Chapter 5: The Merging of Emotions

The directors in the live broadcast studio were in an uproar. Zhang Qiyang’s sudden introduction of an unfamiliar piece left them feeling as though they had been plunged into an ice cellar. This guitar solo, with its beautiful and desolate melody, was far more pleasant than the dark and eerie tune Zhang Qiyang had played during rehearsal. But changing the arrangement on the fly during a live show was precisely the kind of situation the directing team feared most—it caught everyone off guard.

Director Luo Tao was seized by a foreboding sense; he suspected that Zhang Qiyang, that troublemaker, had decided to switch songs on his own—without so much as a warning. What a bastard! In his fury, Luo Tao slammed his fist on the desk. He immediately instructed the staff handling subtitles to pause them, lest the unsuspecting audience realize something was amiss with the song. Then, through his single-line earpiece, he informed the music director, Chen Dahai, not to cue any music for Zhang Qiyang. If this brat insisted on doing things his own way, let him do it alone; no one was to intervene.

Upon receiving Luo Tao’s directive, Chen Dahai made a sweeping gesture to the musicians, signaling them to stop. The musicians all set down their instruments and watched Zhang Qiyang in the center of the stage, strumming his guitar solo. They were curious to see what tricks this loudmouthed eccentric would pull off today.

Neither the live audience nor those watching at home were aware that Zhang Qiyang had switched songs at the last minute. As they listened to his lingering melody, they experienced a strange and wonderful pleasure in hearing it.

Qin Xueyang, who knew Zhang Qiyang best, felt as if she were witnessing a devil dancing gracefully as he played this unfamiliar tune—it was deeply unsettling. She shuddered unexpectedly, tugged at Chen Ke’s sleeve, and whispered, “COCO, I have a bad feeling about this…”

Chen Ke was also uneasy. Anyone familiar with Zhang Qiyang knew he would never compose such warm and lovely music. Listening to this piece was like watching a lily bloom quietly atop the barrel of a gun about to fire—beautiful, yet fragile. In the next moment, something earth-shaking might occur.

Chen Ke pushed Qin Xueyang forward, whispering instructions: “Stop drinking your milk tea, put your mask on, and be ready to rush the stage. If Young Master Yang loses control, you must drag him down immediately—don’t let him embarrass himself.”

Qin Xueyang was startled. “This… is a live broadcast. Are you sure you want me to go up and pull him down?”

Chen Ke nodded emphatically, her expression one of determination, as if everything hinged on this moment. Weighing the risks, Chen Ke would rather cause a minor on-air mishap than let Zhang Qiyang spout nonsense on such a popular live show, which would greatly damage both his personal reputation and that of the richest family.

“All right…” Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Qin Xueyang set her pearl milk tea aside, donned her baseball cap and mask, and prepared to rush the stage like a football player.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qiyang, immersed at the center of the stage, was blissfully unaware that he was in danger of being tackled by a hefty girl.

With his eyes closed, he poured his soul into the music. It was as if his spirit had sunk beneath a frozen lake woven from melodies. The loneliness in the notes seeped into his bones. The pressure on him faded, replaced by a solitary enjoyment of music’s beauty.

The band Escape Plan’s “The Brightest Star in the Night Sky” was the kind of song that moved people from the first listen, and still moved them after countless plays. Whenever Zhang Qiyang heard its melody, he felt an urge to gaze up at the sky.

Now, as the resonant strings flowed from his fingertips, Zhang Qiyang slowly opened his eyes. It was like surfacing from beneath the lake, looking up at the starry sky. After a deep breath, as though confiding his heart’s secrets, he began to sing in a hoarse, magnetic voice:

“…The brightest star in the night sky, can you hear the loneliness and sighs deep in the heart of the one gazing at you…”

“…The brightest star in the night sky, can you remember the figure who once walked with me and disappeared into the wind…”

Zhang Qiyang’s opening was so calm and serene that many didn’t realize the song was coming from the notorious mouth of Gun Master Yang! It was worlds apart from his usual guttural growls, like he had phlegm stuck in his throat. This time, his understated, heartfelt delivery surprised everyone.

Only now did people realize that Gun Master Yang’s voice was remarkably magnetic. Even without the rasp of his vocal cords, his singing still carried a powerful texture. It was like bubbles rising from beneath a cold lake, bursting in people’s hearts and releasing a warm current of loneliness. Unbidden, images formed in their minds.

For a moment, it was as if everyone joined Zhang Qiyang, quietly standing beneath the night sky, looking up at the myriad stars, seeing that brightest star within their hearts.

Qin Xueyang, who had been prepared to rush the stage and stop Zhang Qiyang’s antics, was stunned by the sound of his voice. She had never heard such a poignant, stirring song from him before. Zhang Qiyang’s previous songs were always eerie, evoking images of death and hell, but today, he sang “The Brightest Star in the Night Sky” with such gentle charm that Qin Xueyang felt as if she were dreaming.

She pinched her chubby cheek instinctively—it hurt, so this wasn’t a dream! It was truly that rascal young master singing. Unbelievable! What on earth had gotten into him?

A mix of confusion and relief shone in Qin Xueyang’s eyes.

Beside her, Chen Ke was also startled by the moving song. She feared it was an illusion or a dream, hardly daring to breathe for fear of shattering this beautiful moment.

Everyone in the studio stared in amazement. Luo Tao could scarcely believe his eyes and ears. Even as he watched Zhang Qiyang’s mouth match the lyrics perfectly on the close-up, Luo Tao still suspected he was lip-syncing.

If it weren’t for the fact that they themselves produced this show, Luo Tao would never believe that Zhang Qiyang, known for his foul mouth, could sing so beautifully and sincerely.

Viewers at home, instead of hearing Zhang Qiyang spout off, were greeted with a voice so magnetic that they could hardly believe what was happening.

The “My Song” forum was unusually quiet; everyone was so stunned by Zhang Qiyang’s extraordinary singing that they didn’t even start complaining right away.

In the center of the stage, under the spotlight, his gaze fixed at a forty-five-degree angle, Zhang Qiyang poured his heart into this touching song from another world. As the chorus swelled, his emotions were swept up in the song’s romantic atmosphere—

“…I pray for a transparent soul and eyes that can shed tears, give me the courage to believe again, to cross lies and embrace you…”

“…Whenever I can’t find meaning in existence, whenever I lose myself in the night, brightest star in the night sky, please guide me to you…”

Having just arrived in this world and merged with the original owner’s memories, singing this song now awakened the original’s deep longing and pain for his mother. In the midst of it all, Zhang Qiyang could no longer distinguish whether the sorrowful feelings rising in his heart were his own or the original’s.

Especially when he sang, “Whenever I can’t find meaning in existence, whenever I lose myself in the night, brightest star in the night sky, please guide me to you,” the image of the original’s mother—gentle and sweet—appeared vividly in his mind.

The original’s longing transformed his mother’s image into the brightest star in the night sky, as if she winked at him and showed him the way. The confusion and chaos of life suddenly became clear, just like the resolute and patient look in his eyes at that moment.

As the song progressed, Zhang Qiyang felt the fusion with the original’s memories deepen, even their emotions blending together. This integration made his singing even more sincere and moving, as if he were revealing his inner journey to others and unlocking his own heart.

That vast and boundless feeling became a sky full of stars, enveloping everyone in his musical cosmos. Lonely and lost hearts were all touched by Zhang Qiyang’s voice.

For a brief moment, people forgot he was a reckless fool and instead saw the lonely brilliance shining from within him.