Chapter 84

After arriving at the music room, Lin Zaishan asked the keyboard teacher to adjust the sound effects. He needed the eerie theremin-like melody that ran through the original accompaniment of "Exaggeration," which appeared from time to time, adding a ghostly and melancholic atmosphere.

To help Caidie and the others better understand the song, Lin Zaishan wrote out the lyrics by hand, and also jotted down some of the keyboard sheet music.

He hadn't performed this song in a long time and needed to review the lyrics himself. He didn't want to forget the words halfway through, which would be embarrassing.

Wu Yifan was from Guangcheng and was very familiar with Cantonese.

Seeing the lyrics of "Exaggeration" written by Lin Zaishan, which used standard Cantonese grammar and many unique Cantonese words, Wu Yifan felt a sense of familiarity.

Many songwriters who were not fluent in Cantonese would simply translate Mandarin lyrics into Cantonese when writing Cantonese songs, resulting in awkward and obscure grammar, and the quality of the work would inevitably be low.

When Lin Zaishan's lyrics were revealed, even before he started singing, Wu Yifan could already sense that this was a songwriter with a lot of ideas and a solid foundation.

Just by reading the lyrics, a vivid and blood-soaked portrayal of a minor character in the entertainment industry leaped off the page.

The lyrics were cruel, even a bit sick, exaggerating the reality of the entertainment industry, but not to the point of absurdity like "Puppet Star." It was like a cold hand dissecting the desperate and almost insane inner world of a minor character in a cruel way.

The lyrics could be extended beyond the entertainment industry, making everyone face the minor side of themselves.

Wu Yifan found it hard to imagine what kind of mental state Lin Zaishan was in when he wrote such a vivid and cruel work.

Thinking about the melody of the song, which Lin Zaishan wrote to mourn the death of a friend, Wu Yifan was even more eager to hear this demonic work.

Just hearing the few theremin-like melodies that the keyboard teacher helped Lin Zaishan create, Wu Yifan could already sense the eerie aura emanating from the song.

It might be a masterpiece that could rival "Puppet."

After experiencing Lin Zaishan's grand and mature work "Hills," Wu Yifan was very eager to see what other surprises this once-talented rock genius could bring.

In the ladies' restroom.

Guan Yaling was chatting with Lee Hyo-ri.

"Sis, I'll definitely adjust the camera to let you see the big villain's face."

"Holding a notebook in the music room is too strange. Don't mess around, or you'll be caught. I can guess what he looks like from his voice. It's good that he has changed, and I'm happy for him."

Lee Hyo-ri's mood had become very calm, no longer as curious as before about what kind of change had happened to Lin Zaishan.

Everything was already explained, so there was nothing left to be curious about.

The only thing Lee Hyo-ri was still curious about was what had happened to Lin Zaishan's super lightning voice.

She really wanted to know what kind of voice could make Guan Yaling instantly change her mind and earn the high praise of Master Li Zongheng.

"Are you really not going to look at the big villain's face? He has changed a lot!"

"So what if he has changed? What does it have to do with me? And stop calling him a big villain, show some respect!"

"Sis, you can be so cold sometimes. You say you don't love him anymore."

"What are you talking about? When did I ever say I loved him? Don't bring up those old things anymore, okay?"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. But are you still going to listen to his singing?"

"Of course! I've been staying up so late just to hear him sing! You praised his voice so much, I really hope he doesn't disappoint me!"

"Hehe, to be honest, his voice is really worth waiting for. His singing has more storytelling than any other singer I've heard."

"What do you mean by storytelling?" Lee Hyo-ri asked with interest. "Is his voice very layered, deep, and with a masterful singing technique?"

"It's not about technique, I can't really describe it, it's just a feeling. As soon as he starts singing, I can feel that his voice carries a lot of weight, and you can't help but follow his voice and imagine. When he reaches the climax, I get an electric thrill, it's very exciting!"

"You get excited because you're naturally sensitive to voices. You get excited listening to many people sing, even women!"

"That's true, hehe, but listening to the big villain's singing is really special. You should definitely listen carefully. He's going to sing 'Exaggeration,' and you've heard the background, right? He wrote it when he was feeling frustrated."

"Right, I heard. I'm curious why he wrote a Cantonese song. In my memory, he didn't know Cantonese at all."

"That was a long time ago. Don't treat him like a nobody. He got inspired after watching 'Puppet Star,' which is a Cantonese movie, so he wrote a Cantonese song."

"Can someone who doesn't know Cantonese write a good Cantonese song?" Lee Hyo-ri, who had learned Cantonese after becoming famous, knew that the grammar of Cantonese and Mandarin was very different.

"I don't know." Guan Yaling hadn't seen the lyrics yet and was trying to prepare Lee Hyo-ri. "It might not be as good as 'Hills,' since he wrote it when he was feeling frustrated. Just focus on the change in his voice, and don't expect too much from the song."

"That's not necessarily true. Many artists create their most classic works when they are in their most desperate state. Maybe Lin Zaishan is like that too? His song 'Shattered' was written during his most painful struggle, and it's a classic!"

Guan Yaling was speechless. Lee Hyo-ri had recommended Lin Zaishan's "Shattered" to her multiple times, but she couldn't get into the song, finding it too chaotic.

After all these years, Lee Hyo-ri was still praising this song. It seemed that the song, like the former Lin Zaishan, was deeply rooted in her heart, irreplaceable.

Even if she didn't want to admit it, those old things were still unresolved in her heart.

"After singing 'Exaggeration,' will your boss Wu let him perform on other themes?" Lee Hyo-ri asked.

"Probably."

"Then ask him later if he has any finished works about himself. I was moved by the story about him and his daughter, and I want to know how he evaluates himself now."

"Aren't you not curious about him anymore? Why do you want to hear how he evaluates himself?"

"Even if he's a stranger, I want to know more after hearing such a story. Is it wrong for me to be interested?"

"Hehe, sure, you're the queen, you're the boss. I'll try to push him later."

"Are you done in the bathroom? Hurry up and go to the music room, Lin Zaishan might have started singing."

"I'm not in the bathroom, I just came in to chat. Are you sure you don't want to see the big villain's face? If you don't want to, I'll just turn off the camera."

"I don't want to see his face, just hearing his voice is enough. And one more thing, stop calling him a big villain. If I hear you being rude to him again, I'll punch your chest ten times!"

"I learned that from you..." Guan Yaling complained, then stopped chatting with Lee Hyo-ri, got up quickly, and rushed to the music room with her notebook.

She arrived just in time.

When she entered the music room, Lin Zaishan had just finished adjusting the keyboard effects and was about to start singing.

Li Wei saw Guan Yaling return, quickly stood up, and gave her a stool and a copy of the lyrics for "Exaggeration."

Li Wei held another copy of the lyrics, stood by the wall next to Guan Yaling, and prepared to listen to the song.

When Guan Yaling sat down and saw the lyrics of "Exaggeration," she was pleasantly surprised. She found the lyrics very interesting, vividly depicting a deeply tragic minor character!

Just reading the lyrics, Guan Yaling found them captivating.

She originally didn't have high expectations for "Exaggeration," but after reading the lyrics and thinking about the movie "Puppet Star," she became very interested in hearing Lin Zaishan's interpretation of this "minor character."

Would his performance in this song be as unforgettable as Chow Sing-chi's in "Puppet Star," leaving a lasting impression?

Guan Yaling didn't notice that the camera on her notebook, which she was holding in her left hand, was tilted towards the keyboard, but it didn't capture Lin Zaishan's face, only his lower body.

On the other end, Lee Hyo-ri, following the camera's movement, tilted her neck to see the screen, almost curing her cervical spondylosis.

But she still couldn't see Lin Zaishan's face, so she smiled helplessly.

Wearing high-quality headphones, she closed her eyes, lay down on the bed, and waited to listen to Lin Zaishan's music.

She remembered that he used to only play guitar, drums, and bass, and didn't know how to play the keyboard.

Had he learned to play the keyboard now?

Lee Hyo-ri reminisced.

In the focus of everyone's attention, Lin Zaishan adjusted the pre-saved theremin-like special melody again.

As soon as this eerie melody started, Guan Yaling's ears were immediately captivated.

Lee Hyo-ri, wearing headphones, was also instantly drawn in by the ghostly prelude, as if she had entered the scene.

Feeling that the sound was good, Lin Zaishan started playing the keyboard, breaking the oppressive atmosphere.

Everyone saw that Lin Zaishan was about to start singing and focused their attention.

Lin Zaishan played a simple and rapid prelude in sync with the theremin-like special melody. As the theremin sound gradually faded, the piano sound under his hands became lower, as if preparing for an impending storm.

Everyone's ears were captivated.

Lee Hyo-ri held her headphones with both hands, listening carefully to Lin Zaishan's playing, feeling a slight shock. She couldn't believe how skilled Lin Zaishan was at the piano!

Just as she was wondering, a voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar, both gentle and沧桑 (weathered), floated out of the headphones...

---

[Please give me a recommendation!]

[Something came up tomorrow, the next chapter will be updated after 8:30 PM. Please don't rush me, the chapter after that will be updated at noon the day after tomorrow.]