Chapter 26: Until I Hear Someone Say They Love Me

"It’s all my fault for being so tall. You got caught in the rain because I was shielding you with the umbrella. If I had known, I should have just held Coconut Milk and run back by myself."

Fei Hong’s movements were meticulous. Even when wiping away sweat, he was careful, his wet wipe gliding gently over Zhou Mumu’s forehead, not daring to linger too long.

After replacing the towel, he sat there, staring blankly, unable to look away.

Zhou Mumu was buried in a mess of pillows, her cheeks flushed like crumpled rouge paper. The color was uneven, the edges tinged with a sickly dampness.

Although now was not the time to say it, she was truly beautiful.

Both of them had debuted as child stars and were old acquaintances. When they first worked together, Fei Hong was only twelve; he played the younger version of the male lead, and Zhou Mumu played the female lead.

In a sense, they were childhood sweethearts who had known each other for a long time, yet this was the first time he had looked at her so intently.

Fei Hong was lost in thought until the sound of Yu Wei tuning his guitar broke his reverie.

"Mumu, what song do you think Yu Wei will sing?" He asked, though his voice was so soft it seemed he was afraid of waking the evenly breathing girl.

He had truly accepted Yu Wei as a friend—a man of vast knowledge and high character, and more importantly, someone who really knew how to provide a great assist.

Suddenly, the prelude fell like a single raindrop breaking the surface of a lake. The clean, transparent sound of the strings rippled through the room, and Yu Wei’s voice followed, piercing through the thin mist.

"Dragonflies rest on the bamboo fence,
Glass bottles are filled with a tiny forest."

The first line rang out like a clear spring dripping into the deep, ancient well of a heart. The lingering echoes of the room’s earlier bustle were instantly silenced, to the point where one could hear a pin drop.

Yu Wei was still Yu Wei; his new song was of the same high caliber. "Dragonflies on the bamboo fence," "glass bottles filled with a tiny forest," and "light and shadow refracting through the blinds"—the imagery was incredibly vivid.

These elements wove together a landscape of youthful memories, reminding Fei Hong of their first meeting.

The September weather was blistering. Even in the afternoon, the sun felt scalding on his skin. Twelve-year-old Fei Hong had sprinted into the film studio, desperate for air conditioning.

His costume was thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. As he stepped into the studio, he caught a sprinting Zhou Mumu head-on.

Her concerned words came through the cool air, "Are you okay?" Fei Hong followed the voice to find a serene girl in a plain dress. Though she looked a bit dazed herself, she had prioritized asking about his condition.

After that single glance, his heartbeat roared like a drum, drowning out the cicadas outside and the noise within the studio.

That scene seemed to have been carved into Fei Hong’s memory, and even today, it remained crystal clear.

"And I hear the sound of the rain,
Recalling how you spoke of love in lip-reading.
Happiness can also be very quiet,
I have always been so cautious in my devotion."

Even though it was a song about memories, these lines pulled Fei Hong back to reality, as if he had just woken from a dream—a dream so sweet, so clean, and so yearning.

He had asked her on the first day of the program, but Zhou Mumu had said she didn't remember him.

Yes, with a decade-long acting career, how could she possibly remember every star she had worked with? Especially since they hadn't shared any scenes in that drama.

"Lip-reading love" and "tears transparent on the face" sounded romantic, but in reality, they were just hazy feelings that never reached their destination.

Yu Wei’s lyrics in the bridge were excellent, using the falling of raindrops to represent the transition of emotions, like a slow-motion playback.

"Finally hearing the sound of the rain, and so my world is awakened."

This made him face reality: emotions were like raindrops; once they hit the ground, the longing should also come to an end.

The second chorus brought a more direct state of emotion.

"Raindrops dripping on the windowsill, tapping against the sorrow, beautiful and moving." He had never imagined a song could describe his feelings so accurately.

The rain fell dense as needlepoints, rustling over the leaves. Fei Hong sighed, deciding to go out and give Yu Wei a round of applause; he really liked this song.

Just as he was about to move, his arm raised to walk toward the door, warm fingertips suddenly touched his sleeve.

"Don't... don't go."

"Finally hearing the sound of the rain,
And so my world is awakened.
Discovering you have always been so close,
Quietly staying by my side,
With a firm resolve."

The first half of the song told of a young person’s cautious love, the middle section experienced the bitterness and sweetness of life, but the end of the song revealed a firm resolve.

The sudden reversal was unexpected, but since the emotions had been building with the sound of the rain throughout the song, this ending felt like a matter of course.

After the rain, there is always clear sky.

If "Heart Wall" gave them the feeling of love being natural, then this song felt like love being inevitable.

In truth, the biggest gap between viral internet songs and classic tracks lies in their cohesion and logic. Internet songs are meant to be hits, so they only need one or two catchy hooks, while the rest is just filler. Their logic is often completely broken, let alone any sense of cohesion.

"Hearing the Sound of the Rain" was a perfect textbook example. The sound of rain was the thread running through the entire song, serving as the resonance for the emotions.

First, hearing the rain, memories surface; then, raindrops on the windowsill, facing reality; finally, the rain clears, awakening and acceptance.

The song opened with the fresh imagery of "bamboo fences and dragonflies" and ended by revisiting the same scene. However, the abrupt silence hinted that things had changed, forming an emotional closed loop.

The others listened quietly, but their hearts were already experiencing a turbulent storm. From a creative standpoint, the song was flawless.

Not to mention Yu Wei’s singing, which perfectly mastered the song. The continuous flow of the chorus was something an average person couldn't even sing.

The impact of hearing it live was incomparable to any video. If they felt amazed by the "Heart Wall" performance, hearing this song in person left them with goosebumps.

Was this really a song written in just one week?

It was even the second version after scrapping the first. They had only ever heard other singers brag about such things; they hadn't expected it to be true for Yu Wei.

Honestly, a song like this could be written in minutes, let alone a week—three days would be enough!

While singing, Yu Wei kept thinking about the music video. Jay Chou’s music videos were always excellent and an essential part of the listening experience.

The male lead in the story really liked a classmate, who happened to be a wealthy heiress.

But the male lead’s family was very poor—so poor he couldn't even afford a decent wedding dress. He always felt he wasn't good enough for her, but what he didn't know was that the heiress had also secretly fallen for him.

In the end, after overcoming hardships and prejudices, they came together as the rain cleared.

The story was simple, perhaps even a bit cliché, but paired with the music, it was deeply moving, which was why he remembered it so vividly.

The best songs are those with imagery that can stir up past memories—whether good or bad, they are precious treasures to be stored away.

Without a doubt, this song achieved that.

"How could I not remember you?"

Zhou Mumu reached out to test the temperature of her forehead. Her fingertips no longer felt the scorching heat, but a warmth closer to normal skin.

"You were so good-looking back then; it’s hard to forget after seeing you once."

Her condition had improved significantly; the faint chills on her body had vanished, leaving only a thin layer of sweat clinging to her neck.

"I’m sorry, I’ve grown up to be less attractive..."

"Who told you that?"

Zhou Mumu was so annoyed she turned over, a simple movement that pulled at her temples and caused a sharp pain, making her knit her brows again.

"Are you okay?"

Fei Hong was so worried he forgot about social boundaries, quickly placing his hand on her forehead to check her condition. But Zhou Mumu answered his question with an action: she took his hand, placed it over her own, and held them together against her forehead.

"I don't want to leave, because I want to be with everyone."

"Especially you."

"Wow!"

The people peeking at the door let out a sharp, startled cry.

These two—did they get all romantic just from listening to a little love song? If Yu Wei sang "That Night," they’d probably be making mistakes on the spot!