Chapter Twenty-Nine: Happy New Year

At this moment, Cheng Xiaoyu’s heart was still beating a bit fast. It was also his first time performing at such a grand occasion, but the quickening of his pulse wasn't due to nervousness; rather, he found it exhilarating. The spotlight shining down on him made his blood boil uncontrollably. The intense gazes from below filled him with an irrepressible urge to perform a brilliant solo. He relished this sensation, feeling as though he were the king of a musical empire.

Xia Shamo and Chen Haoran felt an unparalleled sense of liberation as well. For the first time, they realized how profoundly music could move the human spirit. They had always known they could perform well, but today, for the first time, they were accompanied by Cheng Xiaoyu’s synthesizer, and for the first time, they performed on such a grand stage. Their potential was unleashed almost entirely, and their performance was not just perfect—it was transcendent. They believed their piece could cause a sensation, but the result exceeded all expectations: the entire auditorium felt as if it had been baptized, the enthusiastic applause was unending, and cries for an encore echoed ceaselessly. Nothing could have more clearly proven their success.

Wang Ou, sitting in the audience, clapped so hard his hands turned red. For the first time, he truly regretted never having learned an instrument—he wanted to stand on that stage with them. That feeling must be wonderful.

Zhou Peipei was astonished. She knew Cheng Xiaoyu had been busy with music, working late into the night every day, but she hadn’t expected that this music had already transcended the realm of a student’s efforts. It was the work of a true maestro.

Ji Yunyun stared blankly at the figure on stage nicknamed “Lei Feng.” She never would have guessed that the amusing chubby boy was named Cheng Xiaoyu, nor that he would once again conquer her world—last time with a poem, this time with two songs.

Standing behind the curtain, Xu Qinning was even more surprised, feeling a twinge of regret for having tripped that chubby boy earlier. She had thought this would be an ordinary performance, but it had shaken her body and soul in ways she hadn’t anticipated.

On the podium, Ji Xin smiled as she introduced Cheng Xiaoyu to the teachers from Upper High. From the moment she’d watched their rehearsal at the bar, she’d been won over by Cheng Xiaoyu’s music. This was an entirely new musical form: symphonic accompaniment, operatic vocals, and the rhythm of pop music all intertwined. Such imaginative creativity was the mark of a genius, and this genius was her student.

Su Yuxi was silent, recalling the time Cheng Xiaoyu played “Castle in the Sky” and said he was just playing around casually. Perhaps she had never really tried to understand his world. For the first time, a feeling called regret spread through her heart, but her pride would never allow her to admit she was wrong. Even if she was heading in the wrong direction, she wouldn’t take the initiative to change.

The three—Cheng Xiaoyu, Xia Shamo, and Chen Haoran—were reluctant to leave the stage but were called back up by Xu Qinning. The audience was simply too enthusiastic; calls for an encore nearly shook the entire Fudan campus.

When the three stood on stage again, Xu Qinning signaled for silence and said, “Let’s have a brief interview. Once more, let’s get to know our fellow students from Fudan High. Please introduce yourselves.” She handed the microphone to Chen Haoran, who was closest to her. Cheng Xiaoyu, truly wary of Xu Qinning, stood as far to the right as possible, keeping his distance.

Chen Haoran took the microphone and said briefly, “I’m the drummer, Chen Haoran.” True to his cool demeanor, his expression was as impassive as ever, even on such an important occasion. After speaking, he handed the mic to Xia Shamo.

With a slight blush, Xia Shamo said, “Hello, everyone.” The applause from the audience was thunderous. When it subsided a little, she added, “I’m Xia Shamo from Class 2, Senior Three, Fudan High, lead singer.” After this, the flush on her face was visible to all, and someone below even called out, “Goddess Xia!” Xia Shamo stole a glance at Cheng Xiaoyu and handed him the microphone.

Cheng Xiaoyu took the microphone and, in a rather rustic way, tapped it twice, causing the speakers to emit a couple of muffled sounds. His comical actions and expressions elicited laughter from the crowd. Smiling, Cheng Xiaoyu said, “I think everyone probably remembered me even before I performed—I’m the one who fell twice in the Fudan Grand Auditorium. For those who know about it, please don’t spread it around; after all, it wasn’t exactly glorious.” A gentle wave of laughter rippled through the audience. Cheng Xiaoyu paused and continued, “I hope what you remember is not just us, but also our music. Thank you, everyone.” He then handed the microphone back to Chen Haoran. The crowd responded with generous applause and cheers for this humorous, chubby boy.

Xu Qinning felt a bit awkward inside and silently grumbled about this chubby boy, but outwardly maintained her smile as she continued, “When I was announcing your act, I was curious—why does your program have such a strange name: ‘Guilty Crown, Sword Drawn, and the Huangpu River’?”

Seeing both Chen Haoran and Xia Shamo looking at Cheng Xiaoyu, Xu Qinning had no choice but to step aside and hand the mic to him.

Cheng Xiaoyu took the opportunity to brush his hand across Xu Qinning’s jade-like hand, causing her to grit her teeth inwardly. She dared not react, but there was no doubt that Cheng Xiaoyu had just landed himself on her blacklist. Any goodwill she’d just formed for him evaporated instantly, and in her heart, the curses she heaped on him could have crushed him flat.

Having taken a small advantage, Cheng Xiaoyu thought that was enough, but he still felt it was a loss; he mused that he’d have to find a way to collect a little interest later. After all, most people wouldn’t have had the courage to remain on stage after suffering such a fall.

This time, taking the microphone, he refrained from goofing off and explained directly, “‘The Huangpu River’ is, as everyone knows, the title of the last song. ‘Sword Drawn’ is the name of the previous song, while ‘Guilty Crown’ is the name of our band.”

Xu Qinning wasn’t ready to let him off so easily and asked, “Why call yourselves Guilty Crown? That name sounds very…” She didn’t finish, but the audience supplied their own comedic associations.

Cheng Xiaoyu paused and said, “Actually, I came up with the name on my own, without my teammates’ approval. Why Guilty Crown? Because all three of us in the band are big eaters—champion-level foodies. At lunch break, we’re always among the first to rush to the cafeteria, so it’s actually ‘Most Hungry Crown’—with ‘most’ being ‘most,’ and ‘hungry’ being ‘hungry.’ Of course, I’d never tell my teammates that. I’d say, ‘Everyone is a sinner in this world, and we hope to use music to dispel the evil in every heart. The crown represents our expectations for ourselves, our music, and our dreams for the future.’” The applause grew even more enthusiastic.

“So all this music is your band’s original work?” Xu Qinning asked with a smile.

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded, “Yes.” But he didn’t mention that it was solely his own compositions. Xia Shamo and Chen Haoran wanted to say something, but the mic was no longer in their hands.

Xu Qinning made up her mind: there was no way she would let Su Yuxi’s brother slip through her grasp. With a radiant smile, she asked, “The audience is hoping you’ll perform a bit more—did you prepare any other pieces?”

An old hand like Cheng Xiaoyu certainly wouldn’t agree to that. If he did, he’d risk offending others. He replied immediately, “Thank you all for your enthusiasm, and please forgive us. Our rehearsal time was limited, so we only prepared two songs. There are more wonderful performances to come, so please enjoy them.”

Xu Qinning recognized that this chubby boy was unusually shrewd and promptly ended the interview, not giving him another chance to steal the spotlight.

As Cheng Xiaoyu and his friends left the stage, another thunderous round of applause followed.

They had become famous—especially Xia Shamo. As soon as she stepped off stage, younger girls crowded around her for autographs and photos. Cheng Xiaoyu and Chen Haoran, meanwhile, were largely ignored; most people flocked to Xia Shamo.

At that moment, Xu Qinning, dressed in a blue evening gown, came backstage and beckoned Cheng Xiaoyu over with a charming smile.

Cheng Xiaoyu grinned at her, raised his middle finger, and turned on his heel, running off without another glance.

No one had ever dared ignore Xu Qinning’s summons before. The first to tease her was this chubby boy; the first to reject her was also him. A surge of murderous intent welled up inside her. She swore to herself that even if he was Su Yuxi’s brother, she would make him pay. Furious, Xu Qinning snatched her phone from her classmate’s bag and texted Su Yuxi: “Your brother is quite something!”

Su Yuxi replied, “I didn’t expect it. Did he offend you again?”

“Not at all. Now he treats me like a mouse facing a cat.”

“Qinning, don’t bully him. He’s rather pitiful.” Su Yuxi guessed that Xu Qinning was the one who had tripped Cheng Xiaoyu earlier, even though she hadn’t seen it.

“Oh, feeling sorry for your talented brother now? And who was it who told me not to admit knowing you?”

“Fine, I give up. What do you want?” Su Yuxi typed helplessly.

“Well, the holiday starts tomorrow. Find a time to meet up with him—but don’t tell him it’s my idea! Anyway, I have to go on stage now, I’ll call you later.” Xu Qinning pressed send, put her phone back in her classmate’s bag, took the microphone, and hurried on stage.

Cheng Xiaoyu was genuinely a little afraid of this quirky, short-haired goddess. He thought, I can’t provoke her, but I can surely avoid her, right? Realizing that Xu Qinning was friends with Su Yuxi, he felt a headache coming on. He slightly regretted what he’d done backstage, but the memory of the soft touch lingered, and he decided it was worth it.

Only now did Cheng Xiaoyu realize he was hungry. He and Xia Shamo had barely eaten since their nap, snacking on a few bits of food at the salon that hadn’t even filled the gap between his teeth. Now that the tension was gone, hunger flooded over him like a tide. Swallowing, he decided to go buy something to eat—after all, the event was nearly over. He called out to Chen Haoran, asking him to watch his synthesizer, and seeing Xia Shamo surrounded by girls for photos, he set off alone to look for food.

As he exited the backstage corridor, Ji Yunyun blocked his way at the door. Her class’s Xinjiang dance had also been selected, and she hadn’t removed her makeup yet. With her exotic makeup and natural beauty—despite it not being perfectly applied—her charm was undiminished, even enhanced in a unique way. Under her thick coat, she still wore her costume: a red gauze skirt, not nearly warm enough for the cold. Through the skirt, Cheng Xiaoyu caught a glimpse of her long, fair legs, and saw her shivering slightly.

“Hey, Lei Feng? Is your pen name Lei Feng?” Ji Yunyun stopped Cheng Xiaoyu with her shining, blinking eyes.

Cheng Xiaoyu was a bit surprised. He’d already noticed Ji Yunyun waiting at the end of the corridor, but never thought she was waiting for him. Off guard, he replied, “Oh, you mean last time? Lei Feng is a person from my hometown famous for doing good deeds.”

“Oh, so you mean last time you were doing a good deed too?” Ji Yunyun pressed, not letting him off easily.

Cheng Xiaoyu, wary of girls who pestered endlessly, hurried to clarify, “That’s not what I meant. Last time, I really did notice those two guys were up to no good and followed them for a while. I honestly didn’t know they had their eyes on you!”

Ji Yunyun laughed, “I’m not here to give you trouble. I came to thank you.”

Cheng Xiaoyu waved it off, “No need. It wasn’t much, and besides, Teacher Ji has always been good to me.”

Ji Yunyun looked down at her black dance shoes, thinking, Why doesn’t he ask for my phone number? Am I not pretty enough today? Well, with that Xia Shamo by his side, looking like a fairy who could turn all heads, why would he look at me?

Seeing Ji Yunyun quiet for so long, and unable to read her expression through the heavy makeup, Cheng Xiaoyu said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

Ji Yunyun uttered a quiet “Oh,” and stepped aside.

Cheng Xiaoyu edged past her, catching a whiff of her pleasant scent as he went by.

Just as he was about to exit the backstage door, Ji Yunyun called out behind him, “Hey, Cheng Xiaoyu, what’s your phone number?”

Cheng Xiaoyu turned back, “Huh? My number? Do you still need something?”

Ji Yunyun approached quickly, her light steps echoing down the narrow hallway. Once she reached him, she said, “You haven’t paid me back for the money I lent you last time. Give me your number so I can return it.”

Cheng Xiaoyu, not wanting to get entangled with this literary girl, smiled, “It’s just a small amount. Forget it.”

Ji Yunyun, however, pulled her phone from her coat pocket and handed it to him wordlessly.

Cheng Xiaoyu pushed his glasses up with a wry smile, entered his number into her phone, and handed it back.

Ji Yunyun immediately dialed, watching as Cheng Xiaoyu’s phone lit up. Only then did she hang up, entering “Lei Feng” as his contact name.

She winked at Cheng Xiaoyu and said, “Happy New Year, Cheng Xiaoyu. See you next year.”

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled, “Happy New Year. I’ll be going now.” With that, he turned and stepped outside.

As he crossed the threshold, the icy wind engulfed him like a tide. He was still wearing just a shirt and suit jacket. Shivering, he broke into a jog, raising his head to gaze at the high, distant stars. Tomorrow would be 2010.

In his heart, Cheng Xiaoyu silently wished, Happy New Year to everyone I know. Happy New Year to everyone in my memories.