Chapter 36: Popular Rap!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Xia Yu Liu spoke softly, “Rap music comes in many forms. In the past, some have blended rap with rock, jazz, reggae, and other niche genres, but it’s never really entered the mainstream. This is the first time I’ve heard someone combine rap with pop music. If it needs a name, it should be called ‘pop rap,’ I suppose.”

“Pop rap?” Zishan Gao mulled over the term.

The others stared in astonishment, not expecting Xia Yu Liu to answer Zishan Gao’s question, let alone say so much. It was a rare event indeed.

Under their gaze, Xia Yu Liu turned and quietly returned to her room. Only after she left did everyone close their gaping mouths and resume discussing Garen’s song.

Off to the side, Huang Daming was the exception. Since learning that Garen was the singer, his expression had darkened considerably. He’d considered leaving earlier, but with Xia Yu Liu present, he didn’t want to tarnish his image. Now, though, he wished he had left; listening to everyone praise Garen felt like the greatest insult.

With a cold snort, he turned and walked away. Back in his room, his assistant sneered, “Pop rap? What nonsense! He’s just making things up!”

Expressionless, Huang Daming picked up his phone, opened Weibo, and posted: “Though I’m an actor, I’ve released several albums and am half a member of the music industry. Some people, after a bit of success, show no respect for music and make things up, and there are actually those who blindly follow!”

His post immediately attracted a flood of likes and comments from fans. Many, however, were baffled, not knowing what he meant. But some fans who were at the Wanshikale Plaza for the show caught on quickly, and some directly pointed fingers at Garen.

Still, the stir was minor and didn’t amount to much.

On stage, after Garen and Aya finished their duet, the two hosts invited by the TV station came up at once.

The female host beamed at the audience. “Did you enjoy that last song?”

“It was great!” the audience responded enthusiastically.

The male host smiled at Garen. “Garen, did you write that song yourself?”

“Yes!” By now, Garen no longer blushed when asked such questions.

“How did you come up with the idea of adding rap to a pop song? And in Shanghainese rap, no less?”

“Uh…” Garen glanced at the crowd. “When I first decided to write a song dedicated to Modu, the first thing that came to mind was using the Shanghainese dialect. I wrote a segment of rap lyrics in Shanghainese, and that eventually became the foundation for the whole song.”

“I see. And did you write those rap lyrics in Shanghainese all by yourself?” The male host’s question seemed casual, but there was an edge to it.

Garen chuckled. “I came up with the concept and the lyrics, but in terms of the specifics, I have to thank our band, Epoch. Akai, in particular, is a native of Modu, from Jiaxin, so with his help, things went twice as smoothly!”

On stage, Akai felt a swirl of mixed emotions. He hadn’t changed a single word of the lyrics, yet Garen had given him part of the credit. He was overwhelmed by the gesture.

“Oh!” The male host’s response was loaded with meaning. He wanted to probe further, but the female host quickly interjected, “Alright! In the interest of time, let’s continue with the music. Garen, what’s the next song you’ll be performing for us?”

“The insert song from ‘The Year We Graduated’—‘What I Miss.’” Garen smiled.

Thunderous applause broke out under the direction of the staff responsible for hyping the atmosphere.

The male host shot a glare at his female counterpart, but his expression quickly shifted back to a smile as they ceded the stage to Garen.

“Tell me why—that person messaged me…”
“And why did you stay silent, your head lowered, without explanation…”

As the song began, the male host who had just been on stage walked over to Cai Yuehua.

“Old Cai, that’s as much as I can do for you.”

“Couldn’t you have made him look a bit more foolish?” Cai Yuehua handed the host a cigarette.

He waved it away. “The bosses are all here tonight. I’m under a lot of pressure and can’t do anything rash. If this were just a regular show, I’d help you out however I could.”

“Tch, you…” Cai Yuehua paused mid-gesture, then forced a laugh and lit the cigarette himself. “Fine! I owe you one this time. Next meal’s on me.”

“We’ll see.” The male host tossed out the reply and walked off.

Cai Yuehua’s face instantly soured. “Hmph! Just because you’re a TV host now, you think you’re above it all. Have you forgotten who helped you in the first place?”

…

After performing three songs, Garen and Epoch left the stage. As soon as they stepped down, Aya and Super4 rushed over.

“Yeah! Success!”

They exchanged high-fives, all smiles as they headed backstage together.

The group squeezed into Super4’s dressing room, making the space feel cramped. Seeing everyone in such high spirits, Garen called out, “Thank you all! Tonight’s show was a team effort. Dinner’s on me!”

“Haha! Then let’s get something good for a change—not just tofu buns again!” Akai joked.

“How about we hit a bar after dinner? We should experience Modu’s nightlife!” Yiyi proposed, looking at Garen with hopeful eyes.

He still hadn’t caught up on sleep from the night before, but seeing everyone’s eager faces, Garen couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He waved his hand, “Alright, let’s go out for a couple of drinks!”

Everyone cheered. “Great! Let’s head out now! We’re done here anyway. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can check out the extravagant nightlife of Modu!”

Shanshan fretted, “We’re not leaving tonight with the performance team, right?”

“Nope! The schedule was changed last minute, and we couldn’t book a flight for tonight, so it’s been moved to six in the morning tomorrow,” Ermao explained.

The others had heard earlier, but Garen and his group had been catching up on sleep and missed the update. Ermao, who hadn’t gone out the night before, was aware.

“Six o’clock?” Shanshan was still worried. “Then we’d better get back early!”

“Oh, come on! If we get back early, what’s the point of nightlife?”

“No way!”

“Why not? Everyone’s wide awake…”

…

Laughing and chatting, the group set out, only to run into Cai Yuehua returning from outside.

Though he had issues with Garen, his relationship with the others remained intact.

“Manager Cai, if there’s nothing else, we’ll head back to the hotel,” Aya said, careful not to reveal their plans.

Cai Yuehua shook his head at once. “No, no. The show isn’t over yet! What would it look like if you all left so early?”

“Why not?” Tanhou protested. “Those two guys from Treasure Island left ages ago. Why can’t we?”

Cai Yuehua’s mind worked quickly. “They went to get styled for tomorrow’s show. What are you going to do?”

“Then we’ll get styled too!” Tanhou replied, full of conviction.

“Still no! That’s not how it works!” Cai Yuehua refused to budge.

Garen didn’t step forward, but watched quietly from the back as the others argued with Cai Yuehua. It was rare for him to be so obstinate, and they knew the real reason. Displeasure aside, if he refused and later docked their pay, it wouldn’t end well.

Just then, Chunli Fu entered, accompanied by several organizers. Spotting Garen’s group, she approached with a smile.

“There you all are! Today’s performance was fantastic—you really surprised the audience!”

“Thank you, Ms. Fu! It’s our duty as performers to serve the audience,” Cai Yuehua replied, instantly switching from his earlier cold demeanor to an ingratiating smile.

Chunli Fu nodded, her gaze passing over him. “Where’s Garen?”

“Here!” Garen stepped out from behind the group, nodding politely. “Ms. Fu, you’re here!”

“Garen!” Chunli Fu took Garen’s hand warmly. “Your song today was amazing! Just what I hoped for—pop elements blended with your own unique touch! Wonderful, truly wonderful!”

“That puts my mind at ease,” Garen feigned a sigh of relief. “Our whole group spent last night recording in the studio. We’re all exhausted, our heads muddled, eyelids heavy. We were just trying to convince Manager Cai to let us rest early.”

“Oh? Then rest you shall!” Chunli Fu, exuding authority, waved a hand. “Forget Manager Cai—this is my show, and my word is final. You’re all dismissed!”

Aya and the others’ eyes lit up. After arguing with Manager Cai for so long without result, Garen and Chunli Fu had resolved everything in a single exchange. It was almost unbelievable.

As for Cai Yuehua, his face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He forced a smile, body trembling with suppressed rage, but had no choice but to endure.

Garen glanced back at him, as if he could hear the grinding of Cai Yuehua’s teeth. “Manager Cai, we’ll take our leave.”

“Mm. Get plenty of rest!” Cai Yuehua’s grin was all teeth and no warmth.

No matter how hard he tried to act, someone as seasoned as Chunli Fu would never be fooled. Considering the events of the previous day, she seemed to understand perfectly.

“Go on and rest,” she said. “Leave everything here to me. If you ever need anything, so long as I can help, don’t hesitate to ask. I never mind a little trouble.”

Garen smiled meaningfully and glanced at Cai Yuehua.

That glance made Cai Yuehua inexplicably nervous. He turned away instinctively, not daring to meet Garen’s eyes.

When he looked back, Garen and his group were already heading for the door. He did not follow, leaving only bitterness and rage smoldering in his chest.