Chapter 101: The Journey

"Your jealousy is a bit too blatant, don't you think? Can't we be a little more subtle?" Su Tong laughed, grinning before opening the video. "I'm turning on the livestream now, careful not to blind you all. Let me tell you, after I got home and saw Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, I became not just a little more handsome—even my knees refused to lag behind, becoming more beautiful than Ru Hua."

Su Tong's nonsense nearly made Gao Litong and Li Wen burst out laughing.

The opening was still a few jokes about a student named Xiao Ming and his female teacher, then Su Tong sang a currently popular song.

His own songs were all over the internet, sounding even better than what was heard on the livestream. Lately, he rarely sang his old songs.

"New song, new song..."

"Where's the new song, Ge Ge? You promised us a new song, hurry up."

"I want to hear a new song. Ge Ge's new songs are all great, with such variety in style."

"New song, 587."

"What type of new song is it? Come on, I'm already dying of anticipation."

"..."

Taking advantage of Su Tong's water break, the fans refused to stay idle and flooded the screen with messages.

Su Tong set down his cup and said slowly, "For this song, I want to tell you all first that the lyrics contain words about love, but its theme isn't love. My life right now hasn't reached the love stage yet."

The audience immediately burst into laughter again.

"Bro, you're not still a virgin, are you?"

"Hehe, bro, I'll buy your first time and give you a big red envelope, how about that?"

"Giggle, I like fresh young meat, and I especially like young virgins."

"Bro, I'm a first-timer too. How about we give ourselves to each other? Neither of us loses out. Whether you're on top or I am, it's up to you."

"Hehe, sorry bro, are you into guys? I've never done that either. Let me give you my first time."

"..."

Seeing the messages on the screen, Su Tong clutched his forehead: "You guys are too savage. The two girls who were laughing next to me during the last stream are still sitting here. They may not be much to look at, but they're still pure and innocent, flawless and spotless. How can you let them see such a ferocious side of you all?"

"Let them show their faces! Hearing their voices, I'd never believe they could be ugly."

"Just believe one out of every ten things Ge Ge says. If you really want to avoid being fooled, you're better off not believing anything at all."

"Last time he said those two were ugly too. Bro, what kind of hobby is that? You like being friends with dinosaurs?"

"Whether it's a horse or a mule, bring it out for a walk and we'll see."

"Ge Ge, you're keeping beauties hidden away, and two at that. I'm going to eliminate you in the name of humanity."

"I'll eliminate you in the name of the moon."

"I'll eliminate you in the name of Mars."

"..."

The audience refused to be swayed, tired of being fooled and led around by the nose by Su Tong.

Li Wen was furious and wanted to step into the camera's view to make an appearance, announcing to the world that she was Su Tong's girlfriend.

At the Jinbi Garden in the development zone.

"Hmph, that little pervert. The moment he comes back, he's luring young girls and taking them to watch his livestream. Looks like he can't be left unmanaged, or before long he'll be bouncing right up into the sky." Yang Feifei was furious, sitting on the sofa with a laptop in front of her. She held a plush toy in her arms and kept twisting and wrenching its limbs, as if it were Su Tong.

"Feifei, he's not even your boyfriend. Why do you bother managing him?" Lin Yin said with a giggle, wearing a strappy nightgown. Since there were no men around, the nightgown she wore was very loose, making it easy to see most of her plump white bunnies inside.

"Hmph, he's going to enter the entertainment industry in the future. How can he be so careless with his private life now? If gossip reporters dig it up, it'll hurt his image. More importantly, he actually lied to us—saying he'd only spend his first day home playing with his two sisters and wouldn't pay attention to us." Yang Feifei said indignantly.

"Xiao Tong is going to sing the song from when we got out of the car yesterday, isn't he?" Lin Yin asked.

Yang Feifei pouted: "Who knows. The guy has some talent, but he's too proud, too sharp-edged."

Just then, Su Tong's voice came through the livestream: "Haha, this song has harmonies. I'll have Da Qiao sing the harmony part."

"Aw yeah, we get to see Da Qiao?"

"Whoo whoo, Da Qiao, our darling, let us see our darling!"

"Wuwu, after begging so many times, we finally get to see Da Qiao again."

"And what about Xiao Qiao?"

"We want to see Xiao Qiao."

"..."

Before long, Da Qiao appeared in the livestream.

Old fans were moved to tears. Da Qiao was still as beautiful and adorable as ever, tugging at their heartstrings.

Su Tong held his guitar: "'Travel.' I hope you all love setting out too. Let's go traveling together."

The accompaniment began—first the piano, then the guitar.

"Gusts of evening wind stir the pine waves
Blowing the wind chimes like a sound from heaven
Standing in this city's quiet corner
Let all the noise drift far away
Only green mountains hidden among white clouds
Butterflies freely weaving through clear streams
Look at the sunset blooming at the horizon
A flock of birds returning west
Who painted this world of earth and sky

And painted you and me
Making our world dazzling and colorful
Who makes us weep
And then gives us surprise
Letting us love and meet this way
We always have to say goodbye
Gathering then parting
Always walking on the long road
..."

"Travel" had a beautiful, melodious, and winding tune. It not only made Gao Litong and Li Wen quiet down to listen, but also the viewers before the livestream listened with serene, ethereal hearts.

This song was originally composed by Xu Wei in memory of a friend who passed away in a car accident. The lyrics were clear and pure, flowing with an indescribable melancholy.

When Su Tong sang this song, his voice was like a sound from heaven, moving millions of listeners and purifying their troubled, melancholy hearts.

He sang amid sorrow. He cried out amid decadence. He yearned amid confusion.

He wanted those who were lost to see hope, wanted those whose hearts were approaching dusk to see the dawn of hope, telling them that every moment is brand new.

"Gusts of evening wind stir the pine waves, blowing the wind chimes like a sound from heaven"—the simple imagery evoked a tranquil, vast, deep picture in the listeners' minds.

"Standing in this city's quiet corner, let all the noise drift far away"—sang of the progress of the times, yet also hinted that people today blindly pursue luxury and material things in the metropolis while discarding their own pure, quiet hearts.

Only in quiet places can one find fragments of oneself again, find that pure land of the soul.

"Only green mountains hidden among white clouds, butterflies freely weaving through clear streams... a flock of birds returning west..." Everyone appreciated a realm where painting flowed within the song and song flowed within the painting, step by step leading toward the climax.

"Who painted this world of earth and sky, and painted you and me"—the melody surged with passion, the emotion sincere, being the core message of the entire song.

"Who makes us weep, and gives us surprise, letting us love and meet this way"—life is like a long journey. Green mountains, clear waters, and beautiful scenery are all stops along the way. Relatives, friends, lovers, and strangers are all fleeting passersby in life—meeting and loving without clinging. Perhaps the scenery along the way occasionally makes one linger and forget to return, but sometimes things don't go as one wishes. "What is destined will come in time; when it's not the moment, don't force it."

Everyone seemed moved by that imagery while also feeling a sense of loss, as if they had lost something, as if they had gained something.

Suddenly, the chorus rang out.

"Ah~ la la la, la la la, la la la la la..."

Xiao Yu's pure childlike voice sounded—a different kind of heavenly sound, distinct from Su Tong's.

The natural innocence of a child blended with the wisdom of an elder in perfect harmony, like milk and water mingling.

Everyone listened, entranced, immersed beyond the power to pull away.