I Became an All-round Artist

At Dream Dragon Game Company, the team handling the partnership with Star Brilliance Music was in turmoil. They were working on a game called Xia Lü, a martial arts-themed adventure. Although Dream Dragon was a major player in the gaming industry, Xia Lü was just a mid-tier project under one of their many departments.

At this moment, in the Xia Lü development office:

"Are you telling me the music for the fifth level isn't ready yet?!" bellowed Cheng Feifan, the game director, slamming his hand on the desk.

"We’re pushing them…" The subordinate responsible for the music department looked ashamed. "I thought since they're a branch of Star Brilliance Entertainment from Qinzhou, their level wouldn’t be that bad. I’ll hold them accountable, I promise."

"Idiot!" Cheng Feifan’s anger hadn't subsided. "You didn’t bother to check their credentials before signing the contract? Were you just after a cheaper deal? How much of a kickback did you get?"

"N-none!" The music director turned pale, trembling. "I swear, Director! They sounded so confident when they signed the contract, even added a penalty clause for failing to deliver. I figured if they dared to include that, they must be capable!"

"Dream Dragon isn't after their lousy penalty fees!" Cheng Feifan barked, rubbing his temples in frustration.

The assistant director to his right furrowed his brow. "We should blacklist them. Never work with them again."

"Understood!" The music director nodded hastily. "I'll chase them up again. If they can't deliver today, we’ll terminate the contract and demand compensation!"

Without further words, the music director dialed the number, ready to vent his fury. But before he could explode, his expression changed. "They’ve sent over a new track? Let me be clear—if this one doesn't meet our expectations, we’re canceling the contract, and I’ll make sure everyone in the industry knows how incompetent your company is!"

Hanging up the phone, he turned back to Cheng Feifan, his earlier rage replaced with sheepishness. "Director, they’ve sent over a new piece. I’ll play it right away…"

"Play it on speaker," Cheng Feifan ordered coldly.

The music director, his hands shaking, plugged his phone into the room's sound system. The title of the track read: Jianghu Xiao (Laughter of the Martial World). His heart sank—after the poor quality of the previous submissions, he didn’t have high hopes for this one.

"Hurry up!" Cheng Feifan snapped impatiently.

The music director fumbled with the controls, accidentally cranking up both the phone and the sound system to maximum volume just as the track's powerful opening lines erupted from the speakers:

"The martial world laughs, as grudges fade away!
People spar, with smiles that hide knives!
The mortal world laughs, the loneliness in silence…
Hearts held too high, never reaching their goal…"

The sudden blast of sound shocked everyone in the room, their ears ringing from the sheer volume.

"Idiot!" the assistant director gasped, clutching his chest, about to reprimand the music director when he noticed Cheng Feifan had already stood up, his expression intense.

"I’ll just turn it down…" the music director muttered, reaching for the volume control.

"Don’t touch it," Cheng Feifan commanded.

Frozen in place, the music director obeyed as the song continued to roar through the room, its rich lyrics and haunting melody filling every corner:

"The bright moon shines, as the road stretches far.
People grow old, but hearts remain young.
Love unattainable, yet unforgettable.
And your kindness, never forgotten…"

Cheng Feifan closed his eyes. With just a few simple lines, vivid scenes appeared before his mind’s eye—an impetuous youth wandering the martial world, a boy who fought his way to infamy, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed and broken lives.

Then, he met a girl who looked just like his long-lost childhood sweetheart. He fell for her, but she left him, not wanting to live in someone else’s shadow. He spent decades searching for her, crossing every river and mountain, only to realize the void she left in his heart could never be filled.

Who had he truly loved all this time? He knew, deep down, it was never a replacement. True love is unique, and he loved her because she was herself, not anyone else.

As the song played on, not only Cheng Feifan but everyone in the room found themselves drawn into its spell. After the initial shock to their ears, their expressions softened, becoming contemplative as the lyrics unfolded:

"It seems like a flower, but not quite; like mist, but not quite.
The river flows, unstoppable, yet.
*A heart of steel, filled with lofty dreams,
But in the end, even heroes are lonely…"

Cheng Feifan’s eyes snapped open, his heart racing. Like a flower, but not quite… like mist, but not quite… If the unstoppable river couldn’t wash away his past, then no matter how many miles he traveled, no matter how many years passed, he would still find her and tell her: I loved you because you were you, not because you reminded me of someone else.

The story within the song resonated deeply with Cheng Feifan’s own youthful dreams and long-buried personal experiences. Creating Xia Lü hadn’t given him the satisfaction of fulfilling his dreams, but hearing this song… it made him feel like his story had finally come full circle.

As the final lines echoed:

"The martial world laughs, carefree and wild.
With zither or flute, the wine flows free.
Laughing to the sky, all forgotten now…
Graceful like the wind, drifting with ease…"

The image of the youthful warrior returning, now with streaks of white in his hair, standing beside her, whose beauty had remained untouched by time, lingered in Cheng Feifan’s mind. His eyes stung with unshed tears.

The saying went, The first time you hear it, you don’t understand the song’s meaning. The next time, you’ve already become the person in the song.

As the final notes faded, leaving their ears buzzing from the volume, the hearts of everyone in the room were unexpectedly moved. And when they saw that Cheng Feifan’s eyes were slightly red, they quickly approached.

"Director, are you alright?" someone asked cautiously.

Cheng Feifan waved them off, his voice thick with emotion. "This is the one. What’s the name of the song?"

"Jianghu Xiao," the music director replied, nodding vigorously. While others were merely affected by the song's emotional pull, his professional ear had recognized its technical brilliance as well.

"Such a fitting title…" Cheng Feifan’s expression was complicated. As he stepped out of the room, he hesitated at the door. "We can continue working with this company in the future. When we finalize the project, make sure to pass on my gratitude to the composer and lyricist for this masterpiece."

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