Life's Flourish

After the recording session, Zhang Guan and Liu Feiren returned to the Tiantan Apartments. The next morning, they joined the large group heading to the Capital Olympic Center Stadium for the rehearsal of the "One Song" grand concert.

Liu Feiren was set to sing "Really Want To, Really Want To" with the Hong Kong singer Leo Ku. Coach Li of the badminton team would sing "The Red Flag Flutters" with the famous singer Sun Nan. The new women's doubles tennis champions were going to perform "Friends," while the women's volleyball players would join in a chorus of "The Sunshine After the Rain." The four musketeers of the fencing team would perform "True Hero."

As for Zhang Guan, he met Wang Feng backstage.

"Hello, Teacher Wang Feng!" Zhang Guan said as he extended his right hand.

At that time, Wang Feng still had his signature long, flowing hair, and he wore the same square glasses that he would later become known for. However, he wasn't comfortable being called "Teacher Wang Feng."

"Please, just call me Wang Feng," Wang Feng replied.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

"Have you sung 'Flying Higher' before?" Wang Feng asked.

"Yes, I really like this song," Zhang Guan replied with a nod.

"Why don't I lead you through it once and see how it goes?" Wang Feng suggested.

"Sure!" Zhang Guan agreed. Wang Feng then turned on the accompaniment machine and led Zhang Guan through "Flying Higher" once.

This wasn't a formal performance, so Wang Feng didn't need to hit the high notes. He sang in a casual, practice style, lacking the grandeur he usually conveyed, yet it still had a soul-stirring quality. On the other hand, Zhang Guan struggled with the high and low notes, barely reaching the level of an average karaoke singer. But Wang Feng was fairly satisfied with Zhang Guan's performance.

Such collaborative performances were more about form than content. Wang Feng understood that, although this was a concert, the real stars were the Olympic champions, and the professional singers were just there to support them. When it came time for the actual performance, no one would care about the champions' singing skills, and even if they sang off-key, the audience would be forgiving.

Next, Wang Feng gave Zhang Guan some pointers on his singing, particularly on the high notes and vocal techniques. Although, from a professional standpoint, there wasn't a single line Zhang Guan sang correctly, Wang Feng didn't expect him to meet professional standards; he just offered some basic guidance.

Afterward, Wang Feng sang the song with Zhang Guan again, and Zhang Guan gradually improved.

"Take a break and have some water to moisten your throat. I'll play a tune for you," Wang Feng said, handing a bottle of water to Zhang Guan and opening one for himself. He then played a piece of music on the accompaniment machine.

"This is…" Zhang Guan found the music somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it before. As the music progressed, especially towards the climax, he recognized it.

"Isn't this the tune for 'Blooming Life'? It sounds a bit different from the version I've heard before, perhaps because Wang Feng hasn't finished refining it," Zhang Guan thought to himself.

After the music finished, Wang Feng said, "This is a new piece I just composed. I only received the finished track today."

Zhang Guan suddenly felt a wave of emotion, recalling the two different lives he had experienced. One was so ordinary, while the other flourished like a field of blooming flowers. He felt that this song, "Blooming Life," might resonate with him more. So he suggested, "This piece is great. How about we sing this one instead?"

"Sing this one?" Wang Feng laughed and said, "That won't work; the piece still needs refining and doesn't have lyrics yet."

"We can write the lyrics," Zhang Guan proposed. "Why don't you play it again, and I'll write the lyrics?"

"You'll write the lyrics?" Wang Feng laughed even more. As a skilled composer and lyricist, he thought Zhang Guan was joking to lighten the mood.

"Well, let's play it again then," Wang Feng said, turning on the accompaniment machine.

After the prelude, Zhang Guan started singing:

"Once, so many times, I fell on the road,"

"Once, so many times, my wings were broken,"

"Now I no longer feel lost,"

"I want to transcend this ordinary desire,"

"I want a life in full bloom,"

"Like flying in the vast sky,"

...

"Like traversing the brilliant galaxy,"

"Possessing the power to transcend the ordinary!"

Initially, Wang Feng had a wide smile, but as Zhang Guan sang, his expression grew more serious. When Zhang Guan reached the line "I want a life in full bloom," Wang Feng jumped up, his face filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

Despite Zhang Guan's poor singing—missing many notes and struggling with pitch—Wang Feng, as a professional musician, already envisioned the completed song in his mind.

"This is amazing! This is exactly the feeling I wanted, exactly the lyrics I needed! 'Life in full bloom'! Wonderful! Zhang Guan, are you really an athlete? You're like a poet!" At that moment, Wang Feng felt like he had caught hold of his dream.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Wang Feng pulled out a pen and paper from his bag and handed them to Zhang Guan. "Write down the lyrics quickly before you forget!"

Zhang Guan wrote down the lyrics and handed them to Wang Feng, who took them with trembling hands.

"'Once, so many times, I lost my way; once, so many times, my dreams were shattered! I want a life in full bloom, with the power to break free from everything!' These lyrics feel like they were written for me!" Wang Feng couldn't help but reminisce about the tough times in the past, finding a deep resonance with the lyrics.

In that moment, he felt a surge of inspiration.

He ignored Zhang Guan and took out his music sheet from his bag, quickly making modifications. He didn't stop for over ten minutes. After carefully reviewing the sheet music and the lyrics, he closed his eyes.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

Zhang Guan didn't disturb Wang Feng, who remained with his eyes closed, seemingly engrossed in something profound.

Suddenly, Wang Feng opened his eyes and began singing:

"Once, so many times, I fell on the road,"

"Once, so many times, my wings were broken,"

Wang Feng's voice, filled with a hint of roughness, conveyed the song's emotional depth.

"I want a life in full bloom,"

"Like flying in the vast sky,"

Wang Feng's singing felt like a heartfelt cry!

Even though it was an a cappella performance, Zhang Guan, standing nearby, could sense that Wang Feng had entered a state of euphoria, completely immersed in the music. Though Zhang Guan didn't understand music deeply, he could feel that Wang Feng's singing was filled with emotion, as if recounting his past and his perseverance.

At that moment, Wang Feng was singing with his soul!

"Like traversing the brilliant galaxy,"

"Possessing the power to transcend the ordinary!"

Wang Feng finally finished singing, taking a deep breath but still absorbed in the music.

"Clap clap clap…" Applause suddenly broke the silence, bringing Wang Feng back from the depths of his musical trance.

A man in his fifties was standing nearby, clapping his hands.

"Professor Zhou. What brings you here?" Wang Feng immediately approached him.

The man was a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music and a renowned composer. Since the 1980s, he had been studying pop music and had unique insights into its development, making him a key figure in the academic pop music scene in China. Wang Feng was also a graduate of the Central Conservatory, so Professor Zhou was, in a way, his teacher.

"With the concert coming up, the TV station invited me to provide musical guidance," Professor Zhou said with a smile, looking at Wang Feng. "Wang Feng, was that new song yours? It's excellent, truly a rare gem."

"Thank you for your praise, Professor Zhou. I was deeply inspired by Zhang Guan's lyrics," Wang Feng said, pointing at Zhang Guan. "Seeing these lyrics, I immediately felt a surge of creativity."

"Zhang Guan? The Olympic champion Zhang Guan?" Professor Zhou said in astonishment.

"Aren't athletes supposed to have limited education? How did he write such poetic lyrics?" Pondering this, Professor Zhou approached and said, "I didn't expect an Olympic champion to be able to write lyrics. Truly impressive!"

"Professor Zhou, you're too kind. I just got lucky," Zhang Guan said modestly.

"When I heard those lyrics, I felt a deep connection. I thought Wang Feng had written them, but I'm surprised it was you. As an athlete, you might experience more setbacks than we do and understand the importance of perseverance better," Professor Zhou said, then continued, "I heard you were planning to perform 'Flying Higher,' so I came to check it out."

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Feng said, "Professor Zhou, I've decided not to perform 'Flying Higher' at the concert. I want to sing this new song instead."

"Oh?" Professor Zhou was slightly taken aback. Typically, artists would save new songs for their albums to boost sales, rarely performing them so soon.

Wang Feng explained, "The lyrics for this song were written by Zhang Guan, and I drew a lot of inspiration from them. It's a collaborative work, so performing it together feels right."

"Well, it's indeed an excellent song. But is there enough time to prepare? Although you have the tune and lyrics, you'll need to record it and arrange the music, which takes time. The concert is just around the corner," Professor Zhou said.

"We'll manage. Don't forget, I have my own studio, so we can record quickly," Wang Feng replied. He had maintained a band and a recording space for years, even after achieving fame, something well-known in the music industry.

Turning to Zhang Guan, Wang Feng said, "Zhang Guan, since you wrote the lyrics, you should name the song."

"How about 'Blooming Life'?" Zhang Guan suggested, borrowing directly from the lyrics.

"Great! Let's call it 'Blooming Life'!" Wang Feng agreed with certainty.