1
"Zhou Xiaoning has won the first prize in the 18th 'Rainbow Cup' Composition Competition at Beicheng Conservatory of Music, congratulations!"
"That's amazing, the first prize! I wonder what kind of composition it is."
"You'll find out soon. I heard that the judges this time include not only the academy professors but also Jiang Ming, the senior who just returned from abroad."
I heard my roommates discussing Jiang Ming as I came out of the bathroom.
I was already familiar with him.
It was because Xu Yicheng fell in love with Jiang Ming's compositions that he decided to apply to the conservatory.
And I, who had grown up with him as a childhood friend, had liked him for... many years, so I followed him here.
Just now, Xu Yicheng had messaged me saying he had met his idol.
"No wonder so much fuss was made, even the TV station is here."
I dried my hands quickly and joined my roommates to watch.
One of them used sign language to tell me the winner of the first prize, but before she could say what the piece was, the familiar melody already filled my ears.
As soon as the music started, they suddenly widened their eyes and looked at me.
I didn't even have time to change my shoes before I rushed to the auditorium.
By the time I realized what had happened, I was already on stage, and the piece had just finished playing.
I was panting heavily and gasped, "Ah, ah, ah..."
I forgot that I was mute.
When Zhou Xiaoning on stage saw me, her eyes briefly flashed with panic, but then she smirked at me after hearing my desperate "ah ah ah" sound.
A teacher on stage quickly reacted and rushed to push me off, saying, "Student, we're in the middle of an award ceremony, please step down."
I pushed him away, pointing at Zhou Xiaoning and then at myself.
Finally, in a panic, I used sign language to say, "This composition is mine. She stole my music!"
But he didn't understand.
Soon, someone in the audience called out, "Song Mi! Come down!"
My eyes lit up, and I waved at him.
"Xu Yicheng! Come help me!"
I gestured desperately.
He walked toward me with a dark look and roughly pulled me off the stage.
I grabbed his hand and tried to go back up, frantically making "ah ah ah" sounds.
But he ignored me and dragged me to a corner, shaking my hand off and shouting at me,
"Have you had enough?"
I looked at him in confusion, tugging at his sleeve, and my eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Almost pleading, I signed, "Xu Yicheng, she stole my music. Help me, tell them the truth, please?"
Before I could finish the last gesture, he slapped my hand down.
"You're mute, you can't even sing, so what's the big deal if you let Zhou Xiaoning have the music?
"Why are you being so petty? Just write another piece if you want."
2
A piece of music may not be much to me, but it was my composition, written for him.
I had planned to play it for him when I confessed next week.
Because he once said, "If someone writes a song specifically for me, I'd think it's very romantic."
I remembered it for a long time, even though I had no talent for composing music.
It was just like how I didn't really like music, yet I still chose the music conservatory for him.
Even though... I was mute.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, burning on the back of my hand, and I shrank back.
In disbelief, I looked at him. "You knew?"
He impatiently replied, "What if I knew? It's just a song. Why do you care so much? Song Mi.
"Today's competition is really important to her. It's about a scholarship, and she worked really hard. She's a determined girl."
"You want to humiliate her in front of everyone?"
"Do you want her to be known as someone who stole others' compositions for the rest of her life?"
I cautiously tugged at his sleeve again. "But it's my song, I spent a month writing it.
"You know that, even when I had a fever of 39° during the flu, I still forced myself to write. It's my song for you."
He wasn't surprised, nor was he moved, just waving his hand casually. "Fine, I'll make her apologize to you later."
"I don't want that!" I signed aggressively.
I grabbed his hand and tried to drag him back.
Along the way, he tried to comfort me, but when I didn't listen, he shouted at me again.
"Song Mi! Enough already! You're mute, do you know that? So what if it's your song? Who would believe a mute could write something like that?"
I suddenly released his hand.
When did he become like this?
3
A tall, slender man walked toward us, stopping in front of me.
He gave Xu Yicheng a brief glance, then smiled warmly at me. "I believe you wrote it."
Xu Yicheng gaped, "Senior Jiang Ming—"
"I understand sign language, let me translate for you." He gently took my hand and led me toward the stage.
Xu Yicheng suddenly rushed in front of us, "Senior, you're mistaken, that's Zhou Xiaoning's composition, not hers.
"She's a music therapy major, she doesn't even know how to compose music."
"Song Mi, stop making a scene. I shouldn't have shouted at you earlier. Come on, let's go back."
"You've always wanted to go to that cat café in the west suburbs, right? I'll take you there, we can go now."
I tapped Jiang Ming's hand, signaling him to let go of me.
He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow as if asking if I really wanted to go with him.
I didn't respond, but firmly signed to Xu Yicheng, "I'm not causing trouble. It's my song, it's mine. If she wants to win, she should use her own music."
I turned and led Jiang Ming up onto the stage.
Xu Yicheng shouted behind us several times, his voice getting more desperate, "Song Mi, if you go up there, I won't ever speak to you again!"
Jiang Ming tightened his grip on my hand, holding it firmly, as if afraid I'd run away.
But I wasn't going anywhere, my steps grew more determined, and soon I was standing on the stage.
Only then did I realize that everyone in the audience was watching us.
Someone handed Jiang Ming a microphone.
"There was a little incident just now, and I think it's necessary to pause the award ceremony.
"This student just claimed that the first prize composition, Zhou Xiaoning's 'Heart Light,' was stolen from her."
The audience instantly buzzed with murmurs.
"Impossible! Zhou Xiaoning is the most talented in our composition department, she wouldn't stoop to stealing someone else's music."
"Yeah, she was even still proofreading the score the other day, I saw it with my own eyes, it's definitely her composition."
"And Zhou Xiaoning even said it was a song she wrote for someone she liked."
"How could it possibly be stolen? Could it be that the person she likes is also stolen?"
Zhou Xiaoning suddenly grabbed the microphone, crying to Jiang Ming, "Senior Jiang Ming, I know you're very famous, but you can't just accuse me of stealing when you see my composition is better than yours."
Jiang Ming seemed to sneer softly, and his deep, magnetic voice echoed in my ears for a long time.
For some reason, I thought he was really cool.
4
"Yeah, just now when Jiang Ming was giving his review, he even said this piece was better than his own, with more soul."
"Now he's saying Zhou Xiaoning stole it? Isn't that contradicting himself?"
Jiang Ming turned his head and silently asked me if I wanted to continue.
I nodded.
Why not?
"I, Jiang Ming, never get jealous when someone's composition is better than mine.
"On the contrary, I admire it. But if the piece was plagiarized or stolen, no matter how good it is, it's still garbage."
"Now the original author is standing here with me, and she is—"
"What's your name?"
He lowered the microphone and whispered to me.
I signed my name and major.
"She's Song Mi, a second-year student majoring in music therapy, and she is the composer of 'Heart Light.'"
The audience immediately erupted into whispers.
"What? A mute can compose music? Are you kidding?"
"Is Jiang Ming playing tricks here?"
"How can a music therapy student compose such a good piece? If this is true, doesn't it put the composition department to shame?"
Facing all the doubt, my heart skipped a beat, and my face turned red.
I looked up and saw their mouths moving, but it was like when I was a kid, and the teacher called me up to speak in front of the class.
I opened my mouth but couldn't make a sound.
They mocked me, telling me to get off the stage, asking why I, a mute, was even giving a speech, why I, someone with a disability, didn't go to a school for disabled people.
That day, Xu Yicheng had rushed onto the stage, holding my hand tightly, saying, "Don't be afraid, Mi Mi, you're not disabled, I'll protect you."
I instinctively scanned the crowd, searching for Xu Yicheng.
A terrifying thought crossed my mind.
If he came up now, I would immediately step down and not say the song was mine.
But after scanning the crowd, I realized he was standing in the audience, watching me coldly.
His eyes seemed to say: "See? This is what happens when you don't listen to me."
I quickly lowered my head, tears welling up in my eyes, hot and humid.
I wanted to cover my head and run away. My steps shifted slightly when Jiang Ming immediately grabbed my hand.
"Don't be scared, I'm here.
"Keep going, I'm your voice."
5
I slowly began to calm down, and I started to explain the process of composing the piece.
I even shared the original inspiration behind it.
For some reason, Jiang Ming's voice sounded a bit stiff as he translated this part, somewhat reluctant.
I was confused as I looked at him, but he simply raised an eyebrow, signaling me to continue.
The more Zhou Xiaoning heard, the paler her face became.
More and more people began to side with me because I explained the details so clearly—such as how a particular chord was originally one way, and after going through certain emotional changes, I altered it.
Zhou Xiaoning had no idea about these changes.
"So, is it true that Song Mi really composed this piece?"
"Did Zhou Xiaoning really steal her music? Oh my god, this is insane!"
"Insane? Are you stupid? She's a thief, stealing in broad daylight!"
Jiang Ming, after reading my last piece of sign language, spoke calmly into the microphone: "Song Mi demands an apology from Zhou Xiaoning and wants the rights to her composition returned. She also wants her to withdraw from the competition."
Zhou Xiaoning still stubbornly glared at us. "I didn't, I didn't steal her composition. This piece is mine."
She cried as if she were in deep distress, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.
The school officials finally couldn't sit still and said, "Since it's unclear who composed it, let's settle this with evidence. Let's see the original drafts."
I tugged at Jiang Ming's arm. "It's in my dorm, my draft is in the dorm."
He reassured me, "Okay, I'll go with you to get it."
But before Jiang Ming could speak, Xu Yicheng had already appeared in the crowd, handing a pile of papers to Zhou Xiaoning.
"This is my original draft. When I composed this piece, the person I liked—Xu Yicheng—was right there beside me. He can testify."
The papers waved in her hand, and I clearly saw the handwriting on them.
It was Zhou Xiaoning's.
Xu Yicheng didn't dare look at me; his eyes were fixed on Zhou Xiaoning.
"Why?" I called out loudly, though I couldn't speak. Xu Yicheng knew what I was asking.
He turned his gaze away.
I had trusted him so much, and I had shown him my original draft.
There could only be one explanation: he had taken a photo of my draft and sent it to Zhou Xiaoning.
Zhou Xiaoning had stolen everything from the beginning.
This entire plan to steal my music had been carefully premeditated.
6
The music theft scandal ended with me being jealous of Zhou Xiaoning's talent.
Jiang Ming looked at me, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Xu Yicheng came with Zhou Xiaoning to find me.
They called it an apology, but it was really just flaunting.
Zhou Xiaoning still acted pitiful, wanting to hold my hand. I pulled away, saying, "Ah!"
Jiang Ming furrowed his brow and coldly warned her, "She said don't touch her."
Her hand, which had been trembling, finally withdrew. Xu Yicheng stepped in front of her with a displeased expression and said, "Mi Mi, don't push things too far. Xiaoning has already decided to apologize, what more do you want?"
"Apologize? If she kneels and begs me, I still won't forgive her."
I stared coldly at Xu Yicheng, smirking at him sarcastically. "From now on, we're cutting all ties.
"Don't worry, I'll find evidence to prove this song was composed by me, and she won't get away with it either."
Everyone says a mute eats bitter melon—there's no way to express the pain.
Though I, Song Mi, am mute, I will never suffer in silence.
And I will not let anyone force bitterness on me.
The truth is, I was not always mute when I was young.
I could speak.
But after an accident, I lost my ability to speak.
Or perhaps I was just sick.
7
When I was 8 years old, Jiang Ming and I were playing in the park and we encountered some human traffickers.
They targeted Jiang Ming, and without a word, grabbed him and ran. I chased after them, screaming for help.
Eventually, they caught me too. Yes, I was foolish.
We were taken to a half-finished residential building.
No one was coming to save us.
They considered me a worthless girl and didn't tie me up properly, leaving the ropes loose.
I quickly managed to cut through the rope with broken glass.
When the traffickers went out to buy food, I rushed to save Xu Yicheng.
But as soon as we got to the stairs, we were caught.
Xu Yicheng fell when he was descending the stairs, too scared to move, and I had to drag him along.
He urged me to go ahead, but I refused.
The traffickers chased us relentlessly, and we ran across the street.
In the chaos, the traffickers crashed into a car and were thrown into the air, one of them landing right in front of me.
I screamed, but Xu Yicheng, though terrified, covered my eyes tightly.
"Mi Mi, I'm here."
From that moment on, I could no longer speak.
Xu Yicheng knew everything that happened, and in truth, he was partially responsible for my illness.
His parents used to say that our family was a lifelong benefactor to theirs.
But he repaid kindness with betrayal.
8
Xu Yicheng clearly didn't expect me to say that. His face turned ugly.
"Song Mi, you've always had everything you wanted. We all had to pamper and indulge you, but Xiaoning is different. She has sick parents and a younger brother in high school. She really needs this scholarship. Our family is rich enough, so why can't we help her?"
"I thought you were still as kind as before, but now I see you can't tolerate her."
I was so angry as a mute, I almost shouted.
Are these words even coming from a human being?
"You want to be the good guy, but why take my things to offer your kindness? Have you asked for my opinion?"
Xu Yicheng suddenly laughed, looking nonchalant. "Didn't you say? This song is a gift for me.
"Since it's for me, I took it early. Giving it to someone else is also my choice."
"You like me, don't you? If you really like me, you shouldn't care about something so small. Then your love really is cheap."
I slapped him angrily.
But the moment my hand hit, my tears also fell.
So he knew.
He knew how much I liked him.
He knew how much effort I put into composing this song for him.
But he boldly gave it to someone else.
Back in high school, he was very popular, and I was envious.
So I would occasionally have cold wars with him, and he'd always come to make up for it.
He'd hold my hand and say, "I like Mi Mi the most."
I was naïve and innocent, believing everything he said.
I foolishly loved him for years.
But today, this incident made me realize that my love all these years was a joke.
Zhou Xiaoning pitifully walked over to hold his face and said to me, "I don't want your song. Why do you have to hit Yicheng?"
"Want? Did I say I'd give it to you? Thief!"
Jiang Ming looked at me as I signed, and just as his hand reached for mine,
I pulled away and charged toward Zhou Xiaoning, slapping her as well.
Then I said, in words I had never used before since learning sign language:
"Scumbag man, slutty woman."
9
On the way back to the dorm, Jiang Ming kept a distance behind me, neither too far nor too close.
His presence was overwhelming, and I couldn't ignore it, especially his intense gaze.
Just as I reached the stairs, I impatiently turned to tell him to stop following me.
I was feeling so exhausted and disheveled.
I had already thanked him, and he accepted it, but he still insisted on following me.
"Can you stop—"
I lowered my hands when he offered me some candy.
"Want some candy?"
In the end, we sat down on the tree-lined path under the dorm building.
The candy in my mouth should have been sweet.
But it felt bitter in my heart.
He silently handed me a tissue.
Just as I was about to sign, he smiled and said, "I know what you want to say. First, wipe your tears."
After I wiped my face, my eyes were swollen and looked like walnuts.
"Sorry."
His sudden apology caught me off guard.
I hurriedly waved my hands in confusion.
Why was he apologizing to me? I was the one who almost lost my temper with him. I should be apologizing.
He gently pressed my hands down.
His deep voice suddenly sounded weary. "I thought that was you..."
When I stared at him in confusion, his voice grew louder.
"I almost made a thief into a hero, and you—my poor friend—suffered unfairly. I should apologize."
I shook my head.
He didn't know the full story, so I couldn't blame him.
But somehow, it gave me a small sense of comfort.
"Does this mean you really think my song is good?"
He paused, then laughed softly and nodded.
"It's very soulful and emotional. I'm almost ashamed."
His praise, without reservation, made my face feel warm.
I looked away and asked, "How did you believe me, though? After all..."
After all, no one else believed that I composed the song.
"If I say it's intuition, would you believe me?"
10
Before leaving, Jiang Ming asked for my contact information and said he'd make sure the school continued to investigate this matter to give me justice.
I sincerely thanked him and promised to treat him to a meal if he succeeded.
After all, he was the only one who stood up for me and believed in me.
He's so well-known, and he didn't have to step in, but he did it for someone he barely knew.
He's really a good person.
When I returned to the dorm, my roommates immediately grabbed me to ask what happened.
The live broadcast had cut off when I stormed onto the stage.
Now, the posts on the campus forum were all bashing me.
They asked a dozen questions all at once.
"I have no evidence to prove myself."
It was almost laughable—victims having to prove their innocence.
Lin Ling started digging through my things, angrily pulling out my drafts. "Here's the original! Take it!"
I shook my head. "It's useless. Xu Yicheng already gave it to her."
Before they could start complaining, a girl knocked on our door.
"Xu Yicheng is downstairs looking for you."
"Tell him to go away!"
Lin Ling cursed as she closed the door.
I was utterly exhausted.
I had already blocked Xu Yicheng's number.
He probably realized I was serious and wanted to make amends.
But I didn't expect that he would go so far as to contact my parents.
My mom video-called me, asking if Xu Yicheng and I had fought.
I nodded and shook my head, feeling completely defeated.
"Did he bully you?"
My mom raised her voice suddenly, and I cried, but I didn't answer.
She finally couldn't take it and comforted me for a long time before saying, "Mi Mi, you're grown up now. You have to make your own judgments and not worry about too much. Mom and Dad will always stand by you."
I wasn't sure what Xu Yicheng had told my parents, but I had thought they would scold me harshly. After all, both families had been planning for our marriage, and the cooperation between the companies had already started to take shape.
I didn't want to disrupt that balance.
Our family's company had relied on Xu Yicheng's family since high school.
So everyone assumed that I would marry him one day.
But now, I didn't want to. I didn't want to see him again.
11
Suddenly, my phone received a notification.
I opened the app called "Composer."
I had stumbled upon this app while browsing a forum. Later, I found it to be quite useful and even found a mentor there.
All I knew about him was that he was a very capable composer, but I didn't know his gender or age. He only had the nickname "K," and even his avatar was blank.
But he was very patient, and he would answer any question I asked.
Of course, he never reached out to me first.
But today, he took the initiative to send me a message.
[Are you there?]
Normally, when he would reply, I'd get all energetic and send him a bunch of stickers, chatting away.
But today, I wasn't in the mood, so I just replied with a question mark.
He replied instantly: [Not happy? What happened?]
After thinking for a moment, I decided to tell him about what happened today.
He didn't respond immediately.
I guessed he was probably thinking I was foolish, liking such a scumbag.
After all, when I first discussed the piece with him, he had asked what the meaning of the song was and why I wanted to compose it.
At that time, my feelings for Xu Yicheng were only growing stronger, and I was happy just imagining him being moved by receiving my composition.
K had said then, with disdain: [He won't be moved by just a song. I think you're going to waste your effort and end up looking like a fool.]
As it turned out, he was absolutely right. I quickly typed: [Master, you were right. He really is a scumbag, and I'm the fool!]
Admitting I was a fool felt so painful, and I started crying again.
But the next second, a bunch of photos suddenly appeared in the chat.
They were all screenshots of our previous conversations, along with audio demos.
The dates on them were even earlier than the ones Zhou Xiaoning had submitted, by a whole month.
[I just spent some time restoring the chat history. This should help you.]
[!]
I immediately video-called Jiang Ming.
He picked up right away.
"What's up?"
"Senior, I have evidence."
12
I held my phone and rushed downstairs.
But just as I reached the bottom, I bumped into Xu Yicheng, who had been waiting there.
He was leaning against a tree, and when he saw me coming, he took two or three steps and was right in front of me.
"Mi Mi, stop making a scene, okay?"
I kept my face stiff and ignored him, trying to walk around him.
But he grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go.
"Mi Mi, how can you be so petty over something so small? We'll be a family in the future, how are we supposed to live like this?"
"Did you ever treat me like family?"
I asked him back.
His face darkened.
"Didn't I? Since the moment you lost your voice, I've always been lenient with you. I've done everything for you, and this is the one thing I didn't? How much more do you want from me?"
"If you're here to apologize, I'll accept it. If you're here to disgust me, then you can leave now."
I didn't even bother signing, just pushed him aside and pointed to the door, signaling him to leave.
He understood because that's how I treated people I didn't like.
He stumbled a bit from the push.
"Song Mi, have I spoiled you too much? Is this really necessary?"
He grabbed my hand again, not letting me leave.
I shouted, "Ah!!!"
"Get off!" I impatiently shook him off, and finally, he lost his patience.
"Song Mi, I hope you won't regret this. From now on, if you ask me for something, I won't even look at you."
"I'd be happy if you don't."
I signed and ran off without looking back.
13
When I showed Jiang Ming the evidence, he didn't show much emotion.
It seemed like he had expected this.
I followed him as we handed in the evidence material.
Then, together, we examined Zhou Xiaoning's original draft and compared it.
Finally, we found the evidence in several measures.
Xu Yicheng had probably been eager to hand it over to her, so there were several measures recorded with my original, unedited version.
Meanwhile, my chat history with K contained detailed revision records, proving that I was the original composer.
When my roommates found out that I had found the evidence, they immediately posted it on the forum.
Jiang Ming even shared it with his real name.
Soon, everyone who had supported Zhou Xiaoning was now standing up for me.
"So Zhou Xiaoning is just a song thief, how shameless."
"Quite abstract, this one."
"Zhou Sis: Thief package."
"Am I the only one who feels sorry for Song Mi? She can't even speak, sob sob."
"Yeah, I was at the scene yesterday. She could only use sign language. It was only thanks to Jiang Ming that she had a chance to speak out. My heart hurts for her."
"Sob sob sob, support Song Mi in protecting her rights, Zhou Xiaoning, come out and apologize!"
"Solve it, Song Mi. Zhou Xiaoning, come out and apologize."
...
Seeing me sigh as I read through the comments, Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow.
"Does this prove you're not happy?"
Actually, I wasn't really upset, just feeling that kindness and malice were both so easily thrown around in this world.
People can become fierce with just a word, or kind with a word.
I shook my head.
He suddenly leaned in and touched my forehead with his palm.
I was startled by the unexpected physical contact and quickly took a step back.
His hand stayed suspended in midair, then he chuckled softly: "Sorry, I thought your face looked a little off."
"It's fine, thank you, Senior. Can my song be withdrawn from the competition now?"
Jiang Ming nodded.
"Yes, we'll cancel Zhou Xiaoning's ranking, and she won't be allowed to compete again. She also won't receive the scholarship."
I nodded. As long as my song was returned, that was all that mattered.
By the time we left the teaching building, it was already dark.
He was following me again.
But this time, I didn't feel irritated, just a bit uneasy.
I always felt like he was being overly familiar with me.
Even though it was the first time we met, it felt like he had known me for a long time.
14
"Everything's settled."
I nodded.
He leaned in closer, his face suddenly getting very close. I was startled and took several steps back. He reached out and grabbed me.
"When are you going to treat me to a meal, junior?"
Oh, so that's what it was. After his behavior earlier, I thought... maybe he wanted to kiss me or something.
I was startled by my own thoughts and quickly backed away, grabbing my phone and picking a random restaurant.
"How about this place? I heard it's really good."
Jiang Ming stared at my phone from frowning to holding back a smile.
"You're taking me to a foot massage restaurant for dinner?"
I gasped, grabbed my phone, and took a look.
Oh my god.
I had clicked on a coconut chicken place, but it somehow turned into a foot massage parlor!
My face turned red as I quickly fixed it and returned to the coconut chicken place, carefully showing it to him.
He finally nodded.
"Alright, let's go now?"
Could I really say no?
Jiang Ming was already in his senior year, but it seemed he already had his own studio, so he wasn't living on campus anymore.
He had just returned to China today to be a judge for the competition, but didn't expect to get caught up in all of this.
So, once we got into the car, he said, "Good thing you're treating me to a meal, I've been starving all day. If I get any hungrier, I'll be at risk of hypoglycemia."
When I heard that, I froze and quickly pushed my phone to him.
"Let's call a cab, what if you faint while driving?"
He looked at me with a helpless smile.
"I won't, silly. Just sit tight."
He pushed me back into the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt for me.
The evening went really well.
Even though I couldn't speak, we communicated smoothly.
At first, I typed on my phone to communicate with him, but when he saw me doing that, he frowned.
"I can understand sign language, no need to go through all this trouble."
I awkwardly started using sign language instead.
And then I realized—whenever I stopped eating, he would patiently look up at me.
Every sentence I signed, he would pay close attention and never show impatience.
But Xu Yicheng was never like that.
He really didn't like to eat out in public with me, or even eat with me at all.
Because he felt embarrassed that I couldn't speak, and he thought no one would like being seen with a mute person.
So every time we went out to eat, he would say, "Don't use sign language, use your phone to type for me. I don't want anyone to know I'm out with someone who can't speak."
To meet his wishes, I would always go along with it. Over time, I stopped using sign language in public settings.
But today, Jiang Ming said, "This is the way you speak, and no one should stop you from speaking."
15
That evening, when Jiang Ming dropped me off, I bumped into Xu Yicheng again downstairs.
He looked exhausted. When he saw me, his eyes lit up.
But when he noticed Jiang Ming standing next to me, the expression in his eyes turned to anger.
"You blocked me just to have dinner with him?
"I even considered him a senior and an idol, but it turns out he's just someone who likes to steal other people's partners—just a third party!"
He pointed at Jiang Ming and started shouting.
Hearing his words made me angry, but I couldn't shout back.
I could only push him away. "What are you barking about!" I was so upset that my fingers were nearly shaking.
"Am I wrong? No wonder he'd help you, you two have probably already been together behind my back, right?"
"Song Mi, I really underestimated you."
I had already stopped being angry, but he kept coming up to me with his sarcastic tone.
Now he was even accusing the person who had helped me. I couldn't take it anymore.
Just as I was about to sign again, Jiang Ming pulled me behind him.
"Sorry, but this student and I are just friends. From what I know, you and she aren't in a relationship either, so there's no such thing as a 'third party' here."
"And by the way, I just met Song Mi today. We didn't 'get together' like you're claiming."
"Lastly, you... you're just really pathetic."
"You—"
Xu Yicheng was stunned by his words, and turned to look at me, but I turned my head and refused to look at him.
Using a song to see someone for who they truly are—it was worth it.
It seemed my words really struck a nerve with him. He was shaking with anger, his voice trembling.
"Fine, Song Mi, good for you. I came here today to tell you something—Zhou Xiaoning and I are together now. You've lost your chance. Even if your parents beg me to marry you, I won't."
My heart trembled, and my nails dug into my palm. I knew he was a scumbag, but I still felt hurt.
I waved my hand at him. "Whatever."
He was pitiful, really. So pitiful that I couldn't even bring myself to say anything to him.
But I also pitied myself for loving such a terrible person.
After that day, Zhou Xiaoning managed to clear her name as Xu Yicheng's girlfriend.
They were extremely affectionate and even made it to the campus couple rankings.
I didn't care about that anymore, because a scumbag belongs with a thief—what else could it be?
Even though my parents kept hinting at me about what happened between Xu Yicheng and me,
I avoided the subject because there was no need. My mom never liked him anyway.
Half of the reason I lost my voice was because of him.
But good times don't last long. Zhou Xiaoning's theft of songs got worse, and eventually, she stole from a teacher.
She tried to change the song so much that it was barely recognizable and entered it into a competition.
The teacher caught wind of it and immediately sent her a court summons.
Xu Yicheng tried to help her and even asked his parents to step in.
Soon, Zhou Xiaoning became more and more arrogant. She started saying that she was the daughter-in-law of the Xu family and that everyone had to give her whatever she wanted.
She tarnished both her and the Xu family's reputation.
My parents heard about it and forbade me from having any further contact with Xu Yicheng. They even stopped going to the Xu family's house.
Later, Zhou Xiaoning was exposed for having an inappropriate relationship with a mentor, and she was expelled from school.
Xu Yicheng was taken back home by his parents and reportedly sent abroad.
One day, I received a call from an unfamiliar number.
The person on the other end didn't say anything, but I knew—it was him.
I tapped the receiver with my nails.
Five short taps, one long.
This was our secret code, one he had come up with because I couldn't speak.
It was a way for us to "chat" on the phone.
I tapped the message: "Goodbye."
16
Compared to Xu Yicheng, who is gradually drifting away from me, Jiang Ming, who is getting closer and closer, has gradually been noticed by the people around me.
It all started after the coconut chicken meal.
We often ate together. Sometimes he came to the school to find me, but more often, he took me to his studio to eat.
He seemed to really appreciate my compositions.
He was never stingy with his compliments.
He even invited me to be a certified healing therapist at their studio.
Actually, there were many times when I wanted to ask him if he was K, but I held back. After all, he was similar to K in some ways but not quite the same in others.
For example, when it came to compliments, K would always say I was foolish, while Jiang Ming always said I was smart.
Until he invited me to participate in a variety show recording with him.
His stage name was clearly displayed on the screen.
Seeing my calm demeanor, he was surprised.
"You're not curious about my name at all?"
I shrugged. "I think I guessed it."
He reached out and scratched my nose.
"You're really smart."
That slight physical contact made my heart flutter.
It was an indescribable feeling.
17
Later, we recorded several episodes of the variety show, and the production team even specially provided me with a sign language interpreter.
Soon, it was time for the final episode recording. I continued to appear as Jiang Ming's assistant.
But on this day, Jiang Ming suddenly changed the script. He proposed to the host that I compose on the spot while he would write the lyrics.
I hesitated, and the viewers were confused because I had always been in the background and there were communication barriers.
Jiang Ming, however, looked at me with an encouraging expression.
Actually, I had already been composing a song but hadn't told Jiang Ming.
But it seemed like he already knew.
The song was "Voice."
"Can I really do it?" I asked him.
"You're Song Mi, you can."
He smiled at me.
Just like when he first stood in front of me and said he believed in me.
I took a deep breath and picked up the pen.
An hour later, I polished the song and handed it to Jiang Ming.
He only glanced at it, then looked at me with an approving gaze.
The viewers went crazy.
[Look, look, Jiang Ming's adoring gaze, they must be dating!]
[Upstairs, stop it, they're definitely dating.]
Jiang Ming suddenly signed to me.
"Will you sing with me?"
I widened my eyes, pointing at myself. "Me?" But I couldn't even speak.
"Yes," he nodded.
"What if I sing poorly?"
"If you sing well, will you be my girlfriend?"
He mischievously winked at me, and I froze for a moment.
Before I could think further, he suddenly grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
A long time ago, Xu Yicheng had said the same thing to me, but then he disappeared.
Now Jiang Ming said the same thing to me, and honestly, I was a little scared.
18
But reality didn't give me a chance to be afraid. He had already written the lyrics for me.
"How did you know my song?"
"You once fell asleep while composing, and I happened to see it."
"But I hadn't finished it at that time."
"I understand you."
He understood me, so he knew how my song would turn out and what kind of lyrics would be most suitable.
Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes, and he seemed a bit flustered.
"Why are you crying?"
I turned my head and wiped away the tears.
Actually, I was just really happy.
Because he said I could sing too.
Later that night, I only hummed and used sign language to sing a song with him.
Surprisingly, we became famous.
We got a CP name, "MiMi Jiang Yin."
19
Because of my unique way of singing, I gained a lot of attention. A welfare institution even invited me to give a speech at a school.
It was my second speech in life, but my mindset was very different this time. The students sitting below were the same age as my classmates back then.
But what was different was their gaze and their voices.
"Sister! We want to hear you sing!"
"Yeah, Sister, we watched the video of you singing. You're amazing!"
Some children who knew sign language also told me they wanted to sing and asked if I could teach them.
Music should not be restricted. Everyone has the right to enjoy it.
Even if they can't speak or can't hear, those who can't speak can hum, and those who can't hear can feel the rhythm of music.
Jiang Ming, as a sponsor of the welfare institution, was also sitting below, watching my speech.
When I reached the last sentence, he encouraged me with lip movements.
"Say 'good luck.'"
I signed to the children below, "Sister wants to say something, but if it sounds bad, don't laugh at me."
I swallowed hard, trying to make my voice work.
The next moment, I felt my throat slowly producing a sound. "Ji..."
"Yóu..."
Jiang Ming clapped for me.
I smiled at him.
The media reported my speech, and many parents of children found Jiang Ming's studio, asking me to help treat their children.
At first, I wasn't very confident, but gradually, I became more skilled, and I truly felt the charm of music.
My professional skills also improved, and my compositions got better and better.
Soon, graduation arrived.
One day, I went back to the school to pick up some materials.
That was when I ran into Xu Yicheng.
He was probably there to pick up his graduation certificate.
Two years had passed, and the Xu Yicheng I saw was no longer the one I had admired when I was younger.
He had neglected his studies and couldn't even sing properly.
He went abroad but ended up in the most ordinary school, and I heard it was hard to graduate.
He barely managed to pass the exams in China with a lot of connections his parents had made.
His parents even came to apologize to me.
They hoped I could persuade him or return to the way things were.
My parents politely explained everything, and they never showed their faces again.
"Mi Mi, do you think I'm really useless?"
I shook my head. "Actually, you used to be my light. I won't erase the feelings I had for you, the affection I felt, because that was real.
"I don't know when you became like this, but now, I'm actually glad you gave your song to Zhou Xiaoning.
"Otherwise, I might never have recognized who you really are.
"You weren't useless before, but now... I'm not sure."
He looked at my hand, and his eyes suddenly reddened.
"Then... could you like me again? I will try to shine."
I shook my head, just signing the word "I."
Then, a hand was placed on my shoulder. "Sorry, no, she's my girlfriend now."
Xu Yicheng stared at my face but had no right to question me.
He had known since he gave the song to Zhou Xiaoning that we had become strangers.
Jiang Ming didn't know when he had arrived, but he put his arm around my shoulder, looking at me just like when we first met.
I froze for a moment and blushed.
For the past two years, he had always been by my side but never said he liked me.
I hadn't pointed it out either because I wasn't sure if I deserved him.
But now, he was saying I was his girlfriend.
It felt like fireworks exploded in my mind.
For a moment, I didn't even notice when Xu Yicheng had left.
20
"Why did you say that just now?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Can't you tell?"
I shook my head.
He sighed. "Forget it, I'll wait a bit longer."
I thought Xu Yicheng wouldn't come after me anymore.
But unexpectedly, he bought internet trolls to attack Jiang Ming's studio online.
He even attacked our relationship.
Many netizens said I wasn't worthy of Jiang Ming.
Because I couldn't speak, yet I was a music therapist, which made people question Jiang Ming's studio's competence.
But Jiang Ming immediately came forward to clarify.
"She deserves it."
As soon as those words came out, netizens dug up the video of us singing.
In the video, I looked happy, and so did Jiang Ming.
I hesitated about whether to find him, but he was already standing in front of me.
"Still don't understand, Mi Mi?"
He signed "I love you" to me.
I replied with my voice, "I... love... you."
21
Actually, I kind of despise myself for agreeing to be with him and going to a hotel on our first night together.
And we were caught by paparazzi.
But we stayed in separate rooms.
He said he couldn't act like an animal.
I laughed at him for being falsely modest.
Then, in the middle of the night, Xu Yicheng arrived.
He was knocking on my door like crazy.
"Song Mi! Mi Mi! Open the door!"
I had no intention of responding, but he knocked even harder until suddenly I heard a commotion outside the door.
I secretly peeked through the peephole, and it was Jiang Ming.
He was wearing a bathrobe and fighting with Xu Yicheng at the door.
Almost instantly, I opened the door.
I found Xu Yicheng, reeking of alcohol.
I hurriedly shielded Jiang Ming behind me like a hen protecting its chicks.
Xu Yicheng's eyes flashed with hurt.
"Mi Mi? Have you really fallen for him?"
"You don't need to care!" I mouthed silently to him.
"He's been deliberately getting close to you. Think about it, why did he step up to help you in the first place? It was because he had his eye on you from the start."
Jiang Ming suddenly sneered, "You're right, I've had my eye on her from the start. So what?"
Xu Yicheng suddenly grabbed his collar, trying to hit him, but Jiang Ming held him back.
"I take action, unlike you, who only bullies her.
"And do absurd things that only scum would do."
With that, he threw him aside.
Then, he pulled me into the room.
It took me a while to realize, "You knew the composer above was me, so you went after me? You're scheming with me!"
I angrily punched his chest!
But he grabbed my hand, holding it in his palm.
"Well, you're so slow to catch on. I've liked you for a long time."
"I'll report you for kidnapping a disabled person!"
Outside, Xu Yicheng was still knocking non-stop.
Jiang Ming, pulling me towards the bed, picked up the phone to call security but suddenly leaned in and kissed me on the lips.
"Can I have a reward?"
I didn't have time to dodge, and I gave him a reproachful glance.
"Already kissed me, and you're still asking?" I silently accused him, but he swallowed all my protests.
After a while, he gently held my swollen lips and asked, "Baby, how about we pretend to be deaf tonight?"
"Just pretend to be deaf, not mute."
22
Jiang Ming's Perspective:
There was a time when I couldn't compose music. They always called me a genius composer.
To live up to their expectations, I had no choice but to keep writing music non-stop every day.
But the more anxious I got, the worse my compositions turned out.
I locked myself in my room and didn't come out all day.
My parents were so worried that they would secretly open my door every half hour to check on me.
I was fed up with it. This "genius" label was just forcing me to create for them.
I wasn't a genius at all; it was a title they gave me, a supreme honor that was suffocating me.
Until one day, I found a music composition software recommended on the web.
Driven by curiosity, I downloaded it.
Actually, I just wanted to find people who were facing the same situation as me.
But I didn't expect to meet someone special.
She said she couldn't speak, but the person she liked loved singing.
He loved music, so she tried to like it too.
At first, when I read her words, I was almost laughing in anger. "Tried to like it?"
Anything given a purpose loses its purity. I even thought she shouldn't be insulting music.
Even if she couldn't speak.
But then she said she really started to like music.
She once chose music therapy as her major because she liked someone, but when composing, she realized music could actually heal herself.
She said:
"Turns out music is so interesting, too bad I can't sing."
"Although I'm not good at composing, I want to try. I'm starting to like music."
I thought she was kind of interesting, so I purposely sent her some links about music composition knowledge.
She indeed came looking for me and said she wanted to learn from me.
At first, I was just observing her, wondering when she would give up. After all, I myself loved music so much.
Now, I was on the verge of giving up.
But unexpectedly, she really started composing, and she always sent her work to me for proofreading and corrections.
Gradually, I started looking forward to her visits.
And slowly, I began to get back to my old self.
I couldn't wait to meet her, but I was afraid she would think I was being too forward.
So I held back. I really wanted to compliment her, but I was afraid she would become conceited and never come to me again.
So I always called her silly, clumsy.
But in truth, she was very smart.
Later, I finally met her and found out she could speak.
I confirmed it several times; that song was indeed hers.
But it didn't seem like hers.
In the end, I still complimented her.
And I prepared myself to stop contacting her.
But soon, the version of her I had imagined appeared.
She said she was the real owner of the composition.
Almost the moment I saw her, I knew that this was truly her.