Chapter 182: Hit Song Diva
“Hello, my name is Wang Heng.”
As soon as the words were spoken, he calmly observed the woman in front of him. She wore light brown sunglasses, making her eyes seem veiled by a thin layer of gauze. However, judging by the shape of her eyes peeking through, and the contours of her face, she could be considered beautiful.
Both in her attire and demeanor, this woman exuded a mature aura. Wang Heng keenly noticed the watch on her wrist, which looked rather expensive.
The woman leaned in slightly and said in a low voice, “My name is Chang Wen.”
Hearing the name, and looking at the woman before him, Wang Heng suddenly understood why she had deliberately whispered her name—if others around heard it, wouldn’t it cause a commotion?
Chang Wen was a singer, definitely a famous one. But her fame was matched by her controversy.
Even Wang Heng, who wasn’t very interested in the entertainment industry, had heard her songs. There was no way around it; shops selling things on big sales on the street often played them at full volume, and grandmothers dancing the square dance in the evening frequently played them too. Her songs were always on various lists of trashy pop songs, making it impossible not to know her. Below “Love Business” and “Most Dazzling National Style,” were Chang Wen’s songs.
“Huo Huo Huo,” “Mwah Mwah,” “Good Brother”—these songs were hated by as many people as loved them. But no matter how much people disliked them, the maddening, catchy melodies made them unforgettable, and the lyrics, which could be called vulgar, were equally memorable.
“You…” Wang Heng said carefully, “Don’t you need to wear a mask when you go out?”
Chang Wen chuckled in a low voice, “No need. They don’t recognize me. Like you, did you recognize me before I said my name?”
Wang Heng had to admit that she had a point. Despite being one of the “Hit Song Divas,” he hadn’t really paid much attention to Chang Wen’s face. Even though “Love Business” was so popular, not many people cared what the singer of that song looked like.
So-called internet divine songs and square dance divine songs were treated entirely differently from mainstream music.
At this moment, Pei Ningle was reaching the end of another song. However, the young girl did not go backstage to rest. Instead, she gave a glance towards the counter, signaling that she was in good condition and could continue.
Chang Wen suddenly asked, “How much longer until she finishes?”
Wang Heng: “About ten minutes. Or would you like to go to the lounge with me to wait for her?”
Chang Wen shook her head and sat down, “I want to listen until she’s done.”
Wang Heng noticed that in this Hit Song Diva’s eyes, there was not only admiration, but also a hint of… melancholy?
“You sit too,” Chang Wen glanced at him and pointed to the empty seat across the table.
So Wang Heng sat down and quietly listened with her to the singing from the circular small stage.
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After Pei Ningle finished singing, she returned to the lounge as usual.
The lounge was empty, which puzzled her—Wang Heng had just told her before she went on stage that he would wait for her in the lounge.
However, it wasn’t long before the lounge door opened, and Wang Heng appeared. With him was a woman who looked like a mature big sister.
Pei Ningle was slightly wary, but not overly surprised, as she remembered tonight’s extra mission. If nothing unexpected happened, this big sister must be the fan who sent the private message.
The next moment, the big sister took off her light-colored sunglasses and said calmly, “Hello, I’m Chang Wen.”
“Hello…” Pei Ningle looked at her timidly, then secretly glanced at Wang Heng beside her, her gaze somewhat bewildered.
Dealing with strangers was something the young girl had never been good at.
Wang Heng was shocked by her bewilderment, “Hey, you don’t know who Chang Wen is?”
Pei Ningle shook her head.
Chang Wen was also stunned—normally, she wouldn’t need to introduce herself after saying her name. But now, it seemed a detailed self-introduction was necessary.
Wang Heng asked again, “Mwah Mwah, Huo Huo Huo, you haven’t heard them?”
Pei Ningle thought for a moment, then suddenly realized and blurted out, “They’re divine songs!”
Wang Heng secretly wiped a bead of cold sweat.
Fortunately, Pei Ningle said “divine songs,” leaving some room for interpretation. If she had accidentally used adjectives like “melodramatic” or “bad song,” he would have had to consider whether the excuse of “a child’s innocent words” could salvage the situation.
After all, the big sister in the private message had said she would provide sponsorship. What if she got angry and left?
It would be better if she just left. The problem was, even though she wasn’t well-received in the mainstream music scene, if they parted on bad terms, wouldn’t it be easy for her to use her connections and influence for revenge?
However, in the next moment, Wang Heng realized that he had completely misjudged her.
Chang Wen said calmly, “What divine songs? Let’s be direct, they’re all vulgar bad songs.”
Wang Heng was stunned.
Pei Ningle also repeated the word dazedly, “Bad songs?”
Chang Wen smiled, “Is there anything I dare not admit? I came to find you today to give you a reminder. Let me play you something first, this is one of my old songs.”
With that, she took out her mobile phone and tapped it twice.
The guitar prelude sounded from the phone. After the prelude, came the ethereal singing voice:
“Gazing into the distant beyond,
Wavering thoughts,
At the end of long years,
On a summer night,
Fireflies caught in my hand…”
Wang Heng and Pei Ningle listened quietly, exchanged glances, and looked at each other in speechless surprise.
This song was so similar to “Lost”!
Of course, the main melodies of the two songs were different, but the singer’s singing style and arrangement style were identical. Pei Ningle could even tell that the chord progressions used were exactly the same as her “Lost”!
In pop music, chord clashes are quite common. But when considering the voice, singing style, and overall style, such a high degree of similarity was rare.
Pei Ningle came back to her senses and quickly explained, “I’m sorry, but I really haven’t heard this song…”
Chang Wen paused the playback and laughed, “Do you think I’m accusing you of plagiarism? No, this song is hard to find online; basically, no one has heard it. Even though I’m using the Wangyu app to play it, the music file isn’t in their library, only on my phone. You couldn’t have copied me.”
Wang Heng had already understood her intention and asked carefully, “You want to remind my sister, meaning you hope she stays true to her own path, right?”
Chang Wen nodded with a bitter smile, “I used to write my own songs too, doing the lyrics, music, and arrangement myself. Someone appreciated me, I joined a company, debuted as an artist. But my albums didn’t sell at all, and then came several years of being shelved, barely able to afford food. Until one day, a melodramatic bad song called ‘Good Brother’ was put in front of me…”
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Special declaration: All entertainment industry figures described in this book are purely fictional. If there are any similarities, do not doubt it; it is purely coincidental.
Those who wrote real names and were subsequently banned—their entertainment novels are constantly watching us from the gallows…
