47 Chapter 46 – splendid” Rice with Pickled Vegetables and Pork 5 (1/2)
”These last few years, because of work, I have had to turn down all kinds of proposals. Some were from old friends, some from new people. I believe it is difficult for a person to be able to always treat everyone equally and fairly. The ways of the world are unavoidable and will get in the way. So,” Qiang Qing Ci chuckled, ”tonight all I want to say is, hereafter, I hope my old friends will let me off the hook, new people will give other CVs a chance, and you can all gradually forget about me.”
His words had been spoken very discreetly and mindfully, but they were also very heartfelt.
But… how could they possibly forget him?
Even though any sort of entertainment circle will have its ups and downs during its establishment, those will not prevent it from becoming better and better. And those people who arose with the circle in the very beginning and became famous in it will also be written into the first volume of this entertainment circle's history books.
Although Qiang Qing Ci had been very tactful, he was also very clearly stating that, because of his work, he would not be accepting any more invitations to work on online projects. In the future, if you wanted to hear his voice, it would have to be through the mainstream platforms.
And perhaps… the opportunities to hear him on those mainstream platforms would be less and less, too…
Gu Sheng was also feeling a deep sense of sadness, as if tonight, they were bidding farewell to that era that had once had Qiang Qing Ci.
A sudden, simple love confession that had come like a secret being uncovered followed by words that were bidding farewell to the entire online entertainment circle. Her heart was following Toupai, like it was suddenly being flung up and then unexpectedly being dropped back down — even more exciting than riding a roller coaster…
She thought he would do as he always did and turn off his microphone and then leave.
But unexpectedly, background music began playing. Unlike normally, on this night when he was giving his farewell, he presented this song to the listeners without any warning.
There were no opening pleasantries, no unnecessary remarks at all.
These last ten years, he had always been as such. No need for debate or hype, everything said with just the voice…
When his voice made its appearance in their ears, it seemed so ethereal and elusive that it caused people's hearts to palpitate. This was completely different from the other songs he had sung before:
”Like morning dew on the orchid cactus [epiphyllum], so near, yet so far.
It is said, the Yellow River meanders, but in the end still flows eastward.
An 8000 year old jade suddenly fades overnight.
I ask Heaven, what is the purpose of this life?
Where the wind blew last night, who can count the petals that fell?
Under the vastness of the heavens, I dance with my shadow in the wind.
Who can share in everything with me?
Beneath the age-old Big Dipper, in a palace of beauty but cold with solitude,
It is better to be a loving couple, wandering the world together for all our lives.”
This was ”Cha Na Fang Hua Qu” [A Song of Fleeting Beauty; more accurately A Song of those Fleeting, Most Beautiful Years].
His voice was grand and majestic, rising above this heartrending song, as if he truly had seen ”an 8000 year old jade suddenly fade overnight” and ”danced in the wind with his shadow under the vastness of the heavens”...
A moment of fleeting beauty…
Such a suitable song for him.
This last decade of his most beautiful years were merely a moment, like the snapping of fingers.
...
”So beautiful I'm crying! Bowing on my knees! Toupai DaRen… oh my, I'm Feng Ya Song's diehard fangirl, ah!!!! How come one song has made me change camps T.T?... Toupai, begging to marry you!!!!” ”(○^～^○) DaRen, no problem if you retire from the CV circle! The ancient-style music circle welcomes you!!!!” ”Awesome idea! Begging Toupai Sama to march over to the ancient-style music circle!”... ”⊙.⊙ Anyone notice the line, 'Better to be a loving immortal couple, wandering the world together for all our lives'? This is the true song that Sama is using to give his love confession, right?...”
As the song was nearing its close, Toupai, for the first time in history, used his administrator's authority and prohibited comments and flowers on the public comment screen.
Quiet was restored to the comment box for a few seconds.
Very soon, a few words appeared. In a distinctive color text, he said: Thank you, everyone. Goodbye.
And then, he very quickly exited the room.
This was… the first time he had ever left a comment on the YY public comment screen, and it was to say goodbye.
The time he went offline was eleven o'clock at night. Later, that night and all the way through the entire day of the following day, everyone felt that it was very surreal. This was because simply too many artists, old and young, big names and unknowns, friends of his and random fans of his … as if they had all collaborated together, were, one after another, drawing farewell pictures to him.
There were all sorts of styles, from chibi drawings to aesthetic style pictures, Japanese manga style to ancient-style brush ink paintings.
Without exception, each one was clearly marked with the three words, ”Qiang Qing Ci.”
And also without exception, when each picture was released, the artist would describe how he or she had felt in that first moment of hearing Qiang Qing Ci's voice.
Gu Sheng watched as, in Weibo and Tieba, the art and drawings continued to pour in. She sincerely felt that he was truly a perfect legend. After he faded out of the spotlight, perhaps his fans would also gradually leave the entertainment circle, or perhaps his voice gradually would not seem as beautiful as it had been at the start …
But Qiang Qing Ci would surely be a name that would be difficult to surpass and one that would never be forgotten.
Since there was no library sorting work that needed to be done next week, she did not go back to campus.
Tuesday happened to be his day off, but he had some recording work that needed to be done to wrap-up his work for the video game. That meant he would be sacrificing the entire daytime of his hard-to-come-by day off and could only meet her when it was nearly dinnertime.
This was her second time at this recording studio, but the two girls working busily at reception were already treating her like she was a familiar presence there. When she was waiting in the main reception area with nothing to do, the girl who knew her and Toupai's true identities even pulled out from the freezer an ice cream that was normally for employees only and insisted on giving it to her.
She bit down on her plastic spoon, wordlessly refreshing Weibo.
When the search term, ”Qiang Qing Ci” was entered, countless visually appealing pictures and drawings appeared.
It'd be nice if she saved all these artworks and then printed them out in an album for him to keep as a momento, hmm?