Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 438 I'm in love but can't have you again?

I woke up at noon.

After gently pushing Xiao Ye off him, Shen Juan glanced at his phone next to his pillow.

Yangyang Jin sent him a WeChat message.

The first-day results for "INDUSTRY BABY" are out, 24 hours after its release.

There's no need to elaborate on the sales charts, including those on iTunes; the combination of Shen Juan and Li Na is not comparable to Kaka 2.

Therefore, what we really need to pay attention to is the first-day play count of "The Voice" which is becoming increasingly important for singers in the new era.

It garnered 1321 million effective views globally on its first day.

The number of visits to the US region reached 453 million.

Industry insiders exclaimed that it was impossible!
In fact, Shen Juan's song "Blind Light," released last February, had already shaken the music industry. They never expected that a Chinese singer could get his Chinese fans to bypass the Great Firewall and provide play counts on music platforms they rarely use, resulting in a record-breaking achievement!
There has even been progress this year!

Even though it only progressed by 20%, it was still breathtaking, allowing everyone to witness the beauty of such incredible numbers!
The media exclaimed that "fuxking is crazy!"

Shen Juan's unparalleled idol appeal and fan cohesion are simply unbelievable! It's just outrageous!
East Asia's fan culture and spending power are truly second to none, making all Western musicians extremely envious!

So they all began to collect and organize information, preparing to take "the emotional bond between idols and fans" as a starting point to conduct an in-depth interpretation and analysis of this phenomenon.

Netizens exclaimed that Brother Juan is awesome and that he is great!
[A top-tier male artist in the world, with unparalleled sales, digital music popularity, and widespread appeal! Protecting the world's best, Juanjuan!]

[This first day's performance was unbeatable. As long as he doesn't slip up too much later on, winning the championship should be a sure thing. Congratulations in advance to my beloved "Tired God"!]

[While his popularity already plays a part, the song is just so good! You can't become the world's number one male singer with only die-hard fans and no casual listeners. I'm getting more and more excited for AS3!]

Is Alex aiming to collect number-one singles from every genre? Should he also try his hand at country R&B?

[I feel like anyone who collaborates with Shen Juan will wake up laughing in the middle of the night, the results are terrifying! Before Shen Juan's feature, Old Town Road was just a regular roadside street, and then there was Mood and Holy. If I were Li Na, I'd probably kneel down and kowtow to Shen Juan a few times, he's just too good!]

[His initial success was a result of his established reputation; his staying power will be the key to whether this song becomes a hit!]

This song is indeed quite catchy, and the lyrics are good too, expressing the artist's feelings directly. But some people are really something else. If you want lyrics to be beautifully written, you might as well just read Guo Jingming's books. No one can beat him at piling up fancy words! Surely no one really thinks that inserting a few obscure but impressive-sounding words makes lyrics good?

[I declare the Leviathan era over, and we have now officially entered the golden age of AS3! A massive tsunami is about to strike!]

In short, this not only made Shen Juan's "INDUSTRY BABY" surpass Alexana's "Rain On Me" (1207 million plays on its first day this year) and Shen Juan's "Blinding Lights" (1100 million plays on its first day last year), but also made it the single with the highest number of plays on its first day in the history of SoundBreaking.

It also earned Shen Juan his third single, "Sound Breaking the Sky," which surpassed 10 million plays within 24 hours of its release.

They've taken the top three spots on the current record list!
Despite the fact that in the post-same-sex era, with a large influx of users into streaming platforms and a growing audience base, streaming records can be said to change every year, making it difficult to maintain a consistent top position, Shen Juan's current data performance will still reach first-tier standards even two or three years from now.

Therefore, it is obvious.
Having gained a market understanding that was ahead of its time, he achieved data success that was ahead of its time.

He truly represents the current music industry.

He truly embodies the future of the music industry.

It's almost the end of February.

New honors were bestowed upon Shen Juan.

The Japan Gold Disc Awards are one of the most prestigious music awards in the Japanese music scene. Organized by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, the awards are primarily based on commercial metrics such as sales, downloads, and streaming numbers of musical works over the past year.

However, in order to ensure that Japanese singers get the biggest share while also introducing foreign singers to make the award more prestigious and internationally influential, the organizers divided many awards according to country and region.

Therefore, the list of winners this year is roughly as follows:

The most prestigious Artist of the Year award was given to Arashi (Japan), the Johnny's national boy group that celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, Queen (Western), the legendary British rock band, and Shen Juan (Asia), the undisputed leading man of our time.

This is the sixth time Arashi has received this honor in three years.

This also marks the second consecutive year that Queen and Shen Juan have received this honor.

Last year it was the two of them and Namie Amuro.

BTS, who were gradually gaining momentum, were continuously suppressed by Shen Juan.

In fact, Shen Juan's positive and high-quality idol path overlaps with BTS's development direction.

This means that although they seem to be on different levels, they are each other's biggest competitors on their path to progress.

Unfortunately, the gap between BTS and Shen Juan is just too big.

At this stage, BTS is like a group that only shouts slogans, feeds fans motivational messages, and urges them to spend money on in-game purchases.

Shen Juan is a global icon who can shout slogans, has outstanding works, and is also incredibly handsome.

Given such a stark contrast, as long as one does not harbor hatred towards China, the vast majority of people would flock to Shen Juan's side.

The winner always takes all!

So if the Japanese Recording Industry Association wants to continue to benefit from K-pop's popularity in the future, they will have to make a choice.

Either change the rules to classify Shen Juan, who often sings English songs, into the Western category and let him compete for Queen's award, since they don't care anyway, or create a separate category or award for K-pop. Otherwise, as fellow Asian artists, they probably can't beat Shen Juan even if they try their hardest.

The gap is just that huge.

Album of the Year was awarded to Arashi's 20th Anniversary Compilation Album and Shen Juan's Japanese album, Shining Butterfly, released at the end of last year.

As time goes by, the reputation of Shen Juan's Japanese album "Flash Butterfly," which has been released for more than two months, has spread and fermented to the greatest extent. Many of the songs have become highly popular hits, and it is getting closer and closer to Arashi's sales record. It is estimated that it will not be long before it surpasses Arashi's record.

Then, with this album, *Shing Butterfly*, and the album *YAAIS* from two years ago, Shen Juan firmly established his status as a top-tier artist in the Japanese music scene!
The Song of the Year (Neon Music) award went to AKB48's "Sustainable", Shen Juan's Koshien theme song "Destiny" (Asian Music) released last summer, and Shen Juan's phenomenal global hit "Blinding Lights" (Western Music) released last winter.

Japan's 48 Group idols are still awesome.

Their fans are incredibly generous with their spending; you can always see them on sales and revenue charts!
Then why is Shen Juan's story titled "Destiny"?

The reason is also very simple.

Although Destiny is not the most popular single from Phantasy Butterfly, it has the longest release period and the most accumulated data achievements.

The Newcomer of the Year award went to King Gnu, a band closely associated with Shen Juan and who toured during the Leviathan era, and to IZ*ONE, a girl group that debuted two years ago through Produce 48.

In addition, there were other awards such as Best Music Video, Best 5 Singles, and Best 3 Albums.
But none of these have any real value.

Therefore, fans generally don't mention it much.

The warm midday sun in Beijing shone through the sheer curtains of the French windows, casting dappled light and shadow on the beige carpet in the living room.

Zhou Ye yawned as she went back to her room for a nap after lunch, which had become part of her biological clock or habit.

Tian Xiwei put on a mask and went out to find Li Yitong. Perhaps it was because their relationship deepened during the recording of the show, or perhaps it was because Tian Xiwei still had the ambition to break the three-way balance of power and tried to bring in outside help, which led to their private relationship being even better than what they showed on camera!

To some extent, Tong Xinwei is indeed real.

However, they didn't like each other.

It was the same man.

They were even willing to form alliances for this.

Cheng Xiao nestled on the soft sofa, adopting the classic "Ge You slouch" posture as she scrolled through Weibo.

The final episode of "Women's Mystery Club" has aired.

Thus, the first season came to a successful conclusion.

Each of the six regular guests gained a lot.

For example, it allowed Xiao Hu to officially enter the fan circle's field of vision.

Many people say that this girl is very beautiful, and looks a bit like Zheng Shuang and Kim Ji-won from South Korea. Considering the rumors about her and Shen Juan, as well as the pairing that CP fans love to create (which can be traced back to the chapter of "What's the Use of Top Streamers on Orange Light").
Therefore, many people think that Shen Juan has ulterior motives towards Kim Ji-won and wants to bring her into his "fish pond" (a metaphor for a romantic relationship), but he has too few opportunities to get to know her, so he can only play the role of a substitute in the domestic selection of concubines.

The funniest thing is that this even spread to South Korean fan forums, where it sparked a small-scale discussion.

I don't know if it got to the steaming/cooking area.
Anyway, Shen Juan was speechless when he heard about it.

So, I'm in a situation where I love someone but can't have them?

For example, Jiang Peiyao, Li Yitong, Tian Xiwei, and Song Qian all gained popularity to varying degrees.

Especially Victoria Song, whose starring drama "Find Yourself" and her regular appearance on "Women's Detective Club" were both airing on Hunan TV recently, which helped her attract many new fans.

Of course, Sister Tian and Sister Xue also gained a lot.

The Tongxinweimin CP formed by the two of them is currently quite popular, which just goes to show that selling lesbian and BL (Boys' Love) content is a money-making strategy.

Some people even egged them on, telling them to break up with Shen Juan and dump that fickle scumbag, saying that making their lives better was more important than anything else.

For example, Cheng Xiao.
Although she didn't create any romantic pairings with other women, she found it troublesome and boring. Everyone knew she was with Shen Juan, so why did she have to sell herself as a prostitute with other women?
But it is, after all, a strong competitor to 951 at this stage.

Therefore, her courageous performance and some of her remarks on the show also sparked a certain degree of discussion among fans.

In the latest episode of "Women's Detective Club," Cheng Xiao's words to Tian Xiwei went viral: "Everyone is having a hard time, so there's no need to share some things. Even if you do share them, very few people will truly understand you."

Cheng Xiao had a tough time as a trainee overseas. Not only did she have to endure the language barrier, but she also had to undergo intense training. However, she always reported good news and kept the bad news to herself. Her mother was very worried about her but didn't dare to ask, afraid that it would make Cheng Xiao feel even worse. So, she didn't know how to express her concern. Moreover, because her parents were divorced, Cheng Xiao learned to shoulder things on her own at a very young age. Therefore, no matter what happened, she would find a way to solve it herself instead of telling her family.

Cheng Xiao is quite right. Everyone has their struggles, and others may not understand your difficulties, so there's no need to go around telling everyone. The important thing is to focus on becoming stronger. However, family can be a reliable support sometimes; even if they can't offer much help, having someone to confide in is always a good thing.

Many fans and netizens shared their thoughts.

As a long-time casual fan, I know that she injured her back when she did the somersaults back then. Several times afterward, she had to catch her breath before she could get up during the song "Happy," and there was hardly anyone to help her. She didn't have many lines in the group, and she always had to bring her teammates along for her solo activities. It's really amazing that she became popular in South Korea!

[When Xiao needed her family the most, no one was there for her. She had to train constantly for her debut in a foreign country, and the pressure was unimaginable. Moreover, after her parents divorced, her father didn't seem to care about them much. After returning to China, she has been participating in activities to earn money to support her mother and sister. She has really had a tough time.]

So when I heard that Xiao Xiao was returning to China, I was really happy for her. Anyone with eyes could see that she was clearly not in good condition before she came back. Although she didn't say anything, we fans could all tell. We were really worried that she was sick.

Although she hasn't had as many stages in South Korea since returning, and her career has basically stagnated, she has recovered her health, improved her mental state, and met people who truly care about her. For us fans who genuinely care about her, that's already incredibly good!

I don't remember which show I heard Xiao Xiao mention before, but her parents divorced in 17. At that time, her mother took her younger sister to South Korea to find her and tell her about it. And 17 was the year she met Shen Juan. So anyone can criticize Shen Juan, but Xiao Xiao's true fans have no right to criticize Shen Juan.

[Have you noticed that she speaks very slowly in front of the camera, so slowly that you can immediately see her cautiousness? But when she speaks to Shen Juan, she speaks very quickly and in a very natural tone. Perhaps Shen Juan is the one who makes her feel at ease.]

Looking at these comments, Cheng Xiao slightly curled the corners of his mouth.

I felt a mix of emotions, including a sense of being touched and a touch of reflection.

What touched her was that she never expected her fans to understand her so well and to remember so many things about her.

They even accepted that she was in a relationship!

Even though she was the one who made a mistake, she was able to receive their understanding and forgiveness. I am truly grateful to them!

What I find poignant is...
They're right.

They really understand themselves.

She has indeed found someone she can rely on, someone she can confide in, and someone she can entrust her life to.

Shen Juan carried Cheng Susu into the living room.

He discovered that he might have a natural talent for animal affinity, and the pets he had met all seemed to love sticking to him.

Especially the two cats and one dog at home.

"Xiao Xiao, are you taking a nap too?"

"I don't have that habit."

"How about we go upstairs and play some games?"

"What...game?" Cheng Xiao's mind went astray.

Shen Juan was speechless: "Computer games."

"Okay, fine," Cheng Xiao said, a little disappointed, but still turned her phone face down on the cushion with the screen off and readily agreed, "I'm fine with any game!"

Although she does enjoy playing various games, Starlink has currently established an e-sports girl persona for her in the entertainment industry.

But she has never had much of her own opinion on these kinds of things.

She had gotten used to letting Shen Juan make the decisions.

So rather than being passionate about the game itself, it's more accurate to say that she cherishes every moment spent alone with her boyfriend.

After all, as long as he's by my side, even just spacing out and daydreaming becomes a blissful and sweet pastime.

The two returned to Shen Juan's bedroom and skillfully connected the computer to the projector, instantly lighting up the Steam interface on the large screen.

The game icons that Shen Juan had downloaded some time ago were neatly arranged: Outlast 2, Hong Kong Ghost Stories, Fireworks, and Paper Dolls.
All of them are horror games.

Shen Juan's quirks have become quite obvious.

Cheng Xiao stared at the horror games and swallowed hard. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he pointed at the icon for "Two Players Together": "Let's play this! This should be a two-player game!"

In fact, Shen Juan didn't dare to play these games alone late at night, so he didn't mock or tease him. He just saw through it but didn't say anything and opened "Two People on the Road".

"To be honest, I don't think I've played this game even once since I bought it. Now I can finally give it a try."

"Then let's get started!"

Cheng Xiao smiled excitedly, his fingers already hovering over the keyboard as if he were warming up.

Although she plays a lot of games, she mostly plays them on her phone and rarely has time to use a computer. As a result, she is not very proficient with the keyboard, which makes her a little nervous, afraid that she will hold Shen Juan back. But when she thinks of her boyfriend's gentleness, she smiles again.

Because she knew Shen Juan had a good temper.

They don't even swear when spraying pesticides.

So it's impossible for her to be angry because of this game.

Soon, the opening scene began to play.

In the game, when the little girl hears the news that her parents have decided to divorce, she is heartbroken and begs Dr. Hackin not to separate them. As a result, her parents' souls are transferred into two dolls.

Then, under Dr. Harkin's guidance, they reluctantly embarked on an adventure in the magical world in this new body, searching for a way to return to their original bodies.

"So we are the parents of this little girl? And this little girl is our child?" Cheng Xiao asked.

"Yeah, but these parents are getting a divorce." Shen Juan's pointed remark earned him a Mamba elbow from Nai Xiao.

She stared at the arguing doll couple on the screen and said nonchalantly, "They'll make up in the end anyway. I don't believe these parents will actually get divorced in the game's ending!"

"That makes sense. Do you play with men or women?"

"I'll play with Dad, you play with Mom!"

"Oh? You want me to play with Yang Mi?"

"What Yang Mi?" Cheng Xiao asked, puzzled.

"The mother in this game is Yang Mi, the father is Kaiwei, and the daughter is Xiao Nuomi, who wants them to get back together and not get divorced," Shen Juan said, spouting nonsense with a straight face.

Cheng Xiao couldn't hold back anymore because she realized that it actually matched up, and she didn't expect that Shen Juan could even apply this to Yang Mi.

Now it's time to choose your character.

Shen Juan chose his father, Cody.

Cheng Xiao chose his mother, Xiao Mei.

Although she said she wanted to play with her dad, she honestly chose her mom. Even in this very simple game of pretend, Cheng Xiao was seriously playing the role and responsibility she needed to take on in this family.

Then the two characters entered a wooden-floored room and went through a cutscene. Suddenly, a book appeared with a "twin ponytail hairstyle." It claimed to be Dr. Hakin, a global bestselling author and relationship expert who had reportedly helped tens of thousands of couples around the world repair their relationships.

Cody and May will also be among them.

"Why do I feel like this book's design is so cute! It's clearly a middle-aged man's voice but he's wearing pigtails. So, is this the root of all evil and the originator of this game?" Cheng Xiao suddenly started commenting on the game's NPCs.

"Shouldn't our daughter be the root of all evil?" Shen Juan's words were cut short by a glare from Cheng Xiao.

"What are you talking about? Our daughter is helping us repair our relationship, okay?" she corrected, frowning.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes," Shen Juan could only nod repeatedly in a perfunctory manner, feeling that someone seemed to have already gotten into character.

The storyline ended quickly, and the game officially began.

The two began to familiarize themselves with the game's controls.

Shen Juan quickly got the hang of it because he had played a lot, but he noticed that something seemed off about Cheng Xiao's situation.
"Have you hardly ever played games using a keyboard?"

"I haven't played it much."

"Then I think our gaming experience later might not be very good."

Shen Juan had already given up hope of clearing the level.

After all, this is a two-player game that requires two people to cooperate well to pass the level. Cheng Xiao hadn't even figured out the most basic operation, so how could he talk about cooperation?

However, once he actually entered the game, Shen Juan found that the situation was even more unbearable than he had expected.

Cheng Xiao's character stumbles and falls on the screen, her keyboard clattering loudly, yet she always seems flustered at crucial moments.

She was devastated when the runaway fuse slipped through her fingers for the third time.

Just as Shen Juan was about to offer some words of comfort, a pair of delicate hands covered his eyes from behind, and then he heard a familiar, hearty laugh, "Isn't this a perfect match for two?"

Sister Tian had returned sometime earlier than I noticed.

And she appeared before Shen Juan together
And there was Li Yitong, smiling radiantly at him.
　I've been busy with work during the day these past few days, so I've been writing mostly after get off work in the evenings. Please forgive me for the later updates.
　　Thank you all for your votes, monthly passes, and subscriptions!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)