Hong Kong, in Tianxiang Records’ recording studio, Chen Yijie was sitting in front of the piano, playing with his eyes closed. He was wearing casual clothes, wondering if he was contaminated with Yang Yi’s habits. He was also wearing a pair of shorts, and pair of slippers, completely different with his usual image during his concerts.
But perhaps, playing “Long Time No See”, he just needs to be so casual. He doesn’t need the audience to pay attention to his attire. They just need to close their eyes and listen quietly.
“Holding the photograph you gave to me, the familiar street…” With a deep voice and in an exhilarating state, Chen Yijie performed the song even more touching.
“Oh, it’s a pity. It’s a Mandarin song.” Next to him, a cool man wearing a jacket and a cowboy hat shook his head with regret, and said to Chen Yijie, who was still in the aftertaste after singing.
He is the music producer of Chen Yijie’s new album and a deputy director of Tianxiang Records, Mr. Mao Su. He is an excellent songwriter himself, and has won many awards as a singer.
“Mandarin songs are not unacceptable. I have sung many Mandarin songs before.” Chen Yijie said.
Mao Su touched his moustache and said with a smile, “It’s not that I don’t like this song. On the contrary, I think it’s a good song. It’s just that Eason, you have to make sure you define your album’s position. The songs in it are all in Cantonese, but the main song is a Mandarin song. Will it lead to disapproval on both sides?”
Chen Yijie’s expression became serious, and he has also realized this problem.
Mao Su added, “If Eason’s album featured Cantonese songs and included a Mandarin song, there will be no major problem.”
After careful consideration, Chen Yijie shook his head and said, “No, choose another song to be the main song. I’m not going to fight for it.”
The main other songs, compared to this, the gap is somewhat obvious, but putting “Long Time No See” in the back position, on the contrary, make it easier to win over the audience.
Mao Su thought of a way, he clenched his fists, and his eyes under his cowboy hat looked a little excited: “How about this, let’s get help, with this song, and fill in the lyrics of a Cantonese song! Use the Cantonese version as the main song, and use the Mandarin version as the second main song, so you don’t have to worry anymore!”
This idea is really good. Chen Yijie nodded too. Mao Su has begun to figure out which master to help fill in the lyrics, but there are four great song kings in Hong Kong…
“I think, I can let Mr. Yang try!” Chen Yijie suddenly said.
“Mr. Yang? Isn’t he the songwriter of this song, Mu Li’ang? ” Mao Su asked in surprise. “Does he know Cantonese?”
“Mu Li’ang is his stage name, as for Cantonese…” Chen Yijie recalled their conversation that day. Because he had no problem communicating in Mandarin, but was stuck in negotiations, he simply spoke in Cantonese, and Mr. Yang acted as interpreter.
“Not only does he, he is proficient!” Chen Yi-Jie smiled bitterly. “Mr. Yang speaks Cantonese better than many people in Hong Kong!”
Although Mao Su was still skeptical, Chen Yijie still insisted on asking Yang Yi for help. After a phone call, Yang Yi thought about it and said, “All right, give me one night!”
Actually, Yang Yi promised to do so because the song itself has a Cantonese version! And it is not less sophisticated than the Mandarin version – what a joke? What about the words Lin Xi filled out? Else, there wouldn’t be any difference, right?
However, Yang Yi did not intend to be too shocking, so he left a gap for one night.
But that was enough to shock them! Neither Chen Yijie nor Mao Su believed that Yang Yi could fill out a Cantonese lyric in one night.
But the next day, they foolishly saw an email lying quietly in their computer mailbox. Did he really fill in the lyrics?
“Better Not To Meet?” Judging from the rhyme of the lyrics, the Cantonese lyrics are correct.
But just looking at the name of the song, Chen Yijie and Mao Su suddenly felt the heavy weight of the song.
“Try it?” Mao Su still has some doubts.
Chen Yijie was very serious: “Try it!”
The piano’s lonely prelude started.
“You can hardly avoid getting wet…” Chen Yijie is worthy of being a super-level singer. Looking at the printed lyrics, he pondered in his heart for a while, and then sang out the charm it deserved.
“It always rains in Hong Kong.
Feeling sleepy waiting to catch an early flight.
Waiting to see you just once…”
Surprisingly, it was pleasant to listen to? Mao Su cheered up, as if he had acquired the most precious treasure. He also closed his eyes and savored it carefully.
“Then I found that very shop was locked. When I was thinking that we could go back to the time when we were in love…”
The first part of the lyrics was still relatively plain, but that plainness was slowly brewing an intoxicating mellow fragrance. And finally, it’s about to break out.
“Something has changed, our minds got corrupted. But then…who doesn’t change throughout life?” Chen Yijie used a little skill here to sing out the helplessness in the lyrics, as if he were sighing gently.
“We were eager to see each other, but found there were 10 years between us
That smiling face that I yearned to see was just a memory…”
In fact, after hearing this, there was no need to try anymore. They were absolutely certain that Yang Yi has filled in excellent Cantonese lyrics. Perhaps even the four great song kings can’t do any better.
But now was not the time to comment on the lyrics.
Mao Su closed his eyes and listened, listened to the trace of melancholy, listened to the irreversible despair, listened to the plainness and sadness of tearing one’s heart and lungs. Unknowingly, tears slid down behind his sunglasses.
He was still unmarried in his forties, and he remembered his first love. Although he had been associated with many women, the eight years of his youth were the most memorable.
Yes, that smiling face that he yearned to see was just a memory, that smile like flower.
“… It was just like waiting 100 years and then realizing
That even if we meet again,
Acting maturely, like adults…”
What if they meet again? They’ll act natural to each other, pretending to be calm and ask each other how they are doing.
So, what if they meet again? She’s already married to someone else and was no longer the shy girl in his arms.
What will change if they meet again? Additional pain and sadness?
Chen Yijie gently sang out the last sentence: “Better Not To Meet…”
Um…
“Mr. Mao! Mr. Mao!” He didn’t know when the singing and piano sound stop, but with Chen Yijie’s call, Mao Su finally came back to his senses.
“What do you think of this song, Mr. Mao? I like it very much!” Chen Yijie was very excited. He said, “it should be all right for it to be the main song, right?”
Mao Su calmly wiped away the tears under his sunglasses. He coughed twice and said, “Yes, very good! If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought it was filled out by an authentic Hong Kong resident. But Eason, when you sang, there were a few paragraphs that weren’t handled well…”
Mature men can always hide their inner feelings very well.
After guiding Eason, Mao Su went to Hu Yongxiang’s office.
“A’Su, how’s Eason’s new album going?” Hu Yongxiang had a good relationship with Mao Su. He also poured tea for him himself, smiling and caring.
“No problem. We’re basically ready for work. After recording the MV and the last two songs, we’ll release the album in July.” Mao Su smiled confidently. “I can’t wait to see Eason’s new album go on sale!”
“Oh? So confident?” Hu Yongxiang joked.
“Of course, I have confidence not only in Eason, but also in the songwriter recommended by your father! Maybe we can hit a platinum record!” Mao Su said.
“My father? Oh, you mean that Yang Yi?” Hu Yongxiang still has a good memory, even though he has a lot to take care of.
“That’s right! Old Hu, we may have found a treasure!” Mao Su took a deep breath. “He’s a genius!”
“If you can, I hope the company will pay more attention to him and inspect him. Before other companies dig up Yang Yi and sign him down with the best contract…”
_____
TN: Other translation of the song is “Rather We Didn’t Meet”. And here’s the last sentence of the song, where the title “Better Not To Meet” came from: “It would probably have been better not to meet after all.”
TN: To those interested in the song. Here.
