Chapter 45 Love Letter: She was his weakness.
Zhou Yu couldn't remember how she walked back from the entrance of the residential area to her doorstep. She only remembered the extremely restrained look in Chen Jingchi's eyes when he looked at her. In the dimly lit car seat, his eyes were deep and dull, darker than the night, almost sucking her in.
She turned and left quickly, almost as if she were fleeing in panic.
Even though she was the one who initiated the kiss, it was as if he had done something wrong.
Chen Jingchi watched her figure gradually shrink in the rearview mirror until it disappeared from his sight. He relaxed in his seat, tilted his head back, and gazed at the deep blue, boundless night sky outside the car window, hesitating to start the car.
I wanted to send her something, so I picked up my phone, tapped her profile picture, and typed the message in the input box. But then I hesitated for a few seconds, afraid of scaring her, and didn't send it.
Humans are easily motivated by rewards. The more she intentionally or unintentionally releases positive encouragement signals, the more easily it will stimulate his hidden desire to conquer.
When he is sober, his self-control is good at restraining the growth of these desires. Now it seems that an invisible hand is constantly playing a game with him, making him unable to take care of himself and neglecting one thing for another.
He feared that he would eventually lose control.
What about being a gentleman, what about being a virtuous person?
All he knew was that he wanted her.
*
Zhou Yu stood at the door for a while, turned on the front camera of his phone, and only dared to take out his key to open the door after seeing that he had returned to normal.
Liu Xianya sat on the sofa in the living room in her pajamas. Only one wall lamp was on. The TV in front of her was playing a palace drama, and the volume was turned down very low. The person watching had fallen asleep with their head tilted to one side.
Zhou Yu knew she was waiting for her to come home. After closing the door, he tiptoed over. But Liu Xianya was a light sleeper and woke up at the slightest noise. She opened her sleepy eyes and asked, "You're back?"
"Okay." Zhou Yu walked to her side and said, "Go back to your bedroom and sleep."
"What time is it? I was already asleep," Liu Xianya muttered.
"Nine o'clock," Zhou Yu said. "Go to sleep if you're sleepy."
"It's nothing, I just missed my nap at noon and that's why I'm sleepy," Liu Xianya asked. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you some late-night snacks?"
"I'm not hungry, I just finished eating and came back." Zhou Yu helped her up and turned up the air conditioner a little after they went into the bedroom.
Liu Xianya had just sat on the bed when she suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, a colleague called me today and said she's going back to her hometown this weekend, so I have to cover her night shift on Sunday. I won't be able to go to the concert tonight."
Zhou put down the air conditioner remote and asked, "Why do you always come to me with these kinds of things?"
Liu Xianya is conscientious and responsible at work, and she is easygoing and easy to talk to with her colleagues. When it comes to things like needing someone to cover for someone else, her colleagues always think of her first. Normally, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but this time, Liu Xianya mentioned going to the concert several days in advance in the office, and Zhou Yu felt it was incredibly inconsiderate of her to still bother her.
"Oh, everyone has their struggles, so I'll help out in any way I can. Anyway, I can go with you on Saturday," Liu Xianya said with a smile. "Don't be angry, Mom will take you out for something delicious on Sunday."
Zhou Yu sat down next to her, his voice lower: "I'm not angry. Next time, if you don't want to, just refuse directly. Why do you have to please others?"
"Okay, okay." Liu Xianya patted her back. "Go take a shower. You said jasmine smelled nice last time, so I bought you a new shower gel. Go try it."
Liu Xianya is a very meticulous person in life. She always remembers what Zhou Yu casually says. For example, when Zhou Yu mentioned that the beef was very tender at lunch, she would eat beef prepared in different ways for the next few meals. Another example is that when Zhou Yu put the gift Tan Bei gave her in the bedroom, Liu Xianya asked what the fragrance was, and today she changed her shower gel.
Zhou Yu couldn't get angry at her mother, who hid her love in all sorts of trivial things. She just wanted her mother to care for her more.
Before going to bed, Zhou Yu opened Weibo as usual and saw that Chen Jingchi had recently updated his status, posting a few photos from rehearsals with the caption: See you tomorrow.
This was the first Weibo post after tagging Zhou Yu late at night on the day of the Golden Melody Awards. Half a month later, everyone had almost forgotten about the previous Weibo post.
Zhou accidentally clicked "like" while swiping. He was about to cancel it, but then felt that it would only make things worse, so he simply left it on.
Du Heng's alternate account also reposted this Weibo post.
@YoungMasterHandsomeSongRed: After so many days of working day and night, it's finally here! I need to give myself a good break once it's over.
Compared to his real name account promoting Chen Jingchi's concert, his alternate account seems to be much more genuine.
Zhou Yu glanced at her Weibo homepage and found that her number of followers had actually increased to 30,000, which made her wonder if she should also create a secondary account.
*
The following afternoon, Zhou Yu and Tan Bei arranged to meet at the venue's backstage dressing room early. Compared to Chen Jingchi, the other boys seemed quite unsettled, especially Zhuo Wencheng.
"Sister, isn't this eyeshadow too heavy? It feels like I've been punched."
"It's not heavy; you can't even see it clearly from a distance," the makeup artist explained.
"Really? Am I still me?" Zhuo Wencheng asked, pulling Xu Yue along.
“It’s you, it’s you. This is makeup, not a painted face,” Xu Yue said.
As soon as Zhou Yu entered, he saw more than a dozen performance costumes on the mobile clothes rack. These were only for tonight; the costumes for the next two days would be different.
She was still thinking about what happened last night and didn't dare to look Chen Jingchi in the eye. Just then, he was busy putting on makeup and couldn't focus on her. Zhou Yu sat down next to Du Heng and told him that Liu Xianya couldn't come on Sunday night.
"That completes it," Du Heng said. "All of you parents are here to watch tomorrow night's show."
The parents of all the children have to work and can't make it on Friday night, and Monday is a workday, so Saturday night is the most suitable time.
Zhou Yu turned his gaze to Chen Jingchi, wanting to ask something, but was afraid of being impolite.
Du Heng noticed her gaze, understood, and lowered his voice to say, "His parents have each started new families, and when I contacted them, they both said they were too busy."
Hearing these words from him, Zhou Yu felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
She knew that Chen Jingchi's parents had always disapproved of his studying music, but she never expected them to be so heartless. They didn't even bother to come and watch him perform, which was such an important moment as his first concert.
She suddenly remembered what Liu Xianya had told her: some parents' love does require conditions to be met, but Chen Jingchi did not work for that. He chose a completely different path, going against his parents' expectations and carrying the pressure to pursue his own dreams.
Du Heng looked at Chen Jingchi's profile and thought back to when he first met him. Whether it was signing a contract or other work, he was always alone, without any elders by his side. Although he was already eighteen years old and an adult, his peers were still naive children, but he had forced himself to become an adult who could stand on his own.
He didn't know much about his family situation, only that after the divorce a year ago, both parties started their own families. After Chen Jingchi became financially independent, he had almost no contact with them, and Xianhai bought a house but lived alone.
A few days ago, he casually asked if Chen Jingchi should invite his parents to the show. Chen Jingchi frowned but didn't say no. Du Heng knew his temper and knew he wouldn't be so polite as to ask directly, so he asked for his contact information and made the call for him.
Both the father and mother were very polite when they received the call, and even asked how Chen Jingchi was doing. However, when asked if they could attend, they politely declined, saying they were too busy. Their tone showed no concern for their child.
After the divorce, they really treated their son as if he didn't exist. This was the first time Du Heng had ever met such a cold-blooded parent. Helpless, he hung up the phone. Chen Jingchi gave him an expected look and even joked, "The professor's appearance fee is not low."
Du Heng pulled himself out of his reverie and looked at Zhou Yu beside him, feeling much more relieved.
Fortunately, she was there.
Around 5 PM, Du Heng called Zhou Yu, Tan Bei, and the staff to go eat. The male performers, who were going to go on stage, had to wait until after the concert to eat in order to maintain their performance condition.
After finishing their working lunch, the audience began to enter the venue. Du Heng needed to keep an eye on everyone and couldn't leave, so he told the two girls to go and sit down first, worried that he wouldn't be able to find them when there were more people later.
In the first row of the inner field, Zhou Yu had never sat so close to the stage before. She turned her head and looked around. The huge stadium was packed with people, every seat filled, all there for Chen Jingchi.
This was a goal that used to seem unattainable, but now it had actually happened. Zhou Yu thought for no reason that maybe people can be bolder when they dream, because what if it comes true?
Tan Bei exclaimed, "Wow, I didn't realize how big this place is until it was full."
At the Golden Melody Awards ceremony at the end of last month, the scene was not as spectacular as it is now due to the small size of the venue.
From high school squares to university freshman parties, live broadcasts of star music nights, and music festivals, every step has witnessed Chen Jingchi's journey. Now he can hold three consecutive concerts in a stadium with 50,000 people, and Zhou Yu is proud of him.
Zhou Yu recalled the music festival from before and asked her, "Where are the light boards you ordered?"
"Oh, that? Brother Du Heng said we have to set an example and not wear any light-up signs, since they don't encourage that kind of behavior." Tan Bei stuck out her tongue. "You'll see in a bit, they'll definitely be all light-up signs."
The wait for the performance to begin felt exceptionally long. Although the temperature dropped a bit after sunset, the stadium was crowded and stuffy due to poor air circulation. Zhou Yu thought of Chen Jingchi's performance outfits in the dressing room, none of which were made of cheap fabric. He knew it would be even hotter when Chen Jingchi went on stage to sing.
It is precisely this kind of weather that makes it easier to ignite people's passion.
The concert's large screen played music videos on a loop. At 7 p.m., the screen was cut off, and the concert's theme poster lit up.
Chen Jingchi named this concert "First Encounter".
"It's finally here!" Tan Bei's phone was almost out of battery. "What's wrong with me? I'm actually starting to get nervous."
When Zhou Yu heard her say that, she realized her heart had also skipped a few beats without her noticing. She didn't know whether to comfort herself or her: "They should be more nervous than we are."
Tan Bei laughed: "Definitely, seeing so many people when you come out would probably make your legs go weak."
As soon as he finished speaking, the band members came up from the side of the stage one by one and took their positions. Zhou Yu could clearly see the expressions on each of their faces, and they all seemed quite calm.
As Zhan Li's first drumbeat sounded, the lights began to flash, and a black iron cage appeared in the air. Standing inside was Chen Jingchi, who was wearing a white shirt with a light blue hollowed-out tulle cape. His shoulders were adorned with three-dimensional mesh and tasseled peony flowers, giving him a lively and ethereal style, like a god descending to earth.
This was the first outfit Zhou Yu chose for him, which Chen Jingchi used directly for the opening.
A deafening roar erupted from the crowd. As the iron cage was lowered to the ground, Chen Jingchi emerged and began singing his first song, "Invitation to the Night."
It was remarkably in harmony with the approaching dusk and the tens of thousands of attendees who had come to the banquet.
Lyrics appeared on the large screens on both sides. Tan Bei held Zhou Yu's hand and asked, "Did you write these?"
Zhou Yu nodded: "Yes."
There's a difference in the viewing experience between watching it on a tablet and watching it on such a large screen.
"What beautiful handwriting!" Tan Bei exclaimed.
All the songs in the concert were rearranged, and the heavy metal rock style is more suited to a live performance, making it easy to get the audience excited.
Zhou Yu heard the chorus behind her. The sound system above her was excellent. Chen Jingchi was singing very close to her. Being in such a breathtaking audio-visual feast made her emotions boil.
The unfamiliar experience excited her uncontrollably, her cerebral cortex continuously releasing excitement signals, and she was completely captivated by Chen Jingchi on stage.
Their two weeks of rehearsals and preparations were well worth it; the final result was absolutely stunning.
It's a scene that will stay in your mind for a long time and leave a very deep impression.
Every outfit Chen Jingchi wore was personally selected by Zhou Yu; as he said, he wore only what she liked. The clothes in the pictures looked far more attractive on him than they did on a phone screen. His tall, model-like figure and authoritative face were flawless even magnified many times on the big screen, holding up from every angle.
While he was changing clothes offstage, the band members warmed up the crowd. Xu Yue's electric guitar solo, which lasted for more than a minute, refreshed Zhou Yu's understanding of him. This was followed by the performance of several classic film and television soundtracks.
Everyone on stage was radiating their own unique light, a stark contrast to their usual selves. Zhou Yu realized for the first time how cool boys could be when they were serious. Before going on stage, Zhuo Wencheng was worried about being nervous, but now, holding his bass guitar, his eyes were bright, completely immersed in the moment.
The hour-long wait for the concert to start felt agonizing, but the two hours of the performance flew by. After "To My Dearest You" finished and the lights went out, the entire audience chanted for an encore.
"Is there more? I haven't had enough!" Tan Bei asked.
Although Zhou Yu copied the lyrics, she didn't know which day the specific song would be performed. She shook her head: "I don't know either."
"Time flies, it's already over." Tan Bei took a deep breath and said, "But the thought of being able to listen for another two days is so great."
Just as Zhou Yu was about to reply, a lift suddenly appeared in the center of the stage, and Chen Jingchi, dressed in the simplest light purple short-sleeved overalls, sat down in front of the piano.
As the piano music began, the song title appeared on the screen: Lonely Northern Hemisphere.
"Really!" Tan Bei said excitedly. "I used to love listening to this song."
Zhou Yu is also familiar with this song; Chen Jingchi sang it when he was in his second year of high school.
The first half is a piano solo, and the sounds of other instruments only begin to appear in the second verse.
Chen Jingchi's singing style was different from before; it became gentle and natural, and the pronunciation of each lyric sounded like a whispered love confession. While singing, he no longer looked at the teleprompter in front of him, but instead looked down at the audience, specifically in Zhou Yu's direction.
Tan Bei whispered in her ear, "He's definitely watching you."
Zhou Yu didn't know if he was looking at her, but she kept looking at him.
He sang the last two lines of the song twice.
"Missing you won't be lazy"
"I'll keep all my dreams safe."
The musical instruments disappeared once again, leaving only the sound of the piano. Chen Jingchi on the big screen smiled for the first time, triggering a frenzy of screams.
Zhou Yu's heartbeat rose and fell with the rhythm of each note.
As the last note faded, all the lights went out, and white smoke appeared in front of the stage. A few seconds later, the smoke dissipated, and Chen Jingchi had vanished from the piano.
A handwritten message appeared on the large screen: Thank you everyone, see you tomorrow.
"Ah, I'm still not satisfied." Tan Bei nudged Zhou Yu, who was still in a daze, and said, "It's over!"
Zhou Yucai finally came to his senses, feeling a sense of loss. He hadn't heard enough, but thankfully it was only the first day.
As the staff went on stage to remove the instruments, she got up with Tan Bei, and the two prepared to go backstage to meet them.
However, as soon as Zhou Yu reached the area below the stage, he heard Du Heng's angry voice: "Why didn't you mention the speed issue during yesterday's rehearsal! This is only the first day! What is he supposed to do for the next two days?"
Tan Bei asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"
As they got closer, they saw a group of people surrounding Chen Jingchi, and Zhou Yu couldn't even see him. Zhan Li looked unwell and stood on the outside, explaining to them, "The final exit design was supposed to involve the platform behind him lowering so he could fall down, but the lift was much lower than planned, and he probably hit his back."
Upon hearing the description, Tan Bei was startled: "My God, are you alright?"
Just from Du Heng's shout, Zhou Yu knew the seriousness of the situation. He was anxious and worried, but he couldn't see Du Heng and could only stand by and listen to them talking.
"Don't rush, don't rush! Let's talk later, there's no need to leave."
"Can you stand up? Are you sure you didn't hurt your back?"
"It made such a loud noise when it fell, how could it be okay!"
"Call the doctor right away! I told you to put down more pads. Safety is more important than anything else, even if it means being caught!"
Amidst the cacophony of voices, Zhou Yu finally managed to hear Chen Jingchi's voice: "It's alright, I can walk."
Du Heng walked over and shouted, "Stop crowding around! Get in the car quickly, or we'll be stuck in traffic and won't be able to move!"
Xu Yue knew that staying here would only make things more chaotic, so he called a few people to leave together.
Du Heng dismissed the staff and carefully helped Chen Jingchi, asking, "How are you? Does it hurt when you walk? Should I carry you across?"
"No need, it's fine." Chen Jingchi lowered his head, so his expression was not visible.
Zhou Yu noticed that his neatly styled hair was slightly messy.
"You two get in the car with them." Du Heng said to Zhan Li, then looked at Zhou Yu, his tone softening a bit, "You come with us."
Chen Jingchi then looked up and noticed Zhou Yu, who had been standing beside him. Her face was pale, her brows furrowed with worry, and her eyes were red as she looked at him. She seemed to want to say something, but then swallowed it back.
This made his heart ache a little, and he said to her, "It's okay, don't worry."
Zhou Yu followed behind them without saying a word. After getting into the van, she saw him frown as he sat down, so she found a cushion from behind and placed it behind his waist.
"Hang in there, I've already called a doctor." Du Heng urged the driver to speed up, "We won't go to your house yet, the hotel is closer."
There were several assistants and bodyguards in the car. Zhou Yu sat next to him, wanting to ask if he was still in pain, but hesitated to speak. She wanted to touch him, but was afraid of touching the injury.
Chen Jingchi, however, seemed oblivious to everyone around him, turning his head to smile at her: "With that expression, I'd think I didn't perform well today."
Zhou Yu lowered his head and answered softly, "You did very well."
Chen Jingchi went all out tonight, delivering a high-quality performance in every song. He sang for two hours straight without his voice being affected at all, demonstrating incredible stamina.
She looked up at him, trying to force a smile, but gave up when she realized she couldn't.
I don't know how to comfort him, how to make him feel better, whether he can maintain his condition for tomorrow's performance, or whether he will feel remorse and blame himself for being injured due to a problem with the lift platform after preparing so hard for so long.
All these things made Zhou Yu not only worried but also sad for him.
I made a wish on his birthday, hoping his concert would go well, but why didn't it come true?
Was it because she was too greedy and made three wishes?
Chen Jingchi raised his hand and touched her cheek, his fingertips tracing the corner of her eye. As her eyelashes trembled slightly, a little moisture touched his fingertips.
He sighed inwardly. He thought it was cool when he designed the exit magic trick, but the staff had warned him that there might be hidden dangers. In the end, he decided to do it anyway for the sake of the stage effect.
There were no problems during the rehearsals; tonight's incident was just an accident.
He remembered how she hugged him for the first time in early May when he twisted his ankle while rehearsing the dance for their second album's music video. Her eyes were red.
Both times she was heartbroken, it was because of health problems.
If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have risked pursuing perfection.
Chen Jingchi realized that she had become his Achilles' heel.
-----------------------
Author's Note: *The lyrics are from Ou Deyang's "Lonely Northern Hemisphere"
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