A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

The moment Su Fan stepped onto the stage, many viewers watching on television were stunned.

The online discussion immediately became lively.

"Wait a minute, didn't Su Fan just appear in the credits of 'Reincarnation'? How come he's here in person too?"

"I just told my family that he might only be writing songs tonight, and before I could even finish my sentence, the host called out his name!"

"They hid really well! They disappeared without a trace after their travel livestreams stopped; turns out they were preparing for the Spring Festival Gala!"

"Where's the official Han Tang Entertainment account? Such a big event, and they didn't even release a preview?"

"First 'Reincarnation,' and now another new song. Is Su Fan here to hand in his homework for the Spring Festival Gala?"

"My dad was just praising how well 'Reincarnation' was written, and when he heard the author was going to sing it himself, he even put down his melon seeds!"

……

The comments continued to refresh, and the music on stage started playing.

The prelude doesn't rush to unfold; after a few clear string notes, the accompaniment slowly follows.

It's like someone opening their window on a year-end night and seeing the river meeting the sky in the distance.

The lights slowly illuminated the stage from one side, and Su Fan stood in the light and shadow, beginning to sing:

"A thousand miles of distant sails hang on the horizon"

A new bottle of green wine was added by the window.

The wind rustles the branches in the clear field, and the clouds roll.

"A weary traveler in his old home raises his eyes to gaze into the distance."

……

Su Fan's voice was very steady; he didn't start by using high notes to grab people's attention.

Those few lines were sung with composure, as if the speaker were a traveler who had just stopped and looked towards his hometown.

Behind the stage, the images on the river surface flowed slowly with the singing.

A lone sail gradually disappeared into the night, but the lights by the window came on.

The sail hung on the horizon, as if it had traveled a long way, or as if it was still on its way home.

The next line, however, the singing suddenly stopped in front of the window.

A new cup of wine has been added, and the wind blows across the fields, while cloud shadows drift onto the treetops.

The scenery was serene, but my heart couldn't find peace.

It wasn't until the weary traveler from his hometown sang that everyone understood why he had been gazing into the distance.

I wasn't admiring the scenery; I was homesick.

Although he was still in a foreign land, his gaze had already traveled thousands of miles to his hometown.

The song continues.

"The guest was listless and lethargic, and he became more restrained."

Listen to the sparse raindrops dripping from the eaves of the paulownia tree

The door was closed again after the person returned.

Idly chatting by candlelight

At this time of year, the new year reflects the old moon.

May the bright moon always be with me, never to be parted.

Sleeping with pillow and blanket

The wind is still blowing.

……

At this point, the singing returned from a distance to inside the house.

The guests left, and the door was closed.

The cups and saucers from the lively gatherings haven't been cleared away yet, and outside the window, only the light rain taps on the paulownia trees and eaves.

When the song goes "talking idly with the candlelight," it's as if the person has truly been sitting under the lamp for a long time, wanting to talk to someone, but only has a dying candle flame beside them.

The stage lights dimmed, leaving only a warm glow in front of the window.

The new year has arrived, but the moon in the sky is still the same as before.

We hope it will stay with us for a long time, partly because we fear the light before us will also leave, and partly because we hope that when people far away look up, they will see the same moon as us.

As the last line faded, the low sound of wind lingered in the accompaniment.

The people who were just discussing Su Fan in front of the television gradually quieted down.

What they heard was not someone complaining about being lonely on New Year's Eve, but someone who clearly missed home but could only close the door and wait for dawn.

The singing continued.

"Light smoke rises from the river, the night chill remains unnoticed"

Light and shadow sway before the window at dawn

The mountain knows the strings have broken and the water has been cold for a thousand years.

A single leaf clatters softly after the wind has calmed.

……

In the previous passage, I was sitting alone under the lamp; in this passage, the light of day is already faintly visible outside the window.

A thin mist floated on the river, and the cold night passed by unnoticed.

When Su Fan sang "Before the Window at Dawn," her voice brightened slightly, and the light and shadow behind the stage gradually changed from the warm yellow of candlelight to the cool morning light.

But as dawn broke, the longing did not dissipate.

The mountains know the strings are broken, the water is cold for a thousand years. The song is restrained, yet it reminds one of the string that has been left unheard since the departure of the soulmate.

The mountains and rivers remain the same, but the person who should have been with me to enjoy them is no longer by my side.

The accompaniment suddenly stops here, leaving only a crisp plucking sound.

The wind had died down, but that sound was like a leaf falling, exceptionally clear in the silence.

The singing continued.

"The guest was listless and lethargic, and he became more restrained."

……

Continue the incomplete scroll and complete the Rouge Calligraphy

Farewell to the old year, a night of fish and dragon flames

Visitors flocked to the area

Startled crows tread the deep snow along the long street.

When I woke up from my drunken stupor, the sun was setting in the west.

Hearing the noise of the street, I entered through the gauze curtain.

New swallows have returned to the hall.

Year after year

……

The place was deserted after the guests had left, but this time, the song didn't stop in front of the tightly closed door.

As the drumbeats gradually joined in, the strings also brightened up.

The person by the window put away last night's worries, finished the unfinished scroll, and pushed open the door to step into the New Year.

The long street was covered in deep snow, and someone came to visit, trudging through the snow.

The lights and shadows flickered, and the lively atmosphere continued until dusk.

When Su Fan sang "The noise enters the gauze curtain," the window at the back of the stage lit up again.

The person who was alone with the candlelight earlier is still inside the room, but can already hear the laughter outside the door.

The scene shifts, and new swallows fly in from under the eaves.

From the snow falling on the long street to the swallows returning to the hall, just a few lines of lyrics, and a season has quietly passed.

Those nights that once seemed unbearable will eventually become the past.

As long as people are still willing to open the door, new encounters will come.

In the final "Year After Year," Su Fan didn't sing with an exceptionally high pitch, but simply let her voice unfold with the accompaniment.

In the orphanage, Aunt Liu watched television and smiled softly.

She suddenly realized that this song might be a reflection of their experiences over the past year.

Someone is traveling far away.

Someone is thinking of you.

There will always be someone who follows the way home and walks back through that door.

As the last note faded, Su Fan put down the microphone and bowed slightly to the audience.

After a brief silence, enthusiastic applause erupted in the room.

Online comments also started flooding in.

"At the beginning, it sounded a bit lonely, but as the song progressed, the lights came on, and the swallows flew back, and my heart brightened up too!"

"The New Year reflects the old moon"—that's a beautiful line. Every year the New Year is different, but when I look up at the moon, I still think of the same person!

"My mom was just urging me to eat fruit, but when we sang the part where the customers left and the store closed, she stopped talking!"

"What's most amazing about this song is that it doesn't constantly shout 'I want to go home,' but every single line expresses homesickness!"

"From the flickering candlelight inside the house, to the lamplight on the long street, and then to the new swallows in front of the hall, it's like accompanying someone through the days slowly and happily!"

"I couldn't go home for Chinese New Year this year, and hearing that makes me a little homesick!"

"The first song, 'Reincarnation,' got my blood pumping, and this one calmed me down. Both songs were written by Su Fan—he's amazing!"

"I hereby declare that 'The Sound of the River Enters the Old Year' will be added to my New Year's Eve playlist. It'll be perfect to listen to it after dinner, with the lights off!"

"Stop commenting! Did you call the person who said they missed home?"

A long string of replies quickly appeared below this comment.

"I hit him."

"I got it too."

"My mom said she's saving the food for me so I can go back tomorrow."

……