Huayu96: My Thirty Years of a Prodigal Son

The second song is "Too Softhearted".

Qin Sheng gave himself a behind-the-scenes role and then started singing.

You're always too soft-hearted, too soft-hearted

I cried alone until dawn.

You love that person unconditionally.

I know you're not that strong at all.

You're always too soft-hearted, too soft-hearted.

Carry all the problems on your own

Falling in love is always easy, but staying together is so difficult.

If it's not yours, don't force it...

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The lyrics, so straightforward they're almost like plain language, paired with a simple yet catchy melody, echoed through the recording studio.

Three minutes later, Qin Sheng finished singing and stopped.

Looking around, sure enough, this time, there were no exclamations of praise in the recording studio.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

Liu Huan frowned, his two fingers tapping the table unconsciously.

Mao Amin hesitated, her expression complex and unreadable.

Even Na Ying, who was pondering "Conquest," looked up and stared at Qin Sheng with a strange expression.

"Ah Sheng..."

Liu Huan carefully considered his words for a long time before finally speaking.

"It's not that it's bad; the melody is quite catchy, but isn't your song... a bit too simple and straightforward?"

He wanted to say "too vulgar," but out of consideration for Qin Sheng's feelings, he swallowed the unpleasant word.

After hesitating for a moment, Mao Amin also spoke up:

"Yes, Ah Sheng, if we hadn't heard your other songs, we could accept this one, 'Too Softhearted'."

But you are clearly capable of writing lyrics with profound artistic conception like "Exploring the Window" and "Red-Clad Ladies," and you can also write melodies full of emotion like "Longing" and "Conquering."

This song, "Too Softhearted," is simply not up to your level.

Na Ying then spoke up for Qin Sheng.

"Ah Sheng, was the time too tight? Did you rush to write the song and not have time to polish it?"

No problem! I'll revise it when I get back! There's plenty of time!

This recording studio is always open for you, sister!

Zeng Li listened intently from the side, feeling extremely nervous.

This was the first time she had heard three bigwigs reject Qin Sheng's work.

Although the three bigwigs used very euphemistic language, a denial is a denial.

Of course, Zeng Li did not look down on Qin Sheng because of this.

She understands very well.

Even geniuses cannot maintain a high level of performance forever.

A fluctuation is perfectly normal.

She was just a little worried that a genius like Qin Sheng would be too proud and wouldn't be able to accept others' criticism of his work.

Faced with the doubts of the three bigwigs, Qin Sheng did not panic, but instead chuckled.

"Call me brother, Sister Amin, Sister Na."

Qin Sheng glanced at the three of them, his tone indifferent.

"Writing songs that are melodious and have a lingering aftertaste is not a difficult task for me."

I'm sure the three of you would agree on that.

The three remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Qin Sheng continued, "But a song with style may not necessarily be liked by the audience."

There are countless examples of songs that are critically acclaimed within the industry but fail to sell well in the market.

After a pause, Qin Sheng continued, "So, in principle, I only write songs that fall within the moderately popular range."

"Liberation" and "Conquest" are moderately popular songs, while "Exploring the Window," "Red-Haired Girl," and "If Only Then" are moderately popular songs with a touch of elegance.

"Too Softhearted" is my attempt at a moderately popular and slightly vulgar direction.

I think there's nothing wrong with this direction of experimentation.

You are artists, and you may not like this somewhat popular song, but the general public may not necessarily dislike it.

"Moderately popular? Slightly vulgar yet sophisticated?"

Liu Huan frowned.

"Ah Sheng, as musicians, blindly catering to the market will only cause music to lose its soul."

You need to consider your artistic expression more!

Qin Sheng chuckled to himself after hearing this.

As a graduate of a reputable university and subsequently hired as a music professor by a college, Mr. Liu Huan is considered one of the most cultured people in the Chinese music scene.

Therefore, he said something that he could accept.

But when he said, "We musicians need to consider artistic expression," he didn't acknowledge the "we" in that statement.

Let's not talk about the distant future, but about the present.

Although Mao Amin and Na Ying are both masters in their respective fields, their highest level of education is only high school.

She achieved her current success after studying under a famous singer after high school.

In terms of singing skills, emotional intelligence, and life experience, these masters are indeed very strong.

However, when they utter the words "cultural and artistic pursuits," they only make themselves a laughingstock.

This is still at the grandmaster level.

The average level of education in the Chinese music scene, and even the entire Chinese entertainment industry, is shockingly low.

In my previous life, I was just an ordinary student who graduated from a regular university. After entering the industry, I could clearly feel that my level of education was much higher than that of my peers.

Some things that I thought were common knowledge about nine-year compulsory education were actually unknown to most of my colleagues.

The lack of culture is simply terrifying.

After being exposed by netizens, very few people in the entertainment industry dare to create a persona of academic excellence or artistic pursuit.

Everyone is trying to keep a low profile.

At that time, the prevailing opinion was that cultural workers should be cultured.

But not yet.

It's 1996 now, a time of upheaval and chaos.

This was an era when film and music professionals with only junior or senior high school education talked a lot about their artistic pursuits.

Qin Sheng did not think that his novel "Too Softhearted" was so vulgar as to be unbearable or shameful.

He was also confident that his judgment was accurate.

So even when faced with three big names questioning his artistic pursuits and aesthetics, he could calmly and confidently refute them without feeling the slightest bit guilty.

With Qin Sheng's confident and firm rebuttal, it was now Liu Huan, Mao Amin, and Na Ying's turn to lose confidence.

If a songwriting genius like Qin Sheng insists that there is no problem with "Too Softhearted," does that mean he lacks a proper understanding of art and his judgment of art is inaccurate?

This song, "Too Softhearted," isn't actually as vulgar as I thought. In fact, it contains profound artistic meaning.

After hesitating for a moment, all three nodded.

"Alright, it's up to you, the owner, to decide what song to release. We're just offering suggestions."

Seeing that the three nodded, Qin Sheng no longer hesitated and immediately decided to record these two songs, starting tomorrow.

With the matter settled, it was getting late, so Qin Sheng took his leave with the two women.

As I walked out of Baihua Hutong, the night breeze was slightly cool.

Zeng Li clung tightly to Qin Sheng's arm, chattering on about how cool Qin Sheng's debate with the group of scholars had been.

She also said that she thought "Too Softhearted" was a pretty good song.

Qin Sheng looked up, a smile playing on his lips.

The power of "Too Softhearted" was like a nuclear bomb in its previous life!

My version in this life is no worse than the original. Even if I can only reach one-third of the original in the end, it will be enough to cause a sensation in the entire Chinese music scene!

Let's wait and see the real market feedback after "Too Softhearted" is released!

However, there is something more important to do right now.

Now that the new song is submitted, it's time to arrange the "celebration ceremony" that I've been planning for so long.

Thinking of this, Qin Sheng turned his head and glanced at the stunningly beautiful Zeng Li beside him, his gaze slightly warm.

It's time to eat this delicious cake.