SA | Extra 4

The album production was moving along steadily, but strangely, the old album hadn’t been released yet, and Gu Deng was already starting new songs. He hid away in the recording studio, not letting anyone in, not even Zhang Li.

Shen Qinglan was curious, “What exactly are you working on that’s so secretive?”

Gu Deng just came out of the studio, and instead of his usual creative excitement, he was calm, “Some experimental stuff, might not even release it.”

Shen Qinglan got even more curious but also a bit worried. Many singers in the industry blow up early on, then later get lost in their own artistic creations, losing touch with reality. Their music becomes more artistic, more niche, drifting away from ordinary people.

Shen Qinglan asked the team members, but everyone looked puzzled.

Keyboardist: “No idea.”

Guitarist: “He didn’t ask me.”

Drummer: “Didn’t ask me either.”

Bassist: “Definitely didn’t ask me.”

Arranger: “I asked, and guess what? He wants to do it all himself!”

Shen Qinglan couldn’t believe it. So, this album was entirely composed, written, arranged, sung, and recorded by Gu Deng alone?

Then again, maybe Gu Deng didn’t plan to release it, just playing around. Since it wasn’t delaying anything important, Shen Qinglan didn’t press further.

Four months later, the album “Spring in Alaska” was finally completed.

This was Gu Deng’s first solo album in five years. Shen Qinglan put a lot of effort into the promotion. A week before the digital album went online, fan groups were already buzzing, eager to hear Gu Deng’s new work.

There were also haters mocking, thinking Gu Deng had been gone so long he couldn’t produce anything good, just struggling in vain and draining the last bit of fan enthusiasm. Words like “talent dried up” and “wasted potential” flooded online communities.

Xiao Mi got furious reading the posts, opened a small account to argue back, and sent the posts to Shen Qinglan asking if they needed PR.

“No need,” Shen Qinglan said calmly, “You can’t really argue now, but when the work is out, an excellent piece is the best response.”

Shen Qinglan had heard the album and was confident. But Gu Deng’s fans weren’t as calm. They wanted to fight back, but in a way, the haters weren’t entirely wrong. Although harsh, Gu Deng indeed hadn’t released anything in five years. Without the new work out, they had no ground to stand on.

Tang Tang looked at the comments, also angry. Gu Deng’s music had helped her through the toughest times in her senior year of high school. Now, having graduated and worked for a year, she finally awaited Gu Deng’s comeback. Tang Tang decided, no matter the quality, she would support her idol’s work!

A week later, Gu Deng’s digital album was released, priced at 22 yuan, not too high or low. But shockingly, it contained 25 songs!

During internal discussions, they planned to split these into two albums, but midway, Gu Deng changed his mind and released them all at once. There was even a pure music piece over 30 minutes long, an impromptu piano piece recorded as a bonus.

Tang Tang bought the album, turned off the lights, lay on the bed, put on headphones, and excitedly pressed play.

The first song was the title track “Spring in Alaska.”

The intro was a simple, ethereal, and lonely piano solo, very catchy. After the intro, Gu Deng’s signature voice came through.

“Once you longed to escape

To chase the free wind

Seeking the meaning of life

But you were trapped in the past

Reached the world’s end

Still couldn’t see the scenery

You felt everything was painful

Everything was smoke

Everything was the sound of death

But you still searched

Oh, Spring in Alaska

Where are you?

Once you wanted to bury yourself

In the wilderness of spring

Let wildflowers cover your body

But he entered your life

With a broken soul

Walking towards spring

Crossing glaciers

Climbing snow mountains

Following the reindeer back to birth

Migrating reindeer, stranded whales

Dead cubs, human sighs

They say it’s not fate, but life’s continuation

Stay one more minute

Look at the sky one more time

See the sunset dye the snow mountains red

Stars twinkle for you

Death takes time away

Let me truly see, this freedom’s limit

Spring, life, and love spread

I fell in love with you here, fell in love with the whole world”

…

Tang Tang listened once, couldn’t help but listen again.

Not only Tang Tang was shocked, but the fan group Little Night Lights were also surprised. This really exceeded their expectations by far.

[Ahhh, crying, didn’t expect it to be so good, the singing is still amazing.]

[Didn’t have high hopes, but didn’t expect such quality.]

[Really, I’ve been worried for months, didn’t expect Deng Deng to be so awesome!]

[The MV is also beautiful! Makes me want to go to Alaska!]

[That’s Zhang Li! Of course, his shots are good!]

[Who’s Zhang Li?]

[A photography master, mainly shoots wildlife and landscapes, here’s his profile @Zhang Li, check it out yourself.]

[I wanted to ask, why did Gu Deng collaborate with Zhang Li?]

[Heard they traveled to Alaska together, now they’re good friends.]

[Wait, just good friends?]

[What do you mean? Is there gossip???]

[It’s obvious, right? Look at the lyrics, “But he entered your life, walking towards spring,” and the last line “Spring, life, and love spread. I fell in love with you here, fell in love with the whole world.”]

[Clearly about Alaska, “he” and “love you” refer to the Alaska trip, just personified.]

[Seems reasonable! No more gossip, back to the music.]

Compared to the fans’ excitement, outsiders were more composed. After the album’s release, a niche music review community had a new post—

[How to evaluate Gu Deng’s “Spring in Alaska”? Fans stay away]

OP: Personally, I think the quality is very high, surpassing his previous works, and in the Chinese music scene, it’s one of the best albums in the past decade.

2L: Basically agree with OP, want to discuss which song everyone likes more?

3L: The title track, the arrangement and lyrics are amazing, the singing is powerful, will listen on repeat.

4L: Title track +1, knowing a bit about Gu Deng’s experience adds more depth.

5L: Which song do you think can go viral?

6L: “La La La,” a sure hit.

7L: The one co-written with a little girl from the Inuit?

8L: Yeah, combining Chinese and Inuit languages, sounds odd at first but somehow very catchy. The story behind it is touching, with themes of death, religion, and ethnicity, but expressed lightly, very impressive.

9L: And “Altitude Sickness,” very clever, comparing altitude sickness to love.

10L: Seems like Gu Deng is quite impressive.

11L: Indeed, even that harsh critic has started praising him now.

·

In the bedroom, Gu Deng’s phone buzzed non-stop with congratulatory messages from peers. After showering, he walked out, muted his phone, and barefooted, headed towards Zhang Li.

Zhang Li was on the sofa, listening to music and reading online comments with headphones on. He’d heard the album countless times, but with the comments, it felt different.

The only regret was that among the 25 songs, only “Altitude Sickness” touched on love, and very subtly. But Zhang Li understood, showing no unusual reaction from start to finish.

Suddenly, someone hugged him from behind. Zhang Li looked up, and Gu Deng was bending over the back of the sofa, kissing him.

After a quick kiss, Gu Deng moved to sit beside Zhang Li.

Zhang Li took off his headphones, “Want to listen together?”

“No,” Gu Deng shook his head, “Heard it so many times, aren’t you tired?”

Zhang Li: “Never.”

Gu Deng glanced at the player, knowingly asked, “You’re listening to ‘Altitude Sickness’?”

Zhang Li: “On repeat.”

Gu Deng was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Zhang Li, want to hear something new?”

Zhang Li caught on, “Your recent song?”

“Recorded by myself, might be rough.” Gu Deng connected his phone to the Bluetooth speaker, asking Zhang Li, “You don’t mind, right?”

Zhang Li pinched his waist, “You know the answer.”

Gu Deng smiled and pressed play.

A deep, provocative beat suddenly played, accompanied by heavy breathing.

This sound wasn’t suitable for speakers, and Zhang Li immediately realized the breathing wasn’t from Gu Deng but from the speakers?

Zhang Li looked at Gu Deng, his eyes darkening, “This is the kind of song you made?”

Gu Deng confidently said, “We’re all adults, what’s wrong with something a bit risqué?”

No wonder Gu Deng didn’t let anyone else in on this.

The song was called “Room by the Sea,” describing two people making love in a seaside room, passionate and almost explicit, with rhythmic waves and tides instantly transporting Zhang Li to that polar day.

This album had 13 tracks, covering styles from sensual to fresh, sweet to mournful, but all about what Gu Deng avoided in “Spring in Alaska.”

In other words, every song here was a love song from Gu Deng to Zhang Li.

The tiny regrets Zhang Li felt were now compensated by Gu Deng a hundredfold, in an unreserved way right in front of him.

Zhang Li opened his mouth to say something, but his throat tightened. His large Adam’s apple moved heavily, then he took a deep breath, slowly exhaled. During this, his lips turned deep red from restraint, eyelashes trembling under the light.

Zhang Li suppressed his impatience, trying to speak calmly, “Why suddenly make these…”

Gu Deng only asked, “Do you like it?”

“Love it,” Zhang Li gripped his hand tightly, overjoyed, “Deng Deng, you don’t know how happy I am.”

“I knew it,” Gu Deng smiled, “I only have one love song in the album, and you keep listening to it over and over, hmm…”

That was a bit too resentful, so Zhang Li silenced Gu Deng with a kiss, only letting go after a long while, breathing heavily, asking in a low voice, “Can we follow my rhythm tonight?”

Gu Deng blinked, knowingly asked, “What rhythm?”

“The kind that will wear you out.” Zhang Li said, picking him up and striding towards the bedroom.

Gu Deng laughed out loud, but he would never tell Zhang Li that the reason he made these songs was because one day he realized, in his relationship with Zhang Li, he could no longer walk away.

When you truly love someone, the first thing you feel isn’t joy, but fear and anxiety. Fear of losing yourself, fear of losing freedom, fear of the world without Zhang Li.

Gu Deng never doubted Zhang Li’s love for him, and he knew he loved Zhang Li. But at some point, this love deepened, rooted in his flesh, impossible to remove.

Just like the song in the living room: Love and death are always the same, the will to love is the willingness to die.

Fortunately, they both felt the same.