Chapter 75: The Songs of Jay Chou
Chapter 75
"Teacher Yu, your concerts must make quite a bit of money, right?" Ji Nian asked curiously after finishing her meal.
Yu Luobai glanced at her and smiled, "Oh? What are you scheming?"
"Aiyaya, Teacher Yu, you've misunderstood me. I was just asking out of curiosity." Ji Nian's eyes shifted around as she sidled closer and whispered, "Give me the inside scoop, how much can you make?"
Unsure of what she was planning, Yu Luobai responded helplessly, "What are you trying to do?"
Batting her innocent large eyes, Ji Nian didn't respond. It must be a lot if he was being so secretive. A cunning glint flashed in her eyes as she smiled, "Why don't we...partner up?"
Yu Luobai raised his brow, now curious as he asked, "How would we partner up?"
"How many songs do you usually perform at your concerts?" Ji Nian asked.
Yu Luobai thought for a moment. With a two hour concert, fan interactions, and if there was still ample time, he could add another song or two depending on the situation. He answered, "Around 18 songs."
"I'll provide two new songs. You split the royalties from those songs 50/50 with me," Ji Nian said with a grin.
She already had enough money from acting to pay off her debts. But a person needed aspirations in life. In case she couldn't return, earning money for retirement wouldn't be bad either.
"What? New songs? Two of them!" Peng He had overheard them and immediately rushed over with an astonished look.
Caught by surprise, Ji Nian blankly nodded, "Uh...yes, new songs."
"My my, how delightful! Mystery composer?" Peng He was extremely excited.
"Mystery composer and arranger. All works of art!" Ji Nian confidently nodded.
"Young miss, you'll be my cherished ancestor from now on!" Peng He promptly sat next to the woman, beaming with pleasant surprise.
"Ahem." The neglected Yu Luobai lightly coughed.
Ji Nian looked towards the man and winked playfully, "Teacher Yu~ Want to partner up? I said the royalties will be split 50/50."
Yu Luobai was amused by the woman's money worshipping appearance. Keeping a straight face, he responded, "I'll need to see if your songs are worth it first."
"How could you not trust me! They absolutely are worth it!" Ji Nian slapped her thigh, looking completely confident.
"Please showcase your talents then." Yu Luobai gestured towards the guitar and piano on stage, signaling for the woman to sing for them to hear.
Ji Nian's eyes shifted in thought. How could she have forgotten about Zhou Dong's songs earlier? Every single one was a masterpiece. She could randomly pick a few to impress Yu Luobai easily.
Ji Nian confidently walked onto the small stage and turned on the electric piano. She began playing the prelude to "Night Song", a beautiful melody.
Yu Luobai's eyes lit up as he listened to the music in surprise.
When the song finished, Yu Luobai was shocked. Even Peng He was moved after listening. If the previous songs "Ordinary Road" and "Fairytale" could be considered legendary, then this song could definitely cause shockwaves in the music industry. The classical elements, romantic prelude... Most importantly, the contrasting styles of the rap and chorus sections of the song. In summary, this song was exceptional!
Yu Luobai couldn't believe she had so easily given away such an amazing song. Looking at her complexly, he asked, "You can just casually give me these mysterious songs?"
Ji Nian knew this song was good. Zhou Dong's songs were all classics in her day after all. She nodded, "I have free reign over the mysterious songs."
Yu Luobai couldn't imagine how talented this mystery person was to be able to compose such melodious tunes. He was somewhat impatient to meet this person.
"The previous song was called 'Night Song'. I'll sing another one called 'Prague Square' for you." Ji Nian smiled and then began playing another melody.
"This song is a male-female duet. Weren't you going to have me as a guest performer? We can sing together." Ji Nian said to the people below after finishing.
Yu Luobai had been stunned repeatedly today. Although these two songs seemed to have a similar style, they gave him completely different feelings.
Peng He was also shocked. To be honest, his artist definitely had the qualifications to become a top-level heavenly king. His talents were undoubtedly superb and he had released several successful albums that were unanimously well-reviewed by the industry.
But the songs Ji Nian provided gave him a totally different feeling. In fact, nearly every song seemed to have a different style, yet they all unexpectedly sounded pleasant and he felt they would have great potential.
"Ji Nian, why are you giving these songs to me?"
In contrast, Yu Luobai had calmed down. He was very puzzled. It wasn't just these two songs today, even that song "Fairytale" from before - if she released her own album, wouldn't it explode with popularity instantly? Then why was she able to easily give them away?
Caught unaware, Ji Nian was confused by the question, "There's no particular reason."
"If you sang these songs yourself, I believe you would have better opportunities," Yu Luobai said.
Only then did Ji Nian understand his meaning. Why was she giving them to him? She realized the reason was simple after thinking about it. The original versions of these songs were in a male vocal range in her old world. A female singing them wouldn't sound as impressive.
Moreover, she didn't know many people in this world, nor did she want to get to know more. Since there was a top-tier artist like Yu Luobai around with great vocal abilities, wasn't cooperating with him just good business? Why not work together?
Ji Nian walked up to the man and looked up at him with a playful smile, "We're partners. And as I said, it's not like I'm giving them for free. I want to earn money too. You need to split the royalties 50/50 with me."
Looking at the woman who only reached his chin, Yu Luobai laughed at her words. Very naturally, he raised his hand and ruffled her hair, smiling as he said, "I agree then. The royalties from the new songs will be split with you."
Ji Nian froze slightly as she looked at the smiling man stroking her head...why did this action make her heart race so quickly?
After ruffling her hair, Yu Luobai realized what intimate gesture he had unconsciously done. Stroking a girl's head was quite an intimate move.
Seeing this, surprise flashed in Peng He's eyes. He looked towards the somewhat bewildered man. Could it be? Had his artist finally blossomed?