"The snow and rain that entwine the lonely isle,
Drifting down, who will make them cease?
Plucking a star from the sea,
To accompany me through the night, dispelling loneliness..."
The live audience was already lost in a state of enchantment.
On stage, Gong Juren was equally immersed.
He knew that Su Yu giving him this song, aside from having him perform it at the Era Music Festival, had another crucial task: to promote the latest television series, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils."
Therefore, he sang the song with utmost sincerity, unwilling to let down Su Yu's expectations.
With light steps, Gong Juren approached the girl dancing solo.
Compared to the first verse, his tone in the second verse was even more heartfelt. Accompanying the performance on stage, he slowly extended his hand, as if reaching for the woman's, yet displaying a deep internal restraint. Their movements surprisingly conveyed a sense of telepathic understanding, like a duet.
"Little Gong has such designs too?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow.
It seemed Gong Juren had truly put his heart into this. The stage design was excellent, and the applause from the live audience indicated that this arrangement would definitely elevate the song.
"The spirit's coffin lies at the bottom of the deep valley,
There are no eternal secrets.
Dabbling in the martial world leads to a tragic end,
No one can escape destiny..."
The three new songs by Ting Yu tonight were not the kind that evoked hysteria, but each was a masterpiece.
Moreover, three consecutive love songs of different styles had thoroughly satisfied the fans.
"Love Unobtainable" from "Next Year Today," the yearning and regret that spanned a lifetime in "Red Bean," and this song, "Arch-Enemy," depicted two lovers who, due to their differing destinies, were tragically bound to love and kill each other.
The first song was of a type favored by the market, the second expressed a view of love that everyone yearned for. As for the third...
"From this song, I can already guess that Jiangnan Old Thief's 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' will definitely be extraordinary!"
"I just wonder if this song is sung for the protagonist. If it is, then it's already pointing to a fated tragedy..."
"'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' is about the great chivalry for the country and its people; 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' leans more towards loyalty and righteousness. 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' is nearing its finale, but overall it can be summarized as grievances. Then, will this 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' be the destiny mentioned in the lyrics?"
"Grudges and destiny, Jiangnan Old Thief is going to make us cry again!"
"How can I watch this? It's already making me sad before it even airs?"
"Hah, as an old fan of Jiangnan, I don't like it if it's not heartbreaking!"
"Exactly, exactly! Please, slice me to pieces; the more you slice, the more excited I get!!"
"It seems Jiangnan's fans have gone mad for the slicing..."
Gong Juren's performance tonight was a great success. The audience in the live broadcast room was already paying attention to the new drama.
Moreover, they had gleaned some plot speculations from the lyrics, anticipating more heartache.
However, the annotation only mentioned it as an impression song and did not specify for which character. If it were for a supporting character, it would be fine, but if it were for the protagonist, based on the lyrics, this protagonist seemed rather tragic...
Of course, as loyal fans of Jiangnan, they were accustomed to such emotional turmoil and were even eagerly anticipating "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils"!
"When grudges are divided, how can I embrace..."
In the final two choruses, the emotions intensified.
Gong Juren's singing and dancing also elicited bursts of applause from the live audience!
...
Shuangqing City.
In the Gong family villa.
Gong Youcai was so excited that tears streamed down his face.
He was like the most ordinary fan, cheering at the projection of his son, Gong Juren, on the massive screen!
"Awesome! My son is awesome!!"
"Truly the son of Gong Youcai, handsome and so talented!"
"My son is the best!"
"Wow! The way he sang that line, it's comparable to a singing god!!"
He was as happy as a child.
He paid no mind to the strange glances from his relatives.
As a father, there was no greater joy than seeing his son achieve success. Even though Gong Youcai no longer needed his son to achieve anything, as he had sent him to a point that others strived for their entire lives from the moment of his birth.
A second-generation rich individual with a net worth of tens of billions. Previously, he hadn't sought any major achievements for Gong Juren, as long as his child didn't go astray, spending extravagantly or chasing girls was all fine, because the Gong family's wealth was already inexhaustible. However, drugs were absolutely forbidden; that was Gong Youcai's principle.
Now, not only had Gong Juren not gone down the wrong path, but he had also become a superstar through his own efforts, and tonight, he might stand at the pinnacle of domestic entertainment singers, becoming a leader among the younger generation.
Gong Youcai was immensely gratified!
And also immensely proud!
"Awesome! Truly awesome!!"
He couldn't find many words of praise, and these simple, common words kept coming out of his mouth, with a faint tear welling up in the corner of his eye.
"Hey, crying is a bit much!"
"Believe it or not, we'll leave right away!"
Seeing this, the relatives quickly chimed in to remind him.
Your son has achieved so much; it's enough to show off a little in front of us. Any more than this is excessive!
"Then I'll tone it down..." Gong Youcai tried his best to restrain himself, to appear less ostentatious.
Otherwise, if all the relatives left, watching the show alone would offer no pleasure in showing off.
...
"When the ink marks of the final stroke are dry, the arch-enemy has already attacked,
The loneliness I borrowed from you, I fear I cannot repay in this lifetime..."
As the last line was sung.
The stage lights gradually brightened.
Gong Juren and the female dancer moved to the center of the stage and bowed slightly to the audience and the cameras.
Warm applause erupted again, even louder than for Zhang Wei and Jiang Xiao'e.
Among the Ting Yu singer group, Gong Juren had always maintained the highest popularity. Furthermore, he had many fans, even among newly debuted singers, many of whom were his admirers.
Everyone liked an idol who was rich, handsome, and exceptionally talented; Gong Juren possessed all these qualities.
"That was a splendid performance. I didn't expect a singing and dancing segment. It seems our singer, Gong Juren, prepared a very thoughtful act this time!"
The host, capitalizing on the audience's enthusiasm, began to build the atmosphere.
The applause continued.
After bowing, the accompanying dancer consciously retreated towards the backstage.
Just as Gong Juren was about to follow her offstage.
The host called out to him.
"As the last singer of the evening, I suddenly want to interview Mr. Gong Juren."
The host walked over to Gong Juren's side.
He wore a smile; it had been a long time since he had interviewed someone, and he was itching to do so. Moreover, the production team had asked him to extend the program by a minute because the show's duration was insufficient to enter the next stage.
It was just the right opportunity to interview Gong Juren.
"Please, go ahead," Gong Juren stopped.
He was no longer a newcomer. Seeing the host call out to him suddenly, he immediately understood that they intended to delay the program's flow.
This was a common occurrence in the industry, so he cooperated readily.