He was in college, but his songs were at the Grammys.

He and Lin Peikun have worked together for many years and their tacit understanding is indeed excellent.

However, this tacit understanding is based on the fact that both of them are top experts in their respective fields, making it a powerful alliance.

Chen Ming writes his own songs, arranges the music himself, and sings them himself.

The entire creative cycle is in his hands, and the unity and integrity of that expression are unmatched by any "collaboration".

The song continues, entering the chorus:

"We are special to each other."

"Desperate and inseparable."

"Extraordinary level of seriousness"

"..."

"Anything is possible in life."

"You are the one I was meant to meet."

"A special person..."

The chorus has a smooth and warm melody. There are no deliberately high-pitched bombardments, but it creates a firm yet gentle atmosphere through layers of progressive harmonies and delicate emotional treatment.

Qiu Xuan closed his eyes.

This time, he wasn't judging or analyzing; he was simply "listening."

Listen to how that nineteen-year-old understands "love".

It's not heart-wrenching pain, nor is it the agonizing struggle of gain and loss, but rather a more resolute understanding.

Love is generosity, patience, understanding after unexpected events, and a "steady flow" that is willing to be tested by time.

This expression is completely different from the heart-wrenching pain in "Listen to the Sea".

Yet it is equally real.

Moreover, it's high-end.

It transformed his initial scrutiny into enjoyment.

What impressed Qiu Xuan even more was Chen Ming's technical control during the performance.

The handling of those vocal transitions, the distribution of breath, the changes in intensity—every detail was terrifyingly precise.

But this precision is not for showing off skills, but entirely for the purpose of emotional expression.

This is a level that a "talented newcomer" could not achieve.

This is a mature musician who knows what he wants and has the ability to present it perfectly.

Even if Chen Ming doesn't write songs.

He will also be a top-tier singer!

This time, neither of them spoke.

They simply stood there, on the rooftop in early May, in the warm breeze and bright sunshine, quietly listening to the entire song "Special Person".

As the last note faded into the air, silence fell over the rooftop.

The sounds of traffic, wind, and even one's own breathing in the distance became clearly audible.

After a long while, Qiu Xuan finally let out a soft breath.

"Old Lin," he began, his voice soft, "Was I... too arrogant before?"

Lin Peikun turned around and faced the city view outside the glass railing again.

He spoke, his voice lower than usual, "Yes, we've been focusing too much on age and seniority."

"It's not just a little," Qiu Xuan said, his tone carrying an almost self-deprecating honesty, "it's a lot."

He turned around, leaned against the glass railing, and looked at Lin Peikun.

"We've been in this industry for a long time, and we've seen too many newcomers respectfully calling us 'teacher' and heard too many polite phrases like 'I'm learning from you.' Over time, we really start to see ourselves as 'teachers,' and we feel that newcomers should act like newcomers and abide by the industry's rules and unspoken rules."

Qiu Xuan paused, a faint, bitter smile appearing on his lips.

"For example, newcomers should not challenge seniors; for example, the works of top creators are better than those of newcomers; for example, age and seniority represent experience and quality."

He spoke calmly, but every word seemed to peel back a layer of truth he himself was unwilling to face.

Lin Peikun listened in silence without interrupting.

"We forgot," Qiu Xuan continued, his voice even softer. "Music is the fairest and cruelest thing. It doesn't care about your titles, your qualifications, or even your age. It only cares about whether your work is good and whether your songs can move people."

He raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the speakers.

Although the music had long since stopped.

"Like this song. After you listen to it, do you care that Chen Ming is only nineteen years old? Do you care that he is a newcomer? No, you will only care whether the song is good or not, whether it touches you."

Lin Peikun nodded, slowly but firmly.

"It moved me," he said, his tone so serious it didn't sound like he was commenting on a competitor's song. "It wasn't just a little bit, it was a very deep kind of moving."

Lin Peikun himself was a little surprised when he said those words.

As a top-tier singer, he has long been accustomed to evaluating music with a professional, objective, and even slightly reserved attitude.

It's almost unprecedented for someone to openly admit to being "deeply moved" like this.

But he doesn't regret saying that.

Because that's the truth.

Lin Peikun laughed, shook his head, and spoke with a mixture of helplessness and humor.

"So, Lao Qiu, didn't we promise a guaranteed win?"

There was a moment of silence on the rooftop after the question was asked.

Then, Qiu Xuan answered very seriously:

"When I'm bragging."

Lin Pei-kun: "...?"

He paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Qiu Xuan laughed too, and as he laughed, he even reached out and touched his nose.

That was a little gesture he made when he was embarrassed.

Laughter echoed across the rooftop in the afternoon.

Lin Peikun spoke first, his tone tinged with emotion: "The younger generation surpasses the older..."

Qiu Xuan casually replied, "The old guard dies on the beach."

The two were indeed very compatible.

Then they took one last look at the music platform's data.

Although "The One Who Loves You" capitalizes on the popularity of the two's powerful collaboration.

It gained immense popularity and praise from the very beginning.

The data is also growing, but at a significantly slower pace than that of "Listen to the Sea," let alone compared to the almost explosive growth rate of "Special Man."

The comments section also began to show subtle changes.

"It's nice! But after listening to 'Special Person' and then listening to this one, it just feels like something's missing..."

"Teacher Qiu Xuan's works are still of high quality, it's just that his opponent this time seems a bit abnormal."

"Is Chen Ming really a newcomer? I'd believe it if you told me he was a top-tier singer!"

"The battle between the two Lins? It's a three-way standoff now, isn't it? No, it seems Chen Ming is already showing signs of pulling ahead."

"..."

After a period of time.

Qiu Xuan quietly posted another Weibo message.

Qiu Xuan posted his new Weibo post at 1:30 pm.

An hour and a half has passed since the three songs were released.

Qiu Xuan: "Young people these days are quite impressive."

It has almost the same sentence structure as the "something's interesting" post from a few days ago, only one word has been changed.

But in the current context, this change in wording is no less significant than a silent nuclear explosion.

In the minutes leading up to the Weibo post, Qiu Xuan and Lin Peikun's fans were still "fighting" in the comment sections of various music platforms, Weibo topics, and forum posts.

"Can't you hear how exquisite the arrangement of 'The One Who Loves You' is? That saxophone solo is simply a work of art!"

"Can Chen Ming compare to Lin Peikun's vocal quality? Don't you understand the depth and breadth of a top-tier singer's voice?"

"Hilarious! Do they really think they can piggyback on the fame of top songwriters just because they wrote a viral song?"

"Everyone has their own taste, but Xuan Ge's song is just more listenable!"

Similar comments are everywhere.

The fans' emotions are actually quite complex.

They could certainly tell that "Special Person" was a good song, and they might have even listened to it on repeat several times in private.

But the resentment of "their idols being outshone by newcomers," coupled with their long-standing desire to maintain the title of "golden creator," led them to choose to stand up and defend it.

It's like a battle you know you might lose, but you have to fight it.

Then, they saw Qiu Xuan's new Weibo post.

The comment section fell silent for a few seconds.

Then, an explosion occurred.