Outside the urban village, at Old Wang's Bistro:
"[ Ten Years ] is destined to become a classic, resonating deeply with both middle-aged and young people..."
"The song's overall tone is subdued, mirroring the faded emotions of a couple after a breakup, when the initial spark can never be rekindled..."
"They say time heals all wounds. Perhaps ten years is just the right amount..."
Old songs drifted from the radio, their lyrics and melodies weaving through the diners' hearts, evoking sighs of nostalgia. The song playing was Shen Lang's "Ten Years."
"I wonder, if Shen Lang's voice is this good, how handsome must he be?" one girl mused.
"Like Andy Lau—striking and charming? Or Leon Lai—elegant and melancholic?"
"But maybe he's just average-looking. Remember Zhao Chuan, who sang 'I'm Ugly, But I'm Gentle'? His voice was so soulful, but his appearance was rough and weathered."
The two girls giggled over their speculation.
Indeed, they only knew his voice, not his face. Few people recognized Shen Lang in public.
Little did the girls realize that the handsome young man two tables away was Shen Lang himself. Today, he had ordered not his usual egg fried rice with three extra eggs, but stir-fried pork intestines and tomato egg soup.
Life was improving.
And so was his mood.
Shen Lang caught snippets of the girls' conversation, finding it amusing.
As for his looks, the title "Most Handsome Man in the Broadcasting Department of China Media University" spoke for itself. Combined with his 185cm height, he was every bit the heartthrob.
"The latest chart rankings are here..."
The radio program was the China Song Chart.
Shen Lang paid no attention. He got up to refill his rice bowl and continued eating slowly.
"Tenth place: Aaron Kwok, 'Enchanted.'"
"Ninth place: Richie Jen, Michael Wong, and Ah Niu, 'Little Waves.'"
"Eighth place: Elva Hsiao, 'One Person's Wonderful Life.'"
For Shen Lang, these were the singers who had accompanied him through his formative years, and their songs were deeply familiar to him.
Before the Millennium Year, the Chinese music scene either clung to tradition or slavishly imitated Western trends. At the time, no one could predict the future direction of its evolution.
With the arrival of the Millennium Year, major record companies and mainstream artists released their most sincere works, ushering in an era of unprecedented creativity and diversity that marked the final golden age of the Chinese music scene.
"Fourth place, Shen Lang's 'Ten Years'."
Hearing this ranking, Shen Lang paused for a moment, then smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
He had been confident that "Ten Years" would make the chart, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. After all, the song had only been released three days ago.
Yanjing, at a villa.
In the living room, Huang Weiqing, a senior executive at EMI Records, sat with the Na Ying sisters, their expressions grim.
They had just finished listening to the latest episode of the Chinese Pop Chart.
Na Ying's new album had only one song on the chart, the title track "Heartbreaking Romance," and it was ranked third.
Ahead of her were Li Wen's "True Lover" and Andy Lau's "Men Cry, It's Not a Crime."
Fine, the former was a Chinese pop diva, and the latter was one of the Four Heavenly Kings—being outranked by them was understandable.
But now, this newcomer who had released their song just days ago was surging with momentum, posing a significant threat to her.
"Heartbreaking Romance" was composed by Phil Chang, with lyrics written by Na Ying herself.
If she couldn't even hold onto third place, where would she save face?
Na Ying had debuted in 1988, following the same path as her close friend Faye Wong: entering the music scene through cover songs.
Faye Wong later went to Hong Kong and Taiwan to refine her skills, and with the support of rock prodigy Dou Wei, she successfully ascended to legendary status.
If Faye Wong's meteoric rise could be attributed to her innate talent and spiritual depth, Na Ying's success was more a matter of "striking gold."
Rumor had it that Na Ying's breakthrough hit, "Seeing Flowers Through the Mist," wasn't originally intended for her. She had obtained it through sheer coincidence.
Luck is also a part of talent.
Later, in 1998, Na Ying's album Conquer sold over a million copies in Mainland China and over two million across Asia. Her duet with Faye Wong, "Meet in '98," performed on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, became a nationwide hit, solidifying her status as "Mainland China's First Heavenly Queen of Pop."
Huang Weiqing frowned. "Where did this Shen Lang come from?"
Eight of the top ten albums on the charts had been released over twenty days ago. Na Ying's album, newly released and in its prime sales period, would undoubtedly suffer from this disruption.
Heartbreaking Romance was Na Ying's third album since joining EMI Records.
With her contract nearing expiration, EMI had invested heavily in the album, hoping to retain her.
Regardless of profit or loss, failing to meet expectations would be a failure—a loss of both money and reputation.
Na Xing replied, "He's a program assistant at Yanjing Music Radio, a graduate of China Media University's Broadcasting Department."
She was both Na Ying's older sister and her manager.
Naturally, Na Ying hoped her album Heartbreaking Romance would be a massive success, propelling her fame to new heights. This would give her leverage to negotiate a better deal with EMI Records when it came time to sign a contract.
But now, an unexpected rival had emerged.
Na Ying scratched her head. "I think it'll be fine. It shouldn't have too much of an impact, right?"
She, the undisputed queen of Mainland China's music scene, was worlds apart from Shen Lang, a newcomer just starting out. Whether it was experience, fame, or status, the gap between them was vast. What threat could he possibly pose?
Huang Weiqing disagreed. Having navigated the entertainment industry for years, his judgment of talent was sharp. "Some newcomers defy logic. Sun Yanzi is a prime example. Her debut album sold 300,000 copies—in today's struggling record market, even established stars struggle to sell 50,000 or 100,000."
Na Xing shared this concern. The pie was only so big; every new player meant smaller slices for everyone else. "Judging by Shen Lang's lead single, 'Ten Years,' and his other two releases, 'Lonely Sandbank Cold' and 'Angel's Wings,' his songwriting skills are exceptional. That means his album quality will be high."
Na Ying listened to their concerns but remained confident. "Even if what you say is true, Shen Lang's album will only have a slight surge in momentum during the first two weeks after its release. My established fanbase and strong reputation guarantee long-term sales. The advantage is mine."
To be fair, she had every reason to be confident.
Her first two albums with EMI, Conquer and Simply, had been massive hits across Asia, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.
This new album was being hailed by the media as "Asia's most anticipated album," with widespread optimism surrounding its release.
Produced by Lee Wei Song, the man who had launched the careers of Gigi Leung and Sun Yanzi, it featured custom-written songs by Asia's top songwriters, including the latest works from Lin Moumou, Xiao Gang, and Pan Xieqing.
In the original timeline, this very album had propelled Na Ying to victory at the 2001 Golden Melody Awards, where she defeated four formidable female singers: Faye Wong, A-Mei, Karen Mok, and Sun Yanzi, to claim the Best Female Vocalist award.
Calling it a "god-tier album" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
But...
A butterfly flapped its wings.
Everything remained the same, yet everything was different.