Why don't you have an opinion?" Huang Zhan suddenly asked He Zhengcheng. He and Zhang Guorong had been discussing so animatedly, arguing back and forth, and he didn't expect He Zhengcheng to be dozing off.
"Cheng Zai, speak your mind if you have any opinions!" Zhang Guorong said.
"What? Oh, as long as you don't change the lyrics and the direction is right, the arrangement can be anything. Anyway, I don't understand it, so if it's messed up, it's your problem." He Zhengcheng had already said that he was an inspiration-driven creator, or rather, just a lyricist.
"You also know how to be lazy, and you slept soundly, didn't you? Young people should be moderate at night," Huang Zhan said.
"I suddenly thought of a fun song just now that seems very suitable for Miss Mei Yanfang to sing!" He Zhengcheng naturally felt too embarrassed to say he was bored and wanted to sleep.
"What, you have another song?" Huang Zhan looked at this guy, wondering if he was faking it or if he truly had such an unconventional talent.
"Sorry, being with you guys made me think of many things..." He Zhengcheng said.
"It's nothing, I can't forbid you from thinking..." Huang Zhan said.
"What song did you think of?" Zhang Guorong asked.
"My Lord Goes North!" He Zhengcheng said. The TikTok gods are truly amazing, popularizing so many divine songs that he couldn't stop himself.
"Sing it!" Huang Zhan urged.
"This song is suitable for a female voice. I'm afraid I can't sing it with that kind of feeling!"
"It's okay, give it a try!" Zhang Guorong encouraged.
"This humble maiden is untalented,
And has not earned my lord's favor.
I have troubled my lord for a long time,
My lord, please do not blame me... May you have warmth in three winters,
May you have no chill in spring,
May you have a lamp when it's dark,
And an umbrella when it rains.
May you treat yourself well,
May you meet a good person..."
"..."
They had expected them to comment, but unexpectedly, both Huang Zhan and Zhang Guorong fell silent. For a moment, there was absolute quiet.
"I'll call her over!" Zhang Guorong said.
"That's good, this song is quite suitable for her!" Huang Zhan agreed.
Uh??? He Zhengcheng had no ill intentions, just a slight mischievous streak, and he didn't expect them to take it so seriously... Ge Ge and Mei Yanfang were good friends. Although the two never got together, their relationship had always been very good.
And this song conveyed the deep affection of a woman's "unrequited love"—pure, simple, and beautiful. However, when viewed through Mei Yanfang's life experiences, it seemed to carry some special meaning.
In fact, just keeping it pure and beautiful was enough. Life already had so many misfortunes, so why seek more for oneself?
"The completeness of this song is quite good!" Huang Zhan remarked.
"Of course, I love music and literature, but I haven't studied them professionally. My experience and life journey are insufficient. I've written many songs, but not many are high-quality, and some are finished, while others are only half-written, but all of them lack arrangements," He Zhengcheng said, being relatively "frank."
"Why don't you submit them to music companies?" Huang Zhan asked.
"I love music, but I don't want to make money from it, nor do I want to give it away for free or entrust it to the wrong people," He Zhengcheng replied.
"Haha, you have character," Huang Zhan chuckled.
"You're not charging for these songs now?" Huang Zhan asked.
"I am charging, but I want to donate this money to Daxia Country. They've experienced a major flood disaster and need our help!" He Zhengcheng said.
"..." Huang Zhan was speechless.
"What were you two just talking about? Why did you stop?" Zhang Guorong asked when he returned from his call and saw them silent.
"This kid wants to be a saint! We have nothing more to say," Huang Zhan replied.
"Oh, how so?" Zhang Guorong inquired.
"How much are you preparing to pay for these two songs of his? He plans to donate it all to the flood victims of Daxia Country," Huang Zhan said deliberately. He Zhengcheng hadn't actually said he would donate *all* of it to Daxia Country, though he was indeed thinking of doing so.
He Zhengcheng didn't want to make money by selling songs, but it was out of pride. He had earned in just one week what he used to take ten years to earn, and he had plenty of money to make in the future. Why should he make himself uncomfortable by plagiarizing?
This was like mainland consumers. In the past, when conditions were poor, whether watching movies or listening to music, they preferred free content. Once they started working, living conditions improved, and life experience was sufficient, they could understand why they should support legitimate film, music, and novels, and they would begin to reflect on their actions and start supporting legitimate works.
"Why do you have this thought?" Zhang Guorong asked.
"It's not what you think. Let's put it this way: maybe this year, maybe next year, but I'm definitely going to Daxia Country to make money. This donation is like burning incense to Buddha, seeking peace of mind for myself," He Zhengcheng explained.
Well, they found this reason hard to refute. Burning incense and worshipping Buddha was very common in Hong Kong, and real estate even required geomancy masters for feng shui consultations.
"Whose young master are you?" Huang Zhan asked.
"Don't guess randomly. Our family only has a small hotel," He Zhengcheng replied.
...As the several people chatted, Mei Yanfang arrived.
"What kind of song do you have for me?" Mei Yanfang asked Zhang Guorong directly.
"It's a song he wrote, and it's very good," Zhang Guorong replied.
"Miss Mei, I'm your fan. Could you please sign an autograph for me?" He Zhengcheng asked.
"Sure! Where should I sign?" Mei Yanfang asked.
"Sign here, sign here!" He Zhengcheng quickly took out two notebooks.
"Miss Mei, please write 'To He Daixuan' in this one, and 'To He Zhengping' in this one. Thank you very much!" He Zhengcheng requested.
"I thought you were really my fan, but it turns out it's for others!" Mei Yanfang teased.
"Our whole family are your fans," He Zhengcheng insisted.
"So you're not my fan then!" Zhang Guorong remarked.
"I don't think he's the type to chase stars!" Huang Zhan commented.
"How could that be? Your achievements in music are something I can never reach. I truly admire Ge Ge and Miss Mei," He Zhengcheng said. He wasn't exaggerating; although in Duan Chao's era, these two legends were already nearing retirement from the entertainment industry, their legend remained unsurpassed.
"Ge Ge, please sign for me too. I promised them I'd get Ge Ge's autograph. I almost forgot since Miss Mei wasn't here," He Zhengcheng added.
"What's wrong? Only asking them? Do you think I'm too old?" Huang Zhan joked.
"How could that be? Songs like 'Below the Lion Rock' and 'A Laugh in the Vast Sea' are my Dad's favorites!"
"I wouldn't sign for an old man!" Huang Zhan said with a laugh, signing his name in the notebook.
"What kind of song is it that you all praise so highly?" Mei Yanfang asked He Zhengcheng after he put away the signed notebooks.
"You sing it again!" Huang Zhan urged.
This song had no accompaniment, and he hadn't written down the sheet music, so he could only sing a cappella. However, he had already written down the lyrics earlier and handed them to Mei Yanfang.
"...Warm colors float through the rest of life,
Accompanied by good people.
This humble maiden is untalented,
And has not earned my lord's favor.
I have troubled my lord for a long time,
My lord,
Please do not blame me."
"I suddenly realized that replacing 'humble maiden' with 'humble young man' works just as well!" He Zhengcheng wanted to change the current atmosphere.
"May you have warmth in three winters,
May you have no chill in spring,
May you have a lamp when it's dark,
And an umbrella when it rains..."
Mei Yanfang's tender and melodious singing flowed out, truly incredibly beautiful. Compared to those online singers who needed auto-tuning, the professionals were indeed professional.
"This humble maiden is untalented,
And has not earned my lord's favor.
I have troubled my lord for a long time,
My lord,
Please do not blame me,
My lord,
Please do not blame me,
My lord,
Please do not blame me..."
A soft sob, continuous and unending!