Just as the audience thought the song was about to end.
Su Yu took a deep breath.
“The rain is falling, lush and green, over the old familiar home.
I heard you’ve always been alone.
…
The rain is falling, the rain is falling, lush and green, over the old familiar home.
I heard, I heard, you still guard the solitary city…”
Rap!
Everyone was stunned.
A traditional Chinese-style song, and it could be rapped?
Moreover, it was Su Yu’s unique style of rap.
A style and articulation unlike any rap song on the market.
In everyone’s eyes, rap required a powerful, rhythmic accompaniment to maximize its rhythmic effect.
And the song “Yan Hua Yi Leng” seemed impossible to associate with rap.
But he had indeed sung it.
And it sounded incredibly good, a perfect fit, with no sense of incongruity!
“Ting Yu has truly revolutionized traditional Chinese-style music!”
“Last time with ‘Lan Ting Xu’, it was rap with operatic vocals, which was somewhat acceptable, but now direct rap, how dare he…”
“Damn, Ting Yu is simply a genius.”
“Not only is the rap part not bad, but it elevates the artistic conception, like a complete release after prolonged suppression, finally giving people a sense of breathing space.”
At this moment.
Song God Jiang Qian suddenly stood up from her seat.
She stared intently at Su Yu on stage.
Her eyes, full of undisguised admiration, said, “Magnificent! This song is truly magnificent!”
Shen Jinghong also suddenly opened his eyes, expressing immense admiration: “Amazing!! He is constantly innovating, constantly telling us that traditional Chinese-style music doesn’t have to be confined to the pentatonic scale (Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, Yu); even with this approach, it still possesses a strong traditional flavor!”
After speaking, he exchanged a look with Jiang Qian, then smiled at each other.
On the scene, they were the two most professional.
And they both realized the most brilliant aspect of this song.
After the rap.
The next second.
“The flute’s sound from the outskirts, falls upon that rustic village.
Fate took root, and it was us.
Fate took root, and it was us.
Listening to the rain at Galan Temple, we anticipate eternity…”
That emotionally charged singing style echoed once more.
The scene on stage shifted again.
The woman’s figure had vanished.
The general stood in the temple’s backyard.
Before him stood a desolate grave.
The rain from the sky continued to fall, landing on the tombstone.
Looking at the familiar name on the tombstone.
The general’s knees buckled, and he knelt down.
“I have fought for half my life, I have failed neither the nation nor the people, but I have failed only you…”
No one expected that the glance they shared upon parting would be their last.
She had been waiting for him.
Always alone.
From dark hair to white,
From city gates to ancient temples, and finally to a desolate grave.
This girl had waited for him her entire life.
The general knelt before the solitary grave.
The fine rain fell upon him.
The scene was beautiful, yet imbued with sorrow.
…
With a sigh.
The stage lights brightened again.
Su Yu and Lin Yanyu held hands and bowed to the audience.
Boom!
The pent-up emotions in everyone’s hearts completely dissipated after the song ended.
Some pursed their lips, clapping vigorously.
Others buried their faces in their boyfriends’ arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
At this moment, everyone was deeply moved by the profound sense of desolation.
“Hits hard, right in the heart!”
“Damn, no perfect ending at all, Ting Yu, you’ve learned from Jiang Nan’s bad habits!”
“I highly suspect that the background story of this song was written by the old trickster Jiang Nan; only he would be so perversely cruel!”
“Told you to stay away from that old Jiang Nan, see how you’ve gone bad.”
“I’m in tears, waiting a lifetime, such love is too moving.”
“Listening to the whole song, it’s this feeling of a love that lasts for eternity that is the most touching!”
“My defenses are shattered, I held on for the entire song, but couldn’t resist that last line…”
Defenses shattered!
Everyone’s defenses were shattered at this moment!
The song was already sad enough, but seeing the general kneeling before his beloved, and hearing the line about failing everyone but her, made everyone unable to hold back, breaking down in collective tears!
The harder something is to obtain, the more precious it becomes. In this day and age, let alone a lifetime, few could even manage a year of waiting.
Therefore, the love story told in this song was enough to move so many people.
“Thank you, Teacher Ting Yu, for bringing us such a wonderful performance. Now, please invite Teacher Jiang Qian to give her evaluation of the two songs!”
The host wiped away a tear, his voice trembling.
He too was moved by the song’s tragically beautiful love story.
At the judging panel, Jiang Qian opened her mouth, but felt a lump in her throat, rendering her momentarily speechless.
After a moment, she took a deep breath, regained her composure, and said, “First, I’ll comment on Gu Yun’s song.”
Then, she looked at Shen Jinghong.
He wore a wry smile.
It was over.
He was finished.
The more professional they were, the more they understood how amazing Ting Yu’s “Yan Hua Yi Leng” was.
And his song was also top-quality, but it was far from the level of “Yan Hua Yi Leng”. From today onwards, “Yan Hua Yi Leng” would be unique in the traditional Chinese-style music scene.
“Gu Yun’s ‘Meng Si Fei Hua’ has a very poignant background story, both lyrics and music are good, and it’s very immersive. It is indeed a superior work of traditional Chinese-style music. I can say that even a Song God, without inspiration, could not write such a good song.”
Jiang Qian’s evaluation of Shen Jinghong was very high.
With her assessment, the audience finally had a frame of reference.
No wonder Jiang Qian waited until both had performed before commenting.
It was because she was unsure of the gap between the two, and feared giving too high a score too soon.
Jiang Qian ignored the commotion in the venue. After her professional critique, she gave her score: “I give Gu Yun a score of 9.8!”
Wow!
Jiang Qian actually gave a 9.8!
Everyone was shocked.
After all, Jiang Qian was known for her discerning eye and fair evaluations.
Her previous highest score was only Ting Yu’s 9.6.
Now, Shen Jinghong directly receiving a 9.8, left everyone momentarily stunned.
“Next, I will comment… no, I will appreciate Ting Yu’s song ‘Yan Hua Yi Leng’.”
Jiang Qian’s voice carried a sense of eagerness.
However, the audience heard something unusual in her words.
Appreciate?
She actually used the word “appreciate.”
Instead of “comment.”
“Can you play the accompaniment again?”
Jiang Qian looked at the staff.
Then, after a brief silence, the accompaniment began to play again.
“I can describe the arrangement of this song in four words: breathtaking!” Jiang Qian said to everyone, accompanying the music.
Hearing her evaluation, everyone was stunned.
Breathtaking?
Such a high evaluation?
Meanwhile, some professional insiders on the judging panel nodded in agreement.
Listening again, they discovered the hidden brilliance.