Chapter 79: I Will Remember You

Huang Guolun was amused by Huanzi. Zhao Jing, both exasperated and entertained, turned to Huanzi and retorted, "You’re the one who could break stones on your chest! My real talent is impersonation!"

She boasted to Huang Guolun, "I can imitate a lot of singers."

Huang Guolun could hear a natural magnetism in Zhao Jing’s voice; it wasn’t purely clear, but when it came to mimicking others, it seemed she didn't quite have the innate vocal quality. Nevertheless, Zhao Jing was in high spirits. She switched up the drum rhythm and said, "Let me sing you another song that's often heard in Dali—‘I Will Think of You.’ Have you heard it?"

"Of course," Huang Guolun replied with a smile and a nod.

"Alright, here I go." Zhao Jing swayed to the drum beat, her face lit up with a smile as she sang, "By the Cang Mountains and Erhai Lake, you’re by my side, this summer is not quite like the ones before..." At the end, Zhao Jing added, "That’s my own voice."

Huanzi challenged her, "We can tell that’s your voice. Aren’t you the impressionist? Try singing it like Faye Wong."

"Faye Wong, huh? Here she comes—" Zhao Jing patted the drum, suddenly raised her pitch, and continued, "The bicycle passes through the fields, you sing softly, open your eyes and all that’s left is a photo..."

These lines sounded markedly different from before.

Huang Guolun, who had a discerning ear, was taken aback by Zhao Jing’s imitation. He hadn’t expected her to be so adept; when she lifted her voice, her tone became bright and clear, as if the mist had been wiped from a pane of glass, revealing the ethereal beauty of the Cang Mountains and Erhai Lake.

Her pitch was still a bit off, and the timbre couldn’t quite match Faye Wong’s celestial clarity, but she truly captured some of Faye Wong’s essence.

Huanzi, her mouth stuffed with almonds, was so stunned by Zhao Jing’s sudden talent that she stopped chewing. She’d mentioned Faye Wong offhandedly, never expecting Zhao Jing could actually pull it off! This pretty girl was something else!

Noticing the change in their expressions, Zhao Jing grew even more pleased with herself. "Now for Teresa Teng!—Hand in hand, walking down the street before us; the passersby are just like we were back then..."

Changing her tone, Zhao Jing’s voice turned sweet and plaintive, uncannily resembling Teresa Teng’s signature style.

Though Zhao Jing’s singing couldn’t compare to Teresa Teng’s mastery, those two lines alone were enough to make one feel as though Teresa Teng’s spirit had possessed her.

Huang Guolun grew ever more impressed by Zhao Jing’s mimicry; he would never have guessed how versatile she was.

Clearly, Zhao Jing had practiced this song before, and she continued seamlessly: "Now Stefanie Sun!—I truly can only sing for you, because even as I grow up, the world still confuses me..."

The rhythm on the drum slowed, and Zhao Jing’s voice became hauntingly plaintive, as though the air itself thickened with emotion. She captured the poignant depth of Stefanie Sun’s singing to perfection, even adding the signature breathy finish—though not as ethereal as the original, she grasped the essence remarkably well.

"Not bad at all!" Huang Guolun gave her a sincere thumbs-up.

"Of course! There’s more! Now for Stefanie Sun—‘I can only sing for you, because even as I grow up, I still can’t make sense of the world…’"

Zhao Jing, now thoroughly enjoying herself, shifted from sorrowful to exuberant and unrestrained, her voice full and confident, truly evoking Stefanie Sun’s presence.

Then a more astonishing moment arrived. Zhao Jing, brimming with pride, announced, "Now listen to my best one: Karen Mok!—In this small corner of my heart, there’s so much of you; in tomorrow’s phone call, it’s still me missing you..."

Huang Guolun’s scalp tingled; after Stefanie Sun, Zhao Jing’s singing suddenly radiated a magnetic independence, perfectly capturing Karen Mok’s sensuous yet emotional style.

This song, "I Will Think of You," when sung as others, retained its original flavor, but when Zhao Jing imitated Karen Mok, it became entirely hers. Her voice turned crystal clear, pure, slightly elusive; the theme of "longing" became instantly seductive and transparent.

Huang Guolun raised his other thumb in admiration, realizing Zhao Jing’s vocal talent and mimicry far exceeded his expectations.

Huanzi’s initial dismissiveness was completely shattered by Zhao Jing’s uncanny impressions.

She forgot about her almonds, entranced by the parade of singers performing "I Will Think of You," and suddenly asked, "Can you imitate Han Hong?"

"Well... let me try." Zhao Jing cleared her throat, then instantly tightened her vocal cords, adopting Han Hong’s unique timbre: "I truly just want to sing for you, no sweet words, only the road we’ve walked together... ha!"

Halfway through, Zhao Jing laughed at herself, for singing a tender little love song like "I Will Think of You" in Han Hong’s powerful style was simply too incongruous.

Yet Huanzi was thoroughly amazed! Zhao Jing’s rendition, both strong and gentle, was like metal—malleable and enduring, her breath control impressive, evoking a hint of Han Hong herself!

Huang Guolun, too, was taken aback by the strength of Zhao Jing’s breath in that line—it was almost as if she’d been classically trained, her breath supple and enduring.

Yet the overall feel of her singing didn’t quite match a professional’s—otherwise, she wouldn’t have so many inconsistencies.

She relied purely on her natural vocal talent and cleverness to mimic all these female singers, which was already an impressive feat!

Curious to see the full extent of Zhao Jing’s abilities, Huang Guolun requested, "Can you try Tsai Chin?"

Zhao Jing flashed a small smile and immediately sang with Tsai Chin’s elegant low notes: "What is it like to be in different places? In tomorrow’s phone call, it’s still me missing you..."

Though she tried to lower her voice, her imitation of Tsai Chin fell a bit short.

Tsai Chin’s songs always carried a gentle, cold sorrow that seemed to flow quietly like a river at the ferry crossing, never appearing too mournful for all their inevitability.

Zhao Jing’s impression was reminiscent of that, but she couldn’t quite match Tsai Chin’s resonant low tones.

Still, for a female voice, being able to press her range so low was already quite remarkable.

As the song drew to a close, the low notes lingered, leaving the emotion of longing both profound and far-reaching, stirring a subtle ache in the listener’s heart.

After hearing Zhao Jing’s string of impressions, Huang Guolun praised her warmly, "Impressive! You really have the makings of a comedian, you’re great at impersonations."

Zhao Jing continued to beat the drum, humming, "I’d never be a comedian, but when I impersonate singers, I actually learned from those comedians on TV. I thought they were pretty funny, so I tried it myself when I was bored, and found I was even better than they were. Ha, this must be what they call being naturally gifted!"

Though Zhao Jing’s hidden talent was astonishing, Huanzi couldn’t stand her smugness, so she munched on her almonds and said coolly, "Let’s see if you’re still a natural beauty if you quintuple your daily food intake."

Zhao Jing retorted proudly, "Even if I eat five times as much, I’ll still be a natural beauty! I swim, run, work out, do yoga every day. I burn off whatever I eat. Unlike you lazybones, I never gain weight no matter how much I eat."

Huang Guolun set down his coffee and asked, "You swim often?"

"Almost every day. My sister’s complex has a swim club, she has a membership but is too lazy to use it, so I go every day."

"No wonder. I can tell you have great breath control—you have potential as a singer."

"Told you, I’m a natural! There’s nothing I can’t do!" With a little encouragement, Zhao Jing lit up again.

Huanzi muttered under her breath, "If you’re so good at everything, why can’t you get into grad school?"

Doused with cold water, Zhao Jing protested, "Come on, Huan! Do you have to hit a girl where it hurts? I’ll pass next year for sure!"

Huanzi, fingering her cross, earnestly suggested, "I recommend you embrace the Lord, really."

Zhao Jing’s beautiful eyes lit with curiosity, "You mean your Lord can help me pass my exams?"

Huanzi replied matter-of-factly, "No, but if you embrace the Lord, when you fail your next exam, He’ll silently comfort you. Amen."

Zhao Jing nearly ground her teeth, tempted to snatch Huanzi’s cross, but out of respect for different faiths, she let it go.

Pushing the drum toward Huang Guolun, Zhao Jing steered the conversation back to music, "Mr. Huang, you don’t mind if I livestream when you do your solo show, do you? If you’re on board, I think we can make this livestream really lively. I can perform a few songs, and I’ll work on my impressions."

"If you can bring in a big audience and create some buzz, I’d be very interested in the livestream," Huang Guolun said, picking up his T-shirt, "You want to promote your sister’s shop, and I’d like to use the opportunity to promote my brother’s film."

"Perfect!" Zhao Jing’s face lit up with hope. "Let’s team up and make it a grand event! I’ll invite a few more friends with artistic flair to join us. I’ll tell a few jokes about Yao Ming and Tiny Si to liven things up. If the livestream generates good income, we’ll split it—everyone who performs gets a share!"

At the mention of money, Huanzi promptly set aside her cross. "Actually, I can tell jokes, too. If you’re shorthanded, count me in."

Zhao Jing scoffed, "All your jokes are about God—boring! The livestream crowd won’t care."

Huanzi protested, "God jokes can be interesting, too."

Zhao Jing remained dismissive, "Interesting isn’t enough. Most of the livestream audience are homebodies—they prefer spicier jokes. For example, I recently heard this one about Yao Ming and Tiny Si—it’s hilarious."

With that, Zhao Jing launched into her story for Huang Guolun and Huanzi—

"One day, Yao Ming and Tiny Si went to the bathhouse together. Tiny Si deliberately dropped a bar of soap on the floor and said, ‘Can you pick that up for me? Thanks!’ Yao Ming looked at the soap, then at Tiny Si, and started calculating: I’m 2.3 meters tall, my backside is about 1.5 meters high; Tiny Si is 1.4 meters tall, his important bits are about 0.6 meters high—even if he stands on tiptoe, he’s nowhere near. Safe. I can pick up the soap! After careful calculations, Yao Ming bent down and went for it. Suddenly, Tiny Si burst out laughing, ‘Haha, Yao Ming, you’re too naive!’ And then he stuck out his wicked little tongue..."