It’s You
Teacher Jin, it’s me.
The surroundings were noisy, yet Jin Shuilan’s voice was exceptionally clear and bright, transmitting through her eardrums without any static. Lu Zhenqiu heard it perfectly clearly.
“This way, we won’t have to be afraid of getting separated.”
“Even if we get separated, I can still find you.”
Her heart skipped two beats without warning. Lu Zhenqiu lifted her head to meet Jin Shuilan’s gaze, each seeing the other’s reflection in their eyes. Jin Shuilan’s hand hadn’t moved from Lu Zhenqiu’s hat yet. She traced along the edge of the hat and accidentally brushed against Lu Zhenqiu’s earlobe, asking, “Is it cold?”
Lu Zhenqiu returned to her senses, her earlobe turning red. She shook her head, “Not cold.”
“Then let’s get in line,” Jin Shuilan said. “Give me your bag.”
Lu Zhenqiu stood by her side, nodded, and handed her the bag. There were too many people, and it took them over half an hour to get inside smoothly. The concert started at seven, and they entered at six. There were still many people inside, and it was even noisier. Their seats were near the front. Banners1 and light sticks2 flickered, waving in a kaleidoscope of colors. Many people were holding up signs for Zhang Xin. Lu Zhenqiu and Jin Shuilan had just picked up cheering sticks3 from the entrance, and next to them was a girl holding a banner.
“Where are Teacher Ji and the others?” Lu Zhenqiu tilted her head and asked, but it was too noisy around her. Jin Shuilan probably didn’t hear clearly, so she leaned her head closer to her ear and asked, “What?”
A clean, cool fragrance diffused at the tip of her nose, spreading. Jin Shuilan was leaning close, and her chest brushed against Lu Zhenqiu’s arm. Her face flushed slightly as she asked Jin Shuilan, “What about Teacher Ji and the others?”
Jin Shuilan shook her head. “I’ll send a message to ask.”
A phone call definitely wouldn’t get through; it was too loud. Ji Zibo probably wouldn’t be able to hear anyway, so she just sent a message.
Ji Zibo was still in line. She had arrived late, coming with people from the film crew. Originally, Bai Mao and Hua Luo had also said they were coming, but they suddenly said they were going to see a movie instead. She had no choice but to come with the other people from the crew. While in line, she received Jin Shuilan’s message asking if she had gotten in. She quickly sent: 【About to have our tickets checked, are you inside?】
Jin Shuilan: 【I’m inside.】
Ji Zibo: 【Okay, then I’ll come find you in a bit.】
Jin Shuilan: 【No need.】
Ji Zibo: 【？？？】
Jin Shuilan: 【No need to come find me.】
Ji Zibo suddenly remembered that she was with Lu Zhenqiu, just the two of them. Originally, Lu Zhenqiu had made plans with Hua Luo, and they had wanted to go together. Now, Jin Shuilan was preparing to have a ‘two-person world’4 ah.
Wait, with so many people, can they even have one?
She typed curiously: 【You might as well take Qiuqiu out to see a movie.】
Learn from Bai Mao, that’s a real two-person world.
Jin Shuilan saw her reply and smiled. Lu Zhenqiu craned her neck. “Is Teacher Ji coming over?”
“No,” Jin Shuilan said. “It’s too crowded where she is, she can’t squeeze through.”
Lu Zhenqiu said “oh” and didn’t pay it much mind, lowering her head to continue talking with Jin Shuilan. Two or three rows behind her stood two women. One of them, with a smile on her face, said to the other, “God Xia, what are you looking at?”
Tang Yingxia looked ahead. Just now, she thought she saw a fleeting glimpse of Lu Zhenqiu. But when she tried to look carefully again, she couldn’t see her anymore. Was she seeing things?
She subconsciously took two steps forward. The person in front of her turned around, displeased. “What are you doing? Stop pushing and shoving.”
Yu Wen was also puzzled. “God Xia?”
Tang Yingxia tilted her head and said, “It’s nothing.”
Yu Wen smiled. “Has it been a long time since God Xia came to a concert?”
Tang Yingxia’s book signing event had not gone well. Because a heavy snow had blocked the roads, the organizers couldn’t possibly postpone it further, so many readers couldn’t make it. Tang Yingxia’s mood had not been very good these past two days. Yu Wen’s new book had made a wedding dress for someone else5, and she was just thinking of asking Tang Yingxia to help promote it, so she had to coax her into a good mood first.
“Mhm, it’s been a long time. I haven’t been to one since graduation,” Tang Yingxia said. Actually, Lu Zhenqiu had invited her before, wanting to go to a concert together, but she was busy with film and television promotions at the time and didn’t accompany Lu Zhenqiu.
Yu Wen said with a smile, “Teacher Zhang Xin’s concerts are absolutely amazing, especially the live experience. You definitely won’t regret coming.”
Tang Yingxia nodded slightly. After they finished talking, they were squeezed toward the inner side. Yu Wen still had light sticks in her hand. She handed one to Tang Yingxia. Tang Yingxia frowned slightly but took it in her hand.
“There are so many people,” Tang Yingxia subconsciously looked in that direction again but didn’t see the familiar figure. Yu Wen said, “Yeah, it’s Teacher Zhang Xin’s concert, no one wants to miss it.”
As she spoke, she moved further inside, saying, “God Xia, come here.”
Tang Yingxia stood beside her, getting farther and farther away from Lu Zhenqiu on the other side.
Lu Zhenqiu and Jin Shuilan stood in the crowd, waving the cheering sticks in their hands. The main lights overhead had already been turned off, with only the surrounding white incandescent lights left on, casting a glow on them that changed the color of their clothes. Lu Zhenqiu turned her head. Jin Shuilan was looking at the stage, her side profile illuminated by the incandescent light, her features clear and distinct, her gaze deep.
She suddenly remembered what Hua Luo had said when she first saw Jin Shuilan: stunningly beautiful.
It’s true, she’s very beautiful.
Suddenly, a heart-tearing, lung-splitting6 shout erupted from behind her: “Zhang Xin! Zhang Xin! Zhang Xin!”
Lu Zhenqiu returned to her senses and saw that the stage had gone completely dark. A single beam of light lit up. A woman stood with her back to them, wearing a long, hollowed-out dress of pure white, like an angel who had mistakenly wandered into the mortal world. The venue instantly erupted in screams that could tear through the roof: “Zhang Xin Zhang Xin! Ahhhhhhh!”
Her eardrums felt like they were about to be pierced, yet Lu Zhenqiu didn’t find it noisy. Although she wasn’t shouting, being immersed in such sounds made her feel fulfilled and satisfied. The cheering stick in her hand made papapa sounds as she hit it. Her expression, infected by the atmosphere, was excited, her eyes sparkling like stars, shining brightly.
Jin Shuilan turned her head to glance at her. Seeing this expression, she couldn’t help but smile. “Are you happy?”
The voice suddenly came close to her ear. Lu Zhenqiu was slightly startled. She turned her head to meet Jin Shuilan’s eyes. She was quiet for a few seconds before saying, “Happy.”
Human voices boiled like a cauldron7, and they could only see the shapes of each other’s mouths. Jin Shuilan smiled and nodded. Lu Zhenqiu pursed her lips. The girl holding the banner behind them was too excited and her body staggered forward. Losing her balance, she fell directly onto Lu Zhenqiu’s back. Lu Zhenqiu couldn’t keep her footing, but Jin Shuilan quickly wrapped an arm around her and, at the same time, helped the girl behind them.
The girl behind them apologized profusely, “I’m so sorry, so sorry.”
Lu Zhenqiu shook her head. “It’s fine.”
After speaking, the girl glanced at Jin Shuilan beside her and said, a little embarrassed, “Thank you.”
Next to her stood someone else holding a light stick, who turned their head upon seeing Jin Shuilan and Lu Zhenqiu and said excitedly, “Wocao8 so pretty!”
Jin Shuilan said, “Are you standing steady?”
The girl quickly said, “I am, I am.”
Her eyes still lingered on her, reluctant to leave. Lu Zhenqiu noticed her gaze was directed at Jin Shuilan. Jin Shuilan took the opportunity to pull her over, putting an arm around her shoulder and saying, “Block for a bit.”
Before Lu Zhenqiu could react, her shoulder was pressed against hers. The girl behind them saw their intimate gesture and gave a sheepish smile to the girl beside her. “Let’s watch Xinxin!”
After two minutes, Jin Shuilan released her and turned her head to say, “Thanks.”
Lu Zhenqiu: “It’s fine.”
Her voice was drowned out by the human tide.
Zhang Xin held the microphone. It had been a long time since she had stood on a stage. Seeing the familiar fans, she was suddenly filled with a myriad of emotions9. The venue gradually quieted down. The surrounding incandescent lights were all extinguished, leaving only that slender figure on the stage. The music started slowly. The surroundings were silent. Lu Zhenqiu watched Zhang Xin lower her head, bring the microphone close, and sing the first line of the lyrics.
There was a sudden feeling of a dream coming true. The moment Lu Zhenqiu heard the voice, the tip of her nose tingled, and her heart couldn’t help but start singing along with Zhang Xin.
Zhang Xin was singing an old song, a song from a very, very long time ago. As long as you were her fan, you could almost certainly sing it. Zhang Xin walked toward the edge of the stage, singing while reaching out to hold the hands of the people in the front. The song was slow and leisurely, marking the passage of a generation’s youth. Many people started to cry as they listened. Although Lu Zhenqiu didn’t cry, her eyes also sparkled with a crystalline light. After finishing one song, Zhang Xin stood on the stage and said, “Thank you, everyone.”
Four simple words, yet there were already people in the audience sniffling softly, and some couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Zhang Xin, I love you!”
This was followed by a wave: “Zhang Xin, I love you! Zhang Xin, I love you!”
Zhang Xin wiped the corner of her eye. She smiled. “Thank you, thank you all. Before the concert, I was very anxious and had a thousand words and ten thousand phrases. Now, I just want to say thank you. Thank you all. It is because of your support that I can keep singing, that I can keep doing what I love…”
Lu Zhenqiu looked up and saw Zhang Xin choke up several times as she spoke. She blinked, moved by her words. After Zhang Xin finished speaking, a voice from the right shouted, “We’ll always support Xinxin!”
“We will always support you!”
“Xinxin fly with confidence! We will always follow you!”
Lu Zhenqiu turned her head and saw the atmosphere in the venue reignite. Zhang Xin on the stage couldn’t help but nod. The music started again, and Zhang Xin said, “This song, let’s sing it together!”
It was 【To Accompany】.
Lu Zhenqiu had known how to sing it for a long time. She listened to the music and sang out. Jin Shuilan would occasionally turn her head to look at her, a gentle smile always rippling in her eyes. The surrounding tide of people converged into a single voice, the lyrics piercing through the clouds, as they sang out loud together.
Zhang Xin sang four songs in a row before taking a short break. Her friend walked onto the stage and sang two songs with her. Near the end, Zhang Xin walked to the edge of the stage, looked down, and said, “Next up is an interactive segment. May I ask, are there any friends who are willing to come on stage and sing a duet with me?”
“Me me me me me!”
“Me me me! Ahhh! Xinxin! Me!”
“Xinxin! I love you wuwu! I want to sing with you!”
“Xinxin, look at me! I want to, I want to!”
The voices from the front and back rows rose in unison, hands raised high one after another. Some even had their boyfriends hold them up to raise their hands. Lu Zhenqiu also raised her hand, shouting, “Me me me!”
Her childhood idol, right before her eyes. If she could sing a duet with her, it was such a sought-after and unattainable thing.
Lu Zhenqiu’s hand was held up high. Afraid Zhang Xin wouldn’t see, she couldn’t help but jump a couple of times. Beams of light swept past them. Zhang Xin’s gaze looked over, and she smiled while holding the microphone, “That friend in the red hat.”
Red hat?!
Everyone followed Zhang Xin’s line of sight, searching for the red hat. Lu Zhenqiu and Jin Shuilan were particularly conspicuous because the spotlight had landed right on their area, and in this area, the ones wearing red hats were Jin Shuilan and Lu Zhenqiu.
Lu Zhenqiu was slightly taken aback. She met Zhang Xin’s eyes on the stage for two seconds and pointed a finger at herself. “Me?”
Zhang Xin nodded at her.
Lu Zhenqiu’s mind buzzed, and the taut string of her nerves snapped. The excited emotion rampaged through her body. She turned her head, her voice thrilled, “It’s me, Teacher Jin! It’s me!”
Without even thinking, she hugged Jin Shuilan’s arm, the look of her happiness overflowing beyond words and expression. Jin Shuilan held onto her and called out, “Qiuqiu.”
Like a tranquilizer10, Lu Zhenqiu calmed down for two seconds. She looked up. Jin Shuilan was smiling, her gaze soft. Jin Shuilan’s gentle voice sounded by Lu Zhenqiu’s ear. She said, “It’s you.”
The author has something to say:
Thirty red envelopes memeda.
Jin Shuilan: It’s you, it’s all you, and I am yours too.
Lu Zhenqiu: …
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Alright wrap it up..