Chapter 106: Li He Writes a New Song Again (Seeking Monthly Votes at Month's End)

A profound sense of helplessness. Absolutely helpless.

Xie Shun was dazed for a moment. What just happened? What had he just experienced?

Jiang You opened his mouth, then closed it. Aside from He Laoshi, he was the only other person here who wasn't familiar with Jabei. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out, which only made the frustration even more suffocating.

That urgent, nagging impulse to keep listening left him feeling completely restless. It was like being tied up with hemp rope while someone tickled the soles of your feet with a feather—an agonizing, maddening sensation of being on the verge of a breakdown, unable to scratch the itch and unable to stop it.

Jiang Qi and He Xi'er exchanged glances, both seeing the same resigned, frustrated smile in each other’s eyes.

"I finally know how fans feel listening to the 'severed' version of 'Bubble' on Douyin," Jiang Qi said, feeling like she might burst into tears. How could Teacher Jabei be like this? The "severed" version was clearly He Luoluo’s invention; Teacher Jabei was such a good person!

He Xi'er shot her best friend a look, thinking to herself, *Have you forgotten the experience of listening to the 'severed' version of 'Sorrow' back then?* She didn't dare bring it up, fearing she might get hit.

Wu Guang’s smile had vanished, his expression grim. A water cup he had accidentally kicked over lay on its side at his feet. *If I’d known, I wouldn't have given you the guitar. How did it come to this?* Li He was usually full of laughter and easygoing, so why was he so ruthless when it came to trolling people?

Li He felt a bit guilty. Xie Shun was his senior at the company; although this was their first meeting, they were both members of the same group. It wasn't great to mess with him like this. After a moment of thought, Li He smiled and said, "Teacher Xie Shun, I’ll send you the second half as soon as I write it."

Once the show aired, he should be able to release the full version.

"Make it quick!" Xie Shun muttered listlessly, slumping in his chair with his head hanging low. This was his first time hearing a "severed" song, and it was a live performance—the critical damage was doubled.

Jiang Qi and He Xi'er, however, were much more experienced. The moment Li He said it was over, the two sisters had already run to the camera crew to beg for the raw footage. The only way to quickly recover one's mood after hearing a "severed" song was to forward the infuriating video to a good friend. In this regard, Jiang Qi and He Xi'er were seasoned veterans.

"What do you want the raw footage for? The show hasn't aired yet; all of this is confidential," Wu Guang said, on guard. If they weren't signed artists of Shengshi, he would have suspected they were sent by Brothers Entertainment to steal intelligence.

Jiang Qi chuckled sheepishly. "Director Wu, He Xi'er and I only want the part where Teacher Jabei is singing. We don’t need anything else."

"That’s still a no," Wu Guang refused again.

Li He appearing on camera to sing a new song was a major highlight for the program, far more precious than any other footage.

"Director Wu, how did you feel after hearing the half-song Teacher Jabei sang?" He Xi'er asked, answering her own question. "It’s very uncomfortable. You want to hear the rest but can’t. It’s infuriating. But imagine if you sent the video of Teacher Jabei singing to your best friend—how would you feel then?"

The two women fell silent, watching Director Wu expectantly. Upon hearing this suggestion, Wu Guang immediately looked at He Xi'er with newfound respect. This devious idea was truly brilliant! When he thought about it, sending the video of Li He singing a half-song to his best friend in the industry would indeed make his own frustrated mood much better.

But... wouldn't that be an easy way to lose friends? Looking at Jiang Qi and He Xi'er, Wu Guang finally understood why they were so close.

Though the suggestion was tempting, Wu Guang still refused. "It’s against the rules. Tell you what—as long as Teacher Jabei agrees, I have no objections."

Although he was the general director, Li He had the authority to make decisions and execute them for everything on the show. That was what the company's top brass had told him before filming began. It was said that the head of the Singer Department, Liu Kang, had personally lobbied the executives, convincing them to make Li He the primary decision-maker for this program.

If Jabei agreed and the raw footage leaked, the responsibility wouldn't fall on him.

*Li He will agree, right?* He Xi'er wasn't so sure. In her impression, Li He had always maintained an upright and righteous image. The "severed" version trick must have been picked up from He Luoluo. Li He was just a songwriter; what did he know about "severed" half-songs?

He Xi'er was nervous, but when she hesitantly brought it up, Li He agreed after only a moment's thought.

"Don't worry, Teacher Jabei, I definitely won't let the video spread on the internet," Jiang Qi said, solemnly raising her right hand and holding up three fingers.

"No need to be so formal," Li He laughed. "It doesn't matter if it spreads online, as long as you tag it as a teaser for the show. Also, you’re only allowed to post the version where my back is turned."

His appearance on *A Yearning Life* was a major selling point. If his face appeared online beforehand, that surprise would be ruined. In fact, Li He hadn't thought about leaking the singing video early, but after He Xi'er brought it up, he realized it was perfectly doable. The production team just needed to issue a vague statement.

He could harvest a wave of negative emotion points from netizens listening to the "severed" version. Then, when the show officially aired and audiences discovered that the version of "The Ordinary Road" in the show was also "severed," he could harvest another wave.

Since Li He agreed, Wu Guang no longer refused. He also wanted his friends to hear this incredibly good song. Good friends should know how to share.

That night, the post-production team worked overtime to edit the video. They created two versions: one showing his face and another showing only his back throughout the entire song. This was at Li He's request. By the time the video was ready, it was past midnight.

"Old Qin and Sister Yang should be asleep by now, right?" Li He rested his chin in his hand and checked the time. 12:10 AM.

It was very late. After some thought, Li He took out his phone and called the old comrade. Soon, the call connected, and a groggy voice came through—clearly, he had been woken up.

Li He asked politely, "Are you asleep?"

On the other end of the line, Old Qin was instantly bewildered. *That is such a technically brilliant question to ask!* Was he supposed to say he was asleep, or that he wasn't?

"What is it?" Old Qin’s tone was less than friendly. Anyone woken up in the middle of the night and asked "Are you asleep?" wouldn't be in a good mood; not cursing was already a sign of high character.

Li He, however, was spirited and not at all sleepy. "Old Qin, I just sang a new song, and you were the first person I thought of. It’s not quite perfect yet, though."

Old Qin regained some alertness, though the drowsiness remained. "You... wrote another new song?" This kid’s productivity was too high; even the pigs raised in his hometown didn't produce litters this fast.

Li He spoke gently, showing great respect for the old comrade. "The inspiration came suddenly. It’s just not perfect yet, but you’re the first person I’ve shared it with." He emphasized the last sentence to make his point.

After finishing the call with the old comrade, Li He sent a WeChat message to Zhang Yang instead of calling. To his surprise, she replied; she wasn't asleep yet.

"You wrote another new song?"

*The way she says that, it’s like it’s weird that I write new songs...* Li He typed back: "I accidentally wrote it, but it’s not perfect yet."

Zhang Yang: "Send it over, let me see."

Li He didn't mention that he had sung it; he only said he had written a new song. After sharing the new song with his two superiors, the sleepiness finally hit him. Reporting work progress to superiors at night to show he was working overtime was a great way to earn their favor—especially when sharing a new song.

After returning to his room, Li He lit a mosquito coil and drifted off to sleep, feeling wonderfully satisfied. He even had a sweet, beautiful dream.