Ten minutes until the concert begins!
Stage testing is complete, and all lighting and sound equipment are functioning normally.
Music is already playing in the venue, and the audience members are holding sky-blue light sticks, twinkling like stars in the night sky.
The live stream is on!
One million!
Three million!
Five million!
Popularity is increasing at a rate of a million per second!
The chat box instantly refreshes at lightning speed.
"They're here, they're here! This is Ting Yu's first concert since his debut!"
"Damn, I'm so jealous of those who can attend in person!"
"Actually, if you can watch the live stream online, it doesn't really matter if you go in person."
"Nonsense, who goes to a concert just to listen to songs? Concerts are about experiencing the live atmosphere, that feeling of being surrounded by people who love the same person, singing along with the artist, and reminiscing about your own stories with the songs!"
"Ting Yu is my youth. It's a pity I couldn't grab concert tickets."
"Don't worry, there will be opportunities in the future."
"Will there really be opportunities in the future?"
"In the future... maybe?"
...
The camera sweeps across the audience.
The concert hasn't started yet.
The large screen in the venue is also showing the real-time feed from the live stream.
When many audience members see themselves appearing on screen, they excitedly wave their light sticks.
As the camera moves closer to the front rows.
Some familiar faces appear.
The Kings and Queens of Chinese music!
And Film Kings and Queens!
Each of them is given a close-up shot.
When the camera focuses on them, they all smile and wave at the lens.
Cheers and shouts erupt from the venue, wave after wave.
The gathering of so many influential figures reminds many of the widely circulated saying.
"You might not be a Ting Yu fan, but your idol is definitely a Ting Yu fan!"
Ting Yu represents an era.
He represents the youth of many.
He is a legend, a leader in the Chinese music scene!
"Teacher Mo Yan, I knew Teacher Mo Yan would be here!"
"By the way, how did they get tickets?"
"That's obvious. These big shots wouldn't be queuing for tickets. Concerts have guest areas, these seats are all arranged internally."
"Mo Yan, Fang Lingyu, Jiang Qian, Chen Shuhao, the 'Four Gods' are all here!"
"With a lineup of guests like this, only a Ting Yu concert can manage it, right?"
"Holy cow, look who that is! Isn't that Qi Shenghua from Dingsheng Entertainment?"
"And Li Hongyi from Guangnian Entertainment! These are the CEOs of the four major entertainment companies. I didn't expect them to show up too!"
"The national team athletes are here too! Li Yuliang from the orchestral version of 'Chi Ling', Qian Hongliang from 'Jing Zhong Bao Guo', and the singers who sang his songs on the Spring Festival Gala!"
"Ting Yu's concert has the entire Chinese music scene gathered!"
Every shot, every guest.
Causes roaring cheers from the audience!
Each of these people is a big shot in their respective industries. For other singers, inviting just one would be enough to trend on hot searches, but for Ting Yu's concert, they all came!
Every single one of them!
At this moment.
The camera returns to the main stage.
Unlike concerts by other singers, the lighting on the band members is bright, and the camera focuses on them, giving each a close-up shot!
The band members look visibly stunned, then their eyes gleam with emotion.
This is because backstage workers like the band and backup singers usually don't get credited or have any presence, let alone camera time, yet they are an indispensable part of a concert.
Although these close-up shots are brief.
They bestow great respect upon them.
And let them feel the sense of being respected.
The backup singers are from the singer group: Lin Yanyu, Gong Juren, Jiang Xiao'e, Zhang Wei, Zhang Xiaoqi, the Shen siblings, and the brothers Zhao De and Zhou Tao are all present!
After everyone has been shown.
*Snap!*
The stage lights dim.
Then.
The music begins!
The piano melody is clear and touching.
Carrying a faint sense of sadness.
Those who attend the concert are all Ting Yu fans, so they are familiar with his songs. Many can even recognize the song just from the intro.
And when the intro to this song plays.
Many people's eyes light up!
"Later, I finally learned how to love,
But sadly, you had already gone, lost in the crowd,
Later, in tears, I finally understood,
That some people, once missed, are gone forever…"
Under the spotlight, Su Yu slowly rises from the stage lift, reaching the center of the stage.
This song, "Later," was Su Yu's first song after coming to this world.
It is also the breakout hit for Jiang Xiao'e of the singer group.
In the online voting, "Later" received a very high number of votes, not just because it's a song, but because it signifies the beginning of a legend.
This time, Su Yu does not use his versatile voice or his signature vocalization and singing style. Instead, he uses a clear tone, a voice that has never been heard before.
It is the voice of his memory, from his previous life.
Clear, with a hint of hoarseness, caused by vocal cord damage from prolonged practice, but this adds more storytelling to the timbre.
"Gardenia white petals,
Fall upon my blue pleated skirt,
I love you, you softly say,
I lower my head and smell a waft of fragrance
…
Later, I finally learned how to love,
But sadly, you had already gone, lost in the crowd…"
Unknowingly.
The audience in the venue begins to sing along with him.
Ting Yu has been active for four years. Four years is not a long time, but it's not short either.
It's enough for high school students to enter university, for university students to enter society, and for a relationship to fade or be cemented.
How many four-year periods does one have in a lifetime? This song has accompanied everyone through their youthful years. It's not just a song; it's the youth of many.
Whether a song can become a classic depends on whether it can resonate, whether it can evoke memories of the time when the audience first heard it at the moment the music begins.
And "Later," having been popular for so many years, is undoubtedly a timeless classic.
It carries the youth of many, and the regrets of many.
Just as the lyrics say.
Some people, once missed, are gone forever.
Whether that person from back then is still by your side or not, it represents a story worth reminiscing.
Many people, singing along, found their eyes welling up with tears as they sang.
As the song reaches its final section.
The music in the venue suddenly stops.
Just as the audience thinks something has gone wrong.
Su Yu on stage slowly raises his hand.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
The moment the music starts again.
The audience, in perfect unison, begins to sing along!
"Later, I finally learned how to love,
But sadly, you had already gone, lost in the crowd…"
As the entire venue sings together, many audience members can no longer hold back, waving their light sticks, tears streaming down their faces.
It's not that the song is incredibly moving, but rather the memories flashing through their minds. They can't quite articulate the feeling, but the tears just keep coming.
And as the song continues, that feeling gradually becomes clearer.
It turns out.
This is everyone's youth!
…
ps: The story will be nearing its end after the concert.