Chapter 114: "Afterwards"

After the program's recording came to an end, Zhou Ran went straight to the studio provided by the production team with Zhang Yuan. The song Zhou Ran intended for Zhang Yuan to sing was already taking shape in his mind, so he needed to head to the studio to record the instrumental track for it.

The cameraman assigned to follow Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan was left dumbfounded as he watched the two head directly to the studio. Was this for real? Did he already have a song ready? While the other singers were still pondering how to adapt their chosen pieces or even which songs to pick, still stuck in the brainstorming phase, Zhou Ran was already on his way to record the accompaniment—effectively, ready to hand in his answer sheet. Unbelievable.

The cameraman was genuinely amazed by their speed. It was no wonder so many people called Zhou Ran the “Originality Overlord.” With a creative pace like his, one could hardly call it anything but extraordinary.

Once in the studio, Zhou Ran immediately set about searching for the equipment he needed to write out the song. Zhang Yuan, watching quietly from the side, sneaked a glance at the title Zhou Ran had given the song: “Later?”

Just seeing that title, Zhang Yuan felt a profound sense of regret welling up within her. After all, “later” was a word most often used to express regret—what could have happened if only one had possessed or done something later. What if things had been different?

The song Zhou Ran had prepared for Zhang Yuan was precisely “Later.” In his previous life, this song had been a classic, often used to express regret. So, when the program’s theme of regret was announced, Zhou Ran instantly thought of this song.

“Later” was adapted from a Japanese song. For a long stretch of time, many songs in their country were creative adaptations of Japanese originals—such as “Red Sun,” “Old Boy,” “Evening Serenade,” and “Thousands of Songs,” all of which had their roots in Japanese music.

The Chinese version of “Later” had music composed by Chiharu Tamashiro, lyrics by Shi Rencheng, and was originally sung by “Milk Tea” Liu Ruoying.

In his previous life, there were two famous versions of the song: the original by Liu Ruoying, and a cover by Su Yunying. Here, Zhou Ran decided Zhang Yuan should sing Liu Ruoying’s version—the more classic of the two, and the one where Liu so perfectly conveyed the feeling of regret.

In the prime of youth, I met the most beautiful you—a memory deeply etched in my mind. Yet, in the end, this love story was tinged with regret. That love at seventeen was so pure and wonderful, worthy of endless reminiscence.

Time teaches us how to understand and cherish love; it is a remedy that gradually soothes all sorrows. May those who are in love treasure it deeply, so that in the days to come, that love does not fade into a mere memory.

While Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan were composing in the studio, the production team had already published the participant list for “Heavenly Voices” online, with Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan’s names among them.

The announcement immediately caught the attention of many of Zhou Ran’s fans. At first, they thought they must be mistaken, but a closer look confirmed it: Zhou Ran was indeed participating in another variety show.

Since his debut, Zhou Ran had only taken part in one major variety show, “Who Is the King of Singers.” Many viewers had been eagerly hoping he would join another music program, as it would mean the release of more of his new songs.

Ideally, it would be like the time on “Who Is the King of Singers,” where Zhou Ran debuted a new song every episode. Many fans fondly remembered that era, largely because of the awe-inspiring creative power he displayed, writing a fresh song for every show.

So, as soon as the “Heavenly Voices” contestant list was released, Zhou Ran’s fans propelled it into the top ten trending topics within minutes. Wang Chong had anticipated the influence of Zhou Ran’s fanbase, but even he hadn’t expected their power to be quite so overwhelming.

To shoot a topic to the trending list instantly, without any promotional effort—when even with publicity, the goal had only been to make the top ten—was beyond their expectations. Zhou Ran’s fans did it on their own, in a matter of moments.

The comments section under the announcement was filled entirely with Zhou Ran’s fans.

“Go, Zhou Ran, go!”

“My youth returns! Looking forward to Zhou Ran’s new songs.”

“Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan—the legendary duo is back! It feels just like ‘Who Is the King of Singers’ all over again.”

“Zhou Ran, please bombard my ears with another dozen songs, all at once!”

“Please, release as many new songs as you like; don’t worry about my capacity to handle it—I’ll gladly endure the pain!”

So many fans were eagerly awaiting Zhou Ran’s new music, having waited for so long. The quality of recent releases from other singers had been disappointing, nothing compared to Zhou Ran’s work; it was as if the competition was unintentionally doing him favors.

While Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan were recording, Xu Yan’s team was also busy working on their own new song. They had prepared part of it before the program and had even invited one of the nation’s top composers, hoping Xu Yan would make a sensational impression.

Their plan was much like Zhang Yuan’s: to use this opportunity to elevate Xu Yan’s status, so she could contend for the Queen’s throne.

What they hadn’t anticipated was Zhou Ran’s participation, which dramatically increased the difficulty of their plan. But with their team already assembled and everything in motion for Xu Yan’s success, there was no turning back. Even with Zhou Ran as a formidable obstacle ahead, they would have to try. Thus, Xu Yan and Zhang Yuan became natural rivals in the competition.

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Chapter 114: “Later” — Free to Read.