Shen Ran watched Jiang Ling open her mouth obediently, the smile in her eyes deepening. She was about to say something playful when she felt a piercing pain travel from her fingertip to her palm — “Ah!”
She couldn’t help but cry out. Her body swayed, and she only managed to steady herself after retreating from Jiang Ling. She looked at the finger she had just inserted into the other girl’s mouth in disbelief.
There was a faint tooth mark on it.
Shen Ran seemingly hadn’t expected Jiang Ling to resist. She stood dazed for a long time before her voice rose with a hint of humiliated anger. “You bit me?”
Jiang Ling pursed her lips. Watching Shen Ran jump around in a fit of rage, she finally understood. The “unpredictable” Shen Ran that Shen Yue had described was clearly a total brat!
From Shen Ran’s initial attempt to impersonate Shen Yue to her willful coercion just now, every action revealed her malicious and fun-seeking nature.
Since that was the case, there was no need to be particularly friendly to her.
Before Shen Ran could say anything else, Shen Yue walked into the living room carrying a plate of rich, exquisite food. As soon as she entered, she sensed the slightly strange atmosphere in the air.
Her usually flippant and unruly younger sister was glaring at Jiang Ling with puffed-out cheeks, muttering things like “I’ll show you.”
Shen Yue didn’t understand, but she was deeply shocked.
She pretended not to see the pitiful gaze her sister threw her way and turned toward Jiang Ling. “Is everything really okay on your end?”
Jiang Ling knew she was referring to the issue of her staying out all night. Images of the older girls from NOVA flashed through her mind, along with warning words that seemed to ring in her ears.
“N-No problem!”
But in the end, Jiang Ling toughened her resolve and puffed out her chest. She sent a message to the NOVA group chat stating she would be staying out tonight, then quickly turned off her phone screen.
She was afraid that if she turned it off even 1 second later, she would be bombarded with a relentless series of calls and messages from Fang Wannan.
Seeing Jiang Ling’s expression, which looked as if she were facing death, Shen Yue couldn’t help but chuckle. She then turned to Shen Ran, who was still muttering nearby, and her expression tightened. “Did you apologize to Lingling?”
“I did.”
Facing Shen Yue, Shen Ran immediately lost her brazen attitude. She became as obedient as a little lamb and looked at Jiang Ling with a bright smile. “Lingling has already forgiven me, right?”
Sensing Shen Ran’s complicated gaze and tone, Jiang Ling found it amusing.
This person was clearly older than her, yet she spoke and acted like a childish brat.
Although she really wanted to complain to Shen Yue about what had just happened, the top priority right now was NOVA’s title track. Therefore, Jiang Ling didn’t contradict her. Instead, she agreed, “Yes, we’ve already made up.”
Seeing that Jiang Ling hadn’t exposed her, Shen Ran seemed stunned for a moment, but she quickly masked her expression.
This brought a relieved smile to Shen Yue’s face.
“That’s good.”
—
After hearing that Shen Yue was going to compose tonight, Shen Ran didn’t plan to disturb them; after all, this was serious business. However, she didn’t leave either. Instead, she familiarized herself with the layout and entered the only guest room, waving a hand with a grin at the two stunned girls.
“I’m going to stay by myself~”
Watching the guest room door slam shut, Shen Yue frowned, her eyes full of helplessness. “Sorry, she’s used to being willful.”
“It’s fine.”
Jiang Ling didn’t mind much. It was normal to share a bed with a friend, and based on what Shen Yue said, they would likely be working until the early hours of the morning anyway. It was more convenient to stay together.
Shen Yue’s room was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items like instruments and microphones. It was probably the largest area in the entire house.
“I want to talk to you about the song in detail.”
After they sat down, Shen Yue’s fingers flew across the screen to pull up the software interface. She played the track that all the NOVA members had been exceptionally satisfied with.
Jiang Ling listened intently. Once the song finished, she couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up. “It really sounds amazing!”
“Thank you, but this isn’t the finished version.”
Shen Yue smiled shyly and pulled up another interface, pressing play again. “This is the version I polished a bit. Listen again and see if this is the effect you wanted.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling immediately concentrated.
The track modified by Shen Yue was fuller and more layered than before. She had added some detailed changes that made it feel like a finished product.
“What do you think?”
Shen Yue pressed the pause button and stared at Jiang Ling, her eyes reflecting her nerves.
Jiang Ling turned to Shen Yue and cheered, breaking the other girl’s anxious expression. “It’s fantastic!”
“I’m certain the older girls in NOVA will love this song!”
Feeling Jiang Ling’s unadorned joy, Shen Yue’s uneasy heart gradually settled. She let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good… but it’s not over yet. Have you found someone to write your other songs?”
Generally speaking, a formal album includes at least three or four songs, including the title track. The styles are usually different, aimed at giving fans a variety of feelings.
“Probably not yet.”
Jiang Ling recalled that Bai Xue was handling the search for someone to write the title track, but she wasn’t sure about the B-sides.
Hearing this, Shen Yue suggested, “Why don’t you ask now?”
“No, no, no!”
Jiang Ling shook her head like a rattle.
She had finally summoned the courage to mute her phone. If she turned it on now, she would likely receive countless messages, and there was no guarantee she’d be able to stay here tonight…
So, Jiang Ling chose to escape!
‘Running away is shameful but effective, yeah!’
Seeing Jiang Ling’s righteous refusal, Shen Yue didn’t force the issue. She thought for a moment and offered a compromise.
“In that case, I’ll just write a few rough drafts. I’ll let everyone listen to them later. If they work, I’ll continue writing. If not, it won’t be a waste of time. What do you think?”
Naturally, Jiang Ling had no objections.
However, after a long while, she watched Shen Yue enter a focused state, diligently writing music. She asked weakly from the side, “Um, the reason you asked me to come was…?”
“At first, I wanted Ranran to apologize to you. But now…”
Shen Yue took off one of her earbuds and waved it in front of Jiang Ling, her voice clear. “Want to listen to the song I’m writing?”
The lights in the room weren’t very bright, probably because Shen Yue preferred a darker working environment. However, the brightness of the screen was turned up high. Blocky segments like piano keys were arranged haphazardly on the display, reflecting the expression on her face. Jiang Ling saw it clearly.
It was a smile mixed with satisfaction and joy.
Jiang Ling had seen this expression on many people’s faces. The familiar sight made her involuntarily reach out to take the earbud and awkwardly tuck it into her ear.
A slow, peaceful piano melody flowed through the earphone.
According to Jiang Ling’s understanding, the song Shen Yue was writing should be a ballad, but it wasn’t sad. It conveyed a steady, firm strength that brought peace to one’s heart.
“How is it?”
Seeing that Jiang Ling seemed dazed, Shen Yue laughed in spite of herself. “Why are you spacing out, dummy?”
She used to write songs alone.
Even though she would show the final product to Shen Ran, the entire process — from the initial spark of inspiration to the middle stages of production and finally presenting the complete track — was a journey Shen Yue spent entirely by herself.
She didn’t have friends to share these joyful moments with.
Shen Yue knew she wasn’t good at making friends. Whenever she tried to maintain a good relationship, she would inevitably mess it up.
Thinking of this, a bitter smile spread across her lips. Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Jiang Ling.
“Everyone will definitely love this song, too!”
Jiang Ling’s mood remained high, and she didn’t hold back her praise. “You’re so amazing! Have you really never studied this? Even though I’m a music major, I can only play existing scores at most. I can’t compare to you at all.”
As she spoke, her eyes sparkled like bright stars. She stared unblinkingly at the slightly startled Shen Yue, her voice urgent.
“Could you teach me how to write songs in the future?”
This was a request from the bottom of Jiang Ling’s heart, so much so that she only realized how abrupt and rude it was after she said it.
She waved her hands frantically, her voice panicked. “Wait, I didn’t mean anything by that. Just act like I never said it — “
“Sure.”
Shen Yue’s response was immediate. She glided her fingers across the keyboard, producing a cheerful note as if to echo her words.
“Since you have a foundation, you’ll learn quickly. But let me say this first: I’m not a professional either. I’m mostly self-taught. You can’t blame me if you don’t learn well.”
Shen Yue muttered to herself, stealing glances at Jiang Ling’s expression. She tried her best to suppress the corners of her mouth, which were harder to keep down than the recoil of an AK-47.
‘Am I, Shen Yue, finally going to have my first friend who shares my interests?!’
“The fact that you agreed makes me happy enough. How could I possibly blame you?” Jiang Ling countered immediately, though she felt giddy inside.
The two of them looked at each other and giggled for a while before diving back into the creative process.
Outside the door, Shen Ran had been leaning against the frame for a long time, bored. She realized the two were only saying things like “Are we best friends now?” and “Let’s do our best together,” which felt rather plain.
“Sigh~”
She pouted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She looked disinterested. “Tsk, and here I thought there’d finally be a good show to watch. I got excited for nothing. But, best friends, huh…”
‘Not bad, I guess.’
Shen Ran’s lips curved slightly. She was genuinely happy for her sister. She then walked toward her room with light steps, humming a song and mumbling under her breath, “However, I’ll remember this debt for biting me. I’ll find a chance to pay it back later, Jiang Ling. Hee hee.”
—
Inside the room, Jiang Ling and Shen Yue were both looking at the only bed with unnatural expressions. They fell into a mutual silence.
The bed really wasn’t that big. Shen Yue probably hadn’t thought much of it when she bought it, only considering that she would be sleeping alone. But while two people sleeping in it wasn’t impossible, it would be a bit too “intimate.”
Thinking of this, Shen Yue looked up slightly in the silence and was the first to break the quiet.
“Is it… okay if we sleep together?”
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