I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

“When Dao Lang was 19, he married his ex-wife because she was pregnant,” Chen Ya said from the side. “A few days after the child was born, his wife ran away, so this song came about.”

"Huh? 19 years old?" Jiang Xinhai was a little surprised. "That means she had a child when she was only one year older than us?"

"Yes, but there's something ambiguous in what you said. I don't want to have a baby with you next year."

Jiang Xinhai's face turned red, and he grabbed Chen Ya's ribs, pinching and squeezing them, then grabbed his arm and slapped and hit it, threatening him in a low voice:

"I kill you!"

Then, she covered her face as the song "Thinking of your beauty, smelling your fragrance, struggling and wandering in the passion of ice and fire" played.

Luo Ling seemed unaffected by the previous incident; he sang with great enthusiasm, and a smile would occasionally appear on his face.

When he reached the final high note, Jiang Xinhai finally showed a surprised expression.

"I didn't expect him to be able to hit high notes!"

“Yes,” Chen Ya said, “He is a singer who can hold a high C, no worse than you. It’s just that due to his age and timbre, his voice is more weathered and his singing style is limited, which causes many people to subconsciously overlook his singing skills.”

He turned to look at Jiang Xinhai and said earnestly, "Xinhai, everyone who can hold a concert in this place is extraordinary. You also have great potential for growth, so you need to study hard."

Jiang Xinhai nodded earnestly.

She quickly got into study mode.

After listening to several songs, she touched her throat and began to truly admire Dao Lang.

"This song, 'The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing,' has a much higher pitch than other songs, and it's actually very difficult to sing, but he sang it very steadily," Jiang Xinhai said. "I was afraid he would crack his voice, but he always managed to sing it very steadily."

“The closed singing technique,” ​​Chen Ya said, “is a very typical technique of the closed singing technique, and I think I have taught it to you.”

"Ah."

Jiang Xinhai looked at Dao Lang on the stage and said, "He actually has a very good singing ability."

“Yes, he was born that way, and he’s self-taught,” Chen Ya said. “That’s why I took a liking to him at first sight.”

As the atmosphere reached its peak, the fans in the audience stood up, and Jiang Xinhai also pulled Chen Ya to stand up.

The audience sang along several times, and Jiang Xinhai joined in, albeit haltingly, and even held Chen Ya's hand, getting into the spirit of the moment.

After the last song, "The First Snow of 2012," ended, Jiang Xinhai felt somewhat unsatisfied.

“From today onwards,” she turned to Chen Ya and said, “I am also a fan of Dao Lang.”

Chen Ya curled his lips: "Then you've become a farmer."

"Pah. Don't be like Yingzi, that idiot. She doesn't know anything."

As the harmonies faded, Dao Lang took the microphone and spoke on stage.

"Dear fans," he said, "I had a lot of fun singing at this concert. I don't know if you are satisfied or not, but in my heart, it was a success. Are you all satisfied?"

He pointed the microphone at the stage, and a deafening roar of "satisfaction" erupted from the audience.

Dao Lang laughed, "I'm happy as long as you're satisfied. Very good, very good."

He repeated "very good" several times, then wiped his face and said slowly:

"This is my first time holding a concert. It's unforgettable. It's a very memorable experience for me. I also feel that as a singer, my life has been worthwhile."

"As I've said before, I've always believed that only those who stand here can be considered true singers, so my current feeling is that it was all worth it."

"And then, thank you all so much for your support, I have some news to announce."

He glanced at the audience below the stage, and the venue, which held tens of thousands of people, suddenly fell silent.

"What I want to announce is that this is my last concert," Dao Lang said. "After today, I will bid farewell to the music scene."

He shrugged and said casually, "Actually, I'm afraid of facing the camera and I'm not suited to be a star. I think it's better for me to leave the entertainment industry. I still prefer the me who used to write songs alone under the lamp."

There was an uproar.

Jiang Xinhai quickly turned to look at Chen Ya. She found that Chen Ya, whose expression was hidden under the flashing stage lights, was motionless, as if he had already detached himself from the scene and was fading out of it quickly.

"Thank you everyone," Dao Lang said finally.

A few tears fell on the stage, then quickly disappeared without a trace.

Jiang Xinhai grabbed Chen Ya's hand.

“Chen Ya, wake up,” Jiang Xinhai said. “Don’t be like this, I…I’m scared.”

As if he had just come out of the water to catch his breath, Chen Ya finally moved and began to breathe heavily.

Jiang Xinhai then realized that his eyes had turned bloodshot.

“Xinhai, I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “Your ‘Encounter’ can’t just have 10 songs.”

"Hmm?...Okay, I'll listen to you," Jiang Xinhai said.

“Add a song, add two more of my best-kept secrets,” Chen Ya said. “I was originally planning to hold back and let you slowly ascend to the throne.”

“One album, just one album,” he said, turning to Jiang Xinhai. “I want you to become a superstar right now, to take away Yingzi’s title and crush all her pride!”

==

Book recommendation: "My Path of Qi and Blood Martial Arts Cultivation"

Chapter 140: Give them 10 years

The atmosphere at the press conference was filled with sighs after hearing about Dao Lang's dismal departure.

This is a singer in the Chinese music scene who shines like a shooting star, but whose brilliance is fleeting.

In those days, a contestant who sold over 300 million albums and had over 1200 million pirated albums only held one concert before leaving the stage hastily, leaving behind countless speculations.

Back then, many fans searched for the truth behind Dao Lang's departure without success. Little did they know that the reason behind it, like an old ship relic buried deep at the bottom of the sea, would only surface in this way today.

The comments in the live stream chat were all jumbled and disorganized.

"Did Dao Lang really leave the music scene because Yingzi bullied him? I don't think Yingzi is that kind of person..."

"Yingzi was at the height of her career at the time, why did she have to confront Daolang? The two of them are not the same type."

"Yeah, I also feel it makes no sense at all. Why would Yingzi be jealous of Dao Lang's talent? There's no need for that, is there?"

"But Xin Hai has no reason to lie to people."

"Yingzi did say at the time that those who listened to Daolang's songs were all farmers, which caused a lot of controversy. I don't understand why she said that."

"Dao Lang's songs are not good at all, yet they are so popular. Yingzi's attack is directed at the songs, not the person, and it's for the sake of protecting the Chinese music scene, okay?"

"Yes, I think it's more of a debate about musical philosophies. Jiang Xinhai exaggerated a bit, portraying Yingzi as jealous of talent and ability."

...Because Dao Lang's appearance was too brief, his fans did not form a strong following, and most people did not wholeheartedly believe Jiang Xinhai's explanation.

Even though Yingzi isn't a superstar anymore, her reputation is still very good.

Not long ago, "The Voice of China" announced that Yingzi would be joining the show as a judge and mentor.

When this news first came out, it did indeed attract a lot of criticism: Yingzi has been silent for many years, is she qualified to be a mentor?

At that time, a powerful article appeared online, which quickly went viral and even flooded social media:

Young people don't understand how Yingzi "conquered" the music scene back then.

This article lists Yingzi's hit songs from back then, such as "Just Like That, I Was Conquered by You" and "The Night Doesn't Understand the White of Day," causing quite a stir:

It turns out that Yingzi sang all these songs!

After she joined "The Voice of China", many contestants openly declared themselves to be her die-hard fans and joined her ranks.

It can be said that her image on screen is completely empress-level.

Was it really necessary for someone like that to lower himself to confront a novice like Dao Lang back then?

Xiao Chuchu asked:

"Ms. Jiang Xinhai, based on what you just said, I have summarized it again. Would you like to hear if what I said is correct?"

Jiang Xinhai nodded: "Go on."

"Zhichi and Daolang are both from humble backgrounds. Zhichi comes from a mountain village, while Daolang mingles in the city. The two of them are very close."

"It was thanks to Zhichi's packaging that Dao Lang became an instant hit, but after becoming a big star, he was collectively boycotted by the mainland music scene and announced his retirement from the industry."

"You only told us that the Lu school of music collectively boycotted Dao Lang, but you didn't tell us the reasons why the Lu school of music collectively boycotted Dao Lang. So, according to your analysis, why did Yingzi and others do this?"

Jiang Xinhai hesitated for a moment before saying, "I can't say."

This answer sparked a round of discussion.

It's not that I "don't know," but rather that I "can't say."

Xiao Chuchu pressed further: "Everyone is guessing from your attitude that Yingzi is jealous of Dao Lang's album sales. What's your opinion on that?"

"No one but Yingzi herself can say for sure."

Xiao Chuchu closed her notebook and said, "I'm done asking."

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Yingzi posted on Weibo!"

These words immediately caused a stir among the audience.

Everyone pulled out their phones, even the guy carrying the camera hurriedly put his hand in his pocket.

For a moment, the scene was filled with the sound of people scrolling through Weibo.

Those who don't follow Yingzi's Weibo don't need to bother following her anymore, because Yingzi's Weibo post quickly became a trending topic.

Everyone saw that Yingzi had written a very long article on the interface.

Yingzi: I'm a very straightforward person. I say what I think and never mind challenges from younger generations, nor am I afraid of them considering me an opponent. Whether it's Dao Lang or Jiang Xinhai, if they want to beat me musically, I'll only say to them, "Bring it on!"

I used to despise Dao Lang's music, and I still do now—his music has no aesthetic appeal whatsoever; anyone with a modicum of appreciation wouldn't enjoy it.

But he became famous. He became famous because, at that time, domestic audiences hadn't heard truly good music, which is why Dao Lang's unsophisticated music became an instant hit.

This is actually very dangerous. If we let him continue to be popular like this, the market will dictate the direction, and our Chinese music scene will only become more and more outdated, unable to create any more good songs.

[If you're asking if I'm jealous, Jiang Xinhai's later albums also sold well, so why wouldn't I be? Because her songs have aesthetic appeal. I've come to appreciate her work.]

The current prosperity of the Chinese music scene is due to the hard work of musicians. The collective boycott of Dao Lang is certainly not without reason; everyone is doing their part to protect the Chinese music scene.

[Listeners who have experienced a wide variety of music today will surely realize that music like Dao Lang's will never become popular again.]

I can only feel relieved by this ending.

Below this long Weibo post are countless positive comments.

"Yingzi is still the same spirited young diva she always was, her original aspirations unchanged!"

"If it weren't for the efforts of Yingzi and others back then, the Chinese music scene would definitely not be as prosperous as it is today. Respect!"

Following this Weibo post, Yingzi posted another one, which quickly became a trending topic.

This Weibo post is very simple, consisting of only one picture, the illustration from the textbook that says "Mom, hit me again."

The caption was also very simple:

When I was little, I always thought the elders in my family didn't know anything. It wasn't until I got a beating that I realized, "Old foxes are shrewder!"

Everyone can understand what she's trying to say with this picture.

The comments below were even more enthusiastic:

"Yingzi is really tough. If she doesn't stand up to Jiang Xinhai, she really won't know how to respect people."

"Young people are ignorant and don't know how to be kind! We older folks may have fewer fans, but we're not easy to bully!"

"Some artists are talented but lack virtue. They become arrogant and disrespectful to their seniors after achieving some success. They will eventually suffer the consequences!"

“Jiang Xinhai does have problems. Bringing up old stories, I don’t know if it’s because she’s narrow-minded or because Yingzi left too deep a shadow on her.”

……

After reading through the two Weibo posts and comments, everyone turned to look at Jiang Xinhai on the field.

This puts the pressure on her.

Sitting on the stage, Jiang Xinhai seemed completely unaware of anything amiss, and simply said:

“She said she wasn’t jealous of me… If it weren’t for the various obstacles that Zhichi and I faced from the capital behind her back, and the fact that our album ‘Encounter’ almost failed, I would have believed her.”

Everyone's eyes widened.