Chapter 42 I Am Jealous of Your Love, Magnificent and Unstoppable

Chapter 42: I Envy the Overwhelming Momentum of Your Love

Most applicants to art academies are required to possess at least one specialized talent. Since the directing department had no such mandatory prerequisite, the fact that Li Jingkun used to play in a band came as a bit of a surprise to his classmates.

Following the routine military training, the rest of the schedule was dedicated to rehearsals and preliminary auditions. As it turned out, the sketch comedy piece prepared by his class was eliminated, but Li Jingkun's solo act successfully passed the selection.

Li Jingkun was utterly speechless. How could a directing major's sketch lose out to acts from other departments? Imagine how humiliating that would be to admit publicly.

On the evening of the gala, he arrived backstage early to verify his stage cue with the staff and hosts. Afterward, he spent a brief while hanging out with his classmates, planning to return backstage just in time for his performance.

"When are you going on?" asked his classmates, who were naturally concerned since he was currently their class's sole surviving act.

"About halfway through the program. Not too early, not too late—it's a good spot," Li Jingkun replied.

"Are there many pretty girls backstage?"

"Tons. My eyes are practically spinning."

Perhaps having spent too much time in military uniforms lately, the performers seized the rare chance to wear other glamorous outfits. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and the girls looked more stunning than the last. They practically sprayed on cosmetics by the handful and drenched themselves in perfume.

"Then why aren't you hanging out backstage? You could check out all the beauties over there."

"I have to go on stage and perform later. Beauties will only distract me from my performance."

"Beauties should serve as extra motivation."

"Isn't it almost time? You'd better head over early to get ready."

The freshman gala at Beijing Film Academy was of exceptionally high quality, far surpassing the galas at Li Jingkun's former No. 1 Municipal High School. After all, most students who managed to enter Beijing Film Academy possessed at least one or two dazzling skills.

Singing, dancing, acting, instrumental solos—you name it, they had it.

Li Jingkun's solo vocal performance wasn't particularly out of the ordinary, and solo numbers that night were sparse; most performers sang in groups or duets.

Yet, the fact that he was selected for this stage purely on the strength of a solo act perhaps meant his performance quality was quite decent?

"Li Jingkun from the 2008 Directing Department? You can start getting into the zone now. You're up after the next two acts."

A staff member backstage was coordinating with the performers, quickly making their way over to him to brief him on the gala's progress.

"Got it, thank you."

......

"Next up, we invite Li Jingkun from the 2008 Directing Class to perform the song, *Diva*."

After finishing their announcement, the male and female hosts smiled and left the stage.

Li Jingkun walked out amidst sparse applause and cheers—the meager support of just a few people from the directing department.

Not many people recognized him on site. There might have been some who had heard *Diva*, but they certainly wouldn't recognize his face.

Perhaps they assumed Li Jingkun was merely covering the song?

"Huh? Someone's actually singing this song?"

"You've heard it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty good. I had it on endless repeat for a while."

"If it's that good, it's normal for someone to cover it, right?"

"The thing is, this song was originally performed by an indie band, so not many people should know it. I'm just a bit surprised someone is covering it now..."

As it turned out, a few people in the audience had indeed heard the song and exchanged murmurs. Time waits for no one, however, and the song's intro quickly rang out, followed by the singer's voice.

"Finally found an excuse, taking advantage of the rising intoxication,
to express all my feelings.
Loneliness grows thicker, silence remains in the corner of the dance floor.
Whatever you say, whether too little or too much,
only makes people more anxious.
......"

Actually, over the past two or three years, Li Jingkun's songs had garnered decent view counts online, and they even enjoyed a sizable following across the internet in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was just that no one had actively pushed for widespread promotion; some people had discovered them a year ago, while others stumbled upon them only half a year ago, preventing the tracks from sparking a massive craze.

Still, the songs themselves were of very high quality, featuring gorgeous melodies and well-crafted lyrics that most young people naturally adored.

"I envy the overwhelming momentum of your love, like a popular diva whose crowd never disperses.
What you want from me isn't love, but a sense of vanity;
only when someone doting on you do you appear so extraordinary.
I fell into a blind, indulgent infatuation,
indulging your universally adored diva persona.
If love is reduced to nothing but temptation and mutual endurance,
let's stop torturing each other,
because both of us were wrong.
......"

Once the chorus kicked in, many people hearing the song for the first time were blown away. The melody was remarkably catchy, and the lyrics possessed a striking edge.

"What you want from me isn't love, but a sense of vanity"—many listeners found the song painfully relatable, feeling as though it perfectly mirrored their own experiences.

"Only when someone doting on you do you appear so extraordinary"—some girls felt a sense of supreme happiness simply from having a devoted boyfriend; others, driven by vanity, believed that surrounding themselves with endless simps and fallback suitors showcased their personal charm and popularity.

Above all, the melody was simply infectious. Melody always came first, and stellar lyrics elevated the entire track to the next stage.

Together, they achieved mutual perfection, resulting in an exceptional piece of music.

"If one day love is no longer bewildering,
clear enough to see all right and wrong,
until that moment arrives, you in my heart
will no longer be glorified.
Treating you like a diva
will no longer be me.
......"

The song ended, and this time the applause and cheers were far more enthusiastic than at the beginning, because a great song invariably delivers an extraordinary spiritual reward.

When people appreciate a wonderful tune and a mesmerizing performance, no one holds back their applause and cheers.

"That was so good, he sings really well. How is he a directing major?"

"Pretty normal, I guess. In this school, you can never guess what kind of hidden skills people have..."

"What was that song called again? Who's the original singer?"

" *Diva*! Did you not listen to the host's introduction? It was right there in the lyrics."

"I think I've heard this song before... ages ago, but I never paid attention to who sang it."

After Li Jingkun stepped off the stage, many people were still discussing the song, including the two young men who had talked about it earlier.

"It really is catchy. You said the original was by a band, right? I'll look up the original version online when I get back."

"Good lord, this voice..." The young man who had previously recognized the track remained astounded, looking somewhat hesitant and uncertain.

"What's wrong? Why that expression? Even if it's a good song, you don't have to look like that."

"The thing is, this voice... why does it sound exactly like the original singer?"

"No way, you said it was a band."

"It is a band, but... this guy, does he seriously look like the lead singer of that band?"

"Huh?"

......

There will be another chapter released after midnight tonight. To secure a higher position on the Newcomers' Ranking next week and gain more bookmarks and recommendation votes.

(End of this chapter)