Emotional Performance

Ed Sheeran felt a bit nervous. No, to be precise, he was extremely nervous.

He never imagined that he would win the opportunity to perform at Pioneer Village. This was Pioneer Village! It was a rare underground stage for independent musicians!

For the general public, Pioneer Village had no fame, and tourists wouldn't choose to visit here. Similar bars in Greenwich Village numbered at least eighty to a hundred, just an ordinary bar on the roadside; but among true insiders, the name Pioneer Village was well-known, not because the stage was so "famous," but because the audience here was so professional. Just by word of mouth, independent musicians could make a name for themselves.

In short, Pioneer Village stripped away all commercial aspects and returned entirely to the essence of music, testing the real strength of the singer. Whether the performance was good or not was immediately apparent.

Ed never expected that he could win the chance to perform at Pioneer Village. It all seemed too wonderful, too good to be true. He felt like his feet were stepping on clouds, soft and without a solid point of contact, and his mind went blank, unable to recall how it all happened.

Then Ed saw Renly walking towards him.

A white T-shirt paired with black jeans, a light blue denim jacket over it, and his golden-brown curly short hair seemed much longer than the last time they met—and much messier, hanging down unruly. It was a far cry from the suit and tie at the awards ceremony, as if he had completely changed inside and out.

"You're here." Renly smiled slightly. A simple greeting pulled Ed forcefully from the clouds, and the solid feeling under his feet made everything real. "How are you feeling? Ready?"

Ed's tongue and mind both felt a bit tangled, "Uh..." Then Ed rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a stack of items, holding them in his hands and handing them to Renly—it looked like the faceless man in "Spirited Away," and Renly would be... Chihiro?

Imagining this, Renly couldn't help but laugh, making Ed even more uneasy, looking at Renly in confusion and panic, not knowing what to do.

Renly quickly restrained his laughter, reached out with both hands, and watched Ed place the crumpled bills in his palms. The small pile looked like a little mountain. "I need to count this," Renly said seriously, a faint smile in his eyes.

This response eased Ed's nervousness—this was the cash he had painstakingly accumulated. If Renly had just taken it casually, it would have made him feel insignificant; but Renly's serious yet relaxed attitude showed enough respect, placing them on equal footing.

Ed couldn't help scratching his head, revealing a big smile.

"Come with me. I'm an old hand here." Renly signaled Ed to follow and led him to a reserved booth in the corner. He carefully smoothed out and folded all the cash, counting it one by one.

Although the cash looked like a mess, Renly knew that it was likely Ed's savings from street performances, with every bill earned through hard work. Renly knew better than anyone how hard it was.

"Exactly right. Two hundred and fifty dollars, right?" Renly's question made Ed nod quickly in confirmation. Renly smiled and asked, "How do you feel after arriving in New York?"

Ed thought seriously, "It's better than Los Angeles." Then, realizing this was too vague, he added, "Here, I can earn in a day what takes a week in Los Angeles." His expression couldn't hide his excitement, "I always thought Los Angeles had more opportunities."

"Los Angeles is for actors, but New York is for artists." Renly's words made Ed realize the truth.

Both Los Angeles and New York were popular for street performances, but there was a significant difference. Los Angeles' streets were filled with performing artists or entertainers, like someone dressed as Iron Man posing with tourists or street performers breathing fire. In New York, the streets had more violin performances, guitar singing, and even orchestral performances. Of course, there were exceptions, but generally, this was the tendency.

So, for a folk singer like Ed, New York was his paradise. Just sitting on the streets of Greenwich Village or inside a Broadway subway station, he could earn three or four hundred dollars a day.

"So, have you had any new inspirations for your songs recently?" Renly's proactive question made Ed a bit shy but excited. He eagerly said, "I saw your news in Toronto, it was everywhere."

This made Renly chuckle, "I thought we were discussing music now." After a day of adjustment at Mount Sinai Hospital, the last thing he needed was more talk about Toronto.

Ed nodded repeatedly, excitedly saying, "I wrote a song when I was in the UK, but never finished it. Last week, at the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway, I finally completed it!"

Renly knew 42nd Street, it was a famous red-light district on Manhattan Island.

"So are you going to perform it tonight?" Renly picked up the conversation, giving Ed the courage to continue.

Nightfall had fully settled in. After 8:30, the bar finally started to get a bit lively. But since it was a Monday, there were only eight or nine tables occupied, making the bar still feel somewhat empty. Stanley postponed the performance from the original 8:30 to 9:00.

Although there weren't many guests in the bar, Ed couldn't help but feel nervous. It wasn't because of the number of people—he had faced livelier crowds when performing in Los Angeles bars—but because of the venue. This was Pioneer Village! This meant that there could be highly discerning professional fans in the audience!

This made Ed's adrenaline surge.

From Ed's performance, his nervousness was evident. His voice wasn't fully open, leading to some pitch problems, and his voice sounded too thin, exposing his shortcomings. The whole performance seemed a bit tight.

Renly understood. Not only was Ed just nineteen, two years younger than Renly; this was also Ed's first official performance stage. Controlling the whole venue wasn't easy. Reflecting on Renly's first scene in "The Pacific" showed that.

But for the bar's audience, this was incomprehensible. Almost every guest had the same thought—what's wrong with tonight's singer at Pioneer Village? Big drop in quality!

Stanley also broke out in a cold sweat. Before tonight's performance, he had conducted a brief audition where Ed performed a song. While not astonishing, it showed potential. Tonight's performance was far from his usual standard.

Ed grew increasingly flustered. After one song, his dilated pupils revealed his true inner turmoil. His inexperience was hard to hide. Compared to Renly's mature control at a young age, Ed's performance was more age-appropriate.

For a moment, Ed sat at the center of the stage, stunned. Renly couldn't help but cover his forehead, having to remind him, "The last song."

Ed reacted after a moment, forcing himself to calm down, and started strumming the guitar again. The clear melody flowed from the milky-yellow light, revealing faint sadness and coldness in the notes, 

♫♪White lips, pale face

Breathing in snowflakes

Burnt lungs, sour taste

Light's gone, day's end

Struggling to pay rent

Long nights, strange men♫♪

This is Ed Sheeran's breakout song, "The A-Team." The sorrowful lyrics and cold melody complement each other, sketching the tragic life of a prostitute in just a few words. Especially the line, "It's too cold outside for angels to fly," has touched countless listeners' hearts.

Ed is still inexperienced, but it is precisely this rawness that brings the most original, pure, and genuine emotions, conveying the song's feelings. Perhaps Ed's voice is still somewhat thin and trembling; perhaps his singing technique is still somewhat immature, unable to perform with ease... but he captures the essence of folk music, which is enough to move the audience.

The restlessness and murmurs in Pioneer Village gradually quieted down. It was evident that people began to momentarily pause their activities and direct their attention to the stage.

At this moment, the bar's door opened again, and a middle-aged man walked in, skillfully finding a seat. His movements were light and almost soundless, not disturbing Ed's performance.

Renly instinctively turned to look and recognized an old patron. There was no need for Renly to go over, as a waiter naturally approached the newcomer. Renly then refocused his attention on Ed, who was at the center of the stage.

Pioneer Village had a unique charm. In this not-so-spacious space, it held the audience's gaze firmly on the performer at the center of the stage, stripping away all additional attributes and focusing solely on the music and performance. As long as their performance was outstanding, the audience was willing to applaud!

When "The A-Team" ended, "Clap, clap, clap," Pioneer Village responded without hesitation with the most direct form of appreciation.