"Hello, I'm Shen Lang, your substitute host for today. How can I assist you?"
Shen Lang followed the standard procedure.
"Hello, my name is Wang Cheng."
Judging by the tone of his voice, Wang Cheng sounded dejected.
Something must have happened to him.
Perhaps a setback in life.
Or maybe a heartbreak.
Before Shen Lang could ask, Wang Cheng began to speak.
"We were classmates. We liked each other since freshman year, but neither of us confessed. It wasn't until junior year that I mustered the courage to propose, and she happily accepted..."
So it was a relationship issue.
Shen Lang listened quietly.
Their romance blossomed, and they became the campus's model couple.
They supported each other, shared dreams, and their love even earned the blessings of both families. Everything seemed to be going perfectly.
But then came the inevitable "but," shattering their idyllic love.
Shen Lang could already guess what was coming.
Most likely, like countless other college romances, it would end with graduation.
"The good times didn't last. After graduation, we faced the challenges of distance and career. She went to Rongcheng, while I stayed in Modu."
Wang Cheng's voice choked with emotion.
After a five- or six-second pause, Shen Lang, mindful of keeping the live broadcast engaging, prompted, "Did the long-distance relationship gradually diminish your contact, causing cracks to form in your bond?"
Wang Cheng's voice trembled as he replied, "Yes, that's exactly what happened. It ultimately led to our breakup. It's been two years, and I still can't move on."
Thank goodness.
He's not suicidal.
But Zhao Chuan's "I Am Just a Little Bird" seems rather inappropriate now.
Shen Lang pondered briefly before asking, "Do you want to request a song to make yourself feel better, or to make her feel better?"
This was crucial.
Without hesitation, Wang Cheng blurted out, "Her."
Fortunately, they had prepared a backup plan: if no suitable song could be found, they would play one from a CD.
Outside the studio, the broadcasting director held up a CD, while the editor displayed a whiteboard.
Andy Lau's "Thank You for Your Love."
Shen Lang read the message on the whiteboard.
He understood their intention perfectly.
But he was struggling.
Or rather, not struggling, but hesitating.
In his previous life as a music teacher, he knew many pop songs.
After transmigrating, these memories seemed amplified, the lyrics, melodies, and arrangements crystal clear.
His frustration lay in finding the right opportunity to showcase them.
Talent shows weren't yet popular; the hottest one, Super Boy, had aired in 2007.
Selling songs fetched meager prices—Wang Banbi's Waiting, sold to Huang Qishan, earned him only a few thousand yuan.
Producing an album was expensive. Even if he handled the composition, lyrics, and arrangement himself, the remaining production costs would still run into tens of thousands of yuan.
Deeply aware of the importance of copyright, he refused to sell himself to a record company.
At that moment, Shen Lang saw an opportunity: radio.
Yanjing Music Radio, one of the eight specialized stations of Yanjing People's Radio Station, boasted a high listenership nationwide.
Though their programming was declining, even a dying camel was bigger than a horse.
"Mr. Wang, I understand how you must feel right now. I've composed a song called Lonely Sandbank Cold. I'd like to dedicate it to you and your special someone."
In an instant, Shen Lang made his decision.
He had to seize the opportunity before him, even if it meant getting fired.
What's the point of transmigrating if you don't go crazy?
"Lonely?"
"Sandbank..."
"Cold?"
Wang Cheng was stunned. What kind of song was this?
Shen Lang's guitar rang out.
The Broadcasting Director and Editor were dumbfounded.
What is this kid trying to do?!
Is he trying to ruin our show?!
But by then, it was too late to stop him.
"Quick, go to the restroom and report the situation to Brother Wu. See how we can salvage this. I'll keep an eye on things here. If all else fails, we'll have to cut the song forcefully," the Editor said to the Broadcasting Director.
"Right, I'll go now."
The Broadcasting Director turned and left.
At the same time, the singing began.
"Since you left, my heart has withered,
White tung blossoms flutter in the wind,
Like sentimental petals falling in this season..."
It was Zhou Chuanxiong's "Lonely Sandbank Cold."
The song, a single about lovers parting ways, conveyed a mood of solitude and desolation.
Its lyrics and melody echoed the melancholic imagery of Yan Shu's "Butterflies Adoring Flowers" from the Song Dynasty: "Last night, the west wind withered the green trees. Alone, I climbed the high tower, gazing to the ends of the earth." The core theme mirrored Wang Cheng's own dilemma: choosing between love and career.
"The riverbank wind howls recklessly,
Unjustly stirring tears in the eyes of those left behind..."
"That intense love can never be given again...
Night after night of heartache..."
Broadcasting Editor Zhao Xue stared wide-eyed. She hadn't expected Shen Lang's singing to be so captivating. More importantly, the song itself was beautiful.
On the other end of the phone, Wang Cheng listened to the song playing on the radio. The gentle lyrics, the haunting melody, and Shen Lang's unique voice pierced straight into his heart. He closed his eyes, and fragments of cherished memories surfaced, transporting him back to a time he could never reclaim.
In that moment, a torrent of emotions surged within him: regret, resentment, and a profound sense of longing for the real her.
As the chorus approached, Shen Lang's emotions erupted, driving the song to its climax.
"When the threads of memory tangle with shattered pasts,
Panic seizes my heart.
Flowers dance with butterflies,
Lonely geese can fly in pairs,
Yet I wander alone in the quiet of the night..."
The slow, deliberate voice carried the weight of the lyrics. Each word struck Wang Cheng's heart like a thorny vine, leaving him in agony.
The lyrics' yearning for "flowers dancing with butterflies" and "lonely geese flying in pairs" was juxtaposed against the desolate imagery of "twilight seizing his heart" and "wandering alone in the quiet of the night." The resulting sense of helplessness and wistfulness ignited an unprecedented emotional firestorm within Wang Cheng.
Tears streamed down his face.
His heart ached with unbearable pain.
"When happy lovers send red envelopes of joy,
I close my eyes, too heartbroken to turn back.
Still picking through withered branches, refusing to rest, tinged with regret,
Who should I miss on this lonely sandbank?"
The final lines of the song dripped with helplessness and resignation.
They struck Wang Cheng's heart like a hammer, overflowing with regret and despair.
The song ended.
All that remained was the sound of his surging, uncontrollable sobs.
Shen Lang hadn't realized this song would devastate Wang Cheng so deeply.
He'd thought it might ease his ex-girlfriend's pain, but now he feared it had backfired.
This was complicated.
Brother, don't let this overwhelm you.
"Aaaah!"
Suddenly, a primal howl erupted.
Shen Lang breathed a sigh of relief.
Hearing that cry, Shen Lang instantly relaxed.
Even if it hadn't brought Wang Cheng complete catharsis, at least it had released the emotions he'd bottled up for the past two years.
This was a good thing.
A breakup doesn't just mean losing a relationship; it can also trigger self-doubt, uncertainty about the future, and longing for happier times.
If these complex emotions are not effectively processed and released, they can negatively impact an individual's mental health.
"Thank you, thank you for your song."
Hearing Wang Cheng speak, Shen Lang felt compelled to say something. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Life between men and women is full of differences."
"At certain stages, perhaps one must choose between career and love."
"That's why we have the line, 'Closing my eyes, too heartbroken to turn back, I still gather every frozen branch, unwilling to rest, tinged with regret.'"
"Now, I realize I still love her. I can't accept her marrying someone else. I'm going to call her immediately."
"I'll tell her how I feel. If we still have a chance, let's get married. I want to make you happy."
"What do you think, Mr. Wang?"