks is bad as that then there will be no room for meals, but Ding Meng didn't have this worry.

Because she had a big appet.i.te.

1: 逆水行舟，不进则退。(Not sure how to word it… It's two idioms(?). The first meaning 'against the current' and the second meaning 'Not proceeding results in receding' or something.)

2: I believe "as dry as a desert" is to describe something dull or unexciting.

3: 连丁檬都听不下去了，这话对天后来说果然是奇耻大辱啊！

4: 一，这对夫妻的口味真重。

5: 审美疲劳 (Not sure if 'museum fatigue' fits the bill, and I'm not even confident in defining it either xD! But I believe the raws meant that viewing/listening to similar things over and over can be straining. Nevertheless, here's a link: )

6: 如果乐坛一直像是一潭死水，他一个再怎么奋勇向上，也会有精疲力竭的时候。

7: You know, I had no idea that a photographer was in the room. Perhaps it was supposed to be the sound engineer? Not sure.

8: Closed-door training likely refers to how cultivators in wuxia novels go into isolation and train for numerous years through meditation or something…?