Robin gazed at the lyrics and sheet music in her hands, a knot of uncertainty tightening in her chest. This was Cheng Hui's newest composition, and Robin would be the first to perform it—the original singer.
This was different from covering an existing song. For covers, Robin simply listened to other artists' renditions a few times and effortlessly mimicked their style.
Fortunately, after several days of intensive practice, Robin felt she had at least "grasped the basics" of music. She should be able to read the sheet music and sing the song without major issues. Still, uncertainty lingered. What if she stumbled, sang off-key, or her interpretation clashed with the songwriter's vision?
Robin was clearly overthinking it. Every original song went through this process—repeated rehearsals. How could anyone expect a perfect first take, straight off the sheet?
This meant Robin's earlier fantasy of a same-day trip to the studio was practically impossible.
Cheng Hui suggested, "Should we head to the photography studio I booked for a practice session?"
It's worth noting that learning the song was only part of the equation. They were creating a collaborative video, which required both singers to coordinate their performances—another layer of practice time.
To be honest, after learning how complicated the project would be, Robin felt a twinge of regret. She wondered how many days it would take, but since she had already committed, she couldn't back out. She nodded, and soon they arrived at the ancient-style photography studio Cheng Hui had mentioned. This was Robin's first time visiting a photography venue other than the usual place for headshots.
From the outside, the building looked like an ordinary shop. But stepping inside felt like stepping back in time. It wasn't just a single room or set deliberately decorated to resemble the past; the entire structure had been built with the keyword "ancient style" in mind, exuding a fresh and elegant atmosphere.
As the saying goes:
The courtyard chills after the rain, desolate and bleak,
A gentle breeze stirs the curtained screen.
Birds awaken lingering dreams,
Spring's chill restrains blossoming branches.
Cheng Hui asked, "What do you think of this place?"
Having never been to another photography studio, Robin had no basis for comparison. She could only offer her initial impression: "I think... it looks pretty good."
"This place looks perfect," Cheng Hui said, immediately finding a staff member and booking the entire studio for two days. Turning to Robin, she added, "I'll have my piano delivered later. We can just practice casually today and record properly tomorrow."
Robin watched in disbelief as Cheng Hui made a single phone call. Moments later, a van pulled up to the studio entrance, and a team of people began unloading equipment.
Along with the piano movers came a photographer and the composer of the song.
Feeling awkward, Robin stood directly in front of the camera. "Do I really have to sing right away?"
"Don't be nervous, Miss Robin," the composer said, stroking his gleaming bald head and giving her a thumbs-up. "Just sing through the sheet music casually. I'll correct any mistakes."
Cheng Hui, seated at the piano, chimed in, "No need to put too much pressure on yourself. This is just practice. Take your time."
No, telling me not to be nervous only makes me more nervous! Robin grumbled inwardly, but she had no choice. She lowered her head and focused on the lyrics and sheet music before her.
Given the venue, the song naturally resonated with classical Chinese aesthetics. As Cheng Hui's piano notes began to flow, Robin joined in with her voice.
About a minute or two into the performance, halfway through the song, the photographer whispered to the composer, "No wonder they call her Robin. Her voice is stunning! And your composition is brilliant too, of course."
But the composer remained dazed, muttering, "That's odd... Did she... did she make a mistake?"
"Huh? A mistake?" the photographer asked, puzzled. "Why the question mark?"
Three minutes flew by. When the song concluded, Robin turned to the composer, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "So... what do you think?"
Hearing her, the composer finally snapped out of his trance. His blank expression gradually returned to focus. "It was... it was very good. But there are still a few minor issues. The ending of the third line should be smoother, and the seventh line..."
After correcting the errors, Robin and Cheng Hui performed the song again.
The photographer, meanwhile, understood nothing of the technical details. He couldn't even discern any significant difference between the first and second takes. His evaluation remained unchanged: "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"
The composer, however, remained unsatisfied. He pointed out minor errors and had Robin and Cheng Hui perform the song a third and fourth time, only grudgingly approving the fifth take.
"Alright, you two coordinated well just now. Let's take a break," he announced, then went to review the recordings of all five takes with the photographer, listening to them repeatedly.
If asked to pick the best-sounding version, he couldn't. Instead, he could only identify the worst one—the first take, where Robin's mistakes had been glaring. The subsequent four performances contained only minor flaws, and to the composer's ears, all four versions sounded remarkably good.
This realization struck him: Even though only the final take was technically perfect, he found the "correct" version no more compelling than the earlier, flawed ones. How could this be?
In other words, whether a song sung by Robin sounded good had little to do with the composer's skill. Its appeal stemmed solely from the fact that it was Robin who sang it—nothing more, nothing less.
After a short break, Robin and Cheng Hui practiced several more times. Their coordination grew increasingly seamless, and their familiarity with the song deepened with each repetition.
Evening arrived quickly. Cheng Hui treated Robin to a lavish dinner and casually inquired about her clothing sizes.
Of course, this wasn't some kind of flirtatious advance. With a traditional-style song and venue, the singer naturally needed to wear traditional Hanfu.
"I'll get you a set of Hanfu," Cheng Hui said. "What colors do you prefer?"
Robin looked slightly embarrassed. "Han... Hanfu? Is that really necessary?"
Cheng Hui's expression turned serious. "Absolutely! This is a rare collaboration, so we have to make it perfect. I've already booked a costume designer and stylist."
Robin frowned. "But wouldn't making a video like this be a complete waste of money?"
Cheng Hui shrugged. "It won't cost much anyway. Besides, I'm not doing this for profit. I just enjoy making and sharing music."
Robin stared at her in disbelief. Good grief, is this girl secretly rich?