I just want to sell products, but you're forcing me to perform talents.

Li Xiaoxiao and Lin Xiaoyu are classmates.

In the past few days, everyone has been talking about a singer, Li Xiaoxiao, who has been wanting to join the conversation as a way to break the monotony of studying for the final hundred-plus days of the scientific exam.

However, Li Xiaoxiao has been a bit socially anxious since she was a child. She has never known how to get along with others better, and many girls are not willing to play with her, even though she is not ugly and is quite pretty.

Every time I open my mouth, we can only exchange a few words before the conversation goes into an awkward silence.

This left Li Xiaoxiao feeling very frustrated.

Lin Xiaoyu, the only one I could get along with, was incredibly strict, doing nothing but problems all day long. Her grades were also enviable, always ranking in the top three of the class.

The only time he could chat with Lin Xiaoyu was during the few minutes before they walked out of the school gate together after school.

Sometimes if we can't make it together, I can only walk home alone in silence.

In the recent diagnostic test, Li Xiaoxiao did not do well, ranking 27th in the class.

This was a huge blow to her, because she estimated that this score wouldn't get her into a good university, and she might even fail the exam altogether.

Thinking of her hardworking parents, she felt lost, anxious, and even somewhat resigned. For the past two nights, she had been either scrolling through Kuaiyin (a Chinese short video platform) or Chaobo (another Chinese short video platform).

She didn't know what was wrong with her, why she suddenly started to hate studying, but she just couldn't muster the interest to read.

It was around this time that she became infatuated with Ye Xian.

A few days ago, I left a message for Ye Xian in the super topic, wanting him to sing an upbeat song. I don't know if he saw it.

But Brother Xian sings songs for adults, so he probably won't care about being a nobody like me, right?

It was almost time for evening self-study. Li Xiaoxiao ate her snack while quickly putting on her headphones, turning on her phone, and preparing to watch some more karaoke.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ye Xian, a man on the verge of bankruptcy!"

"Full-time salesperson, part-time cook, occasional singing, and intermittent storytelling."

"I recently received a request from a fan that reminded me of my scientific expeditions. So, I decided to reminisce about the hardships I endured and make myself a snack that I often ate during those expeditions."

The first-person perspective, horizontal screen shot, shows the main gate of Haizhou No. 1 High School. A group of high school students who have just finished school are walking, riding bicycles, or riding electric bikes, rushing towards Ye Xian like a torrent.

Ye Xian stood in the crowd, like a white, stubborn rock.

The camera pans up, and above the orange sunset, seven large white handwritten characters appear in the sky.

"The brightest star in the night sky"

Small print below: Lyrics/Music/Singing by Ye Xian

The camera pans down, changing from dusk to dawn, showing students sitting in a classroom loudly reciting their textbooks.

The brightest star in the night sky

Can you hear me?

The person looking up

The loneliness and sighs in my heart

... "

Li Xiaoxiao was stunned. Ye Xian's opening remarks and the first line of lyrics made her heart pound: "This song, this song, could it be that Brother Xian saw my request and wrote it especially for me?"

The camera pans back to Ye Xian kneading dough, kneading it again and again, his expression focused on the dough in his hands, as if he were carefully making a work of art.

Ye Xian pinched off pieces of the kneaded dough and then rolled them into round balls.

Take out a rolling pin and roll the round dough into a flatbread.

Ye Xian brushed oil onto each round pancake and then placed them in the electric griddle.

At the same time, Ye Xian took out the tofu strips, kelp strips, and eggs that he had previously braised in the pot.

Wow, Brother Xian is making the sesame seed cake with tofu skin that we used to eat most often when we were in school!

[This sesame seed cake with tofu skin cost 5 cents when I was a kid. Adding an egg cost another 5 cents. Back then, during the imperial examinations, we relied on this to get through evening study sessions!]

[My youth is back! Brother Xian really understands us!]

[A Northerner's favorite? Southerners are indifferent!]

……

Li Xiaoxiao looked down at the sesame seed cake with tofu skin in her hand, and tears immediately streamed down her face.

How did Brother Xian manage to make the same snack he was eating?

"Oh, the brightest star in the night sky"

Can you remember?

……

I pray to have a transparent heart.

and tearful eyes

……

Oh~ the brightest star in the night sky

please guide me close to you

... "

Camera angle change.

dusk.

Students taking exams strolled on the playground. This was probably the most relaxing moment of the day for all of them. After a day of memorizing and doing practice problems, and before evening self-study had even started, everyone made the most of this time to eat dinner and relax their minds.

Occasionally, a few science students would play basketball, but they would only shoot a few balls quickly before stopping.

No one dared to relax too much. They would often walk around the playground a couple of times before rushing back to the classroom to start doing practice problems at night.

As darkness fell, the brightly lit teaching building turned on its incandescent bulbs.

The entire campus began to quiet down.

The only sounds were the rustling of pages turning and the soft scratching of writing.

Occasionally, a few first- and second-year high school students would run past the teaching building, their footsteps light and quiet.

I was afraid of breaking the silence.

[I miss those moments so much! This was my favorite time back then—no teachers nagging, no classmates reciting aloud, just walking on the playground with my best friend, gossiping and talking about our dreams. It was wonderful!]

[Li Tingting, how are you doing? I've been accepted into graduate school!]

[Memories of youth, Zen Master, are you still bullying our younger schoolmates? Are they still the worst class you've ever taught?]

[Endless practice papers, countless books to memorize, even breathing is difficult, Brother Xian, I hate you! Tonight I'm dreaming about an academic expedition again!]

……

Li Xiaoxiao felt her tears flowing uncontrollably, and even her favorite sesame seed cake with tofu skin didn't taste good anymore.

This is the scientific expedition I'm currently experiencing!

That's exactly the kind of youth I'm going through right now!

Is Brother Xian next to me?

Why are you looking for the camera like this?

……

Camera angle change.

Ye Xian sat at his desk, eating a sesame seed cake with tofu skin in one hand and holding a copy of "The Great Tang Poetry and Prose Collection" in the other, pausing from time to time to take notes.

Under the incandescent light, the camera gradually zooms out, Ye Xian's figure disappears through the window, and the whole house shrinks.

The camera pans up, revealing a sky full of stars.

"Xiaoxiao, good luck on the scientific expedition!"

Goodnight, everyone!

……

Li Xiaoxiao suddenly slumped onto her desk and began to cry silently.

This song was indeed a gift from Brother Xian to himself!

Brother Xian saw his request!

She never dreamed that someone as insignificant as her in real life would receive a blessing from a stranger!

Li Xiaoxiao felt her chest about to overflow with happiness.

This is a tremendous happiness.

It was heartwarming, something I'd never experienced before, yet it made me so happy.

Afraid that other classmates would see her crying, she could only lie on the table, prop her forehead up with her arm, and look down at the short video on her phone over and over again.

This time, Brother Xian didn't even use the classic ending scene, but instead cleanly ended the story with the stars in the night sky.

"Brother Xian, thank you!"

You are my brightest star!

……

Ps1: Today's Recap

Haizhou aged liquor inventory: 7849 bottles.

PS2: The Brightest Star in the Night Sky, Escape Plan

Yes, I know many people have written this song, including myself in my last book, but with the story progressing to this point, and the college entrance exam just a few days away, I feel I need to pay attention to these kids who are my age.

Everyone here is 18 years old, just like me.

It's the age when I feel most lost.

Although Ye Xian will continue to promote products, he still wants to do some meaningful things and not be so profit-driven, don't you think?

I, too, have been feeling lost lately because of the recommendation issue, unlike my carefree attitude with the last book! It might be related to my resignation to write books full-time.

I prefer Angela Chang's version of this song. Hmm, if you remove the middle part... it would be even more powerful!

Today and tomorrow are crucial days for you all to keep reading. Your reading data will determine whether I get another round of recommendations before the book goes on sale. So, I'm begging you all again, brothers and sisters, please read to the latest chapter today and tomorrow! It's a matter of life and death, thank you so much! Orz