Chapter 15: Song Copyright

Xu Qian gritted her teeth, her expression darkening instantly.

“Hmph, Lin Qianfan, sooner or later you’ll regret this!”

As she turned, she deliberately bumped into the corner of Xia Ruo’s desk, sending stationery scattering everywhere.

“Sorry, I didn’t see it,” she said lightly, pausing for a moment before tossing out the words.

Xia Ruo crouched down silently, picking up the notebooks and pens without a word, her head lowered.

The classmates nearby glanced over but no one stepped forward to help—only Lin Qianfan stood and gathered the scattered stationery, handing it back to her.

“Don’t mind her.”

Xia Ruo whispered a “thank you,” clutching her books and hurried back to her seat.

Xu Qian’s bullying of Xia Ruo was not confined to the classroom.

In the dormitory, she often caused trouble too.

She would deliberately spill water on Xia Ruo’s quilt, then pretend it was an accident.

Knowing full well Xia Ruo was still doing homework, Xu Qian would purposely switch off the light.

Xia Ruo would quietly return to her bed, biting her lip without a sound.

On Friday evening, the roommates planned to go out for barbecue.

“Qianfan, come with us. It’s been so long since we all got together.”

Lin Qianfan shook his head, declining.

“You guys go ahead, I have something to do.”

Seeing he wasn’t going, the roommates didn’t press and gradually left in small groups.

Lin Qianfan packed his bag and waited outside the girls’ dormitory for Xia Ruo to come down. As usual, he accompanied her home first before heading to his own house.

Once home, after greeting his grandparents, he closed his door and pulled out his phone.

A string of unread messages and missed calls appeared on the screen.

Some were from editors, others from unknown numbers.

He opened the editor’s message—a long paragraph.

“Readers are eagerly urging you to update more frequently!”

Then he checked a message from an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, Mr. Lin Qianfan. We are Lanxing Studio. We’ve seen your lyrics for ‘Jiangnan’ and are very interested. We hope to collaborate. Please reply as soon as possible.”

Lin Qianfan was unexpectedly surprised by these messages.

He pondered for a moment, then opened the studio’s profile and sent a message.

“How do we discuss the copyright?”

Lanxing Studio responded almost instantly: “Finally, you appear! We were getting anxious!”

They immediately sent a voice invitation.

Lin Qianfan hesitated, but eventually accepted the call.

A clear female voice came through the earphones.

“Mr. Lin, we are Lanxing Studio. Your lyrics are truly wonderful, especially ‘Jiangnan.’ We believe it has the potential to become a classic hit! Therefore, we would like to discuss copyright collaboration with you.”

Leaning back in his chair, Lin Qianfan’s thoughts raced.

“So, you mean how to negotiate the copyright?” he asked directly, cutting to the chase.

The voice noticeably rose a half tone.

“We want to buy out the copyright of ‘Jiangnan’s’ lyrics. You can name a price; we will try to meet it.”

Lin Qianfan frowned.

“Buy out? So all ownership of this song will belong to you afterward?”

“Yes, Mr. Lin,” the voice explained, “once bought out, the full copyright of the lyrics and melody will belong entirely to the studio. Of course, we will pay a reasonable compensation fee.”

“State your terms.”

The reply was almost instantaneous: “Yes! We think ‘Jiangnan’ is excellent—emotionally delicate, uniquely styled, and perfectly aligned with our vision.”

Staring at the screen, Lin Qianfan considered the sincerity behind these words. He put down his phone, took a sip from the cup on the table, and began to calculate.

“How exactly would the cooperation work? What’s the copyright fee?” he quickly typed and sent.

The reply came swiftly: “We wish to buy out the full copyright of this lyric for 100,000 yuan.”

Seeing the figure, Lin Qianfan was slightly stunned. He set down the cup, leaned back, and tapped lightly on the desk.

One hundred thousand yuan—a substantial sum for him now.

But he also knew that buying out the copyright meant the lyrics would no longer belong to him.

With this in mind, he glanced down at his phone again, finger hovering over the screen before typing: “Full copyright buyout? So no future earnings for me at all?”

The reply was prompt: “Yes, that’s industry practice. But 100,000 yuan is already a very generous offer.”

Lin Qianfan stared at his phone in silence for a moment.

He understood that without much fame, selling at this price was like a windfall.

He sighed and typed: “Okay, but I don’t have a bank card now. I’ll need to get one before signing the copyright agreement.”

The studio replied cheerfully: “No problem! Just contact me anytime.”

“Alright.” Lin Qianfan sent the message, set his phone aside, and looked up at the clock on the wall.

It was getting late—he needed to hurry to the bank to get a card.

He grabbed his bag, slipped his phone into his pocket, and stepped outside.

His mind still spinning over how to use the money.

When he reached the bank entrance, his thoughts were interrupted by the scene before him.

An electric scooter stood parked at the door, laden with shopping bags from various malls.

Lin Qianfan paid little attention and pushed the door open.

Inside, the lobby wasn’t crowded. He took a number and sat in the waiting area.

Not long after sitting, he heard a familiar voice nearby.

“Xu Qian, aren’t you going to buy this bag? So many people are fighting over it!”

“Buy? Why would I buy that?” a familiar voice replied.

“I’m not blind, just broke,” Xu Qian’s tone was laced with disdain.

Lin Qianfan turned his head and saw Xu Qian chatting happily with her friend Li Yanzi, both holding milk teas by the bank entrance.

Li Yanzi suddenly leaned in and whispered, “Hey, Qianqian, look over there.”

Following her gaze, Xu Qian spotted Lin Qianfan seated in the waiting area.

She nudged Li Yanzi and whispered with a smirk, “Hey, isn’t that Lin Qianfan?”

“What’s he doing at the bank? Depositing his paltry living expenses?” Li Yanzi teased.

“Or maybe just here to watch others save money for a thrill.”

The two burst into loud laughter.

Lin Qianfan ignored them, chuckling coldly to himself, “If a dog bites you, can’t you bite back?”

Seeing he wouldn’t respond, Xu Qian’s face darkened. She snorted and turned to Li Yanzi.

“Let’s go. Not worth wasting time on such a pauper.”

Finally, it was his turn at the counter.

He stepped forward and handed over his ID.

“Hello, I’d like to open a bank card.”

The clerk took the ID and began skillfully operating the computer.