Chapter 27 Love Letter: She fell into his dream.
Chen Jingchi's parents are both professors at Xianhai University.
Despite being raised in a highly educated family, the child had a special passion for music. While his peers were engrossed in video games, he loved tinkering with various musical instruments.
Chen Jingchi realized at a young age that he had a natural high sensitivity to sound and was good at imitating the different voices of various singers. Before his voice changed, he could even imitate the essence of female singers' voices.
However, Chen Jingchi doesn't like noise when his parents are home, so during winter and summer vacations, he has to stay in the study, facing a long list of books that are supposed to be "required for teenagers to cultivate their reading interest".
He was a restless person who couldn't sit still. He got a headache when he saw obscure and difficult classical Chinese texts. To make the best of a bad situation, he would use the words in books as lyrics, set them to pop song melodies, and hide in his study every day to sing them. His left brain would be filled with thoughts of "My Love for the Vast World" and his right brain with thoughts of "The Three Heroes of the Peach Garden".
His father heard him and said he was ruining a classic, but he could recite the first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms word for word. He didn't know whether to praise his good memory or scold him for doing crooked things.
In fifth grade, Chen Jingchi's experience of performing in front of an audience planted a seed of dream in his heart. He felt the charm of the audience and the stage for the first time. From simply following his feelings to yearning, he was determined to stand on a bigger stage and sing.
Listening to music is no longer about passing the time, and singing is no longer about mechanical imitation. It's as if he has awakened an active skill and started thinking about how to make the connection between music and himself closer, and how to turn "other people's songs" into "my songs".
He enjoys listening to the rich dynamic details in singers' voices, loves the gorgeous, smooth, and rhythmically powerful R&B, and is also passionately fascinated by the fiery energy of metal rock. Regardless of language or style, all the sounds he embraced not only shaped his later musical aesthetics but also contributed to the artistic creation aspect of his personality development.
When Chen Jingchi first covered "Let It Be" on a karaoke platform, he was only 13 years old. At that time, he was still young and had not yet understood the deeper meaning behind the lyrics. Four years later, at the age of 17, he performed the song again with his band. His eyes were full of longing for the stage. That was the closest he had ever been to his dream, and the time when he most wanted to prove himself.
When Chen Jingchi chose the path of becoming an art student in his second year of high school, he had a major disagreement with his parents. In their view, extracurricular hobbies could at most be a stepping stone to a prestigious university, and should never be allowed to become his future career.
The reward for the karaoke event was a chance to sing on CCTV, and Chen Jingchi hoped to use this opportunity to change his parents' minds. Tidal Echo had a fairly large influence on campus, and he was confident he could rank in the top three.
They were as happy as they were when they won first place and received the recording notice, and as disappointed as they were when the band disbanded and they couldn't be there.
His self-destructive words in the interview were not an exaggeration. It's not just alcohol that can numb people, but also the uncertainty of a future with no way out.
For nearly half a year afterward, this song remained a knot in Chen Jingchi's heart that he couldn't untie; it was a grudge that he habitually skipped whenever he heard the intro on his playlist and couldn't face with a clear conscience.
Now, with his career taking off and the confidence gained from the success of his first album, Chen Jingchi finally has the courage to face it again.
He took apart the last record and put it into the record player in his bedroom. The familiar piano sound instantly transported him back to that scorching and unrestrained summer, awakening those memories that he had deliberately buried deep in his heart and refused to touch.
*
As Zhou Yu stepped out of Chen Jingchi's apartment, he stared at the rapidly moving upward arrow on the elevator screen, as if he could see the frequency of his own heartbeat.
The last time I gave a gift to a friend was six years ago, on the first day of junior high school, before the accident happened.
This was the first time in my life that I had given a gift to a boy.
Zhou Yu was very glad that Chen Jingchi invited her to dinner at just the right time, so that the vinyl record could be delivered to him as a "birthday gift." If she hadn't found a suitable opportunity, given her personality, she would have preferred to keep it for herself rather than give it away.
When she took the elevator to the first floor, all four of them were waiting for her at the door. Zhou Yu had already prepared her words while she was going downstairs. Fortunately, no one asked her what she had said to Chen Jingchi alone. It was as if they had planned it in advance and tacitly avoided the topic.
It actually seemed strange.
Before Zhou Yu could think further, Tan Bei pulled her outside, saying, "Quick, let me show you my driving skills!"
The rented electric scooter was parked outside the residential area. Tan Bei asked Zhou Yu to sit on the back seat. After waiting a few seconds and seeing that she didn't move, she turned around and said, "Hold me."
"Huh? Oh." Zhou Yu reached out and put his arm around her waist, his movements hesitant and awkward.
"Hold on tight? I'm leaving now," Tan Bei said.
Zhan Li reminded him, "Ride slower."
"I know, I know."
Tan Bei wasn't riding her bike fast. The cool evening breeze ruffled her long hair. Zhou Yu raised his hand to brush it aside for her. As he did this, he inexplicably compared it to sitting on the back of Chen Jingchi's motorcycle.
Chen Jingchi's broad back could completely block the wind from her front, while Tan Bei was a bit shorter than her...
Halfway through his thoughts, Zhou Yu was abruptly pulled back to reality, realizing something was wrong.
Subconsciously thinking of someone in unrelated situations is a dangerous sign.
She immediately shifted her attention to the receding street scene, counting the number of streetlights and mentally calculating the distance between them. She was so bored that she started to wonder how much electricity so many streetlights would consume if they were on all night.
Finally arriving at the dormitory building, Tan Bei returned the car and waved to her: "It was great to meet you tonight, see you next time!"
Zhou Yu smiled at her and said, "See you next time."
Before taking out her keys to open the door, Zhou Yu glanced down at her overly long sleeves. After only a second of hesitation, she deftly took off her coat. Going out to eat could be explained as being with friends, but wearing men's clothes was too difficult to explain. With her eloquence, she knew she wouldn't be able to withstand their questioning.
After entering the dormitory, seeing that neither of them was looking in her direction, Zhou Yu opened the wardrobe, hung the clothes inside, and planned to wash them and return them to Chen Jingchi later.
However, after hanging up the clothes and seeing that there were no hangers left, Zhou Yu suddenly remembered that his coat was still hanging on Chen Jingchi's balcony.
It's her fault; when she left, she was so focused on giving him a birthday present that she completely forgot about this, and Chen Jingchi didn't remind her either.
Zhou Yu's phone rang a few times. He took it out and saw that it was Tan Bei popping up in the group chat for the six people who had gathered for dinner: "[I'm at the dorm!]"
Zhan Li replied: 【Get some rest early!】
Zhuo Wencheng: [Goodnight everyone]
Zhou Yugang was about to reply with a goodnight when he heard Fan Xin's voice: "Hey, is it Chen Jingchi's birthday today?"
While staring at the computer, An Kejia replied, "Yeah, the senior students were all talking about it at lunch today."
Fan Xin asked in surprise, "How did they know?"
“You underestimate scalpers. You can buy a bunch of celebrities’ ID numbers for just five yuan.” After saying that, An Kejia turned around and asked, “How did you know that?”
"He just posted on Weibo, and that's what his fans are saying in the comments," Fan Xin said.
"What did you send? Let me see." An Kejia picked up her phone.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu also opened Weibo and saw Chen Jingchi's post from a minute ago. He had only posted one picture, which was of a vinyl record player with several record covers next to it. All five of the records she had given him were in the picture.
I guessed he would like it, but I never expected him to post it on Weibo. My heart felt like it had been gently brushed by something, like a feather, like a cloud, soft and hazy.
"How romantic!" An Kejia guessed. "Was it a birthday present from someone?"
“Definitely, this is the first time I’ve seen him share his life on Weibo,” Fan Xin said. “I checked and these records aren’t cheap either.”
Feeling guilty for no apparent reason, Zhou wanted to log out of Weibo. Just then, her phone suddenly rang, startling her so much that she almost threw it away.
Chen: Thank you for your gift.
After recognizing who it was, Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and replied: "You're welcome."
Chen: Have you ever heard me sing before?
I thought he was just thanking me again, but I didn't expect him to bring up this. I told Xu Yue about the alumni last time, so he must already know. There's no way I can fool him.
Zhou Yu replied: 【I've heard of it, elopement】
Using formulas is fast.
Chen: [Want to hear it?]
Zhou Yu stared at these three words, as if he had been hit by an unexpected surprise, leaving him stunned.
Of the nearly one hundred screen-recorded videos in her album, Zhou Yu didn't see the songs Chen Jingchi performed at the New Year's Eve party. Firstly, school rules prohibited bringing cell phones, which she strictly adhered to; secondly, the videos secretly filmed by students were incomplete, focusing only on faces, and the screams around them drowned out Chen Jingchi's voice, making each listen an ear-piercing ordeal.
After watching that live performance, Zhou Yu would occasionally think of that stage where she poured out her youthful passion. So much time had passed that she could no longer remember the details in the voices, but she remembered the high-energy atmosphere and the noise of the audience that day, as well as the vibrant life force that surged forth when she first discovered that her heart was beating vividly with the drumbeats.
When Chen Jingchi participated in "I Hear Your Voice" during the summer vacation, Zhou Yu had a vague expectation for each episode's song selection: would he choose this song? Perhaps considering the competitive nature of the competition, or perhaps because he was too mature and the style wasn't quite right, Zhou Yu's expectations were dashed.
Although it was expected and she wasn't too disappointed, she had no reason to refuse the chance to listen to it a second time.
She was very honest: [Thinking]
Then silently pray that I don't make a voice call, otherwise it will be another one-time listening to the song without leaving a trace.
Afraid of missing his message, Zhou Yu didn't dare leave and just waited with her phone in hand. Two minutes later, a new message finally popped up.
Chen: [Voice] 45''
Chen: [Voice] 20''
Zhou put on his headphones and turned on voice communication.
There is no accompaniment, no reverb, the background is very quiet, and only the purest human voice is heard.
"Dedicate your youth to the magnificent city behind you."
We paid the price for this beautiful dream.
I reserve my love for the most sincere girl by my side.
You sing with me, you wander with me.
We'll both suffer losses together.
Up until now
Only then did I suddenly understand
My dream
It is true love and freedom.
I want to elope with you.
Heading to the most remote town
I want to elope with you.
"Be the happiest person."
Without any musical instruments to enhance the atmosphere, Chen Jingchi's voice was so close that it seemed to be singing right next to her ear, allowing Zhou Yu to hear a gentleness that didn't fit his usual persona, and perhaps it was just her imagination.
In just one minute, Zhou Yu realized that her feelings were very different from when she heard it two years ago. In the lyrics, she could only hear freedom, which was what she longed for back then.
And now, just like other viewers who were obsessed with Chen Jingchi back then, she hears the song "I Want to Elope with You" echoing in her ears.
She seemed to have fallen into a dream woven by Chen Jingchi's songs.
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Author's Note: *Lyrics reference Zheng Jun's "Run Away"
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