The first day of recording went smoothly, but Chao Xin didn’t work at night. She finished work punctually at five p.m. to pick up her daughter from school.
She had already discussed and agreed upon this point when signing the contract, so Su Chang naturally had no objection. It just so happened that Yu Zhou wanted her to adjust her schedule, which resulted in the group not making any dinner plans but rather clocked out on time.
Su Chang drove Xiang Wan to her community, and after bidding farewell to the two, Xiang Wan carried a small backpack and headed towards the entrance to buy some vegetables from a stall.
She calculated whether there were still noodles at home and whether there would be enough for a meal.
It had been more than a year since she arrived here, and she hadn’t thought about the days when she was once dependent on others for clothing and food for a long time. It felt as if she had been reborn.
Upon returning home, she first turned on the TV, a habit she had picked up at Yu Zhou’s house. Then she picked up the cat food at the door and went downstairs to feed the stray cats in the community.
She didn’t turn off the TV; this way, when she returns, it’ll feel like someone was waiting for her.
The community’s greenery was lacking, with only a small garden and sparsely branched trees that failed to conceal the figures of the stray cats. Fortunately, it wasn’t too cold yet, Xiang Wan couldn’t help but wonder where the cats would find shelter and how they would survive when winter arrived.
There were two stainless steel bowls hidden on the edge of the flower bed. Xiang Wan poured the cat food into one, then took out an unfinished bottle of mineral water from her backpack and poured it into the water bowl.
The boldest orange cat darted over, dragging its plump body to eat. Its good friend Little White, who often cuddled with it for warmth, also appeared. But Little White was timid and would usually wait for Xiang Wan to retreat a few meters away before approaching with its ears perked up, looking around cautiously.
It limped on its hind leg, as if it had been hurt by someone.
Xiang Wan squeezed the mineral water bottle and took a sip, using the water intended for feeding stray cats, providing relief for herself.
Going back upstairs, the sound-activated lights in the corridor were not very responsive, flickering like in a horror movie. Relying on her memory, Xiang Wan quickly took two steps, retrieved her keys, and opened the door.
With a “click” sound, she closed the door, hung her bag and coat on the hanger at the entrance before heading to wash her hands.
After washing her hands, she wasn’t very hungry and decided to nibble on an apple, which she also washed by the way.
She remembered Yu Zhou saying that the nutrients in an apple are all in the skin, and eating an apple without the skin is eating nothing[1].
Yu Zhou’s tone was playful when she said the last two words, and the look in her eyes seemed to convey some secret message.›
Xiang Wan thought of Yu Zhou again, half an hour after she had gotten out of their car.
With a “crunch,” the apple was incredibly crisp, as if she had chewed on her own delicate ear bones for a moment. Xiang Wan glanced at the TV as she flipped through the books on the coffee table.
If nothing unexpected happens, by next September, she would be able to start school.
Before that, she needed to save a little money.
Her income was decent for now, but she didn’t have much in savings, especially after the New Year. She wanted to buy a massage chair for Ms. Zhao.
Ms. Zhao was Yu Zhou’s mother, who had treated Xiang Wan like her own daughter when she had once lived at Yu Zhou’s house, taking great care of her.
What’s more, when she first arrived here, she had been spending Yu Zhou’s money. Now, if she wanted to pay her back, Yu Zhou would definitely refuse. But if she gave something to Ms. Zhao, it would be more appropriate.
It had been a long time since she finished work this early, making her feel a bit out of sorts. The sky hadn’t even darkened yet as there was still a lingering sunset. Xiang Wan leaned on the windowsill, looking out through the not-so-large window. The view was beautiful, marred only by the old-fashioned screen curtain installed by the landlord, which couldn’t be pushed aside and slightly obstructed her enjoyment of the scenery.
Her phone rang; it was Su Chang from the four-person group chat called “Congratulations for Fortune.”
“@Xiang Wan, check your friend request.”
Xiang Wan looked carefully at the new friend’s icon, which indeed had a red symbol. She clicked it to find a profile picture of a gray and white intertwined pattern, with a remark: “I am Chao Xin.”
Xiang Wan quickly accepted the request. Before she could greet her, a voice message came through.
“Miss Xiang, hello.”
Chao Xin was a versatile voice actor, capable of effortlessly portraying characters of different ages and genders, ranging from five or six-year-old boys to elderly women in their seventies or eighties. Her fame came from her outstanding professional skills, rather than a unique and gorgeous voice. Perhaps for professional voice actors like them who have been deeply involved in the film and television industry, having a voice that’s not too extraordinary allows them to fit various actors’ faces while maintaining a pleasant sound.
Chao Xin had dubbed several well-known roles. In 2015, when she was only 24, two phenomenally popular dramas she had dubbed aired simultaneously: one set in the Republic of China era, and the other a fantasy series. In one drama, she played a delicate 18-year-old female student, while in the other, she was a fearsome female warrior who could slay gods and demons alike in the celestial realm.
After the two dramas became smash hits, she gained instant fame and her voice acting, full of rich emotions, greatly enhanced the actors’ performances. At the time, her company took advantage of her rising popularity, calling a slew of marketing accounts to release numerous behind-the-scenes videos comparing the original sound and her dubbing, showcasing her impressive skills to the fullest.
It just so happened that during that time, there was a reform in the variety shows industry. The broadcasting administration required variety shows to focus on positive, meaningful themes and not overly hype the star effect.
Voice actors, the so-called “unsung heroes” behind the scenes, were an excellent theme in that particular audit environment.
They could relate to popular TV dramas, and titles like “XXX’s exclusive voice actor” could attract attention without overly hyping the celebrity idols. Moreover, they could promote the value of paying more attention to the hardworking “unknowns” behind the scenes.
That year, Chao Xin, as a representative of the new generation of voice actors, appeared on five major variety shows.
It was also in that year that she gained fame and became a benchmark figure known for voice acting.
Three years later, she terminated her contract with her company and became a freelancer.
Chao Xin’s career history was well-known to most people in the industry, and it was quite simple. There was no controversy or anything worth exploring. In short, her fame was evident.
Most audiences were more familiar with Chao Xin’s voice in dramas, but at this moment, Xiang Wan couldn’t quite connect her real voice to the characters she had seen or heard before.
Her natural voice was not as clear as one might expect, and it was slightly lower than that of an average young voice actor. A faint huskiness added a touch of allure to her voice.
“Ms. Chao, what can I help you with?” Xiang Wan typed in response.
“Could you send me a copy of that recording?” Chao Xin’s voice was soft, accompanied by the sound of a chair being dragged in the background.
Xiang Wan hadn’t been in the industry for very long and was still in the learning phase, but she had already taken on numerous projects. In order not to lag behind, she requested the production team to allow her to record her performances on an iPad during each recording session. She would then listen to it at home to see if there is room for improvement.
Since it would also record Chao Xin’s voice, she had naturally sought her permission beforehand.
So upon hearing Chao Xin mention the recording, Xiang Wan quickly understood her request.
“Okay. But it’s on my iPad, which is out of battery right now. I’m not sure which scene was recorded, so I need to charge it for a while before exporting and sending it to you, Ms. Chao.” Xiang Wan replied with a voice message, speaking slowly.
“No rush.” Chao Xin said.
“Go have dinner first and send it later. I’ll wait for you.”
With a “whoosh,” another message arrived, cold in tone but ending with “I’ll wait for you.”
Xiang Wan replied with an “Okay,” before she quickly went to fetch her backpack. She took out her iPad, crouched down to charge it and waited a few seconds. Only when she saw the charging symbol appear did she stand up. After thinking for a moment, she felt she wasn’t hungry yet. However, she felt sticky, so she decided to take a shower first.
Amid the sound of running water and steam, she gazed at the hazy mirror, envisioning the rosy lips and white teeth of the silhouette within.
It was like touching a mermaid about to emerge from the water.
After drying her body and getting dressed, she took off the shower cap that was wrapped around her hair. The ends of her hair were still damp, so she pushed her hair to one side and leaned against the headboard to read.
The book was an English text she was currently studying intensively. The twisted and contorted words were her biggest challenge here.
The clock’s hands moved quietly, the book slipped from her hands and fell onto the bed. It was suddenly blown by the evening breeze from the window, rustling as it flipped two pages.
A dog barked in the residential area suddenly, startling Xiang Wan awake. Frowning, she checked her phone and found that it was already past 1 a.m.
Feeling flustered, she hurriedly put on her slippers and ran to the living room with her messy hair. She exported the recording from her iPad and hesitated a little before sending it to Chao Xin.
“I’m sorry for the long wait, I accidentally fell asleep,” She said.
“It’s okay, I’ve received it. Thank you.” Chao Xin replied quickly in text, perhaps not to wake up Paipai.
Xiang Wan didn’t know what else to say.
Three seconds later, Chao Xin sent a message: “Goodnight.”
And so, she replied: “Goodnight.”
That was the first day she met Chao Xin. Apart from oversleeping, nothing unusual had happened.
- Eating nothing is 白吃 here, and 白吃 also have a meaning as “Eating for free”, so the secret message in the next paragraph is Yu Zhou reminding Xiang Wan that she is freeloading at her home.[return to text]
CNYuriTranslation 