Huayu: Were you ever a top star before writing nonsense?

As soon as the chorus began, many audience members felt a slight tremor run through them.

Shen Can's voice and soft, gentle singing, combined with the song's unique storytelling, brought the emotions of the song to their fullest expression!

Everyone was stunned.

Just as people were savoring the climax of the chorus, Shen Can intensified that climax even further in the next second.

During the interlude, he whistled.

—Anti-counterfeiting whistle.

The tears in Yang Rong's eyes condensed into teardrops, which slid down her beautiful face.

At the same time, she shook her head.

It was as if he were exclaiming, "It's unbelievable, what exactly did he go through?"

For Yang Rong, this was probably the simplest crying scene she had ever performed. The lyrics and the song were so moving that she didn't need to do anything to evoke emotion.

Wan Qian also shed tears. According to the novel's setting, Jiang Wanning was feeling sorry for the protagonist at this moment.

How did he manage to survive those years when he was sidelined?

But it was also a genuine expression of Wan Qian's feelings.

The lyrics describe the protagonist's life, but isn't her life just like that?

Despite having excellent acting skills and a good singing voice, she is always overlooked.

Only Guo Jinfei could endure the discomfort.

He looked at Yang Rong, then at Wan Qian. He wanted to cry too, but he had to hold it in.

"I have to ask my junior for compensation for emotional distress; this is a work-related injury," Guo Jinfei muttered to himself.

Just then, the whistling stopped, and the final climax of the song arrived.

"One cup to tomorrow, one cup to the past."

It supported my body, its shoulders becoming heavy.

Although I've never believed in the saying "mountains are high and rivers are long,"

Life is too short to dwell on the past.

One toast to freedom, one toast to death.

Forgive my ordinariness, and the confusion will be dispelled.

Okay, they always leave hastily after dawn.

The most absurd people are those who are clear-headed.

Shen Can's singing became more uplifting, but upon closer listening, one could also discern a sense of oppression within that uplifting quality.

Why is the song "Sorrow" so difficult to cover and surpass the original? The reason is that without that experience, it's hard to capture the essence of the song.

"Well, people always leave hastily after dawn; the most absurd are those who are sober."

As the song drew to a close, Shen Can's exhilarating mood vanished, and he returned to a soft, low-key singing style.

The accompaniment music at the end echoed in the theater. Shen Can sat quietly on the stage, holding a microphone, looking at the people below.

Meanwhile, everyone in the audience remained quiet, immersed in the atmosphere of the song.

Many people's eyes reddened, and some even shed tears like Wan Qian and Yang Rong.

Seconds later, the entire theater exploded like a volcanic eruption.

Loud applause and discussions rang out continuously.

"Absolutely amazing! The music is amazing, the lyrics are amazing, and Shen Can himself is amazing!"

"The lyrics of his song don't have the narrative feel of typical folk songs, but they resonate strongly. It's a folk song, yet it made me feel even more lonely than listening to post-rock."

"It's really hard to believe that someone so young has such profound insights."

"Being able to make one or two hits might be an act or a stroke of genius, but to have every single one so brilliant can only be described as genius!"

"That's incredible!"

"Shen Can deserves to be famous!"

"The imagery is incredibly vivid!"

"Hearing this, I finally understand why Shen Can dared to write in his novel that the protagonist uses talent to overcome capital; he really wasn't exaggerating!"

"Oh my god, this makes me want to drink zodiac-themed liquor!"

"So talented."

"This song is as deep as the Mariana Trench."

"..."

Countless students and teachers expressed their heartfelt admiration.

Even Gu Yi'an's gaze towards Shen Can was filled with fervor.

Although he didn't have much knowledge of music, he dealt with scripts every day and had an extremely strong sensitivity to words, instantly appreciating the extraordinary nature of the lyrics.

"Eight cups of wine, two to two, each one building upon the previous one, creating layers of emotion—an absolute masterpiece!" Gu Yi'an exclaimed in awe.

Not only that, he also heard a deeper dimension in the lyrics.

One cup to the rising sun, one cup to the moonlight.

The rising sun shines on the moonlight, and the song is sung by "youth".

Those who have taken the college entrance examination will find this statement very relatable.

The rising sun illuminates the road ahead; the floating moonlight reflects ten years of hard study.

Because of hard work, there is hope; even if you get hurt, you will not lose your way.

A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger; the world is vast, and I will venture out on my own.

Therefore, even if there is rain in your heart and frost in your eyes, you can fly against the wind without looking back.

This is the spirit of youth!

The song is titled "Dreams, Ventures".

One cup to my hometown, one cup to the distant land.

Hometown versus distant lands—this was the mindset of youth.

Our hometown safeguards our original aspirations, while our dreams blossom in the distance.

While pursuing dreams far away, one's heart is always with one's hometown and loved ones. This is not surprising; it's like a tree, rooted in the ground yet reaching towards the sky.

No matter how far a wanderer drifts, he will always want to return to the harbor of home, a place where his soul finds peace.

The song being sung here is "longing, venturing out".

One cup to tomorrow, one cup to the past.

Tomorrow is a reflection on the past.

After childhood and youth comes middle age.

Middle-aged people bear heavy responsibilities, with elderly parents to care for and young children to raise.

In middle age, one hesitates, feeling that life is unpredictable, and that more often than not, one misses out on things than gains them. What was thought to be a lasting relationship gradually fades away.

Life will not stop because of your loss, and the weight of responsibility will not be lessened in the slightest because of your sorrow.

So, the past is the past anyway, why dwell on it? Taking responsibility and moving forward with our burdens is what matters most.

This is about "taking things lightly and letting go".

One toast to freedom, one toast to death.

Freedom versus death, old age.

"Brilliant! Using death to represent freedom." Gu Yi'an couldn't help but clap along with the applause.

This is his favorite line, and he considers it the most brilliant lyric.

What is the antonym of freedom?

Restraint?

No, Shen Can's answer was "death".

Man is born free, yet often bound by chains, some self-imposed, others imposed by others. Perhaps death is the true liberation, the release from these chains, and the attainment of true freedom.

Those glorious lives are luxuries, not everyone can have them; most people live ordinary lives.

So, the lyrics here, in old age, acknowledge one's ordinariness, completely let go, and let go of shackles. After letting go, looking back on one's life, one will feel that all the things done in pursuit of fame and fortune were utterly absurd.

"Eight cups of wine, a song about a person's life. He brewed the lyrics with his precocious wisdom and composed the melody of his heart with his clear-headedness and open-mindedness. His state of mind is even higher than mine," Gu Yi'an sighed softly.

Based on this mindset, he believed that Shen Can would definitely maintain his integrity in the entertainment industry and would not be swayed by desires.

At the same time, he thought of a poem by the Song Dynasty poet Jiang Jie, which perfectly matched the song and had a similar effect.

"The young man listened to the rain in the pavilion, with red candles dimly lighting the silk curtains."

In my prime, I listened to the rain from a traveler's boat; the river was wide, the clouds were low, and a lone wild goose cried in the west wind.

Now, listening to the rain under the eaves of a monk's hut, my temples are already gray.

Joy and sorrow, parting and reunion, are all indifferent; let the raindrops fall on the steps until dawn.

— "To the Tune of Yu Meiren: Listening to the Rain"