Chapter 138: "Young and Promising" Is Painfully Realistic

"Young and Promising" is a song written, composed, arranged, and performed by Li Ronghao. It won the 2018 Billboard Radio China Top Ten Golden Melody Award.

There is a funny quip about Li Ronghao: "You will never be able to earn a single cent from me." This is because when Li Ronghao produces a song, he handles everything himself—lyrics, composition, arrangement, vocals, instruments, harmonies, strings, recording, mixing, and mastering. He is a one-man team, with no need to pay anyone else to do the work. This is possible because, before his official debut as a singer, Li Ronghao was a mixing engineer who also wrote songs for others. Consequently, he is capable of every step of music production.

The lyrics of "Young and Promising" are not flowery; instead, they use simple, plain words to tell a story buried deep within the heart. It is a story that is heartbreaking, yet it belongs to the past, leaving nothing behind but blessings. Therefore, the song does not rely on hysterical shouting, but rather, from a place of life experience, it reflects on the past with a mature tone.

Fang Xing used to sing this song often. The more he sang it, the more he understood what the lyrics expressed. Many of the stories written in the lyrics were things Fang Xing had experienced himself: the television, the smashed wallboard, and a bowl of warm porridge. Having lived through it, he felt it deeply. During those days on the verge of despair, Fang Xing was too afraid to even see people; he just wanted to lock himself in a basement, letting loneliness and despair consume him.

Like the lyrics described, Fang Xing had smashed a wallboard—though the wall didn't break, his fist did. Because he had lived through these things, even knowing that this song wasn't ideal for a competition, he still had to choose it. Singing is, after all, a way to express emotion. What Fang Xing wanted was to use this song to convey what was in his heart. This is something that must be pursued once vocal technique reaches a certain level.

...

The stage lights dimmed, and the venue fell silent.

As the spotlight shone down, Fang Xing stood in the light, head bowed, his silence exuding a profound sense of loneliness. Before the prelude even began, the story within the song had already started to permeate the air. Then, the piano melody from the band emerged, and the prelude commenced.

Fang Xing raised his microphone and began to sing in a deep, plain voice:

"The TV keeps flickering, I haven't deleted your contact info.
The kindness you showed me, I ruined with my own hands.
We once thought about finding a place to sleep and eat.
But how could we endure it? Turning day into night, we couldn't even scrape together a down payment..."

These four lines, devoid of flowery language, told a story faced by many young people. With rising housing prices, working hard is no longer enough to get by. When you meet the person you want to spend your life with, you hope for a place to call your own. Yet, even with working around the clock, you still can't afford a down payment. These seemingly ordinary lyrics were written too realistically—so realistic that it was a bit cruel.

The days Fang Xing spent in a basement were lived in exactly this kind of cruel state of mind. The first four lines of the verse, sung in a plain voice that seemed to possess a certain magic, exposed this reality of despair to the audience. The entire studio fell silent, and the audience listened with heavy expressions, as if they could feel the hidden despair and silent screaming behind the plain vocals.

If the verse could pull the audience into the story, the song was already half-successful. However, Fang Xing did not focus on the audience's reaction; he was fully immersed in the song:

"The wallboard, I smashed it, and it still hasn't been fixed.
A bowl of warm porridge, you were afraid I wouldn't have enough, and left half for me to take.
Describing a beautiful future to you, your eyes would often turn red..."

As the verse reached the final four lines, the emotion progressed once more. The first four lines told the origin of the story, while the latter four told the process. "Smashed the wallboard"—a simple phrase that captured so much helplessness and struggle. "A bowl of warm porridge"—that alone exhausted all the kindness she had shown him. Two people who loved each other simply could not defeat reality.

Fang Xing clearly remembered that she, too, had once looked forward to the future with him, painting a picture of a happy life to come. To have a home, a job, a life, and a child—making life complete in each other's hands. But reality and time changed everything. Those two years in the basement turned all those beautiful visions into bubbles. Both knew the other cared, but the more they cared, the harder it was to face reality. A single sentence like "I don't need your pity," fueled by a perceived threat to his pride, could ruin everything. At the time, Fang Xing thought it was pride, but later he realized it was actually inferiority. Extreme pride is, in itself, inferiority.

After hearing the final four lines of the verse, the audience's chests began to heave; they felt the story, and they felt the heavy struggle within it.

It was painful. That was the audience's first impression of the song. It was too real—real enough that people were afraid to recall such memories.

...

In the waiting area for the established singers, the performers were sitting in the main hall, chatting occasionally between performances. However, when Fang Xing began to sing, no one spoke. Furthermore, the more a person had experienced setbacks, the more they could feel the terrifyingly real helplessness and struggle in this song.

Shen Xiyin’s expression turned somber as she listened. She had never experienced these things, so she didn't feel it quite as deeply, but she knew the story was real. Having seen similar things with her own eyes, she was still moved. Moreover, after hearing the verse, she immediately realized that this song was a completely different style from Liu Hongsheng’s "Past Memories."

Because "Past Memories" was a TV drama theme song, while very popular, the lyrics were somewhat detached from reality. The story it told was one that only characters living in a drama would have. "Young and Promising" was the exact opposite; it told a story from everyday life—even one's own life. Thus, the two songs felt different: one floated in the air, clearly a romance drama story, while the other was too real, suffocatingly so.

...

Fang Xing did not shout out the heartbreaking emotions in his heart; instead, like someone who had weathered the storms of life, he hid his emotions and guilt deep within. Therefore, when the chorus arrived, the emotional expression remained restrained:

"If I had been young and promising, and not so insecure, I would have understood what was precious.
Those beautiful dreams, I never gave them to you, and I have felt guilty my whole life.
If I had been young and promising and known how to advance and retreat, I wouldn't have let you suffer for me.
At the wedding, I'll have a few extra drinks, with the one you're with now..."

The chorus sang of regret and guilt. If only, at that time, he had been young and promising, perhaps everything would have been different. But there are no "ifs" in life. The hardships and setbacks he experienced could never be changed. This relationship might have had arguments, complaints, and misunderstandings, but after experiencing more of life, all that remained was "guilt." Because the promise of those beautiful things was never fulfilled, there was no hatred in this love, only guilt. Because he met the right person at the wrong time, and by the time the right time came, everything had changed.

What is past is past, and not disturbing them is the final act of care. This regret could only remain buried in the heart, becoming a mutual memory. When they meet again, they can still smile and nod, like two familiar strangers.

Fang Xing poured the emotions hidden in his heart into the song. A voice full of story sang into the hearts of the audience. It was so real that people were afraid to listen a second time, yet they often found themselves thinking of it, unable to resist listening again.

By the final chorus, the melody and accompaniment became more intense. Fang Xing’s emotions progressed again, striking the audience's souls once more.

"If I had been young and promising, and not so insecure, I would have tasted the flavor of regret.
Money and status—I fought for them, but now I long to give them back..."

When the final verse ended, the accompaniment began to recede, the melody returned to calm, and he sang the final line:

"At the wedding, I'll have a few extra drinks, wishing me a young and promising life."

This line. It wasn't wishing the current "me" a young and promising life. It was for the "me" of the past. This was also the most regretful line of the entire song. If that "me" of the past—who lived in a basement, faced life, struggled desperately, and was covered in scars—could have been young and promising, there wouldn't have been so many regrets. But there are no "ifs" in life. Everything is beyond return.

After the last line was sung, Fang Xing lowered his head and stood quietly on the stage, slowly pulling his emotions back in. The venue remained quiet. Fang Xing seemed to hear that "me" of the past, facing a desperate life, hiding in a lonely corner, and weeping silently. However, the Fang Xing on stage did not cry; he quietly collected his emotions, took the helplessness and struggle that had surged from his heart, and put them all back, sealing them away once more.

Seeing this, many of the audience members' eyes began to turn red. Some even quietly wiped the corners of their eyes with their sleeves. A man in the audience, tears streaming down his face, gritted his teeth and cursed, "This song is so painful to listen to, I really don't want to vote."

"I came to watch a show; can't it make me a little happier?"

The surrounding audience felt the same.

"This song is truly messed up!"

"This damn singer, he’s so young and has already achieved so much—he clearly *is* young and promising. Why would he write such a messed-up song!"

It wasn't just the audience. The other competing singers were also touched by the song. When Liu Hongsheng finished his performance, his expression had been excited. He had performed well that night, even better than in rehearsals. Moreover, the arrangement was magnificent, and the audience's reaction had been very enthusiastic. He had felt that first place that night was in the bag. However, after listening to Fang Xing’s "Young and Promising," his expression turned somber.

In truth, Liu Hongsheng hadn't been a superstar the moment he debuted. In the era he debuted, technology wasn't as advanced as it is now. When he first started, he released albums that no one bought, sang in bars, and had liquor bottles thrown at him. He had experienced everything in "Young and Promising," just in different forms. Therefore, even viewing the song with a critical eye, he was still touched. It was easy to imagine what kind of reaction the audience would have.

Furthermore, after these few rounds of competition, Liu Hongsheng felt more and more how terrifying Fang Xing was. The melody and lyrics of "Young and Promising" were clearly very plain. There were no grand tunes or flowery words, yet Fang Xing sang these plain words right into the hearts of the audience. Singing a flashy song well isn't hard—if your vocal technique is up to par, you can do it. But to sing a plain song so that it cuts to the bone and enters the hearts of the audience—that is incredibly difficult.

Yet, Fang Xing had done it, and even his opponents were moved by his singing. Liu Hongsheng suddenly began to worry about the night's ranking. He felt that first place was no longer secure. The only reason he still had hope of taking first place made him feel even more helpless: although "Young and Promising" touched the audience's hearts, it might not get a high vote count. Because after listening to the song, the audience would surely feel terrible, and they might not be willing to vote.

...

On stage, after the music had stopped for over ten seconds, He Hao prepared to return to the stage for a brief interaction with Fang Xing. However, without waiting for He Hao, Fang Xing bowed to the audience and said, "I'm sorry." Then, he turned and walked off stage, heading to the backstage restroom to be alone.

He Hao was stunned for a moment, but with his rich hosting experience, he immediately smoothed things over: "It seems this singer is too deeply immersed in the role and needs some quiet time alone. Let’s welcome our next singer. He is tonight's substitute singer, hailing from Chaoshan and trained in Chaozhou opera. Please welcome Wang Tingwei!"

After Fang Xing, there were two more singers to perform: Wang Tingwei and Xie Yuwen. However, the audience had been pulled into the story of "Young and Promising" and couldn't get out. As a result, the songs performed by Wang Tingwei and Xie Yuwen failed to stir the audience's emotions. While performing, they could already sense the audience's lack of interest. They guessed the reason but were powerless. No matter how they performed, they couldn't pull the audience back from "Young and Promising." This also meant that the applause after their performances was sparse.

Once all the singers had finished, the 500 judges began to vote. After the votes were tallied, the production team notified the singers to go to the final ranking announcement hall. The eight singers sat in a row once again. Since Liu Hongsheng performed fourth and Fang Xing fifth, they sat in the two middle chairs. To Fang Xing’s left was the sixth performer, the substitute singer Wang Tingwei.

Wang Tingwei reached out to greet him: "Hello, I’m Wang Tingwei. You sang very well just now."

Fang Xing calmly shook his hand and replied politely: "Hello, I’m Fang Xing. You sang well, too."

Wang Tingwei, being talkative, continued: "I heard you've won two consecutive championships. You might have a three-peat tonight."

"I wouldn't dare say that," Fang Xing replied modestly, waving his hand.

Wang Tingwei’s words were heard by Liu Hongsheng on the other side, making his expression even uglier. After a few minutes, Zheng Tao arrived with the final results and stood before the eight singers. As expected, Zheng Tao continued his habit of building suspense. After going back and forth a few times, he announced the results of the challenger. This time, the challenger did not succeed, and Shen Xiyin maintained her ranking by a narrow margin.

Next, he announced Wang Tingwei’s ranking—third place. Then came Xie Yuwen in fifth and Xu Xinxu in fourth. After all the rankings were announced, only the first and second places remained. The two singers whose rankings hadn't been revealed were Fang Xing and Liu Hongsheng.

"Director Zheng, you're getting meaner. Leaving first and second place to the very end, and it’s Fang Xing and Liu Hongsheng again," said Xie Yuwen. Although her ranking wasn't high, it wasn't too dangerous, so she felt quite relaxed.

Fang Xing and Liu Hongsheng sat next to each other but hadn't spoken a word from start to finish. The air between them seemed to have solidified. Zheng Tao was clearly doing this on purpose. He continued to build suspense: "This time, the vote gap between first and second place is very small—only two votes. First place has 273 votes, and second place has 271. It’s a very close race, one could say they are evenly matched."

Everyone took a deep breath upon hearing the vote count. A two-vote gap was essentially no gap at all. In this situation, either could win first place. Liu Hongsheng adjusted his suit and sat up straight. Hearing the count, he felt he had a chance to win.

Zheng Tao continued: "Since Fang Xing has won two championships in a row, if he takes first place tonight, *Singing Voice* will see its first triple-crown winner. So, will there be a triple-crown winner? What do you all think?"

Xie Yuwen said impatiently, "Hurry up! Do you know how the audience was scolding you in the comments during the first episode?"

Zheng Tao didn't mind at all: "If scolding me can increase viewership, then please, let the audience scold away." He turned to Liu Hongsheng and asked, "Heavenly King Liu, do you think you have a chance to take first place tonight?"

Liu Hongsheng cleared his throat, gestured toward Fang Xing, and said politely, "It's hard to say. Fang Xing’s performance tonight was indeed very good; even I was touched. It's just that after listening to it, I felt a bit heavy."

Zheng Tao kept smiling: "It’s not just you who felt heavy; I did, too." He then looked at Fang Xing: "What about you, Fang Xing? Do you think you can take first place tonight?"

Fang Xing forced a tight-lipped smile and replied, "It's hard to say. While on stage, I heard the audience saying they felt so heavy they didn't want to vote."

Zheng Tao followed up: "Did you think this would be the result beforehand?"

"I did."

"Then why choose this song?"

"Because this song is what I wanted to express. As long as I am satisfied with my performance, nothing else matters," Fang Xing answered.

Zheng Tao nodded: "Alright, officially announcing the first-place ranking for tonight... it is... Fang Xing! Congratulations on becoming the first triple-crown winner of *Singing Voice*. Tonight, the audience proved one thing: as long as the singing can move them, they will respond with their votes. Thank you for your performance of 'Young and Promising' tonight, and thank you for your sincerity."