Chapter 168: Writing Songs for You

The audience was still immersed in the gentle aftertaste of his words.

But then, many people realized something.

"2012... July 9th?"

"Is that the day they first met?"

Soon, more and more audience members caught on, and the entire venue began to buzz with the sound of thousands of people gasping.

The live stream chat was even more explosive:

[July 9th is the day they first met?]

[So he's been hiding his identity since they met, not seeking fame or fortune, secretly writing songs for her for thirteen years under that day's name?]

[My scalp is tingling... This is harsher than any love confession... Every song he wrote for her was signed with "The Day I Met You"...]

[Wait! Isn't this the plot of Shen Mingyue's movie "Writing Songs for You"? That thirteen-year-old music prodigy Zhou Yunxu met his older sister and wrote songs for her anonymously, helping her reach the peak of her career...]

[Holy crap! This July 9th looks younger than Song Jiaru...]

[That's right, he's my high school classmate Xu Yunzhou!! He's at most twenty-six years old now, five years younger than Song Jiaru!]

[Holy crap, Zhou Yunxu, Xu Yunzhou! It all matches up!]

(TL: Reversing and rearranging Zhou Yunxu you get Xu Yunzhou.)

In the back of the stands, Shen Jie held his phone, looking as if he had been struck by lightning.

On his phone screen, WeChat group messages and private messages were popping up frantically:

"@Shen Jie, are you with your sister-in-law at the venue? Holy crap! Is that person on stage Xu Yunzhou?"

"It's definitely him! I'd recognize him even if he was ashes! My dorm mate for four years!"

"But how did he end up there, and become Song Jiaru's mysterious boyfriend?"

"No wonder he loves singing so much, he's actually July 9th!"

Shen Jie's fingers were trembling.

His lips quivered, trying to say something but unable to make a sound.

He looked at the familiar figure on stage, bathed in countless lights and wearing a Zhongshan suit.

He looked at that clear and handsome face he had known since childhood.

He looked at those calm and deep eyes, which seemed to have absorbed thirteen years of time.

The biggest question was:

In 2012, Xu Yunzhou was only thirteen years old.

How did a thirteen-year-old middle school student know Song Jiaru, who was already eighteen and in her senior year of high school in Chengzhou?

Online friend? A music soulmate behind the screen?

Okay, that could still be explained.

But what about his extraordinary talent for composing and lyric writing?

The talent that swept the music industry and made countless professional musicians marvel?

The innate control over melody and lyrics, as if it flowed through his veins from birth?

How could a thirteen-year-old child possess such talent?

If he truly had such a gift, why had no one known about it before?

Why did he live like an ordinary programmer, working overtime to pay off loans, selling his house because of his ex-girlfriend's betrayal, living... well, living a colorful life...

Shen Jie's fingers flew over the screen, typing and deleting, typing and deleting.

Finally, he trembled and sent a jumbled message:

"Bro Xu..."

"Are you really... July 9th?"

"Are 'Lonely Warrior,' 'Stars and Oceans,' 'Light Years Away'... all yours?"

"Have you been hiding this from the world for thirteen years?"

"Have you been hiding it from me for thirteen years?"

"You're playing... too big."

...

On stage.

Xu Yunzhou could feel the overwhelming emotional shift from the audience, but his expression remained calm.

Only his gaze towards Song Jiaru was so gentle it could almost drown a person.

Song Jiaru's makeup was already ruined from crying.

She listened to the audience's exclamations, the discussions about "July 9th being a date," "the day they met," the sobs and screams of realization...

She bit her lower lip hard, trying not to cry out loud, but the tears wouldn't stop.

She had never publicly explained the meaning of that name.

It was a secret between just the two of them.

And now he stood here, in front of the entire world, using the calmest tone to reveal the mystery hidden for thirteen years.

Song Jiaru's tears rolled down her cheeks.

She looked at him, through her blurry tears, at his clear and handsome features, his straight nose, and his gentle, smiling mouth.

She looked at the man who had spent thirteen years, composed hundreds of hit songs, and used a date as a pen name, silently accompanying her through obscurity, through online criticism, and to the peak of her career.

...

The audience was completely blown away!

No longer was there doubt or shock.

It was an overwhelming, almost mad wave of emotion and blessings!

Fluorescent sticks waved wildly, forming a sea of stars!

Crying, screaming, clapping, even someone shouting at the top of their lungs, "Be happy!" All the sounds mixed together, creating a tidal wave of emotion that could overturn the roof!

They finally understood.

They understood why Song Jiaru had never explained the meaning of that pen name.

They understood why her eyes were always so gentle when she thanked "July 9th" at award ceremonies, as if reading a love letter.

They understood why she could maintain such purity and perseverance in the entertainment industry, a place of fame and fortune.

Because there was someone.

Since the day they met, he had used that date as a pen name, writing songs for her for thirteen years.

Accompanying her from obscurity to stardom.

At every important moment in her life, he was "there."

This was more than just love.

It was a companionship that had become part of their very being.

It was a romance that transcended time.

It was a career-long love letter, written over thirteen years, with every popular melody concealing the truth, known only to them.

Ultimate humility.

Ultimate depth of feeling.

Truly... romantic.

...

On stage.

Xu Yunzhou felt the overwhelming wave of sound and tears.

He stood quietly.

Waiting for the wave to subside.

Xu Yunzhou turned his gaze to the audience, his tone sincere:

"So..."

"The star of today, from beginning to end, should be her."

He looked at Song Jiaru, his eyes filled with tenderness and pride:

"It's her who, over ten years, went from being too afraid to make eye contact to standing on this dazzling stage."

"It's her who healed countless people with her voice, giving them courage."

"It's her who deserves all the flowers, applause, and love."

He paused, his tone serious:

"I shouldn't, and I don't have the right, to steal the spotlight."

The audience fell silent.

Countless tearful eyes watched him.

"Let's do this..."

"I'll play a song for everyone."

"A song I owe her for many years."

"Perhaps..."

He turned to the audience, his voice reaching every corner:

"It's a song for all of us."

"For all those who believe in light, chase love, and refuse to give up in life."

As he finished speaking,

the lights behind the stage dimmed.

A spotlight shone down.

Illuminating the gleaming black grand piano in the center of the stage.

Xu Yunzhou walked towards the piano.

Sat down.

His hands hovered above the keys.

Closed his eyes.

Took a deep breath.

His fingertips touched the keys.

The first note, like a star being born, lit up the night sky.