My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

The pop diva shouted this, and then smiled, revealing her two canine teeth.

The entire audience erupted in cheers. At least 90%, or even more, of them had heard of the "Mr. Snail" album, which had been on the market for several months and was still selling like hotcakes.

Everyone then realized that the so-called "mystery guest" was Mr. Snail!

Someone in the front row suddenly stood up. It was a young, overweight man, who, judging from his attire, seemed to be doing very well in the business world. He excitedly raised his hands and exclaimed, "Katatsumurisan, do you remember me, Mr. Snail?"

This is a reader who once brought three copies of "Norwegian Wood" for Zhao Wen to sign. At the time, the reader was wearing a tie despite the heat, and there were what appeared to be residues of "yokan" (a type of sweet bean jelly) stuck to the tie.

Zhao Wen was speechless. "You asked casually, but I really remember." Amid the noise, he made a "three" gesture to the chubby business tycoon.

"Mr. Snail remembers me! Mr. Snail signed three books for me!" The fat man was ecstatic. The feeling of being remembered by his idol was no less than the emotion of finding out that his goddess remembered what gift he gave her!

With so many people in the audience, Zhao Wen recognized more than a dozen of them; they were all his book fans. Those further away were harder to see due to the lighting, otherwise he would have recognized them all...

Reporters frantically pressed the shutter, and the flashes went off everywhere.

Did he somewhat botch the diva's special performance? Zhao Wen waved his hand lightly, but the shouts from the audience only grew louder. He turned his head helplessly: "..."

"You shouldn't have come!" The diva pretended to be angry and pouted.

"But I'm already here." Zhao Wen raised the microphone and caught up with the talkative queen's Gu Long quote. After all, as a Taiwanese, you wouldn't dare go out without a few famous Gu Long quotes to your name.

Both of them spoke in Japanese. The Japanese didn't understand the jokes, but that didn't stop them from understanding the meaning behind the jokes.

Konoe Kazuma and his two best friends sat in the middle section of the audience, surrounded by more than twenty bodyguards in black suits—the three of them.

He wanted to stand up and cheer, but Fujiwara Kiyohiko and Saionji Muneaki held him down, loosening his collar on either side. "Kazuma, don't rush. Here, let's spray some medicine first..."

These three people weren't familiar with Teresa Teng before, but after learning her name from Mr. Snail's album, they packed up all her records, listened to them carefully, and exclaimed, "Wow, she really is someone who deserves to collaborate with Mr. Snail!"

When the diva started performing, they bought thirty tickets immediately, and they were pleasantly surprised by this unexpected bonus.

Fifteen seconds of noise was commonplace for Teresa Teng. She once had a famous scene where she turned a music concert into a comedy show.

As the commotion gradually subsided, Teresa Teng said:

"To me, Mr. Snail is not just a music creator and a talented writer, but also someone like family, like a younger brother, someone who makes me feel incredibly at ease. I understand everyone's excitement right now. As my 'surprise guest' for my concert, Mr. Snail, Zhao Wen, will sing 'Sister' with me. Are you all excited?"

The audience was naturally delighted and responded with another round of applause.

Zhao Wen: "My Japanese is terrible, so I will sing this song in Mandarin as a tribute to all my sisters..."

...

The arpeggios of the acoustic guitar sounded softly through the microphone, just like Qiang Ge in 13, without any other background music.

The sound of the acoustic guitar was somewhat monotonous, while the warm yellow spotlight fell on Teresa Teng.

Because of her explosive entrance, Zhao Wen quickly switched the roles, having the diva sing in Japanese while he played a minor role.

Miyuki Nakajima read "Norwegian Wood" three times over, and the same goes for "Spirited Away." The thirty-year-old Showa-era diva was very confident in her own appreciation level. As for whether she would feel ashamed to admire a child, that was simply not within her consideration.

This die-hard fan of Zhao Wen leaned forward, eager to see if this renowned Chinese pop diva, known for her delicate style, could capture the soft yet profound warmth of everyday life depicted in Mr. Snail's writing.

"Mr. 小い粁いつもに君の方が上手だと言われて

privy to the secret

駄 confectionery shop

后のツケは全君が払ってくれた

色に粉をpaintって游んだあの日

お mother さ ん は recorder で 歌 を 歌 っ て た

......

The diva didn't add any unnecessary vocal flourishes; it was as if she was telling her fans a story: a teacher's praise, a debt owed at the snack shop, a playful afternoon with her siblings...

This is a memory almost everyone has from their childhood—the older siblings who always took the blame for you, the older siblings who always beat you up, and so on...

Some people smiled, but their eyes welled up with tears. Memories they thought they had long forgotten suddenly resurfaced.

Miyuki Nakajima's eyes lit up. Mr. Snail's songwriting style was exactly the same as his novel writing style, using the simplest words and melodies to express the fullest emotions.

Meanwhile, the singer from his competitor's company put all her effort into storytelling, without using techniques to erase the down-to-earth feel. She truly understands Mr. Snail!

Zhao Wen remained silent, simply smiling as he accompanied the diva on her instrument.

The melody of the second section rises half an octave, and he adds a little more force to his acoustic guitar strumming.

"My lord, I'm a married woman, I'm a married woman

子公の缮おままごとを思い出す

......

When the diva sang "paper airplane," Zhao Wen's voice was hoarse, as if he were casually muttering to himself: "It's gone forever."

The sound, almost elusive amidst the guitar, was like a needle pricking the softest spot in the hearts of the fans.

Everyone folded paper airplanes and threw them when they were little, but no one could catch the fleeting moments of time. The child who once called out "Sister" from behind has grown up, and the sister has married and moved far away...

Your sister will have her own family and will go far away, but the years she protected you will forever be etched in your memory.

Those who listened to "Sister" back then will inevitably feel a sense of melancholy and shed tears when they hear this.

So by this time, many girls in the audience, especially those who were easily moved to tears, already had tears streaming down their faces.

"my sister

Accompanying me as I grew up

my sister

You must be like her

......

Zhao Wen's Chinese harmonies sounded like a heartfelt monologue, the back-and-forth singing maximizing the intimacy between the siblings. A girl in the audience, who had an angry argument with her sister that morning before leaving home, was now covering her face and weeping.

Miyuki Nakajima froze. Mr. Snail's singing skills were really subpar, but the emotion was so genuine that it overshadowed all his singing flaws.

The guitar music suddenly softened, with each note strummed individually, and Teresa Teng's voice was extremely low, as if she were talking to the air:

「缓こになって游んだ日々は

もう戻らないでもforgetれない」

Fans who have read "Norwegian Wood" truly understand. Watanabe's bewilderment standing in the train station is the same as his younger brother's state of mind—a sense of loss for the passing of time and a deep appreciation for those around him.

When the second chorus reached its emotional climax, Teresa Teng completely let loose:

「private sister ちゃん黑い长い髪をしてて

いつか君に resembles a person and gets married したいと思った

..."

Zhao Wen sang the last line in a very soft voice:

"I can't come home often..." it was like a murmur.

I don't know who started clapping, but then the applause came like a tidal wave, mixed with sobs and shouts, filling the entire venue.

Some clapped while wiping away tears, while others nodded and clapped with red eyes.

They understood the story, the unspoken gratitude and regret in the song. It wasn't the kind of grand, dramatic sentimentality, but rather a gentle, persistent stabbing at the heart; before they could even react, tears were already streaming down their faces.