With the motivation brought on by the new song, Li Yue suddenly became very serious about building the home studio.
She immediately reassigned the entire team that was originally meant to construct the recording room at the company—sending them straight to her villa instead.
Even the materials intended for the company studio were diverted over.
As for the company's own recording room? She didn't care for now.It could wait.
After all, that one was meant for Chen Xiaoxi and Zhang Yichen anyway.
The villa's basement was over two hundred square meters, and the karaoke-studio-style recording room was estimated to take five days to complete. Li Yue offered double pay, and with everyone working overtime, it was finished in just three days.
During those three days, Zhang Yichen didn't sit idle either.
Aside from being Chen Xiaoxi's personal acupuncturist, he also became the family's head chef.
He even used his free time to copy dozens of new songs and register copyrights for each one.
When it came to copyright, Zhang Yichen was always cautious—the last thing he wanted was someone claiming his work as theirs.
Once the recording room was finished, Li Yue, the self-proclaimed "landlady," naturally wanted to be the first to use it.
However… she wasn't exactly in form.
No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't get herself into a calm, focused state.
Either she ended up crying mid-song,or she got distracted and completely lost the rhythm.
As her producer, Zhang Yichen was so frustrated he nearly rushed in to record it himself.
But in the end, he held back—because if he really did that, this woman would probably argue with him for three days and three nights nonstop.
"Forget it. Take a break first. Let's record my song instead," Zhang Yichen sighed helplessly.
Chen Xiaoxi had already been singing for two hours, and pushing further might damage her voice.
He decided to let her rest while he recorded a sample himself.
Leaving the studio idle would just be a waste.
"Alright, go ahead," Li Yue nodded, quietly taking a seat.
She also wanted to see just how big the gap between her and Zhang Yichen truly was.
The first song he chose was "Obsession"—the same one he had sung to Chen Xiaoxi in the café.
He stepped into the booth, adjusted the microphone, and slipped on the headphones.
Once everything was ready, he nodded at Chen Xiaoxi to start the track.
The gentle prelude began to flow.
Zhang Yichen closed his eyes, his body swaying lightly to the rhythm, as if he were dissolving into the music itself.
His fingers tapped softly in the air—almost like he was caressing each note.
"Erase yesterday entirely…"
"Now you stand before my eyes…"
"I want to love—please give me a chance…"
His voice was deep and magnetic, each word carrying raw emotion torn straight from the depths of his soul.
"If I'm wrong, I'll bear it."
"Because I've decided—you are the answer."
"I don't care who mocks my extremes."
"I'll trust my instincts."
"Stubborn, yet never tired."
"Loving you, I'll never retreat."
Sitting quietly in the corner, Li Yue's fingers trembled on her knees.
Her gaze stayed fixed on Zhang Yichen, a heavy sense of defeat rising in her chest.
She had formal training—so why couldn't she even control her own emotions?
Meanwhile, Zhang Yichen—though a music student—had never taken a single proper vocal class.
Yet whether it was songwriting, vocals, or emotional delivery,he was flawless.
If his voice was a gift from heaven,then where did all his other talents come from?
Was this what people called a true genius?
But her own talent wasn't bad either!She had once been on par with Chen Xiaoxi.
Had she really fallen this far just because of a few wasted years?Or had everything she learned simply faded away?
Li Yue spiraled deeper into self-doubt.
"I said it—I won't back down."
"I have to do this my way."
"Even if you won't listen—I'll still love you."
"I'll love harder, until you understand."
The chorus burst forth, Zhang Yichen's voice rising powerfully—a surge of emotion tearing free all at once.
The entire booth seemed to freeze;only his voice filled the space.
It was like a blade slicing through every listener's heart,laying bare the emotions they had hidden within.
Li Yue's eyes reddened; she bit her lip to hold back tears.
Chen Xiaoxi clenched her fists, knuckles turning pale, her eyes shimmering with quiet sorrow.
"There's no other path I can take."
"Will you walk this one with me?"
"Even if you don't understand—I'll still love you."
"I love by instinct.""I wait for your dependence."
"My love for you—even pain feels sweet."
Zhang Yichen's tone softened near the end,as if speaking to a past that couldn't return—and a future he refused to abandon.
His fingers brushed lightly across the mic,his eyes glowing with complex emotion.
Chen Xiaoxi never looked away.
Her gaze carried warmth and determination—because she understood:
This song wasn't just a farewell to the past—it was a promise for the future.
She smiled faintly, even as tears clung to her lashes.
Li Yue's throat tightened; she wanted to say something, but her voice had long since broken.
The recording ended flawlessly in one take.
But now, instead of one crying woman, Zhang Yichen had two.
So to lighten the mood, he chose the next song to be upbeat—something with rhythm.
Perfect. The next one was "I Believe."
"Continue recording," he said through the glass toward Chen Xiaoxi.
"I want to fly up high, shoulder to shoulder with the sun."
"The world is waiting for me to change it."
"I'm not afraid to dream—let everyone see."
"Here, anything can come true."
The moment he started, his bright, soaring voice cut through the room like sunlight breaking through clouds.
Every word carried unwavering conviction—as if declaring to the world that no storm could force him to retreat.
Chen Xiaoxi's eyes softened; her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
Her fingertips tapped with the rhythm, a gentle smile forming as a spark of hope flickered within her.
Li Yue straightened, her expression shifting from pain to resolve.
She closed her eyes, listening deeply—as if searching for her own answer within his song.
As the music surged toward its peak, Zhang Yichen's voice grew stronger—filled with energy and light—burning away every last trace of the earlier gloom.
He finished the song in a single take, perfect from start to finish.
This time, the goal was accomplished.
The bright rhythm and uplifting tone swept away the sadness clouding both women's hearts.
He then recorded "Mice Love Rice" and "Little Apple."
Only after that did he hand the booth back to Li Yue.
This time, she started with "The Most Familiar Stranger" as a warm-up—a song she had sung before back in her rented apartment.
Zhang Yichen had thought she did pretty well back then.
After all, he had copied these songs anyway—so it didn't matter who sang them.
Might as well let Li Yue have this one.