Contract Marriage: Let's Make It Real, Mrs. Sterling!-Chapter 281 - 280: The True Sorrow

On stage, after the host finished the opening remarks, he stepped back and handed the stage over to Mia Sutton and her group.

The chat room didn’t quiet down because of the beginning of the performance; instead, it became even more lively, with almost everyone discussing whether Mia Sutton would mess up this time.

On the stage, the lights began to change, casting brilliant shadows. At the beginning, the background music carried a hint of desolation, but amidst the desolation, there was a faint drumbeat.

[Huh, what’s going on? How did the prelude change?]

In Nolan Sinclair’s original version, the song’s style was relatively murderous, but this version was different. It lowered that fierce and strong feeling, even changing the key.

Suddenly, the comments were filled with greetings of surprise???

What’s going on?!

The girl on stage wore an ancient costume, from her clothes to her hair accessories, revealing discernment in every detail.

She was dressed in red, as fiery as flames, which only accentuated her stunning beauty.

Holding the microphone in her hands, the girl slowly raised her eyes and began to sing.

At that moment, the voices of doubt online paused for an instant because no one had expected that the song "Sorrow" could be presented in such a form.

Just because Nolan Sinclair’s original version was too stunning and had been around for so long, the audience had subconsciously formed the impression in their minds that the song should always be like that.

There were attempts to change it initially, but the outcomes were less than satisfactory, so eventually, no one dared to adapt it.

They didn’t expect to see "Sorrow" on this variety show stage, and it was a modified version at that.

Everyone was astonished in an instant.

The entire style of "Sorrow" carried that cold, murderous feeling, being almost like a battle song. It was a battle song, after all; if not powerful and stirring, what would it be?

But the people on stage proved them wrong, showing that "Sorrow" didn’t have to use that kind of style to convey its emotions. A different style could work as well.

Turning hardness into softness, overcoming hardness with softness.

The performers on stage were singing slowly, without any particularly high notes or significant emotional upheavals, just standing there, quietly singing.

They seemed to be singing the song very gently, but each lyric was filled with sorrow, making one feel heartbroken and uncomfortable.

It was as if they saw people saddened by war, people in pain and helplessness—at a loss in such circumstances, singing the saddest song in the softest voice.

Surprisingly, even with the changed music, the original lyrics didn’t seem out of place, as if they fit perfectly with this tune.

Perhaps it was more fitting indeed!

There were three people on stage, each singing their part, drawing the live audience and everyone in the chat room into the song.

The tune shifted slightly, bringing it back to Mia Sutton’s part. She held the microphone, looking down, and began singing in a theatrical voice.

This theatrical expression was different from her previous performance; it was slow, as if someone were softly whispering in your ear, filled with endless sorrow.

With the emergence of this theater-like voice, it seemed as if a scene unfolded before everyone’s eyes: flames and chaos on the battlefield, corpses everywhere, destruction all around, and warriors fighting fiercely in the distance, while a woman from a thousand years later stood amidst the devastation and chaos, singing softly.

Each word, each line carried pain—such sorrow!

Her red dress seemed like it was dyed with the blood of all those engulfed in the flames of war, so heavy.

The imagery on the big screen behind her intensified this feeling—stronger resonance!

After a long while, the song finally ended. When the last note fell, the red-clad woman’s eyes closed gently, and a tear, as crystal-clear as a pearl, slowly rolled down from the corner of her eye.

The camera zoomed in, capturing the woman’s stunning face, wearing her fiery red dress and shedding a tear full of grief.

"Sorrow"—it’s everyone’s sorrow!

Her red dress symbolized the guidance in war when they couldn’t live independently, with life and death uncertain, so they wore their favorite red dresses to greet all the unknown ahead.

As the song concluded, whether live or in the chat room, everything fell silent; it was a heart-shocking moment.

Without using too many skills or any music that stirred excitement, it was just like this, as if gripping everyone’s heart, causing sharp pain.

Unable to disengage for a long time.

[I really didn’t expect that "Sorrow" could be expressed this way. Although it wasn’t the same style as Nolan Sinclair’s version, it was equally stunning and shocking.]

[I cried, I really cried. The tears just flowed without realizing it; I was defenseless.]

[Despite being so plain, without great joy or sorrow, my heart felt as if it were being squeezed, and the tears just involuntarily fell.]

[Listening to "Sorrow" for so long, Nolan Sinclair’s version gave me spirit, an unyielding defense of the homeland, a sense of excitement, and a murderous presence, but this version of "Sorrow" made me feel the emotions of others in the flames of war—their sorrow—and it’s not just an individual’s "Sorrow," it’s the sorrow of the entire nation.]

[Though we can’t empathize with their pain without experiencing it, I’ve finally realized how lucky we are to be born in Prosperity Group.]

[Especially in the last scene, when Mia Sutton shed that tear, it completely broke my defenses; I really couldn’t hold it together!]

[I was wrong; I only used to pay attention to Mia Sutton’s dance, but now I realize her singing is equally stunning, especially that theatrical voice, which was the highlight of the entire song, as if it infused it with a soul.]

[It even makes me feel like this is the true "Sorrow." If a male voice like Nolan Sinclair would sing it, combining it with his version, it could be legendary.]

Indeed, it was so.

Nolan Sinclair sat in the mentor’s seat, watching the red-clad woman on stage, his gaze unwavering, his eyes deeply thoughtful.

As the netizens said, this was the real "Sorrow." In the beginning, he intended for the song’s style to be a blend of male and female, hard and soft.

But because he couldn’t find a satisfactory female singer to partner with, he ultimately had to abandon that embryonic idea and switch to the later version.