Chapter 182: Yanzhi has Li, who will never forget...
The only pity is that, according to the schedule of Li Sishi's "Beautiful Bloom" solo concert, the guest performers will only appear at the end, so they will have to wait a long time. These days, newspapers and magazines have been saying that Li Sishi has both good looks and strength, and can sing and dance for more than three hours without needing to rest. Unlike some of the current mediocre shows that use guest performers to fill time, she has more of the style of the golden generation who can sing the whole show by herself.
Without seeing it live in person, some people might think that the praise in newspapers and magazines is exaggerated. I've had many arguments with people who have seen it live: although Li Sishi's appearance at the newcomer concert was really good, it was just one song, not many people saw it, and later the performance was suppressed due to the news of internal strife at Huasheng Company.
Moreover, even if Li Sishi's performance at the time was indeed far beyond the level of a newcomer, variety shows and solo concerts are two very different fields. In the Hong Kong music scene of this era, if you don't want to be a fleeting brilliance, then you must have the appeal and strength to hold a solo concert, and it can't be a fake achievement that is artificially created.
Undoubtedly, Li Sishi is currently enjoying widespread popularity and praise from all sides, which has aroused a rebellious mentality among some people.
Therefore, during Huang Qianyan's performance that night, the proportion of skeptics was undoubtedly the largest: in addition to being curious to see a soulful singer, they also wanted to see Li Sishi's true level and expose her fraud.
Then, during the initial warm-up song and dance, these people were dazzled and overwhelmed by the energetic singing and dancing that seemed to explode the scene. The subsequent song and dance choreography was even more impressive, with a top-notch grasp of rhythm, appropriate speed, and perfect tension. Many of them became fans of Li Sishi, this talented and beautiful newcomer.
Of course, Li Sishi's singing and dancing skills are her own achievement. However, when Li Sishi announced that Ms. Huang Qianyan, the guest performer for the evening, would be appearing, some people who couldn't get tickets for other shows and could only come to this one, and who had already seen Huang Qianyan's singing skills on TV, even had the idea of leaving early while the lights were dim...
"Since you're already here, watch it all before you leave!" Quick-thinking Li Sishi fans stopped the audience members who wanted to leave early.
Hearing this advice, some people who were reluctant to spend the money on tickets wavered: "Well, each performer only sings two songs, and it's only for ten minutes at most. Since we're already here, let's just watch."
If even Li Sishi can't salvage Huang Qianyan's soulful singing, then it's not too late for them to run away—this isn't because they look down on Huang Qianyan, but rather because of the highly anticipated Miss Hong Kong finals broadcast on television back then.
During the broadcast, almost everyone in Hong Kong witnessed how Shang Hanyou and Hou Beihua, even when playing supporting roles together, couldn't lift this soulful singer's spirit...
However, upon further reflection, a new idea emerged: since we've already seen the worst, it can't get any worse, right?
Who knows, Huang Qianyan might be spurred on by her shame and determined to stage a remarkable comeback!
With this in mind, the restless atmosphere at the scene gradually calmed down.
After a while, the venue was lit up with a faint blue light, and through this dim light, a basketball hoop could be vaguely seen slowly rising on the stage.
Immediately following was a light and upbeat intro, and at the same time the lights suddenly added a warm orange hue, making it sound like running in the summer sun. The feeling of being full of energy was hard to describe, but for some reason, my mood brightened up with the light music.
As the two graceful figures rose again on the stage, and the spotlights shone on them, illuminating their outfits, a gasp of amazement rose from the audience.
"Aka, Akamine Haruko!" There were quite a few young people in the audience. Young people of this era were deeply influenced by classic Japanese anime. When they saw Huang Qianyan with her medium-length hair and basketball uniform, accompanied by this somewhat familiar theme song, they immediately remembered which character Huang Qianyan was cosplaying.
Li Sishi, who was also wearing a basketball uniform but with her hair tied in a high ponytail, smiled inwardly when she heard the exclamation: That's right, after she and Wen Huihui cosplayed Sailor Moon together, Huang Qianyan, who is known as the "real-life version of Akamine Haruko," has finally fulfilled a dream of many anime fans in front of others.
When she decided to invite Huang Qianyan to her solo concert, she had already made arrangements with Zhuang Menghua beforehand regarding TBL's upcoming acquisition of the anime "Slam Dunk"—these days, an artist who hasn't covered anime theme songs can't be considered a true rising star. Zhuang Menghua had previously planned to arrange a new version of the "Doraemon" theme song for her, but since Li Sishi had other good options, Zhuang Menghua didn't mind her taking a few more songs.
Most importantly, Li Sishi's teacher is Le Yun, who swept through a group of local singers when he ventured to Japan, so his Japanese proficiency is naturally not bad. In the years that Li Sishi has been following Le Yun around, in addition to learning vocal music, she has also been learning Japanese. In a tight time situation, she can sing the original Japanese theme song without any problem.
Of course, both the theme song and the ending theme song were adapted to the female singer's key, and
The ending theme song was specially reserved by Li Sishi for her duet with Huang Qianyan. She even had a Cantonese version of the lyrics written in advance. The singing style was also decided by Li Sishi after discussing it with professionals many times based on Huang Qianyan's level. Then she taught and practiced with the final version line by line.
As the music played, Huang Qianyan dribbled the ball with practiced ease, while Li Sishi raised the microphone and sang the Japanese version of the theme song. Her energetic and dynamic voice, combined with her crisp and clean movements, made even many people in the audience unable to understand the lyrics. The rhythm of the music, which was not limited by language, along with Huang Qianyan's smooth series of movements and layup, made their hearts dance with enthusiasm.
After the theme song finished, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted. Huang Qianyan wiped the sweat from her brow and, encouraged by the crowd, went to her seat.
She picked up the guitar she usually played and sang on and gently began to play the accompaniment for the next song.
Compared to the original ending theme, it lacks the bass and drum rhythm, but the gentle strumming and singing have a unique, natural simplicity.
Li Sishi switched from Japanese back to Cantonese and sang this adapted ending theme song with Huang Qianyan. Her clear and pure yet powerful voice, with its clean and bright tone tinged with shyness, was like reminiscing about the past on a hot summer afternoon after growing up, carrying the confusion of an unknown journey and the determination to never give up.
The song gradually turned passionate again, and Li Sishi sang the chorus of the ending theme song, extending her hand to Huang Qianyan who turned around: "Let's go to the ends of the earth together, with you, what is there to be afraid of—"
The original Japanese version of this ending theme song is called "To the Ends of the Earth." On the surface, it seems to be a love song reminiscing about the past. However, when paired with the story of a main character in this anime who once suffered setbacks and escaped reality, but eventually returned to the team with the help of friends and coaches, this contrasting technique of using sorrow to express joy amplifies the experience. It makes people remember the years when they pursued their youthful dreams in the familiar melody.
The dreams of our youth may fade away quietly in the face of harsh reality, but the time we've experienced, the sweat and tears we've shed, and the dreams that remain deeply etched in our memories will never disappear with the passing years.
So even if things were calm and uneventful before, when you "recall" that moment of your dream, you will always remember your untamed soul from the past, carrying the dream that you will never forget until the end of the world.
Compared to Li Sishi's skillful performance, Huang Qianyan's hoarse singing, though lacking in technical prowess, still possessed a certain...
A cry from the heart, etched into the soul, brings tears to the eyes of those who once had dreams but were forced to give up due to various reasons.
Just like her, her father was a professional basketball player, and she was an athletic star from a young age. In her teens, she was able to represent Taiwan and Hong Kong in basketball competitions. However, her mother did not want her to follow in her father's footsteps. She did not want her to end up like her father, struggling to make it through the narrow bridge of sports and ending up with injuries at a young age and no guarantee of a future. So her mother insisted that she quit the team so that she could study hard, find a job, and live a stable life.
After pleading repeatedly to no avail, she went to the basketball court to say a final goodbye to her beloved basketball. Unexpectedly, it was during this trip that she was spotted by a local advertiser and filmed a commercial. She then became famous overnight and continued to film commercials and movies. Later, she was noticed by Zhuang Menghua, who was in Hong Kong on business. He spent a lot of money to take her under his wing and brought her to Hong Kong for training.
At that time, she gave up basketball and chose art. She was very successful on the silver screen and was loved by thousands of people. But in the middle of the night, she wondered what she would be like if she had chosen another path.
Perhaps it will lead to the same success and fame, with everyone adoring them; or perhaps it will lead to fading into obscurity and disappearing from the world.
She neither knew nor could describe what her other path in life would look like, yet the passion that accompanied her youth remained unforgettable, like a scar on her heart that, when inadvertently touched at some point, would cause her heart to flutter.
Therefore, she decided to accept Li Sishi's arrangement and "meet" her past self on this stage that everyone was watching—even if her singing was not as perfect as a professional singer's, this cry born from the trembling of the soul was also moving in its own way.
It's not only moving, but it also touches my heart...
As the music gradually subsided, Huang Qianyan suddenly tightened her grip on Li Sishi's hand, and then, amidst the cheers of some audience members who had followed her for several shows, she gave Li Sishi another kiss on the cheek with a hearty smile to express her gratitude.
I am grateful that she always believed in herself amidst the doubts, and I am also grateful that she thoughtfully designed a beautiful dream to reminisce about the past, teaching her to find her original aspirations amidst the constant waves of controversy.
"If there is an opportunity, I would love to work with you again."
Although she has long harbored the desire to retire, Huang Qianyan still hopes for the future if she encounters a suitable opponent and collaborator.
“There will definitely be an opportunity, I believe.” Li Sishi replied with a smile.
The eye contact between the two on stage was incredibly moving at that moment. And those who will see the classic, bizarre, and tragic love story they co-starred in, "Life is Like a Dream," in the future, will find that the film's poignant ending, combined with the smiles exchanged at this moment, evokes a sense of destiny and fulfillment, as if they were destined to meet again in this life and the fulfillment of their wish. This will make people fall even deeper in love with the couple "Yan Zhi You Li".
It's likely that Li Sishi's subsequent unusual yet incredibly appealing pairings with various characters began to take shape around this time, marking the first step in creating a yuri (lesbian) atmosphere.
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