After seeing the message on his phone, Shen Xingsui felt a chill run through his body. Many thoughts raced through his mind like a fleeting lantern, yet his mind was filled with a jumble of ideas. He couldn't even hear Shen Xingchen speaking to him.
Shen Xingchen raised her voice in exasperation, "Sui Sui, are you even listening?"
Shen Xingsui quickly snapped out of her daze and stammered, "Yes, yes."
"I don't think you have any at all." Shen Xingchen rested her chin on her hand, refusing to drink her soup. "So what's the deal with that Jane's song?"
Shen Xingsui put down his phone, took a deep breath and replied, "I can confirm that the arrangement of this song is indeed my original work, but it was written a long time ago. It should be when I was about to go to college in high school. At that time, I was still writing songs myself, while he had already debuted. I showed him the songs I wrote, but he always said that my writing was very average. And since I am his younger brother, he told me not to spread these songs to others, so as not to embarrass him."
Shen Xingchen was furious. He slammed his chopsticks on the table and cursed, "Jian Zhi, that beast, is he even human?"
Shen Xingsui smiled after hearing this.
Shen Xingchen put her hands on her hips and said, "I'll respond right now and let these people know who plagiarized whom!"
Seeing him pick up his phone, Shen Xingsui quickly stopped him: "Hey, don't."
Shen Xingchen looked at him suspiciously and said, "What are you waiting for? Can't you see they're all cursing you?"
Shen Xingsui sighed inwardly and explained, "Because I was young back then and never imagined... that these things would happen, my manuscripts at that time were all handwritten scores, and now I have no evidence."
When he said he never expected things to turn out this way, Shen Xingchen could almost see the sadness on Shen Xingsui's face. No one would expect their own family to stab them in the back, and no one could have imagined that they would suffer such persecution from their closest relatives. Having one's hard-earned money stolen is already a heartbreaking thing, but now they are also being labeled as a thief.
Shen Xingchen asked, "Where is the manuscript?"
Shen Xingsui replied, "It should be in my room. When I left home, things were quite tense with them. I was practically kicked out. At that time, I didn't know where I could go in the future, so I left with nothing."
Shen Xingchen finally snapped out of his daze and slammed his fist on the table in anger: "We can't find it even if we go back now. That bastard Jian Zhi must have hidden it all!"
Shen Xingsui nodded slightly: "Very likely."
Shen Xingchen was rather straightforward, and he couldn't think of any good solutions. He scratched his head and asked, "Then what should we do?"
Shen Xingsui said, "Let's delete this video first. Since it's your account, I'm afraid it might drag you into this too. To avoid further public outcry, I'll call Jian Zhi in a bit and see if we can discuss it."
Shen Xingchen was initially unwilling; he wanted to fight those trolls to the bitter end. However, when he looked up and saw Shen Xingsui's worried yet pleading eyes, he finally softened. He didn't want to put his younger brother in a difficult position, so he could only nod and say, "Alright, alright."
The video was eventually deleted, but the incident cannot be ignored.
In fact, Shen Xingchen underestimated the ability of netizens to gossip and the speed at which they spread the news. In just eight minutes since the video was released, it has been downloaded and shared tens of thousands of times and has even made it onto Weibo's trending topics list.
#Shen Xingsui plagiarism#
The topic of Reyi quickly reached the top. As a male artist who had just come down from a very popular variety show, and moreover, the video was posted by Shen Xingchen, the combined popularity of the two of them, along with that of the popular idol Jian Zhi, created a powerful force that helped the Weibo post successfully reach the top.
The onlookers were also shocked:
"Oh, so you also claim other things as your own?"
"Is he unable to write anything on his own?"
"My idol has been ruined. I was just a fan of this original singer not long ago."
"This person seems to have been his older brother before."
There's a lot of discussion online, but almost everyone is criticizing Shen Xingsui. No one thinks that a singer who has been in the industry for many years and is already mature and experienced would plagiarize someone who has just debuted and was once a younger brother.
...
Shen Family
Shen Xingsui returned to his room and sat down in a chair. His feelings at that moment were both complicated and heavy.
The phone rang in the room, and this was the first time he had tried to contact Jianzhi since then. But he never expected it would be because of this. He had always admired his older brother since childhood, and being a singer was his greatest dream. Unfortunately, his brother had never affirmed him, and even refused to let him see his work, as if he was hostile to him.
"Beep beep beep"
The ringing of the connecting phone filled the room, and Shen Xingsui's heart gradually calmed down.
Finally, just as the call was about to automatically disconnect, it was answered, and Jianzhi's voice came from the other end: "Hello."
Shen Xingsui spoke up: "It's me."
"I know." Jian Zhi seemed even calmer than him. "Is there something you need?"
Shen Xingsui didn't keep him in suspense and asked, "I want to ask you, what's the deal with that song? Why does it sound so much like my chorus?"
Jian Zhi scoffed, "What do you mean, 'your song'? Did it have your name on it? That's my song. Shen Xingsui, are you holding a grudge because I said your song was mediocre, and that's why you're coming to cause me trouble?"
Shen Xingsui never imagined that Jian Zhi would be so shameless!
"You, you clearly knew that was my song!" Shen Xingsui couldn't hold back any longer: "Why did you do this?"
As Jian Zhi listened to Shen Xing Sui's somewhat heartbroken questioning on the other end of the phone, for a moment, he could almost guess Shen Xing Sui's expression at that moment. She must have been a little sad, with a somewhat aggrieved look. When she was particularly sad as a child, she would have red eyes and shed tears. She was cowardly and stupid, knew nothing, and was extremely annoying.
But he is very talented.
He's utterly useless, but incredibly musically talented. It's a shame he always acts so dull, wasting such a wonderful talent.
Why should someone as talented as me be inferior to a song written by a gloomy little good-for-nothing? Anyway, it won't do Shen Xingsui any good, so wouldn't it be better for me to use it myself?
Jianzhi said, "Sui Sui, I don't understand what you're saying. What do you mean?"
Shen Xingsui said sternly, "You know perfectly well what you've done."
"What do I know?" Jian Zhi sneered. "Sui Sui, have you really forgotten the Jian family's more than 20 years of nurturing kindness just because you left home? The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the bed you sleep in—wasn't everything given to you by your family? Have I ever wronged you? Is this how you treat your benefactors?"
He is using moral blackmail.
Shen Xingsui felt only irony, a deep-seated irony. He took a breath, but the anger and hostility from before were gone. His voice calmed down: "When I was composing that song, if you had said even one word that was good, that you liked it, or that you wanted to use it, I would have agreed without hesitation, because... you are my brother."
Jianzhi was stunned.
“I won’t even ask for too much…” Shen Xingsui’s eyes unconsciously reddened, but his voice remained calm: “I just need you to say a few words of affirmation to me.”
Shen Xingsui took a deep breath: "I'd rather you truly despise me than have this outcome. What I hate isn't your stealing, but your deception. Do you understand?!"
The resounding words struck Jianzhi's heart like heavy blows, leaving him reeling for a long time.
Shen Xingsui looked up, the bitterness and sorrow surging in his heart like waves, but his will grew stronger and stronger. He said in a deep voice, "I want you to apologize."
Jane's eyes widened slightly.
“You must apologize to me, Jane,” the voice on the other end of the phone said, each word distinct. “Otherwise, I will not let this go.”
It seemed that at that moment, the image of that stupid, clumsy child who could only cry forever shattered in Jianzhi's mind. That child had grown up; he would no longer tolerate it blindly. He stood opposite him and declared war on him.
...
The phone call ended, and both rooms fell silent.
Jane's agent came up from behind and asked, "How did the conversation go?"
“Not really.” Jian Zhi smiled lightly: “He wants me to apologize to him publicly, or he won’t let it go.”
The manager frowned slightly: "It's just a chorus, why has it gotten so messy? He used to be your brother, after all these years of raising you, what an ungrateful little brat."
Jianzhi walked to the sofa and sat down: "I want to resolve this privately."
The agent nodded: "Right now, the online opinion is overwhelmingly in your favor. He has no evidence and is completely in the wrong. I'll contact him privately later to see if we can resolve this peacefully with money. You can't agree to his terms now, lest he record it. It would be safer to arrange a meeting later, with both parties publicly recording the conversation, and then sign the contract."
Jane responded.
His agent noticed he wasn't in a good mood and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell or guilty?"
Jian Zhi chuckled lightly: "In the more than six months since he left the Jian family, he has really grown and changed a lot. I almost don't recognize him anymore."
“People change.” The agent sat down next to him, flipping through the documents as he said with emotion, “Growth is not measured by time. After going through some storms, things are not the same as before, and there is no going back.”
There's no going back.
Jianzhi leaned back on the sofa, recalling the past. He thought he didn't care, but after Shen Xingsui left, he realized that he remembered everything very clearly. He remembered that Shen Xingsui always liked to mention his name in front of his classmates and bring them home to show off, which always caused him a lot of trouble and annoyed him. The time when he couldn't stand it anymore, he completely broke down and told Shen Xingsui that he was never allowed to tell his classmates that he was his brother again, and that he was never allowed to look at or touch his works again.
That was just something he said in anger. Although he disliked his younger brother, he sometimes quite enjoyed the feeling of being admired.
But later, Shen Xingsui seemed to have really learned his lesson. He stopped talking to his classmates, stopped listening to his own songs, and stopped buying his posters. The person that boy was chasing changed, and there were more and more Fu Jinxiao albums and posters in his room. He even seriously did Fu Jinxiao's support work, writing songs for him and voting for him.
On what grounds?
Isn't this my younger brother?
Even if he doesn't pursue me, he shouldn't pursue someone else!
Unfortunately, the more resentful he became, the better Fu Jinxiao's career in the industry became. Many of his fans switched allegiances, and more and more investors went to curry favor with the Fu family. Frustrated at work, he returned home to find that his younger brother was also a fan of Fu Jinxiao, which made him even more unhappy.
Jianzhi was very angry, so he became increasingly displeased with Shen Xingsui and grew more and more resentful. They drifted apart until An Ran's appearance completely broke the bond, and they never had a proper conversation again. His memories of Shen Xingsui were still from a long, long time ago, but now, looking back, he realized that the child had slowly grown up in a corner he didn't know about.
“There’s no going back.” Jian Zhi gave a slightly bitter smile, and sighed softly as if talking to himself, looking at the ceiling: “Things aren’t the same as before.”
...
The incident began to escalate in the evening, with a large number of netizens on Weibo mocking and criticizing Shen Xingsui for trying to exploit her ex-brother's fame and being ungrateful. Less than two hours later, Jian Zhi, the person involved, posted a Weibo message with a very meaningful message: "Music is the transmission of the soul, regardless of time or place. Thank you all for liking my songs, and I'm also happy that someone can play them. I hope everyone will focus more on my future works."
This Weibo post seems to say nothing, yet it also seems to say everything.
Basically, it means, "This is my song, and it's okay if you play it. I don't mind, and I generously forgive you."
The following is a sea of positive reviews:
"Brother Zhi is so generous."
"Those plagiarists are truly despicable."
"I will definitely pay more attention to my brother's works in the future!"
After this Weibo post exposing someone was published, Shen Xingsui's lack of immediate response led fans to conclude he was guilty, quickly seizing the moral high ground. His Weibo was bombarded with attacks from a large number of fans, resembling a chaotic swamp. However, contrary to many people's expectations, Shen Xingsui did not remain silent this time either. After Jian Zhi's Weibo post, he quickly posted his own, directly tagging @JianZhi:
"Music is the transmission of the soul. Every soul is unique. The creation of music gives it life. Thank you for liking my song. I'm also glad that you shared it with the public before I did. I hope you can focus on your own work in the future."
This Weibo post can be described as extremely tough, so tough that it's almost like a battleground.
Furthermore, in the comments section of that Weibo post, Shen Xingsui released the second half of the chorus, which he also played himself. The melody blended perfectly with the first half, creating a beautiful and melodious tune.
The audience was stunned:
"What, what do you mean?"
"Didn't Shen Xingsui plagiarize Jian Zhi?"
"Did Jianzhi plagiarize Shen Xingsui?"
"This reversal is brilliant!"
Netizens were completely surprised by the unexpected twist in the story. The person who made the accusation was ultimately the one who was accused, and the two were even brothers!
Shen Xingsui's fans had been constantly criticized, with many accusing their idol of plagiarism and moral depravity, which made many people feel extremely upset. However, it seems that the situation has now reversed, and most people are very happy.
“I knew Sui Sui wouldn’t do something like that.”
"Sui Sui has always created original works. With his strong abilities, how could he possibly plagiarize?"
"He can compose a song for the child in an afternoon, why would he need to plagiarize?"
"Jian Zhi, how could you, as the older brother, steal your younger brother's original work? Is this how the Jian family bullies Sui Sui?"
Most of the fans naturally chose to believe Shen Xingsui. They all stood up and argued for their idol. Although they didn't want to argue, if they didn't, they would be subjected to a barrage of accusations, and silence would make them lambs to the slaughter.
However, Jian Zhi, as a popular idol, hasn't been in the entertainment industry for nothing. His fan base is much larger and more loyal than Shen Xingsui's, and they simply don't believe their idol would plagiarize. Therefore, many people, after seeing Shen Xingsui's Weibo posts, not only don't think their idol is wrong, but are even more vehemently opposed.
"How did this become your song?"
"Does playing a song in a lower key make it yours?"
"This doesn't count as evidence at all."
"Don't try to scam our brother!"
Jian Zhi's fans simply didn't believe it. Although most netizens were rational, some even more knowledgeable about music specifically researched Jian Zhi's songs and listened to Shen Xingsui's version, and the difference in quality was immediately apparent:
"In comparison, Shen Xingsui's version is really very comfortable to watch."
"Back then, my favorite part of Jane's song was the chorus; I thought the second half was terrible."
"Yes, it's like two songs."
"I always want to fast forward and only listen to the chorus."
"Now that I've listened to Shen Xingsui's version, I feel finally comfortable. This is what a song should be like!"
However, this is just the opinion of rational netizens. Most people still feel that this is not solid evidence, especially Jianzhi's fans, who are still jumping up and down, eager to clear their idol's name immediately.
...
Hengtong Building
Early this morning, Shen Xingsui had arranged to come in with the music team of "Mountains and Rivers" to continue discussing the composition. However, after some incidents, he couldn't sleep all night. Sitting in front of the moonlit French windows, he sat there all night, writing furiously with his pen in hand. Combining the tragic and magnificent story of "Mountains and Rivers," he finally finalized a version of the music.
When the music production team saw him, everyone's expression turned somewhat strange.
Shen Xingsui put down the sheet music he had written and said, "That's about it. Do you have any questions? We can revise it."
The producer said with some hesitation, "Sui Sui, your composition is very good and meets our requirements. Thank you for your hard work. Even after such an incident, you still managed to write the score. However, our director and main creators are very concerned about our reputation and influence because our movie hasn't been released yet. Although you are very talented, if the public opinion is negative, we dare not use your composition."
That's just how real it is.
Many people who were enthusiastically welcoming you yesterday may completely change their attitude the next day.
Shen Xingsui hesitated and asked, "So, you're not planning to use my song?"
"...I'm sorry." The producer also felt guilty. He didn't want to see the young man with dreams disappointed, but he had to say, "It's not entirely impossible. How about this, you leave the sheet music with me, and if there's any hope later, we'll definitely contact you again?"
Although the words were phrased euphemistically, Shen Xingsui had already roughly understood and grasped many things in the producer's eyes. His heart gradually grew cold, but he seemed to have become numb. He didn't feel much pain or discomfort. Surprisingly, he calmly accepted the result.
"Thank you for your kindness." Shen Xingsui bowed. "I won't trouble you any further. I wish you success in your work."
The producer wanted to say something more, but he turned and left, even gently closing the door behind him. He didn't complain or offer any further explanation, as if they had just had a casual chat and then said goodbye.
The person behind said, "Actually, I think the director will definitely be satisfied with the version he wrote. He is a very talented creator. I don't think we can find such a satisfactory song if we look for other music teams later."
The producer also hesitated.
Actually, he didn't want to, but Jian Zhi's team contacted him and said that if he refused Shen Xingsui, his younger brother An Ran could also compose original music, and Jian Zhi himself was willing to sing the theme song for them, and it would be free of charge with time and promotion. Such an attractive offer was hard for him to refuse. Compared to Shen Xingsui, who was far less famous, the more famous Jian Zhi was of course a better choice.
but……
For some reason, seeing the closed door stirred up feelings of regret in him, as if he had missed something very important.
…
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man who had been sleeping in another music room wearing a hat suddenly woke up. He glanced at the production team, a sarcastic smile in his eyes. Recalling the young man's music from earlier, he felt a bit amused and curious. Shen Xingsui... well, we could try collaborating.
…
Feng Hua Entertainment
After leaving Hengtong Building, Shen Xingsui returned to his agency. Wang Meican was waiting for him in the office. The entire public relations team was working hard. It had been a long time since the place had been so lively. Staff members were coming and going, and the phone kept ringing. It was bustling with activity.
Shen Xingsui was stunned: "All of this is here?"
Wang Meican smiled and said, "They're all doing public relations for you. Jian Zhi is buying articles to suppress negative comments, so we're releasing his articles, contacting marketing accounts to create momentum for him, and contacting public relations companies to help you suppress comments and control public opinion. They're all busy."
Shen Xingsui was completely stunned. He hesitated and asked, "Everyone is... doing this for me?"
"Otherwise what? We're here to serve you, aren't we?" Wang Meican shrugged. Instead of the fury Shen Xingsui had expected, she smiled and said, "Oh my, it's been so long since we've been this busy. Everyone's full of energy. We're getting paid every day but have nothing to do. Finally, we have a big job. We're even more excited than you are."
Fu Jinxiao's public relations team is a top-notch team in the industry.
They are experts in controlling public opinion and trends, in public relations strategies, and in how to cultivate a persona.
In recent years, Fu Jingdi's status and position have risen, and few media outlets dare to cause trouble. Fu Jingdi himself has also become more and more tactful, so his team has naturally become idle. It can be said that he has a lot of talent but nowhere to put it.
"Let them keep busy," Wang Meican said with a smile. "They're all very excited."
Shen Xingsui had been worried that his situation would cause trouble for everyone, making them feel inconvenienced and holding them back. He had even prepared a detailed apology before coming, but he hadn't expected this scene. So he felt both relieved and touched: "Thank you..."
Wang Meican waved her hand: "What are you thanking me for? If you want to thank someone, you should thank your brother Fu. This PR team was originally his private team, but he instructed us from the beginning to use the best resources and team for you, and not to be careless at all. He cares about your affairs much more than his own."
Shen Xingsui's heart skipped a beat, and she murmured softly, "Really?"
Wang Meican smiled: "Why would I lie to you? But Sui Sui, that's what I say. But I still want to ask you, do you have more evidence about Jian Zhi plagiarizing you?"
Shen Xingsui was also very worried when she brought up this matter.
He never doubted his brother, so he had no sense of caution. When he left the Jian family, he never thought he would return to the entertainment industry, so he left with nothing, leaving behind all the manuscripts.
“I’ve always thought of myself as very ordinary, very mediocre,” Shen Xingsui said softly. “Those manuscripts are music to me, but they may be worthless to others.”
Shen Xingsui: "When I left the Jian family at that time, I didn't know what my future would hold, and I didn't dare to hope that I could pursue any ideals or music, so I didn't take anything with me."
He learned that he was just cannon fodder in this matter. Having just been reborn, he only wanted to live well, so why would he think so much? It was because of this oversight that the current situation has arisen.
Wang Meican sighed and said, "So you can't find any evidence now, is that it? Is there only one copy of that manuscript? You've never shown it to anyone else, and you haven't made a copy?"
Shen Xingsui didn't have many friends, so he definitely hadn't shown it to anyone. He was about to nod when he suddenly hesitated and stopped.
Wang was looking at him closely, so he immediately noticed this subtle change in him and said, "What's wrong? Did you remember something?"
Shen Xingsui's eyes flickered uneasily, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
He did remember... that those manuscripts were indeed unique, and he hadn't shown them to any friends, but of course, he definitely sent them to one person—Fu Jinxiao.
At that time, he was just a small fan, but he was not recognized. His friends took advantage of him, and his family did not approve of him. Fu Jinxiao was his faith and light. He stayed by himself every day, and the songs he wrote were for Fu Jinxiao. So he once mustered up the courage to secretly send sheet music to Fu Jinxiao's Weibo using a secondary account.
It's been several years, I don't even know if the chat history is still there, and he hasn't logged into that alternate account in a long time either.
However, he felt that Fu Jinxiao probably wouldn't see it, because he had too many fans and received a lot of private messages every day, so his message would definitely be buried among them.
Wang Meican tentatively asked, "Sui Sui? What are you thinking about?"
Shen Xingsui snapped out of his daze, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "I have a way that might find evidence. I had a secondary account that might have some evidence. Would you let me try?"
Wang Meican naturally agreed. She nodded and said, "Okay, as long as there's a way, that's fine. Give it a try, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. If it doesn't work, that's okay."
Shen Xingsui nodded.
Later, so many things happened that he could no longer spend as much time on his alternate account to follow his idol as before. An Ran's appearance disrupted his entire life, and the account was slowly frozen and forgotten.
However, even after a long time, he still remembered the password. When the account successfully logged in, a complex mix of emotions welled up in Shen Xingsui's heart. Then, he finally saw that familiar ID again: Fu Jinxiao's First Wife.
...
Shen Xingsui stared at the ID and laughed out loud.
When he first became a fan, everyone in the supertopic called him Fu Jinxiao's wife. He registered many nicknames, but they were all taken. Later, in order to attract his idol's attention, he registered this ID. He was too lazy to change it, so he kept using it. Moreover, because he was a veteran fan and had organized many support and voting activities, he actually became quite famous.
So after it went live, I received a lot of private messages.
"Madam, you're actually online!"
"Ahhh, you're finally back."
"Waaaaah, I thought you'd stopped being a fan."
"We're all waiting for you to come back!"
Are you alright?
These are all fans of Brother Fu, and good friends from a previous super topic and group chat.
Shen Xingsui felt warm inside when she saw everyone's heartwarming messages. Just as she was about to reply, she heard Wang Meican on the other end say, "Which account do you have? We need to know the artists' private accounts in case something happens."
Shen Xingsui's hand trembled, and she panicked: "Ah? Ah? You need to know about my alternate account too?"
Wang Meican was startled by his reaction and didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Yeah, isn't this for your own good? But don't worry, we'll just keep an eye on you, but we won't interfere with your freedom. You can post or do whatever you want with your alternate account. Just tell me the nickname of your alternate account and I'll search for it."
"..."
Shen Xingsui fell silent.
This was the first time Wang Meican had seen this well-behaved boy not respond to her immediately, so she asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient to reveal your name?"
Shen Xingsui's face slowly flushed crimson. He was extremely embarrassed and didn't want to reveal his identity as the leader of the fan club, so he could only hold back and say, "My name and ID might be a little... indecent."
"How indecent can it be?" Wang Mei chuckled. "It can't be antisocial, can it?"
Shen Xingsui shook his head upon hearing this: "That's not possible."
Wang Meican had no idea of his current predicament. She waved her hand and said, "That's settled then. Don't worry, your sister Wang has seen all kinds of storms. No matter what name you come up with today, I won't panic. Alright, alright, just tell me."
Shen Xingsui: "..."
Sister Wang, that's not necessarily true.
Author's Note: Sister Wang: This has shocked my whole family.
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