"That day,
At dusk,
It began to snow.
Sadness,
Blooming on the hills,
Waiting for youth to disperse.
Midnight movies,
Filled with ancient romances,
In the darkness,
Singing for the young.
…"
The Daylily bar, filled with people, was quiet; everyone was listening intently to Lu Chen's performance.
They were hearing a new song they had never listened to before.
Although the melody was different, it still retained that familiar style. The music flowed gracefully as Lu Chen sang softly, devoid of hoarse shouts or fervent excitement. He was merely recounting stories of the past, filled with warmth and romance, tinged with a hint of sadness and nostalgia.
His song was like a clear, transparent glass of water, and savoring it brought out its wonderful flavor.
"…
Let's go,
Girl,
To see the red morning glow.
Bring along,
My love song,
You sing it to the wind.
Dew hangs at the tips of your hair,
Filled with transparent melancholy,
It is the confusion I first felt in my life.
…"
Ye Zitong sat at the bar, her position allowing her to clearly see Lu Chen on stage.
She couldn't help but stare at his face, which was still not very familiar to her—clean and handsome, with thick and even eyebrows and a straight nose. But what impressed her most were his bright, expressive eyes.
The deep, dark gaze seemed to hold countless secrets, making one feel an irresistible urge to explore them.
Suddenly, Ye Zitong's face turned red, feeling a bit hot.
Because Lu Chen's gaze had turned her way as if he was singing just for her!
"…
When time,
And beauty,
Have turned into sighs of the dust of the wind.
In your sorrowful eyes,
There are tears from the past,
Believing in the age of love,
The songs I couldn't sing for you,
Let me often reminisce about my life!"
With a gentle strum of the last note, the song came to an end.
Lu Chen withdrew his gaze, resting his guitar on his lap. He spoke into the microphone, "This was a nostalgic love song, also my original work. I hope you all enjoy it."
Applause erupted, as expected— long-lasting and enthusiastic, pure and sincere!
Both in melody and style, this song, 'Dust in the Wind', didn't surpass 'My Old Classmate' and 'Cinderella', remaining a nostalgic folk song. Yet, it still brought a lot of surprises to everyone.
Many talented vagabond singers often find themselves in a rut after creating a couple of masterpieces. Their subsequent works lose their spiritual energy and soul, with some even becoming satisfied with the fame and profits from their earlier works, chasing after superficial things.
Lu Chen was clearly not like that. His inspiration seemed endless, and the works he continuously created were all considered masterpieces, even classics. Whether in lyrics or composition, there was no sign of negligence.
Even if this song, 'Dust in the Wind', wasn't any better than his others, it was still enough!
When love becomes a song, when the singer leaves, and as the past gradually drifts away, who among the hurried passersby can forget this touching love song?
So at this moment, all they needed to do was applaud.
Zuo Xingtian was also clapping, her small palms turning red. She leaned close to Ye Zitong's ear and said, "Ye Zi, Senior Lu Chen sang for you, so just give in!"
Ye Zitong bit her lip and playfully pinched the little girl, scolding, "If you like him, take him away. Don't drag me into this!"
Today, Zuo Xingtian has made so many jokes about Lu Chen, as if she were trying to steal the role of a matchmaker.
Zuo Xingtian laughed, "If you really take him away, don't regret it!"
Ye Zitong huffed, saying, "There are plenty of people who want to chase after me!"
Zuo Xingtian commented, "You're not being sincere!"
Ye Zitong had nothing to say.
At this moment on stage, Lu Chen did not respond to the enthusiastic requests of the customers to sing a few more songs and instead thanked them and stepped down.
Lu Chen really enjoyed the atmosphere at the Daylily bar, but it was merely a stopover in his life, destined not to linger, with time only becoming increasingly scarce in the future.
After returning the guitar to the Wandering Band, Lu Chen went back to the bar.
Zuo Xingtian praised, "Lu Chen, you sang so well! Why not sing a few more songs?"
Lu Chen explained, "Three songs are enough. I have to protect my voice. What do you want to drink? It's on me."
Zuo Xingtian was about to agree when Ye Zitong said, "Thank you, Senior, but I want to go back."
Zuo Xingtian was surprised, "Ye Zi, really?"
Lu Chen was also taken aback, then said, "That's fine. I'll take you back together."
Ye Zitong smiled and nodded.
Zuo Xingtian was not happy at all, but she couldn't stay here alone, so she reluctantly followed them as they left.
Lu Chen first took them back to Jing Shi University.
After getting out of the car, Ye Zitong said to him, "Senior, I'm really sorry for bothering you today. Thank you."
Suddenly, she became much more polite to Lu Chen.
Lu Chen smiled and said, "No need to be polite. If you have any problems with the computer, you can contact me anytime."
Ye Zitong replied, "Okay."
Zuo Xingtian glanced at Ye Zitong and then at Lu Chen, looking puzzled.
Lu Chen waved at her, saying, "Goodbye."
After Lu Chen left in a taxi, Ye Zitong and Zuo Xingtian walked toward the university.
Zuo Xingtian hesitated, and when they were close to the dormitory building, she cautiously asked, "Ye Zi, are you angry?"
Ye Zitong smiled and said, "No, I'm just thinking about how to deal with you later!"
"Ha!"
Zuo Xingtian scoffed, "Talking tough now, but when it comes to the bed, who will handle who is still unknown!"
The two girls' crisp laughter and playful banter echoed far across the night campus.
Unfortunately, Lu Chen could not hear it.
He returned to his single apartment in Jincheng Garden, took a shower, and then logged into 'Whale TV'.
Just as he was about to enter the Live Streaming room, his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the name on the screen, Lu Chen quickly picked up the phone and pressed the call button.
"Sister?"
The caller was his sister, Lu Xi.
Lu Xi was a third-year university student, one year older than Lu Chen. She also graduated from Jianghai University, making them alumnus, but she majored in finance and had graduated two years ago. She was currently working in a private company.
"Lu Chen, I heard from Mom that you're doing really well now?"
Lu Xi's voice was still familiar, still teasing: "Did you really send thirty thousand back home?"
"Cough Cough!"
Lu Chen coughed a couple of times and replied, "I was just lucky and sold a couple of songs for a good price."
"Such a promising and profitable venture, then you should focus on it!"
Lu Xi said, "Don't worry about me; I'm not planning to take the postgraduate entrance exam. Just take care of yourself!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she hung up the phone.
Lu Chen listened to the busy tone coming from the phone, feeling a wry smile creep across his face.
Lu Xi had a tough temperament, inheriting their parents' strength and stubbornness, and their relationship wasn't very good.
Before their younger sister, Lu Xue, was born, Lu Chen, being the only son, had always been the most favored child at home. This had inevitably developed a little arrogance and capriciousness typical of a spoiled rich kid.
When Lu Qingsheng faced difficulties in his career, Lu Chen was still indulging in the pleasures of university life, indifferent to the family situation and only knowing how to ask for money, until his father passed away from overwork, awakening him to reality.
Although the circumstances at that time made it impossible for Lu Chen to be diligent and hardworking, Lu Xi insisted that if it weren't for the desire to provide for Lu Chen a future with endless opportunities, Lu Qingsheng wouldn't have worked so hard.
After that, the siblings hardly spoke to each other. Lu Chen felt guilty, so after making some money, he wanted to help her return to school and continue her postgraduate studies, fulfilling her dreams.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xi didn't appreciate his intentions and even called to mock him.
Lu Chen closed the computer he had just opened.
Because of this phone call, his mood was not great, and it was difficult for him to force a smile in front of the camera.
Tomorrow night was the PK theme show on 'Whale TV', and Lu Chen had prepared carefully for a long time. He didn't want to compete with others while feeling down.
Lu Chen's goal was to secure a spot in the Top 3 of the PK theme show!
This seemed unbelievable, considering that his Live Streaming room had the fewest followers among all 24 competing hosts, and his popularity was far from that of truly popular streamers.
But Lu Chen did not believe he had no chance of touching the Top 3; he firmly believed that his efforts would bring success.
He would definitely succeed!
''(End of Chapter)''
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