224: Zhang Xuanhua

Lu Qingyu returned from outside, and upon pushing open the office door, he saw Su Jixing with red-rimmed eyes. He was somewhat surprised, as this was the first time he had seen Su Jixing cry.

"What's wrong, Brother Su? Are you homesick? How about we bring your wife, Niuniu, and Weiwei over?"

Niuniu and Weiwei were Su Jixing's son and daughter; one was in middle school, and the other was in high school.

Su Jixing shook his head: "No, I just received an invitation from the N City Culture and Tourism Bureau. They want to commission you to write a song to promote their tourist attractions. I grew up in N City, and seeing the pictures reminded me of things from my childhood."

Su Jixing's mother used to take him to set up a stall at the foot of the mountain when he was a child. Although they were quite poor back then, life with his mother was simple and happy. Since his mother passed away, he had never returned to his hometown.

Hearing this, Lu Qingyu looked at the computer. The email from the Culture and Tourism Bureau was attached with many pictures, one of which was Qiyun Mountain after the rain, shrouded in mist, with an ancient temple nestled at the mountain peak.

Although the ancient temple was small, it looked primitive and full of spiritual energy. Lu Qingyu scanned the content above.

Su Jixing looked at the pictures on the computer with a face full of nostalgia; it was clear that his childhood must have been very happy.

"Brother Su, reply to them and say I agree to do the promotional song. I'll give it to them tomorrow."

Su Jixing was in the middle of reminiscing about his childhood. Although he loved his hometown, he didn't want to show personal favoritism. Lu Qingyu was so busy, and this kind of work didn't pay much. From his professional perspective, he had wanted to decline.

But he hadn't expected Lu Qingyu to actually agree. Su Jixing knew Lu Qingyu was definitely doing this for him.

"Qingyu, you don't have to do this for me, I—"

Lu Qingyu placed a hand on Su Jixing's shoulder: "A place that could raise someone as excellent as Brother Su must also be very excellent."

Lu Qingyu's sudden sentimentality made Su Jixing blush. It was unclear whether it was because Lu Qingyu praised him for being excellent or for some other reason.

Su Jixing: "Qingyu, you haven't slept for more than four hours lately. Can your body handle it?"

Lu Qingyu comforted him: "Don't worry, Brother Su. Things with the film crew are already on the right track; I'll be free soon."

"Don't you know me? I don't do things I'm not sure about. I've already thought of the promotional song. I'll find some time to record it tomorrow."

Su Jixing was somewhat moved. Lu Qingyu's eyes were a bit dark, a clear sign of lack of sleep.

"Qingyu, thank you."

Lu Qingyu: "Why are you saying thank you? If anyone should be thanking anyone, it's me thanking you. Thank you for taking care of me."

Lu Qingyu was truly grateful to Su Jixing. Being able to encounter Su Jixing was considered a stroke of good luck for him.

There are thousands upon thousands of Agents in the world, but finding one as kind as Su Jixing who is also willing to believe in him was not easy.

The two of them could be said to have fulfilled each other.

Later that evening, Su Jixing replied to the email from the N City Culture and Tourism Bureau.

The secretary was delighted to report to Xu Jian after seeing it.

Then, Su Jixing and Secretary Wang contacted each other to go through the process.

The next afternoon, Xu Jian and the others received Lu Qingyu's promotional music.

Various provinces and cities had already begun to show their prowess in promotion. Xu Jian had just returned from a meeting outside.

He first checked the name of the music and the creative inspiration.

The song was titled 'Not Failing the Mortal World.' The song title didn't quite hit Xu Jian's aesthetic; according to his ideas, a promotional song should be titled something like 'Harmony for Ten Thousand Families,' 'Green Mountains and Clear Waters,' or 'Misty Clouds and Mountains.'

Looking at the feedback sent from Lu Qingyu's side, the inspiration for this song came from the most famous temple in their N City.

Xu Jian smacked his lips. Their city had few tourist attractions, but it was precisely because they were few that they hoped to introduce more places.

In the N City cultural background they sent to Lu Qingyu, they had forced together nine locations, but it seemed Lu Qingyu only wrote about one.

Xu Jian held a skeptical attitude in his heart. Before even listening to the song, he let out a long sigh.

"Let the publicity department make a video to go with the music. Once it passes the review, release it directly."

Secretary: "Director, aren't you going to listen to it?"

Xu Jian: "I'll listen to it after the meeting tonight."

Xu Jian had quite a busy schedule today. After instructing the secretary, he spent ten minutes eating a meal and then continued to attend meetings in the afternoon.

The publicity department had prepared a lot of material, just waiting for the music to arrive so they could combine the two.

As soon as the music arrived, the publicity department immediately began operations. However, to their surprise, the materials they prepared were for nine locations, but only one was actually used.

The song was four minutes long, and the footage of the Qiyun Mountain temple wasn't enough. It just so happened that there was a young man who was skilled at editing. After listening to the song, he found story-driven footage filmed a few years ago to promote the temple, as well as scenes used by certain movies when they filmed there.

After the initial version of the promotion passed the review, it was released directly at three o'clock in the afternoon.

As soon as they released it, Lu Qingyu followed suit and posted it on his Weibo and Ins.

Lu Qingyu's fans had been eating very well these past few days. Because Lu Qingyu was participating in a music variety show, they had already had three new songs in the past half month.

Just as everyone was secretly rejoicing, they didn't expect another song to come, and it came so suddenly.

[Eh eh eh eh? Little Brother has a new song again.]

[This month is simply too blissful.]

[Everyone, listen quickly, it sounds so good.]

Lu Qingyu's celebrity effect was not something an average person could compare to. In an instant, the video's play count surged to 500,000.

Everyone clicked on the video. In the video, before the music even started, what met their eyes was a mountain after the rain, continuous greenery, water vapor steaming at the mountain peak, and an ancient temple coming into view.

The sound of a flute entered their ears. Looking at the scenes in the video, Lu Qingyu's singing voice reached their ears.

"In the setting sun, the Zen bell rings once, and once again"

"Boundless Buddhist laws smile at the folly and anger of the world"

"Night winds like divine fingers brush the incense, treading through the smoke and dust"

"Entering the mortal world to deliver all living beings"

Combined with the video, everyone could see that this was promoting the scenery.

The temple was originally unremarkable, but Lu Qingyu's voice seemed to endow the temple with a kind of tranquil solemnity, instantly giving the temple an ancient and profound feeling.

Hearing this, everyone still just thought the song was good and the temple was nice, but when the chorus rang out, a string snapped in everyone's mind.

"I have climbed the three thousand steps with a heart of devotion"

"Bowed before the Bodhisattva, burning incense, seeking only personal peace"

"Ask not, distinguish not, no longer trace the Yin and Yang that illuminate the universe"

"I also chant sutras within the light of a sword"

"I am an ordinary person gazing at the vast red dust"

"Holding a solitary lamp to light the six purified senses"

"Approach not, acknowledge not, no longer remember the wrong me, untainted by floating dust"

[Holy crap, there's a story, there's definitely a story here.]

[Oh my, I've got goosebumps.]

[Were the three thousand steps kowtowed upon by some devout person with every step? Ah, I want to go see it.]

[Does anyone know where this is? Is it a place I can afford to go to?]

For some reason, everyone automatically composed a drama in their minds of past and present lives, of love that could not be, of 'you were born when I was not, I am old when you are born,' and of kowtowing with long bows just wishing for the other person's well-being.

The originally unremarkable temple was suddenly endowed with a story.

[It's Golden Week, I'm on break. I originally decided to go play in K City, but now I'm not going. I want to go see this temple, to see who left traces on those three thousand steps.]

[I'm tired of all the famous attractions. Looking at this place, although it's not bustling, it feels peaceful. I'm going.]

[Train ticket already bought, I'll go take a look for you guys first.]

And so, a large wave of people was about to set off.