House Dad's Literary Life

Chapter 411: That Night

Yang Yi didn’t like quirky songs in his previous life. Songs like “Little Apple” were the kind he would listen to once and never again. But since he had transmigrated, his memory functioned like a hard drive, able to retrieve any song he had ever heard. Once he had listened to a song, it was as if it had been permanently copied into his mind.

So, without a moment of hesitation, Yang Yi opened his mouth and began to sing.

“This is not a coincidence, nor a wish, this is heaven’s arrangement for our reunion. I don’t believe in tears, I don’t believe in change, but I firmly believe in the bond between us…”

If this had been his previous life, the moment Yang Yi sang these opening lines, eight out of ten people would have immediately recognized the song.

However, Ju Jie was hearing it for the first time. The opening lines left him completely confused. With his poor performance in elementary school Chinese, he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind the song.

“Why does it sound strange… like a positive-energy song… but also not quite?” Ju Jie muttered to himself.

“…I think and think! I hope and hope! Hoping to return to our first love… I look and look, see and see, to see your smiling face again here…”

This time, Ju Jie understood. It was a sentimental love song, seemingly about first love. He suddenly perked up. Although he couldn’t quite remember who his first love was, the song seemed catchy and pleasant to listen to!

But then, Yang Yi suddenly raised his pitch…

“That night, you didn’t reject me! That night, I hurt you!”

Ju Jie’s eyes widened in shock. Such straightforward lyrics left him stunned. If he had been drinking water, he would have surely spat it out.

“That night, your face was covered in tears. That night, you got drunk for me…”

The scenario described in the lyrics was all too familiar to Ju Jie. Wasn’t this… wasn’t this just a one-night stand?

Before Yang Yi even finished the first verse, Ju Jie already felt like the phrase ‘That Night’ was stuck in his head.

But Ju Jie had mastered the essence of catchy, repetitive songs. He knew how much impact such lyrics could have on fans. Imagining himself singing this song on stage, with fans waving glowing sticks below, Ju Jie’s eyes lit up with excitement, his nostrils flaring.

“That night, I raised my glass. That night, my heart was shattered…” After finishing the first verse, Yang Yi couldn’t bring himself to continue. To him, this mindless, cheesy song was like poison, and he had no desire to sing it again.

“What do you think of this song?” Yang Yi stopped and asked Ju Jie. Although he had sung such a melancholic song, his expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t been the one singing.

“It’s good, it’s good, it’s really good!” Ju Jie said with a beaming expression, “I like this song, even more that ‘Sidechick’!”

After all, when singing “Sidechick”, he always felt like he was wearing a green hat. “That Night“ didn’t give him that feeling!

“That night, you did not refuse me…” Ju Jie even started humming it, looking completely enamored with the song.

It was truly strange that some people would rather sing these “divine songs” than good ones. Yang Yi shook his head slightly in his heart.

This bizarre obsession was something Yang Yi couldn’t understand, so he decided not to dwell on it and let it be.

Yang Yi gently patted Ju Jie on the shoulder and encouraged him, saying, “Help me settle this matter, and there’s another song waiting for you. It’s similar in theme to ‘That Night,’ but of even higher quality!”

Upon hearing this, Ju Jie became even more excited. He patted his chest and promised to give it his all.

……

That weekend, an official advertisement that no one could ignore quietly appeared on Weibo, which was increasingly popular among more and more people: “Mu Li’ang’s new work, ‘Fairy Tale,’ returns with heartfelt emotion—who knew movies could be done this way!”

Mu Li’ang was no longer the relatively unknown songwriter who had only one recognizable hit, “Long Time No See”. Mo Fei’s sudden rise to fame had made the entire entertainment industry turn its attention to the once-hidden figure behind the scenes—Mu Li’ang.

Even the song “College Days” sung by Guo Ziyi at the freshman party was dug out. Guo Ziyi was dismissed as an unknown singer, while people were far more interested in this unreleased song!

It must be said that “College Days” had a unique charm. Although it wasn’t widely sung, it still garnered a group of fans for Mu Li’ang.

There were even unreliable media outlets exaggerating about him, saying that Mu Li’ang was so talented that whoever he wrote songs for would become famous!

Of course, those who truly understand the industry wouldn’t think that way. While a songwriter plays a crucial role in a song’s success, the singer’s contribution cannot be overlooked.

Regardless, being able to create more than ten high-quality songs, Mu Li’ang has stood out from the vast number of creators and has been pursued by many record companies.

They had somehow managed to get Yang Yi’s email address, and invitations poured in like snowflakes, offering generous terms in hopes of signing “Mu Li’ang” to their companies. Yang Yi ignored these invitations, but they became so overwhelming that he was forced to change his email address.

Even Grandpa Hu’s son’s company, Tianxiang where Chen Yijie was, also threw out an olive branch again. Yang Yi’s attitude towards them was better. At least he responded and honestly told them his idea of opening a studio.

Tianxiang was a company that knew how to handle things well. They didn’t pester him but instead offered some support for Yang Yi’s studio. Of course, Chen Yijie also took the opportunity to request another song from Yang Yi.

Chen Yijie didn’t release albums frequently. He preferred to take his time and refine each one. However, when it came to requesting songs, it was better to ask early than late. They had no way of knowing when inspiration would strike Yang Yi.

But back to the main topic—Mu Li’ang’s current popularity was now on par with Mo Fei’s. So, when this advertisement appeared on Weibo, netizens couldn’t help but click on it.

Mu Li’ang’s new work “Fairy Tale”?

Another new song?

With such questions in mind, they entered the page for the first Weibo Cup Mini-movie Competition.

The page was very simple, with even the detailed rules and requirements for the mini-movie competition tucked away in a subpage, accessible via a button on the homepage. The registration entry was also just a single button.

The only thing that occupied a large portion of the homepage was a large video player. The thumbnail showed A’Guang playing piano in the practice room with Xu Shishi standing behind him, and of course, the title of the mini-movie, “Fairy Tale.”

What is a mini-movie?

And was this song turned into a movie?

The netizens’ curiosity was already flooding like the Yellow River, and they couldn’t help but click on the video.

The video unfolded like a real movie, starting with a flashback-like scene where several people pushed a piano out from the darkness. Then, a chubby man in a suit walked out with a blank expression and bowed. And the empty audience seats eerily seemed to be filled with people in an instant, as if it were just a camera transition.

This dark-toned shot created a strong sense of oppression.

Applause rang out, and the chubby man stared blankly ahead. When the applause stopped, a faint “Come on!” seemed to echo in the empty performance hall.

What does it mean? The netizens who had just clicked on the video were confused.

However, as the chubby man blankly turned around and walked toward the only spotlight-lit piano on stage, information about the film began to appear on the screen.

Just like a real movie.

“Fairy Tale”

Director: Du Yuanlei

Screenwriter: Yang Yi

Lyrics and Composition: Mu Li’ang

Although the previous sense of oppression made many viewers uncomfortable, they kept watching just for the songwriter.