Chapter 71: This Song Is Exhausting

At the same time, the two paparazzi sitting to the side couldn’t help but be stunned. Su Chen had been scribbling on that piece of paper for less than ten minutes—could he really have written an entire song? And judging by the middle-aged man’s wailing and tears, the quality of the song was probably nothing short of extraordinary!

On the other side, Wang Bingling wore an expression that seemed to say, “Just as I expected.” Back when Su Chen wrote “The One I Loved First” for her, she had already witnessed his astonishing speed and efficiency in songwriting. Yet, even seeing it a second time, Wang Bingling couldn’t help but feel a tingling shock at the sheer absurdity of the scene. Su Chen truly was a genius, almost otherworldly.

While everyone else was still bewildered, Su Chen seemed utterly indifferent to the astonishment around him. He continued grilling skewers, picking up a bottle of Wusu beer and drinking heartily. It was just another song—what was so strange about that?

At that moment, the comment feed in Su Chen’s livestream was exploding:

“A classic moment! Another song in ten minutes—does Su Chen’s creative ability have no limits?!”

“What the hell?! Guys, what do I do? My mom just asked why I’m kneeling while watching the stream—how am I supposed to explain this?”

“I’m numb! The craziest thing is, it seems like Su Chen’s song is actually really good! Look at the street performer’s face—he’s cried so hard he lost his double eyelids!”

“Damn! Is Su Chen really about to create another classic?”

As the comments flooded in, the street performer, having finally managed to stop his tears, held the sheet of lyrics in both hands, gazing at it with heartfelt emotion.

“This song is wonderful... truly wonderful,” he said, his body trembling slightly, his eyes shining with tears and awe. As someone with decades of singing experience, he could easily tell that this “Nanshan South” was a folk song, and one of exceptional completion. Even putting the melody aside, the lyrics alone struck straight at the heart.

In fact, as he read the words, he couldn’t help but think of his wife, who had been ill for years, of the first time they met, of all the hardships and bitterness they’d endured together...

The very next moment, the street performer couldn’t resist strumming his guitar and began to sing “Nanshan South.” As the prelude played, a faint melancholy gradually spread across the night.

“In the southern city’s radiant sun, the snow falls thick and fast.

In the northern night’s chill, it’s spring all year round.

If there’s still time before the darkness falls, I’ll forget your eyes.

A lifetime isn’t enough to finish one dream.”

...

In Su Chen’s previous life, “Nanshan South” had opened the eyes of many to the world of folk music. Its lyrics and melody carried a poetic sense of timeworn sorrow, the words transformed by notes into songs of grief, longing, and confusion—feelings borrowed from life itself.

Everyone savored this feeling, quietly listening as the street performer continued:

“He no longer speaks to anyone of the island where they met.

Because his heart has long since become deserted.

His heart can no longer hold a home.

He becomes a mute who only lies to himself.”

...

It was the street performer’s first time singing “Nanshan South,” and he couldn’t even get through the whole song smoothly. Whenever he came across a difficult note, he’d stop and start over. Yet even so, the song still burrowed deep into the heart. Or perhaps, this very rawness made his performance all the more sincere, stirring the soul.

“He says none of the praise for your beauty can match the first time he saw you.

Time drags on, helpless and frail.

If all the land were joined as one, I’d spend a lifetime just to hold you.

Drunk on his dreams—good night.”

...

At this point, the two paparazzi instantly understood why the street performer had cried just from reading the lyrics. This man, undefeated by life, had been touched at his softest core by these words. Every line struck at the most beautiful memories of his life.

The two paparazzi didn’t know why, but tears kept streaming down their faces—they’d already become sobbing wrecks.

Gradually, Wang Bingling too began to weep. With the street performer’s voice breaking with sobs, his singing became almost a desperate howl. The strong resonance of emotion quieted everyone at the barbecue stall; some customers wiped their tears as they drank bottle after bottle, unable to stop.

Within the reach of the song, only Su Chen still acted as if nothing had happened, happily grilling his skewers.

“Nanshan South, autumn’s sorrow in the north.

Grain piled high in the southern hills.

The southern wind murmurs, the northern sea is cold.

In the north, tombstones stand by the sea.”

As the song ended, the scene dissolved into chaos. Judging from the reactions, it was clear that the song had struck a chord with everyone.

“Sob, sob! This… this song is amazing!”

“It’s got such flavor, but I’m going through so many cigarettes… and napkins.”

“I’m thinking of my first love. We used to hold hands and talk about getting married someday. Years have passed—I wonder how she’s doing now?”

“I want to go back home, to that little county, to the day I first met her. If I’d been braver back then, would things have turned out differently?”

“I miss her, too. She said she’d wait for me… I’m really about to make enough money…”

“Swallow, you must be happy!”

The patrons all spoke up, eyes red, fiercely puffing on their cigarettes. The once bustling night market was now filled only with the sounds of quiet sobbing and the gurgle of beer being gulped.

After a brief moment of chaos, no one knew who started it, but suddenly applause broke out, at first scattered, then swelling into a tidal wave. The applause was not only for the street performer, but also for Su Chen.

“This song is incredible! Did Su Chen really write it in ten minutes?”

“It’s such a tearjerker! I’ve gone through a whole pack of tissues!”

“Absolutely brilliant! The lyrics are just too good.”

“I just checked online—this song doesn’t exist anywhere else. It really is Su Chen’s original work!”

“I used to think that Su Chen’s ten-minute songwriting on TV was all staged, but this is for real!”

“Damn! If anyone says Su Chen isn’t as talented as so-and-so again, I’ll fight them!”

At this moment, the comment feed in the livestream was filled with viewers deeply moved by the song, resonating with its emotion. But above all, they were astonished.

Before Su Chen, a song as good as “Nanshan South” might only come along once a year, if that. But ever since Su Chen appeared before the public, masterpieces like this seemed to emerge one after another.

And the most unbelievable thing was that for Su Chen, writing a song like this seemed to take only ten minutes.