Chapter 34: "The Camellia"

ps: At last, the second reward has arrived. Thank you to the cool girl for your support.

Pouring your heart into a song? That isn’t something easily achieved, and everyone present was familiar with the concept. From the very day they chose to become singers, each had striven to express their music from the depths of their soul. Yet, few had truly managed it.

First, as a singer, one must have a basic understanding of the song—know the story hidden behind it. Then, you must immerse yourself in that story, become its protagonist, and through your own emotions, fully convey the song. Simply put, it’s about merging yourself with the song and singing its story with your voice. When this heartfelt performance reaches a certain level, it even draws listeners into that world.

But with less than a day before the competition, and the live broadcast scheduled for the evening, it was almost impossible to suddenly integrate and harmonize with a completely unfamiliar song, then perform it from the heart.

Undoubtedly, this was a challenge as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Yang Wei seemed to sense the thoughts of the contestants and wasted no words. He signaled to an assistant behind him. The assistant distributed a stack of songbooks to the eight contestants. When it came to Lin Chuan, Yang Wei strode over.

A cold smile appeared on his face. "Lin Chuan, I didn’t expect you to make it to the top eight. It’s quite a surprise. This song, 'Camellia,' is specially prepared for you by the production team. Take it, practice well. I hope you’ll use your own strength to bring us a surprise. Don’t let everyone down!"

As Yang Wei spoke, a flicker of slyness and satisfaction flashed in his eyes, barely perceptible. Clearly, the song 'Camellia' was not as simple as it appeared.

"Thank you, I’ll do my best," Lin Chuan replied, his expression unchanged as he took the songbook.

Yang Wei nodded with a smile and returned to his previous spot.

At this moment, Huang Quan approached and whispered, "Chuan, what song did they give you?"

"'Camellia,'" Lin Chuan replied slowly.

"What? That song? Yang Wei is obviously setting you up!" Hearing the name, Huang Quan’s face changed dramatically.

"What do you mean? Is it a hard song?" Lin Chuan had already suspected that Yang Wei wouldn’t pass up a chance for revenge. But seeing Huang Quan’s reaction, his heart sank.

Huang Quan pondered for a moment, then sighed and explained what he knew.

'Camellia' was a song from over a decade ago, written, composed, and performed by a single singer. When he wrote it, he was inspired by feelings of homesickness. Because both lyrics and performance came from the same person, the song was infused with a deep longing for home, moving listeners to tears.

Later, many singers attempted to cover 'Camellia,' but none could capture the original’s essence, as they couldn’t grasp the profound emotion of homesickness.

Lin Chuan might have some talent in music, but to render the song’s atmosphere, especially given so little time, seemed impossible. Even seasoned singers would find it an unattainable feat.

Seeing Huang Quan’s gloomy expression, Lin Chuan smiled gently. "Looks like this song is quite a challenge!"

"You can still smile? I can’t tell if you’re optimistic or just overconfident," Huang Quan said, almost reproachfully.

"Don’t worry. However difficult, it’s just a song—not some incomprehensible puzzle," Lin Chuan answered cheerfully.

Huang Quan simply shook his head and fell silent.

A while later, as everyone pored over their songbooks, Yang Wei spoke: "Alright, you all know your competition songs. The program has arranged individual rooms for you. Staff will guide you there. Time is short, but if you focus, you may achieve results beyond expectation..."

The contestants inwardly scoffed at Yang Wei’s words. What does it mean, "if you focus, you may achieve unexpected results"? If it’s so easy, why doesn’t he try it himself?

But no one voiced these thoughts. After all, Yang Wei was a judge. Offending him might cost a chance to advance.

Soon, several staff members arrived and led the eight contestants in different directions.

Lin Chuan’s room was neither large nor small. It was equipped with drums, electric guitars, basses—everything one might need.

"Mr. Lin Chuan, please rest here. When it’s your turn, we’ll come for you," a staff member instructed before leaving.

Lin Chuan glanced around, then sat on the sofa and opened his songbook.

The lyrics to 'Camellia' were beautiful, centered on the flower, almost like a modern poem. Lin Chuan read them several times but couldn’t grasp their meaning.

However, in the chorus, he sensed a profound anger from the singer who wrote the song.

"What could have made him so angry?" Lin Chuan murmured.

He couldn’t understand what the homesickness in the song truly meant. If it was merely longing for home, why was there anger?

The more he thought, the more it eluded him, until his mind was muddled.

Only then did he realize why no cover singer could capture the song’s essence. The lyrics alone didn’t let you understand the original singer’s feelings.

But suddenly, an image appeared in Lin Chuan’s mind—a mountain, covered in camellias of every color.

Red, white, yellow, purple, black—all vivid. These camellias formed a sea of flowers, breathtakingly beautiful.

Then, he heard the tinkling laughter of young girls. Though he couldn’t see them, he felt their laughter brimmed with freedom and a yearning for sunlight.

Gradually, he was enchanted by their laughter, never having heard anything so lovely.

He wished he could stay here forever, in this mountain, never leave. Money, fame, status—none of it mattered.

Next, he saw people wearing headscarves and carrying bamboo baskets, bending among the camellias. He didn’t know what they were doing, but from their faces, he sensed the joy and satisfaction of labor.

Suddenly, the scene changed—a thunderous noise rose from below the mountain.

Excavators and modern machines advanced toward the mountain.

With a deafening blast, the mountain shook—someone was blasting it.

Instantly, the girls’ laughter and the laborers vanished. In their place were villagers, desperately pleading around the excavators. Seeing this, Lin Chuan grew angry, knowing what would happen next.

The scene shifted rapidly—the mountain full of camellias disappeared, the lush meadows vanished, even the crystal-clear streams were filled in.

Towering buildings rose, factories belched smoke.

The tranquil landscape was replaced by bustling crowds and traffic.

The paradise he first saw had become a modern city.

Never again would he hear carefree laughter or see faces radiant with happiness in their work.

Lin Chuan was furious. As he withdrew from the vision, his face turned ashen. Now, he understood the original singer’s feelings.

Homesickness wasn’t simply being unable to return home. It was that home had changed beyond recognition.

Holding the songbook, reading the longing between the lines, Lin Chuan wept and softly began to sing the song...

Meanwhile, in a warehouse-like room where equipment was neatly stacked, a man whose face was hidden stood with his back to the door, gazing out the window.

Behind him stood another man. If Lin Chuan were there, he would recognize Yang Wei, the one who always gave him trouble.

"Are you sure 'Camellia' will stop him today?" the man at the window asked quietly.

"Rest assured. No one can capture the original essence of 'Camellia,' especially him—he’s a rookie," Yang Wei replied smugly.

"Hmph. Let’s hope you’re right. If he advances, it will be a problem for the rest of the competition," the man said coldly.

Yang Wei nodded eagerly, "I guarantee it—his luck ends tonight!"

"Guarantee? Do you even deserve to use that word?" the man sneered.

Despite the insult, Yang Wei was not angry, but ingratiating. "Yes, yes. But please rest assured—with my arrangements, he won’t advance. The championship will be yours."

The man said nothing more, but his gaze out the window flickered with uncertainty.