Chapter 29: 029: 《Until the World’s End》
The next day.
Zhang Guiying got up early to go to the wet market to buy groceries.
She couldn’t help but chat with everyone she knew.
“Yes, Second Aunt, I’m flying to Hangzhou the day after tomorrow. How would I buy plane tickets? It’s all arranged by that child Liangying…”
“Her third aunt, it’s expensive, of course, plane tickets are expensive. One ticket is worth a month’s salary for me.”
“I said taking the train would be fine, but that child insisted I take a plane, and even said, ‘Since I’m finally visiting Hangzhou, of course, you should be comfortable.'”
“Right, right, Liangying takes after me, she’s filial!”
“Oh, winning or not is not important. As long as the child is happy, I’ll be happy no matter what place she gets.”
“…”
After chatting, Zhang Guiying hummed a tune as she walked home, her steps light, feeling ten years younger.
This feeling was unprecedented~
At the entrance of the residential complex, as she passed by the Wonderful Mart, Zhang Guiying heard a familiar song playing inside.
“You’re as comfortable as being tucked in a quilt,”
“Yet as elusive as the wind,”
“Like the scent of perfume from your wrist,”
“Like the… Red High Heels that I can’t put down…”
“…”
My daughter’s song, it’s so beautiful!
When she got home, she washed vegetables while calling Zhang Liangying.
“Hello, Liangying, Mom just went grocery shopping and heard the song you sang last night at the supermarket entrance. It’s so good, even better than what those big stars sing…”
“Huh? Mom, are there pirated copies already?”
“What are pirated copies?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Mom, I’m too sleepy and want to sleep a bit more.”
“Okay, you sleep a bit more. Don’t get too tired. Mom needs to cook. Your uncle and the others are coming over later to celebrate with you.”
…
Hangzhou, hotel.
Zhang Liangying threw away the Noah’s Ark and hummed again.
She was in high spirits just now and didn’t want to answer the phone~
But Shen Qing insisted she answer.
She even suspected Shen Qing did it on purpose!?
After a while~
Zhang Liangying stopped humming and said intermittently, lying on Shen Qing’s chest, “Qing, these music platforms are so annoying. Our 《Red High Heels》 already have pirated copies.”
Shen Qing: “There’s nothing we can do, it’s unstoppable. Let them be.”
Copyright protection awareness in this era wasn’t as strong as later. For ordinary singers, seeking legal recourse was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
So, they might as well let it be pirated.
It wasn’t entirely without benefits; at least it could quickly increase their fame.
Currently, 《Thing》 and 《Ambitious Person》 were at the top of the charts on major music platforms, receiving rave reviews. Even 《Red High Heels》 had shot into the top ten of the New Song Chart overnight.
What’s wrong with letting these songs be heard by brothers and sisters?
It’s perfectly reasonable!
As for making money, it could be through albums and ringtones.
Anyway, the daily dividends they received were enough for the two of them to live without worry.
“Liangying, the most important thing right now is the finals in six days!”
“Mhm, Qing, shall we find a cafe later to plan? I still haven’t figured out the competition rules the program team gave me.”
“Okay, get on your knees. This is the last push.”
…
West Lake.
Coffee shop.
A window seat, facing the lake.
Shen Qing and Zhang Liangying sat facing each other, with an A4 paper placed between them, containing the finals rules and notes.
This finals was different from the elimination rounds; two new segments were added.
The first was a themed performance: the program team would assign a song to each contestant, and they would perform it simultaneously to compete.
The second was a judge’s duet: the three contestants who advanced to the Top 3 would sing a song with the judges to campaign for votes one last time.
However, the program team’s theme had not yet been released. What Shen Qing and Zhang Liangying could do was choose a song for the medley segment and a song for the judge’s duet.
Zhang Liangying: “Qing, what song should I sing?”
Now, Zhang Liangying had already become dependent on Shen Qing. She liked Shen Qing to arrange everything for her, while she herself only wanted to sing each song well.
Shen Qing: “The medley segment can be simple. I think we can try 《Rain Butterfly》. Aside from it being the theme song of 《My Fair Princess》, 《Rain Butterfly》 itself is a widely popular song.”
Zhang Liangying: “Hehe, okay, then I’ll sing this one.”
After speaking, she wrote the characters 《Rain Butterfly》 on the A4 paper.
Then.
She looked at Shen Qing expectantly again: “What about my duet segment?”
The duet segment was in the final round.
Although only the Top 3 remained in this round, with the other two eliminated, the program team required all 5 people to prepare for this round.
Because—it couldn’t be determined who would advance and who would be eliminated.
So, they might as well prepare for it~
Moreover, the program team also allowed contestants to communicate with the judges in advance and choose the song to be sung.
In the duet segment, the audience’s text message vote count would directly determine the Champion, Runner-up, and Third Place. The person with the most votes would be the champion.
Therefore.
The song for the duet had to be a good one.
Whether it could showcase vocal skills was not important.
In Shen Qing’s mind, he already had a general choice—it was a Japanese song, and it was an unforgettable memory for countless young people in their 70s and 80s.
The phrase ‘See you at the National Competition’ made the young viewers of that era wait for an entire youth.
Shen Qing: “For the duet segment, we can sing 《Until the World’s End》.”
Zhang Liangying: “Ah? What song is that?”
Shen Qing: “Do you know Slam Dunk?”
Zhang Liangying: “Yes.”
Shen Qing: “This is the theme song of Slam Dunk…”
“In the big city, I’m already alone,”
“Like a discarded empty can,”
“…”
Zhang Liangying’s eyes lit up.
It sounded great!
Although she didn’t understand the lyrics, she felt Shen Qing’s voice was very magnetic. The moment he opened his mouth, he captivated her.
After a few lines, Shen Qing switched to Chinese.
He was singing the version by Chen Chusheng~
“In the cold forest, I have walked alone for too long,”
“Like a discarded empty can, who cares about the rust inside you,”
“…”
This time, Zhang Liangying’s mouth opened into an egg shape—she understood the lyrics Shen Qing was singing, and she also understood the emotions Shen Qing conveyed.
A faint sense of regret…
A hidden sense of not giving up…
A feeling of chasing dreams even if it meant going to the ends of the earth…
“Qing, you can debut now, you sing so beautifully.”
“Stop flattering me, I know how I sing! My goal now is to make you the champion of the National Competition, and then count money!”
“Okay! I will definitely work hard to make you count lots and lots of money!”
The two sat in the coffee shop until one in the afternoon before leaving.
After a quick meal.
The two went to Hei Nan’s hotel—to discuss the duet song.
Hei Nan was very surprised when he heard Zhang Liangying wanted to sing 《Until the World’s End》, “Haha, this must be Shen Qing’s idea, right?”
Zhang Liangying smiled and said, “Yes, I didn’t even know what song it was, but after hearing Shen Qing sing a few lines, I felt it sounded quite good.”
Hei Nan nodded and said, “Very good. Actually, I also love watching Slam Dunk. By the way, are you singing the Japanese version? Or the Chinese version?”
Shen Qing said, “The Chinese version. I’ll translate the lyrics tonight and hand them to Teacher Hei Nan during rehearsal at the studio tomorrow.”
Hei Nan chuckled, “Okay, this song is also very suitable for a male-female duet. It seems I need to prepare well, I can’t be outperformed by a contestant on stage…”
Zhang Liangying: “Hehe, Teacher Hei Nan is the best in the world.”
Hei Nan: “No, honestly, I really can’t sing as well as you, and with Shen Qing’s help, your achievements in the future will far surpass mine.”
