46 Chapter 45 – splendid” Rice with Pickled Vegetables and Pork 4 (2/2)
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Jue Mei and Feng Ya Song definitely did that on purpose, deliberately bringing about these floodwaters of comments to create a perfect farewell for Qiang Qing Ci. She stared at the screen, from laughing at first as she read to not being able to even read the words that were flying past her eyes like garbled encoding as the screen scrolled and scrolled upwards.
She felt her nose tingle, and her eyes were also stinging.
So touching.
While she was immersed in her own emotions, she all of a sudden heard someone put on a song.
It was all too familiar …
That day, after she and Toupai finished their cover of it, she had developed a habit of always listening to this song.
Oh god, they were actually using this song as the farewell performance? …
Her entire body felt as if it was burning up. The love she had for the 2-D world and this entertainment circle that had accumulated in her heart year after year as well as the emotions of all these years of listening through her headset to those songs and dramas all seemed to rush forth.
”Your wedding gown like fire has scorched the horizon
Henceforth, the setting sun will sear my heart like vermilion…”
Just like that, his high notes charged into her ear and reminded her of their first meeting at the recording studio, how he had stood on the other side of the soundproof glass of the recording room, looked out at her, and told her that he was Qiang Qing Ci
Right at that moment, someone private messaged her.
She clicked it open. It was Qiang Qing Ci, who had just come online.
This next bit that I want to say is somewhat annoyingly sentimental and stirring. It'll be better if I use text to say it.
Not long after I first met you, I asked you a question. I asked you, ”Do you love me?” Your answer was,” I love your voice.” This is a very remarkable answer. I think I can I understand how you feel. There are countless numbers of nice voices in this world, but only one voice will cause you to feel that ”This is the one I love” the instant you hear it.
A few years ago, I heard a demo from Ling Long Ti Tou. There was a voice softly humming a melody. No lyrics. Ling Long Ti Tou played it over three times, then told me, this girl was so talented; she could arrange and compose music and her voice was beautiful. I felt the same. Of course, there was also something that she had not experienced: the heart stirring and fluttering with aroused emotions.
At that time, that voice was not yet called ”Sheng Sheng Man.” In fact, there was not even a name associated with it. It was simply, ”sheng” [sound].
Later, I found her.
She stared at this passage of text.
She could not even feel if her heartbeat still existed…
She had always thought that no one would understand that her feelings for him truly had been love at first listen.
She had never thought that the one who most understood her would be Qiang Qing Ci himself.
Very quickly, he sent her another row of text: I learned how to make a new dish. Splendid pickled vegetables and pork rice. Next time you come, I'll make it for you.
She could not help laughing. A food dish again…
From the very beginning, he had used recipes to lure her. But actually, no matter how enticing those delicious foods were, they could not compare to the draw of his voice.
Do you believe there is a voice in the world that, after you've listened to it, will cause your heart to be stirred up with emotions?
In that moment, you will be frozen in your spot, in a daze, unable to hear your own heartbeat.
here will only be your breathing, very light breathing, for fear that you will disturb that voice, and you will want to continue to listen to it — continue listening forever…
The song in her headphones was gradually nearing its end.
She distinctly heard his voice speaking the final monologue:
”'Til the different directions of the world no longer exist, 'til the seas dry, only then will I cease to love you.”
He had added this line in himself. Apart from the people who had been present at the studio that day, no one else had heard it before. Not only were the fans on the screen going crazy with excitement, even the special guests who had been invited to the event had joined in with the army that was deluging the screen with comments: ”It is better not to encounter one whose beauty can topple a city[2], AAAAH!!!! DaRen, if you go, my entire world is going to become just like a silent film, AAAAH!!!!” ”Begging DaRen to not retire!”
”Yellow IDs” were incessantly popping up on the public comment screen.
Even Feng Ya Song could not refrain from adding in his comment: Toupai DaRen, it was because of you that I entered the entertainment circle in the beginning. Please look into these sincere eyes of mine… You, are my dream…
Gu Sheng burst out in a giggle.
Qiang Qing Ci's microphone indicator finally lit up, as if he had just come in. ”My apologies, everyone. From last night up until now, I have been extremely busy.” It was still the same light, refined voice.
If you did not listen carefully, you would not be able to sense that, though slight, his voice had a seldom-heard tremble in it.
In order to gain control of his emotions, he cleared his throat and paused for a brief moment. ”In reality … there is no such thing as so-called 'retirement.' In this entertainment circle, there will continuously be people leaving, some people because they are tired, some people because of rumors and gossip, some people because of their work in real life …”
When he spoke, he was always steady and deliberate…
Gentle, yet at the same time, distant. He made people love him, yet also made them feel like they could not get close to him. Perhaps this was the reason why he had been able to reach his position today.
He always was aware of one principle: ”Friendship between gentlemen should be bland as water[3],” and he was always able to carry through with this principle, regardless of how much praise he received or how much slander…
Qiang Qing Ci.
A very light and reserved color, but with a hint of warmth in it. Just like him.
[1]小阿姨. Maternal aunt. Younger sister of her mother. The 小 ”little” implies that she is quite a bit younger and/or possibly the youngest of the siblings.
[2] Refer to footnote 1 in Chapter 36.
[3] 君子之交淡如水. An idiom from Zhuangzi. Friendship between gentlemen — people of high moral conduct — should be bland as water, i.e. pure and not muddied by things like fame, wealth, personal gain, etc.