Chapter 191: Forecast
After listening to Chang Xi’s story, Xuan Xia silently rubbed the jade pendant.
Because too much time had passed, plus it had undergone Ren Yaozhe’s refining, Chang Xi couldn’t remember more details.
But fortunately, there were these two specific places: Shuzhou and Bianjing.
Plus, the place name “Bianjing” could also help pinpoint the time.
Xuan Xia asked Daoist Master Qin: “Next, should we split up into two groups, one going to Shuzhou and the other to Bianjing to investigate?”
Daoist Master Qin had the same idea: “At that time, ask the Daoist Association in Bianjing for help to check the list of Daoist priests from that era. If that Ruan Lang really became a monk in Bianjing, there might be records in the roster.”
Xuan Xia expressed agreement.
Then she speculated with Daoist Master Qin about why that Ruan Lang suddenly became a monk and why he went to Bianjing to do so.
But there were really too few clues, making it too hard to guess.
Later, Xuan Xia got tired of guessing, couldn’t help yawning, and only then did Daoist Master Qin end the aimless hard guessing, bid Xuan Xia good night, and the two returned to their rooms to sleep.
The next day, Xuan Xia took Chang Xi back to Yanjing to work.
The knot Daoist Master Qin tied for the jade pendant was particularly suitable as a pendant. Xuan Xia tried it out and finally hung the jade pendant on her mobile phone.
Hanging a phone strap on a mobile phone, no matter the material or styling, wouldn’t seem particularly special.
At least when Xuan Xia appeared in front of Ji Ziyao and Yang Wanxiu holding her mobile phone, neither noticed the extra thing on her phone.
As soon as they met, Ji Ziyao asked as usual: “How’s the script reading going these past few days? You didn’t slack off, right?”
“Just relax, okay? I wouldn’t fool others, let alone fool myself.”
Regarding this, Ji Ziyao trusted her.
He was just asking routinely.
He then changed the question: “That song Zhou Shiqing wrote for you—have you practiced it on your own these past few days? Don’t make a fool of yourself when recording later.”
On this question, Xuan Xia also reassured him that while she wasn’t that proficient in staff notation, she had already done her homework and translated it into solfège.
She had also familiarized herself with the melody these past few days.
Ji Ziyao nodded: “Very good.”
They were heading to the recording studio when Xuan Xia raised her mobile phone and suddenly heard a faint, clear voice say: “You sound so confident, but your performance is just average.”
Xuan Xia: “???”
She didn’t hear wrong, did she? That voice just now was Chang Xi’s, right?
Unfortunately, Ji Ziyao and Yang Wanxiu were right beside her, so Xuan Xia couldn’t question the jade pendant.
She could only pretend not to hear it.
When they arrived at the recording studio, Hong PD and the others, along with Zhou Shiqing, were already there.
Zhou Shiqing was communicating with the recording studio staff, while the program group was setting up equipment.
Xuan Xia went over to greet them, and only then did Zhou Shiqing notice her and wave her over.
Before formal recording, they still needed to communicate first.
During the communication, Xuan Xia was fed a bunch of professional terms for recording work.
Different trades are worlds apart; she felt dizzy listening to those professional terms anyway.
Zhou Shiqing usually seemed unreliable everywhere, but when it came to his professional field, he showed another side.
Once formal recording work began, Xuan Xia suddenly remembered what Chang Xi had said earlier.
Chang Xi said she talked confidently, but her actual performance was average.
She hadn’t expected it to really come true!
It was Xuan Xia’s first time recording a song. Even though she had converted the sheet music to solfège in advance and familiarized herself with the melody, the accompaniment during recording still differed from what she had practiced.
Not to mention aspects like voice volume, breathing, pauses, adjustments, and more during recording.
Even as a top student, Xuan Xia inevitably got a good lesson.
Finally, after much effort recording the song, Xuan Xia felt more exhausted than drawing talismans all day.
After finishing work, Xuan Xia finally had time to go to the restroom.
When she finished using the restroom and was washing her hands, the restroom lights suddenly flickered. Xuan Xia looked up and saw a figure in the mirror above the sink.
It was Chang Xi.
Chang Xi looked like they had been holding back for a long time and said: “I knew your performance was average, but I didn’t expect you to be so bad at music theory.”
Xuan Xia: “…”
Chang Xi continued: “I listened all day, and even I get it now. Though the tune is a bit strange.”
With that, they hummed along to the music.
Xuan Xia: “…………”
She had to admit that although Chang Xi’s family didn’t run an opera house, Chang Xi was indeed strong in music theory and could really sing it.
And even more fluently and beautifully than Xuan Xia.
Xuan Xia turned off the water, stepped back two steps to check the restroom stalls, confirming she was the only one in the restroom.
Xuan Xia finally spoke: “You can manifest freely?”
Chang Xi stopped humming and said matter-of-factly: “Yeah.”
It just depended on whether they wanted to manifest.
They originally could have not manifested, but Xuan Xia’s singing performance was so unsatisfactory that Chang Xi couldn’t hold back and appeared.
Xuan Xia said: “Then it seems we need to set some ground rules. If I don’t let you manifest, you’d better stay quiet like you don’t exist.”
Chang Xi glanced at her and said nothing.
It seemed they neither agreed nor dared to say so outright.
After a few seconds, Chang Xi said: “The one with you is pretty good.”
They were referring to Zhou Shiqing.
To be fair, Xuan Xia said: “He’s a singer, and he wrote the lyrics and music.”
So wasn’t “pretty good” normal?
Chang Xi “oh”ed, hesitated, then said: “You and him aren’t bad either.”
Xuan Xia frowned: “What are you talking about?”
Chang Xi, who had been letting their hands hang, suddenly clasped them together, with a thoughtful expression: “Does Daoist Master Qin know you have so many peach blossoms? You’re not like what I imagined.”
Xuan Xia: “???”
Peach blossoms? What peach blossoms?
Chang Xi still had that thoughtful expression: “Someone wants to ask you to dinner. Guess if you should go or not?”
Xuan Xia: “Huh?”
Just as she wanted to ask in detail if they were forecasting again, Chang Xi disappeared after speaking.
Chang Xi had just disappeared for two seconds when the restroom door was pushed open—it was a female staff member from the program group coming to use the restroom.
The staff greeted Xuan Xia, who smiled back and left the restroom.
But Chang Xi’s words left her with complicated feelings.
She suddenly felt that agreeing to take Chang Xi along was a mistake. This prophecy spirit was so strange.
Moreover, Chang Xi as a prophecy spirit was completely different from back when their name was unknown.
Compared to now, Xuan Xia still preferred the Chang Xi from before.
Xuan Xia kind of wanted to return Chang Xi to Daoist Master Qin.
Back in the recording studio, the recording engineer had finished the post-production, and Zhou Shiqing excitedly asked her to listen to the final product.
Xuan Xia agreed and asked Yang Wanxiu for her mobile phone at the same time, planning to contact Daoist Master Qin for the return right then. But as soon as she got the phone, a message popped up.
