Chapter 37

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets that his mother had given him.

In the mechanical engineering department at Lingnan University, there were only a few girls among the forty or fifty students, and they weren't necessarily beautiful.

As for Pao Suzhen, who was in the same class, although she wasn't super amazing, she was still very nice. The main reason Xiaoming liked her was actually her personality...

Ha ha, don't think of Pao Suzhen as a gentle southern lady. In fact, she was clear about her likes and dislikes, knew how to express her emotions, and was brave, which truly attracted Xiaoming.

One of the most memorable times for Xiaoming was when Pao Suzhen hit a senior who had been harassing her friend with a stool... It was her head, not her flower, that got hit. Xiaoming found such violence very refreshing. He hadn't met many girls with such a strong personality in Korea.

So, he later took the initiative to get closer to Pao Suzhen, being bold, meticulous, and thick-skinned, and eventually won her heart...

But all of this was also ruined by the word "trainee."

Xiaoming preferred a real Pao Suzhen. He didn't like his girlfriend living a constrained life, losing her true self. Whether it was as a trainee or an artist, it was all the same—wearing a mask to chase dreams, even if they succeeded, it was somewhat tragic and ironic.

After graduation, their relationship remained in crisis for more than half a year, and Pao Suzhen ultimately chose her dream.

Sometimes, relationships are actually very fragile. As independent individuals, humans always have countless desires, some of which can also be called dreams.

Pao Suzhen was actually like Xiaoming; they both understood that choosing this path meant breaking up. Even with all the reluctance, they made their choices.

In fact, this is the common outcome for most trainees, artists, and their lovers in Korea.

Xiaoming was also very reluctant. If he really said he hated trainees, it wouldn't be accurate. It was just that because it involved people close to him, he couldn't accept it. On the contrary, when a few of his friends became trainees, he even encouraged them.

This kind of thinking is similar to that of many traditional Korean parents who don't like their children becoming trainees or stars.

Unfortunately, the two most important people in Xiaoming's life, his sister and his girlfriend, both chose to pursue their own paths.

"Phew!"

Lying in bed, looking at that familiar number, Xiaoming felt a bit lonely.

"You will succeed, keep it up!"

After a moment, Xiaoming sighed lightly, then his expression suddenly turned serious, and he directly deleted that familiar number.

Regardless of whether the Pao Suzhen in the parallel world in his memory succeeded, in this world, she had already changed.

Xiaoming was very clear that he liked the lively, open, and even somewhat impulsive girl.

Like Pao Suzhen, Xiaoming also chose not to change. Because of what Jiang Minjing had said earlier, he suddenly felt nostalgic for that beautiful relationship.

But when he came to his senses, Xiaoming realized that they had broken up three months ago, and it had been quite some time.

After blessing Pao Suzhen in his heart, Xiaoming, who almost called her, chose to delete her number. In his mind, he only kept the memory of her, and as for the future, he didn't want to dwell on it anymore.

"A slightly lonely Valentine's Day!"

Xiaoming sighed, got up, and walked towards the bathroom, muttering, "There's still a lot to do, Xiaoming, you mustn't slack off!"

But thinking about soon truly entering the entertainment industry, he wasn't sure if he would ever meet his ideal type again.

Even if the entertainment industry isn't described as hypocritical, in reality, these artists all have a layer of protective color. If you can't learn to protect yourself, it's better to leave early.

After taking a shower, Xiaoming, looking at the black gift box on the bed, smiled slightly, and his mood instantly improved. It was Valentine's Day, was this a gift?

Then... five minutes later, a roar echoed through the villa.

"Jiang Minjing!!! I won't let you off!"

...

A week after Valentine's Day, ordinary people's lives continued as usual, and in the entertainment industry, those who should sing continued to sing, and those who should play variety shows continued to play variety shows...

In the past week, one of the hottest videos on the internet was the rookie composer's creation, "Don't Cross Your Legs." It received a combined total of 2.5 million views on the three main video sites. Some small media outlets also reported on it, and a few music critics gave their evaluations, which were mixed.

But regardless, the singer and creator received a lot of attention. The two girls in the video were quickly identified, and many people speculated that this was a promotion by CCM, hinting at the upcoming debut of new artists.

CCM did not give a direct response, but internally, things were not so calm.

At 3 PM that afternoon, a new video appeared on the homepage of N Station, while the other two sites did not, giving it an exclusive feel.

...

Lin Xiaosi was a new writer at KBS, a girl who had just graduated from university. She was still adapting to social life, though she had a queen's heart deep in her chest and was a quick-witted intern.

But stepping into society, the rigid system, always pretentious seniors, and the miscellaneous work in the production team made her feel suffocated.

Finally, having a day off, Lin Xiaosi didn't go anywhere but chose to stay at home and watch new movies she hadn't had time to see.

During her leisure time, she also went online to vent, such as joining some ANTI groups to insult people or leaving comments on the SNS of artists she had seen on TV with a new account... of course, not saying anything nice.

While searching for new keywords on NEVER, Lin Xiaosi suddenly noticed a word called "Crescendo" and some completely unfamiliar terms.

Searching for "Crescendo," Lin Xiaosi immediately found countless videos and media reports.

Out of curiosity, Lin Xiaosi clicked on the top video link on N Station.

Happy Musician's Second Release: "Crescendo," Rookie Band's First Release.

Video Description: I'm not a producer at CCM, don't misunderstand.

The video started with a classroom scene, where the desks were moved to the sides. The singer from the popular video "Don't Cross Your Legs" a few days ago appeared on screen.

Two girls wearing white sweaters, black skirts, and tights, looking like school uniforms, sat beautifully in the middle of the classroom. The music started, and a gentle guitar melody played.

The short-haired, cute girl sang softly. Although her voice wasn't particularly distinctive, it surprisingly suited the song.

Her hoarse, delicate singing style caught the viewer's attention from the first line, and the second line, sung by the sweet girl with a mole on her nose on the left, was also very pleasant.

Interestingly, in the corner of the frame, the same masked, school-uniformed guy holding a guitar appeared, as usual, only showing half his body, which looked quite comical.

However, the gentle melody and unique lyrics immediately caught Lin Xiaosi's attention. Like herself, people often say these things, but everyone chooses to ignore them. Is being young a mistake?

"Let everyone understand me wowowoo~~~

Listen to my words wowowoo~~~

Crescendo ohonetwo

My voice is covered, my breathing gets louder, no one listens to my words, rising in Crescendo

Let my voice be heard, high, listen to me, hi, catch my voice tightly ohhey

Squeezing into the gap, your unfulfilled pain, shout loudly, illuminate your sky

...

My voice reaches the sky, until the clouds can hear, can like;

Looking at the sunset, the morning without stars starts to complain, the faintly painful love story

Say it again, if you expect it, don't give up before you start, the dream deep in your heart..."

At the start of the first verse, the monotonous guitar melody disappeared, and the music suddenly became more rhythmic and lively.

By the first chorus, a few more students in school uniforms, each with their own unique style, appeared.

The masked guitarist was one, and another was a boy with dark circles under his eyes, looking depressed. There were also two twin brothers with pineapple hairstyles and stubble.

From the chorus, the song became even more lively, and the four boys and two girls started to dance cutely. Although many viewers thought the four male dancers in the background were ruining the scene, the two girls had a purifying effect.

Before the last two choruses, the cute rap by the girl with the pigtails also caused a lot of excitement.

Since the song was recorded live, it wasn't perfect, but sometimes music isn't just about the performance.

This "Crescendo" had a very ordinary live recording, really ordinary, at best, the pitch was good.

But the performances of the two singers in the video gave a special feeling, combined with the rhythmic melody and the lyrics with special meaning, which immediately resonated with many people.

Not just ordinary middle school students, even some college students and young people just entering society found some resonance.

Young... always looked down upon, whether by family, teachers, or company bosses, seniors.

People often hear things like, "You're still young," "How old are you?" "Wait until you're older," "You just joined the company," "Wait a few more years," "You're still young," "Think about our time, and look at you young people."

This isn't a generation gap, but a very real phenomenon. Perhaps people aren't mature when they're young, but they're not children without thoughts. In such a reality, how many people lose confidence, how many are suppressed, and lose their former vitality.

Many young people found that special feeling and a strong sense of resonance with the lyrics.

Especially in Korea, where the seniority system is extreme, this phenomenon is even more severe.

This song isn't lamenting society but spreading its own ideas, shouting them out...

"Let everyone understand me Crescendo.oh.oh.wo~yeah.yeah.yeah.yeah~

Listen to my words Crescendo.oh.oh.wo~yeah.yeah.yeah.yeah~

Let everyone understand me Crescendo.oh.oh.wo~yeah.yeah.yeah.yeah~

Listen to my words Crescendo.oh.oh.wo~yeah.yeah.yeah.yeah~!"

After watching the entire video, Lin Xiaosi didn't even see the subtitles at the end and immediately rewound to the beginning to listen again, her eyes getting brighter and brighter.

After a few minutes, the long-haired, slightly chubby-cheeked, but cute Lin Xiaosi, her eyes full of light, made up her mind to speak out, to say the things that hadn't been said.

"I am an intern writer at KBS, not a miscellaneous worker!"

Opening a Word document, Lin Xiaosi excitedly started typing. She wanted to show those who looked down on newcomers... the power of youth, the power of youth.

Program Proposal: "Youth Unbeaten."

Page break for AD starts

Page break for AD ends