go home
Lin Ting hung up the phone, saved the document she had just recorded about her travel plans, and then searched online for recent new stages in the music industry.
New songs and new stages appear in the Chinese pop music scene every day, and the number is quite considerable. Lin Ting sometimes admires herself for never giving up on exploring new music over the years, and for continuously absorbing and exporting it.
He listened slowly, taking notes as a reference for future choices. Before he knew it, it was his usual bedtime.
Before going to bed, he glanced at his work email and found that he had received an invitation to a music talent show. He took a quick look and found the description very interesting, so he politely replied and attached his contact information, hoping to learn more.
In the first week after being fired, Lin Ting's routine was a bit chaotic, but he quickly adjusted and resumed his working lifestyle. Zhao Qinfeng listened to his description and was very impressed, saying that he definitely couldn't do it.
“Your work schedule is unavoidable, it’s all for work… so you should pay more attention to rest!” Lin Ting said loudly.
As the day of the Spring Festival Gala approached, the program list was released in the evening. Before the gala began, Lin Ting had a video call with her parents. Besides chatting about everyday things, they also reminded her to light lamps by the door according to the customs of her hometown.
Lin Ting was out and about and didn't really notice, since his parents always bought these things when he was at home, and he only helped set out the candles.
Lin Ting's parents knew immediately that he hadn't prepared anything, but there was nothing they could do, so they let him be.
"Remember to put a red envelope under your pillow for a few days while you sleep, to let them know you're safe. That'll be convenient. You should have some cash on hand, right?"
The cash pavilion did exist, so I did as instructed.
But Lin Ting was truly stumped by the candles. He wasn't averse to this harmless yet ritualistic custom; he just hadn't thought to prepare any. After hanging up the phone, he searched around the house for a long time, and the closest thing he found was a few small plastic candles that would light up when the switch was flipped, slowly changing colors in the order of "red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple."
Lin Ting lit the candles and placed them by the door of her house. The candles' colors changed asynchronously, which looked extremely eerie, but Lin Ting thought it was better than nothing, so she left them alone.
After fiddling around for a while, Lin Ting sat back down at her computer, turned on the CCTV live stream, and waited for the Spring Festival Gala to begin.
As the familiar music started playing, Lin Ting shifted her gaze from her phone to the screen and began watching.
The computer's sound was playing amplified, as if the lively and vibrant scene on the screen could be amplified throughout the house through the sound.
Lin Ting had originally decided to just watch the show carefully tonight and not to think about making comments during the New Year holiday.
However, as he listened, he couldn't resist opening a new document and taking notes—how was the opening this year? What were the lyrics and music of the songs like? Were there any familiar faces...?
Lin Ting typed away at the document for a while, then suddenly stopped. He thought with some regret, "I need to balance work and rest!"
In the end, he closed the document and silently turned the live stream interface into full screen.
Lin Ting pulled out the program schedule she had saved in advance from her phone and checked where Zhao Qinfeng's program was. It was near midnight, which was still a long time away.
The stage was beautiful, the quality of the performances fluctuated, the jokes in the comedy sketches were decent, and the audience applauded earnestly. Lin Ting got a little sleepy while watching, so she leaned on the table to continue watching.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Ting regained some clarity and looked at the program schedule, discovering that Zhao Qinfeng's next performance was on.
Lin Ting patted her face and sat up straight. The song title on the program looked unfamiliar; it must be a new song specially prepared for the Spring Festival Gala.
Lin Ting glanced at the song's creative team—the composer was Zhao Qinfeng, the lyricist was a highly respected senior, and the rest were basically all accomplished figures in their respective fields.
As the prelude began, Lin Ting felt much calmer. Although it was too early to make a final judgment, the prelude already revealed quite a bit.
The backup dancers were dressed in red and green, but they didn't look old-fashioned at all; on the contrary, they were incredibly lively. Amidst their graceful dance movements and enthusiastic smiles, Zhao Qinfeng walked out in a bright red suit and confidently raised the microphone in his hand.
Zhao Qinfeng seemed to be adapting to such a grand and majestic song, so he started with a bel canto style of singing, and the magnificence in his timbre immediately came out, making Lin Ting excitedly clench her hands.
Since the verses already use a more bel canto style of singing, how can the chorus push the emotions even higher? Lin Ting listened with this question in mind.
When Lin Ting hears a good song, he always feels that time flies by too quickly, and the details in the music require a lot of time to savor and ponder. As a result, the more excellent the work Lin Ting hears, the more he feels a kind of joyful pain, which is just too contradictory.
The song Zhao Qinfeng is singing right now is making Lin Ting's brain work at lightning speed.
Zhao Qinfeng truly deserves to be called an excellent singer. Lin Ting never praises his basic skills because there are too many other things to praise!
Zhao Qinfeng's technique is exquisite, meticulously expressing the emotions and artistic conception of the song itself, and his vocal quality is top-notch.
The audience applauded him, and the admiration in their eyes was evident in the shots. Hearing the applause, Lin Ting couldn't help but clap along.
Lin Ting thought that Zhao Qinfeng should stand on the stage, surrounded by lights, and use his voice to express all the beautiful things.
By the end, Lin Ting was wide awake. Anyone who could hear seven-tenths—no, five-tenths—of the details in the song would have been unable to remain calm.
He couldn't help but stand up and pace back and forth, but considering the neighbors downstairs, he didn't dare to take too big a step, so he almost tiptoed back and forth until his toes started to hurt before sitting down again.
Lin Ting wanted to call Zhao Qinfeng immediately to congratulate him and tell him that "this song will become one of your signature works"...
However, since the other party had just left the stage and there might be follow-up interviews and filming, Lin Ting wouldn't make the call and disturb them. She simply sent a message first to indicate that she had watched the program.
Lin Ting thought that after Zhao Qinfeng saw his message, he would definitely ask him what he thought of the show, and then the two of them would get in touch.
Lin Ting sat at her computer desk watching the Spring Festival Gala, heard the New Year's bells, heard the fireworks outside the window, and finally heard her phone ring just as she was about to fall asleep.
Lin Ting struggled to sit up and vaguely looked at the caller ID on her phone screen—it was Zhao Qinfeng.
He pressed the answer button and then turned on the speakerphone: "Hello... I'm so sleepy right now..."
When Zhao Qinfeng heard Lin Ting say that, he subconsciously lowered his voice: "Why don't you go to sleep first? We'll meet tomorrow, and we can talk then."
Lin Ting rubbed his eyes, and relying on muscle memory, fumbled to shut down the computer. Then, as he walked back to his room, he said, "No, there's something I have to say first."
Zhao Qinfeng: "Okay, go ahead."
Lin Ting sat on the bed and said, "You're really amazing."
Zhao Qinfeng felt that he might have been too busy; just hearing those four words made him feel dizzy.
"This song will become your signature piece. You've worked hard tonight, come back early." Lin Ting said, then yawned.
Zhao Qinfeng said goodnight to Lin Ting in a tight voice, and then seemed dazed for a while after hanging up the phone.
The agent knew about their relationship and had overheard the whole thing. Although he didn't know exactly what Lin Ting said, judging from Zhao Qinfeng's expression, he must have praised him a bit.
"Look at you, so full of yourself. You should really take a picture and show it to Teacher Lin," the agent teased.
Zhao Qinfeng: "You're just jealous that I have a boyfriend and you're praising me."
The agent rolled her eyes. Zhao Qinfeng's performance this time was indeed excellent, so she decided to let it go for the time being.
Lin Ting slept soundly until dawn, when he was awakened by the sound of firecrackers.
"Isn't it forbidden to burn fireworks in the city?" He rubbed his eyes, pulled back the curtains, and looked outside.
Not far away, a wisp of gray-black smoke slowly rose, which was probably closely related to the firecrackers that had just been fired.
When Lin Ting woke up, he felt a little tired, since he hadn't had enough sleep. But since it was his usual time to get up, he didn't plan to go back to sleep. Instead, he got up and made himself breakfast.
Lin Ting was just about to take out the leftover rice from yesterday to make fried rice when she heard a knock at the door.
Lin Ting opened the door and saw Zhao Qinfeng yawning repeatedly.
"Good morning...?" Lin Ting looked at Zhao Qinfeng and said with a hint of doubt, "You look very sleepy, what happened?"
“I got home at four in the morning. I was planning to sleep until noon before coming to find you, but someone set off firecrackers this morning…” Zhao Qinfeng said, looking devastated.
"What a coincidence, I was also just woken up by firecrackers, but I went to sleep right after midnight yesterday, so I'm in a much better situation than you."
Zhao Qinfeng was also carrying a box of nuts, packaged in bright red, making him look like he was visiting relatives.
Although Zhao Qinfeng was still very sleepy after getting up, he had walked all the way while fully awake. He hadn't planned to go back to sleep, but after seeing Lin Ting and entering Lin Ting's house, he felt sleepy again.
"What's wrong? Why do I feel sleepy again when I see you..." Zhao Qinfeng muttered.
"Maybe I sprayed sleeping pills on your face when you weren't looking," Lin Ting said.
Lin Ting asked Zhao Qinfeng to sit on the sofa first, while he went to make the fried rice with eggs, divided it into two bowls, and prepared to give one bowl to Zhao Qinfeng.
When he took the bowl and chopsticks to the dining table, just as he was about to call Zhao Qinfeng over to eat, he looked up and saw a person lying on the sofa.
Lin Ting swallowed the words that were about to come out, gently placed the bowl and chopsticks on the dining table, then walked to the sofa and squatted down next to Zhao Qinfeng.
He reached out and gently touched Zhao Qinfeng's hair.
Zhao Qinfeng's breathing was even and steady, as if he were really asleep, and he did not react to Lin Ting's gentle touch.
"Could she really have fallen asleep like that?" Lin Ting thought to herself, along with a touch of heartache.
He didn't want to wake Zhao Qinfeng, but a strange impulse drove him to slowly lower his head and lightly kiss Zhao Qinfeng's forehead—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say touch it, since Lin Ting only pressed his lips against Zhao Qinfeng's forehead before quickly separating them.
He quietly observed Zhao Qinfeng's features, and was about to get up and leave when he saw Zhao Qinfeng suddenly open his eyes and meet his gaze.
Lin Ting showed no remorse for stealing a kiss; instead, she smiled calmly at him and said, "You're awake?"
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