Huayu 2009: Who should we call the Heavenly King?

Chapter 31 Youth is a stumbling journey

"Shen Yan, hello."

Old Huang stretched out his hand, his voice a little hoarse.

"I am Huang Ning from Southern Metropolis Daily."

"Hello."

Shen Yan grinned and shook hands.

"Thank you for your hard work, Reporter Huang. It's so late and you're still troubling me with this interview."

"Haha, this is what we do for a living, it's not hard or difficult at all."

Immediately afterwards, the two conducted an exclusive interview in the hotel's coffee shop.

Although it was late, working late into the night is the norm for journalists, and even more so for actors and singers.

soon.

After Lao Huang set up the recorder and DV camera, the interview officially began.

Similar to the opening of any interview with a newcomer, the first few questions were about his personal introduction. After asking a few standard questions, Lao Huang started talking about his concert.

"You sang three songs tonight: 'Boy,' 'Mountains and Seas,' and 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky.' These three songs have a wide range of styles, but the level of completion is astonishing."

As a 'newcomer,' which song are you most satisfied with? Or rather, which song best represents you right now?

"It's a boy, right?"

"boy?"

"Yes, youth is a journey full of stumbles and falls. From being ignorant and reckless to accepting and then learning to endure, whether it is persisting, compromising, or giving up, those choices are the most authentic imprints of youth."

Upon hearing this, Lao Huang's keen sense of smell, honed by years of copywriting work, prompted him to write down a line.

Youth is a journey full of stumbles and falls.

A very apt description.

It has the potential to become a "golden quote," and now he is increasingly convinced that those words were written by Shen Yan himself.

After all, a person's character is hard to fake.

"So, is life the source of your creativity?"

Old Huang continued to ask.

"Of course," Shen Yan replied without batting an eye. "Beauty is part of life."

"Oh? You agree with Chernyshevsky's viewpoint?"

"I partially agree; life is the best teacher and the most vivid textbook."

The conversation then turned to philosophy. In his previous life, when Shen Yan was a kept man, he would often read books when he was bored.

I read all kinds of books, from traditional literature and art history to philosophy and online novels. I'm not in a hurry to read anything, whether it's good or bad.

Ask him to study professional theories, he's definitely not good at it; he's good at chatting and doing whatever comes to mind.

Fortunately, Lao Huang is a professional journalist, and after chatting for a while, he got back to the main topic.

"Speaking of songwriting, were you responsible for all the lyrics, composition, and arrangement for these three songs, as well as the upcoming album?"

"Yes."

"The modern music industry is a very mature industry with a division of labor system. Even top artists in Europe and America rarely handle lyrics, music, and arrangement all by themselves. Why do you do this?"

Was it a requirement from the record company? Or was it part of the image of a talented songwriter?

"Because we're short of money."

"Need money?"

This answer caught Lao Huang off guard. Then, Shen Yan briefly told the story of how he self-funded the album and how Gold Typhoon got involved again.

"Therefore, I am very grateful to Ms. Huang Weijing, and also to Gold Typhoon."

At the end, Shen Yan gave a brief thank you to his sponsor.

They spent real money, and he didn't even offer a verbal thank you. How will he face people if word gets out?

"That……"

Old Huang nodded.

"Do you have any goals? Or rather, what are your thoughts on the current state of the Chinese music scene? What kind of achievements do you hope to make?"

"What's the target?"

Shen Yan sat up slightly.

"My first priority is to make this album as good as the company's investment."

"As for the current state of the Chinese music scene..."

"I'm only 20 years old, too young to comment. Finally, regarding the results, I hope to gain a group of fans who like me. It doesn't matter how many, as long as everyone is happy."

Hearing this, Lao Huang felt that Shen Yan didn't seem like a 20-year-old.

A bit too mature, too steady and composed.

To put it more simply, there's no sensational element.

"Speaking of age, you are indeed very young. Seeing you makes me feel old."

Old Huang smiled slightly and changed the subject.

"You were in the 07 undergraduate acting class at Beijing Film Academy, right?"

"Yes, I'm a junior in college."

"You've suddenly switched to music. How will you balance acting and singing in the future? Doesn't Tangren have any objections?"

"It wasn't sudden."

Shen Yan smiled and spoke frankly.

"Music has always been my passion, but I ended up signing with Tangren Media by chance."

"But singing, songwriting, and releasing albums are also part of me. Moreover, I communicated with the company and K-jie beforehand, and I am very grateful for the support from K-jie and the company."

"As for balance?"

"I don't think there's a conflict. Actors use their bodies and emotions to create characters, while singers use their voices and melodies to express themselves. Both are part of the expression process."

About an hour later, as the interview was drawing to a close, Lao Huang adjusted his glasses.

"Recently, there have been some rumors about you and Taiwanese actress Chang Chun-ning. Did you develop feelings for each other while working on a film?"

"My role was actually quite small, and I had even fewer scenes with my co-stars, so it's unlikely that we'd develop feelings for each other while filming, right?"

Shen Yan did not dodge the question, but he also did not give a direct answer.

"Okay, that concludes today's interview."

Old Huang reached out his hand again.

"Tonight's performance was fantastic. I look forward to your album. The Chinese music scene needs fresh blood like you."

"Thanks."

Before parting, the two exchanged phone numbers and then went back to their respective rooms.

It's too late.

The interview started at 1 a.m. and ended at 3 a.m. Shen Yan went back to his room, took a shower, and went straight to sleep.

Old Huang wasn't asleep; he was organizing the interview transcripts.

He habitually organizes his manuscript right after an interview, when his thoughts are at their most active.

When he finished his work, it was already broad daylight. Old Huang stretched and his eyes fell on the titles in the document.

A moment later, his gaze focused on the title in the third line.

Youth is a bumpy journey – Shen Yan, a junior at Beijing Film Academy, on his fantastical musical path.

This is it!

After marking the title, Lao Huang didn't take a shower or eat breakfast; he went straight to bed.

sleep!

the other side.

Shen Yan had already packed his luggage, sent a message to Xu Wei, Li Yanliang, Lao Huang and others, and then took the company car to Hengdian.

If we don't go back soon, Li Guoli will grab a knife and start stabbing people.

"Brother Yan, aren't you sleepy?"

On the way, seeing that Shen Yan was wide awake, Zhang Dandan asked him listlessly.

Last night, she also stayed up most of the night.

She had only slept for less than four hours, and her eyelids were drooping from exhaustion.

"It's alright, I slept for three hours, that's enough."

Shen Yan put down his phone and said.

"If you're sleepy, you can take a nap. I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Oh, I'm going to sleep now."

After saying that, Zhang Dandan closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly, while Shen Yan continued chatting with Nazha.

Cai Yinong is quite reliable; at least in Shanghai, she has some influence.

Naza was temporarily placed in a preparatory class for the Shanghai Theatre Academy entrance exam.

Yesterday was the first day of class, but Shen Yan was too busy to chat with Nazha. Today, she had some free time, and the little girl couldn't wait to share her experiences.