These past few days, Chang Yu had not gone out.
He had received contact from the "Love Song King" program team, stating that his story had been chosen.
Therefore, he had been watching the program from its start.
Upon seeing his story selected by Ting Yu, his emotions were complex, a mix of anticipation and worry.
He anticipated that Ting Yu, with his high reputation in the domestic entertainment industry, essentially at the pinnacle, and anything he produced was bound to be a masterpiece. He naturally looked forward to what kind of song his story would become when transformed by Ting Yu.
His worry stemmed from opening his heart; he wondered how he would interact with his assistant afterward.
With this thought, Chang Yu took out his phone and opened WeChat.
"I'm willing to accompany you forever, to keep you away from loneliness. Can you give me a chance?"
The chat record showed the message from the girl named Xiao Wen from five days ago.
Chang Yu had thought a lot during this time, but he hadn't made a decision. After all, he had once liked a woman who had left him without a second thought when he was at his lowest ebb.
People are like this; after experiencing betrayal, they become extremely cautious when facing emotions again.
But this girl was different. Her personality was lively and adorable, like a colorful painted scroll, illuminating Chang Yu's cold, black-and-white world with a splash of color.
It was precisely because of her arrival that Chang Yu had been able to pick himself up, gain hope for the future, and achieve what he had today.
Whenever he met Xiao Wen's gaze, Chang Yu would be the first to look away. He knew that if he looked for too long, he would surely fall for her.
After a long while, Chang Yu rubbed his temples and sighed.
It wasn't that he didn't want to accept Xiao Wen, but he was too accustomed to loneliness and feared he wouldn't know how to interact if their relationship changed.
...
The program began.
This episode differed from the usual. When the cameraman entered Ting Yu's lounge, Ting Yu was explaining a song to Jiang Xiao'e.
That's right, he had already finished writing it. Instead of resting or playing games, he was discussing the singing techniques for the song with Jiang Xiao'e.
Since the program team couldn't spoil the content, the cameraman left after a few minutes to visit other producers' lounges.
It had to be said that of all the episodes so far, the first one featuring Ting Yu and Shen Jinghong had the best viewership, as those two were playing games together, which the audience found very engaging.
However, this episode showed the audience Ting Yu's level of attention towards Jiang Xiao'e. Personally coaching her, explaining the song word by word—such treatment was something any singer would envy.
"Ting Yu, you go first?" Mo Yan was the first to speak.
"That's right, you go first. I heard you put a lot of importance on this song," Jiang Qian also said.
Zhou Qingshan nodded in agreement without any objections.
Originally, Zhou Qingshan was supposed to perform first this time, but everyone was very eager to hear Ting Yu's song, so they all urged him to perform first.
Su Yu's mouth twitched at their words.
"How impatient can they be..."
However, he didn't dawdle. "Since the seniors have said so, let's start then."
After speaking, he looked at Jiang Xiao'e beside him.
Upon hearing this, she nodded with a smile and walked towards the stage.
"Haha, it seems Teacher Mo Yan and the others are as curious as we are!"
"Who isn't? After all, this is Chang Yu's story, and the core of this story is very complex, with too many points of conflict. Everyone wants to see how Ting Yu will handle it."
"Do you think Ting Yu might mess up?"
"Not likely. After all, Ting Yu is a god, and this was a story he eagerly took on. He must have a big move planned."
As the bullet comments scrolled by, Jiang Xiao'e had already arrived on stage.
The lights gradually dimmed, then blue light dots appeared, along with ripple-like halos, rendering the entire stage like the bottom of the ocean.
Jiang Xiao'e wore light makeup today and a red gauze long dress, which appeared exceptionally dreamlike against the blue stage atmosphere.
She had good natural features and usually didn't pay much attention to her appearance, but this outfit added a lot to her.
Her fair face held a confident smile.
Holding the microphone, she looked at Su Yu.
He nodded at her and made a cheering gesture.
Then, Jiang Xiao'e took a deep breath and nodded to the program team.
On the big screen, a picture of a whale appeared.
The song information was displayed.
The Melody of the Lonely Whale
Vocal: Jiang Xiao'e
Lyrics: Ting Yu
Music: Ting Yu
The prelude was very gentle, mixed with a strange sound.
"A whale's call?" Mo Yan exclaimed.
The other producers beside him also showed a hint of surprise.
A whale?
But upon seeing the painting on the big screen, they understood.
Chang Yu's most popular representative work currently was that painting of the blue whale by the island.
It had to be said that Ting Yu's approach was always surprising.
"I am a blue whale transformed into a lonely island,
With the largest silhouette,
Fish and shrimp swim by my side,
And birds perch upon my back..."
Jiang Xiao'e sat on a prop rock, looking up at the blue whale.
The whale's call conveyed loneliness, but Jiang Xiao'e's voice was ethereal and warm, creating a stark contrast.
However, the moment she opened her mouth, the audience felt a sense of immediate captivation!
This feeling had been experienced with Ting Yu and the other singers in the singer group. Although Jiang Xiao'e had many excellent live performances before, this time was different. Perhaps it was the deep emotional integration; the sense of astonishment was much stronger than ever before.
"I've passed by too many beautiful wonders,
Like an Edenic fairyland,
But the sea is too vast, too quiet,
So many stories waiting for someone to listen..."
At this moment, in the eyes of the audience, the whale on the screen seemed to come alive.
It swam alone in the vast ocean, having seen so many sights along the way. It wanted to tell others, but found only swimming fish and shrimp beside it, or birds that perched briefly before leaving. There were no companions, only loneliness.
"The picture on the big screen is Chang Yu's painting of the blue whale by the island!"
"Ting Yu is writing about a whale this time?"
"Damn, how is he going to write this story using Chang Yu's representative work?"
"Is Jiang Xiao'e singing this well?"
"I got goosebumps the moment I heard the first line. This song makes me feel like I've become that whale, with so many things I want to express but no one to tell."
"Cleverly, Jiang Xiao'e isn't singing about loneliness, but rather expressing it with a very warm tone. This contrast is absolutely amazing!"
"Ting Yu must have taught her. I saw Ting Yu explaining this song to Jiang Xiao'e earlier."
"Damn, Jiang Xiao'e is too lucky! Forget her peers, even I, an ordinary person, am incredibly envious!"
The visual imagery was too strong, creating an irresistible sense of immersion.
It felt as if one were that whale, with a heart full of stories but no friends to confide in.