Chapter 46 Love Letters: She is the end of all my wanderings.

The driver took Chen Jingchi to a hotel near the venue. The company had booked an entire floor. The doctor arrived even faster than him, and as soon as he saw him, he told him to lie down immediately and lifted his clothes to check his injuries.

Zhou Yu stood by the sofa and saw a red mark on his lower back. She had thought the idea of ​​him disappearing from the stage at the concert was quite interesting, but she never expected him to fall directly onto the rising platform. Even though she hadn't seen the height herself, she could imagine how painful it must have been.

After the examination, the doctor said there was no bone injury and prescribed ice to relieve the pain. He also advised him to avoid exercise for the next few days to prevent further muscle strain.

Du Heng asked worriedly, "Can you walk?"

"Walking is fine, I should feel much better after a good night's sleep."

Despite what the doctor said, Zhou Yu was still not entirely at ease, fearing that Chen Jingchi might act recklessly given his temperament.

When Tan Bei and the boys arrived, Du Heng was discussing with Chen Jingchi what to do about tomorrow's performance.

"Just try to stand still as much as possible. Anyway, we're not singers or dancers. As long as you can sing, that's enough. Your face is enough," Du Heng said. "Don't play the piano either. I'll find a teacher to replace you."

Chen Jingchi thought he was exaggerating: "He can play the piano while sitting down."

"When you play the piano, shouldn't you be using your fingers and arms to exert force?" Du Heng retorted, "What if it gets worse? Will you end up in a wheelchair?"

Xu Yue interjected, "Anyway, you haven't played many piano pieces. Just post a Weibo to explain to your fans that you'll be singing standing up the whole time tomorrow, and everyone will understand."

“Yeah, let’s just get rid of all that stage design. It’s not like we’re only having this one concert,” Zhuo Wencheng said. “We can use it next time.”

Chen Jingchi glanced at Zhou Yu and nodded in agreement.

Tan Bei put her arm around Zhou Yu and walked to the side, asking softly, "How is it?"

Zhou Yu then looked away from him, her mood low: "Soft tissue injury."

Tan Bei exclaimed, "Oh dear! Who asked him? I'm asking you!"

Zhou Yu looked at her blankly: "I'm fine."

Tan Bei hugged her and whispered in her ear, "I was a little worried about you because you looked so anxious you were about to cry when I left. Now that you're much better, I'm relieved."

Zhou Yu was somewhat surprised. Perhaps she hadn't quite recovered from the emotions she had just experienced, because her nose started to sting again. She said in a muffled voice, "Thank you."

They had planned to have dinner together after the performance, but now wasn't the time to celebrate, so the guys went downstairs together and grabbed a quick late-night snack. Du Heng asked his assistant to bring over some packed dinner and then asked Zhou Yu if she wanted anything.

She shook her head; she didn't have much of an appetite right now.

Du Heng and his assistant didn't eat dinner either; they went to the hotel restaurant. After they left, only the two of them were left in the room. Zhou Yu poured him a glass of water, sat opposite him, and finally dared to ask, "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt as much anymore." Chen Jingchi looked at her and smiled. "I wasn't lying to you."

Zhou Yu said in a low voice, "You can still laugh."

"I feel really bad for making so many people worry about me," Chen Jingchi said, his smile fading. "It was supposed to be a happy day."

As he said, before the accident, Zhou Yu was completely immersed in the high-energy atmosphere of the concert, experiencing the thrill of an adrenaline rush for the first time. She intended to convey her feelings to Chen Jingchi and Liu Xianya after the concert, but no one expected such a dramatic turn of events.

Seeing how rushed Chen Jingchi was when he went offstage to change clothes today, practically running off the stage, Zhou Yu suggested, "Let's change fewer outfits tomorrow."

Chen Jingchi listened to her at this point, nodding in agreement to whatever she said: "Come over tomorrow afternoon, and I'll let you arrange things as you see fit."

The doctor said that ice packs should be applied every hour. After Chen Jingchi finished eating, Zhou Yu calculated that it was about time, took an ice pack, sat down next to him, and lifted up his shirt.

You can see the dark red wound on his lower back. It's shocking when you get close. Zhou Yu felt pain just looking at it.

I feel sorry for you.

She hesitated to move, and Chen Jingchi turned around, about to ask what was wrong, when a warm palm covered her spine. The hand moved cautiously, gently stroking along the edge of the injury, sending shivers of tingling electricity through her.

It made him subconsciously straighten his back.

Zhou Yu could feel the direction of the muscles under her skin, but after only a few seconds, her wrist was grabbed, preventing her from continuing.

His voice carried a hint of helplessness: "There's nothing I can do right now, so don't seduce me."

Zhou Yu gently placed the towel that had been used to apply the ice pack on his lower back with her free left hand. Although no one was speaking and the room was silent, she could hear her own heartbeat getting louder and louder.

Only when his back was turned did she have the courage to ask, "Chen Jingchi, what reward do you want?"

Can I ask for a reward next time I see you?

She was asking about the message he sent her that time.

Chen Jingchi was quite surprised, thinking that the matter was over and done with, but he didn't expect her to bring it up again.

He had a feeling that the fact that she asked that question today meant she was mentally prepared and would agree to whatever he said.

At the same time, he knew very well that she wouldn't have made this decision if it weren't for this accident. Perhaps it was out of comfort, perhaps out of pity, but he refused to accept something obtained in such a dishonorable way.

The person in front of her didn't move, but simply moved the hand that was around her wrist down and took her hand in his. After a long while, he answered her, "Save it for next time."

Zhou Yu was stunned for a moment. During the almost frozen wait, she had considered several possibilities and was prepared to agree to them, but she did not expect that it would fall through.

They were both intelligent people, and Zhou Yu didn't believe that Chen Jingchi didn't know what she meant.

She lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning. It wasn't shyness, but a different kind of awkward embarrassment.

She was relieved for the second time that Chen Jingchi couldn't see her.

The sound of a room key clicking came from the door; she wondered who had come to rescue her. Zhou Yu had just gotten up from the sofa when Chen Jingchi pulled her hand. Chen Jingchi looked up at her, as if he had expected this: "Are you leaving?"

Zhou Yu felt a little awkward and didn't dare to look at him: "It's very late."

The door was pushed open from the outside. Zhou Yu gently shook their clasped hands, and Chen Jingchi finally let go reluctantly. Du Heng and the boys came in. She made way for them, walked to Tan Bei by the door, and said, "I have to go home."

"Are you leaving already?" Tan Bei glanced inside and also felt there were too many people. "Okay, then I'll see you off."

After getting into the taxi, Zhou Yu received a message from Chen Jingchi.

Chen: [Are you angry with me?]

Zhou Yu wasn't angry. After calming down, he realized that the timing of his suggestion was indeed inappropriate and could easily lead to misunderstandings.

She replied: 【No, just pretend I didn't say that】

Chen: [It's my fault]

Chen: I won't let you worry anymore.

It was clearly an accident, and he was also a victim, yet he had to apologize to her.

Zhou Yu blinked hard.

Ever since he sprained his ankle last time, he'd said, "I'll listen to you," and hadn't risked his life again. Today was no different; Zhou Yu truly felt that Chen Jingchi was beginning to change because he was considering her feelings.

This made her realize how important she was to him.

Zhou Yu thought for no reason that it was not easy to make someone fall for someone, but Chen Jingchi could do it so easily.

*

The next day, Liu Xianya woke up very early, saying that she was really looking forward to watching the performance that night.

Zhou Yu still remembered that he was going to pick out clothes in the afternoon. Fearing that Liu Xianya would be bored if she went early, he arranged to meet her at the entrance at six o'clock and then bring her in through the VIP entrance.

When they arrived at the dressing room in the afternoon, Chen Jingchi looked better than yesterday, and his complexion wasn't as bad. Du Heng was afraid someone would bump into him, so no one was allowed to stand around him, and even the makeup artist had to be very careful.

The costumes for the performance had already been decided in order. The stylist briefly discussed it with her, and the two of them reduced a few outfits that weren't as distinctive. They reprinted a costume list, and Zhou Yu glanced at it, finally understanding tonight's program.

The setlist was almost unchanged from yesterday, except for the three covers in the middle and the encore at the end.

Thinking there was still plenty of time, she suggested to the stylist that they finish altering tomorrow's outfit as well. Upon hearing this, the stylist hesitated, "Tomorrow's performance outfit is still at the hotel and hasn't been brought over yet. How about we look at some pictures first?"

She picked up the tablet, but there were only pictures and no song titles. Zhou asked, "Aren't there any tracks?"

"I remember everything, I'll just tell you."

Zhou Yu and she also finalized the clothes for tomorrow. The stylist showed the pictures to Chen Jingchi, and he nodded and said there were no problems before finalizing the decision.

Around 5 PM, staff greeted the parents arriving from the hotel and seated them. Zhou Yu also picked up Liu Xianya, who exclaimed as soon as she entered, "Wow, it's huge! Was this used for sports competitions before?"

“Yes, otherwise why would it be called a sports center?” Zhou asked her, “Do you need to use the restroom? There will be a long line if there are too many people later.”

"Then I'll go first."

Liu Xianya sat next to the other parents, and the elders chatted without much generation gap, quickly becoming quite familiar with each other.

Zhou Yu had been thinking about Chen Jingchi, and yesterday Xu Yue suggested that he post an explanation on Weibo, but he didn't.

When the performance officially began, this time he didn't descend from the sky like yesterday, but instead walked out from behind in a very traditional way: the big screen opened.

His steps were unhurried, and he seemed to have no discomfort. After his makeup and hair were done, he looked much the same as yesterday, at least from the perspective of other viewers.

"He's so handsome, he's completely different from the one I saw in the clinic," Liu Xianya exclaimed. "No wonder so many young girls like him."

Zhou Yu's gaze remained fixed on the person on stage, and he replied half-heartedly, "Mm."

Tan Bei sat down next to her parents, a few seats apart, and they couldn't say a word to each other at the moment.

Having watched yesterday's first performance and made a comparison, Zhou Yu realized that his back injury was still having some impact. For his health, the director sacrificed some visual effects, and the stage completely eliminated the rising platform. He was confined to a flat ground, and his singing had fewer physical movements. Even so, the atmosphere at the scene was still as enthusiastic as yesterday.

Today's encore song is "Big City, Small Love". According to the stylist, it was originally planned to start with a piano solo, just like yesterday. However, at Du Heng's insistence, the pianist was changed to the team's music teacher.

Chen Jingchi stood by the piano and sang this love song, and the entire audience sang along.

After the last song ended, he stood in the center of the stage and bowed to all the audience.

Zhou Yu knew that he was apologizing for not being able to deliver the best performance today. However, the unsuspecting audience did not understand him.

On her way home after the performance, Liu Xianya was still excited: "The last song was really good. At least I got to sing a song that I also know."

Zhou Yu had intended to visit him backstage after the performance, but considering Liu Xianya was with him, she gave up the idea. She was somewhat absent-minded at this moment, and simply hummed in agreement: "It was good."

She was a little worried that there might be some negative comments online. She opened Weibo and found that Chen Jingchi's concert had several trending topics, all of which were positive and did not mention the stage effects. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I really regret it now," Liu Xianya said with a smile. "I should have gone to see it tomorrow too."

Zhou Yu raised his head, helplessly saying, "It's too late to regret it now."

“Yes,” Liu Xianya said. “If he sings songs that are suitable for my age, please send me a few videos.”

Zhou Yu smiled gently: "Okay."

*

On the last day of the performance, Zhou Yu received a message from Du Heng in the afternoon, telling her that she didn't need to come early and that she could do her makeup and hair in her hotel room that day.

Zhou wanted to take this opportunity to ask him how Chen Jingchi was recovering.

Du Heng sent a voice message: "He's doing well. He said he doesn't feel anything anymore, but the bruises look scary."

Just as Zhou Yu finished listening, a voice call popped up on the other end. He answered, and Du Heng sighed, saying, "He insists on playing the piano today, and I can't persuade him otherwise. You talk to him."

A few seconds later, Chen Jingchi's unclear voice came from the other end: "You're tattling?"

“So what if you complain? Who told you to argue with me?” Du Heng said.

Chen Jingchi took the phone and called her name: "Zhou Yu".

"Can you play the piano?" Zhou Yu asked softly.

"Yes, just one song, a little over three minutes long," Chen Jingchi said casually. "Will the boss approve it?"

Zhou Yu knew he was sensible and agreed: "Okay."

Seeing him raise an eyebrow at him, Du Heng took the phone and asked, "You really approved it?"

Zhou wanted to speak up for him: "It's just one song, it should be fine."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Yue, who had watched the whole thing, put his arm around Du Heng's shoulder and suppressed a laugh: "Brother, you're so confused. She's definitely on his side."

"But you were still pretty tough when you were complaining," Zhuo Wencheng joked. "Looks like you've already mastered the trump card to get to Brother Chi."

"Is it a trump card or a little helper?" Zhan Li laughed. "Brother Chi was already difficult to deal with, and adding Zhou Yu makes it even more difficult."

"Go away, go away," Du Heng laughed and scolded. "They're all in cahoots."

Around 6 a.m., Zhou Yu arrived at the scene. In the same spot as on the first day, Tan Bei sat next to her, hugging her arm and saying she was reluctant to part.

"I have to go back to Jiangbei tomorrow, and I won't see you for a long time."

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "That's true, we'll have to wait until school starts."

"I don't know when the next concert will be, but I've had a really great time these past few days," Tan Bei asked. "Do you think there might be one during winter break?"

"Maybe," Zhou Yu said, "Just dream about it."

"Hurry up and write more songs for Chen Jingchi, so he can hold more concerts in the future, even overseas, and I can travel around the world with him," Tan Bei said with a smile.

Hearing her say that, Zhou Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. She asked, "Then do I have to write in English?"

“I haven’t heard Chen Jingchi sing an English song yet,” Tan Bei urged. “Why don’t you write a few for him to give it some intensity?”

The performance officially started at seven o'clock. Chen Jingchi was more natural than yesterday. Although he still couldn't make any big movements, he tried his best to take care of the audience in all directions and moved around on stage much more often.

Today, Zhou Yu also sang several covers. She wasn't sure if they were appropriate for Liu Xianya's era. When she encountered a song she hadn't heard before, she recorded it on her phone and sent it to Liu Xianya.

However, Zhou Yu did not see him play the piano until the final performance of "To My Dear You," and thought that it might have been reserved for the encore.

After "To My Dear You" ends, as is customary, he will say a few words of thanks for watching, then go offstage to change clothes, waiting for everyone to call for an encore before returning to sing the last song.

This time, however, he stood still after he finished singing. The camera showed his face on the big screen, and Zhou Yu saw him pick up the microphone and look in her direction.

“There’s a little detail I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he said. “The lyrics for every song on the big screen are handwritten, not my handwriting, but my partner Zhou Yu’s.”

Caught off guard by being called out by name, Zhou Yu's heart skipped a beat, unsure of what he meant.

"What's going on? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Tan Bei asked, puzzled.

Chen Jingchi addressed everyone, speaking clearly and deliberately, word by word.

“I posted a message on Weibo before, and many people were guessing that I was making a public confession. Actually, that day wasn’t a good time. But now, at this moment, with so many people coming from all over to listen to me sing, there’s probably no more suitable occasion.”

Chen Jingchi's voice was calm and unhurried, yet resolute: "I want to answer you, yes."

A deafening scream erupted all around, almost piercing the sky.

"Holy crap?!" Tan Bei exclaimed in shock. "Am I dreaming? What is he doing? Confessing his love to you?"

Zhou Yu felt as if he were nailed to his seat, his fingers gripping the edge of the chair tightly, his mind buzzing, as if he were in another world.

“I used to doubt whether ‘soulmates’ really existed in the world. I’m a very arrogant person and I thought no one could understand me better than myself. But after meeting her, I realized that there really are people who can see through my unspoken words and understand the emotions I never say out loud.”

"She is the last piece of the puzzle in my soul, the end of all my wandering."

Zhou Yu's eyes began to burn, and the surging emotions overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, completely engulfing her. She could no longer hear the loud noise around her, and it seemed as if the world consisted only of her and him.

"The next song is one she asked me to sing for her before. I only sang a short part of it then. Today, I want to be a little selfish and ask everyone who came for me to give me three minutes to listen to me sing this song for the person I love."

He walked to the piano and sat down. As the exciting drumbeats and bass began, the song title appeared on the big screen: "Run Away".

While copying the lyrics, she had no idea that the song existed. The lyrics on the screen were also handwritten, and Zhou Yu recognized them immediately as Chen Jingchi's handwriting.

Amidst deafening cheers, Chen Jingchi, standing in the center of the stage under the spotlight of thousands, solemnly and formally sang this love song that had defined Zhou Yu's youth to her once again.

-----------------------

The author says: "You are the last piece of the puzzle in my soul, the end of all my wanderings" is from Sanmao's "Stories of the Sahara".

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