Chapter 363: If You Can

For the song "Mother, Daughter," just like Yuan Wanqing's previous song "As Wished," it requires certain life experience to truly feel its emotions.

In the end, it's still the same old saying: songs choose people.

Because of their different personal experiences, different songs resonate with different people.

For those who don't feel deeply, their reaction after listening to this song might simply be "That's it?" and even laugh when seeing tears in the audience or from people around them.

They might even feel embarrassed for others.

It's just a song—really, is it that big a deal?

These are all perfectly normal reactions.

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Just as Li Luo clearly knows, there is no book in this world that everyone will like.

Just as there is no song that can move every single person.

So when Yuan Wanqing and Yan Zhusheng sang this song, as long as it moved the people it was meant to move, that was enough.

Such as Cui Suling right now.

After Yuan Wanqing and Yan Zhusheng finished singing, Cui Suling finally felt a little better, and with Xu Rongsheng's help, she wiped away her tears.

But because she had cried so hard earlier, she was still hiccuping slightly.

"Before the show, who was it that said?" Xu Rongsheng couldn't help laughing as he saw her like this, "That you wouldn't cry at all—so why are you crying like this?"

"You dare say that!" Cui Suling shoved Xu Rongsheng, sniffling irritably, "Look at how beautifully these lyrics are written—oh my, they've gone straight into my heart. If you don't cry, you're not human, I'm telling you."

Xu Rongsheng: "... Just cry if you want to cry, don't launch personal attacks."

After listening to this song, even though Xu Rongsheng wasn't a mother, he was still deeply moved.

But comparatively speaking, Xu Rongsheng isn't a particularly emotional person; he remains relatively rational when faced with such intimate, familial love.

Moreover, as a parent, he isn't the type who likes to nag or constantly remind; his interactions with his own daughter are very different from most parents', with rationality dominating.

Therefore, though moved, Xu Rongsheng's main reaction was growing more appreciative of Li Luo from a lyrical standpoint—he didn't cry like Cui Suling, all messy and tearful.

"By the way," Xu Rongsheng pulled out his phone from his pant pocket and said to Cui Suling, "According to what you said earlier, shouldn't I be recording you right now? Too bad I forgot to film you when you were crying the hardest—I was too caught up in the song."

"Get away from me," Cui Suling rolled her eyes and slapped his hand away.

Then suddenly remembering something, she took out her own phone and dialed a number.

Very quickly, the call was answered.

"Hello? Mom?"

Xu Youyu's voice came from the other end.

Just hearing her daughter's voice, recalling the lyrics that echoed in her mind, Cui Suling suddenly felt another wave of choking emotion.

After a long silence, she calmed herself and softly spoke into the phone: "Youyu, Mom misses you."

"... Can I come home for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yes... it's a deal then. Your father and I will wait for you at home."

"Mm."

Without saying anything else, after agreeing to meet for dinner tomorrow night, they hung up.

Cui Suling's face broke into a warm smile; rarely did she lean against Xu Rongsheng's chest, feeling genuinely happy: "I really have to thank Li Luo—I've decided, from now on, I won't nag her anymore."

Hearing this, Xu Rongsheng just smiled and said nothing.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the bedroom of Bihai Lanting 1502.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Youyu couldn't hold back anymore—she buried her face into Li Luo's chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Seeing her senior suddenly nestle into his arms, Li Luo was startled, then realized—looking down at Xu Youyu, he glanced over at Ying Chanxi.

"Senior... are you okay?" Li Luo asked softly.

"... I'm fine," Xu Youyu rubbed her cheek against Li Luo, "Let me lean for a bit—that's all I need."

To be honest, although Xu Youyu was indeed moved after listening to Yuan Wanqing and Yan Zhusheng's duet,

she was still young and hadn't entered society, so her emotional response to the lyrics couldn't compare to Cui Suling's depth.

But when she finished the song and immediately received Cui Suling's call, instead of nagging, there was only silence.

Then Cui Suling suddenly spoke tenderly, saying she missed her—and that instantly pierced through Xu Youyu's usually thick emotional defenses.

Though she didn't burst into tears, she still felt like crying, so she quickly buried her face in Li Luo's chest to avoid embarrassing herself in front of them.

Just as Li Luo was about to comfort Xu Youyu, his own phone rang.

He pulled it out and saw it was Lin Xiuhong calling.

Li Luo answered the call and heard Lin Xiuhong's choked voice—he couldn't help laughing: "Mom, you didn't cry too, did you?"

"You brat, what kind of thing is that to say?" Lin Xiuhong had been wiping her tears, but hearing Li Luo's voice, she stopped crying instantly, "I was just about to compliment you, and now I don't want to anymore."

"Your mom was crying her eyes out just now—she only called you after she calmed down a bit," Li Guohong teased from the side.

"Don't butt in," Lin Xiuhong snapped, "I'm cooking dinner for you tomorrow—got it?"

"Alright, I got it."

Li Luo hung up the phone.

Just as he put his phone away, he felt his other shoulder sink slightly.

He turned his head and saw Ying Chanxi had also been crying, buried in his arms, sobbing softly.

This completely threw him off.

"Xixi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." Ying Chanxi shook her head, rubbing her face against Li Luo's chest, lips pressed tight, then said, "I just suddenly feel a little sad."

Hearing this, Li Luo immediately understood—and fell silent.

He and Xu Youyu still had a mother who would call them.

But Ying Chanxi did not.

Previously, when Ying Chanxi had listened to the song, her reaction had been nowhere near as strong as Xu Youyu's.

Because for her, mother was already a somewhat distant term.

When she was in elementary school, Yan Ruqing had already passed away, and Ying Chanxi never had the chance to experience the conflicts and warmth between mother and daughter described in the lyrics.

And Yan Zhicheng usually left her to fend for herself; although Lin Xiuhong treated Ying Chanxi well, it was never quite the kind of love a mother gives.

This meant Ying Chanxi could not feel that emotion.

But precisely because she could not feel it, when Ying Chanxi saw Li Luo and Xu Youyu each receiving calls from their mothers, and realized this sad truth, her entire emotional state naturally collapsed.

For this, Li Luo could say nothing.

At this moment, he could only extend both arms, pulling the two girls into his embrace, gently patting their backs, and whispering, "It's okay, it's okay now."

This scene would likely play out in front of many televisions.

After Yuan Wanqing and Yan Zhusheng finished singing this song, before the show even ended, the top trending topic on Weibo was already "Yuan Wanqing: 'Mother and Daughter'."

Many deeply moved people left comments in the comment section.

Because many mothers were older and might not go online much.

So most of the comments were from daughters who had already left home to work, sharing their reflections below.

The convergence of countless moved people triggered a resonance that further exploded.

The mainstream user base of Weibo naturally leaned toward urban white-collar workers and female college students.

This song perfectly struck their tear ducts, and its popularity instantly exploded on Weibo.

As a result, when Han Hong, who came second to perform, stepped on stage to sing, many viewers were still immersed in the atmosphere of the previous song.

Many were still posting comments on Weibo; by the time they snapped out of it, Han Hong and her duet partner had already sung halfway through "Ten Years."

This caused many viewers to start listening only midway, making the song's emotional flow disjointed and the overall impression poor.

Fortunately, "Ten Years" was a classic old song, and this time they had invited the original composer, Chen Yixun, as the duet guest—truly packing in nostalgia.

After Han Hong, Li Jian and Sun Nan took the stage in turn.

At the end of the duet segment, several eliminated singers came on stage to perform one last song.

Meanwhile, backstage began tallying the votes.

After the eliminated singers finished their performances, the host announced the rankings of the duet segment while chatting in the lounge.

Yuan Wanqing and Yan Zhusheng naturally topped the list, winning first place in this segment.

Thus, Yuan Wanqing smoothly chose her final performance order, deciding to sing last.

By this time, Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu had already recovered.

They had even gone to the restroom to wash their faces.

After listening to the duet segment's songs, Xu Youyu sighed: "I'm so embarrassed—I'm a senior, and I still cried in front of you guys."

"It's fine, we won't laugh at you," Li Luo chuckled. "Besides, judging by Aunt Cui's reaction, maybe she'll treat you better from now on?"

"Who'd believe that?" Xu Youyu snorted. "She's already over forty—how easy is it to change?"

After being moved earlier, Xu Youyu had now returned to normal.

At least from the way she started fidgeting under the covers again, Li Luo could tell her mood had indeed recovered quite a bit.

But Ying Chanxi, who had cried a little earlier from sadness, now seemed harder to read after recovering.

After washing her face and returning to bed, Ying Chanxi became more affectionate toward Li Luo—right in front of Xu Youyu, she dared to cling tightly to his arm, resting her entire body against his chest.

On the other side, Xu Youyu showed no restraint at all; she had already pressed herself tightly against Li Luo, her thigh resting on his leg.

She just hadn't noticed because of her line of sight.

Feeling the smooth, slippery touch of the thigh against his, Li Luo sighed, thinking it would've been better if the senior had cried longer—she'd have been quieter at least.

Fidgeting under the covers like this was truly overwhelming, yet Xu Youyu seemed to enjoy it endlessly, even finding amusement in Li Luo's pained expression.

Amid this atmosphere, the King of Singers battle on "I Am a Singer" smoothly transitioned into the second half.

Since the second half consisted of solo performances by the four singers, the four duet guests remained in the lounge to watch.

After Yan Zhusheng finished singing, she had already changed back into casual clothes; during the interval while the singers prepared backstage, the host continued chatting with the four guests.

When the topic turned to Yan Zhusheng, the host smiled and asked her: "After singing 'Mother and Daughter,' how do you feel? I was so moved I even want to call my mom as soon as the show ends."

"Feelings?" Yan Zhusheng blinked, then shook her head. "I didn't feel much—I didn't sing it well, because my mom isn't like the one in the song."

Yan Zhusheng's statement was actually quite accurate.

If there was any flaw in the previous song, it was that Yan Zhusheng hadn't fully mastered the emotional control.

Yuan Wanqing was a seasoned performer who could adjust her breath and tone to convey the mother's voice.

Although Yan Zhusheng had excellent vocal qualities, she still lacked the emotional depth.

But her voice itself was still youthful, carrying a childlike quality mixed with the faint breath of a girl maturing.

This vocal quality allowed her to hold her ground in the previous song.

Combined with Yuan Wanqing's emotional guidance, Yan Zhusheng's performance was stabilized enough to avoid major mistakes.

¤￠o

But clearly, Yan Zhusheng was not satisfied with her own performance.

"It seems Zhusheng holds herself to high standards," the host smiled. "But you said Yuan Teacher isn't like the mother in the lyrics—how do you usually interact with your mom?"

"Hmm…" Yan Zhusheng thought for a moment, then said, "My mom is very busy, so we rarely see each other now. She trusts me completely and never nags me—I just tell her my thoughts directly."

"That's certainly because you're so outstanding, which is why Yuan Teacher trusts you so much," the host said. "Then how do you get along with Chongran, the songwriter of this song?"

"Li… Chongran…" Yan Zhusheng tightened her small face, speaking seriously. "We go jogging together in the morning, then attend classes and eat meals together."

"Because my grades are average, he helps me plan my studies—I just follow what he says."

Last year I was ranked over two hundred in school; this year I've broken into the top one hundred fifty—all thanks to him.

"Wow~" The host, hearing this, almost asked them about their real relationship—if only Yan Zhusheng weren't a minor—"Rechuan really is incredible, how is he so effortlessly capable?"

"Mm." Yan Zhusheng nodded. "Last year, during the school sports meet, he won first place in the Grade 1 1000-meter race. He's also our class monitor, and president of both the Literature Club and the Rock Club."

"Truly outstanding in every way… wait…" The host complimented casually, then suddenly noticed something odd, "You said Grade 1?"

"Yes." Yan Zhusheng said. "Last year we were both in Grade 1; this year we're in Grade 2."

Host: "…"

【Huh???】

【Insane!】

【Dude…】

【I feel like my twenties have all been wasted.】

【Writes songs, writes novels, gets top grades, helps his desk partner improve, great at sports, and he's the class monitor?!】

【What kind of high school is this? How do they even have a Rock Club and a Literature Club?】

【Are we even going to the same kind of high school?】

【Quick, search for this school—narrow it down!】

【Dig up this Rechuan guy already—I can't take it anymore! What kind of person is this?!】

Seeing the endless stream of question marks in the comments, Li Luo also looked exasperated.

Beside him, Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu were laughing heartily, clearly enjoying how the commenters went wild.

"Netizens are all-powerful these days—you won't be able to hide this for long," Xu Youyu chuckled, watching the comments.

"Whatever. Let it be," Li Luo rolled his eyes, having completely given up resisting.

For him, what he'd feared most was acquaintances finding out he wrote novels.

After all, having people he knew read his novels was embarrassing—regardless of how much royalty he earned.

But now, not only Ying Chanxi and the others knew, but even his relatives and all his classmates from Fuyi High knew.

For Li Luo, whether or not to hide it no longer mattered much.

After all, whether netizens knew or not didn't affect him much.

Novels were written for strangers online; the distance and lack of connection meant it didn't matter if people found out.

That's also why Li Luo agreed to let Yan Zhusheng talk about Rechuan on the show.

After learning today that he was now practically famous across the entire school, Li Luo gradually shifted his mindset.

If he couldn't resist, he might as well learn to enjoy it.

"You seem so listless," Xu Youyu laughed, lightly tapping his face. "Don't worry—once everyone knows, you'll get used to it."

"Heh, easy for you to say," Li Luo glanced at Xu Youyu, giving her a look that said, "You try it."

Xu Youyu realized she'd gotten a bit too smug, quickly softened her tone, coughed twice, and playfully rubbed her leg against his under the blanket.

"Will this have any impact?" Ying Chanxi asked anxiously. "With the internet so advanced now, will it disturb you?"

"No need to worry too much," Li Luo chuckled and shook his head. "Someone like me who never steps on stage—netizens will just be amazed for a while. Once the mystery is lifted and they take a look, it'll pass quickly."

At least with Zhi Cheng's assurance, there was little need to fear public opinion risks.

Those entertainment paparazzi may be powerful, but they still focus their energy on top-tier stars—who'd waste time chasing after a behind-the-scenes figure like Rechuan?

At most, they'd use connections to dig up Li Luo's real identity and stir up some online traffic.

After agreeing to Yan Zhusheng's show's request, Li Luo had already prepared himself mentally for this.

"I'll call my dad tomorrow and ask him to keep an eye out," Ying Chanxi hugged Li Luo tightly, unwilling to let outside interference disrupt their peaceful daily life.

Meanwhile, as the three preceding singers took the stage one after another, the solo performance segment progressed steadily.

Li Luo lay on the bed, each side leaning against a lovely, beautiful girl, watching the show on screen.

Whenever the camera cut to the lounge, the girl sitting demurely in frame was also the girl who often shared his blankets.

And she was even Ying Chanxi's cousin…

Thinking of this, and feeling the smooth, sliding thigh brushing against him under the blanket, Li Luo sank into a sweet, blissful kind of trouble.

Just as he was wrestling with this, the host stepped back onto the stage, smiling at the camera and announcing:

"Next, please welcome Yuan Wanqing as she performs the final song from her new album—'A Diao'!"