Chapter 66 Old Love Letters: He would never touch love again.
"Is the eighth anniversary celebration just another one of those 'chair live streams' trying to fob us off?"
During lunch, Zhuo Wencheng read aloud this comment from a netizen on the square and couldn't stop laughing. "That's just how individualistic our Master Chi is. If you like it, take a look; if you don't, just scroll away. It's that simple!"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Li and Xu Yue both laughed along, which was rather unkind.
Last year, on the seventh anniversary of Chen Jingchi's debut, the company arranged an online live broadcast for him. However, he only sat in front of the camera for less than five minutes. While he got up to pour a glass of water, his computer suddenly malfunctioned. The webcam image froze and the sound disappeared. The viewers in the live broadcast room could only see a lonely swivel chair on the screen.
Chen Jingchi rarely spends time on the computer and isn't very skilled at it, so he couldn't fix it after trying for a long time. It was too late to call someone to come and fix it, and he couldn't turn off the live stream beforehand, so he could only leave it alone, leaving more than a million viewers waiting for two hours.
That night, all the audience members worked together to get Chen Jingchi's chair trending on social media.
Mentioning this, Chen Jingchi sighed, “Repairing that computer would cost ten or twenty thousand yuan.”
“It’s so expensive, we might as well just install a new one,” Zhan Li said. “We hope we haven’t been ripped off.”
Du Heng was arguing with the planning department staff and said he would come over for dinner later. He then sat down next to Chen Jingchi with a smug look on his face and said, "It's all settled. Get ready to party, sons."
"Holy crap?" Zhuo Wencheng was so shocked he dropped his chopsticks. "Is this what Dad's power is like?"
Two weeks ago, the group discussed holding a concert in Jiangbei to celebrate their eighth anniversary. In recent years, Chen Jingchi has taken on very few commercial performances and has not appeared in public as frequently as before. He has spent more time reflecting on himself, learning to arrange music, listening to other people's works, and starting to try to handle all the music creation work by himself.
His second domestic tour only started last year, and he had just finished the Spring Festival this year. He originally planned to take a good rest for the next six months, but when the eighth anniversary concert was mentioned, Chen Jingchi made an exception and agreed.
They made their decision too late. Cultural approvals in Jiangbei have always been slow, and they don't know if they can make it in time.
I didn't expect Du Heng to be able to handle all of this so well.
"To be honest," Xu Yue had always wanted to ask, "Does Dad have someone powerful backing him?"
“I’m under a big boss,” Du Heng said. “Go ask him.”
"Then I dare not."
After graduating from university, Xu Yue, Zhuo Wencheng, and Zhan Li all signed with Sheng Yu's band, which was under Chen Jingchi's management department. They performed with him on stage during performances, and otherwise followed the company's arrangements.
After lunch, the group met with the copyright department to decide on the concert setlist. In the latter half of the meeting, Xu Yue's phone rang, showing that the message was from Wu Yang, his uncle's son.
Wu Yang: [Brother, look at this news! A shocking plot twist!]
Wu Yang: [Link][Billions of yuan involved! The downfall of Diao, a resident of Quanshan District, uncovers a long-standing miscarriage of justice!]
Xu Yue wasn't interested in political news and didn't want to be distracted during the meeting, so he replied "wait a minute" and turned off his phone.
The eighth anniversary concert is scheduled for Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), and there's still a month to prepare, so everyone is in no rush. After the meeting, Du Heng mentioned that a new French restaurant had opened nearby and he wanted to take a few people to try it out.
At the dinner table, Zhan Li's phone kept receiving messages. When another call came in, Du Heng, who was sitting next to him, thought he was worried that there wouldn't be enough food and asked him to go out and get it: "The portions of French food are a bit small. Can I order a separate dish for you later?"
Seeing that he returned with a speechless expression after finishing the call, Zhuo Wencheng asked curiously, "Was that Tan Bei who called?"
“No,” Zhan Li explained. “My nephew is choosing his IB courses next month, and my sister asked me whether he should choose English A or English B. I’ve never been abroad, how would I know?”
Zhan Li's nephew attends an international high school. In the first year of high school, he has to choose a language category. Choosing English A will earn him a bilingual diploma, but it is more difficult than English B. His nephew doesn't have any great ambitions, so he naturally wants to learn the easier one. His sister said she was asking for his opinion, but in reality she disagreed and wanted him to persuade the child.
None of them understood these things, so Zhuo Wencheng waved his hand and said, "He's already in an international school, so let him make his own decision."
“That’s what I was saying too.” Zhan Li shrugged. “Let’s talk about it when I get back in a few days.”
After the meal, Xu Yue sat in the car on the way back and opened WeChat. He finally remembered that he hadn't read the message Wu Yang had sent him. Several hours had passed since that "wait a moment" message.
He clicked on the news link, and could guess the content from the title: two days ago, a high-ranking official in Quanshan was dismissed for corruption, and it was discovered that he had embezzled a huge sum of money. Xu Yue was about to exit halfway through when he was suddenly drawn to the last two lines of text.
"...The case of 'sent father to prison with award-winning essay' from thirteen years ago has also entered the trial stage. Diao admitted that he fabricated evidence to frame Zhou and send him to prison in order to protect himself. After being exonerated, Zhou will receive a total of about 1.8 million yuan in compensation, including compensation for loss of personal freedom and compensation for mental distress..."
Xu Yue's gaze lingered on the words "Award-winning essay sends father to prison," and a thought struck him. He asked Wu Yang, "Who is this Zhou?"
Wu Yang: [Didn't you ask me that before?]
Wu Yang: [Zhou Yu's father from Quanshan Affiliated High School]
Wu Yang: [Back home, everyone's talking about this.]
Xu Yue immediately went online and read through all the news reports about the matter. After confirming that everything was correct, he packaged the news together and forwarded it to Chen Jingchi.
A suspicion formed in his mind, and he asked: "Could Zhou's desire to go abroad be related to her father?"
A few minutes later, Chen Jingchi replied: [She and her family went abroad together.]
Xu Yue's fingers paused on the keyboard, realizing he had overthought things, and he felt apologetic: 【Sorry, brother】
The six months before separating from Zhou Yu were the worst time for Chen Jingchi. He started smoking again, and when he couldn't bear it anymore, he would numb himself with alcohol. He even got a tattoo, which angered Du Heng, but Du Heng couldn't bear to say anything harsh to him.
It took him almost a year to fully recover from the breakup.
Five years later, he took to the stage of Coachella Music Festival in the United States, received a Grammy Award nomination, and his fourth album, released two years later, once again broke sales records and created a legend. He joined the first tier of the music scene and became a top singer-songwriter with great strength.
But he never touches love again.
Many female celebrities in the industry expressed their affection for him, but he ignored them all. Once, he was involved in a scandal with a female singer who performed on the same stage. She tripped while going offstage because her dress was too long, and Chen Jingchi kindly helped her up. The video was uploaded to the internet, and coincidentally, the female singer's surname was also Zhou. Netizens said that he was about to have a second "Zhou Yu".
He immediately rebuked netizens, distanced himself from the matter, and subsequently refused all collaborations with female singers on stage.
No one dared to mention that name in front of him again.
*
Mid-August is the hottest time of the year in Jiangbei, the dog days of summer. If you stand outside for just a minute or two with your makeup on, it will almost melt off. Tan Bei took shelter under a parasol and went into a roadside cafe. Only when the cool air blew on her did she feel alive again.
Tan Bei ordered an iced flat white and texted her to ask what she wanted to drink.
A few seconds later I received a reply, the same as hers.
After paying, Tan Bei smiled at the cashier and said, "Excuse me, could you please change the song? I get an allergic reaction whenever I hear this singer sing."
The coffee shop was playing Chen Jingchi's fourth album's title track, "Landing".
The shop assistant looked surprised: "I thought no girl could dislike his songs."
Even so, she still operated the computer and switched the playlist.
Tan Bei sat in the most prominent spot by the window, with the best view of the door. She gazed outside, eagerly anticipating what was to come.
A few minutes later, a white figure appeared in her field of vision. Upon seeing that face, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly got up from the wooden stool and went forward to hug the person.
"Baby!" Her voice trembled with excitement, "It's been so long!"
Zhou Yu hugged her: "Yes, it's been a long time."
During her senior year of college, Tan Bei flew to Ireland during winter break to spend the New Year with her and Liu Xianya, which was also the last time they saw each other. After graduation, Tan Bei became a new media editor, and her work was very busy every day. Even during holidays, she often had to work overtime. She didn't have much time to rest and didn't have the opportunity to go abroad to see her.
"You've become so much prettier." Tan Bei couldn't help but tear up after looking at her a few times.
Zhou Yu quickly grabbed some tissues from the table: "If you keep acting like this, I'll feel like crying too."
"Don't cry, don't cry." Tan Bei composed herself, pulled her to sit down, pushed the coffee in front of her, and asked about her recent situation, "How have you been lately?"
In January of this year, the report materials submitted by Jiang Yueying finally took effect. This time, it was no longer just scratching the surface. Zhou Jinglong had also collected enough evidence. After the investigation began, everything that followed went more smoothly than they had expected.
After more than half a year of trial, the trial concluded last month, and Zhou Jinglong finally received a long-awaited fair verdict, proving his innocence.
They no longer need to hide; they can stand in the sunlight and live with dignity.
After completing her postgraduate studies, Zhou Yu went to work at the same place as Liu Xianya, as a teacher of Chinese as a foreign language at an international organization called Hanban. After returning to China, Liu Xianya went back to Xianhai, while Zhou Yu came to Jiangbei and had just completed her onboarding procedures at Jiangbei International School a couple of days ago.
Tan Bei's eyes sparkled as she said, "If I had a gentle and beautiful English teacher like you in high school, I would definitely have gotten first place in the grade."
Zhou Yu laughed and asked, "Not dating anymore?"
Hearing this, Tan Bei's smile faded a little, and her voice lowered: "Baby, Zhan Li and I broke up not long after graduating from university."
Zhou Yu paused for a moment, then asked, "Why?"
“I always thought things would be better after graduation, but who knew that college was the most carefree time,” Tan Bei said softly. “I was too busy with work, and he was often not in Jiangbei. We were both quite insecure. When we were apart for a long time, we became suspicious and easily started arguing. Later, we got tired of arguing and simply broke up.”
Zhou Yu felt a mix of emotions. She and Zhan Li were once the epitome of the most beautiful love in her imagination, but she never expected that they would not survive the test of time.
"Isn't it very sad?" She understood deeply.
“It’s all in the past now,” Tan Bei said softly. “Although we’re not talking anymore, we still meet once a week.”
Zhou Yu was stunned for several seconds before he understood what she meant: "You mean..."
"Oh, we're all adults, it's just about satisfying our needs." Tan Bei pouted. "This way we don't argue, it's much better than when we were dating before."
Zhou was both amused and exasperated by her positive attitude.
As luck would have it, he sent her a message right after they started talking about Zhan Li. Tan Bei picked it up and glanced at it, then quickly stole a glance at Zhou Yu across from her.
Zhou noticed her subtle movements and asked, "What's wrong?"
Tan Bei simply turned her phone over to show her.
StupidDog0803: [Are you coming to the concert next Saturday?]
After reading the text, Zhou Yu glanced at the nickname she had given Zhan Li and remembered that she used to call him "Little Dog" when they were in school. It seemed that Little Dog had become less clever as he grew up.
Tan Bei didn't hide anything from her, saying, "It's the eighth anniversary concert since our debut, and it's in Jiangbei."
She didn't dare mention that person's name, afraid that he might still be bothered by it.
Zhou Yu looked at her, but her thoughts drifted away. Seeing her lost in thought, Tan Bei hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, "Do you want to go?"
It would be a lie to say I don't want to.
In the years since they separated, whenever Zhou Yu had free time, she couldn't help but think of him. Longing was like a chronic illness, incurable. It was usually silent, but it would suddenly flare up at any moment, adding a fatal blow to her already cracked heart.
For five whole years, nearly two thousand days and nights, he was always in her mind.
Tan Bei already knew the answer from her reaction. She opened the ticket-grabbing software and said, "It just so happens that tickets go on sale today, baby. Send me your ID card and I'll help you grab some."
Zhou Yu clicked into the ticket-buying page and saw that there were as many as 830,000 people who had made reservations. He had no hope at all: "I probably won't be able to get one."
"If I can't get it, you go in my place." Tan Bei had already planned her backup plan.
"No, thank you." Zhou Yu shook his head. "Your seat is too close to the front."
The internal tickets were for the first row of the inner section. Zhou Yu wanted to go, but she just wanted to watch the performance quietly, without disturbing anyone, and she especially didn't want him to know.
The two sat in the coffee shop until six o'clock. As soon as the countdown ended, they tried to buy tickets at the same time. Tan Bei had her nails done and tapped her phone screen repeatedly, but it showed that there was too much traffic ahead and the network had crashed.
Zhou Yu had never tried to buy tickets before. After seeing the button turn red, he clicked it and was quickly taken to the purchase page. He clicked to pay, and the app seamlessly switched to Alipay.
I managed to buy tickets for the outer section of the inner field without any problems.
"Ah! I don't believe it!" Tan Bei persisted, "I must buy it!"
“I bought it, Beibei, don’t click anymore.” Zhou Yu grabbed her hand and showed her the screen.
"Is it that easy? You're so lucky." Tan Bei laughed. "After the seats are released, take a screenshot and send it to me. I'll switch seats with the person next to you so we can watch together."
“Okay.” Zhou Yu, preoccupied with something, said to her, “Don’t tell him…they.”
He stuttered a little.
“I know.” Tan Bei nodded. “After I broke up with Zhan Li, I didn’t keep in touch with them much.”
Zhou Yu was finally relieved.
Tan Bei invited her to dinner together, and, reluctant to part, asked, "Can I stay at your place tonight?"
Zhou Yugang had just settled down here, and the rented house wasn't completely cleaned yet. She offered, "Let me come to your house. My house is full of cardboard boxes."
"Great! Great!" Tan Bei visibly cheered. "Luckily, our workplaces are close by!"
*
The day before the performance, after the rehearsal, Zhan Li went to Tan Bei's single apartment.
They always met on Saturdays, but this week they had a performance, so they met a day earlier. As soon as she entered, she saw a pair of slippers she'd never seen before on the shoe rack. Ignoring the fact that someone was showering inside, Zhan Li pushed open the bathroom door, startling Tan Bei.
Are you out of your mind?
Before she could finish speaking, Zhan Li took off his shirt and squeezed into the cramped shower room with her, blocking her inside.
"Are there guests at home?" he asked.
Tan Bei tried to push him away but couldn't, and annoyed him, she said, "What kind of guest is this? It's so hot, get out of here!"
Zhan Li didn't believe it and insisted on asking, "Who are the extra slippers outside for?"
Upon hearing this, Tan Bei was startled. It was something Zhou Yu had bought for her a few days ago, but she had forgotten that Zhan Li would be coming today and hadn't had time to pack it.
Seeing her expression, Zhan Li gritted her teeth and asked, "Male or female?"
Tan Bei turned her head away: "A woman."
"Why are you so guilty, woman?" Zhan Li pinched her waist. "Tell the truth."
Tan Bei's defiant nature was provoked by his accusatory tone, and she retorted sharply, "Why are you meddling so much? What's it to you? Who are you to me?"
"..."
Zhan Li vented all his jealousy on her, carrying her out of the bathroom and pinning her to the bed until she cried and begged for mercy.
"Tell me who it is," Zhan Li said fiercely. "If it's a man, you're dead."
"No...no!" Tan Bei couldn't take it anymore, her voice hoarse from crying. "I'll tell you."
Zhan Li finally stopped. After waiting for a long time, seeing her pursing her lips and struggling with herself, her patience was almost exhausted, so she bumped into her hard.
"Ah..." Tan Bei grabbed his arm, surrendering, "It's Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu!"
Upon hearing the name, Zhan Li paused for a second: "Isn't she abroad?"
Tan Bei had promised Zhou Yu she wouldn't tell them, but now she was forced to say it. She felt incredibly guilty and didn't dare continue. Zhan Li didn't believe her, thinking she was lying to him, and reached for her phone on the bedside table.
There were no secrets between them; they knew each other's lock screen passwords and bank card PINs perfectly. After unlocking, Zhan Li first opened the photo album.
Tan Bei was a beat slow and reached out to grab it, but he bumped into her again, making her weak all over.
"Zhan Li! You have no manners in bed!" she yelled. "I'd be a dog if I slept with you again!"
"You've said that before in bed." Zhan Li didn't look at her. He saw the latest photo in the album, clicked on it, and saw the seating chart for the eighth anniversary concert.
And Zhou Yu's name was prominently listed as an audience member.
I really didn't lie to him.
Zhan Li was completely stunned. Tan Bei snatched the phone back and kicked him, saying, "Are you satisfied now?"
"I'm sorry." He grasped her ankle, bent down, and kissed her. "When did she get back?"
Tan Bei ignored him in anger, so Zhan Li softened his tone and asked again, "Is she going to a concert?"
"You're not allowed to tell," Tan Bei dodged his kiss, "You're not allowed to tell Chen Jingchi!"
"Okay," Zhan Li replied casually, "I won't say."
Tan Bei couldn't believe him. Her expression turned serious, and she whispered, "She doesn't want you to know, especially Chen Jingchi. You really can't betray me."
Zhan Li paused for a moment, then kissed her lips: "Okay, I promise you."
*
The following afternoon, after seeing Zhou Yu, Tan Bei felt extremely guilty.
Tan Bei knew all too well that a man's words in bed could not be trusted. She didn't know if Zhan Li would keep his promise to her, and she had been on tenterhooks ever since the start of the performance.
Zhou Yu didn't notice her unusual behavior. She was sitting in the back row, and there were many people in front of her, completely blocking the stage. She could only look at the large screens on both sides.
When Chen Jingchi appeared, she stared intently at the person on the big screen amidst a deafening chorus of screams around her.
She hadn't seen him this close in a very, very long time.
The setlist for the eighth anniversary concert consisted mostly of hit songs, which Zhou Yu was very familiar with. The lyrics on the big screen had long since been replaced with standard boldface font. Compared to a few years ago, Chen Jingchi's voice hadn't changed much, and his voice immediately transported her to unforgettable memories.
The feelings and experiences I had when writing each word in the lyrics are still fresh in my memory, as if they happened just yesterday.
These familiar songs, which Chen Jingchi had sung on stage time and time again, were just a job for him, and he didn't have much emotion in them, but they deeply resonated with Zhou Yu.
She listened to every song attentively and emotionally, as if she had returned to the summer of his first concert.
She still clearly remembers the nervousness Chen Jingchi showed as he drove her home after the rehearsal, facing his first concert.
She told him that this was just the beginning.
"You'll be standing on even bigger and higher stages in the future. Will you be less nervous if I'm around more often?"
"You're always by my side?"
"If you need it."
Later he didn't need it anymore.
He is no longer the nervous young man who used to be in front of thousands of audience members.
Compared to five years ago, his makeup and styling have become more mature, and his gaze towards the camera is calm and composed. It is a firmness that has been tempered and refined over time, and it is a composure and confidence that emanates from within.
Seeing Chen Jingchi like this, Zhou Yu was genuinely happy.
This is exactly what she hoped he would become.
After finishing his last song, Chen Jingchi was supposed to go offstage to change clothes and prepare for an encore when a staff member dressed in black crouched down and walked up to him, handing him a cue card.
Tan Bei thought that once the concert ended, she could finally relax, but seeing this scene made her worry again.
After the staff left, Chen Jingchi faced the camera and said, "This eighth anniversary concert is quite special. I will randomly select a few audience members to receive a limited-edition autographed gift. Winners can claim their prize by sending a screenshot of their ticket and seat number to the platform via private message."
Upon hearing this, the audience erupted in cheers, wishing they were the ones who had been drawn.
Tan Bei quickly went over and glanced at Zhou Yu's seat number: row 21, seat 17.
Chen Jingchi first drew three seats in the stands. Tan Bei noticed that every time he called out a seat, the screen would suddenly switch to the audience on that side, and she had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
“There are three spots available inside, which were chosen in advance by my band friends.” Chen Jingchi looked down at his cue cards. “The first one is number 7 in row 3.”
Upon hearing this, Tan Bei couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap!"
Oh no! Zhan Li had seen her seat number!
Zhou asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
There were over 60,000 people in the stadium, and she had no idea she would win.
"The second one is number 23 in row 14."
As the view of the audience on the big screen switched twice, Tan Bei's heart pounded.
"The third one is number 17 in row 21."
The camera switched to the back row of the venue and filmed the award winners on the big screen.
Only at this moment did Zhou Yu understand why Tan Bei had looked so panicked. Looking up at the large screen, Zhou Yu saw her face clearly displayed in the center.
Her appearance was so outstanding that she stood out from the crowd.
The audience section was shown for only three seconds before the camera cut back to the stage.
On the large screen, Chen Jingchi stared blankly at the side screen. Under the spotlight, he stood on the stage, looking lost and dejected, without moving for a long time.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the landmines and nutrient solutions, everyone!!! [Pink Heart][Purple Heart]
Yvonne :) threw 3 landmines
Snow threw a landmine
Reader "Yvonne :)" irrigated with nutrient solution +31
Reader "DaDaFu" watered the plants with 10 nutrient solutions.
Reader "Lily" watered with nutrient solution +5
Reader "Xia Luo Yi De" added 5 units of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Snow" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Jin-Xia" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Qiqiqiqi" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
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