Chapter 21: A bonus chapter for舵主 GoEasy!

After Song Yue finished speaking, Xu Shujian fell silent.

For the past few days, he had indeed been mulling over melodies and lyrics that did not exist in this world—works suited for himself, and certainly, some that concerned both him and Song Yue. However, whether it was appropriate to bring them into the light was another matter.

His predecessor had written many songs. In truth, Song Yue never really understood the man he had been. He hadn't just written them; he had even used his family's identification to set up anonymous accounts to release them, but they all flopped, reaching almost no one. Song Yue was completely unaware of this.

Song Yue claimed she wasn't curious, but Xu Shujian didn't believe her. There was one thing he felt he had overlooked: Song Yue was not the type of person to simply follow someone else's arrangements.

After a moment of deliberation, Xu Shujian sighed. "See? I told you that you wouldn't be happy if I actually performed."

Song Yue rolled her eyes. "Can you just be straightforward for once?"

Xu Shujian looked behind him. "Tell them to stop recording, and I'll sing."

Song Yue turned her head, frowning. "Why do you care about them? This is their job."

Feeling they couldn't reach an agreement, Xu Shujian stood up.

The people behind them had heard every word. Liu Zhiran and Tang Mingyue, each holding a camera and accompanied by a cameraman, had been approaching; for some reason, upon seeing Xu Shujian walk toward them, they simultaneously took several steps back.

What was the meaning of this? Were they not allowed to film?

"Tang Mingyue! Don't hide, I see you."

Tang Mingyue froze, instinctively retreating behind Liu Zhiran with a look that clearly said, "Don't come over here."

"Honestly, I feel for you guys. Everyone here, including myself, isn't exactly normal. Your workload is already heavy enough; let's just not record this part. There’s no need to add to your burden."

Tang Mingyue wanted to speak up, but Liu Zhiran stepped in first. "Alright, alright. We at Mango TV have always respected the privacy of our artists. If you are certain you don't want this recorded, then we certainly won't."

"Liu..." Tang Mingyue was becoming anxious. Why? Why couldn't they record this? They were already here, and this was a reality show, after all. Besides, they were getting a divorce—what was there to hide? Even at the very worst, they could just choose not to air it.

Before she could finish, Liu Zhiran cut her off with a look over his shoulder, then turned back to smile at Xu Shujian. "Look at the indicator lights; we've turned off all the equipment."

Xu Shujian happily reached out to take the camera from Liu Zhiran's hand. "I haven't met this gentleman before, but you're quite reasonable. Mainly, the songs I write for myself aren't very good; it's better to keep my ugly ducklings hidden from the public eye."

Xu Shujian carried the equipment from Liu Zhiran's hands quite a distance away and placed it on the sand, then returned to collect the other two cameras. Tang Mingyue was reluctant, but with her superior present, there was nothing she could do.

Xu Shujian felt this was a calculated move. He needed to put a stop to Song Yue's curiosity. Since she insisted on listening, he would sing a fitting song, but it would undoubtedly affect her. She might not care about appearing transparent, but what about her family? Xu Shujian didn't want to get entangled with those people; they wouldn't consider what was best for him or Song Yue. Their core motivation would always be profit. To Xu Shujian, the best outcome for him and Song Yue was to part ways amicably.

As Xu Shujian walked back, Tang Mingyue immediately looked at Liu Zhiran, still hoping to salvage the recording.

But Liu Zhiran suddenly pulled out a mobile phone, opened the camera, and aimed it at Xu Shujian and Song Yue.

Tang Mingyue was stunned for a moment, then burst into a giggle. The older the ginger, the spicier it gets. She followed suit, going under a tree on the other side, and pulled out her phone to record from a different angle.

By the lake, Song Yue told the returning Xu Shujian that she knew where to draw the line. She felt these things weren't that important. Her relationship with Xu Shujian had always been one of mutual respect; the overall direction was fine. Even if there were issues after the recording, they could always request a re-edit. She had signed a contract with the production team, which guaranteed that they had to review the final cut before it went live. There were several layers of safeguards. Besides, how quickly does the internet forget things these days? If people like Zhang Qidong and Yu Hui dared to show up, why should she be afraid?

Once Xu Shujian picked up the guitar, Song Yue said, "It’s not easy to hear you sing a song."

Xu Shujian replied, "That’s because you didn’t want to listen before."

Song Yue fell silent.

Xu Shujian strummed the strings, memories flooding his mind as he slowly began to sing.

*For you, I have endured the cold wind,*
*Shedding tears in moments of loneliness.*
*Some ask me about right and wrong,*
*About the rights and the wrongs,*
*But who truly cares for whom?*
*...*

As soon as Xu Shujian started, Song Yue slowly leaned back, propping herself up on the sand. She felt that "Old Xu's" style had truly changed completely. In her memory, she had rarely heard him sing in this style.

As her heart settled, her attention drifted to the lyrics, and her mind began to wander through the past. She found the first part quite interesting; it truly described Old Xu's state of mind at the time, fully capturing the perspective of a sensitive man.

*If love is no longer possible,*
*Just say it plainly, it doesn't matter.*
*No need to comfort me,*
*Why fear my sorrow?*
*Just pretend that from now on, I hide my true feelings from everyone,*
*I will try to let go of the past,*
*No matter how beautiful it once was.*
*...*

Listening, Song Yue clearly felt a numbness in her back, and that stifling sensation returned. So, he had seen all of her changes? If she had truly changed, why not just say it? Why resort to various hints in daily life?

Song Yue sighed involuntarily. It was a contradictory state of mind. To be heart-wrenchingly honest, for a long time, she had felt that Xu Shujian had become a burden. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to make a clean break; she didn't have the heart for it, and she felt that if she were the one to initiate the split, she wouldn't be able to get past the internal barrier. So, she let her darker instincts take over, hoping that Xu Shujian would be the one to let go.

*I don't love you anymore, or rather, your love has become a burden to me—can you please step out of my life?*

Isn't this what you, Xu Shujian, wanted too? You didn't dare to do it, so I hinted for you to do it, so it would be better for both of us.

*I will try not to think of,*
*How you once enveloped me with love,*
*That deep, affectionate feeling.*
*I hope I can just let go of the past,*
*And forget how beautiful it once was.*
*Not hoping for mercy even when the fate has ended,*
*Although I once thought so,*
*I truly thought so.*

Xu Shujian stopped there, for through the bright moonlight, he saw the tears on Song Yue's face. He ceased strumming and said in a low voice, "Just think of it as only a song."

Song Yue turned her head to look at him. In the moonlight, her exquisite, alluring face was breathtaking. Xu Shujian finally understood his predecessor; it was no wonder that in a world of endless distractions, he had chosen Song Yue.

Song Yue spoke with a heavy tone, "Old Xu, how ironic. Why is it that when love reaches a certain point, it slowly becomes a performance of selfishness and self-indulgence? Is it like this for everyone, or is it just me?"

Xu Shujian handed her a tissue and said slowly, "It’s like that for everyone. You are like this, I am like this, and they are the same."

Song Yue remained silent for a long, long time before replying, "I'm sorry."

Xu Shujian smiled. "It's alright. What you said is actually quite true—love is only a very small part of life."