The original version of Youth was a song that gained immense popularity during the era of short videos.
Many criticized that the quality of music had significantly declined in this era. But they were wrong. It wasn't that the music itself had worsened—rather, the way people consumed it had changed.
In the short-video era, you might hear a song snippet a hundred times on a platform before encountering its full version. By then, its vitality was already drained. The melody, once fresh and amazing, now felt overplayed, if not outright boring.
Ask yourself: How many people would search for the full version of a song they've already heard repeatedly? Only a few. How many would willingly pay for such a song? Even fewer.
This new listening culture meant that most songs lost their magic before they even had a chance to reach playlists. The surprise and joy they initially brought were consumed in snippets.
In truth, the Chinese music scene never lacked talent or progress. Many excellent works emerged each year, some becoming nationwide hits. But who remembers the singers, composers, or lyricists behind these songs?
They were dismissed as "Internet singers," trapped in a cycle: born online, shared online, and forgotten online. The term "Internet songs" didn't reflect their quality but the limited opportunities available to their creators.
In such a landscape, a song that could stand out must truly be remarkable.
Zhou Rui firmly believed Youth would shine. In this era, when music wasn't consumed so cheaply, it could achieve even better results than its previous-life counterpart.
He carefully tucked the handwritten score into his book, planning to scan it after school. The first step was creating a "red song version" for the anniversary. Later, he could develop a "love song version."
Why waste such a gem when it could serve multiple purposes? Moreover, the Youth red song version was particularly suited for group performances and choral arrangements.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of math class, Zhou Rui decided to share his idea with Li Wenqian.
But just as he stood up, a light tug on his sleeve stopped him.
"Zhou Rui, can you show me the song?" Han Ziyin asked softly, her voice tinged with curiosity.
She was captivated. Despite her music background, which included learning the cello, she had never imagined someone her age could compose.
Zhou Rui hesitated. He only had one copy of the score and needed to talk to Li Wenqian first. "I'll show you later this afternoon," he said before hurrying out.
As he walked through the corridors, his striking appearance and confident demeanor drew stares. But Zhou Rui, now accustomed to the attention, paid no mind.
When he reached Class 6, he didn't see Li Wenqian in her usual spot. Instead, he noticed her sitting against the wall—her seat must have been reassigned.
"Tsk, tsk," Zhou Rui clicked his tongue playfully, trying to catch her attention.
Hearing the familiar sound, Li Wenqian glanced up. Her face lit up momentarily but quickly darkened into a pout. Her normally round, adorable face now resembled a stretched "pleurotus eryngii."
Zhou Rui was baffled. What did I do to annoy her?
He tried again, clicking his tongue louder.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!"
Suddenly, a tall boy with a distinctive M-shaped hairline stepped forward, his tone mocking. "What's with the noise? Did a rat wander into our class?"
Zhou Rui recognized him—a classmate who had always seemed hostile during Zhou Rui's visits to Class 6. The boy's M-shaped hairline was oddly memorable, earning him the unfortunate comparison to McDonald's golden arches.
"What's your problem?" Zhou Rui asked, frowning.
The boy smirked. "This is our class. What are you doing loitering here?"
Zhou Rui laughed. "Did you buy Qinghe No. 1 High School? Is this McDonald's?"
The jab hit its mark. Though Qinghe County didn't have a McDonald's, the boy quickly realized Zhou Rui was mocking his hairline. His face turned red with anger.
Before things could escalate, a small figure appeared.
"Zhou Rui, come with me!"
It was Li Wenqian. She grabbed Zhou Rui's sleeve and pulled him away, shooting an icy glare at her classmate. "Mind your own business!"
The boy stared, dumbfounded. Who does this guy think he is?
Meanwhile, Zhou Rui smirked triumphantly over his shoulder, flashing a set of perfect white teeth. See that? This cabbage is mine.
Li Wenqian dragged him to a secluded corner by the stairs, then crossed her arms and turned away. "What do you want from me?"
Zhou Rui studied her face, amused. Even when sulking, she looked adorable.
Why is she upset? Zhou Rui wondered. Then it clicked. She's been walking to school alone these past few days. She probably missed me.
Pulling out his phone, Zhou Rui checked for messages and found one he'd missed last night:
"Can you bring me two pieces of fruit leather tomorrow? ≧ω≦"
He hadn't seen it because he was too focused on his system tasks. Zhou Rui deliberately deleted the message and even cleared the recycle bin.
Raising his voice slightly, he said, "Weird, I thought I missed your message, but there's nothing here. Why are you mad?"
Li Wenqian blinked, confused. "How is that possible? I sent it successfully!"
Zhou Rui held up his phone. "See? There's nothing here. Maybe you didn't send it. What was it about?"
Li Wenqian checked her phone, even looking in the recycle bin, but couldn't find the message. Frustrated, she muttered, "Maybe the signal was bad… so annoying."
Zhou Rui remained calm, even as he smiled inwardly.
"Well, what did you send?" he asked again.
"Nothing," she mumbled, embarrassed. Asking for fruit leather felt too childish to mention now.
Feigning nonchalance, Zhou Rui reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of fruit leather. "Last time you said these were delicious, so I bought some for you."
Li Wenqian's face lit up with pure joy.
Is this telepathy? He didn't even get my message, yet he knew exactly what I wanted!
Zhou Rui appeared warm and thoughtful on the outside, but internally, he was celebrating.
This fruit leather's been in my schoolbag for a week and was almost expired. Look at her happiness—it's worth gold!
He fought back a laugh, thinking, I'm a genius. Bold, clever, and calm under pressure!