novelraw Chapter 9 is heartbreaking.
Chapter 9 is heartbreaking.
On her way to Jiang Yi herself.
Chen Ming is still in class right now. This morning he has a general education course in Chinese, not a professional course.
Although Jiangxi University of Arts is an arts university, it does not neglect the literary education of its students.
And today, Chen Ming also saw another possibility for the system in this public basic course!
On the podium, Chinese language teacher Yang Peixue is explaining the development of ancient literary works, his voice gentle yet magnetic.
This professor, who is nearly fifty years old, is one of the hallmarks of the Faculty of Arts. He is said to have been a well-known literary figure in his youth.
Therefore, he doesn't follow the rules when lecturing, but rather does so according to his own ideas.
"The tale of the strange is one of the classical Chinese novel forms. It mainly narrates stories and legends of gods, ghosts and monsters. It originated and became popular during the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, and was closely related to the spread of religion and the metaphysical atmosphere at that time."
"The one that is closer to us and more famous is 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'. Of course, in modern times, it's what everyone reads as online novels... I, the teacher, still really enjoy reading online novels."
As Chen Ming listened, his thoughts drifted.
Last night in the dormitory, Tang Yuan and Zhou Xu spent two whole hours asking him about the creative details of "Big City, Small Love".
The two of them, while expressing their envy, also said sourly, "If we become rich and powerful, let's not forget each other," and didn't go to sleep until midnight.
When he woke up this morning, he also received several text messages from unknown numbers. Some claimed to be music producers, some said they wanted to collaborate on a performance, and one even said a small record company wanted to poach him.
Chen Ming did not reply to any of them.
Just then, a line of familiar, semi-transparent text suddenly appeared in my mind:
[Host detected is currently engaged in in-depth study of literature-related courses!]
[Host has been detected to have a background in literature.]
[Literature: An Introduction]
[Meets the unlocking requirements for cross-category works.]
Chen Ming's spirits lifted.
coming.
[Related works are being selected.]
[Extraction complete: Battle Through the Heavens (web novel, first 100,000 words)]
Loading: 0%
Chen Ming's pen paused on the paper.
Battle Through the Heavens?
With the artwork successfully extracted, its basic information reappeared.
The phenomenal online novel that swept the entire internet in its previous life pioneered the classic tropes of "rejected engagement" and "underdog triumph," and the line "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, never underestimate a young man's potential" has become a cherished memory of youth for countless readers.
But this is a novel!
It's not a song!
Chen Ming looked up and glanced at Professor Yang Peixue.
In Chinese class, when the teacher talks about novels, he picks out a novel from the book.
What if this were other art courses?
If he remembered correctly, the system initially mentioned including but not limited to songs, movies, paintings, and literature.
"System," Chen Ming asked silently in his mind, "If I take acting classes, directing classes, or other art courses, will I be able to unlock corresponding works?"
The system's answer quickly emerged.
[The unlockable categories will expand as the host's professional abilities develop.]
[Current Status: Music and Literature are unlocked.]
[Other art categories require the host to undergo systematic learning and reach an 'entry-level' level of proficiency before the relevant artwork library can be unlocked.]
Chen Ming understood.
Just like a skill tree in a game, he has to unlock the basics of a certain area before he can unlock the "resource pack" for that area.
Music was his specialty in his previous life, while literature was the foundation he had built up through reading over two lifetimes, so these two skills could be unlocked directly.
As for film, art, and so on...
We have to start learning from scratch.
Chen Ming glanced at the loading progress bar in his mind: [Loading: 1%...2%...3%...]
As Professor Yang Peixue delved into the development of ancient vernacular stories, the progress bar moved forward slowly and steadily.
This sense of accomplishment from learning made Chen Ming even more dedicated.
"So, students, literary creation and musical creation have something in common." Yang Peixue pushed up his glasses and glanced across the classroom. "Both require attention to rhythm, rhyme, and the creation of imagery. For example, Li Bai's poems have a musical sense of flow..."
Loading: 17%...18%...19%...
As Chen Ming listened to the lecture, he also focused on the words that were gradually becoming clearer in his mind.
Those familiar sentences began to emerge:
"Power of Battle, Level Three!"
"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi, Level 3! Rank: Low!"
"The middle-aged man beside the magic stone tablet glanced at the information displayed on it and announced it indifferently..."
The sentences are clear, the paragraphs are complete, and it even includes classic scene descriptions and character dialogues.
The 100,000 words of content are being "downloaded" into his memory little by little.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the classroom door.
A young female teaching assistant wearing glasses poked her head in and waved to Yang Peixue.
Yang Peixue paused his lecture, walked over and whispered a few words to him, then nodded.
He turned and walked back to the podium, his gaze sweeping across the classroom before finally settling on the seat by the window:
"Chen Ming, student."
Chen Ming raised his head.
The other students in the classroom also looked over.
"Your agent wants to see you; they say it's important." Yang Peixue's tone was calm. "Go ahead and check it out."
As soon as he finished speaking, a slight commotion arose in the classroom.
In a regular university, it might sound absurd for a teacher to ask students to go outside and meet their agents during class.
But at art colleges like Jiangxi University of Arts, this is perfectly normal.
Art students spend half their lives in the classroom and the other half in the industry.
You could even say that phone calls from agents, producers, and directors are sometimes more important than attendance records for professional classes.
Chen Ming paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at the loading progress in his mind: [Loading: 47%...48%...49%...]
It's almost halfway done.
"System," he asked mentally, "what happens to the unfinished work if I leave halfway through?"
The loaded portion will be saved.
The missing parts need to be completed by the host.
That's good.
Chen Ming breathed a sigh of relief, packed his schoolbag, and nodded to Yang Peixue: "Thank you, Teacher Yang."
Then he walked out of the classroom through the back door.
The moment the door closed, the suppressed murmurs in the classroom finally erupted.
"Who is that?"
"Your agent is looking for you? You signed with a company so early?"
"He's quite handsome."
Students from several other classes were whispering among themselves.
At this moment, Wang Haoran from Chen Ming's class couldn't help but speak up, his tone tinged with a hint of pride: "You guys don't know him? That song 'Big City, Small Love,' which's been all over the school lately, is written by him!"
"What?"
"Holy crap, it was him!"
"I saw that video on Douyin yesterday! No wonder it looked familiar!"
"Chen Ming's manager? Is he here because of that song?"
"Definitely! The video went viral!"
"If I were the agent, I'd be anxious too; we have to seize such a great opportunity."
"I'm so envious, having an agent in your freshman year..."
"They're talented, do you?"
"That really hurts, bro."
Exclamations of surprise rose and fell.
Many students then matched the tall, thin figure outside the classroom with the figure playing guitar on the school wall.
For a moment, envious, surprised, and curious glances were cast at the empty seats.
On the podium, Yang Peixue smiled and tapped the podium: "Envious, aren't you?"
The classroom fell silent.
"If you admire someone, then study hard." The old professor's tone was gentle yet firm. "Literary cultivation is the foundation of all artistic creation. Do you think writing lyrics doesn't require literary skills? Acting doesn't require understanding the script? Choreography doesn't require cultural background?"
His gaze swept over the young faces: "Chen Ming's ability to write such songs is not just due to musical skills; the imagery and emotional depth in the lyrics also require literary cultivation."
The video of Chen Ming singing went viral at the school, and the teachers from various majors in Chen Ming's class naturally knew about it.
A brief silence fell over the classroom.
Yang Peixue smiled and shook his head, then began again, "Alright, let's continue. We were just talking about the writing techniques of ancient vernacular stories..."