Chapter 44

Because it wasn't the weekend, there weren't many people in the bar at eight o'clock. The warm-up act was a male singer, a senior student from Fudan University, who was playing and singing with a keyboard. Since Denge Forest wasn't a top-tier bar, it mostly attracted students and young white-collar workers who had just entered society. The consumption level wasn't high, so they couldn't afford to hire top-notch bands or singers.

To cater to the tastes of their customers, the singers and bands often chose to perform popular songs, which were essentially easy-listening tunes. Even Denge Forest, which leaned slightly towards rock, couldn't avoid this to make money. Death metal? Heavy metal? Impossible. Only pop rock and folk could survive in a bar. Whatever was popular, they sang. If you stubbornly stuck to your ideals, you might as well look for another job.

In the face of money, every musician was alone.

The male singer was energetically singing some currently popular sad songs.

Cheng Xiaoyu and his friends found a secluded table to listen to the music. Brother Chen sent a fruit platter, drinks, and some snacks. None of the high school students knew how to drink.

When the male singer finished a song, there were only a few claps. Cheng Xiaoyu, however, clapped generously. It wasn't that he thought the performance was particularly good; in his view, the outdated singing techniques and arrangements were like a car crash on stage. But he couldn't hold others to his own standards, which were far ahead of his time. At least the singer was performing earnestly, and that deserved some respect.

When Xia Shamo arrived, Cheng Xiaoyu took her to the backstage to apply makeup. Denge Forest, a type of quiet bar, wasn't a small place on Fudan's bar street. The entire first and second floors covered about 700 square meters, with enough seating for about 30 tables. It could easily accommodate a hundred people.

Since it was a bar performance, Cheng Xiaoyu gave Xia Shamo a dark smoky eye makeup. The coolness of the dark smoky eye makeup perfectly complemented her short hair and the aloofness she exuded while singing, creating an unexpected and captivating effect.

After finishing the makeup, Cheng Xiaoyu used a setting spray to style Xia Shamo's hair. Her short hair wasn't exactly like Xu Qinling's; it was more accurately described as medium-length. Xu Qinling's short hair was almost like a boy's medium-length hair. Cheng Xiaoyu parted Xia Shamo's hair 70-30, tucked the shorter side behind her ear, and after setting it with the spray, he sprinkled some volumizing powder on the top to make it slightly messy and voluminous.

After Xia Shamo stood up, Cheng Xiaoyu pulled her white shirt out of her skirt, tied a black narrow tie around her neck, and asked her to pull her skirt up to make it shorter. Finally, he gave her a pair of black soccer socks with two white stripes and asked her to change into them. Xia Shamo had worn jeans under her skirt, so Cheng Xiaoyu stepped out to wait while she changed.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Cheng Xiaoyu knocked on the door and told Xia Shamo to go to the main hall and wait for her at the performance stage.

Xia Shamo replied, "Okay," and Cheng Xiaoyu turned to head to the main hall.

When he arrived, he found that most of the seats on the first floor were already full. It seemed that Xia Shamo's photos had indeed attracted a lot of attention.

As the time to go on stage approached, Cheng Xiaoyu and his friends weren't particularly nervous, but Wang Ou was the most anxious, repeatedly muttering, "Where is Xia Shamo?"

Chen Jinglei was sitting with a group of regular customers, chatting and drinking, but he was also a bit nervous. Since Cheng Xiaoyu and his friends were performing original songs, it was a significant risk for Chen Jinglei. As a music professional, he thought their performance was excellent, but as a bar owner, he wasn't sure how the average audience would react to this less popular music style. To be honest, if it weren't for Xia Shamo's stunning transformation, Chen Jinglei wouldn't have been too keen on letting Cheng Xiaoyu and his friends perform. Most people were more tolerant of beautiful women; even if they didn't appreciate the music, they could still enjoy the sight of a pretty girl.

When Xia Shamo's slender figure appeared at the backstage door, Cheng Xiaoyu and his friends went on stage to check the equipment.

Before Xia Shamo even stepped onto the stage, the bar erupted in applause and whistles.

The black soccer socks with two white stripes, paired with white low-top canvas shoes, accentuated her eye-catching legs. Her red plaid mini skirt, white shirt, and dark blue fitted school uniform jacket made her look lively and innocent. This outfit, combined with her striking smoky eye makeup, created an irresistible allure, a perfect blend of angel and demon.

Xia Shamo stepped onto the stage, took a deep breath, grabbed the microphone stand, and glanced back at Cheng Xiaoyu, signaling that she was ready.

Since it was their first performance in a bar, the first song had to grab the audience's attention, so Cheng Xiaoyu chose the slightly faster-paced "Hypnosis," which was very suitable for a bar setting.

As the spotlight focused on Xia Shamo, Chen Hao Ran's drum set started, followed by the electric guitar. Xia Shamo's casual humming floated through the microphone, like a leisurely autumn breeze.

When Xia Shamo first practiced this song, she struggled to capture the carefree emotion. Cheng Xiaoyu demonstrated a few times, teaching her to mix a significant amount of falsetto into her natural voice and to produce sound close to her nasal cavity. This way, whenever she needed to use falsetto for higher notes, she could easily transition into her nasal cavity, producing a clear and pleasant falsetto. This technique of mixing natural and falsetto voices was the key to the non-traditional singing style.

Xia Shamo's first line stunned the entire bar. In this era, China hadn't yet seen a singer like Wang Fei, who used the throaty singing style of The Cranberries' lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan. Wang Fei was a typical light soprano, and "Hypnosis" required a dreamy and ethereal feel. Under Cheng Xiaoyu's guidance, Xia Shamo captured Wang Fei's singing characteristics, the transition between natural and falsetto voices, and the use of breathy tones.

When Xia Shamo sang the first line, "The taste of the first bite of cake," the audience, accustomed to the oily, tremulous, and drawn-out singing of contemporary pop songs, was immediately captivated by this clean, smooth, and clear vocal style. It was like eating ice cream on a hot summer day, refreshing and delightful. The noisy bar fell silent after the first line, and everyone stopped talking to listen to the music.

The taste of the first bite of cake,

The comfort of the first toy,

The sun rises, the sun sets, the ice cream melts.

The taste of the second bite of cake,

The comfort of the second toy,

The wind blows, the wind blows, the popcorn is beautiful.

From beginning to end, who did I forget, who did I remember?

From beginning to end, count again, count again,

Have I wasted my time?

La...

The first kiss on someone's lips,

The first time being sick and needing medicine,

The sun sets, the sun sets, the ice cream melts.

The second kiss on someone's lips,

The second time being sick and needing medicine,

The wind blows, the wind blows, the popcorn is beautiful.

From beginning to end, who did I forget, who did I remember?

From beginning to end, count again, count again,

Have I wasted my time?

La...

Suddenly it's bright, suddenly it's dark, and so on.

Far away, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, a thousand, ten thousand years.

From beginning to end, who did I forget, who did I remember?

From beginning to end, count again, count again,

Have I wasted my time?

La...

When the final "la" echoed, everyone was completely captivated. This time-transcending vocal style brought a new and incredibly beautiful experience to everyone. The enthusiastic applause continued for a long time until Xia Shamo softly said, "Thank you, everyone," and it gradually subsided.

In another timeline, Wang Fei dominated the Chinese music scene for over a decade with this singing style, until A-Mei emerged as a formidable rival.

In terms of vocal technique, Wang Fei wasn't the strongest, but her personality was so strong that it permeated her music, giving it a cold and proud quality. She was also a very smart and skilled singer, with a keen sense of music. This sense of music is a very abstract concept, essentially knowing how to sing well. It involves a high sensitivity to the melody and style of music, as well as an understanding of how the melody changes. It's the key to singing well.

For example, some people have never had a musical background, but they can sing beautifully from the moment they open their mouths. This is due to their innate sense of music. They can't explain why, but when they sing, they know where to connect, where to flow, where to break, where to mix, where to strengthen, and where to weaken, all in a way that sounds natural and pleasing. A difficult and complex song like "Cold War" would only be performed live by Wang Fei, and she would do it well, thanks to her sense of music. She had a feel for the melody, like having a clear understanding of a relationship, which made her performance coherent and controlled.

For Xia Shamo, who had strong basic singing skills and a very good sense of music, it was easy to imitate, especially with Cheng Xiaoyu, the super cheat, guiding her. In this timeline, the non-traditional singing style was still unknown, so such a performance was bound to captivate the audience.

After this song, Chen Jinglei's worries were completely alleviated. The regular customers sitting next to him clapped so hard their hands turned red, and they kept asking Chen Jinglei about the girl's background. When he revealed that she was still a high school senior, the table immediately took out 100 yuan to buy 10 roses, which the bartender placed in a vase on the left side of the stage.

This was a common practice in Chinese bars, a benefit for the singers. Whenever someone bought roses for a singer, the money went to the singer. So, the number of roses a singer received generally indicated how well they performed. Of course, being attractive also helped, but ultimately, the quality of the performance was the most important.

Before the next song even started, the vase was already full, and the bartender had to remove the roses, count them, and then return them to the bar. Otherwise, there wouldn't be enough for the next song. This was the first time this had happened at Denge Forest.