Shuangqing City.
Li Yunchuan leaned back on the sofa.
On the coffee table in front of him was a plate of peanuts and several bottles of Guobin beer.
He picked up his glass and took a large gulp, then grabbed a few more peanuts from the coffee table and popped them into his mouth.
Looking at Zhang Wei on the TV screen, Li Yunchuan's eyes were filled with envy.
He had also sung Ting Yu's songs. That song "Xiao Chou" had made him incredibly popular.
"A cup for freedom, a cup for death."
This lyric had already become a classic.
Unfortunately, Li Yunchuan felt like the song was popular but the singer wasn't. "Xiao Chou" had become a classic in folk music, but his own fame hadn't increased much; he was still treading water.
Everyone has their own destiny, and Li Yunchuan felt this was his.
He raised his glass and toasted Zhang Wei, who was surrounded by starlight and adoration on the TV!
He felt envy, but not jealousy. He knew how difficult Zhang Wei's journey had been, and he also knew how much courage it took for Zhang Wei to go to Xinghui on a whim to sign a contract as a newcomer.
Everyone envied Zhang Wei for being a member of the Ting Yu singer group, but they didn't know that Zhang Wei had earned it all through his hard work!
"Junior brother, you are my pride!"
...
Audience area.
Every singer was applauding.
Their eyes on the stage were filled with deep admiration.
As a singer, who wouldn't want to sing a song by Ting Yu?
However, the current price of Ting Yu's work was such that even a "Singer King" was not qualified to request a song. A "Singer God" might be, but there were only a few Singer Gods in the mainland entertainment industry, and they were all from the older generation and semi-retired, so they naturally wouldn't seek Ting Yu to write songs for them.
Therefore, only these few members of the singer group could sing new songs by Ting Yu.
Of course, they not only envied Zhang Wei's talent for being able to sing new songs by Ting Yu, but they also envied his singing skills. Zhang Wei's vocal timbre was something that had been refined through many experiences, possessing a certain charm.
It hadn't appeared suddenly.
Even with long-term practice, one couldn't achieve his kind of flavor.
"Zhang Wei is the undisputed Singer King of the younger generation!"
"He's not that young anymore, and he's practically an old hand in the entertainment industry."
"But he's only in his early thirties. Idols rely on youth, but singers become more flavorful with age."
"A Singer King at thirty, truly enviable!"
"What's there to envy? Gong Juren became a Singer King in his early twenties!"
"Can we compare ourselves to him? Gong Juren is Ting Yu's most favored singer, even surpassing Lin Yanyu!"
Amidst the discussions.
The host had already taken the stage.
He held his script, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Deeply moved, unforgettable. Meeting you in this life has exhausted all my luck. A very touching Cantonese love song, did you all like it?"
The host asked the audience in a voice full of stories.
"We liked it!!"
"Who doesn't like Ting Yu's songs!"
"Damn, Lin Han is putting on a show!"
"I'm good friends with Lin Han. This guy looks like he has a lot of stories, but he's never even been in a relationship!"
Everyone in the industry knew each other to some extent and knew some of each other's backgrounds. Therefore, when they saw Lin Han pretending to be emotional on stage, a few artists who knew him well mercilessly exposed him.
"Then, let's invite singer Jiang Xiao'e to bring us another new song from Teacher Ting Yu!!"
Wow!!
Amidst the deafening applause from the audience.
Zhang Wei bowed slightly to everyone and retreated from the stage.
Then, Jiang Xiao'e, dressed in a simple evening gown, came from backstage. As she passed Zhang Wei, she smiled and high-fived him.
"Brother Wei, you performed well."
"Xiao'e, you too, good luck!"
The members of the singer group had very good relationships with each other. Because Su Yu didn't show favoritism to anyone, there were no internal struggles. Everyone genuinely wished each other well.
"Don't worry, I won't let down the singer group or Teacher Ting Yu!"
Jiang Xiao'e rarely spoke such confident words.
Today, she was more confident than ever before.
Because she was no longer the shy girl she used to be. Now, she was a person who had the chance to be nominated for a "Singer Queen" award, a dream that many singers pursued their entire careers.
At her age, in her early twenties, she had already received such an honor, and with Ting Yu backing her, she had the capital for confidence.
Amidst the applause.
Jiang Xiao'e walked to the center of the stage.
Just like Zhang Wei.
She also turned her gaze towards a certain direction in the audience and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Teacher Ting Yu..."
Jiang Xiao'e had always been filled with gratitude and respect for Su Yu, and she had always regarded this junior student, who was younger than her, as her teacher.
Teacher Ting Yu.
She had called him this since their first meeting until now.
Even in the future, when her achievements were even greater, Jiang Xiao'e believed she would call him by this title for her entire life.
The stage lights gradually shifted to warmer tones.
Still piano music, but this time it was a crisp yet melancholic piano sound.
"Hong Dou"
Sung by: Jiang Xiao'e
Lyrics: Ting Yu
Music: Ting Yu
Jiang Xiao'e's voice naturally had an ethereal quality.
Su Yu had arranged Faye Wong's classic song as the theme song for her album.
This was also an affirmation of her singing skills.
After all, he had previously given Faye Wong's songs to his mother-in-law.
"Hong Dou, I remember Ting Yu's previous songs also mentioned Hong Dou, right?"
"Yes, that song 'Tan Chuang,' which made people cry to death!"
"That song 'Tan Chuang' absolutely destroyed me back then!"
"A love song wouldn't have this kind of plot, would it?"
"I really like Jiang Xiao'e's singing, especially her representative work 'Da Yu,' I've been playing it on repeat."
Chinese people have a natural affinity for "red beans."
Ancient people called red beans "seeds of longing," a thing used by lovers to express their yearning. Because of this, red beans also symbolize love.
Using red beans directly as the song title.
No surprise there.
It was another love song!
"Haven't truly felt,
The climate of snowflakes blooming,
We shiver together,
Will understand better,
What is tenderness..."
Jiang Xiao'e's ethereal voice carried a hint of faint sorrow.
The lyrics depicted a scene that was cold yet warm.
Being with you, even if you shiver together in the swirling snow, there is a warm "tenderness."
However, no matter how beautiful the depicted scene was, the words "haven't yet" made this scene, like the falling snowflakes, unable to last.
"Haven't held your hand,
Walked through the barren sand dunes,
Perhaps from now on,
We'll learn to cherish forever and always..."
The two contrasting verses were as beautiful as a painting!
The technique of describing the transition from time to space allowed many viewers to immerse themselves in the song's emotion once again.
Similarly, while the former, walking through barren sand dunes with your hand, and descriptions like forever and always were warm and romantic, the words "haven't yet" at the beginning of the lyrics infused the entire song with a deep sense of regret!