"Mu Zi'ang?" Murphy walked over, still a bit groggy, and glanced at the email.
As Murphy's assistant and agent, Mo Xiaojuan's job was far more than just accompanying Murphy on her travels and cleaning up messes. Beyond handling the announcements arranged by the company's higher-ups, she also had to deal with countless businesses drawn by Murphy's fame, meticulously planning Murphy's daily schedule.
Not only that, but Mo Xiaojuan also had to manage the relationship between the icy Murphy and her fans. In fact, Mo Xiaojuan was no less busy than Murphy—if anything, she was even busier.
The email account Mo Xiaojuan was using now was specifically for negotiating collaborations, but occasionally, fans would track it down and send emails expressing their admiration for Murphy.
The one Murphy saw, judging by its subject line, looked exactly like that kind of email: "To Murphy, a Gift from an Admirer."
But since Mo Xiaojuan brought it up with such gravity, Murphy couldn't help but read on out of curiosity.
The body of the email wasn't long. It roughly introduced the "fan" as someone named Mu Zi'ang, who had admired Murphy for a long time and loved her singing. Seeing Murphy's new album face setbacks, he felt indignant, believing it was because Murphy had chosen the wrong songs. So, he offered two songs he had written for Murphy, hoping she would pull herself together and make a comeback!
Murphy finally understood—this was no ordinary fan letter!
This was a letter from a true fan!
A wave of warmth washed over Murphy. She felt that no matter how good or bad the songs this fan had written were, she would take them seriously. Even if they weren't well-written, Murphy was determined to go to the recording studio, cut a few demo tapes, and send them to him as a token of gratitude for his care and effort!
However, seeing Murphy's "unmoved" expression, Mo Xiaojuan grew anxious: "Sis, haven't you figured it out yet?"
"Figured out what?"
"Mu Zi'ang?"
"Yeah, my fan! What about it?" Murphy was puzzled.
Mo Xiaojuan rolled her eyes. Frustrated, she pushed her chair aside, stood up, and briskly walked over to Murphy's collection shelf, pulling down an album.
Murphy recognized it at once—wasn't it the Chen Yijie new album "Long Time No See" she had asked someone to buy just a few days ago?
But Murphy was still a bit foggy, her mind not quite catching up.
Mo Xiaojuan brought it over and pointed at the first two songs: "Sis, look—who wrote these two songs?"
Murphy didn't need to look this time; it dawned on her: "Mu Zi'ang! No wonder that name sounded so familiar! So he wrote 'Long Time No See' and 'Better Not to See' for Chen Yijie!"
Murphy loved this album, especially those two songs. She had even listened to the Cantonese track "Better Not to See" several times!
Of course, Murphy could speak Cantonese. Even though she grew up abroad and later returned to the mainland to develop her career in the Mandarin pop scene, one mustn't forget that Murphy's mother was once a singer from Hong Kong.
"Exactly! Sis, Mu Zi'ang wrote songs for you!" Mo Xiaojuan trembled with excitement. "And he's your fan!"
But Murphy frowned, not sharing Mo Xiaojuan's excitement. She said calmly, "It might not be that Mu Zi'ang, right? How could it be such a coincidence?"
Still, regardless of that, Murphy was eager to have Mo Xiaojuan download and print out the sheet music for these two songs.
"Sis, do you want the demo?" Mo Xiaojuan asked.
Murphy hesitated for a moment before replying, "You can download it, but don't give it to me yet."
In the music world, "demo" refers to a sample recording. A creator's demo is typically a rough recording of their initial ideas, meant as a reference for record companies or singers—essentially, the song's prototype.
But major record companies often overlook these demos, worried they might influence the singers' own interpretations! Murphy felt the same way. As a seasoned professional singer, she preferred to use her own approach to perform a song.
Opening the sheet music, Murphy froze when she saw the title of the first song: "The Original Dream." Then, reading the lyrics below, she fell silent.
"Sis, it really was written for you!" Mo Xiaojuan had printed two copies and was eagerly reading the lyrics beside her—she knew nothing about sheet music—and exclaimed in surprise.
Murphy didn't respond, but the shock and joy in her eyes said it all.
Wasn't it written for her?
"...If the dream hadn't fallen off the cliff, at the last moment, how would I know that the persistent person has invisible wings?"
Weren't these lines describing Murphy's current situation?
Her dream had hit a snag, her wings broken. Everyone was mocking her, doubting her comeback and future, yet Murphy still clung stubbornly to her dream path.
"...The original dream held tightly in hand, the place I most want to go, why turn back halfway?"
"The original dream will surely be reached; only when the true longing is fulfilled can it be considered reaching paradise..."
Murphy wanted to realize her musical dream, to keep standing on stage, because that was her paradise!
Even now, without a return to the stage, Murphy had no intention of giving up!
"It's definitely Mu Zi'ang!" Mo Xiaojuan was convinced of her judgment. She blurted out, "Only Mu Zi'ang, who wrote 'Long Time No See,' could craft such brilliant lyrics!"
Murphy didn't reply, but she had already accepted Mo Xiaojuan's claim. She could sense from reading the sheet music what kind of melody this song had!
Even if the melody wasn't in the same style as "Long Time No See," Murphy believed that a creator capable of writing such beautiful melodies and lyrics that struck deep into the soul would have their own pride—how could they impersonate someone else's name?
Without even looking at the second song, Murphy couldn't wait to turn and head to her private recording studio. She powered up the equipment and input the sheet music for "The Original Dream." The computer would simulate the corresponding instrument sounds to produce an accompaniment.
Of course, it couldn't compare to live instruments, but it was good enough for a rough test.
Murphy put on her headphones, closed her eyes, and after the intro played, she softly hummed: "If pride isn't coldly slapped down by the sea of reality..."
No, that's not right. It seemed like the key should be raised a bit at the start...
Frowning, Murphy dragged the progress bar and started over.
This was the inevitable struggle of recording a song! To capture the best feel for the final album version, every song required this kind of meticulous, line-by-line deliberation and constant tweaking of her singing style, just like Murphy was doing now.
This process was tedious, but much like Yang Yi's cooking, good things were worth the wait!
Of course, Murphy could have taken the easy route. If she listened to Yang Yi's demo—though it was just a vague hum—she'd at least know the basic singing approach.
But where was the fun in that? Murphy wasn't Fan Fan; she had her own style, her own voice, and naturally, she would deliver her own brilliance!
Standing outside the recording studio, Mo Xiaojuan helplessly slapped her forehead: "Sigh, another all-nighter?"
She knew Murphy's style well—when she worked, she lost track of day and night. With no other choice, Mo Xiaojuan, as both assistant and cousin, abandoned the idea of going home to sleep, grabbed her bag, and headed out to buy Murphy some late-night snacks.
(The first song is "The Original Dream." What do you think the second one is?)