Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 450 - 301: Shocking Netizens for a Whole Year_2

Chapter 450: Chapter 301: Shocking Netizens for a Whole Year_2

""Kisses Everywhere" really has that Hong Kong vibe, doesn’t it? Listening to it feels like a dream, taking me back to the golden age."

You love parting

Again together, again apart

Like petals showcasing their art

Scattering pollen everywhere, OH OH

"These lyrics are absolutely killer! I bet no one who isn’t from around here could write such authentic Cantonese lyrics!"

"So, this Youmeng couldn’t possibly be from Hong Kong Island, could they?"

"Why does it have to be Hong Kong Island? Couldn’t they be from Yang City?"

"What era are we living in? It could also be someone from Roc City!"

"Roc City? Forget about it. Go chill somewhere else."

"Hey! What’s wrong with Roc City?"

"What’s wrong? You tell me, out of the more than twenty million people in your Roc City now, how many are locals? It used to be a village with less than three hundred people, and they all moved away. The rest are all outsiders. How many of them speak Cantonese?"

"Who said there are none? Many of the outsiders are from Guangdong too. Why wouldn’t they speak Cantonese?"

"Haha, good grief! Passing by and seeing Roc City getting kicked out of the Cantonese club is hilarious."

"Laugh all you want, but your Sujiang Thirteen Protectors are the real chaotic bunch. People just say Cantonese doesn’t include Roc City, not that Roc City isn’t local."

"Exactly! Roc City is still part of our Guangdong."

"Roc City might not speak Cantonese, but it’s still Guangdong."

"You unruly Sujiang folks shouldn’t speak so rashly. Go have some herbal tea, alright?"

Man, a comment from a Sujiang netizen explosively triggered a bunch of Cantonese responses.

But really, anyone could say such things, yet it was particularly unsuitable coming from someone with a Sujiang IP address.

After all, the Thirteen Protectors were a group that truly couldn’t be brought together harmoniously. At least with Thirteen Spices seasoning, you could still stir-fry or stew meat. But putting the Thirteen Protectors together would likely cause the pot to explode.

Of course, this situation was, to put it bluntly, just netizens having some fun. Very few were genuinely angry; everyone was just playing along with the memes.

Wasn’t the Sujiang netizen who just jumped in also making a meme out of themselves? After all, there isn’t a meme these silly netizens nowadays won’t play with.

Unsurprisingly, these songs quickly went viral on short video platforms.

The most covered was naturally "Like You," with "Kisses Everywhere" closely behind.

But when it came to background music, the most used was surprisingly "Season of the Wind."

Yes, the very same "Season of the Wind" that Stephen Chow and Andy Lau once iconically head-banged to.

"The cool breeze blows gently, quietly entering my clothes"

"Summer stolen away, an unheard sound"

"Days rush by, stirring a hundred emotions within me"

"Remembering that vibrant, colorful scene"

The original singer was Teacher Xu Xiaofeng, but the original arrangement indeed felt too dated and somewhat out of sync with modern times.

The song is great, and the melody is excellent; even decades later, it won’t feel outdated.

However, good works don’t necessarily have to remain unchanged. Sometimes, slight adaptations in line with the times can add considerable charm.

The precondition is that the changes are good.

Take this song, for example. It has been adapted countless times by later generations, with many versions offering valuable inspiration.

As a veteran singer, Chu Tian certainly knew this, so the version Xu Qingqiu performed was also an adaptation.

Among other changes, many of the instruments were replaced, numerous popular elements were incorporated, and even the tempo of the original melody was slightly increased.

This made it sound more rhythmically engaging, though it also significantly increased the difficulty of performing it.

The five Cantonese songs caused an immediate sensation online.

At this moment, many who had doubted the future of Cantonese widened their eyes in disbelief.

They simply couldn’t understand why Xu Qingqiu would choose to sing Cantonese songs.

Mandarin was already so widespread, and the influence of the Mandarin-speaking market was growing. So why turn back to Cantonese songs?

Little did they know, just as these individuals were baffled, the name Xu Qingqiu was surfacing once again. She was already gaining fame in Southeast Asia due to two consecutive phenomenal albums and over twenty quality songs, all released in a short span.

However, unlike in China, besides the three most popular new Cantonese songs, people in Southeast Asia seemed to prefer the style of two other songs.

One was "Favorite," and the other was "Rare Lover."

Both songs had a gentler style, which resonated closely with their lifestyle.

In China, the rapid development and high-intensity, fast-paced lifestyle meant that even music appreciation leaned towards faster rhythms.

But in Southeast Asia, life moved at a slower pace. Development had largely stabilized with little short-term change, so their music choices didn’t quite connect with the appeal of fast-paced tracks.

Or perhaps, in their eyes, they enjoyed both fast-paced and slow-paced music, seeing little distinction in appeal.

This also led to these two songs, which hadn’t gained widespread acceptance in China quickly, being particularly favored by them.

Of course, when Chu Tian was choosing songs earlier, he hadn’t thought that deeply about it; he simply liked these two songs.

He really liked the lyrics of "Rare Lover." It wasn’t so much that he wanted to release the song, but rather he wanted Xu Qingqiu to sing it, to express his own feelings through its lyrical content.

As for "Favorite," it was a natural choice because the original singer was the one and only Zhou Huimin!

Who could refuse Zhou Huimin?

Plus, when Xu Qingqiu acted coquettishly, she bore a striking resemblance to Zhou Huimin, so Chu Tian immediately thought of this song.

It perfectly matched her style. In fact, this song was arguably the one Xu Qingqiu sang most smoothly and effortlessly.

It was also the song Chu Tian enjoyed listening to the most.

Indeed, a sweet, gentle girlfriend singing a sweet, gentle song had an irresistible charm; no one could withstand it.

"Who is this singer named Xu Qingqiu? Why hasn’t she held a concert yet?"

"I heard she just debuted last year; it hasn’t even been half a year!"

"Half a year? But I remember she’s already sung so many classic songs. Has she really only debuted a little over half a year ago?"

"Xu Qingqiu is from China and has actually been in the industry for many years. However, she was blacklisted for a few years. Last year was just her comeback, and all these songs were released last year too."

"What, what? Blacklisted? Such a talented singer was blacklisted?"

"I’m not too sure about the details, but it seems to have been due to conflicts with her company or something similar. The information online is too chaotic; I can’t make sense of it."

"She’s incredibly talented! She released a phenomenal album just last year. You might not even know what defines a ’phenomenal album’..."

"Xu Qingqiu seems to have held a concert, but only one show, also last year in China, and she sang several new songs at the concert!"

"Can someone get me a Chinese account? I really want to go to China to hear her sing."

Netizens from many Southeast Asian countries discussed Xu Qingqiu as if they had discovered a hidden treasure.

This wasn’t particularly surprising. After all, these places belong to the Chinese Cultural Sphere. Honestly, in terms of cultural depth, aesthetic preferences, and tastes, aside from one particularly vocal country, they aren’t too different.

So, when it comes to fan culture and following celebrities, their habits are largely similar.

This is especially true for songs and TV dramas. Shows popular in China are avidly followed there, with fans even scouring the internet for official versions to watch together.

Songs popular in China tend to be even more popular there, whereas songs popular there might not necessarily appeal to audiences in China.

It’s like a filter. Many things are popular internationally, but not all can penetrate the Chinese market; it largely depends on domestic acceptance.

Most international content struggles to ’click’ with the Chinese audience. After all, regional differences and population size are factors, and the criteria for ’popularity’ vary. However, the truly exceptional songs can still find their way back into China.

Conversely, anything that manages to become popular in China is almost guaranteed to be liked by them.

Why is that? Because in China, even a minor hit garnering a few million fans represents a number that could rival the entire population of a small Southeast Asian country.

A song considered only ’slightly popular’ in China would be equivalent to a song celebrated by an entire nation there.

With works filtered through such a massive audience, how could they not like them?

"Chu Tian! Chu Tian, come look! This is a collaboration invitation from Golden Palm Company! And it’s from Southeast Asia!"

Golden Palm Company, a prominent entertainment company in Southeast Asia, didn’t just focus on music; it managed all entertainment-related businesses.

This included importing TV dramas, artist management, organizing concerts, and handling various other entertainment events.

One could even collaborate with them to film an episode of Run Man.

Now, unexpectedly, their business acumen was so sharp that they had sent a collaboration proposal this quickly.