Future Pet Shop

Chapter 194: Let Cheeky Try This Song

"Welcome back, boss! Hah’Er must be tired after today." Upon seeing them return, Sun Qian stopped singing and stood up to greet them. Cheeky, however, looked utterly displeased. "Hello? Can’t you see someone’s singing? Couldn’t you have opened the door a little more quietly?"

"Well, I was going to share some of the snacks I brought back, but it seems a certain someone doesn’t want any?" Shen Yibin was long used to Cheeky’s temper, so he didn’t retort directly. Instead, he shook the bag in his hand as he spoke.

"It seems to smell quite nice?" The aroma immediately captivated Cheeky. He fluttered over and stuck his head into the bag, then popped it back out. "Hah’Er already ate earlier, and Egg was just fed by those aunties, so neither of them needs any. Just leave all of this for me."

"In your dreams. There’s still Sylvie, Miss Sakai, and your master." Shen Yibin called everyone over. With Sylvie’s status and Sakai Kaori’s family background, they’d both eaten plenty of delicacies, but snacks this delicious were still a rare treat. Of course, good things should be shared with everyone.

"After you eat, Sun Qian, get ready and get yourself in the zone. How about singing that song again, properly?" Shen Yibin said while watching them eat. ’I’ll record a sample for her and take it to Director Kong tomorrow. I’ll see what his reaction is first. If I tell her too early and she doesn’t pass Director Kong’s review, Sun Qian will be too disappointed.’

"Ah? Okay." Sun Qian was stunned for a moment. She connected this to what Shen Yibin had been busy with recently and immediately grew excited. ’If I can seize this opportunity, my voice could be heard by so many people, right? Wouldn’t that solve the problem that’s been troubling me the most? As long as this promotional film is done well, I can definitely enter the music scene for real. That’s so much easier than grinding it out at one livehouse and music festival after another.’

However, since Shen Yibin hadn’t explained the reason, she understood it was just a possibility; whether it would ultimately succeed was another matter entirely. So, Sun Qian was smart enough not to ask him any questions, and instead quietly prepared to sing.

After the snacks, she drank a cup of tea to soothe her throat, and then Sun Qian began to sing a cappella. In terms of vocal talent alone, Sun Qian was indeed several cuts above the original singer, but Shen Yibin felt that something was still not quite right.

’What exactly is it lacking? Why do I feel like something’s missing?’ After Sun Qian finished singing, Shen Yibin found the original song on his phone and played it. Only then did he understand the problem. It was the background music! Without the accompaniment of instruments like the hulusi and wooden drums, there was no way to bring out the song’s full charm.

"Hey, does anyone here know how to use music editing software? Can you remove the vocals from the original track so Sun Qian can sing over the instrumental?" Shen Yibin asked the group. ’Logically, Xu Ye’s people could definitely do this, but it’s so late now. It wouldn’t be right to bother them with a request.’

"I’m very familiar with financial software, but I’m not so good with this kind of thing," Sylvie said with a shrug. Sakai Kaori also shook her head; her computer skills were about the same as Shen Yibin’s, limited to just surfing the internet.

Before Sun Qian could speak, Cheeky spoke up first. "You just want background music? No need to go through all that trouble. I’ll just imitate it." ’Oh, right! I totally forgot about this master of mimicry. With Cheeky here, what kind of musical sound can’t he imitate?’

"But the background music has several different instruments. The hulusi, wooden drums, the lusheng... can you really handle all of those by yourself?" Shen Yibin was still a little skeptical.

"Don’t you know who I am? I am the great Pablo Diego..." Cheeky puffed out his chest proudly. When it came to imitating sounds, he feared no challenge.

"Alright, alright, I get it." Shen Yibin quickly cut him off. ’If I let him recite his whole name, the readers will accuse me of padding the word count again.’ "Get ready, then. Let’s record it again."

After he spoke, the living room fell silent. Sylvie, Sakai Kaori, Hah’Er, Egg, and Shen Yibin sat quietly on the sofa, watching Sun Qian and Cheeky in the center of the room.

Cheeky cleared his throat, then opened his beak slightly. A gentle, delicate, mellow, and charming melody from a hulusi seemed to ring out, as if transporting everyone to an ancient village by the Yunshui River. Then, the deep, rustic thumps of wooden drums joined in, carrying with them a distant greeting from the great mountains.

At that moment, Sun Qian’s voice joined in. Her voice was as clear and bright as the waters of the Yunshui River, untainted by the clamor of the secular world. From her song, one could almost feel a gentle breeze from the river brushing against their cheeks, making them forget the noise of the city. They were transported to the carefree Yunshui River, joyfully dancing and singing with the pure and kind villagers, savoring fine wine, fishing, and farming.

’Having background music really makes a world of difference. No wonder main characters in anime always get their own entrance music. Add a backing track and the combat power doubles instantly,’ Shen Yibin praised inwardly. ’This is so much better than the first time.’

"Bravo!" The song ended, but its echo seemed to linger in the air. Shen Yibin couldn’t help but start applauding. ’If a performance like this can’t win over Director Kong, I’ll truly be speechless.’

"Sun’s singing is simply enchanting! Come back to Sokovia with me! I’ll organize a Chinese folk song concert for you at the Royal Music Hall. You’ll be the lead singer, and Hah’Er can be the accompanist," Sylvie said, her eyes shining.

"Sun is truly amazing. When you get a chance to visit my Honjin Raccoon Shrine in the future, I’ll definitely have you record new versions of the songs sung at our Shrine," Sakai Kaori said earnestly, clenching her fists.

"Of course she is! And just who is Qianqian’s master?" Before Sun Qian could say anything, Cheeky stepped forward and unhesitatingly accepted the compliments on her behalf. Perhaps in Cheeky’s eyes, praise for Sun Qian was an even greater source of pride than praise for himself.

"You’re all too kind. I’ve just been practicing this song for so long, so it’s only natural that there’s some result," Sun Qian said, her modesty tinged with an undercurrent of confidence.

"Mm, Cheeky’s background music was amazing, too. Hey, Cheeky, how many instruments can you imitate at the same time?" Sylvie asked curiously.

"I can imitate anything. If you don’t believe me, play a piece of music and let me have a listen," Cheeky started to boast, as was his habit.

"Oh, really?" Sylvie, however, seemed to take him seriously. She immediately took out her phone and started searching. A moment later, the sounds of a symphony began to play. "Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Why don’t you give this a try?"