funbook-pk Chapter 45, New Year's Eve
Chapter 45, New Year's Eve
February 18th, Lunar New Year's Eve.
Gao Huan arrived at CCTV in the afternoon.
People were coming and going in the dressing room; some were rehearsing their lines, while others were warming up their voices.
His show is scheduled for around 9 p.m., not too early, not too late, just when the whole family is gathered around the TV and probably on their second plate of sunflower seeds.
His phone kept vibrating while the makeup artist was doing his makeup.
WeChat messages came in like snowflakes, but he didn't open any of them. He just turned his phone upside down on the table, screen facing down.
"Ms. Gao, your skin is so good," the makeup artist said while applying foundation. "You don't need much coverage."
Gao Huan closed his eyes, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly: "Thank you."
The makeup is done.
He changed into a red suit, a dark vermilion that made his face appear even whiter and his features even more striking.
Her hair was combed back, revealing her entire face, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye was particularly clear under the incandescent light of the dressing room.
Yangyang Jin walked in from outside, looked him up and down, and nodded.
"This color is difficult for most people to pull off."
While waiting in the studio, you could hear music and applause coming from the hallway.
Some people were cheering, some were laughing, and the host's introductions came through the speakers, his words clear and resonant, carrying the unique "grand" feeling of the Spring Festival Gala.
Gao Huan stood behind the side curtain, waiting.
He could hear his own heartbeat, neither too fast nor too slow, like a preheated engine.
A staff member approached and whispered, "Teacher Gao, get ready."
He nodded and took a deep breath.
The stage lights dimmed briefly and then came back on.
The piano prelude began.
Gao Huan emerged from behind the side curtain, his red suit gleaming like a flame in the wind under the lights.
His steps were neither hurried nor slow, but steady at his own pace.
The stage was large, and the lights shone down from above, illuminating him completely. He walked to the microphone, stood still, and looked up.
The audience was packed, but he couldn't see any of their faces.
The lights were so bright that the audience area became a blurry sea of light.
He knew someone was watching him, but at that moment, none of that mattered.
After the intro ended, he began to speak.
"Sunrise and sunset, deeper and deeper, a small square table, with one meat dish and one vegetable dish..."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady.
The piano accompaniment flowed over like water, enveloping the listener.
He doesn't show off his skills, but his technical prowess is revealed in a subtle and understated way.
The weaker parts were as light as a feather, while the stronger parts were as solid as a wall; every word was pronounced clearly and precisely.
Online, those nitpickers waiting to find fault are also watching this show.
They wait to hear off-key singing, to hear unsteady breath control, to hear any "mishap" moment that they can screenshot and post on Weibo.
But nothing came of it.
Gao Huan continued singing.
When he sang the line "A figure calmly and busily goes about his business, a pair of hands that bring warmth to this time," his voice trailed off slightly.
The camera zoomed in on his face; his eyes were half-closed, and his eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow under the light.
Standing on this stage now, he remembers the person who caught him when he was twelve years old.
That busy figure in the kitchen, that square table with one meat dish and one vegetable dish, that woman who never complained or cried out about being tired, who raised him all by herself.
Gao Huan's voice became even softer at this moment, so soft that it sounded like someone talking to themselves.
"...The moon is bright, the wind is gentle, have you ever come to my dreams?"
When the last note faded, the studio fell silent for a moment.
Then applause broke out, the kind of applause that comes from the heart, the kind that truly comes after being struck by something.
Gao Huan stood on the stage and bowed slightly.
The lights shone on him, and he couldn't see the people in the audience clearly, but he knew that there was someone sitting in front of the TV watching, waiting for him to come home and have New Year's Eve dinner together.
"This is definitely lip-syncing!"
Someone posted this sentence on Weibo.
But soon, two professionals' Weibo posts were pushed to the top. Music critic Erdi posted a message with only one sentence: "Live singing, top-notch technique, enviable talent! The sound quality and timbre are so good it's unreasonable!"
CCTV's music director, Hong Bing, also posted a message with only one sentence: "Live singing! I heard it live."
Hong Bing's words carried great weight; his support, given his position as the music director of CCTV, was a rare occurrence.
He worked at CCTV for over twenty years, collaborating with singers ranging from Li Guyi to Faye Wong, and from Liu Huan to Jay Chou.
Seven words, like seven nails, nailed all the doubts to the wall.
The haters shut their mouths.
The 2015 Spring Festival Gala was different from those that followed.
Back then, the Spring Festival Gala was a real "New Year's Eve dinner," not background noise or material for吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for complaining/criticizing).
The whole family sat around the TV, eating sunflower seeds and peeling oranges, watching and chatting.
That year's Spring Festival Gala featured performances such as "The Most Dazzling Little Apple" by Phoenix Legend and Chopstick Brothers, "Play to Your Tastes" by Shen Teng and Ma Li, "Congratulations on Getting Rich" by Andy Lau after a ten-year hiatus, and "No Matter How Far Away We Are Together" by Deng Ziqi after her breakout performance on "I Am a Singer".
But what most people remember about that night is Gao Huan's "One Meat and One Vegetable".
Amidst the hustle and bustle and celebration, it acts like a quiet window, allowing everyone to suddenly recall people they wouldn't normally think of during the pauses between toasts.
Countless people in front of their televisions had tears in their eyes.
Hangzhou, Xiasha.
Zhang Ruonan sat on the sofa at home, with her mother and younger brother and sister next to her.
The living room wasn't big, the TV was turned up really loud, and there were sunflower seeds, peanuts, and several plates of cold dishes on the coffee table.
Her mother was peeling oranges, while her younger siblings were playing on their phones.
When Gao Huan appeared, Zhang Ruonan unconsciously sat up straight.
"Your boss is really handsome, and he looks so smart in red," her mother mumbled, popping a segment of orange into her mouth. "How are things going between you two?"
Zhang Ruonan did not answer.
She stared at the screen, her fingers gripping the edge of the sofa cushion, her knuckles turning white.
When Gao Huan sang the chorus, her eyes reddened. She felt a mix of pride and bittersweetness, a feeling that "I saw him, and we'll see each other often in the future, but not as his girlfriend."
She met him.
In BJ's recording studio, she stood next to him, listening to his voice coming through her headphones and into the air.
The voice coming from the television right now is the same person—the person from her dream.
Her mother glanced at her, said nothing, and handed her the remaining oranges.
Zhang Ruonan took the orange, broke off a segment, and popped it into her mouth.
It was sweet, but she wanted to cry.
Xiamen.
Chen Duling sat on the sofa at home.
Her parents were standing nearby, with several dishes laid out on the coffee table.
Her home is in Xiamen, and the sea breeze outside the window blows in through the gauze curtains, carrying a salty smell.
When Gao Huan came out, her father said, "Isn't this the male lead in the movie you acted in before?"
Chen Duling hummed in agreement and didn't say anything more.
She looked at the screen, at the red suit, at the face she had seen on set for over a hundred days.
She remembered the day filming of "The Left Ear" wrapped up; she walked over, stood on tiptoe, kissed him on the cheek, and then turned and left.
She thought time would heal all wounds, but seeing him through the screen still made her heart skip a beat.
Her mother glanced at her, said nothing, and put a piece of pork rib into her bowl.
WLMQ.
Naza's living room is very large, and her mother, sister and father are sitting on the sofa.
The coffee table was laden with XJ's special New Year's Eve dinner—hand-pulled mutton, braised chicken, steamed buns, and raisins.
The Spring Festival Gala is playing on TV.
Naza was wearing a red sweater, nestled in the corner of the sofa, holding a cushion in her arms.
When Gao Huan appeared, she sat up abruptly, not even bothering to pick up the cushion that had fallen to the ground.
"Your relationship seems to be going well lately, right?" her sister asked.
Naza nodded firmly, staring intently at the screen without blinking.
When Gao Huan was singing, Nazha's mother turned her head and glanced at her daughter.
She saw a light in her daughter's eyes, full of affection and love.
Her sister bent down to pick up the cushion that had fallen to the ground, tucked it back into Nazha's arms, and whispered, "Have you booked your tickets for the first day of the Lunar New Year?"
Naza nodded without saying anything.
When Gao Huan finished singing the last word, her eyes reddened.
She wiped her eyes, stood up, went into the bathroom, and closed the door.
She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath.
I'll go back tomorrow.
WLMQ, at Dilraba's home.
Dilraba was wearing a floral dress, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding a piece of yogurt curd in her hand.
Her parents were sitting next to her, and the Spring Festival Gala was playing on TV.
When Gao Huan appeared, Dilraba's fingers paused for a moment.
"This child sings very well," her father said in Mandarin with a Xinjiang accent. "She's also very pretty and looks good in red."
Her mother chimed in, "Yes, this song is well-written. Did he write it himself? He's talented."
Dilraba popped a grape into her mouth and mumbled an "Mmm".
"Do you know him?" Her mother turned her head, her eyes filled with a mother's keen insight.
Dilraba hesitated for a moment: "I guess we know each other, we worked together on a film set."
Her mother glanced at her but didn't ask any more questions.
But Dilraba is all too familiar with that "you better not lie to me" look in her eyes.
When Gao Huan finished singing, her father clapped and said, "You sang well, it was very touching!"
Dilraba didn't say anything, but stuffed the yogurt curds into her mouth, and suddenly felt a little greasy.
She knew who Gao Huan's girlfriend was, even though they had never officially announced it.
She recalled that at the end of 2013 on the set of "Swords of Legends", when Gao Huan handed her a piece of yogurt curd, he said, "I guessed."
She now knows that it wasn't a guess.
BJ, at Liu Shishi's home.
The living room lights were on. Liu Shishi was sitting on the sofa, her mother was sitting next to her, and her father was smoking on the balcony.
When Gao Huan appeared, Liu Shishi put down her chopsticks.
Her mother glanced at her daughter, then at the television.
"This young man looks quite energetic, do you know him?"
"Yes, we acted together before," Liu Shishi said.
Her mother didn't ask any more questions.
When Gao Huan was singing, her father came back from the balcony, stood behind the sofa and watched for a while, and said, "You sang well."
After the program ended, the family continued to have their New Year's Eve dinner.
A comedy sketch was playing on TV, and the sound was loud. Liu Shishi picked up a piece of pork rib, put it in her bowl, but didn't eat it.
Her mother suddenly spoke up: "How are things going between you and that Wu Qilong?"
Liu Shishi paused for a moment.
The chopsticks hung in mid-air, and the oil from the ribs dripped into the bowl, spreading out in a small circle.
She remained silent for a long time, so long that her mother thought she hadn't heard her.
"Mom," Liu Shishi finally spoke, her voice soft, "I haven't decided yet."
Her mother looked at her without saying a word.
But in that look, there was a mother's unique keenness.
She knew that there was a problem between her daughter and that man.
Liu Shishi lowered her head, put the piece of pork rib into her mouth, and chewed it for a long time before swallowing it.
The laughter and applause from the TV drifted past her ears, but she didn't hear a single word.
The situation on Weibo has completely exploded.
#Gao Huan's Meat and Vegetable Dish# became the number one trending topic within five minutes of the show ending.
"I cried, and my mom cried too. My dad pretended not to cry, but I saw him secretly wiping his eyes."
"Gao Huan's voice is absolutely amazing. His soft mixed voice has the flavor of Li Jian, and his strong mixed voice has the shadow of JJ Lin, but he is not imitating anyone. He has his own style."
"I'm not a fan of his, but I admire this song."
"Those who say that popular singers have no talent, please throw this song in their faces."
CCTV music director Hong Bing's "real singing" certification became a trending topic.
"It was a live performance! I heard it live."
Seven words, over a million reposts, over five million likes.
"With Teacher Hong Bing speaking out, who dares to accuse us of lip-syncing?"
"The music director of CCTV personally endorsed it; what kind of prestige is that?"
"Gao Huan's live performance is incredibly stable; his skills are underestimated."
The fans were spamming the supertopic like crazy.
Someone took screenshots of Gao Huan singing frame by frame, made them into a nine-grid layout, and posted them out.
Someone ripped the audio and played it on a loop;
Someone posted a long article in the super topic, saying that they have liked Gao Huan since "Gu Jian Qi Tan" and have watched him all the way to the Spring Festival Gala, like watching a particularly promising friend shining.
"He looked so good in that red suit, I took eighty screenshots!"
"From 'Swords of Legends' to 'The Coffin in the Mountain' to 'Medal' to the Spring Festival Gala, Huan Ge has stepped onto the pinnacle of the Chinese entertainment industry with every step he takes."
"This isn't about popularity, this is about ability."
Even those who weren't originally his fans started to notice his name after tonight.
"I used to think that popular celebrities were all just manufactured, but now I'm a different story."
"Gao Huan changed my perception of the term 'young and handsome'."
"I hereby declare that I am now a fan, starting today."
When Gao Huan came down from the stage, Yangyang Jin was waiting in the wings and handed him a bottle of water.
"Brother Huan, perfect."
Gao Huan took the water, unscrewed the cap, took a big gulp, and said nothing.
Someone was waiting for him in the hallway.
Shen Teng walked over from the side, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You sang well, brother."
Ma Li gave him a thumbs up: "This song really moved me!"
Gao Huan nodded in response to each of them, and then followed Yangyang Jin to the locker room.
After changing his clothes and removing his makeup, he came out through the side door. The night wind rushed into his collar, making him shrink his neck in the cold.
The van was waiting by the roadside. Yangyang Jin opened the door, bent down and climbed in, throwing himself into the seat.
"Go back where?" Yangyang Jin asked.
"At my aunt's."
The car started and drove out of the CCTV building.
Chang'an Avenue was wide and empty. Gao Huan leaned back in his seat, took out his phone, and opened WeChat.
There are already hundreds of unread messages.
He looked at them one by one:
Naza sent a string of exclamation marks and said, "Brother, you're amazing! I'm going back to Beijing tomorrow."
Meng Ziyi sent a voice message, but he didn't open it;
Chen Duling sent a smiley face with the caption "You sang really well";
Dilraba sent a message saying, "Even my dad praised you."
Liu Shishi posted a message with only two words: "It sounds nice."
Gao Huan locked the screen and put the phone in his pocket.
The car turned into an old residential area next to the East Third Ring Road.
The building wasn't tall, the streetlights were dim, and the ginkgo tree downstairs was bare, its branches outlining dense lines against the night sky.
Gao Huan got out of the car, went upstairs, and took out his keys to open the door.
The living room lights were on.
Gao Beibei poked her head out of the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a spatula.
"You're back? Are you hungry? The food is just ready."
Gao Huan changed his shoes and went into the kitchen.
Several dishes were laid out on the stove: braised pork, pork rib and lotus root soup, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, sweet and sour pork ribs, and garlic broccoli. There was also a pot of freshly cooked dumplings next to it, steaming hot.
Gao Beibei worked alone for more than two hours.
Gao Huan stood next to her, looking at the table full of dishes.
"I listened to the song you sang," Gao Beibei said.
Gao Huan turned his head and glanced at her.
Gao Beibei didn't look at him. She put the last dish on the table and took off her apron, draping it over the back of her chair.
"Try some, they're all your favorites," she said.
This year is the same as last year.
Gao Huan looked at her.
Her hair was casually pinned back with hair clips, with a few strands of white hair that stood out prominently under the light.
He recalled singing the line "A pair of hands gives warmth to this time" on stage, and the image that flashed before his eyes was Gao Beibei's busy figure in the kitchen—exactly the same as it was now.
"Auntie," Gao Huan said.
"Um."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Gao Beibei didn't reply and turned to serve the dumplings.
Yangyang Jin came out of the guest room, took a bowl of dumplings, said "Thank you, Sister Beibei", and then sat down at the dining table with the bowl in her hand.
She glanced at Gao Huan and said with a grin, "Aren't you Brother Huan here today? You're Little Huan."
Gao Huan paused for a moment, then smiled.
The smile wasn't big, but it carried a kind of helpless indulgence.
He nodded, as if to say "whatever."
Yangyang Jin began eating dumplings with great satisfaction.
The three people sat around the dining table, which was full of dishes: a dish of vinegar, a dish of garlic, and a dish of Laba garlic.
The occasional sound of firecrackers drifted in from outside the window, sporadic and not as lively as in the countryside, but in Beijing, it already felt like the New Year's Eve.
Gao Huan picked up a dumpling, took a bite, and found it to be filled with pork and cabbage, perfectly seasoned and not too salty.
While eating, Yangyang Jin suddenly said, "Brother Huan, no, Little Huan, Happy New Year~"
Gao Huan didn't say anything, glared at her, and picked up another dumpling.
Gao Beibei glared at him, said nothing, and pushed the vinegar dish towards him.
It's almost midnight.
After Gao Huan finished the last bite of the dumpling, he put down his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair.
He looked at Yangyang Jin and Gao Beibei across from him; both of them were eating dumplings with their heads down, and neither of them spoke.
There was no clinking of glasses at this New Year's Eve dinner.
There was only one table of food, a few bowls of dumplings, a dish of vinegar, and a lamp lit overhead.
The important people are all here.