Chapter 147: "Onion"

"Thank you."
"Thank you."
As Ren Qian bowed to thank the God of Songs, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
"Did I sing all right?" the God of Songs asked again.
"Great! Absolutely fantastic!"
The audience was not flattering him. At the venerable age of ninety, the God of Songs had performed an entire song without even running out of breath. Such prowess far surpassed many contemporary young singers. Furthermore, looking past his age, his interpretation was extraordinary, perfectly complementing Ren Qian.
Conversely, while Ren Qian's vocal mastery had garnered unanimous acclaim within the industry, the God of Songs shared the stage with him without showing the slightest strain, nor was he overshadowed by Ren Qian, proving that the God of Songs' legendary status was well-earned.
"When I release my album, I must ask Senior God of Songs to record this song 'Silence is Golden' with me," Ren Qian said with a smile.
The God of Songs agreed heartily, offered Ren Qian a few words of encouragement from the perspective of a senior, and then walked toward the waiting area.
"Alright, next up is the official singer competition segment of *I Am a Singer*! This episode features songs of exceptionally high quality. Of course, I'm not just tooting my own horn or boasting; I'm simply trying to boost the ratings a little bit."
The audience burst into laughter.
"The first singer, Aska Yang, performing 'Onion'."
"Onion" was a pop song, but not one you could easily belt out at a karaoke lounge. Its vocal range spanned from G2 to C5. A typical pop song usually has a range of about an octave and a half, whereas "Onion" spanned two octaves, presenting a significant challenge to any vocalist. Performing it live was even more demanding, requiring the singer not only to navigate this vast range but also to maintain stable breath support.
Without natural talent and rigorous practice, even professional singers could not easily handle it.
Being able to hit high notes did not mean one could smoothly complete a musical phrase; completing a phrase did not mean one could conquer a chorus; conquering a chorus did not mean one could finish the entire song; and finishing the entire song did not mean achieving the anticipated emotional resonance.
Such was the difficulty of "Onion".
However, Ren Qian did not dwell on these thoughts.
The stage lights completely dimmed, leaving only the tiny glowing indicators of the backstage instruments.
Thump, thump, thump, thump...
"Honey, what do you think of Aska Yang?"
"Aside from his rather average looks, he's pretty good overall. His voice is very charming. So affectionate and sincere."

'If your gaze could linger on me, even for a fleeting moment...
If you could hear the sound of a shattering heart...
Silently watching over you...
Silently waiting for a miracle...
Silently letting myself...
Be like the air...'

From the very first line, the grievances and heartache of a perpetual backup suitor washed over the audience. Goosebumps broke out across the skin of everyone present. Especially those boys and girls who had once played the role of the unrequited second choice—hearing this song instantly pierced their hearts like a knife, and tears welled up and streamed down their faces.
"Genius Ren actually wrote another song like this! Ahhh, how are we supposed to survive this?"
"Aska Yang sings this song right into the depths of our souls. It feels like someone is recklessly stabbing a boning knife straight into my heart."
Unfortunately, this pain was unavoidable, for there were no commercials, nor was there a fast-forward button.

'Everyone is eating, chatting, and laughing...
How happy tonight is...
The one in the very corner...
How desperately I am smiling to fit in...
The onion at the bottom of the plate is just like me...
Forever nothing more than a condiment!
Stealing glances at you!
Stealing away and hiding myself!'

How wretched is the self-preservation of a backup suitor, lingering in the shadows and forcing a smile...
Countless audience members huddled in their beds watching television found their gentle sobs turning into desperate weeping upon hearing this passage.
Heart-wrenching and soul-shattering.
"Some of Ren Qian's songs simply cannot be listened to casually. Take 'Dwelling on the Past', or 'Long Time No See', and now, this time, we have 'Onion' added to the list."

'If you are willing to peel away my heart, layer by layer, by layer!
You will discover!
You will be startled!
I am your... most suppressed! Most profound secret!!
If you are willing to peel away my heart, layer by layer, by layer!
Your nose will sour! Your tears will fall!
As long as you can... hear me! See my complete devotion!'

An onion—what a painfully apt metaphor. How many people felt they were as foolish as an onion, willing to pour out everything, casting aside all pride, and sacrificing their entire being...
Yet in return, they received only indifference.
A backup suitor remains a backup suitor...
As the song neared its end, netizens were already buzzing on social media.

:"Yet you are unwilling to peel away my heart, layer by layer..."
:"This is the song I least want to hear, because the moment it plays, the memories flood back, and that is the past I least wish to recall."
:"Just like this, silently guarding you, watching you from morning until night every day. When I am by your side, do you know my heart has never been at peace? For your sake, I changed myself, shedding my outer shell time and time again, striving to become the person you desired. Do you know I love you?"
:"If you are willing to peel away my heart, layer by layer, by layer, my heart dissolves only into layer upon layer upon layer of longing..."
:"Do you know that feeling? When that person is clearly still there, when you can still call them, still text them, but you no longer have any standing whatsoever, and they are never yours again—that feeling is truly agonizing."
:"Everyone thinks they are the 'I' in the song, yet you never know you might just be the 'you' in someone else's song."
:"Seeing that there are so many backup suitors out there, I, as a backup suitor myself, feel a little more at ease..."
"Thank you, dear audience, thank you Brother Qian, thank you to the band members. Thank you all."
After expressing his gratitude all around, Aska Yang bowed deeply to Ren Qian once more. Ren Qian had once praised him, and had also scolded him. Ren Qian had said: 'Neither your low nor high notes have obvious weaknesses, and your breath control is utterly masterful, making your handling of roller-coaster emotions exceptionally brilliant. Using a very manly vocal timbre to sing a woman's inner thoughts is your magic weapon to stand out. At the same time, your sense of rhythm is superb, and your mastery over phrasing and transitions is extremely proficient, coupled with just the right amount of crying tone... the emotional delivery is simply magnificent.'
Yet Ren Qian had also once berated him: 'The four essential elements of singing are breath, rhythm, emotion, and cultivation! Your vocal timbre at times is indeed nothing short of divine.
However, your performances never adhere to the principles of these four elements.
Without these four elements, one can hardly hear a smooth, thick-textured verse to pave the way in your songs!
When handling melody, you simply rely on your own interpretation, singing however you please. Because you don't know how to find a moving melody within the middle register, you resort to all sorts of bizarre vocal colorings to act pretentious.
That is a desecration of music.
Let me tell you, many songs that captivate us possess a distinct, coherent melodic line—a rhythm formed through tempo and scale.
Yet in most of your singing, the notes are disconnected, failing to naturally convey the beauty of music.
In other words, your singing is more like acting, and mostly melodramatic tragedy at that!
If you do not change, you will never go far on the path of music...'
Words like these had pierced Aska Yang's heart like a sharp dagger, filling him with terror.
Yet, they also gradually pulled him back from the wrong path.
"Thank you, Brother Qian," Aska Yang murmured inwardly.
"Alright, the first competing contestant has finished performing. Next, let us welcome..."
*(To be continued.)*