I'm a web novelist, and you want me to work in the entertainment industry?

By the end of dinner, all the dishes on the stone table were gone.

The shells of garlic oysters were piled up on the corner of the table, the bright red lobster shells were stacked in the empty box, and the braised abalone and pork belly had been completely consumed.

The same applies to the three servings of sea cucumber rice.

"That feels good." The old man pushed the bowl onto the table, leaned back in his chair, patted his belly, and showed a satisfied look on his face, as if he had just won a battle.

Cheng Che had also eaten his fill. He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of cola.

Tian Xiwei had long since put down her chopsticks and was staring blankly at the light bulb in the yard, while several moths fluttered their wings around the light.

No one spoke, and a rather quiet atmosphere descended upon the courtyard.

[After a satisfying meal, lying around with friends in the sea breeze—that's probably the happiest moment of life.]

[This is wonderful! Seeing seaweed-roofed houses and eating sea cucumber rice—this is the best part of this variety show.]

[Xiaotian, stop spacing out and get moving! You can't just lie around like me after you've eaten!]

How did you know I was watching while lying down?

Then Tian Xiwei suddenly sat up straight.

"Hey!" She turned to look at Cheng Che, her eyes lighting up immediately, "You haven't even played the erhu yet!"

Upon hearing this, the old man sprang to his senses, instantly reviving from his "lying-down" state. He straightened his back, clapped his hands, and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"I was busy eating just now, and you almost got away with it!"

As he spoke, he stood up, picked up the erhu that was placed to the side, and handed it to Cheng Che with both hands, his expression solemn, as if he were passing on a torch.

"Come on, let me see the level of a professional."

Cheng Che raised his hand: "Do I have the right to refuse?"

"No!" the old man and Xiao Tian said in unison.

"Oh, okay," Cheng Che said nonchalantly. He had only asked the question and hadn't intended to refuse. "So, is there anything you'd like to hear?"

The old man shook his head, looked at Tian Xiwei, and gestured for her to request a song.

Tian Xiwei thought for a moment and said, "I'll play something you're good at, either a pure erhu piece or a modern song, either is fine."

"It would be even better if I could sing!" she chuckled, clearly having a plan in mind.

[My wife is so smart!]

I really want to hear it! I'm so curious about what Cheng Che's singing and playing is like!

To be fair, people who can play musical instruments are probably all pretty good singers, right?

"Alright then." Cheng Che took the erhu from the old man, weighed it in his hand, and picked up the bow.

Tian Xiwei sat up straight, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes filled with anticipation.

The old man leaned back in his chair, looking like he was saying, "Please begin your performance."

What should I play...? Cheng Che rested the erhu on his lap and pondered in his mind.

He suddenly remembered what the old lady had said that afternoon, and a song from a past life immediately came to mind—

A song that is different from the old man's story, but also subtly similar in many ways.

Hmm... this can be considered the first step in helping the original owner realize their dream.

Cheng Che tuned the strings and tried a few notes.

Then he raised his bow and lowered it.

The piano music began, unhurried and gentle, the prelude as light as the evening sea breeze, carrying a thin layer of bittersweetness.

After the prelude began, Cheng Che spoke.

"The sounds of prosperity fade into the silence of the monastery, leaving behind only the sorrow of the world."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was steady, with a slightly hoarse quality.

"Dreams are cold, a lifetime of wandering, how many debts of love remain?"

Tian Xiwei slowly lowered her hand that was supporting her chin.

She looked at Cheng Che, who was looking down, his profile appearing soft in the dim light.

His gaze wasn't on anyone, but only on his fingertips and the strings.

"If you agree, then I will wait in vain, for life and death."

"Waiting endlessly, round and round, the rings of time..."

The old man leaned back in his chair, still with his legs crossed, but his feet were no longer swinging.

"The pagoda, how many stories are broken? Whose soul is broken?"

"Pain rushes straight ahead, a flickering lamp, a collapsed mountain gate."

【？？？？？？？】

[Where did this come from? Is this still a travelogue?]

Wow, bro, you're really good at this!

[The erhu paired with this melody and lyrics is just awful; what's with this subtle sadness?]

"Let me wait a little longer, history will turn around."

"Waiting for the wine to become fragrant, waiting for you to play a tune on the guzheng."

As the music began, Cheng Che's voice rose slightly.

"The rain falls in torrents, and the grass and trees grow deep in my old hometown."

I've heard that you've always been alone.

"The mottled city gate is covered with old tree roots."

"What echoes on the stone slab is... wait..."

Tian Xiwei took a deep breath.

She recognized the song; it was Cheng Che singing about Grandpa Xie's story.

The stories are not the same, yet they seem to be the same story.

"The rain falls in torrents, and the grass and trees grow deep in my old hometown."

"I have heard that you are still guarding the lonely city."

"The sound of shepherd's flutes from the outskirts of the city falls on that wild village."

"Fate brought us together, and that's how we..."

【I'm so fed up with you demon balls! If you're going to be demon balls, just be them properly! Why are you all acting so different?!】

Although not exactly the same, don't these lyrics bear a striking resemblance to the old man's story?

"Am I really going to die today?"

This song is so good, but why have I never heard it before?

The bow left the strings, and Cheng Che's singing slowly faded away.

The echoes lingered in the courtyard until they completely disappeared.

No one spoke in the courtyard.

A few moths were still fluttering their wings around the light bulb, and the sound of distant waves could be heard faintly, one after another.

Tian Xiwei rubbed her slightly reddened eyes without making a sound.

The old man was facing away from the light, wearing sunglasses, so his facial expression was not very clear.

After a long silence, he sighed: "Do you all know?"

Cheng Che and Tian Xiwei exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Sigh." The old man shook his head. "I wasn't planning to tell you, but I don't know who leaked the news."

"Well, maybe some things just can't be hidden." The old man looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, his tone wistful. "After all... I'm just that kind of melancholic man."

Cheng Che and Tian Xiwei: "..."

As the old man spoke, he smoothly pulled something out of his pocket—a cell phone.

Cheng Che could see the fruit icon on the back of the phone, and judging from the model number, it seemed to be a 17 Pro Max...

Sir, you're still too authoritative...

"What was the name of that song just now?" the old man asked without looking up.

"Fireworks Fade Easily," Cheng Che said.

"Oh." The old man nodded, his fingers flying across the phone screen.

After a while, the old man looked up at Cheng Che: "I can't find it. Are you sure it's this name?"

"It's normal that we can't find it," Cheng Che said calmly.

Are you kidding me? If you can find this song, sir, it's very likely a horror story.

The old man paused for a moment, put down his phone, stared at Cheng Che for two seconds, and raised an eyebrow.

Tian Xiwei also vaguely realized something and looked at Cheng Che with a surprised expression.

"This song...you didn't write it yourself, did you?" Grandpa Xie asked.

"You can interpret it that way if you want," Cheng Che said without batting an eye.