Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 448 - 300: So Many Songs, Can’t Get Through the Days?_2
Some people, as they listened, began to sob uncontrollably.
"Because love is in that place"
"Still, there are people wandering there"
"Coming and going"
Love stayed in the past, while life has penetrated the present. The pride and spirit of the past have turned into the petty and trivial troubles of today, a mess everywhere. The stumbles and struggles of life, all the unbearable hardships over the years, eventually became a heavy burden, finally bending the once-straight spine of that teenager.
"BOO HOO HOO, why, why does this beautiful song make me feel even sadder as I listen?"
"Zhang Lin, my high school classmate, my untarnished white lotus, I say goodbye here, goodbye to those years, goodbye to the person I’ve been longing for. Goodbye, my youth."
"Lin Hao! I like you! Even though this confession is twelve years late..."
"I used to think I wasn’t handsome enough, tall enough, but now I realize I’m not only lacking in looks and height but also in money. I can’t talk smoothly; I can’t charm people."
"That hurts, buddy. No money, no car, no house, and without Casanova’s silver tongue, it’s no wonder I’m still single." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"Brothers, join me for a smoke, to celebrate our revelation. This single life isn’t a loss, not at all."
"Damn, just trying to enjoy a song, why’s it all so heartbreaking?"
"Incredible, listening to the song didn’t affect me much, but reading the comments made me emotional. Are netizens so wicked nowadays?"
It wasn’t clear if the song itself was magical or if it just happened to touch the soft hearts of netizens. In any case, as soon as the song was released, it instantly became a hit and was spread across various platforms, especially short video ones. Thanks to the spread by netizens, the song quickly topped the new song charts.
What about the other two duet songs that were released at the same time? It wasn’t that the other two songs weren’t popular; it was that they already had a live version that had been on the hot song charts for quite a while. Although they weren’t highly ranked, those who were interested had already heard them. Consequently, they definitely couldn’t generate the same explosive popularity in such a short time as a new song could, unless, by some coincidence, they became hits again. And with two versions available, they would inevitably divide listeners. Some people might prefer the live version because they heard it first, and some, being used to it, would keep listening to that version. Therefore, the official release was, more or less, affected. Of course, the official versions’ statistics weren’t bad, especially among couples and wedding companies.
Especially with the Spring Festival approaching, the peak season for marriages, ever since these new songs were released, wedding companies have had clients lining up to change their requests. Some wanted to add a singing session, while others wished to change the song at the last minute. Although they were all songs by Xu Qingqiu, everyone has a tendency to favor the new over the old; if they hear something they like, they change it right away. After all, marriage happens only once, so naturally, you follow your heart.
"Today the weather is fine, and friends and family are present. It’s a fitting day to form a bond, to tie a knot for three lifetimes. Our bride and groom will meet in song, blend in melody, confess their feelings, and harmonize in mutual affection. Please welcome the song from our newlyweds!"
At a wedding, after the emcee introduced them with a beaming smile, the bride and groom stood opposite each other on either side of the stage, slowly making their way up as the music played softly.
"I want to sing to you"
"While we are young and blooming"
"Let the flowers bloom freely"
"Adorn your years and my branches"
As soon as the bride started to sing, a commotion erupted among the guests below.
"WOW!"
"OH?"
The guests who were initially uninterested suddenly perked up their ears. Many older attendees couldn’t resist taking out their phones, standing up, and starting to record.
"Son, look, they’re singing at their wedding! Listen to how nice it is. When are you bringing someone like that home to me?"
"Daughter, look, they’re singing at their wedding! You should sing like this at yours. I’ll ask later which song it is; we’ll choose this one!"
Putting aside the disturbance at the scene, the key issue was that the children who received videos from their parents couldn’t keep a straight face, even more so than if they had swallowed a big, foul-tasting hawthorn. This wedding feast came with a hidden agenda! They weren’t even at the event, yet they could feel the remote pressure to marry?
But, you can’t deny it, the song is pretty good.
"Who could ever replace you"
"Cherish your youth, love to the fullest,"
...
"My dearest one,"
"The journey is long, let’s be together,"
Anyway, the newlywed couple who chose to sing must have some talent. And after all this, these few songs inexplicably became quite popular in certain circles, and then they spread throughout the country instantly with the help of the "Twelve Golden Marriage Proposals."
Facing this situation, many stars who try hard to market themselves—constantly releasing announcements, shooting daily routines, and even resorting to creating scandals and hyping—really have a hard time talking about their struggles.
What can they do? Compete online with their work? Yeah right, who can outdo that? If you release something, it has to be a masterpiece. And if it’s a masterpiece, that’s one thing, but Xu Qingqiu puts out a whole string of them, more explosive than depth charges; and not just bombs, but like a whole string of fireworks all at once. Go ahead, release them, who can outdo her? She’s so ruthless, throwing out masterpiece songs like they don’t cost a dime. Who can compete with that? So, no choice but to compete with marketing, right? Well, they can’t even win with marketing. They finally find a company to partner with, but not only does their ’shipped couple’ fail to take off, but even if they try to stir up some controversy for attention, no one even bothers to criticize them. In summary: completely ignored. What the heck are they even playing at here? They look online, and it’s either people cracking jokes or listening to stories and songs. And the key thing is that the hot songs are all from Xu Qingqiu’s new album. They finally find a few fans who ship CPs, and then it turns out they’re shipping the love triangle between Xu Qingqiu, Chu Tian, and Youmeng. Who can they even complain to about this? If marketing doesn’t work, then what about doing something else, like joining a few variety shows? Officially announcing a few projects?
I don’t know if netizens are just playing a joke or if they really think this way, but whenever there’s a program, the comments keep flying in:
’Is Xu Qingqiu not participating?’
"If Xu Qingqiu isn’t there, I’m not watching."
"Without Xu Qingqiu, it’s boring. I want to listen to her sing, sing new songs."
This naturally annoys other fans. But the thing is, these netizens aren’t there to argue. They hit and run or just chat under their own threads. Light insults get ignored, and if you get too harsh, they can out-troll you with their face-rolling-on-the-keyboard rants. It’s simply exasperating.
Well, then, let’s do some commercial performances. Since we can’t leech off the popularity and can’t share in it, can’t we at least earn some money at the end of the year?
Lo and behold, when they get to the venue, the first thing those sponsors ask is:
"Can you sing ’Crazy for Love’? I really love that one!"
"You can’t? Then can you sing ’The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style’? That works too."
"Let’s have ’love across the sea’ today; the boss likes that one."
"The setlist has changed. Today we’re singing ’Because of Love’ instead."
With each question, the singers doing the commercial gigs are totally confused.
I mean, you’re the sponsor, you’re the boss, right? If you want to hear those songs, find Xu Qingqiu! Why ask us? Not to mention whether we can sing them—the real issue is, even if we can, we daren’t sing them. Without the rights, who dares to sing? A fine is a small matter; copyright infringement is a black mark on their record and could lower their professional ratings. Who would dare risk their career for so little money? And besides, other songs aside, what the hell is ’The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style’? Where did that come from?
Anyway, Xu Qingqiu’s album has basically turned the entire music market on its head; countless people are speechless, and very few are happy.
In this situation, the studio worked overtime and finally rushed out the last few songs.
"Dear music fans, cute fan club members, and netizens, everyone has been waiting for a long time. The new songs will be officially released at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Welcome everyone to listen and download!"
With an official announcement from the account, Xu Qingqiu, who had been firmly seated at the top of the music section for the past few days, quickly captured everyone’s attention.
"Finally, it’s ready. This can’t be fresh out of the recording booth, right?"
"Hahaha, really? So we’re getting it while it’s hot?"
"This is music, not taking a dump. ’Hot’? You gonna eat it?"
"Whoa, man, that’s a bit much! Can’t you find a better way to put it?"
"Cut the noise. It’s tomorrow, why argue now? Let’s listen first, then talk."
That being said, after the hype built up over the past few days, Xu Qingqiu’s remaining new songs were highly anticipated. The excitement was off the charts, and expectations were already maxed out. The moment the announcement went out, it shot straight to the top of the trending searches, climbing without a pause for breath.
At 10 a.m. the next morning, while netizens eagerly awaited, the moment the new album’s special page was refreshed, the new songs arrived on schedule.
"Whoa, this... seriously? Are we seeing this right? So many songs?!"
