Ye Huanqiu began to strum his guitar, producing a melody that was soothing but lacked the power to truly stir the soul.
"How many times have I stumbled on this road? How many times have my wings been broken?"
"But now I'm no longer lost; I want to rise above this ordinary life!"
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Ye Huanqiu felt like he was singing well. Maybe it was just the illusion of entertaining himself.
Little did he know, it was actually Starbeam's doing. Seeing its host so disheartened, it couldn't offer grand assistance, but small favors were within its power.
Starbeam amplified Ye Huanqiu's ordinary voice, effectively giving him real-time auto-tune.
Anyone who has compared the studio and live versions of "Offering My Love" knows just how transformative auto-tune can be.
Now, even as Ye Huanqiu sang with his usual voice, Starbeam was sculpting it into a polished, professional tone.
The lively rhythm accompanied the lyrics' vivid imagery. The drinkers below watched Ye Huanqiu—unshaven and still in his work clothes—and for a moment, they seemed to see their own reflections in the corporate grind.
He had clawed his way through this brutal world, swallowing countless bitter pills and enduring endless hardships.
Some eager onlookers immediately pulled out their Doukuai short video apps and casually began recording.
"I want a Blooming Life!"
The raw, strained voice carried not just sound, but an attitude—a defiant shout to the world. Ye Huanqiu's thunderous roar jolted many from their drunken stupor.
All eyes were fixed on the guitarist on stage. His unkempt appearance radiated authenticity, and his still-worn work clothes symbolized the weight of responsibility he carried on his shoulders. His impassioned performance on the makeshift stage was utterly captivating.
Though unfamiliar with the song, the audience was deeply moved by its powerful lyrics and Ye Huanqiu's fervent delivery. His earlier claim that he wanted to raise his voice against this godforsaken world now rang true.
His song painted vivid pictures of rainbow-crowned mountain peaks and shimmering galaxies, evoking a longing to break free from constraints and soar to new heights.
During the instrumental break, Ye Huanqiu, a master of all instruments, unleashed his full musical prowess, pouring every ounce of his skill into a flawless guitar solo.
Even the tomboyish bar owner couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy shit, this kid..."
She'd initially thought she was just encouraging a heartbroken young man to vent his frustrations on stage. Instead, he'd delivered a knockout punch: his guitar skills, the song itself, and his voice were all phenomenal. She wouldn't have been surprised if someone had told her he was a seasoned powerhouse vocalist.
As the song progressed, everyone in the bar rose to their feet, mesmerized by the radiant figure bathed in the spotlight. His voice carried a transcendent courage that resonated with the audience, a song capable of inspiring the soul.
In terms of quality, this piece was undoubtedly of legendary caliber—the kind of song even platinum-tier arrangers and lyricists might spend their entire careers searching for.
After finishing, some patrons rushed the stage for Ye Huanqiu's autograph. He set down his guitar and politely declined, insisting he wasn't a celebrity.
The song had sobered him up considerably. He returned to the bar, retrieved his briefcase, and reached for his wallet when the owner declared, "Drinks are on the house."
"You gave us a truly unforgettable performance," she explained. "Consider it our gratitude. By the way, would you mind telling me the name of that song?"
"Blooming Life," Ye Huanqiu said, striding out of the bar. To be honest, he had never been one for social bravado, and he had never performed on stage in public, not even during his student days.
This time, fueled by liquid courage, he had dared to sing. Now, looking back, his hands were still trembling slightly. Considering his lack of stage experience, he had done surprisingly well.
He left abruptly, but the bar patrons, after asking the owner for the song title, immediately searched for it online.
To their surprise, "Blooming Life" actually existed, even listed on Guochuangwang with that very afternoon's upload date.
The creator's name was "One Leaf Knows Autumn," Ye Huanqiu's chosen pseudonym. He had simply thought of it on a whim and liked that it wasn't already in use.
Before long, someone had already uploaded the performance to Doukuai with a sensationalist title:
Shocking! Man stuns bar with this audacious act!
Others eagerly reposted it, refining the headline for added drama: Astonishing! Homeless man walks into a bar, picks up a guitar, and sings like an angel!
In short, the more outrageous the claim, the better.
As the most popular short video platform for young people, this video appeared just as everyone was finishing work and mindlessly scrolling through their feeds.
At first, many assumed it was just another clickbait title and prepared to block it permanently. But the opening guitar riff stopped their fingers mid-swipe, hesitating over the screen.
Then, when the disheveled man in his work clothes began to sing, a collective "Holy shit!" erupted across the internet.
"This song is incredible! It makes me want to throw my work documents in my boss's face and ride my motorcycle straight to the frontier, exploring every corner of China's magnificent landscapes!"
"Look at the top of the screen—it's called 'Blooming Life.' As for throwing your documents, don't... you'll get sued. Gotta go, court's about to start."
"The song is genuinely great, and he sings it pretty well too. Which management company is behind this? I've never heard of them..."
"This semester's ending, and next semester is the university entrance exam. This song has given me so much strength. Thank you, big brother with the guitar!"
A playful video share unexpectedly skyrocketed to the top of Doukuai's trending charts overnight, becoming a viral sensation. It garnered over a million shares, likes, and comments, and over thirty million views.
Netizens and critics alike flooded the comments section with praise for the song.
While the vocalist remained anonymous, the songwriter was eventually discovered through Guochuangwang: Ye Huanqiu, using the pseudonym "One Leaf Knows Autumn."
Meanwhile, at Tomato TV Station in the Demon Capital, the director of a new program still in pre-production was in a furious rage.
The project had been greenlit months ago, with strong support from station executives. Funding had been secured, and sponsorships were in place.
But just as the show was about to launch, a key participant suddenly withdrew. Replacing him wouldn't be easy, as the departing composer was a rising Silver Five-Star talent, poised to break the record set by the Gold-tier composer who had defected from Nuocheng Company years earlier and become the youngest Gold-tier composer in history.
With the writer's departure, the show lost its main draw, and the celebrity guests who had joined mid-season also withdrew, having come solely for the writer's reputation. Since he had decided to quit, they saw no reason to stay.
The writer paid the breach-of-contract penalty, which was insignificant to the wealthy management companies. Moreover, the show's director hadn't yet achieved the level of fame that would make these companies wary of him.
"You're deliberately trying to embarrass me, aren't you?" the director muttered, swallowing his anger. "You've made me lose face today, but just wait until I get my chance..."
For now, the most crucial thing was to salvage the show. It had to premiere on time; otherwise, the hundreds of millions of yuan already invested would go down the drain. Even with his powerful connections at Tomato TV Station, no one could protect him from the fallout.