Chapter 41: The Ideal Music Festival!

The first day of the Golden Week.

In the morning, at exactly ten o'clock, Garen and his group arrived at the Ideal Music Festival venue for rehearsal.

The night before, everyone had practiced until after eleven, and went straight to bed as soon as they got home.

But now, upon arriving at the site, they were all in high spirits.

"Look over there! Isn't that Liu Nan?" As soon as they approached the stage, Ah Kai pointed excitedly at someone not far away.

"Liu Nan? Where?"

"He was invited too? Looks like this music festival is going to be huge!"

Everyone began to chatter, and Garen also looked over at Liu Nan.

Liu Nan had made his debut in 1990, a powerful singer who had remained at the forefront of the music scene for twenty-five years.

His signature song, "Struggle," had dominated karaoke charts for more than a decade. For the Ideal Music Festival to secure his appearance, they must have spent a considerable sum.

"Whoa! Isn't that Zhang Weiwei? She's here too?"

"Yes! This year's festival seems different from previous years—so many big-name singers have come!"

...

Entering the singers' lounge, Garen and his crew casually found a place to sit.

There were only a handful of real singers present; many didn't bother with rehearsals, especially the big stars, who enjoyed special privileges. If they did rehearse, they were the first up to quickly check the mic and sound, sing a line or two, and then leave.

Those who remained were mostly the band members responsible for accompanying the various singers that evening, busy with the arrangements and placement of their instruments on stage.

So after Garen tested the sound, he could leave, but members of the Jiazi Band still had to stay.

But this was no issue for them, since they knew many of the people present.

Not long after sitting down, the six of them dispersed across the room, greeting their acquaintances, leaving only Garen, Chen Yingying, and Mai Le sitting together chatting.

At a nearby table, apparently also musicians, a group was loudly bragging without restraint. Garen listened in on their conversation:

“My classmate went abroad, making it big over there, called me yesterday to join him, but I couldn’t be bothered!”

“That drummer I used to play in a band with got busted for drugs the other day! Man, he’s getting dumber every year!”

“Lots of musicians are like that now. Society’s just like this. Damn it all!”

Or, “So-and-so sang at some bar last night, wasn’t any good, and he’s a signed artist?!”

“I heard so-and-so’s coming today, too. Damn it, why should he be here? And he’s getting paid more than us!”

Eventually, someone brought up Garen. A skinny, bald guy said, “Did you see the poster? That Garen who’s been blowing up online is coming!”

“Who? Never heard of him. What’s he do?”

“Internet singer?”

“Who knows, but I heard some of his folk songs are pretty good.”

“Bah! Another artsy poser…”

Garen glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, then looked away, giving Chen Yingying and Mai Le a wry smile.

To be honest, he wasn’t obsessed with music; to him, it was just a job.

In past years, he’d suffered plenty just to survive, taking on all sorts of odd jobs—moving boxes, playing background music, working as an extra. Whatever youthful ambition he once had had long since been worn down.

Though he still had a young man’s passion, he was no longer the type to act on impulse at the slightest provocation.

So when he heard those comments, he wasn’t angry or upset—just gave a bitter smile.

People came and went in the hall, and finally, it was Garen’s turn to rehearse.

He only had ten minutes, but that was plenty.

As soon as he took the stage, the musicians who had been mocking him earlier were surprised.

“Huh? That’s Garen?”

“He was sitting right next to us—probably heard everything we said about him!”

“So what if he did? He didn’t say a word. Coward!”

“Don’t say that—you see that big guy at his table? He was glaring at us the whole time!”

“Uh... Forget it, I didn’t say anything!”

On stage.

“Hey! Hey!”

Garen lowered his voice, testing the mic with the lows, then hissed twice to check the highs.

Overall, the sound system was excellent, with concentrated feedback—light years better than the little speakers they’d used at rehearsal the night before.

No matter the system, you find ways to make do. Poor sound means you have to strain your voice; good sound lets you save your breath.

Garen was a pro at mixing sound. Even expensive equipment was no challenge—he’d worked with million-dollar imported systems in nightclubs before. Today’s setup was a breeze.

He spent nearly five minutes adjusting the equipment, and once he got a feel for it, he began to sing.

“When life is gone, the soul remains! As the soul drifts away, my song endures...”

This time, singing “Chang’an, Chang’an,” Garen abandoned his usual folk style, opting for a rock vibe with a touch of rasp.

The band played fully electric—no trace of acoustic guitar—but even so, the direct simplicity of folk music could still be felt.

His performance drew plenty of attention, as “Chang’an, Chang’an” had only been sung once in Chang’an and never released, so few people had heard it.

Even those who’d seen Garen’s videos before were surprised at how different this version sounded.

Even Mai Le was a bit taken aback.

“Not bad at all!”

The musicians who’d previously scoffed at Garen now nodded in approval. One admitted sheepishly, “I thought he was just another folk singer!”

But others were unimpressed. “Sellout. This kind of commercial song ruins rock.”

“Exactly! Let him hear our Shichahai Sharks—he’d wet himself!”

...

Garen finished the song and wrapped up his rehearsal. After packing up, everyone headed to a nearby restaurant.

At the table, Ah Kai raised his glass. “Garen! Here’s to your success tonight!”

“This isn’t just my show—it’s all of ours! And it’s my first time on such a big stage in the capital. Thank you, everyone, for your help!”

Garen toasted with tea—he’d be taking Chen Yingying to buy stage costumes later, and he had to drive, so no alcohol.

The meal didn’t last long. When they finished, the group split up.

Mai Le stayed with the Jiazi Band, while Garen and Chen Yingying drove off.

He’d learned to drive back when he was an extra—having a license meant he could play drivers and earn more money.

“Haven’t driven myself in ages! Maybe I should buy a car,” Garen said cheerfully on the road.

Chen Yingying laughed. “You’re burning through your money already? Better save it! Your career’s just starting—who knows what’ll happen?”

“Don’t jinx me! If something goes wrong, I’ll blame you!”

“Dream on!” Chen Yingying replied with a grin.

They joked and chatted all the way to their destination.

Garen knew nothing about opera costumes, so Chen Yingying took charge. Originally, she planned to rent an outfit—she could do her own makeup, just needed some basic supplies.

But Garen insisted on buying a full set, since he’d need it again for the Blueberry Music Festival in two days. He made sure they got all the makeup as well—she had to look her best.

After all the errands, Garen drove Chen Yingying home, telling her to do her makeup there before heading out together.

While she got ready, he took the chance to nap.

He was deep asleep when someone shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a painted opera face right in front of him.

Startled for a moment, Garen was quickly captivated. It was his first time seeing Chen Yingying in full makeup—she looked delicate and charming.

“What are you staring at? Never seen this before?” Chen Yingying teased.

Garen grinned. “You look beautiful!”

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, it’s two o’clock already. You’ll be late!”

“Let’s go!” Garen jumped up from the sofa, but couldn’t resist saying, “If only I could steal a kiss!”

Chen Yingying blushed fiercely and lowered her head in silence.

Back at the festival grounds.

Chen Yingying refused to get out of the car first, afraid of attracting attention.

So Garen went in to check the situation.

“There you are at last!” As soon as he entered the lounge, Mai Le rushed over. “The organizers have asked for you several times!”

“I’m here now!” Garen smiled. “Anything I should get ready?”

Mai Le looked at him as if he were an alien. “You’re asking me?”

“Of course! You’re my assistant now!” Garen laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

“Fine, but seriously, there’s nothing special. It’s a music festival, not a TV show. Just be ready to perform,” Mai Le said.

“Oh.” Suddenly, Garen felt a bit nervous, uncertain how the show would go.

After all, he’d be performing while it was still light, and he had no idea how big the crowd or the energy would be.

Just then, a short young man walked over. “Is Garen here?”

“Yes!” Garen replied quickly. “Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Mai Le quickly offered him a cigarette—he’d been doing that all afternoon.

The short man had come by several times only to find no one there, and his frustration had been building. But hearing Garen’s polite tone and accepting the cigarette, his anger evaporated.

“Okay, so you know which stage you’re on, right?”

“Yes! The Ideal Stage!” Garen nodded.

The Ideal Music Festival had two stages: the Ideal Stage and the Dazzle Stage.

The two stages alternated performances. The band ahead of Garen was playing forty minutes on the Dazzle Stage.

That gave him a forty-minute window to get ready.

“Alright, then. At three fifty, bring your band to set up. Good luck!” The short man patted Garen on the shoulder, cigarette dangling from his mouth, and walked away.