The recording schedule for the second half of the season had already been announced. As the staff watched Ye Huanqiu leave, they were already discussing potential guests for the next episode.
In their eyes, the competition's outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Yang Chaoyue had maintained an optimistic facade on camera, but the moment she returned backstage, she rushed to Chen Yihan, tears streaming down her face.
"Yihan, am I just cursed? I finally got this chance, and I completely messed it up. I feel like I've let One Leaf Knows Autumn down."
"Don't say that, Chaoyue. You're amazing!"
Having weathered countless hardships together, Yang Chaoyue always confided in Chen Yihan first. Chen Yihan held her close, comforting her until she finally calmed down.
"So, let's not disappoint others, but more importantly, let's not disappoint ourselves. Keep fighting!"
"You're right, Yihan. Don't worry, I'll make everyone who doubted me eat their words!"
At this point, she had nothing to lose. Whether she charged ahead or cowered, the knife would fall anyway. Might as well give it her all!
What challenge hadn't Yang Chaoyue faced? Back when a single episode of I Am a Creator had triggered over a dozen trending topics, marketing accounts had lined up daily to tear her apart for clicks. Had she ever backed down then?
Seeing her best friend regain her resolve, Chen Yihan felt genuinely happy for her.
Meanwhile, Chen Yihan couldn't help but wonder about the identity of this author, One Leaf Knows Autumn. The song "Blooming Life" was undeniably a rare masterpiece, worthy of the title "Renowned Far and Wide."
Such a talented writer couldn't possibly remain unknown.
She turned and made a phone call. An elderly voice answered, "Young Miss, how may I assist you?"
"Uncle Xu, please investigate someone named One Leaf Knows Autumn. He wrote the song 'Blooming Life.' Start by checking with the cultural and creative companies."
"Understood, Young Miss. Is there anything else?"
"No, Uncle Xu. Just remember to eat regular meals. It's almost noon, so please avoid drinking alcohol. Have something to eat instead."
"Thank you for your concern, Young Miss. I'll keep that in mind and abstain from alcohol."
After hanging up, Chen Yihan turned to her own preparations. She had been assigned to Zhao Ziyun and Sui Gu's team. Unsure how long their creative process would take, she decided to clear her schedule for the next three days, canceling all other commitments to remain fully available at a moment's notice.
Back in his cramped apartment, nicknamed the "pigeon coop," Ye Huanqiu received a call from Yang Chaoyue's manager. He was instructed to contact her as soon as he finished writing the song.
Yang Chaoyue had just settled into her van, ready to head back to the company, when her manager, Sister Zhang, suddenly received a phone call.
"Hello, this is Yang Chaoyue's studio. I'm her manager."
"Hello, I'm One Leaf Knows Autumn from the I Am a Creator show. I've finished the song. Could you give me an email address so I can send it over? You can listen to the track and review the lyrics. If you like it, we can schedule rehearsal and recording time."
Sister Zhang was stunned. She turned to Yang Chaoyue and pointed at her phone, silently mouthing, "Who is it?"
Yang Chaoyue saw the words "One Leaf Knows Autumn" and took the call.
"Hello, A Ye..."
"...Teacher Yang, you..." Ye Huanqiu had assumed his earlier invitation for her to call him "A Ye" was merely polite banter for the show. He was surprised she was still using it even off-camera.
"Hmm? Just call me Chaoyue, like we agreed on the show, right?" Yang Chaoyue replied, also finding his sudden formality strange.
Ye Huanqiu cleared his throat and forced himself to say, "Chaoyue, I've finished the song praising China. Could you give me your email address so I can send it over? If you like it, we can hit the recording studio."
"Wait, you finished writing it already?"
"I had a song I wrote before that perfectly fits the theme of praising China, but I never released it. Since this competition is so important, I decided to give it a try."
"...Alright, but let me warn you, I'm not a great singer, and my memory isn't the best. Don't get mad at me if I mess up."
"Don't worry. I'm confident I can help you master the song. Talk is cheap—just send me your email address, and I'll send it over. You'll see what I mean."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Sister Zhang sent a private email address.
Back at the company, Yang Chaoyue used a dedicated computer and a ¥30,000 Devialet Gold Phantom White speaker to listen to the song, titled "Chinese." It began with a captivating piano interlude, followed by a driving drumbeat.
While they might not be musical experts, the melody was undeniably catchy.
Looking at the lyrics Sister Zhang had sent, Yang Chaoyue was pleasantly surprised to find a tongue-twister section embedded within them.
It was hard to imagine how these lyrics could possibly harmonize with the music.
"Sister Zhang, what do you think?"
"It's a great song, but I'm worried you won't be able to pull it off," Sister Zhang said with a sigh, sounding genuinely helpless. Even her untrained ear could tell the song was complex, and performing it well would be the real challenge.
"I promise I'll sing it perfectly!" Yang Chaoyue insisted. "A Ye has already finished writing the song, giving us a half-day, maybe even a full day's head start over everyone else. Let's not waste any time. I'll start memorizing the lyrics now. You contact A Ye, and we can begin rehearsing this afternoon."
"Alright, we'll do it your way. It's rare to see you so dedicated."
Yang Chaoyue printed the sheet music and lyrics on A4 paper. Before diving into memorization, she posted a photo of herself intently studying the pages on Weibo, accompanied by the caption: "Brave little Yang isn't afraid of challenges! Lyrics? Bring 'em on!"
Her fans immediately flooded the post with likes, with sycophantic accounts rising to the top. Then, a comment from Chen Yihan stood out like a sore thumb:
"Already? You're ready that fast?"
Yang Chaoyue replied with a nodding emoji before fully immersing herself in memorizing the lyrics. She found the tongue-twisting passages particularly amusing.
As mentioned earlier, the cultural and entertainment landscape of this world was severely underdeveloped, with even simple tongue twisters being rare. When Yang Chaoyue encountered these amusing lyrics, her mind became remarkably quick at memorizing them.
In truth, unless someone has a congenital defect, everyone's memory is reasonably good. The problem is that when you're uninterested in something, or even subconsciously resistant to it, you simply can't retain it.
For example, cheat codes for video games are usually in English, and you can memorize them effortlessly. Yet, when it comes to English vocabulary you dislike, you might struggle to remember them even after endless repetition and writing practice.
This difference stems from personal interest. Humans can't suppress their innate instincts; they can only gradually learn to balance them.