A song called "The You of the Past" has prompted the entire internet to beg me not to leav

The wind stopped, and the atmosphere on the rooftop plummeted to freezing.

Xue Zhiqian stared at the greasy red plastic basin, where a few chive leaves were even floating in the red oil at the bottom.

This scene is truly visually striking.

Shen Qingqiu gently kicked Lin Yan under the table, lowering her voice.

"Hey, that's going a bit too far. They used to be top stars, this is really messing with their mentality."

Lin Yan crossed her arms and didn't say anything, just quietly watching Xue Zhiqian.

Xue Zhiqian stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

After three years of being sidelined, his dignity had long since crumbled to dust as he forced himself to smile and toast investors at a hot pot restaurant.

But at this moment, being told to wash the dishes by a young man several years younger than himself, the feeling of humiliation still surged up uncontrollably.

"Dislike it for being dirty?" Lin Yan asked casually. "The door is right behind you. Go back to being your hot pot restaurant owner, or you can busk in the underpass, it's up to you."

"In the eyes of capital, you're nothing but a discarded pawn, leaving not even bones. To me, if you want a hit, you have to prove something." Lin Yan tapped the table. "I'm not giving you a song, I'm giving you a ticket back to the top. Washing dishes, is that too much to ask?"

Xue Zhiqian looked straight into Lin Yan's eyes.

There was no disdain, only the absolute calm of someone in a position of power.

"How could that be? I own a hot pot restaurant; washing dishes is one of my strengths."

Xue Zhiqian rolled up his sleeves: "Where's the dish soap?"

Shen Qingqiu was stunned and pointed to the water sink on the balcony.

There was only one pink Hello Kitty apron in the closet.

Without saying a word, Xue Zhiqian put the pink apron on his tall frame, which was 1.8 meters tall.

The sense of incongruity is overwhelming, yet it exudes a ruthless edge.

The sound of rushing water filled the air as those hands, which had once won countless Chinese music awards, were now scrubbing those greasy metal skewers with a steel wool pad.

He washed with extreme force, his fingers were cut by the barbed wire and bled, which mixed with the foam, but he seemed not to feel the pain.

A hint of emotion flashed in Shen Qingqiu's eyes. He turned to look at Lin Yan, who was chewing on a toothpick, his eyes filled with satisfied admiration.

"Do you understand?" Lin Yan asked in a low voice.

Shen Qingqiu nodded; this was a stress test.

If someone who has fallen to rock bottom still clings to the arrogance of a former top star, even if given a hit song, they won't be able to capitalize on the subsequent popularity.

Only those who are willing to bend their knees for an opportunity deserve a helping hand.

Xue Zhiqian has successfully completed the game.

"You've been prepared all along?" Shen Qingqiu looked at him.

"Ever since Lao Liang said that people have been asking about me everywhere, I've been thinking about giving the studio a second boost." Lin Yan spat out the toothpick and stood up.

"Your current persona is too sweet; with his voice, singing sad love songs would be absolutely killer."

Lin Yan turned and went into the recording studio on the first floor.

A few minutes later, he went up to the rooftop with an A4 sheet of paper.

By this time, the plates beside the sink had been washed until they were shiny and were neatly arranged on the drain rack.

Xue Zhiqian took off his pink apron and stood awkwardly: "Brother Yan, I'm done washing."

Lin Yan walked over and glanced at it: "Not bad, no oily residue."

With a snap, Lin Yan casually slapped the A4 sheet of paper onto the edge of the pool.

"Dishwashing fee".

Xue Zhiqian was startled, his gaze fixed on the paper as if glued to it.

The paper contained handwritten sheet music and lyrics, with a title consisting of only two words.

"actor".

These two words hit the nail on the head. For the past three years, hasn't he been putting on an act for the capital every day?

He carefully picked up the paper, afraid that the water on his fingertips would smudge the writing, and the first line of lyrics immediately caught his eye.

Keep it simple, keep your way of speaking simple.

"Please omit the progressive emotions; you're not an actor, so don't design those plots."

Xue Zhiqian's mind went blank for a moment. These plain yet piercing words directly ripped open his wounds.

"No objection, I just want to see how you'll cover it up."

"Your sadness is too superficial, like an actor without talent; the audience can see it at a glance."

The hypocrisy of the former company executives three years ago, and the cold indifference of his ex-girlfriend when they broke up, flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

It's all an act, it's all a charade!

His gaze continued downwards, shifting to the chorus.

"I should be playing along with your act, pretending not to see, forcing the person who loves you the most to improvise."

clack.

A tear fell unexpectedly onto the edge of the paper.

Xue Zhiqian gripped the paper tightly, his shoulders trembling violently.

From silent sobs to sobs overflowing from her throat, she finally broke down and cried uncontrollably.

Three years of grievances, despair, and resentment all burst forth at this moment.

Shen Qingqiu turned her head to look at the night sky, feeling a strange pang of sadness in her heart.

Lin Yan took two steps to the side in disgust: "Hey, don't drip your snot on my sheet music, I'm too lazy to rewrite it a second time."

Xue Zhiqian suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

He bowed deeply to Lin Yan.

"Brother Yan...thanks!"

"I'm entrusting my life to you!"

This song understands him to the core. Lin Yan literally pulled him out of hell and gave him a dragon-slaying sword to turn the tide!

"Alright, stop with the nonsense." Lin Yan pulled him up.

"Have you warmed up your voice yet? If you have, go into the studio. If you don't finish recording in two hours, you won't be sleeping tonight."

Xue Zhiqian hastily wiped his face, a fire blazing in his eyes: "No need for two hours, one take!"

Half an hour later, in the recording studio on the first floor.

Shen Qingqiu stood in the control room and asked Lin Yan, "Aren't you going to talk to him about his feelings?"

"No need. This song was tailor-made for him. The fire in his heart right now could blow this place up." Lin Yan pressed the intercom button. "Old Xue, are you ready?"

On the other side of the glass, Xue Zhiqian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gave an OK sign. Lin Yan pushed down the hair clippers.

A somber and melancholic piano prelude flowed forth.

The moment Xue Zhiqian opened his mouth, the raw, gritty quality and extreme restraint instantly pierced through the soundproof glass.

There are no fancy techniques, just breathtaking emotions.

When he sang the chorus line, "I should play along with your performance, but I pretend not to see," the explosive release after being suppressed to the extreme gave Shen Qingqiu goosebumps.

It was done in one take, flawless. The emotion was so intense it sent chills down my spine.

After finishing the recording, Lin Yan pressed the save button and stretched, saying, "Alright. That's a wrap."

He turned to Shen Qingqiu: "Boss, let's use the studio's official account to promote this. The caption: Dedicated to everyone who is forced to act in real life."

"Release it now? It's 1 a.m., no warm-up?" Shen Qingqiu was shocked.

Lin Yan yawned and waved his hand.

"A good song doesn't care about the time. Just throw it out and it'll make all the peach blossoms bloom."