Chapter 49: Two Songs

After 2001, blogs, SNS, forums, and other social websites began to emerge.

China's internet users transitioned from the information-sharing phase to the personal portal phase; during this period, the number of China's internet users increased, and social platforms became the mainstream of the internet.

In 2002, the number of China's internet users reached 59.1 million; bulky desktop computers filled internet cafes across cities and towns, and many internet-addicted teenagers began surfing the web, marking the internet's entry into a phase of rapid development.

Also in the second quarter of 2002, Sogou became the first to announce profitability, declaring that spring had arrived for the internet.

Against this backdrop, Cheng Chen's opening of a blog attracted only limited discussion.

After all, the number of active blog users at the time was only tens of thousands; this newborn internet infant did not experience explosive growth in China until 2006, when its user base would surpass 60 million.

Today's blogs were extremely simple—indeed, rudimentary—capable only of posting images, text, and links; initially, they lacked even a comment function, functioning merely as online diaries open for viewing.

But after blogs were introduced to China, Li Zhenyu, the founder of Huaxia Blog, forcibly added a comment function to align with localized social features.

The number of visitors to Cheng Chen's blog kept rising, and even his fans flooded Huaxia Blog in large numbers through this novel method, constantly monitoring Cheng Chen's updates.

"Boss is surfing the web too—I used 'Fairytale' to confess to my crush and succeeded; I'm looking forward to the boss's new song."

"Is this a blog? It's a bit strange—can I really interact with the boss here?"

"Boring, not as easy to use as QQ—is the boss on QQ?"

"Boss, come out and talk, come out and talk!"

The next day, Cheng Chen's blog views had already exceeded ten thousand.

Huaxia Blog staff were delighted to discover their user base was about to surpass fifty thousand, with traffic overwhelmingly focused on Cheng Chen.

This left Li Zhenyu, founder of Huaxia Blog, deep in thought as he held a data report while browsing Cheng Chen's comment section…

At three in the afternoon, those following Cheng Chen's blog were astonished to find he had updated it—yet it contained only one link.

Curious, users clicked it and discovered it led to a video website.

In the video, Cheng Chen walked on a high stool, holding an electric guitar; after about two seconds of silence, his fingers brushed the strings, and his deep voice began:

"I once dreamed of wandering the world with a sword, seeing its splendor.

Youthful hearts are often reckless; now you make your home wherever the four seas take you.

The girl who once broke your heart has vanished without a trace.

Love always brings longing and trouble, once left you battered and bruised…"

The song "曾经的你" expresses a natural, unwavering courage and confidence.

It carries a touch of rock, yet adds a calm, composed grace—neither loud nor frantic.

Beneath the rhythmic pulse of the lyrics, Cheng Chen's relaxed delivery evokes echoes of youthful years.

"Great! Superb!"

"Is this the boss's real self? So cool!"

"I once dreamed of wandering the world with a sword… the lyrics are perfect—how are my old buddies? Did they fulfill their old dreams?"

"I've married, built a career, had a baby; hearing this song feels like a call within me—to go to Tibet, to feel the wind…"

Cheng Chen's song continued, but some had already opened another webpage, listening to him while commenting on the blog.

"Having experienced life's many ups and downs, this smile remains warm and pure…"

In the video, Cheng Chen finished the last word, his fingers pausing slowly.

Then, as everyone remained immersed, Cheng Chen's fingers began plucking the strings again.

"More???"

At this moment,

countless people before their computer screens fixed their eyes on Cheng Chen in the video, their hearts suddenly stirred by a storm of emotion.

In the video, Cheng Chen's voice rose again:

"I don't know how long I slept in darkness.

I don't know how hard it was to open my eyes.

I came from afar, and you happened to be here too.

Obsessed with the beauty of this world, I went wild for her…"

"Life Like Summer Flowers" is a near-monastic frenzy, striving toward the pure realm of Indian master Tagore's phrase: "Let life bloom like summer flowers in splendor, death fall like autumn leaves in stillness."

The song's atmosphere seeks an almost ethereal, desperate beauty, evoking a sense of eruption, elevation, and evolution.

Like a phoenix reborn, it brings emotional hues of passion and brilliance.

This song, in both lyrics and composition, is an outstanding masterpiece, drawing listeners irresistibly into the realm it expresses.

In the video, Cheng Chen finished the final lyric: "Bloom like summer flowers—this is a world not meant to be stayed in long…"

All who listened before their computers fell into deathly silence, then erupted into thunderous applause.

This applause cared nothing for whether others were nearby, where one was, or what time it was—it was sincere, fervent, and admiring.

In the video, Cheng Chen stepped down from the high stool, stood straight, and faced the camera, saying slowly:

"I'm glad to meet you all in this way. These two songs—the first is '曾经的你,' the second is 'Life Like Summer Flowers'—I offer them to you. I hope you like them!"

"Aaaah, I love them so much!"

"'Life Like Summer Flowers'—what a beautiful name—is it a tribute to Tagore's 'Stray Birds'?"

"'曾经的你' was absolutely explosive—I love it so much!"

The comment section refreshed furiously, with new comments constantly appearing.

"I'll release these two songs as singles soon—hope you like them. Oh, and there's one more thing I want to tell you all while I'm at it…"

And more and more people kept pouring into Cheng Chen's blog.

Some came spontaneously, others followed links shared on forums and blogs, drawn by reputation; still others were called online by friends to watch.

Within just hours of the video's release, Huaxia Blog's concurrent users climbed steadily, briefly surpassing one hundred thousand—and still rising!

This was unquestionably today's greatest internet feast.

About music!

About Cheng Chen!

The Huaxia Blog staff watched the data skyrocket, their shock deepening until their spines turned cold—Cheng Chen's terrifying popularity!

"Quick, check the server! Don't let it crash now!"

Suddenly, someone shouted loudly.

But it was too late—his words had barely ended when the blog crashed, taking the video link with it…

"Fuck, check the server now! Hurry!"

Even the usually refined founder of Huaxia Blog couldn't help swearing.

The staff rushed to repair the server.

But Cheng Chen's final words were stuck—the blog's homepage interface froze completely.

Countless people frantically pounded their keyboards.

What the hell was Cheng Chen about to announce in his last line?!

Fuck this garbage blog, give me back Cheng Chen!

Garbage blog!

This became the shared thought in everyone's mind afterward.

Only when the blog recovered and people clicked the link again did they finally hear Cheng Chen's full statement:

"Hmm, these two songs were also written for me by someone else…"

In the video, Cheng Chen looked utterly innocent.

…