Defeated By Love

Translated by Fairy_Dust 

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Upon seeing the called ID, Shu Nian wanted to pick it up immediately. However, she scanned around and noticed that He You was still beside her. She politely said to him. “I’ll answer the phone first.”

He shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to go ahead.

There were only two reasons why Li Qing would call her.

Either it was to give her a role and to let her go try out a voice or the content of the previous recording, during the review or other reasons had a problem and it needed to be rerecorded.

It was very likely that after answering the call, the holiday she gave herself today would have to end there.

Shu Nian picked up the phone and timidly said hello: “Director Li.”

Li Qing’s voice was deep and loud: “Ah, Shu Nian. Are you free tomorrow?”

“I’m free.”

Li Qing didn’t dawdle and explained his intentions: “Well, I have this film in my hands. There is this character, the second female lead in the movie. The producer wants a new voice actor. I think you are quite suitable. Why don’t you come and give it a try?”

Thinking that she had heard him wrong, she asked again to confirm. “It’s the second female lead?”

“Yes, be there at noon tomorrow, just go to the north most studio in the city.”

The sudden news made Shu Nian unable to respond for a while. She stopped where she was and only after being reminded by He You did she recover. She looked liked her soul been sucked out of her body.

Shu Nian couldn’t believe her ears.

She entered the industry when she was in university.

At that time, because she had classes every day she could only go to the studio in her spare time. The roles were all mixed. Later, when she had a little more experience, the teacher began to give her more known roles in some drama series.

But that was it.

What Li Qing said so offhandedly was actually the best opportunity she had been given in all those years.

For a little while.

Shu Nian felt that all the good things in the whole world seemed to have landed on her at that moment.

Although she tried to suppress her emotions multiple times, she still couldn’t help but hop twice on the spot.

“Okay, okay, thank you, director!”

“By the way, the producer has a request.” Li Qing casually mentioned that. “The theme song in it is sang by the second female lead in the movie, they intend to let the voice of the second female lead to sing. So besides the audition, you will have to sing a short song too.”

Hearing that, Shu Nian’s enthusiasm was like a fire which got stamped out with a bucket of water.

It instant went out.

He You stood by the side and was watching her.

Originally, she jumping and skipping happily but in a flash, her expression because petrified and then fell, like a withered eggplant. It was like a magic show.

Shu Nian had an expression which seemed like she was going to cry, her tone also became quite dull.

“…But I, I’m tone deaf.”

“Ah?” Li Qing wondered out loud. “Are you a bad singer or something? Or you just can’t sing to the melody?”

Shu Nian didn’t want to lie but she also didn’t want to miss the opportunity. She hung her head and struggled for more than ten seconds to answer. She looked particularly ashamed and said vaguely. “I’m not very good at singing.”

“Then just come here tomorrow and try it first.” Li Qing said. “The music producer in charge of the theme song will also come by tomorrow, he’ll be watching you then.”

“…” Shu Nian bit the bullet and answered. “Okay.”

Shu Nian’s mood was complicated.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t though about it before that after a long time in the industry, she might be lucky enough to get an audition for a protagonist role. She was sure that she would be too happy to sleep on the night she gets the audition news.

But now, with such an opportunity, Shu Nian didn’t know whether to be happy or unhappy.

When she hung up the phone, He You looked at her: “You’re tone deaf?”

Shu Nian had always been a little inferior because of that problem but she didn’t want to admit it at the time. He You seemed to be waiting for her answer. She could only say in a foolish manner. “Just a little.”

“Why does your expression look like this if it’s only a little?” He You rudely laughed at her. “Sing a little for me to hear? Let me see how tone deaf you really are. Maybe I can give you some advice.”

Shu Nian lowered her eyes and whispered. “No.”

“Isn’t it just singing a song?” He didn’t understand why she was so sad because of that so he sneered at her. “I’ll sing one for you.”

Shu Nian was full of worries so she didn’t pay attention to what he had said.

He You didn’t care whether she was listening or not, he cleared his throat. It was unknown whether it was natural or acquired but his voice was deep and hoarse, giving people a heavy sense of stability.

He hummed softly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to forget/it’s just hard to control.”

It just so happened to be, Ah He’s “It’s Hard to Control” which Shu Nian had been listening to recently.

Shu Nian immediately turned her head over with a strange look. Inexplicably, she had that kind of feeling where the singer she liked was being slandered. She even thought that He You was deliberately singing like the way he was. She frowned and said. “You’re out of tune.”

He You was very confident: “Out of tune my ass, it’s supposed to be like this.”

“No, it’s like this.” Shu Nian instantly forgot the fact that she was tone deaf. The only thought in her mind was to prove to him that Xie Ruhe’s songs was not that terrible.

She sang it seriously: “It’s not that I don’t want to forget/it’s just hard to control.”

“…”

He You looked like he had just eaten shit. After a long time, he said. “Was I singing like this?”

Shu Nian solemnly replied: “Of course not, you were out of tune.”

Hearing that, He You relaxed, as if he had been relieved.

“That’s good.”

“…”

Shu Nian didn’t want to talk to him anymore so she tightened her lips. Not long after, she still unhappily emphasised, like a little child: “You were out of tune.”

He spoke gently. “The feeling is mutual.”

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