Chapter 104: The Ordinary Path (Requesting Votes)

Singing!
Gabe is going to sing!

He Xier couldn’t hold back and asked the question everyone wanted to ask: “Teacher Gabe, have you written a new song?”

Everyone was full of anticipation and longing.

They had all seen the short video posted by Sheng Shi online—Gabe singing a snippet of a song.

Putting aside the quality of the song itself, his vocal skills were beyond what ordinary singers possessed. At the very least, many popular singers in the music industry couldn’t match Gabe’s singing ability.

Yet no one had ever heard Gabe sing live before. He Xier and Jiang Qi were no exception.

Li He smiled and said, “After coming to the mountains, I suddenly got inspired. The song isn’t quite complete yet. I hope Teacher Xie Shun can give me some guidance.”

“Sure.” Xie Shun agreed with a cheerful smile.

To receive guidance from the master composer Xie Shun was a dream coveted by many in the songwriting world.

“Wait a moment, I’ll go get the guitar.” Saying this, Li He turned and walked out.

Teacher He was excited: “We must be among the first to hear Gabe sing live, right?”

“If we don’t count those from Group Seven, then yes, we’re definitely the first.” Xie Shun said with a smile.

When Li He sang “Friend,” most of the lyricists and composers from Group Seven were already quite drunk, and many had passed out.

Soon, Li He returned carrying a guitar on his back.

“This song is called ‘Ordinary Road,’” he said, sitting on a stool and looking down to tune the guitar.

This guitar had been prepared before coming to record the show, all for this very moment.

Li He casually plucked a few strings with his right hand and nodded with satisfaction.

His guitar skills were quite good. The original owner had a guitar foundation, and later a system lottery awarded him an “Advanced Guitar Skill Capsule,” elevating his guitar ability to a new level.

Li He couldn’t quite measure how advanced the skill capsule made him, but it was definitely far beyond that of any shameless charlatan.

Taking three deep breaths, Li He calmed his nerves.

This was the first time since arriving in this world that he was seriously singing in a formal manner.

When he sang “Friend” before, he was a bit drunk and not as earnest or formal.

When he sang “You Can’t Hit Me,” it was purely to annoy Cuilan Entertainment, and he treated it like a game.

This time, it was a proper performance.

The mountain night was very quiet, without the hustle and bustle of city traffic or endless noise—only the occasional chirping of crickets in the distance.

The night sky was dotted with stars, the most natural and precious stage lights.

Li He squinted slightly, looking down, his long right-hand fingers lightly gliding over the guitar strings. Jiang You, who was well-versed in guitars, was struck by the brilliance of his technique.

“His skill is very refined. There’s no flashy showmanship, yet it makes you want to applaud. What is there that Teacher Gabe can’t do?” Jiang You thought to himself, overwhelmed.

Jiang Qi and He Xier didn’t think too much about it. They knew Gabe was a student in the composition department of a music academy, and it was normal for composers to play guitar.

Teacher He, meanwhile, was less particular—his feelings were simple and straightforward: it sounded good.

Most of the surrounding crew felt the same.

The directing team, led by Wu Guang, had also come to the scene, with Wu Guang even carrying a small stool and a cup of water infused with wolfberries at his feet.

He understood that this segment, once aired, would cause a huge sensation.

It was the first time Gabe appeared before the public, on “Yearning.”

Wu Guang had directed many variety shows and worked as an assistant director on others. He had strong control over the program.

He knew what the audience liked and disliked, which was why he agreed to let Li He break conventions and appear on camera as the program planner.

Gabe was not only the planner but also a highly sought-after lyricist and composer at the moment.

The guitar prelude was brief, only about ten seconds.

Under the moonlight, in the quiet courtyard, Li He’s unique voice echoed through the Mushroom House.

“Wandering on the road,
Are you leaving?
Fragile pride—
That was once how I looked…”

The melodious voice lingered in the courtyard, refusing to fade.

This song was one Li He loved deeply; it was also very popular on Earth, widely sung and cherished.

The original creator was a lonely poet named Pu Shu, a musician who only worked when he was short of money.

Li He’s singing style was inspired by Pu Shu.

Xie Shun listened intently. Although the accompaniment was just a guitar, he discerned a highly sophisticated melody within.

“This song is not simple.”

Six short words, but a profound and high praise.

Xie Shun himself was a master composer, skilled in both composition and songwriting—not many reached his level without mastering multiple disciplines.

He nodded at the opening line, impressed by how well the lyrics began.

Recalling every song Gabe had written, the lyrics were always beautiful and rich with imagery.

He looked at the young man playing guitar under the starlight, eyes filled with undisguised admiration and expectation.

Jiang You was captivated, sitting motionless on the stool, fully immersed in the song.

He Xier rested her pointed chin on her hands, listening attentively.

This was Li He’s first formal singing performance—she was witnessing it firsthand.

It was an honor, one belonging to the Gabe camp’s singers, or rather, the dawn of the Gabe dynasty.

Jiang Qi lay prostrate on the dining table, eyes fixed on the bowed youth playing guitar, truly stunned.

Her mind echoed the same thought as her dear sister: it was an honor, the button to start the era of the Gabe dynasty.

That button was pressed by this very song.

Teacher He’s feelings were the simplest and most direct—he only thought: it sounds good.

Wu Guang sat on the small stool, smiling as he unscrewed his water bottle and took a big gulp, a soft wolfberry still clinging to the corner of his mouth.

“This show is definitely going to explode in popularity, absolutely!”

Not only did it have unprecedented creative ideas, but also this very song by Gabe.

He wasn’t from the music industry, so his judgment of a song’s quality was simple—good or bad.

Gabe’s performance was explosively good.

There was no doubt the song’s quality was top-notch.

Xie Shun’s endorsement as a master composer spoke volumes about the song’s caliber.

In fact, what surprised everyone most was Li He’s singing.

Simply put, his performance was not only technically skilled but also full of emotion and storytelling.

He didn’t sing with technique alone; he sang with heart.

That was very difficult to achieve.

And Li He, a professional lyricist and composer, had done just that.

Li He stood up from the stool, holding his guitar gracefully and confidently.

“Boiling and restless,
Where are you going?
Mysterious silence—
Are you really listening to the story…”

The concise lyrics conveyed a different kind of imagery. Li He’s voice seemed magical, gripping everyone’s eardrums tightly.

The filming crew was stunned. If the expensive equipment weren’t at risk, they would have long abandoned their posts to applaud.

It was breathtaking.

The lyrics were simple, the accompaniment minimal, yet the subsequent guitar solo stirred a yearning to run and shout.

He Xier and Jiang Qi had already stood up. There was no high note, no screaming hoarseness, and no grandiose descriptions in the lyrics, yet their minds painted a vast picture where mountains met seas.

Although the chorus and the song’s essence had yet to arrive, goosebumps had already risen, their brains buzzing.

They were dumbfounded.

Completely dumbfounded!

Their emotions were fully engaged, and they wanted to stand and sing along, but when they opened their mouths, they found they didn’t know the next line.

Only then did everyone remember this was an original song, its debut performance, and their first time hearing it.

“Are you really listening to the story?”

This was not just a song—it was a story.

Xie Shun’s eyes widened. He wanted to take out his phone to record it and share with his longtime partner, to show how stunning the lyrics were.

But he didn’t. Gabe hadn’t given permission, and recording without consent would be plagiarism.

If they wanted to hear it again, they could go to Group Seven at the company and find Gabe.

The melodious voice echoed in the courtyard, and even the crickets in the distance seemed entranced, silent for some time.

The stars in the night sky seemed to shine brighter.

Li He turned his back, increasing the intensity of his guitar playing.

“I once crossed mountains and seas,
And walked through crowds of people,
Everything I once had,
Vanished in an instant like smoke,
I once felt lost and disappointed,
Losing all direction,
Until I saw that the ordinary
Is the only answer.”

It was explosive!

Completely explosive!

“Is this really Teacher Gabe? His vocal skills are unbelievable!” He Xier whispered in disbelief.

His singing was terrifyingly good.

No deliberate high notes, no flashy techniques, yet it made people want to shout and leap.

“Fairywood Chronicles”—

No high notes, yet higher than any high note.

Xie Shun’s expression changed completely.

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P.S. Posted first, will revise later. Please point out any errors.