My Heart Beats - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day, Xueman arrived at the recording studio early, and Teacher Huiyuan was already there. Henry walked forward to introduce the two. “Xueman, this is Teacher Huiyuan. You know who he is without me telling you, right?” Xueman nervously extended her right hand, “Hello, Teacher Huiyuan, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Ye Xueman.” “Teacher Huiyuan, this is…” Huiyuan patted Xueman’s hand, walked to the recording console, and sat down. “You study bel canto, right? Go in. Sing a couple of lines first.” Xueman was stunned for a moment; this person had such a powerful presence. Daring not to speak much, she walked into the booth and began her vocal test.

“So, she’s a soprano.” Huiyuan shook his head and said to Henry, “It’s not quite what I had in mind.” “What’s wrong? She sings very well,” Henry hastily explained. “Hmm, she’s alright. But I originally wanted a female voice who could handle mid-to-low range for these songs.” “A good singer shouldn’t be picky about songs. Why not let her try?” Henry tried his best to persuade Huiyuan. “Fine. Let her try.”

Xueman received the sheet music for two songs: Understood Love  and I Don’t Care. She prepared herself, and in less than ten minutes, she could sing a demo. “Very quick to learn.” Huiyuan nodded. “Go in and try.” Xueman seriously performed the two melancholic and lyrical love songs in the booth. After the two songs, Huiyuan shook his head. Xueman’s heart tightened. What’s wrong? Did I sing poorly? She walked out of the recording booth, her eyes full of expectation.

“Do you know who else wants these two songs?” Huiyuan asked Henry. “Could it be…” He nodded: “Yes. A-Mei wants them. She’s been asking me for a long time.” What? Sister Mei? The legendary Taiwanese diva? Xueman’s confidence plummeted from heaven to rock bottom. “You sing well. But for pop songs, your voice is too clean, it lacks narrative.” Huiyuan sighed helplessly. “It lacks some resonance.” Finally, he stood up, preparing to leave. “I can tell your ability immediately. I’ll consider it again. I haven’t agreed to A-Mei yet. I’ll contact you in a week.”

After Huiyuan left, Henry patted Xueman on the shoulder. “It’s okay, there’s still a chance. Newcomers always have to go through some setbacks.” Xueman didn’t say anything. She knew that her concern wasn’t about being a newcomer. “I’m leaving first.” What she was worried about was the girl from last night saying, “That kind of voice you have isn’t singing; it’s noise…” What the heck! Was she right? For the first time, she started to doubt herself. Have I failed at the one thing I could do well?

Xueman wandered the streets all day, aimlessly. She had clearly seen her dream right in front of her, only for it to be miles away again overnight. After a long time, she unknowingly walked into the cafe. Yin Chi didn’t come today. Hmph, good! I hate seeing you!

Xueman signaled the bartender: “Tequila!” A shot was placed in front of her, and she downed it in one go. “Another one!”

After six rounds, her eyes started to glaze over. Listening to “My Heart Is Beating” by that person still playing in the bar, Xueman started to laugh bitterly. Only you can sing! Can’t I? Only you can mix whisky coffee! Why won’t you tell me? Bastard! “Another one!”

The bartender looked at the incoherent Xueman and refused her request. “You’re drunk. It’s getting late. You should hurry home.” Xueman insisted: “I said another one, so another one!” The bartender had no choice but to say, “If you keep this up, I’ll call Miss Chi to pick you up. I know you two know each other.” Hearing Yin Chi’s name made her instantly furious. Xueman stepped down from the bar counter: “You wouldn’t dare!” With that, she staggered out of the coffee bar.

Yin Chi was in a great mood today. Her company had just been founded, and she had already received a few arranging jobs. Although it hadn’t started making a profit yet, at least she was breaking even this month, which was satisfying enough for her. She went home early to cook, do laundry, and tidy up the room. It was a rare leisure time, and she was listening to The Carpenters’ “Yesterday Once More” while reading a magazine. Suddenly, she heard someone trying to pry open her door, repeatedly. Yin Chi was startled. What? This area is in the bustling city center, very safe. Is there a burglar? Thinking she was a single woman, she felt a little scared. So, she grabbed a baseball bat and quietly walked to the door.

Xueman couldn’t insert the key into her front door. It kept falling to the ground; she picked it up, couldn’t open it, and it fell again. “Damn it! Even you are against me.” She couldn’t help but curse. She tried for a long time, but couldn’t turn the doorknob. What was wrong this time? Can’t I even go home tonight? Xueman started to cry loudly, and then burst into laughter.

“What is this lunatic doing?” Yin Chi watched the person outside through the peephole. “How did she get so drunk?” Sigh, I should go check, or I won’t be able to sleep again tonight. With a whoosh, the door opened.

“Hey. What do you want?” Yin Chi asked bluntly. Xueman straightened up, squinting her eyes, and pointed a finger at her. “It’s you? You bastard, who let you in?” Huh? Who’s the bastard? Yin Chi pointed behind her: “Hey, your home is back there.” “Crazy!” Xueman cursed and walked straight into Yin Chi’s apartment.

Yin Chi was stunned. What? How did she get in? She ran to follow. “Hey! Wait a minute!” She grabbed her arm. “This is my home, you’re at the wrong place.” Xueman was yanked hard, she turned around and fell into Yin Chi’s arms. Yin Chi felt a rush of warmth, and Xueman’s entire body weight instantly leaned on her. Startled by the sudden force, Yin Chi quickly stabilized herself, preventing both of them from falling. After standing for a moment, Xueman seemed to be on the verge of unconsciousness on her shoulder. Oh, what should I do? There was no other choice. Yin Chi wrapped her right arm around Xueman’s waist, and stretched out her left hand to reach for the door. She finally reached it, pulled hard, and with a slam, the door closed.

When she came back to her senses, the room suddenly became quiet and ambiguous. Xueman’s feverish face was against hers, and her soft, faintly fragrant body was nestled in her arms. Yin Chi felt her little heart start beating erratically. What the heck? What is going on? Why did she drink so much? She actually started blaming her. She bent down, gave her a bridal carry, and placed her on the living room sofa. A moment of softness and comfort, Xueman turned over comfortably and just fell asleep…

Yin Chi went into the bathroom, wrung out a towel, and began wiping Xueman’s face, muttering to herself as she did so: “How old is she? Does she have so many worries? She puts alcohol in her coffee, and now she’s drinking until she’s this drunk for no reason. What a lunatic. Now look, she can’t even go home. Don’t you know how evil it is to disturb someone’s sleep?” After rattling off this long string of complaints, Yin Chi prepared to leave her to sleep.

Just as she stood up, Xueman, in a drunken fit, reached out and tugged at the corner of Yin Chi’s shirt. Yin Chi was caught off guard and was pulled down. Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough to grab the backrest of the sofa, or she would have completely fallen onto Xueman. The towel in her other hand had already dropped to the floor.

Yin Chi’s eyes widened as she looked at the person beneath her. Xueman’s eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and her lips were slightly parted. Yin Chi took a deep breath, knowing that her own face couldn’t look much better than Xueman’s right now. Just as she tried to stabilize her body, another wave of drunken madness struck. Xueman actually grabbed her collar and pulled hard, causing Yin Chi to lean forward even more. This time, she was completely supporting her body with her core strength, her fingers gripping the sofa tightly, curled from the effort.

“Do you know how annoying you really are!” Xueman opened her eyes, gazing hazily at the person in front of her. She was unconscious, unaware of how close they were. “Do you think being able to sing makes you so arrogant? Do you think being able to mix whisky coffee is so amazing? I ask you, why won’t you tell me? What did I do to offend you?”

Xueman was unconscious, but Yin Chi was not. They were so close that Xueman’s breath was hitting her face. She could smell the tequila on her breath. Xueman’s voice stopped, and she closed her eyes again.

The room suddenly fell silent. Yin Chi could hear her own heart thumping, an entirely erratic rhythm. The person beneath her had fallen asleep, and the hand on her collar relaxed considerably. Yin Chi removed her hand and straightened her body, feeling a sudden soreness below her waist. She walked into the room to get a blanket for Xueman, and seeing the messy strands of hair on her forehead, she reached out and smoothed them down.

“Do you really want to know about me that badly?” Yin Chi sat down on the floor, her tone cold. “But have you ever thought that what you learn in the end might make you feel more like strangers than before you knew each other?” Looking at her, a face flashed in her mind. To be honest, the two had no similarities whatsoever. She was surprised to think of that person from the past at such a moment. Perhaps it was because it had been a long time since a second person had been in her home. Yin Chi yawned, got up, and went to the kitchen to get a beer.