Chapter 22: "Is the Moon Abroad Really Brighter Than at Home?"

Not long after the broadcast of "A Thousand Times," opportunists began to ride its wave of popularity, promoting their own works under the guise of sharing its distinctive Chinese style. Online debates about "A Thousand Times" soon erupted. Some netizens dismissed the song as melodramatic and devoid of substance, while others hailed it as a groundbreaking innovation in music history.

Initially, the buzz surrounding "A Thousand Times" was still brewing, but a single Weibo post sent its popularity soaring and ignited a frenzy across the platform.

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Inside the chairman’s office at Huayu Entertainment.

Huang Shuhua sat alone, listening to Zhou Ran’s "A Thousand Times" on repeat, lost in deep contemplation. Now in his fifties, he had witnessed the entertainment industry rise from nothing to its current prominence. Yet Huang Shuhua felt no confidence in the present-day scene. The industry, he believed, lacked originality; whenever foreign trends caught fire, domestic artists would rush to imitate them. The market was being ruthlessly exploited by outsiders, and despite this, people remained content, even enthusiastic, about idol groups imported from Korea that quickly amassed fortunes on the mainland—despite the dismal quality of their music. Still, countless fans eagerly pursued them, lining up to hand over their money.

It was as if the foreign moon was always fuller than the domestic one. Huang Shuhua could no longer tolerate this state of affairs. His own country boasted a wealth of beautiful traditional instruments handed down by their ancestors, yet few showed any interest in learning about them. Determined to change this, he quietly launched an anti-dumping initiative with official backing, hoping to fundamentally alter the situation and spark a global interest in Chinese culture.

The idea was promising, but reality proved harsh. They could not find a suitable candidate to lead the charge and were forced to shelve the plan, awaiting the right opportunity.

Then Zhou Ran appeared, and with "A Thousand Times," Huang Shuhua finally saw hope. The song validated his vision: this was the music he had dreamed of, a perfect blend of ancient charm and modern pop, truly belonging to China.

Huang Shuhua sensed the moment to revive their plan had arrived. He picked up his phone and made several calls.

Soon after, the Chinese Arts Bureau reposted Zhou Ran’s "A Thousand Times" on Weibo with a comment: "An excellent song, very cool, a flawless fusion of traditional Chinese culture!"

Following this endorsement, the online debates about "A Thousand Times" faded away, replaced by widespread praise for the song’s composition. The Chinese Arts Bureau held a status in China akin to that of **** on Earth, overseeing all artistic works in the country. Their comment essentially sealed the fate of "A Thousand Times," silencing public dissent—such authority inspired awe, even fear.

Several superstar artists under contract with Huayu Entertainment quickly followed suit, reposting and commenting on Weibo, sending the platform’s momentum skyrocketing.

Ning Wei, director of "Who Is the King of Singers," was overjoyed as he watched the tide of positive reviews. Zhou Ran’s impact was astonishing, and unless something unforeseen happened, Ning Wei was certain they would achieve unprecedented success.

Music critics on Weibo soon joined in, each offering their analysis of "A Thousand Times." During this period, nearly every critic focused exclusively on dissecting the song. Among them, the renowned critic Ear Emperor published his review immediately, lavishing praise on "A Thousand Times," calling it "a once-in-a-century masterpiece," "the founding of a new school," and "epoch-making." He spared no words in his admiration.

In Ear Emperor’s review: "The instruments used in Zhou Ran’s song—whether xiao, flute, erhu, and other traditional instruments—are employed with exquisite precision. The opening’s sorrow and coldness are perfectly balanced, never overpowering nor too faint to be effective."

"He brings out the unique qualities of national traditional instruments, capturing their authentic flavor."

"As for the lyrics, I believe they are the very soul of the song. They are simply beautiful."

From the opening lines of "A Thousand Times"—the wind and snow persist, longing remains undiminished. Souls entwined, passion unwavering—to the closing: I search for you a thousand times, from sunrise to dusk, drifting through life's rivers and lakes. I search for you a thousand times, another year’s bloom and wither, yet you are never at the illuminated threshold.

Ear Emperor was utterly enchanted, and he was not alone in his admiration for Zhou Ran’s lyrics. Adding to the intrigue, Zhou Ran’s closing words after performing—"Suddenly, I turn, and there you are at the edge of the lantern’s light"—left netizens eager to know what the full version of the poem might be. Since Zhou Ran did not have a Weibo account, fans began tagging Mango TV online, hoping they would release the complete poem.

This deluge of requests nearly crashed Mango TV’s servers.

Upon hearing the news, Ning Wei immediately called Zhou Ran, urging him to register on Weibo and post the full poem.

When Zhou Ran received Ning Wei’s call, he had never expected to cause such a stir. It was completely beyond his imagination. At first, he hadn’t planned to register, thinking a small account would suffice for browsing, but given his fans’ passionate requests, he decided to open one after all.

Zhou Ran quickly registered a Weibo account.

Wu Ting, a university student, had become a fan of Zhou Ran ever since he sang "Sunny Day." Her only regret was that Zhou Ran had never opened a Weibo account, leaving her and many other fans wandering the platform without a home or a way to interact with him.

That day, as usual, Wu Ting searched for Zhou Ran-related news on Weibo, only to unexpectedly find an account under the ID Zhou Ran. At first, she thought it was a high-quality fake, but upon clicking in, she discovered it was the real Zhou Ran, verified with an official yellow badge.

Wu Ting was overjoyed—her idol had finally come to Weibo, and Zhou Ran’s fans could finally return home.

She entered the account and found Zhou Ran had posted the full poem.

"Jade Tableaux: Lantern Festival"—what a beautiful name!