Chapter 7: Bar Debut
The height of the microphone stand was perfectly level with his lips as he sat. Xiahou Qian gripped the microphone with both hands, eyes slightly downcast. As the accompaniment began, it was as if everything but the music vanished from his ears, the noise of the bar shut out from his world.
For his first song, he chose a popular English track: See You Again.
Xiahou Qian had one foot hooked on the rung of the stool and the other slightly bent, resting on the floor, making it clear that his legs were quite long. Though his head was bowed, his back was held straight. From a distance, his posture looked incredibly elegant, yet up close, it seemed quite casual, tinged with a hint of laziness as he tilted his head.
His right hand tapped out the rhythm on his thigh as if playing a piano. Singing with his head down and eyes lowered, he appeared relaxed and carefree.
His voice, much like his musical talent, was a gift from the heavens. The moment he opened his mouth, he captured the attention of most of the patrons. Everyoneās gaze turned toward the stage. Even those who were still sipping from their glasses kept their eyes fixed on him, their ears listening intently.
Wang Wei, the manager, was also sitting in the audience. He had originally thought Xiahou Qian was just good-looking, but the quality of his singing completely exceeded his expectations. The penetration and emotional resonance of the youth’s voice were incredibleāmagnetic yet ethereal. This English song flowed naturally from him, and while it didn’t lose the natural feel of the original, it carried its own distinct character. It felt like he had found a treasure. But why would such a talent come to a bar instead of an entertainment company?
Naturally, Wang Wei wanted to keep Xiahou Qian. He believed that if Xiahou Qian stayed at Night Color, business would definitely reach a new level. However, he also felt it would be a waste of talent. Gold always shines, and he likely wouldn’t be able to keep him for long. After a moment of thought, he decided to call his boss and ask.
“CEO Lu, we have someone interviewing for the singer position today. He just went on stage and will be singing until 8:00. Do you want to come take a look? …Heās very handsome, and his singing is amazing. …Alright.” Wang Wei emphasized the word “amazing.” He knew his boss would understand what he meant.
As the song ended, the lights on stage brightened, allowing the patrons to clearly see the person on the high stool.
At that moment, Xiahou Qian looked up with a smile. “Hello, everyone. I’m the newcomer here for a singing audition today.”
So handsome!
A Male God!
The women in the audience were practically buzzing with excitement. How could they not be, discovering someone who sang this well and had looks that could outshine the “little fresh meat” of the entertainment industry?
“The next song is an ancient style track…”
As the musical style shifted, Xiahou Qian’s singing technique changed as well. This ancient style song was an original track released on Tianlai by a singer before they had officially debuted. Some people had heard it, but it hadn’t left a deep impression or been considered particularly good. However, after hearing Xiahou Qianās rendition, everyone began searching for the song online. Only when they heard the original did they realize it was nowhere near as good as Xiahou Qianās version.
At 7:30 PM, Lu Ke arrived at the bar. Wang Wei was still listening intently to the singing and didn’t even notice his boss enter until Lu Ke tapped him on the shoulder. He turned with a start to see his boss’s handsome and unrestrained face.
Yes, Lu Ke was the behind-the-scenes owner of Night Color. It seemed the twists of fate were deliberately pulling Xiahou Qian and Chi Shaochen together.
Motioning for Wang Wei to stay quiet, Lu Ke sat down across from him.
Actually, from the moment he stepped into the bar, he had heard Xiahou Qianās voice. It was indeed excellent. Sitting there and watching the person on stage was a visual treat as much as an auditory one. But… why did he find the person on stage somewhat familiar?
He had definitely seen him somewhere, and recently. But where? Lu Ke thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer.
Another song ended. Xiahou Qian picked up a bottle of mineral water from the floor. He waited until the next song’s intro began before recapping the bottle and setting it back down.
“If your gaze could descend upon me for just a moment… If you could hear the sound of a heart breaking… Silently guarding you, silently waiting for a miracle, silently letting myself become like the air… If only you could hear me, see my absolute sincerity, your nose would sting, you would shed tears, if only you could hear me, see my absolute sincerity.”
Lu Ke felt like his whole world was spinning. Damn it, why do I actually want to cry? This was unscientific, right? He looked sideways at Wang Wei, and Wang Wei happened to look back at him. Both were silent. Looking around, everyone else seemed to be in a similar state. Many female patrons were already wiping away tears with napkins.
This song was too “demonic.” No, no, it was the person who was demonic!
At some point, many people had started recording with their phones. The crowd collectively and silently settled into a hushed stillness.
Watching this, Lu Ke curled his lips. He had never seen his bar this quiet. Wang Wei felt it even more deeply than the owner; after all, Lu Ke only sat in occasionally, while Wang Wei was stationed there every day.
The first few songs hadn’t carried particularly intense emotions; people simply thought they sounded good. But this song was inherently sorrowful, and with the “buff” of Xiahou Qianās voice, that sorrow was magnified. For those without similar experiences, it was okay, but for those who had… their emotions became very difficult to control.
Of course, this also had to do with everyone indulging their emotions in the moment.
Xiahou Qian hadn’t intentionally made the song so sad. He simply happened to think of Chi Shaochen while singing it. Since his previous life, he hadn’t understood why a single glance from afar had made him feel as if he were possessed, uncontrollably drawn to him.
Yet to him, Chi Shaochen had always been an unreachable existence. His feelings were much like those written in the song. When he sang it, he naturally infused that bitterness of “seeking but not obtaining” into the lyrics. He didn’t realize that his own sorrow was being transmitted to the audience through his voice.
Seeing people cry, Xiahou Qian didn’t think much of it. At most, he just mentally commented that these people were very emotional.
Fortunately, the remaining songs were more upbeat. A bar was a place for relaxation, after all; it wouldn’t be appropriate if he only sang sad songs.
As the final song ended, there were two minutes left until 8:00 PM.
“That’s all for now. Goodbye, everyone.” After speaking, Xiahou Qian bent over to pick up his water and stepped off the stage. Seeing Wang Wei in the audience, he headed straight for him. Upon seeing Lu Ke, Xiahou Qian dazed for a moment and his footsteps faltered, but fortunately, the dim lighting hid his reaction.
The audience was a bit stunned before they began shouting for an encore. If someone had walked in at that moment, they would have thought a celebrity fan meeting was taking place.
Xiahou Qian, of course, wouldn’t continue. Someone else was scheduled for 8:00 PM, and today was only his audition.
“Let’s talk in the office.” Only after the audience had calmed down slightly and the bar grew quiet did Lu Ke speak.
Wang Wei naturally wouldn’t argue with the boss. Even if Xiahou Qian hadn’t known Lu Keās identity at first, he could guess it by now. He didn’t ask questions and simply followed the two men to the office.
“This is our boss; you can call him CEO Lu. This is the singer who came for the audition today, Xiahou Qian.” Once they sat down, Wang Wei introduced them.
“You sing very well.” Lu Ke took the lead to speak, giving him face. His words were entirely sincere; with Xiahou Qianās level, saying it was anything less than good would be against his conscience.
“Thank you, CEO Lu,” Xiahou Qian thanked him, his expression somewhat indifferent but not constrained.
If he had known the owner of Night Color was this man, he never would have come for the audition. It wasn’t that he had anything against the man himself, but rather pure jealousy. If he thought about it, the bar he had gone to before he died was likely Night Color. Since this man was the owner, it wasn’t surprising heād seen him at the entrance back then.
Yes, this “CEO Lu” was the man involved in the scandal with Chi Shaochen right before Xiahou Qian died.
The office lights were bright. In this setting, Xiahou Qianās appearance was perfectly clear to Lu Ke. He confirmed that the sense of familiarity from the first glance hadn’t been an illusion.
“Have you graduated?” Wang Wei asked from the side. Xiahou Qian looked far too young.
“I am a recent graduate of the Huaxia Conservatory of Music.” Xiahou Qian looked at Wang Wei and spoke frankly.
Wang Wei was sitting to Xiahou Qianās left. When Xiahou Qian turned to speak to him, his profile was fully exposed. Lu Ke, who had been watching him out of the corner of his eye, felt a gust of wind blow away the fog in his mind. He finally remembered where he had seen Xiahou Qian!
No, he couldn’t be 100% sure yet. He had to go back and check that image again to be certain.
Xiahou Qian noticed Lu Keās scrutiny, but he felt it was normal. He knew Lu Ke, but Lu Ke couldn’t possibly know him. In Lu Keās eyes, he was just a job seeker. It was only natural for a boss to observe an applicant.
“With your qualifications, you could easily sign with an entertainment company.” This was what Wang Wei couldn’t understand.
“There are too many restrictions after signing, and the industry is very messy.” This was the truth. While not every company was terrible, he had been tricked once, and the price had been too high. Even with his current free spirit, Xiahou Qian wasn’t willing to rashly step back in without the power to protect himself.
“True.” Even though he said that, Wang Wei felt it was only a matter of time before someone discovered Xiahou Qian. As long as a company wasn’t incompetent, they would surely push him to stardom. Handsome men who could sing this well were rare. However, Wang Wei could see that Xiahou Qian seemed to have some resistance to signing with an agency, so he didn’t pursue the topic.
“Youāll take the 7:00 to 8:00 slot from now on. You start officially tomorrow. Iāll add an extra thousand to your base salary.” Lu Ke recovered from his shock and made the decision immediately. Even if Xiahou Qianās singing were terrible, he would have kept him for the sake of his “brother.” Since he sang so well, it was like killing two birds with one stone.
He believed Xiahou Qianās future would surely be bright. When he became famous, they could say he came from Night Color, right?
“…Alright.” Although he felt complex about Lu Ke being the boss, he ultimately accepted the job.
…
After Xiahou Qian left the stage, people began posting what they had just recorded to Weibo and WeChat.
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