The game's heroine has come true? The aloof school beauty is in tears.

The dimly lit livehouse was bathed in a cool blue light, with a crowd of people below the stage. The air was filled with the faint scent of beer and tobacco, and three strobe lights hung low above the stage.

The entire band took their positions. Bassist Liu Jiaxin sat on the left side of the guitar stand, her long, straight black hair falling over her shoulders. Her fingertips lightly touched the four strings, and her feet were on the slow bass drum rhythm. Drummer Xiao Lü sat in the shadow of the drum kit at the back, the drumheads covered with a matte black film, and the drumsticks rested on the edge of the snare drum, holding his breath and waiting. Guitarist Xiao Huang stood on the right side of the stage, the distortion pedals at his feet, the acoustic guitar and electric guitar on the stands on the left and right, and his fingertips lightly pressed the strings. Keyboardist Xiao Yingguang Lü sat in the back corner, the warm white keyboard light illuminating only half of his profile, his hands lightly covering the keys, waiting for the tune to begin.

Lead singer Xu Zhixiao stood in the center of the stage, wearing a neatly tailored black short leather jacket, with her long hair loosely draped over her back.

She pulled the microphone stand slightly closer to her lips. The light partially obscured her eyes, which were shrouded in a layer of melancholy mist. There was no tenseness from her deliberate screaming; instead, a quiet yet broken atmosphere permeated her being.

This match was quite intense.

It is a city-wide competition with substantial prize money.

The winner can also advance to the national competition.

In addition, the audience at rock competitions is inherently opinionated, so it's inevitable that some people will stand in the audience and start cursing.

During the previous performances, the fans of each group almost came to blows when they got together.

But it was different for Xu Zhixiao's group.

Because the noise got even louder.

"Black Night Sea? I've never heard of it."

"I heard they're a popular online band that caused a bit of a stir online."

"Internet celebrity bands are all trash."

"Internet celebrities should just stick to live streaming and stop coming to offline events to join the fun."

"I've never seen a popular online band perform well offline."

Among all the underground bands, internet celebrity bands are obviously the ones that will be criticized by the vertical fans of rock.

Previously, there were verbal abuses, but these were generally limited to mutual insults between two fan groups.

But now, everyone is cursing Black Night Sea.

The voices of the few fans at Black Night Sea seemed insignificant amidst the massive crowd.

However, all of this was soon changed.

The stage spotlight shone on the lead singer, revealing Xu Zhixiao's face.

The two poles reversed.

"No, the lead singer of Black Night Sea is so beautiful!"

"Don't you guys know what your band's lead singer looks like?"

"She has never shown her face."

"I'm a fan of Kuroyamizuki now!"

"Mother!"

Beauty is justice.

The moment Xu Zhixiao took off her mask, Hei Ye Hai's reputation changed instantly.

The cursing has subsided.

This can be considered as giving them a complete space to perform.

"The lead singer is good-looking, but if they don't sing well, I'll still criticize them."

"Listen, there's no rush."

...

Xu Zhixiao wasn't in a hurry.

Her gaze swept across the stage many times, but she didn't see the figure she wanted to see.

The only audience member on his first appearance on stage.

He was not present when he took the stage for the last time.

She was, of course, disappointed.

But this is a good thing.

Rock music is all about expressing emotions.

The moment sadness spread through my heart.

The gentle intro begins, followed by the flowing melodies of the keyboard, and then the delicate strumming of the acoustic guitar.

Xu Zhixiao's shoulders relaxed slightly, her fingertips unconsciously tightened their grip on the microphone cable, and her gaze drifted to the blank wall in the distance below the stage.

Like someone sinking alone on a deserted shore, his voice is low and gentle, the lyrics flowing slowly from his throat, each line wrapped in a subtle sense of melancholy.

Accompanied by the gentle whisper of the guitar:

"The old boat ticket was rolled up at the corner and stuffed into a cloth bag, and two footprints on the beach were washed away by the tide."

Her fingertips curled slightly, and a fleeting, delicate tenderness brushed across her lips.

A faint glimmer of memory surfaced in my eyes.

It was instantly covered by darkness again.

People who create art all have some flaws, more or less.

In order to release emotions in songs, I always pre-plan a scene in my mind.

No immediate emotion can surpass the feeling of parting.

Therefore, her preconceived scenario was "parting ways with Lu Yuan in a dark sea".

It's simple and direct, and it immediately evokes strong emotions.

In the pre-chorus section, the bass gradually sinks down, and the drumbeats intensify little by little.

The lead singer straightened his back slightly, and slowly raised his hand that was hanging at his side, extending it forward half an inch.

"You picked up seashells and placed them in my palm, the evening breeze spread out, swallowing the conversations of the crowd."

The distorted guitar suddenly explodes in the chorus, and the bass drum slams down across the entire venue. The cold blue lights suddenly flash and flicker.

Xu Zhixiao suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

Her long-term study of classical music has made her singing style quite different from that of rock musicians who scream and shout; she possesses a restrained yet explosive power.

She gripped the microphone stand tightly with one hand and pressed the other against her chest. Her chest heaved violently with her singing, the last note slightly torn, the volume filling the entire venue. Her eyes clearly reflected the swaying stage lights.

"The stone bench is covered in dust, with only half a soda can label remaining. The coastline stretches out a lonely and thin silhouette. We used to wait side by side for the sunset to wash over the embankment. Now, with the ebb and flow of the tide, I am left only to watch the distant sails as the sea breeze sweeps away all the warmth of the past."

The band intensified the arrangement in sync with the emotions, with a heavy bass and dense drumbeats.

The distorted roar of the guitar suppressed all her emotions, and everyone deliberately toned down the sharpness of their instruments, leaving the focus of the stage entirely to her.

The second verse's arrangement fades, and the lights dim again.

Xu Zhixiao slightly relaxed her tense shoulders, took a half step forward, lowered her gaze to the ground, and let her voice lose its explosiveness, leaving only a long, lonely tone.

Xu Zhixiao completely let go of all her restraint, tilted her head slightly, her neck straight, her long hair swaying slightly with her body, and sang with a tearing release, singing "But you left warmth and never gave in."

She closed her eyes tightly, and a tear slid down her chin and landed on the collar of her leather jacket.

If a person can imagine themselves reaching orgasm, then they can also imagine themselves crying.

The entire band simultaneously raised the volume, the keyboard created a vast wall of sound, the bass provided continuous heavy bass support, and the drummer pounded the gong with all his might. Everyone's performance followed her emotions, progressing layer by layer and resonating in unison.

The rising key at the end of the chorus marks the emotional peak of the entire performance.

The cold blue light in the entire venue suddenly switched to a beam of pure white spotlight, shining solely on Xu Zhixiao.

She released the microphone stand, leaned slightly forward, and spoke in a high-pitched, expansive voice.

Shedding the pain and melancholy of the past, there is now a sense of relief and certainty.

With arms gently opened to the sides, as if embracing the vast, dark sea, the last note of the song was long and soothing, and all the sadness that had been building up throughout the journey dissipated.

The last line of the song is, "Give me courage forever."

The band pushed the arrangement to its fullest potential, with instruments weaving together to create a vast wave, making her vocals appear clear and powerful.

The outro instruments gradually come to an end, the guitar strings slowly fade away, and the drumbeats gradually slow down.

A thunderous applause erupted from the audience. She stood quietly in the spotlight, and all the band members stopped playing, looking silently at her in the center of the stage, waiting for the song to come to a complete end.

She still didn't wait for Lu Yuan to come.

But she completed her performance.

After the thunderous cheers subsided, she cleared her throat:

"This song is called 'Dark Night Sea,' and I hope everyone can find their own Dark Night Sea."

This sentence was inspired by a conversation with Lu Yuan.

She asked Lu Yuan, "What do you think 'Black Night Sea' means?"

"It's that simple. The ocean sparkles at night. Darkness is scary enough, so any light is a great thing."

"Is the ocean a solar-powered street light?"

"They're about the same, barely enough to provide illumination."

So Xu Zhixiao made a phone call to Lu Yuan right there on stage.

She felt that since she had the courage, she should do more.

Lu Yuan answered.

"Lu Yuan, I want to confess my feelings to you, and then we should get married quickly. Come over here."

Xu Zhixiao's speech was extremely simple and blunt, completely ignoring the heartbroken expressions on the faces of the male fans who had just become fans after hearing the words "confession".

Lu Yuan's reply was also very simple and blunt.

"Your job is done."

"Isn't the matchmaker responsible for bringing happiness?"

"Aren't you happy right now?"

"How can I be happy without you as my audience?"

"Let's look around more carefully below the stage."

Xu Zhixiao searched quickly through the crowd and spotted two faces that were all too familiar in a corner.

Old Xu and Xu's mother.