I Became an All-round Artist

It wasn’t just the music industry buzzing about this; the Qinzhou Art Institute was just as excited. After all, Sun Yaohuo was a proud graduate of their vocal department. The school’s forum was flooded with over 80% of the posts discussing this event.

"Senior Sun is amazing!"

"Actually, it’s Xianyu who’s amazing."

"I’d say Senior Sun is just lucky."

"Xianyu really knows how to show the importance of a top-tier composer. Last time, he helped Zhao Yingguo take down a big-name singer, and now he’s done it again with Senior Sun, taking down another A-lister. I’m starting to wonder if he’s doing it on purpose. The weaker the foundation of Sun Yaohuo and Zhao Yingguo, the more Xianyu’s talent shines through. To be honest, Sun Yaohuo isn’t even close to competing with A-list singers. He’s not even on par with Zhao Yingguo."

"The lyrics are also really powerful."

"That line, 'The one you can’t have is always in turmoil, and the one being favored acts without fear'—it hits right in the feels. I’ve decided to make it my new profile signature. Xianyu’s lyrical ability is just as strong as his composing skills!"

"Maybe think twice."

"Since this song came out, at least ten of my friends have used that line as their signature. At first glance, it looks like they’re all copying each other. I’m half expecting them to message me one day saying, ‘Actually, we’ve been the same person all along.’ If I don’t believe them, they’ll just switch accounts and message me again."

"Yaohuo is really about to blow up!"

"If 'Like Summer Flowers' was his breakthrough, this song is going to solidify his name. From now on, people will definitely remember Sun Yaohuo."

"..."

For many, Sun Yaohuo’s name was unfamiliar. Aside from those who were die-hard fans of "Like Summer Flowers," not many knew who he was. But now, things were different.

And it wasn’t just industry professionals noticing. Even in the song’s comment section, discussions about Sun Yaohuo’s vocal skills were popping up. After all, “Red Rose” wasn’t the kind of song just anyone could sing. The melody was low, and without the right vocal ability, it would be impossible to pull off.

Beyond the vocal talent, the song required emotion. Sun Yaohuo spent hours perfecting his performance in the studio. And remember, even Jin Shuyu wanted to snatch the chance to sing this song. It clearly wasn’t as simple as it might sound.

Some might say, “I can sing this song too.” Sure, it’s easy to sing along to, but singing and singing well are two very different things. Even if the notes are the same, if you can’t capture the right feel, the song loses its charm. Most listeners are drawn to that very feeling.

Switch to another singer, and the vibe wouldn’t be right. It’s something you can instantly hear. In that sense, Sun Yaohuo’s performance deserves recognition.

However, most of the comments were focused on the song itself. The comment section was a mix of music lovers and casual listeners having a bit of fun. One person even commented, “My boyfriend’s been listening to this song on repeat since last night. Is he trying to tell me something?”

A friend replied, “What’s it like to be the favored one?”

The top-liked reply was, “You kill someone, and they ask if you’re hurt, if you’re okay.”

“So, the story behind this song is actually really sad.”

“That’s men for you. They like the quiet ones, but can’t resist the bold ones.”

“You’ve got to follow your heart if you want to live a good life.”

"..."

The comment section was filled with this kind of melancholic, poetic energy, much like those found on Earth’s music platforms that specialize in emotional songs.

But what most of these listeners didn’t know was that there was actually a deeper backstory to the song, drawn from Earth. This story, unknown to the residents of Blue Planet, served as the inspiration for the lyrics.

It came from the famous opening of Eileen Chang’s novella, Red Rose and White Rose:

“A man’s life will always have two women like this, at least two. If he marries the red rose, the red one will become a smudge of mosquito blood on the wall, while the white one is ‘the moonlight shining at the foot of the bed.’ But if he marries the white rose, the white one becomes a grain of rice stuck to his shirt, and the red one is a scarlet beauty mark on his chest.”

...

This little anecdote doesn’t take away from the song’s emotional impact. And there’s no need to feel like you’re missing something. In fact, even on Earth, 90% of people who loved the song never read Eileen Chang’s novella or even knew it existed.

This was evident from the fact that Red Rose rocketed to the top of the charts by the second day of release.

The lyrics and melody were enough.

Chen Zhiyu was out of the race.

His number one spot lasted only one day. As many joked, “Chen Zhiyu barely had time to warm the seat.”

But Chen Zhiyu saw it coming. So when he was bumped down to second place, he simply called his agent.

“Let’s have dinner tonight.”

The agent, sensing Chen Zhiyu’s mood, offered a few words of comfort before asking, “What do you feel like eating?”

“Fish,” Chen Zhiyu replied. For some reason, he had an intense craving for fish.

Preferably an all-fish banquet with dishes like braised fish, steamed fish, pickled fish soup, fish head with chili, and maybe a fish tofu soup on the side.

Oh, had he forgotten sashimi?

It’s raw, and Chen Zhiyu had always been hesitant to try it. But after a moment’s thought, he decided to give it a shot tonight. He’d heard it was quite delicious.

The agent: "..."

Meanwhile, at a nearby hotel, Tao Ran, watching the new song rankings, breathed a sigh of relief and said to Jin Shuyu, “Good thing you advised me not to go after Sun Yaohuo. That would’ve been a bad move.”

If Sun Yaohuo had been insignificant, it wouldn’t have mattered. But with “Red Rose” gaining traction, it was clear Sun Yaohuo was about to rise in fame. While he was still far from being an A-lister, the company was sure to invest more resources in him moving forward. There was no point in making enemies now.

“It’s not enough,” Jin Shuyu said, his eyes glued to the chart. “Still not enough.”

He had high hopes for the song, but its performance had surpassed even his expectations. This result, which was completely out of the ordinary, made him realize he’d made a grave mistake.

Tao Ran was confused. “What do you mean?”

Jin Shuyu took a deep breath, grabbed a razor to shave the beard he had let grow over the past few days. He wasn’t in the mood to shave before, but now, it was time to clean up. After fixing his hair and putting on a formal suit, he said,

“We need to apologize to Xianyu.”

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