Frivolous - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Early the next morning, Chen Ran was once again waiting at the door of Yu Lanzhou’s office.

Sunlight spilled into the corridor, and a few seconds later, a woman turned the corner.

She had wavy curls and wore a white tank top under a Malta-blue suit jacket. The buttons were left open, revealing defined abdominal muscles. She looked casual and free-spirited. At that moment, she was walking toward the elevator with one hand tucked in her pocket.

As she passed Chen Ran, Yu Tingzhou took a step back. Recognizing the face of the person standing there, she asked in confusion, “Why are you here?”

She had seen this person a few times at the Yu residence, though she didn’t know her name. Isn’t this the “little jinx” my sister talked about?

“Boss Yu, it’s me,” Chen Ran smiled. “I’m the lead singer of Ode.”

“Oh, right.” Yu Tingzhou realized why Yu Lanzhou had told her people to sign this band no matter what. “Waiting for Conductor Yu?”

“Yes, I’ve troubled her to help me look over some music.”

“Aren’t you with Fengjin? Why run all the way over here?”

“I’m sorry, Boss Yu. I’ve hit a bit of a creative block.”

“And you find inspiration here with Conductor Yu?”

“A lot,” Chen Ran answered without a hint of a blush.

“Fine, if you find inspiration here, then come by more often,” Yu Tingzhou teased her. She checked her watch. “How long have you been waiting?”

“An hour.”

“Don’t wait today,” Yu Tingzhou smiled and continued, “She won’t be coming in today.” Every 15th of the month was her immovable day at the hospital.

“Oh, okay.”

Yu Tingzhou leaned in slightly. “Why don’t you ask why?”

“It’s probably not my place to ask.” Chen Ran flashed a smile. “Then I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“You have a good sense of boundaries.” Yu Tingzhou had originally wanted to use the phrase “self-awareness.” She stared at the girl who showed no sign of stage fright and asked, “By the way, what was your name again?”

“Chen Ran. Chen as in the ear-radical, Ran as in burning.”

“Got it. I’ll remember that.” Yu Tingzhou winked her left eye at Chen Ran, her face suddenly brimming with charm, something akin to a flirtatious glance.

Chen Ran knew she was just being playful.

The next morning, Chen Ran waited at the same spot but didn’t see her. That evening, she decided to wait on a whim and actually ran into Yu Lanzhou. She was wearing a long-sleeved thin white silk shirt over a white camisole—a style quite different from her usual attire, yet she still exuded an untouchable coldness.

Despite her makeup, Chen Ran could see the paleness of her face beneath the slightly heavier-than-usual foundation.

“Waiting for me?”

“Yes, waiting for you.”

Yu Lanzhou walked into the office. Chen Ran remained standing outside the door like a thin wisp of wind. She wore the simplest V-neck white T-shirt; under the neon night lights, her hair seemed to have a faint green tint. Her skin was as white as jade, with a touch of pale red on her lips.

After turning on the lights, Yu Lanzhou gave a slight tilt of her head, signaling Chen Ran to enter.

The office had a fan-shaped design with a deep blue color palette. The automatic curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows opened, letting moonlight stream in and fill the room with a clear brightness. The interior had a very specific, cold fragrance—like juniper, sophisticated and elegant.

“Say what you have to say.” Yu Lanzhou sat down first.

“I wanted to ask… do you like the song ‘Deep Sea’? Does it meet your standard of ‘not a bad melody,’ like ‘Bonfire’ did?”

Yu Lanzhou pondered for two seconds and pointed to the sofa. “Sit first.”

Once Chen Ran sat down, she noticed a tiny hint of redness in Yu Lanzhou’s eyes, which gave her cold demeanor a rare sense of warmth. When she spoke, her words carried a hint of pride: “Is my ‘liking’ it important?”

Chen Ran paused for two seconds, then a smile she couldn’t hide broke across her face. How can you be this cute? You aren’t supposed to be this soft.

Chen Ran drew a breath into her chest, holding it to support her conversation with Yu Lanzhou. “It is infinitely important.”

Yu Lanzhou stood up. “Can you play the piano?”

“I learned for a short while. I can only play simple pieces.”

“Being able to play your own songs is enough.” Yu Lanzhou walked to the piano, lifted the lid, and gave a small nod. “Try it.”

Chen Ran was very nervous. After she finished playing stumbling through the piece, Yu Lanzhou critiqued: “The piano melody doesn’t quite match the overall emotional tone. It feels a bit muffled, like the emotion is submerged in the sea.”

Yu Lanzhou sat down beside Chen Ran, her hands moving to the keys. A smooth, beautiful melody poured out beneath her dancing fingers. Chen Ran felt a vast ocean slowly unfurl before her eyes.

“Liszt’s Transcendental Etude, Un Sospiro, also known as ‘The Ocean’,” Yu Lanzhou asked sideways, “How do you feel after hearing it?”

“The emotion is very fluid, there’s a sense of release.”

Chen Ran’s response was a bit half-hearted. How could she possibly focus on the music when her mind was filled with Yu Lanzhou’s beautiful face? At this distance, she could even feel her slight warmth, let alone the faint scent of oud and agarwood perfume swirling in her chest.

“By integrating this kind of melodic feeling, you won’t feel so stifled or unable to express yourself.”

With the feeling of Un Sospiro blended into Deep Sea, the moonlight floating on the water made the song feel less freezing than before.

“Try playing it again.”

“Okay.”

During the duet, whether intentional or not, her right pinky finger brushed against Yu Lanzhou’s fingers from time to time. At first, Yu Lanzhou didn’t pay much attention, but as the contact became clearer, she could even feel the ridges of Chen Ran’s knuckles. She turned her head slightly, looking at Chen Ran with a questioning gaze.

Only then did Chen Ran seem to snap out of it. She hurriedly pulled her hand back to her lap, resting it steadily as if she had done something wrong.

“Was that on purpose?”

Chen Ran didn’t deny it, only apologizing: “I’m sorry.” She stood up in a panic, and a “snap” echoed through the quiet office. She felt like she could already hear Yu Lanzhou calling her frivolous again.

Now Chen Ran knew where that cold fragrance in the room was coming from. She had just knocked over a bottle of aromatherapy oil on the piano, breaking it on the floor. The pleasant scent immediately dispersed. Chen Ran hurriedly bent down to pick up the shards.

“Leave it there.”

“I should clean it up first, so no one gets hurt.” So you don’t get hurt.

“Leave it there.”

Yu Lanzhou repeated herself, walking closer to pull her up.

This is bad. Chen Ran actually thought her rising inflection at the end sounded like she was acting spoiled. A faint, cool temperature radiated from her arm. Yu Lanzhou’s long curls unintentionally brushed against Chen Ran’s neck, making the patch of skin feel slightly scorched.

Lifting her eyes, she saw Yu Lanzhou staring at her with eyes like jewels. They were only inches apart. I must be going crazy. She actually felt like Yu Lanzhou was enticing her.

“I’ve listened to the other new songs for the album. Did you come to me because Yang Jingou won’t let you release them?”

Yang Jingou was the producer at Fengjin, known for his sharp eye. He was the pioneer who first led the Yu family’s entry into the entertainment industry.

“Yes. Teacher Yang said the concept of my album is blurred and the themes aren’t clear. He said the melodies aren’t refined, the arrangement level is low, and my singing isn’t perfect enough to interpret the songs. Not many are up to standard. He said it’s worthless.”

Chen Ran used someone else’s mouth to criticize herself recklessly in front of Yu Lanzhou. It earned her a “True” from Yu Lanzhou, who evaluated her with absolute seriousness: “Short of breath, raspy voice, poor stamina.”

“Huh?” Chen Ran suddenly looked up, saying in a spoiled tone, “Teacher Yu, you aren’t letting me off easy either.”

“It’s only right that he’s blocking you. Those few songs are too ‘rock’ for the sake of it; they have nothing to do with pop. For a newcomer, they would just sink without a trace.”

“Do I need to change?”

“Do you want to change?”

“I can change. I don’t want to sink without a trace.” Chen Ran wanted a response that would resonate. “Do I have any merits?” Chen Ran hoped Yu Lanzhou would praise her, so she could wag her tail with pride.

“No merits.”

“But Teacher Yang didn’t say there was anything wrong with my lyrics.”

“True, he didn’t. The only thing you have that’s presentable is your songwriting.”

“Then does that count as a merit…?”

Yu Lanzhou nodded helplessly with a smile. “It counts. But the album release needs to be delayed.”

Chen Ran looked up and gave a soft, “Mhm.” She didn’t ask why. If Yu Lanzhou said it, she would just do it. Yu Lanzhou wouldn’t hurt her.

But Yu Lanzhou surprisingly gave an explanation: “Create more works. One month. Then we will re-select.”

“Okay,” Chen Ran noted the dark circles under the other’s eyes and called out, “Teacher Yu.” It sounded a bit mysterious.

“What is it?”

“Please remember to rest. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“Also, I remember. I remember everything—including tonight, and all the beautiful things about tonight.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I just… I just wanted to tell you. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Yu Lanzhou checked her watch, a gesture she often used to dismiss guests. “It’s late. Go back.”

“Alright. Be careful on your way back too. I’m going to Water Street.”

“What for?”

“Su Ping’an wants roast duck from that shop on Water Street. I’m bringing some back for her. They should still be in the recording studio.” Chen Ran checked the arrival time on her GPS; they shouldn’t be closed yet, so she could make it.

Chen Ran felt a gaze fixed on her. Realizing something, she asked Yu Lanzhou with a smile, “Have you eaten tonight? Do you want a bit? Their roast duck is the best in Pingjing. The skin isn’t oily, and you won’t get tired of it even if you eat a lot.”

Seeing that Yu Lanzhou’s brow was still furrowed, Chen Ran’s heart tightened. What hasn’t Yu Lanzhou eaten? Why would she care for something like this?

But to her surprise, the next second she heard Yu Lanzhou say, “Let’s go.”

Yu Lanzhou’s brow remained furrowed. What does that mean? Chen Ran was confused.

“Reward on behalf of Yu Tingzhou.”

Yu Lanzhou’s expression was perfectly serious when she said it. But it was so cute. Her making such a solemn, unfunny joke made Chen Ran’s heart quiver. She could catch a glimpse of the small part of Yu Lanzhou hidden beneath the iceberg.

Xu Wan drove them to Water Street. Chen Ran ordered roast duck for six people, charging it to Yu Lanzhou’s card. While waiting, Chen Ran went to buy six cups of milk tea. When she handed one over, Yu Lanzhou shook her head in refusal, but Xu Wan happily took it. “Teacher Yu isn’t used to drinking this. Can I have this one for her?”

“Sure, thank you.” Someone had resolved the awkwardness for Chen Ran.

Xu Wan went to park the car. On the short walk from the car to the Fengjin recording studio, Chen Ran carried the food and walked side-by-side with Yu Lanzhou. Yu Lanzhou’s aura was usually very powerful—perhaps because of the moonlight and the night, perhaps because of her soft clothing, or perhaps because of exhaustion. At this moment, her nobility and unapproachability were gently tucked away.

The wind blew, throwing her long curls across her profile. She raised a hand slightly to tuck them behind her ear. Her fragrance drifted in the wind. Chen Ran took another look at her own clothes. Even though she was wearing her favorite outfit, she still felt like she didn’t match the person beside her.

But in the gentle night breeze, Chen Ran heard Yu Lanzhou ask softly, “What perfume are you wearing?”

“Ah…” Chen Ran was a bit confused. “Is it maybe the scent of the aromatherapy from your office?”

She had come to find Yu Lanzhou in a hurry tonight and forgotten to put any thought into her scent. If she smelled like anything, it must be the fragrance she picked up when the oil bottle broke earlier.

“No, it’s different. A very clear scent, it smells a bit cool.” With a faint jasmine note.

“…” Chen Ran guessed what she was talking about and felt a bit of despair. Yu Lanzhou had never smelled such a scent—or rather, the people who usually surrounded Yu Lanzhou wouldn’t use something so “cheap” for the Yu family standards.

Chen Ran explained helplessly, “It’s floral water (Liushen), Teacher Yu…” She had sprayed a bit to soothe a flare-up of hives on her waist.

“Oh. Which one?” Yu Lanzhou pressed further.

“Liushen Baby, the one in the light green bottle.”

“I see.”

Support Frivolous