Chapter 883: Chapter 881: Confidence
Ye Xinyan was surprised to hear Jiang Yifan’s outright rejection. She turned to him and asked, “Why not? I think it’s a good idea. Even if the lyrics and melody aren’t great, at least they’re novel.”
This silly girl, does she simply know nothing, or does she never value their relationship?
Jiang Yifan squeezed her shoulder hard, making Ye Xinyan hiss, and he said rather unwillingly, “That’s something between Ah Yan and me; it can’t be shown to others!”
“Huh?” Ye Xinyan was puzzled, what and what? What exactly belonged to them?
Then she remembered that afternoon she went crazy in Clear Water Village. Thinking about it again, she felt as if it was a lifetime ago.
At that time, stimulated by Zhou Biyao’s boldness, she was focused on marrying Wong Qiao. Being rejected led her to sing crazily all afternoon without caring about anything.
Actually, upon reflection, it wasn’t necessarily because she was so taken with Wong Qiao; he was like a truly reliable and economical guy, like a neighborly older brother, very reassuring and stable.
Luckily, Wong Qiao didn’t fancy her. Otherwise, she’d probably be embroiled in a fierce battle of wits with Lady Zhao now. Poor Wong Qiao caught in the middle, how awkward would that be?
Thinking of this, Ye Xinyan felt a bit guilty and stole a glance at Jiang Yifan, only to meet his half-smiling gaze.
She hurriedly put on an awkward smile and said, “Um, well, I’m not talking about those songs. They’re not suitable for the girls here to sing. I’m talking about finding a few others that suit them.”
“Other songs, huh…” Jiang Yifan’s expression softened a bit, showing some curiosity. “Songs that suit the girls here to sing, what are those? Are they different from the ones you tried before?”
Ye Xinyan searched her memory. Logically, several of Jay Chou’s songs could really stand out in this era.
Thinking of this, she glanced at Jiang Yifan again, but this guy was unwilling.
Speaking of this, she did feel a bit embarrassed. It seemed what Jiang Yifan meant was that her scene singing wildly outside Clear Water Village was very important to him, deeply memorable, and highly significant.
But she truly didn’t have that feeling; she was just trying to vent her accumulated frustrations that day, which also involved the awkwardness of her confession to Wong Qiao being rejected. So, for Jiang Yifan’s fond memory, she couldn’t quite resonate with it.
“How about you know the poem ‘Difficult to Meet,’ right? It’s very beautiful when sung.” Admittedly, the songs composed by Li Yu were very beautiful and melodious, but singing the lyrics of a lost king to the Crown Prince was truly inappropriate.
“Li Shangyin’s ‘Untitled’ poem?” Jiang Yifan eyed her for a while before saying, “Are you going to write down the score or plan to teach someone how to sing it?” In his view, Ye Xinyan probably wasn’t versed in music. He had only heard her sing once, and though it was beautiful and rhythmic, over time, Ye Xinyan hadn’t touched books or entertainment involving musical instruments or scores.
“Well,” Ye Xinyan felt a bit embarrassed mentioning it. In this era, it was customary for noblewomen to be skilled in arts and letters, even if only a small number were proficient. Still, many were at least moderately versed in music, able to strum strings or play a tune.
“… Um, teaching someone to sing isn’t likely,” that would be revealing the truth, “Writing the score, I can’t do.”
Jiang Yifan chuckled at her straightforwardness, instantly dissipating the feeling of sourness in his heart.
What’s with this guy, mocking her?
Ye Xinyan glared at him indignantly and said, “What’s so funny about this? Everyone in the capital knows the eldest miss of the Ye Family is unlearned. Playing the piano and composing are complex skills; how would I know how to do them?”
The more she thought, the angrier she became. Why was she doing this? Wasn’t it to help these thieves who stole the country think of a solution?
“Can you write the score? If not, forget it, just pretend I never said. You figure it out yourselves.” Ye Xinyan pushed Jiang Yifan aside, furious.
“I can, of course, I can.” Jiang Yifan quickly sat up straight and said repeatedly, “Your husband is a great talent. Though not well-versed in music, writing a simple tune is doable. Come on, let’s start now; I’ll go get paper and pen.”
Ye Xinyan glared at him irritably, “I should go. How can I trouble you, sir, with such a task.”
Jiang Yifan smiled as Ye Xinyan went to find ink and paper, opened the window near the bed, and looked outside. It was after lunch now, and the yard was empty. His house was indeed small; when Ah Yan returns, she’ll have to sing softly to avoid being heard by those maids and the old woman servant.
Ye Xinyan brought the paper and pen and said to him, “I’ve already sent Song Ping’s Household and Jiu Yue to rest in their rooms, so if we keep our voices down, no one should hear.”
Jiang Yifan spread the paper on the bed table, and Ye Xinyan sat beside him, the two heads leaning together.
“Difficult to meet, harder still to part…”
Ye Xinyan sang very softly and gently. After a couple of lines, she saw Jiang Yifan hold his pen still, surprised, she asked, “Why aren’t you writing it down?”
Jiang Yifan paused. Could he say that this melody was sad and lengthy, the artistic conception so beautiful it distracted him?
“Hmm, I wasn’t ready just now. Let’s start now.”
Ye Xinyan sang twice, and Jiang Yifan wrote down the full score and added lyrics, then remained silent for a long time.
The songs of this era mainly served to please men. Ye Xinyan had truly not engaged with these things. Seeing Jiang Yifan quiet, she felt uncertain.
She asked, “How is it, is it not working?” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fiɾe·net
Jiang Yifan then blew on the sheets of composed music and looked at Ye Xinyan with full appreciation, sighing, “How could it be not working? There are many songs composed for famous poems, but those that can express the pain and longing in the poems so profoundly are rare.
A woman singing such songs to the Crown Prince is not just for sensory pleasure but also reflects profound longing for the Crown Prince… Ahem, anyway, it’ll definitely move him.”
Now, Jiang Yifan was fully confident in Ye Xinyan’s plan, even more so than using beauty to sway the Crown Prince. He could almost imagine a beautiful, melancholic woman presenting her deep affection to the Crown Prince, who would so enjoy and savor it.
However, he paused, looking at Ye Xinyan, “Is just this one song a bit insufficient?”
Using one song to continually please the Crown Prince was indeed a bit challenging, and moreover, this song was quite short.
Ye Xinyan thought of the song called “Wind Kite’s Mistake.” Its melodious tune showcased a classic atmosphere, easy to sing along to, and should also pair well with dance.
She remembered the melody clearly, but after being here for quite some time, she wasn’t sure if she could recall the lyrics entirely.
To Ye Xinyan’s surprise, as she naturally flowed through her memory, she ended up singing the entire song.
Upon hearing it, Jiang Yifan nearly applauded excitedly. Finishing the lyrics and score, he hugged Ye Xinyan tightly with enthusiasm, only to unceremoniously leave her somewhat dumbstruck, quickly putting on his shoes and coat, and hurriedly saying he was off to find Mr. Hu before departing just like that.