Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the auditorium, the stage lights were bright. Compared to the stage itself, the light shining on the audience was much dimmer.
Xiao Luo sat in an inconspicuous spot in the auditorium. He would leave Huaye tonight, but before he did, he wanted to appreciate the English Department choir’s performance. After all, he had been the one directing them.
“A group of girls actually chose to sing ‘Yellow River.’ In my opinion, they will undoubtedly sing badly. There is no way a group of girls can capture the essence of that song!”
“I think so too. I am afraid that the English Department will be taking last place!”
Two boys seated next to him whispered. They were engaged in a discussion on the English Department’s upcoming performance.
Xiao Luo couldn’t hold back and declared, “The essence of the song is not merely screaming it out from the throat. Many revolutionary songs were first sung by women. They can still convey the essence and flavor of the music. There is no such thing as a song that is unsuitable for singing. There are only people who do not know the proper singing technique.”
The two boys looked at him and playfully smirked.
“Brother, it seems like you know music very well. Are you from the Music Department?”
“No.”
“In that case, are you an amateur and a member of the Music Hobbyists Association?”
“That’s not it, either. I’m just a passerby.”
Hearing this, the smirks on their faces widened.
“You are not a student from the Music Department, nor are you a member of any literature or arts societies. What qualifications do you have to be commenting?”
“You’re just an outsider pretending to be a maestro.”
Xiao Luo was not annoyed by this. Instead, he kept a faint smile on his face and replied with one sentence, “Because I am the director o the English Department choir.”
The two boys were shocked by this. But just then, the student announcer appeared on stage from behind the curtains. Smiling and holding a microphone, he announced, “Next up, please enjoy the song ‘Yellow River’ from the choir of the English Department’s 16th cohort. They’ll be conducted by Huang Ruoran with a recitation by Chu Yue!”
The big red curtain slowly drew open and revealed the familiar faces of English majors. Everyone brimmed with energy and smiles. They stood in the formation based on the adjustments that Xiao Luo had made.
Wearing a formal suit and high heels, Huang Ruoran came out from backstage and bowed deeply to the audience. She then turned to face her classmates. At that moment, the accompaniment for ‘Yellow River’ flowed gently like a mountain stream.
Chu Yue was in the middle of the formation. When the accompaniment began, she recited loudly: “Yellow River, a long, endless historical river. Yellow River, the mother river of the Descendants of the Fiery and Yellow Emperor. Hua Nation’s 1.3 billion sons and daughters are nestled in your heart, and your blood is connected to a land of 6.6 million.
“From the snowy mountains and grasslands to the Dadu River, we look back at history with a solemn song. Beginning with the Japanese invaders and a rain of bullets, we use our voices to fight bravely. We are united as the descendants of the dragon, defending our hometown, the Yellow River, and our great Motherland!”
This simple recitation brought out a burning passion in the audience and aroused emotions thanks to its tenacity and strong imagery. It was as if the audience could see the revolutionary soldiers fighting. They were witnessing the very rise of Hua Nation.
Xiao Luo let out a satisfied smile. Chu Yue was indeed a suitable narrator.
Huang Ruoran started conducting with both hands, and the distinct, tidy voices began to sound.
“The wind is howling, the horses are shouting, the Yellow River roars…”
At first, it sounded like a wild horse was galloping across a vast grassland, followed by many horses, and finally a large group. Soon, many as tens of thousands of horses were running alongside the flowing Yellow River. With their voices complemented by the musical accompaniment, the intense collision of treble and bass made the audience feel like they were watching the rolling waves.
The two boys who had initially doubted the English Department were stunned, along with the whole audience. They had never heard such a powerful chorus. Wave after wave of sound shocked everyone’s eardrums.
By the middle of the song, the melody suddenly pulled up like a peal of thunder. It was a gorgeous musical banquet that fed everyone’s minds. The original accompaniment was like a bay of fine water that had long since become a vast river. It was unstoppable and rapidly rushing forward.
The performance was unbelievable and downright incredible!
When the song was over, Huang Ruoran turned to the audience to bow and thank them. It was so quiet that the sound of a needle falling on the ground could have been heard in the large auditorium. More than a thousand people simply stared, dumbfounded, at the stage. The surging notes still lingered in their ears, and the after tones continued to reverberate and inspire their souls.
The girls from the English Department looked at each other. They were nervous for a minute, as they had no idea what was going on with the audience. Had they sung that badly?
“Clap…clap, clap, clap…”
At that moment, the teacher judges sitting in the center of the first row stood up and became the first to applause, breaking the odd silence. Following them, the other judges and students stood up and applauded. The crowd was passionate, and friendly applause swept over the audience like a storm.
Everyone expressed their strong recognition of the English Department choir with intense applause and cheers.
Up until then, the teachers had not judged any class’ choral performance with high praise. It was not until the English Department choir took to the stage and performed their vigorous recitation that everyone was conquered by waves of passionate singing.
“It is simply incredible that a group of girls can sing ‘Yellow River’ so well!”
“Yeah, full of essence and emotion. Their singing style made me feel like I was listening to a wave!”
The two boys who had doubted the girls were amazed. They looked over casually at Xiao Luo’s seat only to find that it was now empty. They had no idea when he had left.
Of course, with joy also came sorrow. Qiu Liang, a professional musician from the Measurement and Control Department, was ashamed. He was quite sure that they had lost. From the opening recitation to the conducting of the English Department’s choir, the girls’ overall singing ability was much better than his Department’s. According to the bet they’d struck, he was going to have to strip naked and streak around campus.
Just then, Xiao Luo was dragging his suitcase and walking slowly on to the school’s main road.
He left as quietly as he’d arrived, waving his sleeves and not leaving anything behind. He had no regrets. At least he was leaving with something, for he firmly believed that the English Department choir would wine first place.
But in his heart, he felt a little reluctant about this parting and had mixed feelings.
He would be leaving behind the sloppy and miserly Zhu Xiaofei as well as Ding Kai, who was not good at talking and skinny as a monkey. There were also the overpowering Huang Ruoran, petite and lovely An Huanhuan, and unruly Chu Yue. From there, the list went on…
The days he’d spent at Hua Ye had been bittersweet. He couldn’t leave without any shred of feeling.
However, all this emotion would be diluted in time. He still had things to do, and Zhu Xiaofei and the gang also had their rose-colored student lives to lead.
At the school gate, a black Bentley rolled up and idled.
“Mr. Xiao?” asked the driver, respectfully.
Xiao Luo nodded and replied, “Hello.”
The driver opened the door and said. “The Boss has been waiting for you at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion Hotel for a long time. Please, get in the car.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Xiao Luo looked back at Huaye once more before climbing into the car.