Chapter 131: Stunning

"The moon quietly climbs the little hill, one by one, the moonlight slowly and gently falls... Little wild flowers bloom by the roadside, one by one, walking on the road home, tears blurring my eyes..."

On stage, the moment the girl parted her lips, the hearts of all the audience trembled slightly.

This song was not unfamiliar to people; it was considered a relatively popular internet song, and various versions circulated online, but this was the first time everyone had heard a version like this.

The girl's voice was like silk soaked in moonlight, flowing with a clear, ethereal feeling that penetrated the lungs with every slight tremor.

The breathy sound of her tongue brushing against her teeth was like the faint sound of spring snow melting, while the tail of her notes carried a subtle hoarseness, like moonlight hidden in an old record, ground down by the years.

It was clearly a gentle and lively melody, yet inadvertently, a wisp of thin sorrow suddenly seeped out—like a drop of tear falling on a petal, plucking at people's heartstrings and evoking the softest emotions in the depths of their hearts.

At this very moment, Shi Heng, sitting in a VIP seat less than 3 meters away from Shi Yi, heard the sound of his own heart beating "thump, thump."

He had never expected to see Shi Yi perform on stage today. Even less did he expect Shi Yi's singing voice to be so ethereal and clear, reaching straight to the heart.

It was as if it were beating against the depths of his soul.

In his impression, the word "talented" had always belonged only to his little sister, Shi Xi. And this second sister had been mischievous and rebellious since childhood, having nothing to do with art, singing, dancing, or even being a girl. Apart from loving to fight and cause trouble, she had almost "no special talents."

But at this moment, Shi Heng realized that it was just his own "blindness of eyes and heart."

Shi Yi didn't have "no special talents"; it was just that he had never tried to understand her as a family member, as a brother!

He had missed so much, so much... For so many years, he had never looked at this sister properly even once!

Until now, Shi Yi stood right before him.

She stood under the spotlight, as beautiful as an angel fallen to earth, like a shining gemstone.

Yet, he could no longer reach her.

He could no longer hear her call him "brother"!

On stage, the singing flowed melodiously, and the performance continued.

The next second, Zhou Yutong appeared.

She brushed the clouds with her jade sleeves, her feet touching the moon, her dance steps as graceful as a startled swan; every turn and every glance displayed her elegance.

Immediately after, the sound of Wang Yang's guitar joined in.

Although the sound of the guitar was simple, it was warm and charming, like an old friend whispering a story in one's ear, or like a gentle breeze brushing against one's cheek, making one feel peaceful and comfortable inside.

Accompanied by Wang Yang's guitar and Zhou Yutong's dance, Shi Yi turned to face the audience, but her gaze looked vaguely into mid-air as she continued to sing:

"I hear the wind of my hometown calling me gently, I hear the stream singing a song too... Time flashes by, but my hometown hasn't changed. Dad poured me the wine he brewed, Mom brought me the warm porridge..."

Unknowingly, Shi Yi's transparent amber eyes were stained with a faint layer of haziness, like the misty rain of Jiangnan. The corners of her eyes were suffused with a touch of crimson, vaguely giving rise to a kind of unattainable, stunning beauty.

Her lips were slightly curved upward, her eyes holding a bit of joy, a bit of sorrow, and a bit of... compassion that did not belong to her age.

People's eyes watched the girl on the big screen, and their hearts could not help but be moved by her...

Just at this moment, in the corner of the last row, Su Yichen's shoulders suddenly began to tremble slightly.

He sat far back and could not see Shi Yi clearly on stage, so he could only reach out his hands tremblingly toward the big screen.

"Xiao Yi..."

Su Yichen's pale lips murmured the girl's former name.

Since their parting at the hospital, he had finally seen Xiao Yi again, but he hadn't expected it to be on such an occasion.

Unlike Shi Heng, Su Yichen had always known that Shi Yi loved to sing.

Back in the welfare institute, they weren't allowed to have their own phones. Shi Yi didn't know where she had gotten an old Walkman and some old cassettes. The boy and girl were at the age of budding romance and loved listening to songs, so they often stayed together, doing homework while secretly listening to music with earphones.

And Shi Yi would always hum along softly while secretly looking at Su Yichen with bright eyes.

Finally, one day, she gathered her courage and spoke timidly to the boy beside her:

"Yichen brother, I... I'll sing a song for you in the future, okay?"

Thinking of this, Su Yichen gave a bitter smile in his heart—

He knew that this song was not sung for him.

He remembered what had happened in Sozali three years ago today, and he recognized that the two people on stage were the two doctors who had helped him bandage his wounds in the camp.

They were commemorating that war, commemorating their dead friends.

That was why Xiao Yi's face wore such a sad, painful, and moving expression.

But thinking of this, he felt even more heartbroken—

That Xiao Yi who once snuggled beside him, listening to songs and dreaming of the future with him, had died on the battlefield.

The one who had returned now was the Xing'er on stage, as bright and dazzling as the stars, the center of attention.

Only, she no longer had any connection with him.

At this very moment, in the center of the stands, Chu Yehan's dark green eyes also flashed with complex light.

There was shock, appreciation, remorse, and helplessness.

On stage, the girl he had once trampled into the mud was now shining brightly in the spotlight, just like a brilliant pearl.

But until this moment, Chu Yehan still didn't know what kind of feeling he had for Xing'er!

Guilt, unwillingness, possessiveness, or... love born from hate?

Perhaps all of them, perhaps none of them...

The only thing he knew was that the first 20 years of his life had been lived on the hatred for this woman. And the rest of his life would be lived on this complex and contradictory feeling for her.

He still couldn't give up on Xing'er.

He couldn't do it.

The performance on stage continued.

At the same time, this beautiful dance and moving singing voice were broadcast to thousands of households via the Lanwan Television signal and also hit major online platforms.

Soon, Shen Xing'er, this mysterious girl, dominated the trending search lists of major online platforms.

On the trending list, the top ten keywords were almost all related to the gala:

"Moon Climbs the Little Hill, lead singer, Shen Xing'er."

"Shen Xing'er, background, age."

"Is Shen Xing'er a student of Tong Yu?"

"Is Shen Xing'er in the entertainment industry?"

And just backstage at the gala, a pair of dark eyes stared fixedly at the live broadcast screen on a phone, her thin shoulders trembling non-stop.

"How is it possible, how is it possible..."

"How could it be her?!" ===== CHAPTER 132 =====