Once home, Ji Yan didn't waste a minute and immediately turned on the album to listen to it.
This album, "Grey Keys," is indeed a very early album. He later searched for it online and found that many "blue" fans were willing to pay high prices for it. Unfortunately, very few copies of the album were released, and there was no audio source available online. Therefore, the copy Ning Wei gave him is a true collector's item.
The songs on this album are indeed not as mature as those on albums after "Blue", but Ning Wei's talent can already be glimpsed through this album. His early singing style did not have this flavor, but Ji Yan felt that his slightly immature voice gave him a cute feeling.
He put "Grey Keys" into his album shelf. He likes every album by "Blue" and thinks they are all worth collecting.
But Ji Yan was unaware that while he was listening to music, he had already become a trending topic on Weibo.
Since Snow Mountain TV announced the lineup for its New Year's Eve concert, the collaboration between Ji Yan and Ning Wei has been the biggest news in the entertainment industry in recent days. After all, Ning Wei has hardly participated in any commercial performances since his debut. This is his first time on stage in many years. Instead of collaborating with established superstars, he chose Ji Yan, who came from an idol group.
Many netizens felt that this collaboration was somewhat beneath their class.
"Ji Yan is quite capable, but is he really good enough to cooperate with Ning Wei?"
"Having a good background is truly enviable. He gets nominated for the Changkong Award just like that, and he can collaborate with singers of Ning Wei's caliber just like that. Don't tell me that Ji Yan really got these opportunities based on his talent!"
"+1, I felt like my vision went black when I saw that Ji Yan was going to cooperate with Ning Wei."
Netizens have been paying close attention to the New Year's Eve concerts of various TV stations, including what songs the stars will sing and how the rehearsals are going. Not only do fans wait outside the TV stations, but TV station staff also leak information in order to boost ratings on the day of the concert.
On the day Ji Yan and Ning Wei were rehearsing, someone who appeared to be a staff member of Snow Mountain TV secretly revealed that there seemed to be a problem with Ji Yan and Ning Wei's collaboration.
"The only thing I'm sure of is that other singers usually have 1 to 2 hours of rehearsal time, but Ning Wei and Ji Yan only had 10 minutes. Afterwards, the two went to the dressing room and didn't communicate much throughout the time."
As soon as this news was revealed, online doubts about Ning Wei and Ji Yan's collaboration grew louder.
"...What should I do if I suddenly feel a little worried?"
"Ning Wei has always admired Ji Yan, hasn't she? The short rehearsal time doesn't prove anything, does it?"
"Personally, I think that although Ji Yan is quite capable among the younger generation, he will definitely be suppressed when he cooperates with Ning Wei."
"I told you long ago that Ji Yan isn't the kind of good person his fans make him out to be. If he were really a good person, would he treat Ji Ruan like that?" — The last voice clearly came from Ji Ruan's fans. Although Ji Ruan had disappeared from the entertainment industry and most of his fans had left, they couldn't shake their dislike for Ji Yan anytime soon.
Of course, some fans also believe that Ning Wei and Ji Yan might have great chemistry, and the length of the rehearsal time doesn't prove anything.
However, the gap in status between Ning Wei and Ji Yan is still too large. The strength and popularity that "Blue" has accumulated with each album is something that "Wings" can hardly surpass now. In the eyes of many "Blue" fans, Ji Yan is not yet qualified to share the stage with Ning Wei.
However, the fans' complaints didn't last long, because—
Just minutes later, the two sets of photos appeared on the trending topics page.
The background of the first group is clearly inside the Snow Mountain TV building, and it was probably taken by staff. Ji Yan and Ning Wei are seriously signing albums.
Ning Wei showed no airs of a senior. He accepted every album signed by Ji Yan and then arranged them one by one. Although the album covers were not very clear, any netizen with a slight interest in music could tell that it was "Yi's" "At 23".
Ning Wei was equally serious as she signed Ji Yan's album, writing with force, just like Ning Wei usually does.
The focus of netizens' attention is—
"Is Ji Yan really here for autographs? Or is he here to buy them in bulk?"
"How could there be such shameless people and such shameless acts in this world? This is outrageous! I didn't even get a single autographed copy of 'The Silent Clock'!!!"
"@Ji Yan, without further ado, I'll offer 200."
"I'll offer 300!"
"My student, give it to me!"
"@Ji Yan, I'll contribute 500, and the rest is my contribution to the banquet. Who said Ji Yan and Ning Wei have a bad relationship? This is a bad relationship!"
"Am I the only one who thinks they look like little kids squatting on the ground signing autographs? It's obviously the fault of Snow Mountain TV; they didn't even provide a chair."
The second set of photos sparked intense envy, jealousy, and resentment among fans.
Because! Ning Wei actually took Ji Yan home!
In the photos taken by paparazzi, Ji Yan was holding an album with a rather unfamiliar cover. Although the photo itself wasn't very clear, fans with magnifying glasses were still able to confirm the album's title.
"Holy crap! Grey Keys!!"
What is that?
Fans who followed "blue" earlier began explaining the album "Grey Keys" in the comments section, and during the explanation, expressions of envy continued to pour in.
"I'm so envious of Ji Yan. I've been trying to sell that album on Xianyu for a year, even paying 200 times the original price, but no one is willing to release it."
"Is this a bad relationship? I'm even starting to wonder, Da Ning, just how much do you like Ji Yan?"
"I want 'Grey Keys' too! Please give me a chance!"
For fans of "blue", these two sets of pictures today, as well as the collaboration between Ning Wei and Ji Yan, felt novel, as if... a side of Ning Wei that had not been shown before was slowly being revealed.
Fans also hope that Ning Wei can be more lively and happier, but after following "Blue" for so many years, they have gotten used to Ning Wei's personality.
They thought Ning Wei would continue like this.
But now, Ning Wei has shown something like friendship to other celebrities in the entertainment industry, which has surprised fans and they also hope that Ning Wei can be happier.
Although many people believe that Ji Yan's status and strength are not enough to be compared with Ning Wei's, some fans think that Ning Wei is already successful enough. He can choose to be friends with anyone and doesn't need to consider status, popularity, or strength. As long as Ning Wei is happy, that's all that matters.
...
On the evening of December 31, the Snow Mountain TV New Year's Eve Concert was officially held.
The organizers did not set up a red carpet event, which greatly relieved the "Wings" group. Walking the red carpet in sub-zero temperatures was torture. No matter how calm they were on the red carpet, they immediately turned into quails as soon as they entered the room.
"Wings" performed at the beginning of the show, and before the performance started, the group practiced again in the rehearsal room.
Although it wasn't their first time participating in a New Year's Eve concert, Ji Yan and his friends still hoped to perform as well as possible. They had heard that lip-syncing was common at New Year's Eve concerts and had even witnessed it firsthand. Although the scene they witnessed didn't happen at the Snow Mountain TV New Year's Eve concert, they were passionate about the stage and respected every opportunity to perform. They couldn't understand lip-syncing, and if they couldn't deliver an outstanding performance on stage, they would rather not go on stage at all.
When Ji Yan's singing and dancing were so bad that everyone was mocking him, some people suggested that "Yi" lip-sync, but Xie Mingxuan, Lu Wei and Fang Yu did not agree, including Ji Yan, who was the most ruthless in his performance.
On stage, the New Year's Eve concert hosts were welcoming the audience with the most enthusiastic voices. Meanwhile, "Wings" were completing their final preparations backstage. The makeup artist was applying heavier makeup than usual because the lighting was very bright.
"Alright." Ye Ying patted each of the four people on the shoulder with both hands. "Do your best and don't be nervous."
"Go for it!" Xie Mingxuan extended his fist first, and Lu Wei, Fang Yu and Ji Yan bumped fists with him in turn. The fists hurt a little when they bumped, but they felt an uncontrollable excitement in their chests.
At the front of the stage, the host's loud voice proclaimed: "Let's look forward to—'Wings'!"
The heatwave from the audience's shouts swept over them at that moment.
Ji Yan clenched his fist.
It's been a long time since we've seen his stage.
Just as he was slightly stunned, Xie Mingxuan and the others patted him on the back from behind and pushed him forward with their arms: "Keep it up!"
"The Wings Group has arrived!"
"The Wings in My Heart!"
"I'm really looking forward to 'Falling in Love with You' and 'Future'!"
The accompaniment music started at that moment.
The stage lights suddenly blazed on, and the lift slowly descended from the air onto the stage. The lights instantly focused on the young people who appeared in the center of the stage.
Black hair, white uniform, with dark blue patterns embroidered on the chest of the uniform; upon closer inspection, they appear to be the shape of wings.
"So handsome!!!"
"Aa ...
In that instant, the entire performance venue erupted in a burst of the most enthusiastic screams, which could be clearly heard even by viewers watching the live stream; the screams seemed to boil over and explode around the stage.
Because! "Wings" has never shown such a formal and cool stage performance before!
In the fans' impression, the stage costumes of "Wings" were mostly not carefully prepared. Although the four members' faces are definitely among the best in the idol industry, perhaps for this reason, they rarely spend too much time on grooming themselves.
Fans couldn't help but complain that this might be a case of being able to do whatever you want just because you're good-looking. However, although the styling wasn't very refined, "Wings'" stage performance perfectly made up for this shortcoming.
Today, the members' outfits gave fans a real sense that "they are a group." In addition, their prince-like appearance made the four of them look even more gentle. The uniforms were a bit tight, which fully showcased the members' height advantage. The white color softened their sharp temperament, and the wing pattern on the uniforms made each of them even more handsome than the fans expected!
"Falling in love with you in the season of 17."
"The summer sun is so intense it can't be contained."
"Under the desk, I gently hold your hand."
"In this moment, neither of us thought of parting."
The song "Falling in Love with You" is lively, and the members' voices are youthful and cheerful. Even Xie Mingxuan, who usually has the lowest voice, is trying his best to sing higher.
"Old Xie has been suppressing himself, he can't lower his profile ...."
"Xie Mingxuan trying so hard to make a gentle expression is so funny, hahaha."
"It sounds great!"
During solo performances, each member of "Wings" showcased their vocal strengths. Lu Wei's smooth vocals, Fang Yu's high notes, and Ji Yan's emotional expression in the song were all clearly conveyed to the fans. During the chorus, the four voices blended perfectly, as if the song was truly sung to their 17-year-old selves, and also to every fan's 17-year-old self.
While "Wings" may not be the singers with the strongest live vocals, their performances were incredibly immersive, drawing the audience into the music.
After the first chorus was finished, something quite shocking happened to the audience—
Starting with Xie Mingxuan, "Wings" are actually dancing!
Because "Falling in Love with You" is a sweet song, with a sweet and cheerful atmosphere, the overall style of the dance is also very sweet.
Even the audience can tell that the members are very shy right now!
Xie Mingxuan, who is usually aloof, blushed slightly, especially when he put the back of his hand to his chin. His cheeks were burning in the camera!
"And flowers! Hahaha, Fang Yu actually pulled out roses!"
"Sweet, sweet, sweet!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
