The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 258 Born Towards the Sun, Concert Over (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Oh dear, it's coming!"

Jay Chou straightened his back and said to Kunlin, whose eyes were shining, that he was also eager to hear what his younger brother thought of his Mandarin single.

The singers of the inner fish behind him all pricked up their ears to watch the scene unfold before their eyes—the spotlights suddenly condensed into beams of dim yellow light, like tunnels traversing time and space, precisely enveloping Gong Cheng's tall figure.

The intro to "Time Copy" begins slowly, with the sound of blues guitar strings being plucked, like a gentle breeze drifting from a distant time tunnel, rippling in everyone's heartstrings.

A hazy yellow light shone on Gong Cheng's warm and gentle eyes. On the giant screens surrounding him, fragmented video clips flashed by—photos from different periods since his debut, like disjointed movie scenes flashing by...

Rewind, rewind, and rewind again... A face that contrasts sharply with the boy on stage, seemingly a photo from before his debut, abruptly appears on a series of shimmering LED screens.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

"Oppa!!!"

The sudden appearance of the old photo caused many fans to scream. They had never seen this photo before—the striking features were truly impactful, directly affecting the hearts of the young girls. The sharp, defiant eyebrows and sculpted features, the pursed lips with bruises, yet revealing a sense of unwillingness and stubbornness...

When Kim Jisoo saw the old photo on the big screen, her pupils contracted sharply. A flood of fragmented memories rushed in, and she clearly knew when the photo that had made tens of thousands of fans scream in the audience was taken: 15 years ago.

Back then, he didn't have that annoying smile he has now; in fact, he was quite cute.

Long time no see, Gong Cheng...

Kim Ji-soo smiled and silently greeted Gong Cheng on the stage. She always felt that "Tarot" was "Tarot" and "Gong Cheng" was "Gong Cheng". As for the bruise on the corner of her mouth in the photo, it made her laugh when she thought of it. It was left on the stage.

"The starry sky pulls passersby along, memories collide with the rings of time..."

"One last lap, keep going!"

Gong Cheng, sitting on a bench, picked up the microphone. His highly recognizable voice entered the prelude, his warm tone flowing with a sense of storytelling. The large screen behind him, the moment the song began, projected his past years like a time machine.

Jisoo stared blankly at the video playing on the big screen. The picture quality was blurry, but it couldn't possibly be the MV that Joo-hyun unnie was talking about. It was clearly the one that Jo Mi-yeon filmed, and she had been right next to her in the summer of 2015.

The video was shot from behind, so Gong Cheng was only shown as a blurry, tall figure walking in the moonlit park. Kim Ji-soo remembered that she and Zhao Meiyan were whispering something at this moment, but it seems that their voices were muted.

"The lonely soul under the moon halo is deeply wounded by the past."

On stage, Gong Cheng softly sang the lyrics, glancing sideways at the large screen behind him. The rewinding video seemed to bring back those deep-seated memories.

"It seems Shi Lu was lost in thought..."

The person in the video suddenly turned around, tilted their head, looked at the two people filming the video, and called out in a drawn-out, urging voice, "Let's go..."

A shout seemed to open a door in time and space, and the gears of fate began to turn. The warm yellow spotlights that had been pouring onto the stage suddenly went out, plunging the stage into darkness.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of audience members held their breath as they watched the video playing on the big screen. While quietly listening to the song, they wanted to know more about the boy on stage, but there was so little material about him before his debut that it was practically impossible to find any information.

In stark contrast to the dark stage, the dense sound of counting money emanated from speakers all around. On the screen, a white money counting machine swallowed and spat out Korean won of various denominations: Toegye Yi Hwang, Yulgok Yi I, King Sejong the Great, Shin Saimdang, from 1000 won to 5000, 10000, 50000... eventually turning into a string of numbers and depositing them into bank accounts.

"It seems Shi Lu was lost in thought..."

The spotlight, like the setting sun, cast Gong Cheng's figure in the center of the stage. He gripped the microphone and hummed the lyrics softly, his eyes glazed over. During the interlude, he watched along with the 100,000 fans in the audience. The video on the screen wasn't really a music video; all the videos and screenshots, apart from a few simple re-shots and special effects, consisted of snippets of footage recorded by friends or himself.

The fluctuating balance froze and then quickly disappeared—a monotonous chat screenshot from Gong Cheng's perspective appeared in the video. The contact was listed in Korean as "Dr. Kim," and the chat box showed the date as December 17, 2015.

"Doctor, I've earned enough for the surgery. Please arrange the surgery for my father."

"Okay. Our hospital will arrange it as soon as possible. Although the surgery has risks, please don't feel too much pressure and trust us."

The brief conversation in Korean ended with Gong Cheng's words, "It will be alright." Among the tens of thousands of fans present, those from Peninsula and those who understood a little Korean instantly had tears welling up in their eyes. Many fans, unaware of what was happening, looked at the distressed crowd beside them. After a few simple translations of "Akka," large groups of girls, their eyes brimming with tears, waved their light sticks even more enthusiastically.

"People run on the track, persevere, compete, and endure."

"My heart kneels in the darkness, roaring, questioning, waiting~"

With simple yet powerful lyrics and a delicate, heartfelt vocal performance, dozens of LED screens displayed images of Gong Cheng's youthful face as he expressionlessly signed the surgery consent form. Then, in the corridor outside the operating room, he sat blankly on a cold chair, his fingers clenched tightly as he waited.

The cold lights in the hospital dimmed at that moment, as if plunging the hospital into a dark world.

"You swim through the sea of ​​people, trembling, hiding, yet remaining calm~"

"And I, I watch those foolish and angry people go..."

"This interlude and bridge are so catchy and infectious," Deng Ziqi exclaimed. A bridge, also known as a transitional section, is an important concept in music terminology. It is usually a transitional passage between the verse and the chorus, and its function is to prepare for the climax of the song.

Zhang Liangying wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Isn't the interlude the most amazing part?" Her eyes, lined with eyeliner, were fixed on the center of the stage. She looked up at the boy singing freely, as if he were releasing emotions that had been pent up in his heart. Coupled with the grandeur of the interlude and the dim spotlight, it truly evoked a sense of tragic grandeur, like someone walking alone through the river of time, and also a sense of happiness, like being warmed by a ray of sunshine after a hysterical outburst...

"Once you've confronted yourself, stop making a fuss!"

"Don't copy the question mark, the outcome is already decided~"

"Clatter, clatter!" Hundreds of spotlights on the dome of the venue suddenly lit up with warm yellow light, illuminating the entire venue. The tearful faces of the fans seemed to be shrouded in a timeless scene.

The darkness on the big screen suddenly dissipated, and a tall figure sat lazily on a park bench, his calm face bathed in sunlight. He chuckled into the phone and said, "Oh, Mom, I'm not coming home for dinner. Let Dad rest. I'm going back to school."

The seemingly ordinary scene connected the beginning of the music video: a successful surgery. Even though many fans in the audience already knew that Gong Cheng's adoptive parents were alive, their hearts still ached while watching the previous videos…

"Waiting for the passage of time~ Lonely and quiet~"

"Calling out for a second life from heaven!"

During the climax of the song, Gong Cheng's deafening voice echoed across every corner of the beach—Jin Daewoo stood in a corner of the waiting area, a towel draped over the shoulder of his Armani elite business shirt, and holding the electrolyte water that Gong Cheng would need when he went offstage.

But in Green Bean's view, the music video scene suddenly changed, and business cards from various talent agencies were scattered in layers on Gong Cheng's bedside table, the outrageous number of which was quite shocking.

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

"Oh my god! Oppa!!"

The fans immediately roared with excitement, "A second life!"
These talent scouts' business cards marked the beginning of the boy's journey to becoming a singer! Fans stood on tiptoe, waving their light sticks, chanting, "Gong Cheng, thank you for becoming Tarot, thank you for becoming a singer!"

Gong Cheng smiled broadly and waved to the fans from the edge of the stage, his radiant face beaming with joy.

"After turning the page~ regrets and dark matter~"

"I have to make it roll away!"

The music video continued, showing Gong Cheng arriving at JYP. Park Jin-young and Kim Dae-woo's faces appeared one after another. It was an interview video. Park Jin-young's smiling eyes showed that he was very satisfied with Gong Cheng, but most of the content was muted.

Then, a scrolling video appeared, showing Gong Cheng's debut video and a video of protesters looking down from a high-rise building in JYP's old building. The video showed flames surging and burning, the album "Boken 3" being burned, and the sizzling sound of burning, like a heart-wrenching sound...

"Woooooo~"

"Whoa whoa whoa!"

Dilraba stood beside Yang Mi, wiping away tears with a tissue, her emotions mirroring those of the tens of thousands of other fans weeping in the audience. Yang Mi, her expression complex, looked at the united spirit of the fans below and the warm eyes of the boy on stage. "Are you really the head of his fan club?"

"Sobbing~" Dilraba didn't say anything, but cheered at the top of her lungs, "Go! Oppa!"

"He's several years younger than you, isn't he..."

Dilireba, unable to bear her boss's incessant nagging any longer, turned her head and glared at him with tear-filled eyes, "What do you know, Sister Mi..."

"After traversing the silent glaciers and the wordless valleys..."

"Strive for victory amidst defeat!"

Gong Cheng raised one hand and strolled along the aisle extending from the stage. In the lens of the professional photographers on site, he gripped the microphone and sang at the top of his lungs. On both sides of his tall figure, apart from his waving arms, the rest of the scene was filled with silver light sticks flying everywhere and crazy girls...

"I'll include 'us'~"

As the gentle notes faded, dozens of LED screens, switched by the director's camera, projected the excited, tearful faces of the audience.

"I'm someone who reaches the finish line but then has to start the race again~"

"Not afraid of the wrath of Thor on the road ahead~~~~"

"I'll protect us!"

Gong Cheng stood in the center of the stage, lowered his head, and softly sang this lyric. His deep and restrained voice contained a surging emotion...

"Ahhhh!"

The fans jumped up and screamed, and when they saw their own faces on the big screen, they understood everything!

"Oppa, may you always walk on a flower path!!!"

"..."

"The time-traveling game suddenly announced a pause!"

"There is always life after life!"

In the VIP section, the members of Bombardment Meteor, wearing masks and baseball caps, sat side by side, watching their youngest member's first solo concert. Their sincere eyes glistened with tears, as if they were proud of their youngest member on stage. They had all been through this together, so it was no wonder they were moved, and they knew more about him than the fans in the audience.

“There are many things he has never said…” Bae Joo-hyun stared at Gong Cheng on the stage. She knew about Gong Cheng’s adoptive father’s illness and hospitalization, but she didn’t know much about it. She had been curious and thought about exploring it, but she hadn’t gone into any deeper understanding.

Upon hearing this, Kim Jisoo's beautiful eyes twitched. "Why would he tell you?" As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had gotten a little agitated and quickly explained, "Unnie, I didn't mean that. I meant that this guy wouldn't tell anyone else about these things."

"You know him very well?" Bae Joo-hyun wasn't annoyed at all, and gave her a friendly smile.

Kim Jisoo pursed her lips and stared at Gong Cheng on the stage, uttering a few words, "I'm alright."

She always believed that she knew Gong Cheng better than Zhao Meiyan, even better than all his friends. In fact, only she and Zhao Meiyan knew about his life before his debut.

"After hearing so much of the silent world, the wordless world holds both laughter and hate."

"I miss us~"

The music video flashes by with footage of Dahyun recording with her camera, Gong Cheng having dinner with the TWICE members, and drinking, skating, and playing ball with the members of Bombardment Meteor.

The photos, frozen in time, include group photos of Gong Cheng with the maknae line and the Japanese line of TWICE, as well as individual photos with friends such as Yoo Jeongyeon, Oh Sehun, and Park Chanyeol. These are all candid shots that fans have never seen before...

Miyako cleverly included a few solo photos with his female co-stars in his individual shots, subtly showing off. For example, in a photo taken when Bombardment Meteor debuted in Japan, he was with Mina Mani, Sana Minatozaki, and Momo Hirai. The girls were wearing summer kimonos, exuding a soft and charming aura, while he stood upright behind them, with a constant stream of traffic and the Tokyo Tower glowing orange-red in the night sky in the background.

There are also photos of her with her bunny mom in a floral red dress, and photos of her with her little tiger mom and Shiba Inu mom...

"Isn't that you, Jisoo unnie?" Park Chaeyoung stared at the group photo on the big screen and nudged the unnie next to her in surprise.

Kim Jisoo pouted and nodded unhappily. Of course it was her, but why couldn't they have used a better-looking one? The photo in her line of sight was a bit blurry; it was taken before either of them debuted. Zhao Meiyan insisted on taking a group photo of them, but she and Gong Cheng had always been at odds, so in the photo—on a barbecue restaurant chair, Gong Cheng's handsome face showed disdain, while Kim Jisoo had a sullen face and crossed her arms…

"Take a copy of that time, and look at those things I can't forget, those things I can't let go of, or those things I refuse to let go of."

"It's true I've lost before, hmph~"

Brilliant lights illuminated the stage, bathing Gong Cheng in the spotlight. Surrounded by the blessings of thousands, he stood comically at the edge of the stage, arms crossed, microphone in hand, and hummed softly, "However, I..."

"They haven't admitted it yet!"

"Aaaaaaaaaa!!!"

"Oppa!!"

Screams echoing across the beach tore through the night! The boy, surrounded by a sea of ​​people, shone brightly amidst thousands of silver light sticks. The overwhelming waves of people and the roars were like the undulating waves behind them, one after another!
The images on the big screen, one negative news report after another about "Tarot," shattered suddenly, like shards of glass exploding in a visually striking way...

So many people are speechless, just to hear a single word~

"I love us so much~"

The dozens of LED screens suddenly switched to drone footage, capturing the dense crowds and silvery light on the beach of Longhu Libeng Island, taking in all the fans who came to this area that night...

Gong Cheng smiled warmly and pointed to the night sky, "Look at the sky, it's a gift for you~"

Tens of thousands of spectators looked up in unison, gazing at the night sky ablaze with colorful lights. In the blink of an eye, drones took off, darting and reassembling at a dazzling speed, first transforming into the flowing rings of time, their warm yellow light circling around and around...

Then, the color shifted to silver-white, leaving behind a few simple and tender lyrics in the night sky.

<Me and Us>

I Protect Us

I miss us.

I love us very much

……

[Two non-parallel lines may brush past each other, or they may eventually intersect at a single point, lingering and circling.]

[Keywords: Parallel universes, love given across time and space]

The concert was on May 2nd. There was a light rain that stopped quickly in the morning, but the overcast sky could not dampen the enthusiasm of the many "Akana" fans. By evening, the refreshing sea breeze was a bit chilly, but the beach was still packed with people.

According to statistics from relevant departments, compared to the 18 fans who entered Longhu Libeng Island yesterday, the number has now reached 20...

"..."

"Ready? New song."

Gong Cheng stood tall and proud in the center of the stage, the salty night wind wiping away the sweat from his face. Unlike yesterday's opening, the first day of the concert featured the single "Still With You" followed by an unreleased single from the Chinese album "Holy Grail Six".

Then came his breakthrough hits like "Rockstar" and "Shape of You".

However, the performance order today is reversed from last night's, and the second day's concert is already nearing its end.

"Exchange of Life"

Gong Cheng glanced back at the song concept displayed on the big screen, chuckled, and said the song's name. He then took the electrolyte water Huang Lizhi handed him as she ran onto the stage, drank a couple of sips, and took off his jacket, handing it to her.

Wearing a thin white short-sleeved shirt, slightly damp with sweat, he strode with his long, straight legs in jeans to the black piano placed at the edge of the stage. He fixed the silver microphone studded with rhinestones, glanced at the fan in the audience who was very close to him. She was excitedly shouting something, but the screams from the audience were so loud that he couldn't hear what the girl was saying at all...

"Want to go on stage?" Gong Cheng sat on the piano bench, leaned forward slightly, and asked with a warm smile.

"Ahhhh!"

"Pick me! Pick me! Oppa!"

"let me!"

Upon hearing his question, the 100,000 people at the scene went wild, waving their light sticks and shouting at the top of their lungs in the night.

Gong Cheng saw the girl nod excitedly, and stretched out his hand, gesturing for her to come up on stage.

Upon seeing this, the staff quickly pulled the girl out of the crowd. The girl, holding up her long white dress, stepped down from the steps on the left and placed her slender, white hand on Gong Cheng's large hand...

On the big screen, the night wind made the girl's white flower-like long dress flutter wildly in the wind, and Gong Cheng's black hair was messy, but he had a faint smile on his face.

This caused screams from the crowd, "Ahhhhh!!"

"..."

"This guy is really good..." Kim Jisoo's fresh and natural nude makeup, with nude eyeshadow and camellia brown mascara, made her eyebrows and eyes look more clear and vibrant, but her beautiful face with a pout seemed to have realized something, wondering in her heart whether she needed to improve her magic trick at the fan meeting.

Hearing her unnie's words, Park Chaeyoung pouted speechlessly, "What do you mean 'yes'? Oppa is just being sincere, okay?"

On the stage, the piano bench in front of the piano was long enough to accommodate both Gong Cheng and the girl. Her snow-white long dress was wrinkled on the bench. Gong Cheng withdrew his gaze from her and lowered his head, his slender fingers touching the black and white keys.

The lights in the venue suddenly dimmed, with only a beam of light shining on Gong Cheng's eyes as he tilted his head to play the piano. The fans beside him watched his warm smile with a mixture of nervousness and happiness in their delicate eyes...

As the prelude to "Exchange of Lives" begins, the strings surge in like a tide, their melodious yet slightly melancholic tune conveying a rich tapestry of emotions...

Gong Cheng's gentle features appeared in the LED screen. He pressed a single piano key, and his clear, tender voice began to sing, "A lonely cat listening to the rain~"

"I saw myself through the time rift~"

"Beyond the thunder and lightning~" On the screen, photos of Gong Cheng from different periods since his debut flashed before everyone's eyes, "After the dark clouds calmed down~~ Jumping into a parallel universe~"

"Those Me~ and You and Me on Our Travels~" As Gong Cheng's soft and affectionate voice trailed off, the director suddenly cut the camera to the girl beside him. The girl's beautiful and delicate face was projected onto the large screen. Immediately afterwards, dozens of LED screens randomly selected images of dozens of fans in the audience from among the 100,000 people present. Their faces, whether innocent, mature, intellectual, elegant, or gentle, were projected onto the LED screens. The screams from different faces and voices were different, but the excitement and joy in their eyes or the expressions of covering their mouths in surprise were all the same...

Memories wander aimlessly, falling apart...

"Exchange our remaining lives, it's me, and not me, joy and sorrow~" Gong Cheng raised his head, gazing at the tens of thousands of fans below the stage, his warm eyes tinged with a hint of sadness, "After the cloudy day, there's always a bright sky to sustain us~"

The simple yet infectious lyrics gradually calmed the cheers from the audience. On the big screen, dozens of different girls' faces, enhanced by special effects, transformed into streaks of light, as if they were traveling through time, flowing and passing by...

"Setting the anchor for your heart's sea~"

"Let time stand still like slow motion~" Gong Cheng suddenly increased his voice, but the storytelling feeling in his singing remained unchanged. In his line of sight, dozens of LED screens that he could see transformed from flowing light that traveled through time and space into faces with tears in their eyes.

"You say fate is terrible, right? Luckily, I'm here."

"If there were no future, if it were a parallel universe~"

"How did I cry in different ways, in different parts of my life?" On the main screen of the stage, different versions of Gong Cheng from different periods stood in a nine-square grid of images, each with a different expression...

"..."

"Clouds wait for the wind, people wait for dreams, love crushes time—what are we waiting for?"

"Can't remember~ Can't recognize~" The melodious strings and rousing drumbeats brought the song to its climax. Gong Cheng's voice became even more powerful and resonant. He stood up, took the microphone, and, his tall figure holding the girl's hand, lingered at the edge of the stage. He looked at the girl's tear-streaked face, and in that brief moment of eye contact, a blush flashed across her delicate features. "Who blushes like this through tear-filled eyes~ wu~oh~~"

"Waiting for you to speak, waiting for me to speak~ waiting is like waiting for an entire universe~"

"Sunrise turns to moonset~ True love waits for loneliness~"

As Gong Cheng rose to leave the piano, dozens of LED screens continuously switched between shots of fans in the audience, and the ethereal, gentle singing continued, "Perhaps we've forgotten which dream we exchanged for the rest of our lives~"

"What time and space were we in back then?" Gong Cheng held the fan's hand and raised it upwards on the big screen, "Because our hands were clasped tightly—our memories were intertwined too!"

Abstract special effects within the LED display created the visual effect of a black hole. Countless streaks of light, transformed from fans, poured into the distorted vortex, accompanied by the heartfelt lyrics, "Aren't we afraid of the wormhole ahead?"

"Love is an antique of time..." The spiraling black vortex slowly dissipated, and hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of trembling, excited, tearful eyes filled with love appeared on the big screen...

As the string section of the song came to a close, a sound like tears splashing into a lake echoed from all directions...

Below the stage, faces gasped and screamed in astonishment, screaming wildly, "Oppa!!!!"

"..."

Zhou Ye excitedly waved her light stick in the stands, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Tarot, we'll always support you!" After yelling, she turned her youthful and beautiful face to Zhang Jingyi beside her and said, "The lyrics are absolutely amazing, it's like a song written for Akana! It feels so destiny-like, the meeting between Akana and Tarot is like fate..."

Deng Ziqi clapped enthusiastically. Besides the emotions conveyed in the song, the dazzling boy on stage had truly frightening singing skills. "Textbook-level emotional control, the transition between true and falsetto voices is like the temporal folding in the song's concept..."

"Encore! Encore!!!"

As the concert drew to a close, the fans in the audience suddenly came to their senses and began to shout at the top of their lungs. Jay Chou's friend Kunlin, who was standing next to him, also joined in the cheers. Jay Chou was used to this and smiled as he shouted back a couple of times. He had high hopes for this young man, who had a great talent for music.

He turned around and glanced at the VIP section, where many domestic actors and singers seemed to have become that kid's little fans, cheering wildly.

"Okay, staff, adjust the accompaniment." Gong Cheng took a sip of water on the stage, then put the water bottle at his feet. His cheerful and easygoing expression stunned the many fans who were still shouting. Why did he agree so readily?

The staff member held up their hand and gave an "OK" sign...

The concert lasted over three hours with very little intermission. Gong Cheng sat wearily on the piano bench, his tired brows still bearing a smile. Holding the microphone, he raised his handsome, smiling face, as if guessing what his fans were thinking, and began to speak with a smile:
Why are you so surprised?

"Last night, after the concert, I saw a post from a fan in the hotel. She said she came from Peru, traveled 15,000 kilometers across the ocean, and it took her two days to get here to see my concert. She had to transfer several times and came to a foreign country all by herself."

Gong Cheng softly recounted the story of what happened last night, and many of the Akana fans in the audience listened patiently. Many of them already knew about the story of the Peruvian fan last night. The viral post was spreading like wildfire in various Akana fan sites and fan groups, and everyone felt a strong connection to it. They never expected that their oppa would tell it on stage in person.

After all, seeing something and hearing it from my face are different things... "She only speaks Spanish, so she can't communicate with the language, but she can sing all my songs. The only people she knows are the other Akanas she communicates with in online fan groups. She said she trusts the Akanas and believes they can help her meet me. The other Akanas helped her book a hotel, took her out for hot pot, and gave her albums, photocards, and a friend who only charged her 377 for a ticket that cost 2177. She said she is very grateful to the Akanas..."

Gong Chengcan smiled and waved to a girl in the front row. Her joyful face appeared on the big screen. She was the fan from Peru. After last night, he arranged for his staff to put her ticket in the front row.

"I know that you have all traveled across oceans to see my concert. The journey has been arduous and long. You come from different countries, with different skin colors, speaking different languages, and from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Germany, Italy, Egypt... So thank you so much for coming..."

……

After some interaction, Gong Cheng took the light jacket that Jin Dayu handed him and put it on. The night breeze at midnight was even more chilly.

He lightly tapped the microphone on the stage, his eyes crinkling with a warm smile, and pointed to the large screen behind him, reading, "I Believe So."

Immediately afterwards, the prelude to "I Believe So" exploded in the ears of 100,000 people, the grand chorus of strings instantly enveloping the audience in a vast and profound atmosphere. The deep bass strings established a majestic tone…

"Holy crap! Another new Chinese single?"

"6666!"

"The intro is on par with a classic song!"

The song's lyrics appeared on dozens of LED screens. The opening intro felt like the end of the world, with howling winds and looming dark clouds, creating a strong sense of epic scale. However, the fans present seemed more interested in this style, somewhat reminiscent of Tarot and TWICE's collaboration, "WE Pray."

"The flock of birds has left the forest."

"The whole sky is so disheartening~"

On stage, spotlights subtly shifted colors, continuously forming light arrays resembling a light show. Holographic projection technology projected a world resembling a sandstorm into the night sky, depicting scenes of natural disasters and apocalypse—a wasteland. Hundreds of mechanical bird models scattered in fright within the holographic projection, their wings flapping against fragments of light and shadow…

The wind and rain in the distance never cease.

"The city is pale and lonely."

Gong Cheng's face, holding the microphone, appeared on the large screens. During the transition of the song, he suddenly changed his vocal technique. The interlude slowed down, and his gentle yet firm voice murmured, like a soft whisper in the midst of the apocalypse, yet it resonated with unwavering conviction.
"In stories, only scenery can be destroyed; no one can destroy our dreams."

A shooting star streaked across the sky beside the crescent moon—to whom should I tell the wish I made?

The moment the murmuring voice suddenly rang out, Jay Chou, sitting next to Kunlin, nodded as if listening to celestial music, his hands clasped on his knees, his shoulders and head swaying from side to side with Gong Cheng's singing. "Hey, not bad~"

"Crystals fill the dazzling night sky~ My prayers have finally been answered~~~" Gong Cheng stood in the center of the stage with his arms outstretched. With these poignant lyrics, it was as if a ray of dawn had suddenly appeared in a post-apocalyptic wasteland...

"I believe it so strongly~~~"

"You've always been there for me, supporting me from behind, walking alongside me all this time."

Gong Cheng raised his head and sang the lyrics. In the exciting and surging melody, his voice was completely unleashed, extremely explosive and penetrating, elevating this chorus to the soul of the song.

"Hands play out the dawn~"

"So this is what love sounds like..."

"..."

"Tarot! You are my god!" Song Zuer, sitting in the VIP seat, shouted in support with wide eyes!
As the song "I Believe So" came to a close, blending ballads and rock, the delicate lyricism and the rousing rock verses complemented each other, leaving the audience still immersed in the touching warmth and passion of the song...

The dissipating holographic projections on site truly resembled the arrival of a wasteland and the raging sandstorm...

"See you tomorrow~"

Gong Cheng put away the microphone, stood tall on the rising platform, waved to the fans, and smiled brightly, as warm as ever.

"No, Oppa..."

"Goodnight, honey! See you tomorrow..."

……

For fans, a three-day concert is like a lover who says "see you tomorrow" every day. You know that he will leave one day and return to photocards, videos, and headphones. But the anticipation and excitement during the three days delay the "withdrawal reaction" after the show ends.

……

At 3 a.m. on May 4th, the final day of the concert began.

"I seem to be quite good at going somewhere by myself..."

"Follow the light, the road is long, and you'll look back before you leave."

Hwang Ye-ji and Shin Yuna stood in the waiting area. At the concert a couple of days ago, they gained huge exposure and traffic as the dancers who performed during the intermission, and even made it onto several trending topics. Besides the stage effects, they also benefited from the influence of their seniors. The makeup and styling of their group was so amazing that they managed to make them look like a popular girl group that had already debuted.

"What a pity~" Shin Yuna smacked her lips, her long wine-red hair making her look very beautiful. "Suzy's long-awaited love song MV was not performed the day before yesterday and yesterday. She went back to Seoul to attend the Baeksang Arts Awards, and oppa started performing."

In my line of sight, Jackson and Tarot from the company are standing together on the stage, and this song, "Exhausted," is a collaboration between the two of them.

"Let's get drunk, and when dawn breaks, we'll be all dressed up again!"

"It's late at night, a good cry can relieve some of the madness..." Jackson Wang stood on the stage, a white vest with a sparkly pendant hanging from it, his hand holding the microphone wearing black leather gloves, his voice behind sunglasses carrying a husky, smoky quality...

A spotlight sliced ​​a narrow strip of amber light from the center of the stage, illuminating Gong Cheng, tall and strikingly beautiful, shirtless. Sweat glistened on his undulating abs and slender waist as he toiled on stage. "We grow wildly, just so we can go back once more~"

"To be able to return to the place where a girl finally shed tears~"

"Wish for cheap pastries, and tell the lie you've already prepared."

His soulful singing voice, his black hair tousled by the sea breeze, and his physique that made countless dream girls scream, instantly caused 100,000 people in the venue to roar and shout in unison. Not to be outdone, Jackson Wang took off his vest, threw away his sunglasses, and started his part.

Kim Jisoo sat in her seat, blinking as she watched the music video on the big screen. The female lead was Bae Suzy, JYP's "Nation's First Love".

Her innocent eyes and brows were framed by wispy bangs, and her rosy lips revealed her rabbit teeth with every smile. Gong Cheng and she stood side by side on the school steps under the cherry blossom tree, the whole scene looking very beautiful...

"If we don't return to our ideals, we'll exhaust the light on our journey home."

"Until the girl searching for you no longer recognizes you."

Jackson Wang's husky voice sang a duet with Gong Cheng face to face. He could understand the lyrics of the maknae's song, like "Wish for cheap cakes, tell lies you've already thought of before you~" Isn't this what the maknae does most often?

"Make a wish from the giant tower, and give insincere applause~" Gong Cheng sang the lyrics, half-bent over. Then, the stage lights suddenly went dark, and a moment later they came back on with a bang. He was already standing on the rising platform, a beam of light outlining his tall figure.
"Please be infatuated with me, a complete illusion~"

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

The screams from the audience rose and fell once again.
Jackson Wang licked his dry lips and began a duet, "They all seem to be very good at trapping themselves in the distance."

"A single sheet of paper, a single word, hides my fearless spirit." - Gong Cheng

Chorus: "We grow wildly~ just so we can go back one more time~"

"To be able to return to the place that made a girl shed her last tears..."

Gong Cheng tilted his head back, his heartfelt singing echoing across the entire beach. Kim Ji-soo stared in astonishment at the scene in the music video. A page of a diary had been turned, revealing half a sentence: ("From that moment on, I even hated my fame.")
Zhao Meiyan's diary?

She thought this with suspicion. Kim Jisoo knew that Pabo had a habit of keeping a diary. Although she hadn't read it much, she had a deep impression of this half of the words in the MV—a trainee with some fame, plus YG Entertainment, one of the Big Three, would attract fans and paparazzi in the industry, but not many.

These fans who followed her since her trainee days are also known as "midwife fans," hoping that the trainees they support will debut smoothly. In the summer of 15, Miyeon's relationship with her company was already strained, and then her relationship with Gong Cheng was exposed when they were photographed in Japan...

Later, some of the fans who were supposed to be helping Gong Cheng started to hurl insults and slander at him online. Kim Jisoo remembers that because of this, Cho Miyeon came to her crying. After drinking some alcohol, she tearfully said, "I saw their attacks on oppa online. Unnie, my heart is really breaking. I hate my fame..."

Under the spotlight surrounding the stage, Gong Cheng and Jackson Wang raised their microphones as they sang a duet, "In our final moments, who will we be thinking of?"

"Even after all my waiting has been exhausted, the girl who waited for me has vanished without a trace."

"Whoever fulfills my wish will imitate your first makeup look~"

"Who is like we were when we arrived..."

Kim Jisoo's eyes held an indescribable complexity, a hint of obscurity. Hagi Sung, you bastard...

……

At 5 a.m., Gong Cheng ran wildly under the spotlights and the night wind, his figure running freely as he shouted into the microphone, "Holy Grail Six - the last single!"

"Wish and Sorrow"

Amidst the shouts, mingled with the screams and cheers of 100,000 people, a tsunami of cheers erupted...

The song title and lyrics, "Wish and Sorrow," were reflected on dozens of LED screens.

"Wish and sorrow?" Dilraba stared intently at the image on the big screen, a worn and ancient Bible, as if a page had been turned.

Immediately afterwards, the first note of "Wish and Sorrow" was played, the plaintive piano sound like a faint ray of light, piercing the heartstrings.

Gong Cheng stopped with a smile in his eyes, standing on the three-meter-wide stage aisle in front of him, so close to the fans below the stage. He picked up the microphone, and with the sound of a piano, without the fiery passion or surging excitement of a shout, his soft, misty voice slowly began to speak:
"Time silently counts down three, four, five, six, and after the sixth day..."

"Humans began to exist in the universe—night and day."

Listening to the warm, resonant voice that trembled with the subtle huskiness at the end, many domestic musicians listened intently. One speculated, "The lyrics probably allude to a biblical passage, 'After the sixth day...'"

God created the world in seven days: one, two, three, four, five, and six. In those six days, He created heaven and earth and all living things. On the seventh day, after all things in heaven and earth had been created, God rested and blessed the sixth day, sanctifying it as a special day. Because God completed creation and rested on the seventh day, Sunday also became a day of rest for mankind.

"The throat that breathes its first breath is most vulnerable to the thief of fate."

"I feel both good and bad with my own flesh and blood..." A gentle voice sang softly, and Gong Cheng's calm, smiling face, bathed in the warm yellow spotlight, seemed to be slowly telling a story...

"A long howl to the night~ The pain in my heart, faded with the wind~"

"You and I will eventually become drifting dust."

The classical piano and strings, paired with Gong Cheng's singing, are like a soft feather, landing on the softest part of the fans' hearts, creating ripples.

"I'll tremble with you amidst the swirling snow~ Let's not look back~"

"Is it fate...?"

"Damn, it seems to be connected to yesterday's 'Exchange of Lifetimes' and the day before's 'Time's Copy'? They're all about time and space, but the emotions they convey are different." A careful fan listened and speculated.

"He's so talented..." an arcader waved their light stick enthusiastically. "It doesn't sound like a love song; it's more like a calm narration of the dialectical reflection on life and insignificance. The melody is full of a sense of destiny..."

"Your wishes and sorrows~"

"How long can I love? How long can I think about you? How long is it? Is it forever..."

……

At sunrise, the sky was still somewhat dark. On the beach in Longhu, the crowds of cheering sticks shone like "silver stars," flickering and representing each Akana. Many people looked on expectantly, their eyes still gazing at the deep night sky.

The 200,000 people present all know why this concert during the May Day holiday is called the "Sunrise Concert".

It was Tarot's promise to meet the Akanas at sunrise... The 100,000 fans outside without tickets were also let in by Gong Cheng's staff. Looking at the sea of ​​people in his view, with the 'silver ribbon of stars flowing and winding' covering the entire beach, he stood helplessly in front of the microphone, and with a wry smile, shouted to the yachts bobbing on the waves, "Chartering a boat or a yacht is more expensive than a concert ticket..."

As if hearing Gong Cheng's words, dozens of ships on the waves lit up simultaneously around the cabins, and girls standing on the decks excitedly waved their light sticks, adding a touch of silver to the night sky...

They couldn't get tickets, so they simply chartered a boat and found their own angle to watch the concert, since the stage was set up on the beach and faced the sea.

"Do you think the sun will come out? The weather seems a bit bad." Gong Cheng sat relaxed on a high stool in the center of the stage. The performances for tonight were almost over, with only one last song left, "Born Towards the Sun," which was to be included in the national anthology.

"of course!"

"..."

The resolute response was like the mighty army; even though they had been partying and moved all night and were exhausted, their faces were still full of excitement and passion when they cheered…

"Okay, let's wait and see. Hopefully, the sunrise will illuminate your path."

Gong Cheng stood up, his black shirt collar undone, and his wisps of hair fluttering wildly in the night wind. He glanced at the watch on his rolled-up sleeves, and nodded precisely to the staff below the stage.

In an instant, all the spotlights in the venue went out, plunging the beach with 200,000 people into darkness, as the night was still deep.

But then, a series of screams erupted from the crowd: "Oppa! You illuminate me even earlier than the sunrise... So even if the sunrise doesn't come, even if it's a rainy day, it's okay, don't be sad..."

Amidst the sea of ​​people, fans shouted one after another.

They always knew that this "Sunrise Concert" was organized for them. Otherwise, the boy's first solo concert would have been held at the Bird's Nest in the second half of the year. This was a pre-arranged event, and everyone knew it, but it was suddenly listed as an important event.

In recent days, the weather in Shandong has been quite bad, with mostly cloudy and rainy days. So, they both hoped for the sun to rise and were afraid that it wouldn't come. Therefore, the "Akana" had already thought about how to comfort the boy on stage.

It was almost six in the morning, but there was still no sign of sunrise on the coastline...

"Understood." Gong Cheng's smiling eyes were projected onto the big screen. He straightened his collar, stood in front of the microphone, his fluttering trousers and black, tousled hair, and his fair and handsome face prompted countless fans to raise their phones to take pictures and record the moment.

"Then let's continue singing, the last song, 'Born Towards the Sun,' is dedicated to us who are in the dust."

The soothing yet stirring prelude to "Born Towards the Sun" begins...

"I see it! Ah, the long-awaited sunshine!"

"Awakening again at dawn, growing amidst trillions of love~"

In the aerial drone footage, Gong Cheng's tall figure stands on the stage, as if at the boundary between night and day. Amidst the sea of ​​people surrounding the stage, as soon as he begins to sing, a faint light begins to appear on the horizon...

"Searching for a tiny, unsprouted seed~"

"With the verdant future, rising into the vast sky~" On the big screen, Gong Cheng held a silver microphone. His cheeks, with the rise and fall of the song and the faint light on the horizon, were gradually coated with a soft halo of dawn, as if he had merged with this moment of dawn.

"Those shrouded in darkness will eventually rise towards the sun!"

The faint light on the horizon began to spread, and the colors on the sky became richer and brighter.

"Ah! It's dawn!"

"The sunrise is really coming!"

"..."

Amidst the rising and falling shouts, excited faces beamed. Kim Jisoo rubbed her eyes. "Aigoo, what's going on? What a coincidence! Could it be that this guy really sang about the sunrise? That's too unbelievable!"

"Jisoo, look at the sea! The sunrise!" Bae Joohyun quickly kicked her short legs up from her seat and pointed to the sea behind her. The night was gradually fading like thick ink, and a faint, pale white light appeared where the sea met the sky. A sliver of orange-red light tinged the horizon, and although it was only a corner, it was still slowly rising...

We endured it all in silence.

"A shattered mountain, a sobbing darkness~"

Gong Cheng listened with a soft laugh to the myriad sounds of surprise around him. The spotlight on the stage was turned off, and the natural light shone on his warm eyes. He raised his left hand, clenched his fist, and watched the sunrise over the coastline, its orange glow gradually deepening, as he softly sang the lyrics…

"After this long night, a new universe will be formed."

"The sun still shines brightly~"

"Light up the embryo, light up the tombstone~"

"Drifting with countless lives~"

"Born towards the sun..."

As the long note faded, Gong Cheng strolled across the stage, waving his hands. He suddenly turned around, his back to the fans facing the horizon. On the big screen, images were projected—fans looking at the teleprompter and softly singing along, while his dark, tousled hair swayed freely in the sunrise breeze…

Behind his tall, broad figure was a gradually rising, orange-red sun, halfway up the horizon, casting an intense and scorching light. He stood like a god in the sunrise, a silhouette of orange-red, as the bursting sun slowly rose behind him. The majestic sea reflected the fiery clouds tinged with the sunrise, as if the world consisted only of the boy and the sunrise...

"Wow!"

"Ahhh! Oppa!"

"Fuck!"

Just as countless fans were shouting and exclaiming that a "divine picture" had been created, the director's camera switched again, and the entire beach was filled with people in the aerial shot, seemingly a sea of ​​people and waves... Gong Cheng turned to look at the sunset on the horizon, and walked towards the stage extension in the sea of ​​people. He sang softly as he strolled along the dozens of meters of passageway...

"Look, in this desolate land—that (sun)."

"Regardless, the world has sown seeds of despair (hope)."

"Don't cry, you'll always be my (sun)."

"We, huddled together, sang (of hope)."

The gentle harmonies echoed softly at the end of each lyric, and then the fans waved their light sticks, singing along and harmonizing for Miyako...

"Aigoo..." Bae Joo-hyun and Kim Jennie clicked their tongues in amazement. Although they couldn't understand the Chinese lyrics, they could understand the string arrangement, which was very beautiful. In addition, the focus was on the scene just now, where Gong Cheng was almost integrated with the sunrise, his flowing black hair, his tall figure, and the bright red sun were simply amazing...

"This seems to be the most amazing concert I've ever seen, it's incredible..." Park Chaeyoung kept taking pictures of the stage with her handheld camera. As debuted artists, they had been to all kinds of concerts, but what they saw before them was a three-day concert with a stage that blended the worlds of anime and science fiction, 200,000 audience members, and nearly 600,000 people mobilized just for this beach over the three days. The stage design, stage effects, and all sorts of expensive special effects...

Plus, he has great songs, and he's a Tarot!

Now, to add a touch of sunshine, it actually happened... During their stay in Yantai, it's been all dark clouds and rain...

“Even a single show with 20 people is something few singers can achieve, right?” Jennie Jin said. “The mobilization is terrifying. Only about 60 people were able to squeeze onto this beach over the three days. And there are still a huge number of fans in the surrounding cities who couldn’t get tickets or book hotels. It’s at least several times that number…”

As the sun fully rose above the sea, the entire world was instantly bathed in light. The orange-red rays of the sunrise cascaded down the faces of two hundred thousand fans on the beach, basking in its glow…

We endured it all in silence.

"A shattered mountain, a sobbing darkness~"

Gong Cheng stood bathed in the natural spotlight of sunrise, his bright and warm eyes beaming with a smile. He waved his hands, his voice still echoing. The second chorus was more intense than the first, the strings becoming more passionate. He waved his hands, and the fans below the stage joined him in the sunrise, chanting the lyrics...

"After this long night, a new universe will be formed."

"The sun still shines brightly~"

"Swish swish swish~" Under Gong Cheng's rousing singing, bright red flags suddenly rose from the fans below the stage, carried by the sea breeze. The blood-red orange of the sunrise blended beautifully with the vibrant five-star red flags, creating a harmonious whole. More and more five-star red flags fluttered in the wind as the young and inexperienced "Akana" fans waved them at sunrise...

"Light up the embryo, light up the tombstone~"

"Drifting with countless lives~"

"Born towards the sun..."

Red flags fluttered, and the fans resolutely transformed the venue into a sea of ​​red, their shouts rising and falling. Today is May Fourth Youth Day, and in their eyes, the boy on stage is an undisputed outstanding singer, his lyrics brimming with meaning… so they too will be outstanding fans of the new era…

The orange light of sunrise gradually shifted across the sky, and Gong Cheng stood in the center of the stage, captured by the lenses of the cameras on site.

He walked in the center of the crowd, with the rising sun on his left and the setting moon on his right. Gong Cheng's figure, blurred by the blue sky, stood at the juncture of the sun and moon, his feet resting on the earth...

"Look, in this desolate land—that (sun)."

"Regardless, the world has sown seeds of despair (hope)."

As the final melody of "Born Towards the Sun" soared into the sky with the harmonies of thousands, a mechanism in the dome of the venue suddenly activated...

Dozens of ribbon installations roared simultaneously, and in an instant, ribbons of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple seemed to break free of their restraints, wildly slicing through the morning light, scattering across the sky, landing on the shoulders of fans, and covering the entire stage...

In the gaze of numerous fans, on the big screen, Gong Cheng's bright smiling eyes shone like the warm rising sun, and the bright yellow sequined ribbons seemed to cascade down in front of him like a falling rain curtain...

"Don't cry, you'll always be my (sun)."

"We, huddled together, sang (of hope)."

……

(End of this chapter)