novelraw Chapter 37 The Ordinary Road
Chapter 37 The Ordinary Road
Zhou Lingyan picked up Chen Bo to spite Xu Yueqing, for fun, and to watch the show.
She always treated him as a "tool," someone who was somewhat interesting, good-looking, and occasionally made her heart race.
But at this moment, the man on stage, immersed in the music and singing about the most heartbreaking past in the calmest voice, was radiating a sacred light she had never seen before.
The light was not dazzling, but it reached the softest part of people's hearts.
Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, overwhelmed by a strange, bittersweet, and burning emotion.
All the tools and the air Xu Yueqing possessed seemed utterly ridiculous and pale at this moment.
While wiping away her tears, Zhao Lulu couldn't help but steal glances at the others' reactions, inwardly shouting, "Damn it, Chen Bo, you monster! You took down five women in one go! That's more powerful than an atomic bomb! From now on, I'll only look for men who meet these standards—handsome, can sing, and can use lyrics to kill and wound the soul!"
On stage, Chen Bo was completely oblivious to the collapse and shock of the audience below.
He was so engrossed in his own emotions that he had no time to think about anything else.
As the song entered its second verse, his voice became lower and more subdued than in the first verse, as if he were lost in memories.
"When you are still, still dreaming"
Your tomorrow, via via
Xu Yueqing's crying turned into broken sobs under her mask.
When she broke up with him while she was away in another city, he was still fantasizing.
Will she get better, or worse?
It was another day for me.
When Chen Bo sang about "her," his voice was as soft as a sigh.
This was what caused Xu Yueqing to completely break down. He was still using "she," and he didn't even use any words of accusation.
This peaceful letting go was more heartbreaking for Xu Yueqing than any angry accusation.
He once cherished her as his life, but now he gently put her down, as if she were an insignificant old object.
She would rather he hate her, curse her, that would at least prove that she still held intense emotions in his heart.
Instead of as it is now, as if she were just a passing scene in his life, something he saw, remembered, and then moved on.
I once ruined everything I had.
I just want to leave forever.
I once fell into boundless darkness,
"I want to struggle, but I can't pull myself out."
Chen Bo's voice finally trembled slightly, a moment when his emotions were most outwardly expressed throughout the entire song.
The phrase "I once ruined everything" was like a red-hot branding iron, searing into Xu Yueqing's soul.
is her!
She ruined everything for him!
His words, "I just want to leave forever," were a true reflection of the original owner's heartbreak and eventual death!
What was she doing at that time?
He was talking to Lu Ze about Borges, and feeling moved by his own courage in pursuing true love!
"Boundless darkness", "Unable to escape"...
Xu Yueqing could hardly imagine the despair and pain Chen Bo endured alone while she enjoyed the vanity of being admired by talented men.
The man who always smiled at her and took meticulous care of her had actually been pushed into an abyss by her.
She was completely oblivious, and even thought his attempts to keep her were nagging and immature.
Guilt, regret, heartache, self-loathing... a tsunami of emotions overwhelmed her.
She was crying so hard she could barely breathe, her mask was soaked, and her makeup was a complete mess.
Li Man hugged her tightly, patting her back gently, while tears streamed down her face.
Looking at the man on stage who seemed to be shining, she was filled with indescribable shock and respect—how strong must one's heart be to turn such pain into such a moving song?
The chorus started again, this time a prelude to a massive sing-along from the entire audience.
Many audience members found themselves humming along, even though they didn't know the full lyrics. The melody and the repeated chanting of "I once..." had a magical, infectious quality.
"I have crossed mountains and seas..."
Chen Bo looked up, the lamplight casting deep shadows on his face.
"And also through seas of people..."
His voice was more resolute, as if with each chant, he was gradually shedding the weight of the past.
"Everything I once possessed..."
The dressing room for the seven singers was deathly silent.
Wang Han took off his glasses and rubbed his sore nose.
Bai Linlin stared blankly at the screen, dropping the powder puff she was holding to the ground.
Zhang Zhenhan took a deep breath and whispered to his agent beside him, "This newcomer... is remarkable."
"In the blink of an eye, they all vanished like smoke..."
In the director's control room, Zhang Guanhai was already standing up excitedly: "Quick! Close-ups! Show the audience's reaction! Close-ups of those girls! And the singers' reaction in the dressing room! Damn, this edited footage will be absolutely god-tier!"
He already foresaw the sensation this episode would cause when it aired.
"I was once lost, disappointed, and directionless..."
Xu Yueqing cried until she was almost exhausted in Li Man's arms.
This lyric is like a tailor-made epitaph for her, burying her selfish and foolish love.
"Until you realize that ordinariness is the only answer."
As he finished speaking, Chen Bo's voice gradually lowered, returning to a genuine calm that came after weathering many storms.
The guitar music gradually faded away, the last note trembling and dissipating in the air.
There was an absolute silence in the studio for five or six seconds.
Then--
"boom!!!"
Applause, cheers, and whistles erupted like a tsunami, almost blowing the roof off the studio!
All the audience members spontaneously stood up and applauded enthusiastically, many with tears still on their faces.
This is not a chorus of applause; it is the most genuine and passionate outpouring of emotion!
"Chen Bo! Chen Bo! Chen Bo!" Someone shouted first, and it quickly turned into a rhythmic chant.
On stage, Chen Bo seemed to have just come back to his senses from that world of music.
He looked at the jubilant crowd below the stage, at those excited faces, paused for a moment, and then revealed a tired yet relieved smile.
He held his guitar and bowed deeply to the audience.
This bow sparked another round of screams and applause.
Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, Xu Yueqing looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar man on the stage.
He stood there, surrounded by applause and lights, yet he seemed incredibly far away from her.
Chen Bo, who once had eyes only for her, is no longer here.
The one who survived was a man she had hurt, yet he rose from the ruins, becoming stronger and more dazzling, making him even more unattainable for her.
She didn't throw away trash, she threw away treasure.
Now, this treasure, which she herself had discarded like trash, is shining brightly under the spotlight.
This radiance illuminated her unbearable suffering.
My heart aches to the point of numbness.
On stage, the applause continued, like a grand coronation.