pappabearbooks Chapter 535 - 89: The Boss and the Secretary
Chapter 535 - 89: The Boss and the Secretary
On the sofa, sitting next to Qu Fulan was the wife of the third brother’s family, the big celebrity as the second sister-in-law called her.Qu Fulan was never a fan, but she had some impression of this celebrity sister-in-law. She was indeed popular for a while and won quite a few awards, but later vanished from the scene.
It was only after meeting her at the Pei Family that Qu Fulan learned she had left the industry because of marriage.
Now, the celebrity sister-in-law, the third sister-in-law, was talking to her in a gentle and soft tone, asking her what kind of songs she was good at.
"I can handle some popular songs, but I can’t say for the rest," Qu Fulan said with a smile.
"I haven’t followed the latest hits for a long time either," the third sister-in-law lamented.
Maybe because she got married relatively early, even though she was about the same age as Qu Fulan, she gave off the impression of someone who’s lived much of her life.
Qu Fulan didn’t know much about this third sister-in-law, but from what little she knew, she felt that she was quite adept at managing relationships, specifically, at pleasing her mother-in-law, embodying the ideal daughter-in-law in her eyes.
Turning from a glamorous celebrity to a demure daughter-in-law undoubtedly involved sacrifices, which Qu Fulan understood without being told.
Though Qu Fulan didn’t approve of such a life, she also acknowledged the third sister-in-law’s capability and challenges, recognizing that she knew what she wanted and made the necessary efforts.
Among the Qu Family’s sisters-in-law, there was also a sense of competition. They looked down on Qu Fulan, just as they looked down on the third sister-in-law. Hence when the third sister-in-law saw another sister-in-law in a similar situation, she naturally wanted to get closer.
Meanwhile, the game had already started.
It was a dice game, with the smaller number losing.
After a few rounds, many had sung. Some conveniently landed on songs they excelled at and took the spotlight, while others stumbled through unfamiliar tunes, amusing everyone as they clumsily followed along with the lyrics.
The third sister-in-law didn’t fare too badly. She landed on the theme song of a movie she had acted in before. Since it was her first film, it left a deep impression, and she sang it adequately, avoiding any drinking penalty.
"Hey, this round, the eldest sister-in-law lost!"
Qu Fulan was surprised; she rolled a three, thinking she managed to avoid it, only to find everyone else rolled a four or higher.
She sighed inwardly, expecting according to the previous song-choosing pattern, it’d be a hit song she wouldn’t know, so she’d just drink a few glasses.
But then everyone egged her on.
"Start scrolling on the screen, hurry up!"
"I’ve never heard the eldest sister-in-law sing, can’t wait!"
Qu Fulan didn’t avoid it, standing calmly as the screen began to scroll.
Just as she was thinking, the scrolling stopped on the screen.
——Left Hand Points to the Moon.
"Whoa! This song has a high pitch!"
Those familiar with the song cast sympathetic looks at Qu Fulan.
Besides professional singers, who would dare challenge this song? It’s just asking for trouble.
Though it’s not unheard of for people to choose this song in karaoke, it typically ends up sounding horrendous.
Now Qu Fulan was about to tackle this song in front of the Pei Family... the scene could be described as tragic.
Since the private room was large, the women sang on one side while the men played mahjong on the other; everyone could hear whether it sounded good or not.
"Why not choose another song? This one’s too difficult," someone suggested, maybe genuinely thinking the song too challenging.
"Rules are rules, how can we easily change them?"
"Exactly, if the rule says to sing the song you land on, skipping isn’t a good example, especially with the younger Pei Family members present."
The Pei Family still had several unmarried cousins.
There were also some children, but they grew restless and were taken outside by farm staff to play.
"This song was the ending theme to my favorite TV series, beautiful yet sad. I love it," a cousin piped up.
"Wasn’t this the song you howled to back then?" a cousin teased.
The two bickered, which made the atmosphere more lively.
"This song is popular; the eldest sister-in-law must’ve heard it?" the second sister-in-law asked.
"I have heard it, I’ll give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll drink as punishment," said Qu Fulan.
She indeed had heard the song, but not from watching TV. It was while she was tired from work and stumbled upon it; the singing moved her so much she memorized it and listened to it repeatedly.
"If it doesn’t work, sing a few lines, and it counts as completing the task, then just drink a couple of glasses," the third sister-in-law whispered in Qu Fulan’s ear.
Qu Fulan smiled at her, then stood up and went over to take the microphone.
The prelude had already started; Qu Fulan held the microphone, took a small breath, and began as the rhythm hit.
Left hand grasps the earth, right hand holds the sky
Fine lines crack with lightning from all directions
Time hurriedly exchanged into years
Three thousand worlds like nothing seen
Left hand plucks a flower, right hand wields a sword
Snow falls on the brow for ten thousand years
A teardrop ah ah ah
That is me ah ah ah
...
There was a pause here.
But at that moment, all the sounds in the room stopped suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at Qu Fulan, not just those seated, even the ones playing mahjong stopped, and turned around to see who was singing. Those with their backs to her even turned to look, curious about who was singing.
The power of the song "Left Hand Points to the Moon" was undeniable. Qu Fulan had been moved to her core when she first heard it, and as she sang, she got deeply into it, fully immersed in the emotions the music brought her, completely oblivious that she had become the focal point in the room.
The farm’s karaoke was quite professional too. The colorful lights crossed over her, making her look dazzling and bright.
...
I take you up with my left hand, put you down with my right
When clasped, you were all gathered into my heart
A stick of incense
Ah ah ah
You are me
No difference...
The song ended, the lingering sound echoed, still clear in the room which was silent as everyone stared at Qu Fulan, those who had turned to look still held their positions, some even subconsciously kept their mouths open.
Then, someone started clapping, and soon everyone followed suit, applauding.
Qu Fulan felt slightly embarrassed by the applause, not expecting such support, and instinctively glanced in Pei Ji’an’s direction.
Pei Ji’an sat facing Qu Fulan, his eyes deep, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.
"Amazing, eldest sister-in-law, that voice, you could debut directly!" exclaimed the second cousin.
"The high notes just now were incredible, and though they can’t compare to the original singer, they had their own unique charm."
"Does this have recording functions? I forgot to record it. I’ve decided, I want to listen to this version from now on!" a younger family member said.
"Eldest sister-in-law must have been a regular at karaoke?" the second sister-in-law asked.
"Back when I worked at the Pei Family, I’d go to karaoke a few times with colleagues after dinners, but not often otherwise."
"Then you’ve got a talent for music, singing so well without frequent practice."
"Calling it talent is an exaggeration. I don’t have any musical talents, just that I listened to this song repeatedly for a time and felt moved."
"Excelling in something is also a form of success," the third sister-in-law said with a smile.
"What else can the eldest sister-in-law sing? I found your voice really pleasant, sing one more song for us!" a younger family member said.
"Yes, sing another one! Let us enjoy another round!"