In the recording studio.
Cheng Yao finished revising the song and listened to it a few more times, feeling very satisfied.
But when he checked the time, it was already late.
Originally, Bao Ruanruan was supposed to record her vocal parts first since she was the first one to arrive.
But in the end, she was too absorbed in listening to the song, and Cheng Yao spent more time polishing it, so their recording session was delayed.
As a result of this delay, the others who were due to arrive later—Lu Wenhao, Lan Zhi, and Xiao Mengfei—arrived one after the other.
Bao Ruanruan was still sitting in the corner of the sofa, waving to Xiao Mengfei, who was wearing a light purple dress that matched hers today.
"Wow, Sister Bao, we're matching~" Xiao Mengfei cheered and sat happily beside her.
Even though she practised dancing until dawn yesterday and had to come in for the recording today, she didn't feel tired at all, just utterly content.
Bao Ruanruan had also grown quite fond of Xiao Mengfei.
Teammates were people you could trust with your back.
Whenever they had time to be together, they would stay close to each other.
Bao Ruanruan was also willing to teach her, "Your skirt is too short. The wind will make your knees ache. After the sanfu1 days have passed, the air will be colder."
Xiao Mengfei was instantly touched. "I have a performance later, but I'll change into pants right after."
Her manager never reminded her of such things!
Bao Bao was the best—she wanted to learn from her.
When she returned, she would remind her group members to wear long pants after their performances, too~
"All right, let's get started. This is how I've divided the lyrics."
Cheng Yao switched to work mode and signalled for everyone to quiet down.
"Sister Lan caught a cold last night, so her voice is slightly strained today. So, Sister Lan will take the easier front part."
Lan Zhi nodded and made an OK gesture while wearing a mask.
As she lowered her head, Bao Ruanruan handed her a cup of hot water.
Lan Zhi burst out laughing and gave her a grateful look.
Her thoughtfulness obviously touched her.
She deliberately set aside her throat-soothing tea and took the hot water Bao Ruanruan offered instead.
"Xiao Xiao2, the rap part is yours."
"Next, the high notes in Section B." Cheng Yao looked expectantly at Lu Wenhao.
Lu Wenhao: "OK."
"Then, the high notes in Section C—Xiao Bao. I'll take Section D."
Cheng Yao assigned the parts, generously giving away the most standout sections.
"Alright, everyone sing in order. I'll listen first."
Cheng Yao would give some professional feedback after listening to each part.
"Teacher Lan, perfect, just like that."
"Bro, you're up—uh..."
An awkward voice crackled in the recording booth.
Lu Wenhao, a lead dancer, failed to hit the note.
He cracked.
"My, ahem, my voice hasn't warmed up yet... and this note is kinda high."
His face turned red.
Xiao Mengfei and Lan Zhi couldn't help but chuckle.
Lu Wenhao glanced at Bao Ruanruan, who was next in line to sing the high notes in Section C, and his face burned even hotter.
He felt a pang of regret.
His father was right—he shouldn't take things lightly if he weren't confident about them.
But he never listened.
"Wait, let me practise for a bit."
Bao Ruanruan had been standing there, reviewing the breathing techniques she'd learned that morning, when she suddenly noticed Lu Wenhao was looking at her—she blinked in confusion.
Why was he looking at her?
Bao Ruanruan stared back very seriously, nipping any misunderstanding in the bud.
"You cracked. Not my fault."
Lu Wenhao: "......!"
Was she mocking him?!
His face turned even redder.
"Bro, let me demonstrate. Watch how you open your mouth—"
Lu Wenhao tried harder, but the more he concentrated, the tenser his voice became.
He kept cracking!
"Bro Cheng—" Lu Wenhao was embarrassed.
Cheng Yao was patient, but he was more of a naturally gifted creator.
Teaching others to sing wasn't his forte.
He couldn't figure out what exactly was going wrong with Lu Wenhao.
As time ticked away...
Just when even Cheng Yao was getting anxious, a soft, delicate voice spoke up.
"Your waist is too tense."
Bao Ruanruan raised her milky-white, slender finger and pointed vaguely in the air.
"Breathe—draw the air into your diaphragm."
She then poked at her waist.
"Expand your lungs, then exhale."
The wall clock in the recording booth showed 10:30 AM.
But they hadn't finished recording anything yet.
They were still rehearsing.
Bao Ruanruan was starting to worry about the schedule.
"Open your mouth wider. Stretch your lips and show your upper teeth."
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at Bao Ruanruan.
It was wild that people online had once dismissed her as just a 'flower vase3 beauty'—and somehow even the other four in the room had bought into that crap.
Now, they all had complicated facial expressions.
Especially Lu Wenhao, who couldn't hit the high notes. He had even received vocal training as a male idol.
And yet, he was worse than Bao Ruanruan?
Lu Wenhao's ears burned fiercely.
"Bao Bao, you know all this?" Xiao Mengfei, the most straightforward, blurted out.
Bao Ruanruan straightened her little face with seriousness. "I did a lot of preparation before coming here."
To avoid paying for the five-star hotel room, she had to give it her all.
The entire recording studio was stunned.
From now on, if anyone dared to say that Bao Ruanruan hadn't worked hard, they wouldn't believe a single word of it.
Spurred on by Xiao Mengfei's reminder, Bao Ruanruan became even more tense.
This job was betting on her beloved bird's nest soup.
When she saw Lu Wenhao's consistently poor singing just now, she grew anxious.
And so, she unleashed a torrent of advice.
"Try yawning to open your throat."
"Puff your cheeks like a frog to relax your muscles. Shake your head from side to side to loosen your vocal cords."
"Stand with your feet apart; imagine you're a tree breaking through the sky—now try again."
"Wait, come here and lift this table while singing!"
Bao Ruanruan clenched her fists.
He had to succeed.
Her methods were far more concrete than Cheng Yao's demonstrations.
Lu Wenhao wasn't stupid—he had received vocal training in his group.
His issue was that he didn't practise enough, so his skills had gotten rusty.
But when Bao Ruanruan started talking, he remembered what their vocal coach said about reaching high notes.
He combined the two approaches.
He yawned, found the proper breath support, held it—
"I want to turn over—"
He nailed it.
Even Lu Wenhao himself was shocked!
Cheng Yao laughed. "Xiao Bao, you're amazing." She really knew her stuff.
Lan Zhi was also pleasantly surprised. She always appreciated juniors who took their craft seriously.
Now, looking at Bao Ruanruan, her admiration went beyond just liking her clever ideas—it was genuine respect!
"Xiao Bao, you're full of surprises! Exploring different fields is what actors should exactly do!"
Lu Wenhao shot her a conflicted look.
Then he quickly turned away, his face flushed.
She... actually had skills.
He had to admit—sometimes, she was really... kind of great.
"Alright, Xiao Bao, your turn for Section C!" Cheng Yao looked at her expectantly.
Lu Wenhao's ears perked up curiously, though his face was still flushed.
Lan Zhi clutched her thermos; Xiao Mengfei cupped her cheeks in anticipation.
Bao Ruanruan took a deep breath, planted her feet firmly like a tripod, and placed her hands on her diaphragm.
She puffed her cheeks three times like a frog.
Then she opened her mouth, creating resonance—
"But... luck~i~ly, it's all o~~ver~~~~"
Her soft voice shimmered like water.
But everyone was stupefied.
The high note... her voice didn't crack; it soared!
But then, like a plane losing power in mid-flight, it nosedived straight onto a highway full of speeding cars—and became a total wreck!
—
Every single note was off.
Cheng Yao: "!"
Lu Wenhao: "!"
Lan Zhi, Xiao Mengfei & PD Liu Qiu: "!!"
"I'm done." Bao Ruanruan finished confidently, then turned to Xiao Mengfei, who was next.
"Pfft—"
Lu Wenhao spun away and put a hand over his mouth as his shoulders shook violently.
The others were shell-shocked.
"Uh, Xiao Bao..." Cheng Yao struggled to phrase it gently. "Your melody was… unique, but maybe I'll save it for another song."
Bao Ruanruan blinked in confusion.
Seeing her innocent expression, Cheng Yao suddenly felt guilty.
"Next time, I'll write a song that suits your voice better."
"Oh~"
"Then, Xiao Bao, how about trying this safety announcement part?"
Bao Ruanruan frowned. "Give me half an hour—I'll study the rap breathing techniques first."
Cheng Yao: "!"
Everyone: "!!"
No one's as professional as you.
No one takes things as seriously as you do.
But... unfortunately... it was all kind of useless.
"OK, shall I just start now?"
"Yeah, yeah! Just go at your own pace!" Cheng Yao encouraged.
Rap required musicality, rhythm and a sharp sense of timing.
It was hard for beginners to master.
But... turning it into a plain narration? That might work.
At least it wouldn't be as jarring as a melody massacred beyond recognition.
At this point, Cheng Yao was convinced: there wasn't a single part of this song that Bao Ruanruan could sing.
After much struggle, Bao Ruanruan finally realised—she was tone-deaf.
Her fair little face fell instantly.
Her bird's nest soup… was she going to lose it because of herself?
"It's fine, we'll fix it in post. You can do this, Xiao Bao." Lan Zhi comforted.
Xiao Mengfei snapped out of her daze and rushed to coach her. "No worries! Just treat it like fast-paced reading—here, let me show you—"
Lu Wenhao smirked.
Rapper? Nah. Professional reader? Maybe?
At worst, she would be roasted in the industry and ridiculed by netizens—big deal.
He had thought Bao Ruanruan was some kind of prodigy.
But in the end… her off-key singing could outrun his by ten blocks!
Yet the next second, Bao Ruanruan's voice rang out—earnest, determined, her little fists clenched as she recited the lines with all her might.
The moment her voice filled the room, everyone's smile froze.
"From now on, let's memorise these storm safety rules together—stock up on supplies, stay indoors during thunderstorms…"
That raw, unfiltered voice carried a suppressed fire that erupted after the rain.
"You better remember this!"
"You better remember!"
As if afraid people would forget, she hammered the words into their ears, repeating them like a battle cry!
There was a unique tone to it—one that many rappers and singers lacked.
—Yes, I'm just an ordinary person, not a singer.
—But I've been through enough pain to tell you: You better remember.
—These safety tips? They're the secrets to survival.
Lu Wenhao, who had just been smirking, froze in mid-sneer.
She had no technical skills, but her voice carried the weight of someone who had survived a disaster, brimming with hope for tomorrow, as if to say, I know this now; I'll never be afraid again!
Its intensity surpassed even the impact of the demo.
Lu Wenhao stared at Bao Ruanruan in shock.
Her breathing, her enunciation, her musicality—none had anything to do with Rap.
She wasn't even in sync with the beat.
But the sheer conviction in her voice punched straight through his chest.
"Your voice has such raw storytelling power," Lan Zhi was the first to speak up, impressed. "You're perfect for this part!"
Xiao Mengfei nodded furiously, her hands pressed to her flushed cheeks. "My heart was racing just now..."
"It's better than my demo."
Cheng Yao sighed in amazement.
He had never seen this coming.
A minute ago, he was ready to auto-tune her voice into oblivion—now, he didn't dare touch a single note!
Technically flawed? Yes.
But the raw emotion more than made up for it.
"Xiao Bao, you're a phenomenal actor."
Art was interconnected.
The emotional delivery of lines in acting and the emotions in the lyrics were similar to a certain extent.
Cheng Yao gave Bao Ruanruan an approving nod.
But Bao Ruanruan just stood there, fists clenched, her fair face deadly serious.
Cheng Yao: "……"
She's way too into this.
Does she really love this song so much?
"Xiao Bao, you were born for this. Let me hook you up with a film crew," Lan Zhi immediately offered. "A friend of mine is shooting a mountain rescue movie next month—perfect for you."
Had Bao Ruanruan worked hard for her beloved bird's nest?
Absolutely.
But after all that effort, she just wanted to rest, but unexpectedly, new work came her way.
Her big, watery eyes looked pitifully at Lan Zhi.
No more work, please...
My schedule's packed…
But the moment Lan Zhi said 'mountain rescue', her eyes lit up like stars!
Time to stock up on more survival knowledge!
On Friday, 'Wind and Rain' was officially released on all major music platforms.
Cheng Yao wasted no time in posting about the song on Weibo:
[Cheng Yao: This song was a happy coincidence. I am grateful for the companions I met along the way—@BaoRuanruan @LanZhi @LuWenhao @XiaoMengfei—who inspired me and reminded me why I make music.
Hope you all enjoy Wind and Rain.]
This Weibo post, published at exactly noon, immediately sent Cheng Yao's fans into a frenzy.
Within seconds, streams for Wind and Rain skyrocketed across platforms.
Ten. Minutes. Later. ...
The replies under Cheng Yao's Weibo post finally began to trickle in...
[It's so good.]
[I'm looping it while crying.]
[Wuwuwu, is anyone here?]
[LMAO, everyone's busy streaming the song now. Music comes first - forget about Brother's Weibo!]
That was how Cheng Yao's fans were—focused and real.
An hour later, his Weibo still had barely any replies.
Meanwhile, Wind and Rain was already #1 on New Releases, #1 on Rising Charts, and #10 on Hot Hits.
Douyin and Weibo's plays surpassed 3 million in record time.
The numbers smashed the top three debut records of the year—nearly beating Cheng Yao's personal best!
"Looks like your tweaks paid off," said his manager, He Jun, impressed.
Then, as usual, he checked out the comments on NetEase Music—
[I bawled. That final rap? Legendary. I'm gone.]
[Looping this part... I want to set the safety instructions rap as my ringtone.]
[Brother Cheng, you mad genius. Who's the 'reader' at the end? Instant follow!]
[Brother Cheng's vocals are god-tier as always, but I'm stuck on the 'YOU BETTER REMEMBER' girl's voice~]
Your brother is great..., but aren't you all simping for the girl?
Manager He Jun: "?"
They must be fake fans!
The rival companies plant them!
He took a deep breath and checked Weibo for sanity—only to nearly short-circuit at the top comment:
[Why is Bao Ruanruan first on Brother Cheng's thank-you list?]
[Wait—did my brother fall for someone while filming a variety show?!]
He Jun: "!"
Footnotes Full List
- 三伏 sānfú = lit. three fu. The three annual periods of hot weather, namely chūfú [初伏, the first/beginning hottest period (falling in mid-July)], zhōngfú [中伏, the second/middle hottest period (falling in late July)] and mòfú [末伏, the third/last hottest period (falling in early or mid-August)], which run consecutively over a period for 10 days each from mid-July to late August.
- I think I forgot to explain this part. The Chinese characters used here are 小萧. 小 xiǎo for little/young and 萧 xiāo for Xiao Mengfei's surname. That's why she was called Xiǎo Xiāo.
- (fig.) female employee considered to be just a pretty face (attractive but not very competent
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