novelraw Chapter 73 Empress Na Ying's Remote Connection
Chapter 73 Empress Na Ying's Remote Connection
"...She said her surname was Na."
Song Ze was nailed to the steps in front of the Hunan TV building.
His surname is Na.
In the entire Chinese music scene, anyone with the surname Na is qualified to specifically request to share the stage with someone on a variety show.
Only Ying.
On the other end of the phone, Che was still talking: "Teacher Song?"
"Yes, I'm here." Song Ze switched the sheet music to his other hand. "Director Che, is that Teacher Ying?"
"Yes. The exact words were, 'It's been a long time since I've met such an interesting junior. I'd like to meet you on the show.'"
Has the recording date been set?
"We will connect remotely next Wednesday at 7:30 pm. We will test the equipment in advance."
Song Ze hung up the phone.
Na Ying.
She's praised and criticized people alike; her quotes could fill three books. Her endorsement of someone is a tangible recognition, capable of rewriting a singer's industry standing.
Conversely, she says you're not good enough—
You're just really no good.
Song Ze stuffed the sheet music into his backpack and sent a message to Tan Jingjing: Teacher Tan, did you mention me to Sister Na?
Replies arrive instantly.
Tan Jingjing: I just said a few words casually, she insisted on coming herself, it has nothing to do with me.
Just a couple of casual remarks.
Tan Jingjing's casual remark was equivalent to someone else's three-thousand-word recommendation letter.
Song Ze replied with a fist-clasped emoji.
Next Wednesday, Changsha.
The hotel's business suites were transformed into remote connection points, equipped with 4K cameras, fill lights, and microphones, turning the desks into mini live-streaming studios.
Song Ze put on the headset.
The studio's large screen displayed several scenes—Da Zhangwei was chatting idly in the judging panel's seats, while Eric Moo was flipping through his cards.
On the far right, is Na Ying.
With his short, neat hair and black velvet jacket, he leaned back in his chair, his presence commanding half the studio.
When she saw Song Ze's image on the screen, her eyes lit up, and she waved, "Hey, Song, you look even more energetic in person than in the photos."
"Hello, sister."
Are you nervous?
"A little."
"Come on, you're too nervous. I'll eat the microphone."
Da Zhangwei peeked out and asked, "Sister Na, are you testing your son-in-law or your singer?"
Na Ying slapped him on the back of the head.
Laughter filled the earpiece, and Song Ze couldn't help but smile.
After the opening video, the first masked singer took the stage. It wasn't Tan Jingjing.
In the first few rounds, Song Ze maintained a polite smile and occasionally offered a few comments to the judging panel. Na Ying didn't cause any trouble either, and she and Da Zhangwei kept the atmosphere going by singing along.
The fourth round.
"The Avatar Sister with Pointy Ears" makes her debut.
A blue mask, a long silver dress, and a rising platform slowly lifting her up.
The choral piece is "By the Lake Baikal".
The moment Tan Jingjing opened her mouth, the air in the studio fell silent for a beat. Her mid-to-low range was unbelievably stable, her breathing precise to the millisecond, and when she hit the high notes, her breath support seemed to be on fire.
When the chorus ended, applause erupted.
The judging panel rattled off names in a cacophony of voices, none of which were relevant.
Na Ying leaned back in her chair without speaking, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest.
Song Ze realized—she had already guessed. But he didn't say anything.
Rules within the industry.
For the solo performance, Tan Jingjing chose "The Same Moonlight".
As the intro begins, all the lights in the venue dim, leaving only a spotlight.
In the verses, she followed the melody with restrained natural voice, keeping her breath to a minimum, and every word carried weight. During the interlude, she tilted her head slightly, and shards of light reflected off the edge of her mask.
The chorus explodes.
That high note in her true voice—it went straight to the top.
Through the headset, the screams from the audience surged in like waves.
As the last note faded, Tan Jingjing bowed.
The studio was silent for three seconds.
Applause erupted.
Da Zhangwei's mouth was agape, and Eric Moo shook his head—not in denial, but because he was stunned.
Na Ying sat up straight.
But she did not comment on Tan Jingjing.
She turned her head and looked directly at Song Ze's screen, her eyes filled with undisguised probing.
"Xiao Song, don't just sit there."
She pointed her finger toward the stage.
"You be the judge. This song, sung like this—can you come and judge?"
All eyes were on Song Ze.
More than two hundred audience members, the judging panel, and the entire production crew in the control room were all waiting for him to speak.
Song Ze leaned back in his chair and tapped the table twice with his right index finger.
"The way Avatar Sister handles the high notes in the chorus with her true voice is very rare. Most singers would choose mixed voice or falsetto to reduce the load on their vocal cords when they reach that register, but she didn't. She held on to the high notes with her true voice, without losing timbre density or breaking her breath. Her vocal cord function and diaphragm support are top-notch."
He paused for a moment.
"As for Sister Na asking me if I could come—"
The camera zooms in for a close-up of the upper body.
"Then I'll give it a try."
He cleared his throat, spoke into the microphone, and started playing without any accompaniment.
The most brilliant high note in the chorus of "The Same Moonlight" is where the vocals are practically naked.
Starting with A4, then pushing with C5, that crucial high point of true sound was reached.
His breath control was straight and steady, his tone pure and bright, without a trace of harshness. The emotion was forced out from his chest, not a shout—but a restrained expression that seemed to tear a hole in his chest.
The last long note lingered for three seconds.
Clean and neat.
Da Zhangwei jumped up from his chair, poking the screen with his finger: "They're playing the original version! Who gave him a cheat code?!"
Eric Moo turned to look at Na Ying with his mouth agape.
Na Ying was stunned for two seconds.
Then she clapped.
"Good lad, you've got some skills."
Song Ze bowed slightly to the camera.
After a break, guest performers will take part.
Na Ying stepped onto the stage. The lights switched to warm tones, and she began singing as soon as the intro started.
The first sound entered the headset, and Song Ze's back tensed slightly.
That's something that can't be described by technical parameters. It's not about how high the notes are, how fast the transitions are, or how long the breath is. It's that every line she sings tells a complete story.
Each word evokes a scene, each sentence tells a story.
Narrative quality.
Na Ying's core weapon for standing at the top of the industry for thirty years.
The system panel popped up near the edge of his right eye.
[Target "Na Ying" detected demonstrating the skill "Singing," skill level: Expert. Extract?]
extract.
【提取成功。演唱熟练度+1000。当前演唱：专家级5512/10000。解锁子技能：叙事感唱腔，入门1/100。】
A warm current shot from the back of my head down my spine and into my lower abdomen.
The understanding of the song's emotional progression is peeled back – the melody is not just about pitch and rhythm; each musical phrase can carry a narrative unit, with a beginning, development, climax, and conclusion, just like writing a novel.
Song Ze blinked and turned off the panel.
On stage, Na Ying's last note faded.
The entire audience stood up.
The robot, Little V, slid out, its robotic arm holding a microphone. A synthesized voice announced, "Na Ying. Voiceprint matching accuracy is 83%."
The whole audience burst into laughter.
Na Ying grabbed Little V's robotic arm: "Hey! Who told it to do that! Take it apart!"
Song Ze chimed in on the screen: "Little V, did you forget to update Na Jie's voiceprint database? The diva gets a new version every year, but your database is still stuck in the previous generation."
Na Ying laughed so hard she slapped the table and pointed at the screen: "This kid knows how to talk!"
Da Zhangwei added fuel to the fire: "Sister Na, why don't you take him on as your apprentice? If master and apprentice appear on the same stage, the ratings will double."
"Go away, I don't take on apprentices, it's too much work."
Getting into the swing of things, Na Ying suddenly steered the conversation back to the main topic.
She tilted her head to look at Song Ze on the screen, her speech a beat slower: "Listening to this kid sing, that reckless energy of his, it's so much like me when I was young!"
He paused for a moment.
"Xiao Song, you wouldn't happen to be my long-lost illegitimate son, would you?"
The air in the studio froze for half a second.
Da Zhangwei nearly dropped his water glass. Eric Moo turned to look at Na Ying, his face clearly saying, "You really dare to say that."
More than two hundred viewers turned to the big screen in unison.
Song Ze didn't move.
I sat quietly for a second.
Then he laughed. A mischievous grin.
"That's right, I didn't expect to be discovered after all."
He was facing the camera.
"Should I continue calling you 'sister'—or 'mom'?"
The entire venue was silent for 0.5 seconds.
Na Ying slapped her thigh and laughed out loud, without batting an eye, opening her arms wide: "Good boy, son!"
The studio erupted in cheers. Laughter, screams, and applause mingled together, and the director couldn't capture the scene even after switching between three camera angles. Da Zhangwei slumped in his chair, laughing so hard he was pounding the armrest, while Eric Moo took off his glasses to wipe away tears.
Song Ze took off his headset and let out a breath.
Stable.
When it came to guessing the identity of "Avatar's sister," the judging panel came up with a bunch of names, but no one mentioned Tan Jingjing.
Na Ying cooperated throughout, steer the conversation toward the vocal professor. Song Ze added, "Sounds like an academic."
The two tacitly agreed to keep Tan Jingjing's identity a closely guarded secret.
Tan Jingjing successfully kept her mask and advanced to the next round.
Recording is finished. Song Ze turned off the equipment, and his phone vibrated several times in a row.
Tan Jingjing: "I heard your a cappella performance backstage, and I almost couldn't hold back my tears. Thank you for keeping it a secret."
Yang Mi: "I saw your and Na Ying's posts in New York. Is it true that she recognized you as her son? I've never seen anyone ride this wave of popularity so wildly."
After replying to each question, Song Ze leaned back in his chair.
5512.
He's still almost halfway to master level. But his new skill of narrative singing has shown him a new path.
The chorus of "The Lone Warrior" in the first episode of "Singer".
He locked his phone on the table and stared at the ceiling.
My phone vibrated again.
Na Ying's WeChat friend request verification message contained six characters:
"Son, please approve this."