Chapter 97: 'Rainbow Paradise'

Being able to sing a song to the point of deeply touching the audience is the ultimate goal that every singer strives for throughout their life. Li Yunzai, despite his young age, has already reached this level, which is truly remarkable.

However, there is another point: the lyrics of this song are truly infectious to everyone. Perhaps if Li Yunzai were to sing other songs, he might not be able to evoke the same feeling.

As the song ended, the fans in the audience clapped enthusiastically, their cheers and shouts continuous, blending into a cacophony that seemed to make the entire stadium vibrate.

Li Yunzai paused for a moment, then took the microphone and walked to the piano, placing it on the stand. The spotlight shone on him, and the large screen clearly showed Li Yunzai's fingers gently touching the keys, the red silk scarf particularly noticeable.

"Everyone, you must think that my next song will be 'Maple,' right?!" Li Yunzai's voice echoed softly in everyone's ears.

"Yes!!!" The fans responded enthusiastically.

"Maple" is a simple and touching ballad, with a beautiful melody and sincere emotions. Both the lyrics and the music have a strong sense of late autumn. The grand ballad that begins with the piano has a dramatic and stirring melody, captivating the audience from the first note. The fans in the audience naturally wanted to hear the live version of the song.

"But... I don't want to sing this song today!" Li Yunzai's voice was completely devoid of emotion, calmly and slowly spoken.

Scared... The fans were momentarily stunned, and even Lee Hyori and Eric exchanged glances. The script clearly stated that Li Yunzai's performances today were "I Should Love You" and "Maple."

"What is he up to?" Lee Hyori asked in a low voice.

Eric silently shook his head. Li Yunzai's unpredictable actions left him feeling frustrated, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't just go up and drag him off the stage.

"I won't sing 'Elimination,' 'Please Don't Do That,' 'Spell,' 'Loving You,' 'Sometimes When We Touch,' 'Like Being Shot,' or 'No Longer in Love' either!"

At this moment, the fans realized that among the many songs Li Yunzai had composed, except for 'Loving You' and 'Sometimes When We Touch' which were covers, the rest were his original works, and each one evoked a strong emotional response. 'Spell' was the breakthrough hit for TVXQ, while 'Like Being Shot' and 'No Longer in Love' had brought Bai Zhiying, who had been forgotten, back to the peak of her career, making her a queen of solo TV dramas.

Apart from these, had Li Yunzai composed any other songs? A question arose in the minds of the fans, but the next moment, Li Yunzai provided the answer.

"Next, I will perform a song that I have never sung in front of anyone... Its name is 'Rainbow Paradise'!" Li Yunzai seemed unaffected by the commotion in the audience, speaking to himself.

"Rainbow Paradise! What a beautiful name!" The girls murmured to themselves.

Gwon Ji-yong's gaze was fixed on Li Yunzai, his heart filled with mixed emotions: 'Rainbow Paradise,' another new work? It seems I really need to step up my game, or I might be overtaken by you without even realizing it!

A gentle piano melody began, like a clear stream flowing over rocks, resonating in the stadium. The noisy fans fell silent, creating an eerie quietness. Even the occasional murmur was negligible in a crowd of over twenty thousand.

This was a very unusual phenomenon. No concert had ever seen such a silent audience, but Li Yunzai, a newcomer, had achieved this.

"What a powerful newcomer!" The singers backstage were all impressed. When they first started, none of them had such a commanding presence.

As the prelude progressed, the chorus finally rang out in the ears of the fans.

"I don't realize

I wander again in the past

The autumn wind whispers softly

All I hear is loneliness

The leaves' longing

Caught between left and right

My heart climbs the path of solitude

Drifting into darkness

...

I don't ask, I don't ask

Perhaps it's better this way

Trapped in a room of regrets

Struggling is just a delay

Futile talk

A series of sighs

Memories that won't let go

How to break free from the entanglement!"

The solo piano accompaniment, though simple, had a unique charm. Just by listening to the chorus, everyone understood that this was a ballad. Whether it was the melancholic and negative lyrics like "wander, loneliness, longing, darkness, struggle, despair, talk, sighs, entanglement," or the slightly sad piano melody, it was clear that this was a sad love song.

The sad love song, the beautiful melody of the solo piano, and Li Yunzai's hoarse voice gradually captivated the hearts of the fans.

After the chorus, the climax finally began.

"Lost in direction

To the Rainbow Paradise

With the love you spoke of

Touching sorrow with happiness

Two people

Guarding each other until white hair

Flying freely

Under the brilliant starlight

With you by my side

...

"

When Li Yunzai reached the climax, both the fans in the audience and the singers backstage felt a chill, their skin prickling.

"Two people, guarding each other until white hair," this line was so sappy that it made everyone's skin crawl. However, there was no denying that this line touched everyone's hearts. It was the highlight of the song. Despite the sappiness, people wanted to listen to it again and again.

"Ugh, so sappy!" Lee Hyori rubbed her arms. The cold wind didn't make her shiver, but Li Yunzai's voice did.

Eric smiled silently, his gaze fixed on the stage where Li Yunzai, dressed in a magnificent outfit, stood like a 'Piano Prince.' He sighed, thinking about how the little kid had grown into a talented songwriter and singer, with a voice that could move both men and women. He definitely had a bright future...

"Wow, so good! He's not just another Cho Sung-mo or Lee Seung-cheol... He's even younger than those two, I might have to change my idol!"

"Amazing... So much love!"

After Li Yunzai finished the song, the previously silent audience erupted into a wave of enthusiastic cheers and exclamations, as if Li Yunzai had become the ruler of this small world.

The singers backstage were also moved. They were not fans but fellow singers, and their appreciation of a song was deeper than that of ordinary fans.

'Rainbow Paradise' was excellent in both composition and lyrics, and Li Yunzai's naturally hoarse voice, which was perfect for sad songs, added even more appeal to the song.

Gwon Ji-yong sighed, feeling a sense of melancholy. Seeing Li Yunzai reminded him of an ancient Chinese saying, "If Zhou Yu was born, why was Liang born?"... It's often said that those who can sing well may not be able to write songs, and those who can write songs may not be able to sing. Gwon Ji-yong had broken this limitation and was a standout among the new generation of singers. Now, after just a few days, another Li Yunzai had appeared, and this Li Yunzai seemed to be even more talented, which left Gwon Ji-yong with a bitter taste in his mouth, always comparing himself to Li Yunzai.

Li Yunzai stood up from his seat, walked to the front of the stage, and bowed deeply to the audience. He raised his right hand, holding the microphone, and the silk scarf fluttered in the cold wind. At this moment, the camera gave Li Yunzai a close-up, and his tall figure appeared on the three large LED screens.

Some were happy, while others were worried.

Compared to Bae Sung-jin, Yang Hyun-suk, Park Jin-young, and Kim Kwang-soo looked rather grim. LOEN had gained a powerful idol singer with both singing skills and talent, which was undoubtedly bad news for them. The one who looked the most troubled was Lee Soo-man.

Lee Soo-man had long stopped paying attention to Li Yunzai. After five years away from the music industry, Li Yunzai was expected to have run out of ideas. However, the facts proved that Li Yunzai was even more talented than before. At this moment, Lee Soo-man felt a sense of regret. If he had sent Yoo Young-jun to find Li Yunzai back then, would Li Yunzai have returned to S.M. by now?... Seeing that Li Yunzai's album sales on the LOEN online store had surpassed 350,000 in just a few days, a shocking number (largely due to LOEN's various online marketing activities that sparked fans' interest in purchasing), Lee Soo-man felt a sense of loss. Picking up a photo frame by his computer, he sighed, "All because of you!"

Chapter 8 is here!!! (PS: After watching the MV of 'Maple,' watching 'Rainbow Paradise' gives a great feeling. These are two parts of the same MV, I recommend checking it out! —)

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