Chapter 41

Xia Xi understood clearly that her participation in the singing variety show was solely to salvage her abysmal public reputation and increase her exposure, not out of genuine passion. Thus, she knew exactly how to prioritize her life choices.
Zhang Lixin, being sharp-witted, recognized Xia Xi's decision from her reaction. However, he maintained a calm demeanor and didn't press her further.
"Oh, by the way, Teacher Zhang, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you about." After saying this, Xia Xi stood up from her chair and walked straight toward where her backpack was placed.
Zhang Lixin watched her curiously, somewhat puzzled about what she intended to do next.
A few seconds later, Xia Xi returned with a book in hand, approaching Zhang Lixin and handing it to him. "Teacher Zhang, could you please take a look at this book and tell me if it's suitable for my current level?"
"What book is it?" Zhang Lixin adjusted his glasses on his nose. "I can take a look for you."
"This one." Xia Xi handed him the system-produced "Introduction to Singing Techniques."
When Zhang Lixin first took the book, his expression was particularly calm, and his flipping through the pages was casual. But as time passed, his expression grew increasingly serious.
Watching him like this, Xia Xi couldn't help but tense up. She stared intently into Zhang Lixin's eyes, not wanting to miss any change in his expression.
Could there be something wrong with this book? Or perhaps it was exceptionally useful, akin to a martial arts manual from a wuxia world, capable of making one invincible after studying it?
"Where did you get this book?"
Just as Xia Xi was lost in her thoughts, Zhang Lixin's voice interrupted her reverie. She looked at him in confusion, taking a few seconds to process what he had just said, and suddenly felt a pang of panic.
Could it be that there isn’t a book like Introduction to Singing Techniques in this world? Would it be inappropriate for me to bring it out so casually? Could this have a negative impact on the system?
"What, what's wrong with this book? Is there something inappropriate about it?" Xia Xi's voice carried a hint of caution. She felt she had been too careless, how could she have impulsively revealed her trump card to someone else? How foolish! But even if Xia Xi regretted it deeply now, it was pointless. Words spoken were like water spilled; there was no way to take them back.
"Nothing major, really." Zhang Lixin's eyes flickered with a trace of hesitation before he lowered his head to examine the book more carefully. "It’s just that I’m a bit puzzled, I’ve only ever seen the electronic version of this book before. I didn’t know there was a printed edition."
Hearing Zhang Lixin’s words, Xia Xi visibly relaxed. At least the situation wasn’t as hopeless as she had feared, and her crisis seemed to have been averted.
Even though Zhang Lixin hadn’t seen a printed version, the fact that he had encountered the electronic edition was reassuring. It was far better than the book appearing out of thin air.
"Actually, I’m not too sure either," Xia Xi said, choosing her words carefully. "Since I’m just starting to learn singing and know absolutely nothing about it, as you’re probably aware, I thought I’d go to a bookstore and pick up a few books on singing to get a basic understanding. This was one of the ones I selected. I thought it looked good, so I bought it to read. Maybe they released a printed version at the time."
"That’s possible," Zhang Lixin nodded thoughtfully.
"So, Teacher Zhang, do you think this book would be useful for a beginner like me? If it is, I’ll make sure to study it thoroughly and try to cram in some last-minute learning."
"It’s hard to say whether it’ll be useful or not, as learning from books often depends on one’s innate understanding." Zhang Lixin flipped through the book casually before setting it down on the table. "To be specific, the basics of singing techniques are something every music artist must have at their fingertips. Although everyone learns the theoretical knowledge, the application afterward varies greatly in quality. Some people stick rigidly to the text and never grasp how much these techniques can help their singing. Others absorb and integrate the knowledge, quickly figuring out how to combine these techniques with their own voice to maximize their potential."
Zhang Lixin paused here, glanced up at Xia Xi, and said with a light laugh, "Although you have a particularly good natural talent for singing, studying something like this probably won’t have much effect in the short term. I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time on it."
Although Zhang Lixin’s words were very tactful, Xia Xi, being particularly sharp today, immediately understood his meaning: her beautiful voice was largely a stroke of luck, and she should cherish that talent instead of reaching for things beyond her grasp. The priority now was to familiarize herself thoroughly with the lyrics and melody. Besides, since Xia Xi was only participating in an amateur singing program, there was no need for her to learn overly complex singing techniques.
In Zhang Lixin's view, Xia Xi was wasting her time. Her top priority should be maximizing her talent, she ought to practice diligently, familiarize herself with the lyrics and melody of the song she planned to perform on the Cross-Border Singing Joy show, and immerse herself in the emotions embedded within the music,
Zhang Lixin’s thoughts weren’t rooted in a lack of faith in Xia Xi. On the contrary, it was precisely because he saw great potential in her that he didn’t want her to take detours or prioritize trivial matters over what truly mattered from the start. After all, Xia Xi had only been learning to sing for a very short time. She had no personal understanding of singing yet and could only imitate others blindly. Zhang Lixin even worried that her singing might capture the surface but miss the soul, making it difficult for her to develop her own style. He hoped that while imitating, she could also cultivate her own insights,
Although Zhang Lixin was amazed by Xia Xi’s voice and believed she would leave a deep impression on the audience through the Cross-Border Singing Joy stage, that was about the extent of it.
At this point, Zhang Lixin remained generally pessimistic about Xia Xi’s chances of winning the competition. He felt she was merely someone with a pleasant voice, a far cry from truly knowing how to sing or mastering the art of singing. The audience might initially be captivated by her vocal quality, but that novelty would wear off. After all, even the most unique voice can grow tiresome over time; freshness has an expiration date. It’s only then that vocal technique truly comes into play.
In other words, there are many people with nice singing voices, but few who truly learn, understand, and skillfully apply vocal techniques. Moreover, expecting to master these skills in such a short period was exceedingly difficult, almost impossible. There are no shortcuts in this journey; it requires years of dedicated practice, like honing a sword over a decade. That’s why he wanted Xia Xi to give up acting and focus entirely on singing.
After all, doing something well is easy, but taking it to the pinnacle of excellence is far from simple.