"What's wrong?" Su Yu asked from the side.
"Dog... Su Yu, this songwriter has the same WeChat username as yours."
In her excitement, she almost called Su Yu "Doggy."
She had added Su Yu using the identity of Lin Yanyu, so he wouldn't suspect her asking this question.
"Isn't it normal for usernames to be the same..." Su Yu was initially stunned, then said smoothly without a trace.
"This song really isn't written by you?"
"Do you think I, a freshman, could write a song like this?"
"Uh... not necessarily. You're so talented, you can even write 'Wedding in a Dream.'"
"Alright, let's go. The staff will be here to usher us out soon."
Most of the people in the screening hall had already left.
Under Su Yu's urging, Lin Yanyu nodded.
She followed him out of the cinema.
On the way, she took out her phone and searched for the song online.
She didn't have earphones, so she played it through her phone's speaker, but the volume was low, audible only to her and Su Yu, who was close by.
"Is it that good?" Su Yu asked from the side.
"Of course, it's incredibly good. Su Yu, you're not in the industry yet, so you don't know how difficult it is to come up with a good song in the music scene nowadays."
"Songs like 'Later,' even senior producers might not be able to write them."
Lin Yanyu grinned at him.
In the Chinese music scene, traffic is king. Many producers tend to create songs on an assembly line, and most of the songs on the charts are "catchy tunes."
Fewer and fewer people put their heart into creating music.
"By the way, you're in the composition department, and you're so talented. You'll definitely become a great producer in the future. When that time comes, I'll ask you for a song, and you should give me a discount."
She stopped and teased Su Yu.
"Heh, don't worry. When a big star requests a song, I'll definitely give you a friendly price."
Su Yu waved his hand, saying generously.
"No promises, let's pinky swear."
Lin Yanyu extended her delicate hand.
However, her pretty face inexplicably flushed.
*If I use this excuse to touch Doggy's hand, will it seem lewd...?*
"This... okay."
Su Yu hesitated, then extended his hand, intertwining his little finger with Lin Yanyu's.
"Hehe, pinky swear, no take-backsies for a hundred years..."
...
After the premiere of "Us Back Then," the internet erupted.
Forums on various university campuses were filled with posts discussing this youth romance film.
On the forum of Su Yu's alma mater, Shuangqing Academy of Arts, the top few posts were no longer about gossip surrounding Lin Yanyu.
Instead, they were discussions about the movie "Us Back Then."
Because the singer of "Later" was Jiang Xiao'e from the Vocal Music Department, the school had specifically put up a large banner on its homepage congratulating Jiang Xiao'e.
"I'm in the cinema right now, just finished watching this movie. A friendly reminder, absolutely do not listen to the end credits song, it's a waste of paper..."
"The guy above is not just wasting paper, he's also wasting cigarettes..."
"No offense, but I'm a grown man, and this is the first time I've cried like a dog in a cinema."
"I declare 'Us Back Then' the most awesome youth film of the year!"
"The movie is decent, barely passes, but that end credit song called 'Later' is freaking amazing. Most importantly, the singer is our senior!"
"Senior Jiang is awesome! Where are the Vocal Music Department students? Post some photos of the senior!"
"The one above, there are photos posted downstairs."
"Wow! The girl-next-door type, I like it!"
"Is our school about to have another goddess-level idol singer?"
"What are you guys waiting for? Go ask for her WeChat before she gets too famous!"
"I'm already at the Vocal Music Department..."
"Damn it, you guys are not human. Wait for me!"
"..."
Jiang Xiao'e, in the classroom, looked at the large crowd gathered outside, all looking for her.
Her eyes turned red, and she was overcome with joy and tears.
She closed the school forum and opened WeChat, sending a message to Su Yu.
"Teacher Su, thank you!"
She knew that she had now truly entered the dream circle.
All of this was thanks to Su Yu.
If Su Yu hadn't let her sing this song, she would still be an unknown newcomer.
...
Doubao Movie Reviews.
China's most authoritative movie review website.
"Us Back Then," due to its delayed release, had its reputation on the verge of collapse.
The rating had once dropped to 4.0.
On the premiere day, it directly climbed to 8.2.
And it was still trending upwards.
Below were comments almost entirely discussing the song "Later."
Some people even directly stated that a song had saved the movie.
Beijing.
Inside an office building.
The creative team and investors were in a meeting.
Director Zhang Li looked at the high rating projected on the screen.
He couldn't stop smiling.
"We've finally managed to salvage it," the producer said with relief.
Under normal circumstances, a rating that had already collapsed would be almost impossible to save.
Because of the delay and postponement, the first impression on the audience was already very poor.
Furthermore, the delay was too long, and the creative team had been heavily criticized.
Even if the movie was good, it would be difficult to recover.
Unexpectedly, because of a theme song, they had managed to make a comeback, and the results were unexpectedly good.
The investors also finally showed smiles: "With this momentum, our box office is likely to explode!"
"Haha, all thanks to this theme song!" Zhang Li flipped through the comments, laughing heartily.
"You previously said that a freshman couldn't write good songs. Now it seems my 800,000 was well spent, right?" the producer muttered with a strange expression.
"Ahem... well spent, incredibly well spent!"
"You found Tingyu for the theme song this time, so you deserve the most credit. Your bonus will be doubled!"
Zhang Li coughed twice. To silence the producer, he directly promised benefits.
Moreover, a song that fit the movie so perfectly was a rare find. The producer had only spent 800,000 on it this time, saving the crew a lot of money, so giving him a bonus was appropriate.
"Then thank you, Director Zhang!" The producer grinned and stopped bringing up the matter that made the director embarrassed.
...
Shuangqing City.
Xinghui Entertainment.
Zhao Yuan stared at the computer screen in front of her, remaining silent for a long time.
Aru, standing beside her, also kept quiet.
Suddenly, she put down the mouse, let out a long sigh, and leaned back in her chair, a smile appearing on her usually cool face.
"Aru, have the publicity department go all out to promote the song 'Later'!"
"Also, send messages to all major music platforms, I want their homepage recommendations."
Zhao Yuan looked up and said to Aru beside her.
"Ms. Zhao, Su Yu is a junior producer. Giving him such promotional resources might cause dissatisfaction among the higher-ups..."
Aru was initially surprised by Zhao Yuan's high regard for the song, then cautiously reminded her.
At Xinghui Entertainment, except for those two senior producers, even mid-level producers didn't receive such treatment.
After all, asking major music platforms for homepage recommendations involved enormous expenses.
This was a risky decision.
If Su Yu's song didn't resonate with the public, the company might suffer a total loss, and Zhao Yuan, who made this decision, would be held responsible.
"Just do your job well. Don't worry about the higher-ups; I'll handle it."
Zhao Yuan picked up the cooled cup of coffee from the table, took a sip, and said indifferently.
"Then... alright."
Aru knew Zhao Yuan's temperament and didn't try to persuade her further.
However, the surprise in her eyes never diminished.
Is this Su Yu really that capable?
Even the usually calm and collected Ms. Zhao was willing to take such a big risk for him.