Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: Pitch Meeting
Banxia's hand covered her eyes, a tear escaping and tracing a path down her cheek before falling to the ground.
The teardrop landed on Xiao Lian's heart, burning a hole through its most vulnerable part.
He couldn't bear to see her cry.
Without even realizing it, he had partially shifted into his human form, his arms wrapping around her, his tail coiling around her waist, his lips finding the tear tracks on her face.
The tears were salty. He kissed them away reverently, then lifted her onto the bed, his lips gently brushing her damp cheeks.
Banxia, distracted from her sadness, giggled at the ticklish sensation and reached out to push him away.
He caught her hands, his fingers interlacing with hers, his palms warm and firm against her skin. She struggled, but his grip was surprisingly strong. She had never realized how much strength the usually gentle and compliant Xiao Lian possessed. She relaxed, letting him have his way.
Her skin felt even more sensitive now, his kisses sending shivers down her spine.
His dark gold eyes gleamed in the darkness, his strong, male body hovering over her, his back arched, like a predator stalking its prey.
And he was a predator, after all.
It would be so much fun to trap him, to tease him, to push him to the edge, she thought, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
But he was being so affectionate, so passionate, that she decided to be a good girl, for once.
The scent of him filled the room, a cool, ethereal fragrance that warmed her from the inside out, her skin damp with a fine sheen of sweat.
She felt herself melting, her body floating, her senses heightened, aware only of his touch, his lips, his skillful fingers.
She had experienced the peak of joy on stage, through her music. She hadn't known that there was another kind of ecstasy, equally intoxicating.
Her long, black hair spread across the pillow, a silken cascade against her pale skin, her neck damp with sweat, the strands clinging to her skin.
She sighed contentedly, the soft sound almost embarrassing.
"Where did you learn to do that?" she murmured, surprised.
It hadn't been long since he had been a blushing, fumbling mess.
"I… I have a phone," he mumbled, his voice husky, yet strangely shy.
With a phone, with access to the internet, one could learn many things.
He held her close, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her scent, trying to control the desire surging through him.
"Was I… good?" he asked, his voice tense.
"Yes," she said, her voice sincere. "You were… amazing."
Her body still tingled, weak and languid, lost in the afterglow.
He had brought her pleasure, skillfully and gently, without pain, without discomfort.
But he seemed to be holding back, stopping short of… completion, keeping a certain distance between them.
Though inexperienced, Banxia knew that normal couples did… more.
"Give me… a little more time," he whispered.
"More time?" Banxia chuckled, propping herself up on one elbow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I suppose I can be patient. But you have to do something for me."
"What is it?"
She leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear. "Show me… your tail…"
She deliberately slurred the words, leaving their meaning ambiguous, open to interpretation: touch, play with, tease…
His ears turned crimson. He tried to pull away, but she held him fast, whispering sweet nothings in his ear until, his face buried in the pillow, he finally yielded, his body trembling with a mixture of shame and… something else.
His scent, sweet and intoxicating, filled the room.
Later, the afterglow fading, Banxia turned on the bedside lamp and got out of bed.
He lay on the bed, his back to her, fast asleep.
A thought occurred to her.
He won't know if I peek.
In the dim light, his pale skin, the dark scales, the sheen of sweat on his body, were clearly visible.
All she had to do was turn him over.
She stood there for a long time, her hand outstretched, then slowly withdrew it.
He's been so patient, so… shy. I can wait.
But when he's ready, she thought, I'm going to make him look at me, make him see the desire in my eyes.
There's plenty of time.
We can take things slowly.
At RES, Xiao Xiao received the demo from Red Lotus. Though just a rough sketch, it was clearly a well-crafted piece, showcasing the composer's talent and attention to detail.
At the company's pitch meeting, he enthusiastically presented the demo.
"The lyrics and music perfectly capture the 'monster' theme of our album."
A short excerpt from the song played in the conference room:
【I part the mist ... and find the monstrous form within ... I cannot make the world love a monster ... but even a monster ... sings in the depths of its heart ... longs for the sunlight ... for the right to exist.】
Xiao Xiao clapped his hands. "The lyrics, melody, instrumentation… it all fits the theme perfectly! And the ethereal backing vocals, like a goddess singing from a mountaintop! It's incredible!"
"I strongly recommend we choose this one."
The other music producers in the room nodded in agreement, exchanging approving glances. Director Bai, twirling his pen, was about to finalize the decision when the company's vice president, who had been observing the meeting, spoke.
"No, no, no. Monsters, mist… no one wants to hear that! Forget all this artsy stuff! That Korean girl group, the UU or whatever they're called, their new album is a huge hit! Just copy their style! Guaranteed success!"
RES was a top music company, with many talented musicians and producers. But the management, including the CEO and investors, came from the tech industry, prioritizing profit and popularity over artistic integrity. A common problem in the music industry.
For a true artist, nothing was more frustrating than being asked to abandon their own vision and blindly imitate market trends. Xiao Xiao, though furious, forced himself to remain calm, explaining respectfully, "Mr. Li, we've already established the 'monster' concept for this album. All the subsequent work, the songwriting, arranging, even the music video production, is based on this concept. We've spent months preparing for this, and now you're asking us to change everything? We can't just… start over."
"Don't give me all this 'concept' nonsense! Originality… who cares? The only thing that matters is profit! We'll produce whatever sells! Whatever is popular!" Mr. Li declared, waving his hand dismissively.
Xiao Xiao was about to protest, but Bai Yaoming stopped him.
"What about the demos we've already commissioned? Should we reject them all?" he asked calmly.
"Not all of them. Some of them can be… salvaged. Like the one Xiao Xiao just presented. Just… tweak it a bit. Add some Peking Opera elements, some traditional Chinese lyrics. It'll be fine."
Xiao Xiao, his face red with anger, stormed out of the conference room, running a hand through his already messy hair.
He didn't know how he was going to explain this to Red Lotus. He couldn't bring himself to reject the demo. He had worked so hard to secure Red Lotus's participation, and the song was brilliant.
But asking Red Lotus to rewrite his song, to cater to the vice president's ridiculous demands… it was unbearable, even for him, let alone the aloof, artistic musician.
While the pitch meeting was taking place, Banxia was working on her cadenza in her hotel room.
Sheets of hotel stationery covered the table. She would play a few bars, then pause, make corrections on the score, and play it again, lost in the music.
Since returning from the teahouse, she had barely left her room, her meals delivered to her door, her focus entirely on the music.
"It's already lunchtime," she murmured, glancing at the time, and opened a food delivery app on her phone.
Given Xiao Lian's nocturnal habits and his gecko form's daytime fasting, she didn't wake him.
But as she browsed the app, Xiao Lian, dozing on his heating pad, opened one eye and watched her phone screen expectantly.
When she finally placed her order and the payment confirmation appeared, Xiao Lian's own phone screen remained dark. He closed his eyes, disappointed.
Why isn't she using my money? I linked our accounts! he thought, flicking his tail irritably.
He wanted her to use his money.
AHHHHHHHH
ReplyDeletePoor Xiao Xiao >:((
They have poor tastes. Tsk tsk... no originality FR