Chapter 1003 - 976: Don’t You Have Anything to Ask Me?
As soon as Qian heard Lang Zouqin’s section, she reflexively looked at the person playing the piano. Fortunately, it was a female pianist.
If it wasn’t the pianist, who could it be?
Though the melody of the song was beautiful, Yu Mingxi’s singing imbued it with intense sorrow. The sadness resonated through her voice, and because of Qian’s profession, she was more empathetic than most people, feeling a wrenching discomfort after listening for a while.
Yu Mingxi’s singing stirred up unpleasant memories from Qian’s past life, even evoking a fear of being separated from Yu Minglang. That’s the power of Yu Mingxi’s voice.
When Yu Mingxi sang "Looking north towards home, tears stain my collar. Little sister misses Lang to this day, love deepened through shared hardships," Qian was certain she heard a tremor in the voice.
She looked up and saw Yu Mingxi’s bright face adorned with her signature smile, but glistening tears were also present on her cheeks.
The pain of laughing while crying.
What kind of person, what kind of relationship, could make the carefree Yu Mingxi sing to the point of tears?
While feeling heartache for Yu Mingxi, Qian was also grateful Hai Zhao wasn’t there.
She had invited Hai Zhao when she came, but he didn’t come. Thankfully he didn’t; otherwise, seeing this scene, Hai Zhao would have been heartbroken.
The one most beloved keeps someone others can’t touch in their heart, reserving all her smiles for others, nonchalantly distant.
Yet only tears are left for the person in her heart. Even just a song, a familiar melody, can immerse Yu Mingxi completely.
Qian silently rejoiced, yet she didn’t notice a man in full disguise with a hat in the rear corner, burying his face in his collar, silently crying with Yu Mingxi on stage. That was Hai Zhao.
A devoted obsession with Yu Mingxi spanning many years.
He came, he saw a Yu Mingxi who wasn’t his, as she shed tears for an unknown man.
Qian once said, "The most unfair thing in the world is emotion; giving doesn’t necessarily lead to a reward; it may backfire, leaving one in despair."
At this moment, Hai Zhao felt he understood it all.
Cry, my beloved girl, as you shed tears, I accompany you. Let this sorrow turn into a rain of missed emotions. But your heart is so tightly closed, how can I ever reach you...
This was the finale, and when it concluded, there was silence for a few seconds before applause surged like a tide. Yu Mingxi had sung a poignant emotion deep into everyone’s hearts.
Backstage, Qian waited for Yu Mingxi, who changed out of her luxurious performance attire into a simple T-shirt and baseball cap, wearing sunglasses. Yu Mingxi looked like the girl next door, all traces of stage glamour gone. Her first words to Qian were:
"Let’s go; I’ll show you the one in my heart."
Yu Mingxi drove off from the capital with Qian straight onto the highway, making Qian worry about Hai Zhao the whole way.
She feared Yu Mingxi might take her to some cemetery or memorial.
If so, it would be over.
The living cannot compete with the dead. She once treated Mr. Liu’s former daughter-in-law, Hu Meijing, regarding choices between living and deceased loved ones. That case succeeded only because of Hu Meijing’s alternating personality due to her psychological disorder, which allowed her to forget the deceased lover and accept her current husband.
If the one in Yu Mingxi’s heart was also dead, Hai Zhao’s chance to win her over—or be swept off her feet by the strong-willed beauty—would be almost nil.
Yu Mingxi had strong psychological resilience, unmatched by Hu Meijing, and would not develop alternating personalities. She would only firmly keep that person etched in her heart forever.
Qian prepared for the worst, thinking Yu Mingxi’s song indicated that the person in her heart must have died.
Unexpectedly, Yu Mingxi took her somewhere completely unimaginable.
After driving for over two hours, Yu Mingxi brought Qian to the outskirts of a small town.
Seeing the cold words "prison," Qian momentarily dazed.
Yu Mingxi parked her car and led Qian to handle the visitation paperwork. The prison guards seemed surprised by her arrival, comparing her to the ID handed over by Yu Mingxi, their mouths agape before finally speaking.
"You, you—I’m your loyal fan! My mom loves your songs, my dad loves your songs, my family all—"
The unexpected appearance of a big star made the guard quite pleased; he was certainly a big fan of Yu Mingxi.
Yu Mingxi smiled warmly. "After my visit, I can send you a signed CD. This doesn’t break your rules, right? Not considered bribery?"
"Haha, you’re hilarious! Come with me; I’ll take you to the reception room."
Qian and Yu Mingxi followed the person to the reception room, waiting for a bit. Someone came and whispered a few words to their escort, who reluctantly glanced at Yu Mingxi, then bargained a bit with another person.
Qian couldn’t hear clearly, but it was probably about making the most out of Yu Mingxi’s rare visit by letting her see someone.
Having many fans indeed had its benefits, securing an opportunity for Yu Mingxi in crucial moments.
It turned out that today coincided with the prison’s cultural performance event, and the prisoner Yu Mingxi wished to see was currently performing on piano and would miss the visit time after the performance.
Finally, they earned Yu Mingxi a chance to glimpse him backstage, but just as the tide seemed to turn, Yu Mingxi spoke.
"Forget it; don’t make exceptions just for me. Rules are rules; they shouldn’t be broken. I’ll wait for another chance."
"But—" The person wanted to say more, but Yu Mingxi thanked him with a smile.
"No worries, you did your best, and I’m grateful for your support. I’ll mail you the signed CD. Thank you!"
Departing the prison, Qian instinctively took the driver’s seat, ushering Yu Mingxi to the passenger side.
By the time they returned to Q City, nightfall had descended, and Qian drove straight to Zheng Xu’s bar.
The bartender, sharp-eyed, saw Qian coming and promptly guided her to a quiet corner while assigning two brothers to guard against unwanted disturbances.
Qian had stored two decent bottles of red wine here, taking both out.
"I’ll join you for a drink," Qian swirled her wine glass, "I heard your drinking limit is similar to Xiaoqiang’s."
"Don’t you have anything to ask me?"
Throughout the journey, Yu Mingxi’s mood had been low, and Qian wisely left her undisturbed. Now that Yu Mingxi had somewhat recovered, she posed the question.
"Ask you what? Who’s the person you waited for? I saw it on the visitation form." Now Qian knew who Yu Mingxi wanted to see.