203: Chapter 203 Don't hold back, just treat it as voice practice

Jiang Fan walked into the Times Media building. Having received instructions from Su Yuyan, the receptionist led Jiang Fan straight to her office.

Su Yuyan was sitting behind her desk, looking over reports.

Today, she wore a slim-fitting black dress. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, exposing the entire nape of her neck.

Hearing the movement, she looked up.

"You're here."

Jiang Fan walked over, pulled out the chair opposite her, sat down, and pushed a USB drive across the desk.

"The demos and lyrics for both songs are inside."

Su Yuyan plugged the USB drive into her computer, clicked open the folder, and opened the lyrics document first.

The first song, "Itch."

Her gaze swept down from the first line.

"She is a gentle ray of setting sun, how she wishes, how she wishes someone would know how to appreciate..."

It felt pretty good. Su Yuyan continued reading, but when she reached the chorus, her finger paused on the trackpad.

"Come on, let's be merry, we have plenty of time anyway..." Su Yuyan read aloud.

These lyrics, paired with that lazy tune, would be an open seduction if sung on stage.

She looked up at Jiang Fan.

"What on earth is in your head all day?"

"Thinking of you." Jiang Fan leaned back in his chair.

Su Yuyan rolled her eyes at him.

"You want me to sing this in front of tens of thousands of people at my concert?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Are these decent lyrics?"

The lyrics and melody of this song fit Su Yuyan's voice perfectly, maximizing her strengths to the limit. Jiang Fan knew this very well.

"You moan much more explicitly than this in private."

Su Yuyan ignored his comment and directly opened the other document.

"puppet play."

She read through the verses quickly; they were standard classical-style lyrics.

When she reached the chorus, she clearly saw the two words written in the notes—Opera-style vocal technique.

Su Yuyan put the sheet music down.

"I've never studied opera. I might not be able to sing this part."

"It's fine, I'll teach you."

Su Yuyan looked at him suspiciously. He could even teach this?

"Don't doubt me yet." Jiang Fan stood up. "Let's go to the Recording Studio. I'll give you a demonstration first."

Su Yuyan led him into the recording room.

Jiang Fan stood in front of the microphone and sang a cappella without wearing headphones.

"Orchid fingers pinch the mortal world like water; on the three-foot red stage, all matters dissolve into song and wind."

The moment his voice rang out, Su Yuyan's hand froze in midair.

It was a pure Opera-style vocal technique—melodious and clear. Without years of voice training, it was impossible to produce such a texture.

Su Yuyan stared at Jiang Fan for five seconds.

Just how many things is this man hiding? Now he can even perform the Opera-style vocal technique on a whim.

Jiang Fan wanted this exact effect. Only by awing her professionally could his subsequent training proceed naturally.

"What are you looking at? It's your turn." Jiang Fan patted her shoulder.

Su Yuyan pulled her thoughts back and stood in front of the microphone.

She tried it once according to her own understanding.

"Orchid fingers pinch the mortal world like water—"

Her voice still followed the pop singing style, forcing the high notes out with her throat, resulting in an awkward, half-baked performance.

Su Yuyan frowned as well.

Jiang Fan walked up behind her and placed his hands on the sides of her waist.

Su Yuyan's body stiffened.

"What are you doing?"

"Teaching you to find the right vocal placement." Jiang Fan's palms pressed against her side waist through the thin fabric of her dress.

"The Opera-style vocal technique is different from pop music; you can't just force it with your chest voice. Your breath needs to sink, and you must use head resonance."

"Inhale." Su Yuyan complied.

"Not deep enough. Sink it further down." Jiang Fan pressed his finger lightly on her lower abdomen.

Su Yuyan shrank back from the ticklish sensation.

"Don't touch me blindly."

"This is proper teaching. Inhale again."

Jiang Fan took half a step closer from behind, and Su Yuyan's back pressed against his chest.

She could feel his body heat seeping through the fabric, and her breathing instantly became erratic.

"I can't sing like this."

"Why can't you?" Jiang Fan whispered in her ear, lowering his voice.

"Your vocal placement is usually quite high in bed. Find that feeling."

Su Yuyan turned and stepped on his foot.

"Get lost."

"I'm not joking. Produce the sound from the placement I mentioned. Feel the expansion around your lower ribs. Push the airflow up from here."

Su Yuyan took a deep breath.

Jiang Fan's palms felt the muscles in her waist expanding.

"Hold it. Sing."

Using this momentum, Su Yuyan pushed her breath upward—

"Orchid fingers pinch the mortal world like water—"

A clear Opera-style vocal technique burst from her mouth.

Su Yuyan herself was stunned.

"That's the feeling." Jiang Fan let go and took a step back.

"Remember that muscle memory, and try it a few more times."

Su Yuyan stood in place and warmed up her throat.

She practiced another five or six times. By the sixth time, a touch of charm could already be heard in her Opera-style vocal technique.

Jiang Fan nodded.

"Alright. Let's record 'Itch' first."

Su Yuyan put on her in-ear monitors, and Jiang Fan sat behind the mixing console.

The accompaniment started playing. Su Yuyan closed her eyes, her body swaying with the melody.

"She is a gentle ray of setting sun..."

"How she wishes, how she wishes someone would know how to appreciate..."

After the first run-through, Jiang Fan pressed the talkback button.

"Draw out the tail notes of the chorus more. Don't end them so properly. There needs to be a seductive pull. You're singing too decently right now."

Su Yuyan glared at him through the glass.

"Again."

The second run-through.

"Come on, let's be merry, we have plenty of time anyway—"

The tail note drifted upward, dragging out a soft sigh, carrying a lazy and charming allure.

Jiang Fan leaned back in his chair and tapped his finger on the mixing console.

This is the right flavor.

"Passed. Next song."

Su Yuyan drank some water and cleared her throat.

The accompaniment for puppet play began, with the plucking of a Guzheng supported by a Danxian at the bottom.

Su Yuyan handled the verses very well.

Her voice had a unique charm when singing these classical-style lyrics.

When she reached the Opera-style vocal technique section of the chorus—

"Orchid fingers pinch the mortal world like water—"

She couldn't hit the high note, and her voice got stuck in her throat.

She took off her in-ear monitors, looked at Jiang Fan through the glass, and shook her head in frustration.

Jiang Fan took off his headphones, pushed open the door of the recording room, and walked in.

Standing behind her once again, his palms pressed against her waist.

"Just like before. Sink your breath."

The accompaniment played again, and Jiang Fan pressed down on her waist in sync with the rhythm—

"Sing."

"Orchid fingers pinch the mortal world like water; on the three-foot red stage, all matters dissolve into song and wind—"

She sang it out this time. Although her Opera-style vocal technique was still a bit raw, all the necessary elements were there.

For the rest of the time, Jiang Fan stayed with Su Yuyan in the soundproof room, repeatedly polishing this Opera-style vocal technique section.

After a dozen or so runs, there was no longer any awkwardness in Su Yuyan's voice.

The Opera-style vocal technique was melodious, with an even and delicate vibrato at the end, transitioning seamlessly into the previous pop style.

At eight in the evening, the recording session ended.

Su Yuyan took off her headphones. Having sung for two consecutive hours, a layer of fine sweat had formed on her forehead, and a few strands of hair clung to her cheeks.

"Alright, everything is recorded. Stop touching me blindly," Su Yuyan said.

"I was helping you find your vocal placement. How can you burn the bridge after crossing it?"

"Cut it out. You were just taking advantage of the opportunity to grope me."

Jiang Fan grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace.

"Taking advantage?" Jiang Fan's hand slid down her waistline, stopping at the edge of her thigh. "Do I even need to look for an opportunity?"

Su Yuyan's face flushed, and she struggled to get up.

"This is the Recording Studio! There are still people working overtime outside!"

"Don't worry, I locked the door just now. The soundproofing here is so good, no one will hear a thing."

Jiang Fan clasped her waist tightly, using his other hand to unzip the back of her dress.

The sound of the zipper sliding down was very clear in the quiet control room.

The dress slipped down to her waist, revealing a piece of black lace underneath.

Jiang Fan's fingers unhooked the clasp, and the black lace fell onto the carpet.

Su Yuyan gripped the stand of the floor microphone in front of her with both hands, her body turning soft.

Jiang Fan's hand lifted the hem of her skirt and pulled down that last bit of fabric.

"You're always so crazy..." Su Yuyan bit her lip.

"Don't like it?" Jiang Fan asked in her ear, casually turning on the microphone switch.

"I don't..." Su Yuyan's voice was very soft.

But after being picked up by the highly sensitive condenser microphone, it played out from the monitor speakers.

Clear, complete, and lossless.

Su Yuyan froze completely.

She heard her own voice—amplified, with nowhere to hide.

"Bastard... turn it off... please..."

The speakers faithfully reproduced every breathy sound and every pause in her words.

Jiang Fan ignored her.

Su Yuyan bit her lower lip hard, trying desperately to restrain herself.

But with this Recording Studio-level audio pickup precision, even the sound of swallowing saliva could be captured.

The more she suppressed it, the clearer the restrained groans coming from the speakers became.

"Don't hold it in," Jiang Fan whispered in her ear. "Just treat it as vocal practice."

Su Yuyan was so angry she wanted to curse him, but as soon as she opened her mouth—

"Ah—"

This sound was blasted out by the speakers without reservation, bouncing back and forth between the four walls.

Su Yuyan buried her face in the crook of her arm, her ears completely red.

From that moment on, she could no longer control her voice.

...

Who knew how much time had passed.

The Recording Studio finally fell quiet.

Su Yuyan hung entirely on Jiang Fan, her legs so weak she couldn't even stand steadily.

Jiang Fan reached out and turned off the microphone switch.

Su Yuyan looked up, the corners of her eyes red, and used her remaining strength to pinch his shoulder.

"Jiang Fan. I really want to... kill you."

Jiang Fan leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Also... that recording just now... it wasn't actually recorded, right?"

"No. There was no memory card inserted."

"If I find out you secretly recorded it..."

"Do I look like that kind of person?"