I'm Really a Superstar

The audience reached a fever pitch!

In the open-air stadium, the screaming sounded like it was piercing through the upper atmosphere!

"Awesome!"

"What a star-studded event!"

"All of them sang great!"

"The song was well-written in the first place!"

"That's for sure. This song was written by Zhang Ye himself!"

"Chen Guang's singing is a force to be reckoned with!"

"I still prefer Zhang Ye a bit more."

"The two of them don't have the same style. Old Chen is better at explosive singing while Zhang Ye focuses more on emotional singing."

"Get lost. Zhang Ye is also very good at explosive singing. Can anyone replicate that last scream in 'Exaggerated'?"

"If you wanna put it that way, then Old Chen is also good at emotional songs!"

"Fuck, what are you two arguing for?"

"Haha, as to which of those two can sing better, they have to fight it out onstage for us to find out. We won't know from the song that they just sang."

The first song ended.

The audience applauded them!

Zhang Ye's mother was also furiously clapping in the audience. "Great! Great! C'mon, son!"

His father gave her a tug and chin-nodded in Wu Zeqing's direction. "Calm down a little, will you?" He was reminding her that the executive of the organization that oversaw the entertainment industry was sitting beside her.

But his mother did not care. "Little Wu, who do you think sang better?"

Wu Zeqing smiled and said, "Zhang Ye sang the best."

His mother said happily, "Oh, you think so too?"

Wu Zeqing replied, "Mhm. I like his songs very much and feel that every one of them is good."

At that, his mother grabbed Wu Zeqing's hands with a sense of familiarity and felt that she was becoming more and more pleasing to the eye. She started chattering to her again. "Did you know? This kid's music genes all come from me!"

Wu Zeqing nodded. "Yes, I can see that."

His father nearly vomited a mouthful of blood.

Onstage, it was time for Fan Wenli's performance.

When she came out onstage, the applause went up by several decibels!

"Petal Shower!"

"Petal Shower!"

Everyone was still used to chanting her stage name!

The next to take the stage was Flowing Time.

Followed by Spinach.

Sunset Glow.

And King of Oddity.

The singers came out one after another!

The screaming and shouting at the venue came wave after wave!

They were midway through the concert when the skies turned even gloomier. Dark clouds blocked the moon and faint roars of thunder could be heard. It seemed like it was going to rain.

Right at this moment, The Clown took the stage!

Many of the audience members were shaken!

Some of them were very tired from clapping so much. But when they saw Zhang Ye, they started applauding again, crazy over him!

Some of Zhang Ye's diehard fans even stood up and waved Zhang Ye's LED lightboards excitedly as they screamed his name!

His mother exclaimed, "It's my son's turn! My son!"

His father stared at the stage without blinking.

Wu Zeqing watched him as he walked onto the stage, quietly waiting for his performance today.

"The Clown!"

"The Clown!"

"Zhang Ye!"

"Zhang Ye!"

Fan Wenli and Chen Guang came to the front of the stage.

Liao Yiqi silently came out as well.

Zhang Xia, Li Xiaoxian, and Amy did the same.

When everyone saw each other, they smiled at one another.

"What are you guys doing out here?"

"The feels aren't the same backstage."

"I'm curious about what song he'll be singing."

They were all looking forward to hearing Zhang Ye's song today, so they came to the front to listen. This was because every song Zhang Ye sang was a song that they had never heard before. It was always going to be a surprise for them!

...

Zhang Ye was already standing in his spot onstage.

Eight, nine cameras were focused on him!

Over ten thousand audience members were looking at him!

Zhang Ye swept his eyes over them and spotted Wu Zeqing in the crowd. He also saw his parents, Fan Wenli and Chen Guang, Grandma Zhang Xia, and the many pairs of eyes of the audience!

All of a sudden, the music played.

Snowflakes started drifting around.

These were "snowflakes" generated by the machine at the side of the stadium.

A lot of people were mesmerized by the effect of the snowflakes floating around.

But then, a voiceover played through the stadium.

A man's voice: "Zhang Ye, you won't be able to become famous the way you are."

Another man's voice: "This path is not suitable for you, please go back."

A woman's voice: "You want to be a celebrity with that temper of yours? Who would like you? Ha!"

A middle-aged man's voice: "Zhang Ye, you're fired. Go pack your things and leave!"

The lonely snowflakes gently drifted down!

Wu Zeqing was stunned!

Zhang Ye's parents were stunned!

Zhang Xia was stunned!

Fan Wenli was stunned!

Han Qi's eyes reddened!

Just those few lines of the voiceover were enough to stun everyone!

Zhang Ye opened his eyes and reached out. He tried to grab some of the snowflakes but was unable to catch any.

He sighed, then lightly sang 1 .

"Tonight, I saw snow drift through the cold sky.

"With a cooled off heart, I drifted far away.

"Chasing you in the storm.

"Can't tell shadows apart in the fog.

"You and I in these vast horizons.

"Can we change?"

This is what my life has been.

Today, I will sing it out for all of you to listen to.

He took two steps forward and looked at everyone as he sang.

"Many times, I've been scorned and ridiculed.

"But never have I abandoned my ideals.

"In a fleeting trance.

"I felt something was missing.

"Unaware, it faded away.

"My passion."

The choir accompaniment sang, "Who understands me?"

Who can understand him?

Which of us here…can understand him?

Li Xiaoxian gasped!

Flowing Time fell silent!

Listening to him sing, Amy was dumbfounded!

Zhang Ye suddenly sang loudly.

"Forgive me for always loving freedom and indulging.

"I'm afraid I might fall someday too.

"Discarding one's ideals.

"Anyone can do.

"Why would I be afraid if it's just you and me?"

The audience had forgotten how to speak!

They had forgotten how to clap!

Everyone was just staring dumbfounded at the onstage Zhang Ye.

At this moment, the voiceover began anew.

A man's voice: "Give it up, you won't be able to make it!"

Another man's voice: "Hurry up and go back home!"

A woman's voice: "Ha, how far do you think you can make it to with what you have?"

A middle-aged man's voice: "You want to say whatever you want to say? You want to sing whatever you want to sing? Do you think you make the decisions around here? Art? Don't talk to me about art! Just hurry up and kick yourself out of here! Let me tell you this: A person like you, no one in the entire entertainment industry would ever take a liking to you!"

The audience's mood was restrained to the extreme!

His mother felt a niggling sense of uneasiness!

Zhang Xia and the others also felt like there was something heavy weighing on their chests!

They knew that these were the past events Zhang Ye had experienced!

But the very next moment!

The music soared!

The guitar sped up the tempo!

The drums also turned up the heat!

Zhang Ye's expression changed as he pointed up to the sky suddenly and sang.

"I am still who I am!

"Forever singing as I please!

"Wherever!

"I go!"

With that, the stadium erupted!

His father stood up from his seat!

His mother stood up with tears in her eyes!

Wu Zeqing stood up as well!

Every one of the audience members started screaming wildly!

They had been moved!

They had been stunned!

Liao Yiqi's tears flowed without end. "Well done! Teacher Zhang, good on you!"

Zhang Ye shout-sang.

"Forgive me for always loving freedom and indulging!

"I'm afraid I might fall someday too!

"Discarding one's ideals! Anyone can do!

"Why would I be afraid if it's just you 'n' me!"

You all can insult me, underestimate, or even scold me. All of that is fine!

Just give up on me!

But I won't give up on myself!

Even if everyone in this world discarded their ideals!

Zhang Ye suddenly turned to where Wu Zeqing was and looked into her eyes.

"Discarding one's ideals, anyone can do!

"Why would I be afraid if it's just you and me!"

He smiled.

And then she smiled.

Even if there were only the two of them left on this road.

At least I still have you!

At least you'll still be right by my side!

Translator's Thoughts

Legge Legge

The song you've (probably) been waiting for!

1. https://youtu.be/vxTICrwS89g

Didn't realize, but happy Songkran to our Thai readers!