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

At 7:40 a.m. on Monday, Chen Ming walked out of the dormitory building with his guitar on his back.

It was a natural wood-colored folk guitar with a few minor scratches on the body, indicating that it had been used frequently.

Sunlight shone on the strings, reflecting off them in dappled patterns.

"Ming-ge! Why are you walking so fast!"

Tang Yuan and Zhou Xu caught up from behind, both looking like they hadn't woken up yet, especially Tang Yuan, whose eyes weren't even fully open.

"Good morning." Chen Ming stopped and waited for them.

Zhou Xu stared at the guitar on Chen Ming's back, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Brother Ming, are you really going to perform today?"

"Hmm," Chen Ming said, "Didn't Teacher Liao say that she has classes this week?"

Tang Yuan yawned, tears welling up in his eyes: "But Ming-ge, is your song really ready? No, I mean, did you really write it? You didn't just brag about it last week, did you?"

The two brothers are still in a daze.

Chen Ming laughed: "You'll find out soon enough."

The three of them entered the teaching building.

On Monday morning, the students had the tired look typical of those who arrive early at 8 a.m.

Some students hurried past with coffee in their hands, some leaned against the wall and closed their eyes to rest, and others ate bread while playing on their phones.

But when Chen Ming walked into classroom 6203 carrying his guitar, the drowsy atmosphere was instantly shattered.

"Holy crap, Chen Mingzhen brought his guitar?"

"Looks like this isn't a joke..."

"That 'Big City, Small Love' thing we talked about last week? Are you really going to perform it?"

"This is going to be interesting."

"Is Chen Ming serious?"

Whispers filled the classroom.

Some people looked at Chen Ming with curiosity, some curled their lips in disapproval, and some showed expectant expressions.

After all, having such an interlude during the otherwise dull 8 a.m. class is more interesting than just listening to the lecture.

Chen Ming walked to his usual seat by the window in the first row and carefully leaned his guitar against the wall.

Tang Yuan and Zhou Xu sat next to him. They looked at each other and saw the same worry in each other's eyes.

"Ming-ge," Tang Yuan lowered his voice, "how about... you send a message to Teacher Liao now and say the song isn't finished yet, and the performance will be next week?"

Zhou Xu also whispered, "Yes, I said it needs to be polished a bit more."

The two brothers were genuinely afraid that Chen Ming would be laughed at by his classmates.

Chen Ming shook his head and didn't say anything.

At 8:00 AM sharp, the school bell rang.

He simply took out his notebook and pen from his bag, arranged them, and then began to drift off into thought.

His composed demeanor made Tang Yuan and Zhou Xu even more puzzled.

Is my buddy really that awesome?

Chen Ming's attention was completely absorbed in his heart.

[Host's concentration has improved due to consistent 8 AM self-study!]

[Reward: Slight increase in physical fitness (Currently: Vocal endurance +5%, Lung capacity +3%)]

[Note: Knowledge changes destiny, 8 AM saves lives. Please continue to maintain good study and sleep habits!]

Chen Ming almost burst out laughing.

Working 8 a.m. actually increases lung capacity and vocal endurance.

If he comes every day, wouldn't he be able to maintain top performance from beginning to end when he holds a concert?

Who says 8 a.m. is useless?

This 8 AM is fantastic!

Eight o'clock in the morning passed quickly.

Almost at the same time the bell rang, the back door of the classroom was pushed open.

Liao Mei walked in carrying her lesson plans.

Today she wore a dark gray suit jacket over a white shirt, and her hair was neatly combed back, making her look capable and serious.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

Liao Mei's gaze swept across the classroom, pausing briefly in the first row.

To be precise, it paused on Chen Ming, or more precisely, on the natural wood guitar at Chen Ming's feet.

Her eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Then she walked to the front of the classroom, put down her lesson plan, and clapped her hands.

The crisp applause was particularly clear in the quiet classroom, startling several students who had been dozing off. They looked up blankly.

"It seems," Liao Mei's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, "that everyone hasn't fully recovered from the weekend's leisure."

As she finished speaking, her gaze fell on Chen Ming, and a faint smile suddenly appeared on her lips: "Then how about we start with something to refresh our minds? Chen Ming, you said last week you were going to demonstrate your original song 'Big City, Small Love' for us. Are you ready today?"

The classroom erupted in chaos.

Although it was expected, when Liao Mei actually called out Chen Ming's name, the excitement of "the show is about to begin" still invigorated all the students.

Sleepiness? Not at all.

Everyone is very clear-headed now.

The desire to "eat melons" (gossip/gossip) is ingrained in everyone's genes.

Liao Mei looked at Chen Ming: "Are you ready?"

Chen Ming stood up, picked up his guitar, and said, "Ready?"

Not only was he prepared, he even registered the copyright.

Bluestar's copyright registration is quite convenient and standardized.

After acquiring the song last week, Chen Ming took the time to complete the copyright registration.

Without registering the copyright, Chen Ming would never have performed in front of outsiders.

"Okay." Liao Mei nodded, making way for the podium. "Please go ahead."

Chen Ming walked onto the stage with his guitar in his arms.

The classroom lights were bright, shining on him and casting a deep shadow on the floor.

All the students' eyes were on him—curious, expectant, curious, and disbelieving.

Do you think Chen Ming can handle this?

"I don't think it's feasible at all, since he really exaggerated a bit."

"That's true, he really praised his song."

"I feel like Chen Ming is going to get points deducted."

"Serves him right for bragging like that; wasn't that just causing trouble? He deserved it!"

"..."

Zhou Xu was so nervous that he clenched his left hand into a fist, his nails almost digging into his palm.

Tang Yuan clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and muttered, "Brother Ming, you must live up to my expectations! Even if you're not that good, at least don't be too bad. May the Bodhisattva and Buddha protect you..."

These two brothers were even more nervous than Chen Ming.

On the platform, Chen Ming pulled up a chair and sat down.

He adjusted the position of the guitar, his fingers lightly brushing across the strings as he tried a few notes.

It's a very simple movement, yet it inexplicably exudes a sense of effortless grace.

Liao Mei stepped back to the side of the classroom, leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and looked calmly at Chen Ming.

She was also very curious.

This student, who last week described a song that hadn't even been released yet in class in glowing terms, is now walking onto the podium so calmly again.

Is he truly talented, or just blindly confident?

The answer will be available soon.

The classroom was so quiet that you could hear the wind rustling through the leaves outside the window.

Chen Ming took a deep breath, pressed the chords with his left hand, and gently lowered his right hand.

A crisp guitar sound rang out.

The intro is very simple, just a few broken chords in a loop, but the melody is fresh and cheerful, like the morning sunlight shining through the window onto the wooden floor.

Then, Chen Ming began to sing.

"The ends of her jet-black hair were coiled into a circle."

"Entwined with all my longing for you"

"The language spoken through a semi-transparent curtain."

"There was absolutely no deception."

The moment the sound rang out, Liao Mei's pupils contracted slightly.

A very clean tone.

Warm, clear, with the unique brightness of youth, but more than just brightness.

There was an indescribable sense of story in that voice, as if it were telling a gentle and private tale.

What surprised Liao Mei even more was her singing technique.

His breath control was incredibly steady, his pronunciation of each word was meticulous, his transitions were natural and smooth, and his emotional delivery was just right.

Adding too much would seem pretentious, while subtracting too much would seem bland.

This is definitely not the level that an ordinary freshman should have.

In the classroom, the students who had initially been watching with a detached, spectator's expressions gradually changed.

Some people put away their playful smiles, some sat up straight, and some subconsciously held their breath.

In the classroom, someone let out a soft "wow".

The sound was very soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet classroom.

That was an unconscious exclamation.