"How did I come to be obsessed with you?
I ask myself.
I could give up everything, yet today I find it so hard to leave.
You are not beautiful, but you are adorable to the extreme! Oh, Cinderella, my Cinderella."
The strings hummed, a simple melody. Lu Chen’s voice was slightly deep, carrying a hint of nostalgia and melancholy.
In Lu Chen’s Dream World, this song had been composed by a highly talented rock singer for his first love, a story that held a deeply moving history. Although the story’s ending was not a perfect one, the song’s charm was undeniable. It had touched countless people, been played and performed by many, and had become a true, timeless classic.
In terms of emotion, it shared much with "The You of the Same Desk"—both carried a sense of fate—but this song was more heartfelt and sincere, expressing the singer's own willful self-reproach and his pursuit of love.
When Lu Chen sang it for the first time in this world, it still managed to strike a chord in everyone’s heart. The couples present were particularly moved. A boy gripped his girlfriend’s hand tightly, even though she was gazing longingly at Lu Chen on stage.
*Because you are my Cinderella!*
"I always break your heart,
I am always so cruel. I tell you not to take it seriously,
Because I dare not believe it.
You are so beautiful, and you are adorable to the extreme. Oh, Cinderella, my Cinderella."
It was as if the whole world had fallen silent. Everyone was listening to Lu Chen’s voice. A misty sheen of moisture appeared in the eyes of many young women; they were so moved they could not speak, their very breath hitching.
"If this is a dream, I would rather be drunk and never wake.
I once endured, I waited so long, perhaps waiting for you to come, perhaps waiting for you to come, perhaps waiting for you to come."
Even after the song ended, no one spoke.
"A song called 'Cinderella,'" Lu Chen said softly. "My first time performing it, I hope you all like it."
Then the applause broke out. It started as a single clap, then another, soon swelling like a summer downpour, but it quickly became rhythmic and unified. Many customers stood up to applaud Lu Chen. There was no noise, no rowdiness—only fervent applause. The young women, in particular, clapped until their palms were red.
This "Cinderella" lacked a grand, impassioned melody; it had no dramatic, soaring climax. It didn't make one’s blood boil, but it could quietly slip into the listener’s soul, leaving them involuntarily touched by the subtle yet intense emotions within the song. Most importantly, they were the first audience to hear it. If "Cinderella" ever became a widely known classic, they could proudly boast to others—I was the very first to appreciate this song; I witnessed its birth!
Could "Cinderella" become a classic? The answers might vary, but everyone had to admit: this was a truly great song. It had feeling, it had love, and it had a soul!
The applause lasted for several full minutes—a scene never before seen at Forget-Me-Not Bar, a level of reception neither the Hesitation Band nor Sister Na had ever received.
Someone shouted, "Do it again!"
His request was met with unanimous agreement, and the crowd loudly demanded that Lu Chen sing it again.
Lu Chen, however, smiled and shook his head. He spoke into the microphone: "Thank you all for your support, but I will only sing this song once tonight, because I see some girls here have tears in their eyes."
He rested his elbow on the guitar lying across his lap and pressed his palms together, bowing toward the right side of the stage in apology.
The area directly in front of Lu Chen was Table 035, where Xiao Mi and her three roommates were sitting. Among the four girls, two were already red-eyed. Seeing that the attention of the crowd had shifted toward them following Lu Chen’s gesture, the girls blushed in embarrassment, and those two quickly wiped the tears from their eyes with the backs of their hands.
College girls were romantic and sentimental, easily moved by a melancholic song.
Lu Chen continued, "My mother once told me that a girl’s tears are the most precious things of all. She said that no matter what, I must never let a girl shed tears, otherwise, it’s a crime."
Soft laughter erupted in the bar.
After a pause, Lu Chen sighed, "I think I am already guilty of a heinous crime, so I cannot sing it again."
The light laughter turned into a roar of amusement, and the melancholic atmosphere that had filled the bar vanished instantly. Xiao Mi’s roommates couldn't help but laugh; even with tears still in their eyes, they were grinning happily.
Xiao Mi wanted to laugh but held back, silently cursing to herself, "Annoying!"
Lu Chen did not know he had been labeled "annoying" by a girl. He wasn't refusing to sing "Cinderella" again out of pride or to play hard to get; he had already performed "The You of the Same Desk" twice, followed by "Cinderella," and the atmosphere he had created was already sufficient.
As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little; knowing when to stop is the key. He took the opportunity to leave the stage, turning it over to the host, planning to return around 9:00 PM to sing two more songs.
Resident singers had fixed performance times and a base salary. The real bulk of the income came from tips and performance splits; Lu Chen would make much more tonight than he had yesterday. But Lu Chen knew very well that this rhythm of earning money was temporary and unsustainable. It relied on two good original songs. While he had more and better songs in his arsenal, he didn't feel they were worth wasting in a bar.
"The You of the Same Desk" and "Cinderella" were already enough to serve as his signature repertoire here. The stage at Forget-Me-Not Bar was too small to contain Lu Chen’s soaring heart. Of course, for the moment, he had no plans to leave.
Backstage, Sister Na gave Lu Chen a big hug.
She smiled and said, "Xiao Lu, you’ve surprised me—it’s such a wonderful surprise. You sang well, really well!"
Sister Na had been in this industry for decades. Although she had never made it big, she knew how to appreciate music better than the average customer and could judge the potential of an original song. Both "The You of the Same Desk" and "Cinderella" had made her look at Lu Chen with new eyes.
Compared to Sister Na’s sincerity, the smiles from Li Hong, Ye Zhenyang, and the others were much more strained. Ye Zhenyang, in particular, looked at Lu Chen with unconcealable jealousy.
Two truly original pieces with the potential to become hits—how could Lu Chen be so lucky? Ye Zhenyang had been in the business far longer than Lu Chen. As a fellow "drifter in Beijing," he had his own dreams and ambitions; he, too, had once wanted to write a few great songs.
In the pop music circle, some singers would catch a momentary spark of inspiration to write a hit, and then rely on that one song to make a living all over the country, living quite comfortably. But no matter how hard Ye Zhenyang wracked his brain, stringing notes together, the songs he wrote, while not exactly terrible, were mediocre and unremarkable, not even worth the 500 yuan to register in the Greater China Music Library. In the end, he had just given up in frustration.
Seeing Lu Chen produce two good songs in a row, jealousy gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake. He couldn't bring himself to congratulate Lu Chen; he could barely maintain his fake smile.
"I'm going out to take a look," Ye Zhenyang said, making up an excuse to leave. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, the fire of jealousy would burn him to ashes.
Just as he pulled the door open, he saw Chen Jianhao standing right in front of him. He was startled and quickly greeted him, "Boss."
Chen Jianhao nodded, then gestured toward Lu Chen in the room. "Xiao Lu, come with me. Someone wants to buy your songs."
Buy songs?
Someone actually wanted to buy songs from Lu Chen! Ye Zhenyang was stunned, not even knowing how he walked away. Lu Chen was also taken aback. Sister Na smiled and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Go on!"
She was clearly a little worried and added, "Remember, don't sell them too cheaply!"
Lu Chen collected his wits and smiled. "Thanks, Sister Na. I'll be going now."
After he left with Chen Jianhao, only Sister Na, Li Hong, and Wang Xiaoshuai were left in the large room. The latter two looked at each other, as if they couldn't believe what had just happened.
Li Hong hesitated for a moment and said to Sister Na, "Sister Na, aren't you being a bit, bit..."
She was cautious, trying to find the right words. Li Hong was also a woman over thirty, not particularly striking in appearance, so she and Sister Na had a very good relationship at the bar and shared much in common. Because of this, she dared to ask things others wouldn't.
Sister Na smiled. "You want to say I’m overestimating Xiao Lu?"
Li Hong laughed sheepishly but didn't deny it.
Sister Na said softly, "Xiao Lu hasn't been in the business long, and his level wasn't high before, but he has talent and potential. And now that he has shown his gift, I don't think Forget-Me-Not can hold him."
"What I can be sure of is that Xiao Lu won't leave immediately. I understand how Ye Zhenyang feels, but I know that Xiao Lu is a person who values relationships and respects his seniors, doesn't he?"
Li Hong nodded silently. She knew Sister Na’s words were meant for her, as well as for Ye Zhenyang and Wang Xiaoshuai. The meaning was clear.
Whether they were convinced or not, Lu Chen, who could bring out two outstanding original works, was no longer on the same level as them. His future would be limitless. To work with someone like him was both fate and an opportunity. If they held onto jealousy like Ye Zhenyang, they would miss out on the opportunity and gain nothing at all.
But would Lu Chen really have a day of great success?
Li Hong still found it hard to believe, or more accurately, she didn't want to believe it.
The subtle shift in Li Hong’s expression did not escape Sister Na’s notice, but she said no more. Opportunities required one to seize them, and some things had to be realized on one's own! As for whether others could understand, she wouldn't worry about it.