Chapter 462: How Much You Cherish Me, Yet You Can’t Let Me Know
Chen Yijie hadn’t come over to urge Yang Yi to write songs for him. Tianxiang Records had already requested songs from Yang Yi on Chen Yijie’s behalf under the company’s name. It had simply been a few months since Chen Yijie had last seen Yang Yi, so he felt that he should come and pay him a visit.
Relationships grew closer through frequent visits and interactions!
In this regard, Chen Yijie did a better job than Yang Yi!
As it happened, they hadn’t had dinner yet, so Yang Yi informed the hotel that they wanted a private dining room, and everyone gathered together for a meal.
“What surprises me most is Xiao Guo! When I first met him at your place, I thought he was your manager. I never expected him to become a singing star now, too!” Chen Yijie basically knew everyone at the table. Even Mo Fei’s father had been introduced to him at the rehearsal venue that afternoon, so he spoke freely with Yang Yi without any reservations.
To fit in with the atmosphere at the table, Chen Yijie even made an effort to speak in Mandarin. Although he still had a strong Hong Kong-accented Mandarin, it was already much better than last year.
“Eason, you can’t say that. I’ve only sung one song. How can I be called a singing star? I’m still your fan.” Guo Ziyi stood up with a cheerful grin, picked up his cup, and clinked it against Eason’s in place of a toast with alcohol, saying, “It’s my honor to sing at the same concert as you.”
“Hey, you’re too modest! Mu Li’ang’s songs, or rather, Yang Yi’s songs, I’ve listened to them all. You sing quite well, too. You put your heart and soul into it, and there are even people in Hong Kong who enjoy listening to your song ‘Fairy Tale’!” Chen Yijie said with a smile.
After Guo Ziyi sat down, Ding Xiang, who was beside him, nudged his arm. Guo Ziyi understood and leaned his ear closer, hearing Ding Xiang mutter softly, “Don’t drink so much alcohol.”
“It’s not alcohol. Nobody’s drinking alcohol today. We still have to sing tomorrow.” Guo Ziyi covered his mouth and explained it to her.
Meanwhile, Mo Fei, who was picking fish meat for Xixi and carefully removing the bones, raised her head in surprise and asked, “Huh? Xiao Guo used to be Yang Yi’s manager?”
“No, he was just filling in temporarily.” Yang Yi smiled and briefly told Mo Fei the story of how Chen Yijie had once come to ask him for a song, and how Yang Yi, unfamiliar with the industry, had been fortunate to have Guo Ziyi help him out by joking around and making small talk.
“That temporary stand-in cost our company a lot of money!” Chen Yijie said with a laugh. “President Hu said afterward that he’d never make another bet with you, Yang Yi, especially after seeing how good the songs you wrote for Mo Fei were.”
Yang Yi smiled slightly and said, “The bet was only because the price you offered during my newcomer period was too low, so I wanted to negotiate for greater benefits. Of course, now that you’re offering such generous prices, there’s no need for everyone to take risks anymore.”
“Brother Yang, you’re writing songs for Eason again?” Guo Ziyi picked up on the key point and asked excitedly, “What songs have you written? Can we listen to them in advance?”
While everyone was chatting enthusiastically, Mo Henian sat to one side. Although he couldn’t join in the conversation, he wasn’t being neglected. Mo Fei and Yang Yi would occasionally turn to him and speak a few words softly, asking him what he wanted to eat.
However, Mo Henian didn’t mind at all. Instead, he listened very carefully to their conversations and noticed something rather unusual.
Mo Fei was more famous than Yang Yi. Logically speaking, his daughter should have received more attention.
Alternatively, Chen Yijie, the Hong Kong star whom he knew a little about (having learned about him from his wife), should have been at the center of everyone’s attention.
But that wasn’t what happened. Mo Fei didn’t speak much on her own initiative, and seemed to rely on Yang Yi in a subtle way, as if the man was supposed to take the lead when they were out.
Chen Yijie’s attitude toward Yang Yi was also beyond Mo Henian’s expectations. He treated Yang Yi with great respect, and the same went without saying for everyone else. The overall atmosphere gave Mo Henian the impression that Yang Yi, who usually kept a low profile and rarely showed off, was actually the true center of attention!
Leaving Mo Henian’s impressions aside, after hearing Guo Ziyi’s question, Chen Yijie quickly explained, “Our company only requested songs from Yang Yi recently. Songwriting is a difficult task. How could he finish them so quickly?”
Yang Yi simply smiled and said, “Eason, you’re mistaken. I’ve already prepared two songs for you. Some things came up earlier and delayed me, so I haven’t had the chance to go to the recording studio to record the instrumental tracks yet.”
“Really? Two songs?” Chen Yijie asked in surprise.
“That’s right. Just like last time, one Cantonese song and one Mandarin song.” Yang Yi nodded.
“Is the Cantonese song the one you sang in the car when we were coming back from the bar before New Year last time?” Guo Ziyi asked. He remembered the song.
Yang Yi gently shook his head and said, “No. This is another song I composed specifically for Eason. It’s called ‘Bicycle.’”
Mo Fei looked at Yang Yi with a hint of admiration. She found it amazing that Yang Yi could always quietly come up with new songs, and so far, all the songs he had composed were very pleasant to listen to!
It was one thing not to mention it, but now that Yang Yi had brought it up, everyone’s curiosity was overflowing. They all urged him to sing the songs for them.
“Even without accompaniment?” Yang Yi asked with a smile, looking at Chen Yijie. The song had been written for him, so Yang Yi wanted Chen Yijie to make the decision.
“That’s fine. Just sing it a cappella! I can hardly wait to find out what kind of song it is!” Chen Yijie leaned forward, rested both arms on the dining table, and looked at Yang Yi expectantly.
“All right, then!” Yang Yi didn’t hesitate.
Mo Fei poured him a glass of water. Yang Yi drank it, cleared his throat, and began to build up the right emotions.
There was no accompaniment, but the accompaniment was already echoing his mind. Yang Yi closed his eyes, as if he could “see” it. It was the gentle, mellow sound of a guitar, soft and light, like the Xiang River flowing quietly through the night.
“Don’t, don’t assume that I know. Everything, everything was done for my sake. Why is your love so great, yet I can hardly feel it…”
As soon as Yang Yi began to sing, the fluent Cantonese flowing from his mouth still amazed everyone. Although they all knew that Yang Yi could speak Cantonese, he sang it with such remarkable fluency!
Yang Yi sang with his eyes closed, while Chen Yijie watched him intently, listening to every line of the lyrics.
“How wonderful is a love that goes unspoken, with only one memory of truly feeling it—the two of us riding a bicycle, my chest pressed tightly against your back in an embrace…” Yang Yi suddenly raised his voice, “Hard to part, reluctant to let go, I want to hold on tighter; this vast life is like a wilderness, and if a child can rest upon their father’s shoulders, who would ever want to get off?!”
Mo Fei’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Yang Yi with a touch of fascination. Unlike Guo Ziyi, Ding Xiang, and Yang Huan, who couldn’t understand the meaning of the lyrics, Mo Fei not only understood them, but also fell in love with the melody of the song.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would’ve found it almost unbelievable that such a touching song had come from Yang Yi’s mouth.
Of course, Mo Fei had never doubted him, because no matter how excellent a work Yang Yi created, she always believed in him unwaveringly. Now, Mo Fei simply felt proud of Yang Yi!
Chen Yijie also understood the meaning of the lyrics. It seemed that Yang Yi was expressing his feelings toward his own father, a father who didn’t really know how to express his feelings or how to properly show his love and care for his child!
The lyrics that followed also confirmed Chen Yijie’s assumption: “How could I ever believe this act, how much you cherished me yet felt unable to let me know; I miss the bicycle that gave you and me the only embrace we ever shared…”
What impressed Chen Yijie even more was Yang Yi’s singing ability. Chen Yijie hadn’t agreed with the media’s previous exaggerations, because he’d heard Yang Yi sing before. When Yang Yi sang “Long Time No See” back then, there had been quite a few flaws. But now, listening to Yang Yi sing “Bicycle”, he sounded just like a singer who’d been famous for a long time. There was no accompaniment, yet he still sang the melody as it should be.
Especially when reaching the chorus, such as the lines, “There are always some things that are hard to part with, and such natural affection cannot be shirked,” the melody might not seem difficult to sing, but Chen Yijie could still detect the powerful vocal prowess Yang Yi demonstrated through his seamless transitions between chest voice and falsetto in this very section!
Of course, he didn’t know that Yang Yi had actually drawn on his experience from his previous life. But it had to be said that after learning many singing techniques from Mo Fei, Yang Yi’s skill was indeed beyond what ordinary recording studio singers could match!
Chen Yijie listened intently, so much so that he couldn’t help moving with the music, as if he were imagining how the song would sound if he sang it himself.
When the song ended, Yang Yi realized that Mo Fei was holding his hand. She gazed at him affectionately.
Mo Henian hadn’t grasped the deeper meaning of the song, and neither had Chen Yijie. Only Mo Fei understood Yang Yi best. She knew that he had written the song from his own genuine feelings.
Mo Fei knew what kind of father Yang Chonggui was, and she could relate to him deeply, because Mo Henian was exactly like Yang Chonggui. Both of them didn’t know how to properly express their love for their children.
“It’s okay, we’ll be together!” Mo Fei felt too shy to say it aloud, but it seemed she was expressing her concern for Yang Yi through her gaze.
Yang Yi understood. He smiled faintly and gently squeezed Mo Fei’s hand, giving her a positive response.
Although many words had been spent describing this moment, the emotional exchange between the two through their eyes had lasted only a few short seconds. After everyone began to applaud, Mo Fei embarrassedly released Yang Yi’s hand.
“This song!” Chen Yijie didn’t even know how to describe it.
“It suits you, doesn’t it?” Yang Yi asked with a faint smile.
In what way did it suit him? Chen Yijie and Yang Yi both understood, because this song was not nearly as simple as it appeared on the surface. Many parts still put a singer’s vocal skills to the test! What’s more, the emotions expressed in this song were very complex. Without Chen Yijie’s voice, which immediately gave listeners a sense of a story behind it, the song would probably have lost much of its appeal with another singer!
“Yes!” Chen Yijie nodded and said with a smile, “I can hardly stop myself from going straight back to the recording studio to practice this song!”
“Don’t! You’re supposed to be singing as a guest at my wife’s concert!” Yang Yi joked. “Besides, now that you’ve heard the first song, don’t you want to hear the second one?”
“I do, of course!” Chen Yijie hurriedly nodded, as though he were afraid that if he answered too late, Yang Yi would put the second song away.
Guo Ziyi and the others couldn’t help laughing at this. It wasn’t often that they saw Chen Yijie so excited and unable to keep his composure!
TN: If you like my translations, support me in ko-fi: Here.
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