Tujia sparrows in golden cages
During his first year at TANG, Jonah did not see Tang Fan often.
Tang Fan settled him in Room A on the top floor of the Tang Dynasty Hotel, leaving him with an almost impossible task before abandoning him.
If Jonathan wants to stay and restart his life, he must pass the entrance exam for the vocal department of the Royal Academy of Music in a year. If accepted, he will sign a ten-year contract with TANG and debut as a singer in Mann; if he fails, he can simply leave…
stupid.
The luxurious accommodations, the fantastical mission, and the shrouded future left Jonathan bewildered.
He dared not touch anything in the room. He awkwardly took off his cheap shoes and went barefoot into the living room, trying to occupy a small space, and sat down on the sofa.
I tried to understand the mission by listening to Tang Fan's few words after we met, but I had no clue whatsoever.
From the unfamiliar country of A to the unfamiliar city of Man, Jonathan was afraid of being abandoned, so he dared not say or do anything. He could only follow Tang Fan closely, carefully observing his words and expressions.
However, Tang Fan spoke very little. Now he was like a canary, no, he didn't even deserve to call himself a canary. He was more like a sparrow that had mistakenly entered a gilded cage and was sent here. He still couldn't get any information from Tang Fan about what arrangements were made for him.
His wild thoughts had no direction; his mind was filled with nothing but a terrifying fear of the unknown. Jonathan could only wait, wait for someone to push open the door again and tell him what to do next and what efforts to make.
During the long wait, the anxiety and the slumped posture made Jonathan feel nauseous and his body tense and sore. In addition, he had not yet adjusted to the time difference, and he was soon overcome by fatigue. His eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep without realizing it.
After an unknown amount of time, Jonathan, who was curled up on the carpet in front of the sofa, was woken up by someone holding a plate. The person claimed to be his personal butler who had taken care of his daily life during his studies in the Tang Dynasty.
Because the man spoke of porcelain script and had a kind demeanor, Jonathan dared to ask what "learning" meant.
The butler placed the plate on the coffee table, gesturing for Jonathan to come over and eat while listening, before succinctly answering Jonathan's questions.
For the next year, a dedicated person will come to teach Jonathan around the clock. The courses will mainly consist of academic and music lessons, and the teaching location will be in Room B next door, with one subject being the focus each day.
In academic classes, students will learn English and Chinese to prepare for the MCT (Manchester College English Test) and international English proficiency tests; in music classes, they will learn vocal music and one musical instrument to prepare for the Royal Academy of Music exams.
As Jonathan listened, his mouth opened uncontrollably.
The butler probably understood that he was hesitant to speak, so he kindly reassured him, telling him not to worry about Jonathan's nationality and school registration issues, as they would be properly resolved before the MCT started, and that he only needed to focus on his studies in the days to come.
No matter how plentiful the food on the plate was, it became difficult to swallow. Jonathan held the knife and fork, weakly cutting and poking at the same spot on a steak. Thinking about his preschool-level education, he felt like throwing up again.
The butler then produced a pair of chopsticks from somewhere and handed them to him, saying that he could use these temporarily if he wasn't used to them, but he should get used to them as soon as possible.
Out of politeness, Jonathan accepted the chopsticks with both hands, but did not use them. Instead, he neatly placed the chopsticks in an empty space far away from the plate, gripped the knife and fork again, and as elegantly as possible cut off a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. After chewing slowly, he raised his head and gave a bright smile.
With no way out, the Tujia sparrow has no choice but to do its utmost to turn the impossible into the possible.
Apart from the literature course, every other course was taught entirely in English. Jonathan's built-in vocabulary only contained simple everyday phrases and some rather crude words. The cultural courses were already enough to give him a headache, not to mention the music courses, which he knew absolutely nothing about.
Fortunately, Jonathan has excellent language skills and imitation abilities. After accepting and adapting to his current life and goals, he gradually relaxed and revealed the cleverness he had when he was a child. He seized every opportunity to pester his teachers for advice, and except for sleeping time, his mouth wanted to keep talking every minute and every second.
The MCT format remains the same every year: open-book with only written and oral exams. The written exam is further divided into two parts: English (writing) and a subject to be chosen. Students can choose Chinese. The oral exam involves a self-selected speech topic, followed by answering questions from the examiners.
Therefore, in the third month after Jonathan moved into the top floor of Tang Dynasty, academic classes began to fade out of the daily schedule, with only one day a week dedicated to international English exam preparation classes. For the remaining nine months, the focus shifted significantly to music classes.
During the application process for the ABRSM vocal program, applicants need to prepare 4-5 songs in different languages and genres. The repertoire is generally limited to four compulsory languages: Italian, German, French, and English.
Whether it was homesickness or the unparalleled sense of security that comes with one's mother tongue, Jonathan insisted on joining Ciwen's singing team and prepared five songs.
The image of the plane that brought Jonathan to Manel lingered in his mind, and influenced by it, Ciwen chose the classic song "Jasmine Flower" that he remembered vividly, and sang it on the piano.
The English song was naturally "Amazing Grace," while the other three songs were arranged by the vocal coach due to language barriers.
Nine months is not only required to hone the voice and technique for singing five songs, but also to master the relevant skills necessary for sight-singing and aural tests in the audition process, and to learn to play the piano. As a result, the time is very tight.
In the fifth month, during one of Jonathan's piano lessons, one second his hands and mouth were still stumbling together, and the next second he suddenly lost his voice. He heard himself making a hoarse whimper, like a broken machine, and his blood rushed back to his head, causing him to faint from the piano bench.
Tang Fan, who had not been seen for a long time, appeared on that day. Even after many years, Jonah still remembered that look in his eyes: sharp, disappointed, and with an air of knowing "as expected."
Jonathan tried to beg, but only managed to utter a horribly unpleasant noise. He quickly shut his mouth, burying his head and silently tormented by the surging emotions of hope and despair.
In the end, the teacher pleaded for Jonathan, saying that he started learning late, and his progress in five months was already a miracle. The temporary loss of voice was most likely due to excessive pressure; perhaps he should take a break during his MCT exam preparation to see if he could recover. The piano is a highly difficult instrument requiring years of practice; it's recommended to switch to the easier-to-learn guitar, which would also allow him to sing and play.
Tang Fan remained noncommittal after hearing this, but didn't give Jonathan any more glances, leaving behind the words "I only care about the final result" before leaving again.
Jonathan and the other teachers went out of the room together, and for the first time, they cried out loud. They knew it sounded bad, but their crying became more and more out of control.
The teacher who returned to room A brought a spruce guitar from next door. Seeing Jonathan crying uncontrollably, he did not try to stop her, but instead sat down on the floor and casually strummed a melody, which was "Jasmine Flower".
Jonathan gradually stopped crying. To hear more clearly, he pursed his lips to stifle his sobs and sat down next to his teacher. The teacher stopped playing, turned the guitar over and placed it in Jonathan's lap, tapping the body of the guitar near his heart.
There were three words engraved there in porcelain script: Jonathan.
The teacher said that this violin was a gift for Jonathan, as a reward for his first five months and as a sign of her expectations for him in the next seven months. Then, she adjusted his posture and gestures face-to-face and guided him to pluck the strings remotely.
As the notes of "Jasmine Flower" clumsily leaped from his fingertips one by one, Jonathan smiled, and naturally said, "Thank you, John. I'll cherish it forever."
Seven months later, at the end of January of the following year, Jonathan followed John to England.
Before entering the interview room, Jonathan handed her new passport with her new name on it to John for safekeeping. Then, carrying a guitar engraved with her native name, she went all out to get a ticket to restart her life.
On March 5, 2016, during the auspicious season of Jingzhe (the awakening of insects), Jonah, as a prospective singer, officially signed with TANG.
Looking back, the year of preparation for the exam wasn't so "devilish." Young Jonathan was like a dry sponge, absorbing and growing with great thirst. Everything was new to him, and all the hardships seemed like a cruel sweetness, a good omen of no destruction, no construction.
However, signing the contract did not mean everything was settled. Jonathan spent another year preparing for his official debut, during which he experienced what true "devilish training" was like.
The new name Janus is not just a stage name for aspiring singer; it represents Tang Fan's requirement for Janus to undergo a complete transformation in every aspect.
The purpose of an idol is to provide a continuous stream of positive energy to their fans. Only idols who are infinitely close to perfection can reach a wider audience, thus becoming phenomenal top stars and igniting a dazzling wave of influence.
Tang Fan wants Jonathan to forget his original background and even his name, and from then on, to engrave the rebellious teenager who "grew up in a loving and wealthy family, could have just enjoyed the fruits of others' labor, but insisted on pursuing his dream of music through his own efforts without regret" into his very being.
It exists like the exorbitantly priced luxury goods advertised.
Jonathan accepted it in a daze, accepting not only the cultural and music courses he had encountered in his first year, but also the rigorous training in physical form, dance, performance, and all other aspects that served the image of the perfect idol Janus.
Tang Fan's appearances became more frequent, and his attention to Jonathan grew. His eyes held a different quality—a mixture of greedy observation, a demanding recording, and an obsessive immersion. But whatever it was, what he truly wanted to see wasn't Jonathan, but Janus.
In the midst of this overwhelming giving, Jonah felt increasingly lost and cruel, with the novelty and satisfaction gradually outweighing any sense of wonder or satisfaction.
During a near-brutal flexibility training session in a dance class, 15-year-old Jonathan couldn't bear the excruciating pain and broke down emotionally. Memories of her first encounter with Tang Fan flashed rapidly through her mind like a revolving lantern.
Tang Lan said at the time that Jonathan's singing voice was very similar to that of Tang Fan when he was young.
It looks so much like... so much like...
Janus's perfect persona is strangely the opposite of Tang Fan's in his youth.
On the contrary...opposite...
Jonah's blood froze for a moment amidst the cold sweat, and a strange conjecture surfaced in his mind.
She herself is Tang Fan's dream bridge.
The Bridge of Dreams doesn't need to remember its own name.
Rather, it is a medium, a tool, an illusion.
After training, Jonathan collapsed onto the dance studio floor, exhausted. As usual, his gaze met Tang Fan's, and Jonathan was suddenly overcome with a strong impulse.
He wanted to get up immediately and rush over to question Tang Fan about who he really was and what benefit it was for a singer to suffer like this.
But when Tang Fan actually walked over, the moment he looked up at him, his impulsiveness vanished instantly. The humble and disheveled half-kneeling posture reminded him that he had seized the opportunity himself, and he had chosen the path himself; he could only move forward, not turn back.
So when Tang Fan asked him if he couldn't do it, he forced out that bright smile that had long been ingrained in his muscle memory.
"I will do my best."
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