It will arrive in just a few days.
"If the world ends, I would rather die by your hand."
Holding onto your lingering warmth, it turns to sand, slipping away completely from my fingertips.
Falling star (meteorite), falling star (starfall)
Ashes cannot nourish a single flower.
Nothing else, nothing at all…
The final version of "Sacrifice at Dawn" was played in its entirety at the TANG Audio-Visual Hall. In the vast space, the only audience members were Tang Fan and Jonathan.
Even after the echoes of the coda had stopped, Tang Fan still held the crystal glass without moving.
Since his debut at the age of 16, Jonah has always performed here before the release of every single one of his works; this is an unbreakable agreement between him and Tang Fan.
The giant screen went out, taking away most of the light in the hall. Tang Fan's profile appeared lonely and melancholy in the dim light. The flames from the simulated fireplace shone into the clear tequila in his glass, and only the ripples that danced with the red flames revealed the excitement of the person holding the glass.
Jonathan watched quietly. Tang Fan's reaction at this moment told him that he had not failed the trust placed in him, and that he was valuable.
His creative inspiration comes from the experiences and feelings brought about by high threshold stimulation. Each work can accurately represent him at different times and in different states, which is also the reason why Tang Fan indulges all his absurdity and unruliness.
After a long silence, Zhuang Ya's middle-aged voice came from the side of the sofa: "The final version is different from the demo. What was adjusted?"
It's about feelings.
The question that Jonathan had been pondering for a long time—what was missing from "Night of Dawn" that made it not good enough—finally came to him in the past week.
It's not the instruments, the lyrics, the melody, or even the vocal quality; these are merely external factors that serve as the medium of presentation. What's truly lacking is the genuine inner expression of his feelings.
The theme of "Sacrifice at Dawn" is love. He wanted to create a work around this emotion, and first and foremost, he had to have experienced it personally.
He drew inspiration from Jiang Songhe, and although he wasn't sure if it was love, the feelings it evoked resonated with the theme he wanted to express like never before.
In Room A on the top floor of the Tang Dynasty Hotel, a state-of-the-art music studio was set up as he requested. He spent almost all his time there this week, except for eating and sleeping, recording line by line using the live feed of his inspiration in the studio.
Last night, after re-recording the entire song, Jonathan left the studio in a state of ecstasy, but as usual, he didn't see that figure who had walked right into his trap on the living room sofa.
He thought that the unspoken close interaction between the two this week was enough to pave the way for the next step of the trap game. On impulse, he used the same trick again, only this time he moved the environment from the old place to the next door.
Even after they ended up in bed, they remained at a standstill, just like every night before, and even had an argument, ultimately parting on bad terms.
Jonah thought that Jiang Songhe was cuter when he didn't have a mouth; at least that version of him would obediently let her take advantage of him and forcefully kiss him.
The sudden conclusion made Jonathan chuckle. Tang Fan turned around at the sound, placed the crystal glass on his lap and slowly swirled it, asking in an interjection, "Hmm?"
“Actually…” Jonathan replied, “a drum set was added. The solo was performed by a contestant from Star Show, named Kang Song-yoon.”
Not long ago, Jonah was not very interested when he was called to Tang Fan's office to find potential new talents for TANG. Now, he has taken the initiative to invite the contestants to participate in an unannounced and significant transformation project.
Tang Fan's expression was somewhat meaningful. He took a sip of his drink and asked, "Oh, a player? Potential for development, is he worth signing?"
"He has high comprehension, progresses quickly, is willing to work hard, and his performance in the preliminary round was also amazing. Of course, the company can sign such a promising player and cultivate him as a rising star. However, he has already signed with a company in China, so it depends on whether they are willing to let him go."
Jonathan didn't realize that when he mentioned the company behind Kang Song-yoon, an unconscious smirk appeared on his face again.
“Speaking of this contestant’s company,” Tang Fan said, setting his drink on the side table. He then took out several photos from his drawer and handed them to Jonathan, his hand adorned with the Tang family totem ring. “Why was the owner of this little-known company in Porcelain Country with you back then?”
It was a paparazzi's candid photo.
In the photo, an enraged Jiang Songhe stands in front, while a dazed and confused Jonathan Xi is behind, the two trapped in an elevator between two floors of the Tang Dynasty Hotel. The zoom lens and flash make their faces appear pale and distorted, giving the whole picture a sense of looking down on a freak show from behind a cage.
Jonah carefully examined each of the candid photos, while Jiang Songhe sternly tried to stop her from taking pictures, but to no avail. The process of taking off her clothes to maintain her perfect idol image was vividly portrayed.
He felt a mix of emotions: the bitterness of seeing intertwined fingers being pulled apart, the stifling feeling of seeing a dignified person disregarding their image, and the sweetness of seeing all these actions done for his own benefit... Yet he himself was using the people in the photos as prey to extract inspiration.
And last night, he personally said those frivolous words that were tantamount to revealing his motives to this person.
A strong sense of loss and crisis welled up in his heart. Jonathan lowered his head and neck, clasped his hands together and quickly gathered the photos into a stack, covering the secretly taken pictures completely with his palms.
"You've been injured far too many times since this person appeared."
In the dim light at the other end of the sofa, the third son of the Tang family, the tycoon of the Maner underground forces, spoke in a cold and authoritative voice, the contents of which sent a chill down Jonathan's spine.
It turns out Tang Fan knew everything.
The covered photo was suddenly flipped and bent by the folded hands. Jonathan looked in the direction of the sound, but did not meet Tang Fan's gaze. Instead, he stared intently at the totem ring that was shining brightly in the red flames.
He wanted to use the innocent fool as an excuse to vent his frustrations, just as he always had.
This time, however, he couldn't say anything. Since Tang Fan knew everything, he naturally knew that every time he got injured, it happened after that idiot was sent away, and that he had more or less brought it upon himself.
Jonathan didn't understand why he was so obsessed with being hurt by Jiang Songhe, and even went so far as to provoke and provoke her repeatedly.
Perhaps it's because only Jiang Songhe would genuinely resist his own approach. What he's fascinated by is the harm that comes with it, the self-inflicted pain that leaves a mark on his body and mind. This self-inflicted pain dissolves the escalating emptiness and sense of loss, giving rise to a tangible reality.
He needs Jiang Songhe.
“It’s not Vasin. He’s been loyal to you to the point that I’m starting to doubt whether the decision to transfer him to you was the right one. Since he’s useless and you don’t like him, it’s better to send him back to Siam. You still need someone more capable to look after you…”
We can't just say we need it outright.
“Wasinna, you idiot,” Jonathan chuckled, “you get used to him after a while.”
He then casually tossed the stack of photos onto the sofa: "Except for the time I was attacked on the rooftop, which was an accident, the previous times I was hurt by this person in the photos were actually my own fault, or more accurately, it was a kind of playful fun."
“Wasin told me this morning that the company received a cooperation offer from Yunhe Entertainment. They want to sign the film and television rights and performance rights for ‘The Night of Sacrifice and Dawn’ and are waiting for my reply.” Jonathan picked up the remote control and turned the giant screen back on. “My reply is, I’m willing.”
Tang Fan seemed not to have expected Jonathan to be so direct. His micro-expressions, illuminated by the twilight, were suddenly magnified. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but lowered his eyelashes.
"I don't think you need to enter the Chinese film and television industry right now. Besides, 'The Night of Dawn' hasn't been released yet. Signing a contract with a foreign company before the G Grammy Awards is beyond Tang's reach, and there is a high risk of leaks."
Tang Fan had shown Jonathan a great deal of kindness, and Jonathan could not help but give back to him for his hard work. Whether it was Janus or Tang, they all considered their own interests.
Jiang Songhe is a very principled person, and since the cooperation involves Jiang Songyun's future, he would probably not allow even the slightest accident to happen in this regard.
So Jonathan assured him, "Based on my observation of prey, he won't."
Even though she was more inclined to take advantage of him, she couldn't say it out loud in front of Tang Fan: "You already know that the boss of Yunhe Entertainment is Jiang Songyun's brother. He asked me to endorse his brother, and I played games with him for inspiration. Our relationship is based on mutual exploitation."
Although he didn't mean it, Jonathan's heart was gripped with a dull, throbbing pain as he spoke more and more.
“I admit, he’s a bit special, but only because he’s easier to use. Once we get the results for ‘Night of Dawn,’ I’ll probably get bored with it quickly, just like before, and lose interest in it. So what you’re worried about won’t last long.”
"As for these photos, there's no need to worry about them either." Jonathan swallowed and continued, "The entertainment industry in China is very conservative. Homosexuality is taboo. Even if he's considering his brother's future, he won't say much. As for the paparazzi, there's no need to pay them any hush money. Let them spill the beans. The company can use the opportunity of the collaboration to respond, which will also be a good way to promote 'Dawn of Sacrifice'."
Tang Fan rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. He picked up the crystal glass from his side, took another sip, and put the glass down after a moment: "Since you've thought of everything so thoroughly, then so be it."
"However, just to be on the safe side, you can no longer interfere with the specific terms of the contract."
-
In the evening, Jonathan returned to the hotel from TANG, feeling as if he was wearing a fake smile again. This half day was even more tiring and exhausting than the day and a half of the preliminary rounds of the Star Show.
The joy of finding the crux of the problem in "Night of Dawn" was about to be completely worn away, and at this moment, he desperately needed some reward to recharge himself.
He had an urge to immediately kick open the door to room B, force himself into a state of mental paralysis, and trick the person inside into forgetting past grievances and showering him with kisses, hugs, and affection.
But not immediately.
The person in the room had received a work call last night and boarded a plane back to China overnight.
The sudden separation caused Jonah to feel a strange and intense anxiety.
He wandered around room A for a while, feeling lost, before going to the entrance hall. He unpacked the unopened licorice candy he had brought from the Nest Winza apartment, poured all the candy into his personal candy jar, filled it to the brim, and then carried the jar to the music studio.
"I left in such a hurry, I didn't even have a chance to tell him right away."
Jonah unconsciously wanted to replay the final version of "The Night of Dawn," but then withdrew his fingertip from clicking, rubbed it, and then moved to the email icon, tapping it twice to start.
Too many things have happened lately that have caused him great emotional ups and downs, and he simply doesn't have the energy or the mood to deal with emails.
Not long ago, Jonathan asked Wu Fangsi to investigate Jiang Songhe. Wu Fangsi, who was preparing for Jingting's show, promised to send him some of the information he found.
He was so anxious at the time that he argued with Wu Fangsi, and to this day, he hasn't even read a single letter.
Three unread emails were neatly pinned to the top of the inbox in my private email account.
Jonah carefully examined each item and learned that:
Jiang Songhe has no romantic history, so her sexual orientation is unclear.
Tao Nian is a real person, but she is not a fiancée. Currently, the only clue is that she is the only daughter of the investor in "Yan Ge Xing".
Her parents died in a car accident on February 7, 2008, the same day as her brother Jiang Songyun's birthday.
"It'll be there in just a few days."
Jonah suddenly recalled Jiang Songhe's recent abnormal behavior that was on the verge of collapse, and his heart clenched tightly.
Ignoring the time difference between Man'er and Jingting, he called Wu Fangsi and began with a simple and blunt remark.
“Fang Si, I remember your brother-in-law is a platform producer at Qixun.”
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