“Huh?”
Hearing Bai Xue’s words of agreement, Jiang Ling was stunned.
She straightened up and stared blankly at Bai Xue, who seemed to be genuinely considering the feasibility of the idea. Jiang Ling hurriedly waved her hands in a panic. “No, I was just talking nonsense!”
While Jiang Ling was indeed dissatisfied with the lyrics provided, she doubted she could write anything decent herself if she were to do it personally. It was like having a good sense of aesthetics; it didn’t necessarily mean one could create a masterpiece, but it certainly meant they had the ability to discern quality.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling added, “How about we let them write a few more versions?”
In response, Bai Xue shook her head decisively.
“These are works I’ve already provided revision suggestions for. Even if they’re changed a few more times, the results won’t be much different. But your suggestion of writing the lyrics ourselves… I think it’s quite interesting.”
Pausing for a moment, Bai Xue met Jiang Ling’s attempt to argue and continued, “I believe that as long as the lyrics can convey emotion to the audience, that’s enough.”
“Granted, we aren’t professionals, and we might not be able to write beautiful or admirable verses, but this is our first title track. I want it to have our own unique color.”
It wasn’t that Jiang Ling couldn’t understand Bai Xue’s point, but she instinctively felt she couldn’t do it.
Shouldn’t songwriting be left to the professionals?
With that thought in mind, she turned to look at the others. However, to Jiang Ling’s surprise, no one objected to this seemingly absurd idea.
“I think it’s pretty good. Writing lyrics isn’t like composing music; there’s no major threshold. As long as you write from the heart, it should be fine.”
Fang Wannnan was the first to speak. She had seen idols write their own lyrics before. Although the skill level might be lacking, sincerity was always heart-warming.
“Besides, we’re only writing the first draft. We can have someone adjust it later, so you don’t need to worry so much.”
Mo Ran noticed the concern in Jiang Ling’s heart and spoke up to comfort her.
Lin Xiaoyu sat beside her and habitually reached out to hold Jiang Ling’s hand. Her voice was calm and firm. “We can do it.”
Feeling the positive energy radiating from her teammates, the rebuttal Jiang Ling had prepared got stuck in her throat. She was someone easily influenced by her environment. Back when she was surrounded by patients, she naturally developed a lonely and insecure personality.
But ever since joining NOVA, although everyone’s personalities weren’t perfect, they were all incredibly sincere. At the very least, they brought Jiang Ling mostly positive energy, which indirectly influenced her words, deeds, and inner thoughts.
Jiang Ling pursed her lips and stopped arguing.
“Then… should we give it a try?”
—
After deciding to write the lyrics themselves, Jiang Ling almost immediately began searching the internet for articles like “Become a Lyric Master in Three Days,” trying to quickly fill her smooth, wrinkle-free brain.
“I suggest you watch less of that stuff.”
Lin Xiaoyu, lying next to her, glanced over and gave a faint word of advice.
“I have to look at something! Otherwise, I’ll panic—”
Jiang Ling skimmed through the messy articles, feeling like someone turning to any doctor in a crisis.
Bai Xue had assigned everyone the task of writing lyrics. They weren’t restricted by format or length; Bai Xue simply hoped everyone would express their true inner thoughts to the fullest. Eventually, they would piece everything together to form a song that belonged uniquely to them.
The idea was perfectly fine, but the problem was that Jiang Ling had no idea how to start. She looked at the empty memo on her phone and felt an overflowing sense of helplessness.
‘God! Save me!’
Of course, no soft-hearted god responded to Jiang Ling this time.
The only response she got was Lin Xiaoyu’s arm wrapping around her and a steady, clear voice. “Take a break.”
“But it’s only noon.”
“Take a nap.”
Jiang Ling remained silent for a long while. She didn’t refuse Lin Xiaoyu’s suggestion and quietly closed her eyes. But even with her eyes shut, a string in Jiang Ling’s head remained tightly wound, like a time bomb ticking away.
‘Sigh, if only Shen Yue knew how to write lyrics.’
In fact, Jiang Ling had asked Shen Yue about this before, but the other girl had replied that she knew nothing about anything other than composing.
“Relax. This isn’t as complicated as you think.”
Lin Xiaoyu’s voice sounded in her ear, carrying a sense of security that put Jiang Ling at ease. “The most important thing is your heart—for yourself, for NOVA, and for the fans.”
Listening to her, Jiang Ling felt a bit dizzy and silently nodded to show she understood. She could grasp what Lin Xiaoyu meant and understood their current situation, but if she actually had to write, it would probably be a mess.
This caused Jiang Ling to feel a moment of frustration. Her small face scrunched up, and as if suddenly thinking of something, she climbed out of bed and walked to the desk. She started rummaging through Lin Xiaoyu’s bookshelf, muttering under her breath, “Didn’t you have a dictionary?”
Lin Xiaoyu watched her rummage through the room with a look of helplessness. Leaning lazily against the bed, she asked, “Are you so helpless that you need to rely on a dictionary to write lyrics?”
“It’s an emergency!”
Jiang Ling dismissed her while pulling out a box. Curious, she wanted to open it and shook it at Lin Xiaoyu. “Can I open this?”
Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyu looked thoughtful but nodded anyway.
Jiang Ling opened the box and found a pair of glasses resting quietly inside. They had no lenses and were likely for decoration. She took the glasses out and naturally placed them on the bridge of Lin Xiaoyu’s nose. Then, she spoke with satisfaction, “Where did you buy these? They really suit you. You look just like a teacher.”
Hearing that, Lin Xiaoyu cooperatively pushed the frames with her finger, her expression unchanged. “It is indeed not bad.”
Jiang Ling thought she was just being narcissistic and didn’t pay much attention. After more rummaging, she finally found the nearly new dictionary and flipped it open.
The first page started with the letter “A.” Just as Jiang Ling was about to flip further, Lin Xiaoyu appeared behind her at some unknown moment. She stretched her arms forward, trapping Jiang Ling in the small space by the desk.
“What is written there?”
“Huh?”
Jiang Ling was stunned, unsure what Lin Xiaoyu was playing at. She let out a confused sound.
*Smack!*
Just as she spoke, she felt a sting on her rear. The force wasn’t heavy, but it caused the tips of Jiang Ling’s ears to flush crimson instantly. She turned around in a fit of pique, intending to say something, only to meet Lin Xiaoyu’s scrutinizing and critical gaze.
“Teacher is asking you—”
“What is written there?”
Her voice was steady, and her tone was as cold as ever.
However, Jiang Ling inexplicably sensed a hint of danger in it. Moreover, could it be that she was… roleplaying with her?!
Jiang Ling, having been automatically assigned the role of a student, swallowed hard and spoke tentatively, “Lin—”
*Smack!*
Another one, slightly heavier than the last. Tears shimmered in the corners of Jiang Ling’s eyes from the pain. She finally realized that Lin Xiaoyu was serious. She lowered her eyes pitifully, her voice weak. “Teacher.”
“Continue.”
A faint smile was hidden in Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes, but her face remained stern, perfectly maintaining her cold teacher persona. The frames perched on the bridge of her nose didn’t feel out of place at all.
Because she had turned around hastily, Jiang Ling was now almost huddled in Lin Xiaoyu’s arms, separated only by the dictionary. She stole a glance and then looked away, hesitantly reading out the first character on the page.
“A.”
After she finished reading, she heard Lin Xiaoyu let out a dissatisfied click of her tongue. Immediately after, Lin Xiaoyu raised her arm and naturally rested it across Jiang Ling’s waist, tapping lightly. “No emotion.”
The rhythm of her tapping was extremely regular, like the ticking of an old clock, which somehow made Jiang Ling’s heart race.
No emotion?
Unknowingly, Jiang Ling had already become immersed in this spontaneous roleplay. She was incredibly nervous, as if she had truly met one of her former teachers, feeling both dazed and apprehensive.
“…What do you mean by ‘having emotion’?”
After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked. Otherwise, Jiang Ling reasonably suspected that her backside would be useless by tomorrow.
Hearing her question, Lin Xiaoyu didn’t get angry. The hand resting on Jiang Ling’s waist continued to tap rhythmically, creating a heat that seemed to penetrate through her clothes and reach her skin.
“You want to know?”
A smile played on the corners of her lips, and Jiang Ling sensed trouble. This smile was clearly a precursor to the older girl wanting to ravish her.
Jiang Ling blinked her eyes and shook her head like a rattle. “Actually, I don’t really want to know… Ah!”
Halfway through her sentence, Jiang Ling felt a hand as flexible as a snake slip under her clothes. In just a couple of moves, it captured the softness constrained by her garment. The sudden tremor caused a distressed whimper to escape her throat.
Watching Jiang Ling’s reaction, Lin Xiaoyu slowly spread her fingers and then tightened them again.
“This is what it means to have emotion.”
Jiang Ling twisted her body to push Lin Xiaoyu’s hand away, finally sensing that something was wrong. So, she had been waiting for her all along?
Feeling tricked, Jiang Ling grew bold. She stiffened her neck and tried to resist Lin Xiaoyu. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You just want to—”
Jiang Ling’s words hung in the air as she saw Lin Xiaoyu’s expression remain calm. The hand that had been pushed away changed direction, sliding down her smooth, delicate thigh. “Me?”
It was an objective fact that Lin Xiaoyu’s voice was beautiful; anyone would agree. At this moment, with that cold, enchanting face, she whispered into Jiang Ling’s ear, “What do I want to do?”
‘You want to screw me over and over again!!!’
Jiang Ling raged inwardly.
She certainly didn’t dare mention that in front of Lin Xiaoyu. Her smile was stiff as she forced a change of subject. “Nothing, it’s nothing!”
“Student Jiang Ling, your homework today is failing.”
Lin Xiaoyu slowly led her backward. Within a few steps, Jiang Ling felt her waist hit the cold edge of the desk. The cluttered items on the surface reflected her current state of mind.
Something was wrong!
Something was very wrong!
Jiang Ling staggered slightly, and the dictionary in her hand was slammed onto the desk with a heavy thud. She could only barely support herself as she asked cautiously, “Failing?”
Why did she feel like she had heard those words just two days ago?
But Lin Xiaoyu didn’t give Jiang Ling time to think. Her long, slender finger pointed to the page in the dictionary with the letter “A,” and her voice grew cold.
“There isn’t enough emotion. Didn’t I just teach you how to read it, hmm?” Her other hand tilted Jiang Ling’s chin up, a hint of impatience in her eyes.
“Or do I need to teach you again?”