Chapter 115: Heartbeat

"So, what kind of music do you all prefer?"

After a long moment, Liao Yuan sat down at the piano and asked earnestly, "Let's hear what everyone has to say."

The girls looked at each other, and Ju Nianzhi spoke up first. "I love dancing, so I’m hoping for a dance track with an incredibly strong melody, something just like 'Nobody' would be perfect!"

"I agree! For a girl group dance, it definitely needs to be dynamic. It would be best if we could add some electronic elements; synth-pop is really popular right now!" Fang Yiren added happily, "Thank you, Brother!"

Chen Duo, whose skills were the weakest, could only mutter softly, "I’ll go with whatever they decide. As long as it has the potential to be a big hit, that's fine by me."

"I want a song that you can't forget the moment you hear it!" Zheng Min'er said very seriously. "It would be best if it had the feeling of a first love. If it could make a guy's heart skip a beat, that would be even better!"

"Exactly, a song with a fantastic melody is best," Zhu Xiyu agreed, then suddenly remembered something and added, "Of course, Brother, you can't just focus on us; you have to participate in the performance as well."

The others chimed in with teasing laughter, "You should be center stage!"

"Brother, can you really write a song like 'Nobody'?" Liao Meiqi asked, feeling skeptical.

In her eyes, her brother was a master at writing folk songs and ballads, such as "The Rest of My Life." But "Nobody" was a retro dance track—a style that didn't match his usual strengths at all.

"Of course he can!"

Chen Xiuyuan, who had been passing by the practice rooms to check on the contestants' progress, stepped in to answer.

In other practice rooms, the contestants were all busy interacting with their celebrity mentors, calling them "Senior" with excessive affection as they tried to build rapport. But only Liao Meiqi’s group had already begun discussing songwriting!

"You’ve been in closed training for the past two months, so you aren't very familiar with the outside world, but I can assure you that Teacher Liao is absolutely capable of writing a song like 'Nobody'—because that song was written by him in the first place."

Chen Xiuyuan's words left the girls stunned into silence.

Liao Meiqi looked completely bewildered. Since when did her brother know how to write dance tracks?

Liao Yuan nodded to acknowledge Chen Xiuyuan before turning back to the girls. "I think I understand what you're looking for."

Soon, Liao Yuan opened his notebook, took out a pen, and began writing down chords on the spot.

The girls waited quietly, their faces still carrying the shock of the news Chen Xiuyuan had just dropped.

Chen Xiuyuan was astonished. Other celebrity mentors typically arrived with finished songs and choreography, which gave them time to chat and joke around with the contestants. Liao Yuan, however, was composing right there on the spot!

Unable to contain his curiosity, he walked over to Liao Yuan and leaned in to look.

The song was titled "Heartbeat." Based on the girls' requests, it seemed to be a song about love at first sight.

He began reading with great interest. But soon, he squinted—

"Heart-heart-heart-heartbeat, a shock to the heart.
I'm so obsessed with the magic in your eyes, I want to love.
Touch-touch-touch-touching my heart,
My heart is racing.
Has love finally arrived..."

*What on earth is this gibberish?* Chen Xiuyuan thought, completely baffled.

The lyrics were abysmal, not even reaching the level of a middle schooler's writing. But remembering Liao Yuan’s previous masterpieces, Chen Xiuyuan wondered if perhaps his own taste was the problem. He forced himself to keep reading.

"What do I do, my gaze is locked on you.
I can't hide this blushing, this pounding, my maiden heart.
Am I going crazy, seeing you get close?
The moment our eyes meet, the air freezes, my heart races, I’ve fallen for you.
I can't believe it, is this love at first sight?
Or did I have too much coffee, causing these palpitations..."

*Good grief, my eyes!*

*This is truly painful to read!*

*My poor eyes... Is this really the same Liao Yuan who wrote the stunning lyrics for 'The Rest of My Life'?*

Chen Xiuyuan felt profoundly disappointed.

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Liao Yuan stopped writing, tore off the sheet filled with chords and lyrics, and had ten copies made for the contestants. He then placed the sheet music on the stand in front of the piano and gathered the girls. "I’ll play and sing it through once first. Try to memorize the general melody, and then we’ll practice it line by line."

The girls nodded eagerly. Meanwhile, nearby staff members pulled out their phones and voice recorders to capture Liao Yuan’s new work.

A moment later, Liao Yuan began to play, his hands pressing out a sequence of music as he hummed, "Heart-heart-heart-heartbeat—"

After a segment of the song, *thud*—a phone fell to the floor. The staff member scrambled to pick it up. On the other side, the girls stared at Liao Yuan, completely dumbstruck.

Liao Meiqi rubbed her eyes and looked her brother up and down, her small face filled with astonishment. She couldn't believe he could be so... so charmingly delicate.

Ju Nianzhi had the most immediate reaction, her excitement palpable. "Wow! So cute! Brother! Brother! Brother! You are so cute!"

"Yes, yes, the song is adorable, but you’re even cuter, Brother!" Chen Duo said with hearts in her eyes, looking at him with adoration. "The way you sing, you’re just like my Winnie the Pooh at home! I want to give you a hug!"

"It's such a sweet song; the lyrics and melody fit perfectly," Zhu Xiyu analyzed seriously. "Although the lyrics are simple, the melody is incredibly catchy. Now I believe you wrote 'Nobody', Brother!"

"Brother, you understand a girl's heart so well," Zheng Min'er said excitedly. "This is exactly the kind of song I wanted! It really makes the heart race!"

Liao Yuan: "..."

Beside them, Chen Xiuyuan’s jaw hung open. His inner thoughts were a complicated mess, but he was also completely awestruck. The nonsensical lyrics Liao Yuan had written seemed utterly unbearable to him, yet when paired with the music, they sounded incredibly catchy! And this was just with a piano accompaniment!

If they added other instruments, drum beats, and electronic effects, the result would definitely be no less impressive than "Nobody"! This sweet, first-love-filled "Heartbeat" perfectly followed the formula for a massive pop hit!

It was another earworm!

Soon, Liao Yuan began teaching the girls how to sing it, line by line. He required everyone to memorize the lyrics thoroughly before he would assign parts based on their rankings.

At noon, their mentor, Yan Niannan, knocked on the practice room door and gestured for Liao Yuan to join her.

Liao Yuan nodded and told the girls, "Since you have the recording now, practice along with it. Try to have the lyrics memorized by today, and I'll check on your progress this afternoon."

The girls nodded vigorously. Liao Meiqi was so immersed in rote memorization that she didn't even notice Liao Yuan leaving. Her hard work brought a sense of relief to Liao Yuan.

Soon, Liao Yuan left and joined Yan Niannan in the adjacent dance studio.

"This is the choreography for the new song."

After a brief exchange, Liao Yuan immediately began demonstrating the dance moves for "Heartbeat." He didn't remember all the steps, only the iconic ones, such as the hip-shaking move during the chorus, as well as the leg kicks, chest-popping, and waist-swaying motions.

Nearby, watching Teacher Liao humming while standing in front of the mirror, looking graceful and charming, Yan Niannan’s eyes widened. She swallowed hard, feeling her heart rate gradually accelerate.

*Thump, thump-thump...*