Chapter Fifty: The Answer

As the clock struck eight, every light in the bar converged in an instant on the center of the dance floor. Bathed in dazzling illumination, Zhao Kewen stood poised and elegant in her resplendent attire, a wireless microphone in her hand carrying her clear yet gentle voice.

“Good evening, everyone. I am Zhao Kewen. Tonight marks the grand opening of the Other Shore Bar. On behalf of every member of our team, I warmly welcome each and every guest who has graced us with your presence to witness this splendid moment together!” As soon as Zhao Kewen’s voice rang out, the entire bar fell silent, her sweet tone echoing through the space. “Without further ado, the first themed event of the Other Shore Bar, ‘The Other Shore’, officially begins!”

With the last word, every light in the bar was extinguished at once, plunging the crowd into sudden darkness.

I couldn’t help but silently admire Zhao Kewen’s deft arrangement—simple, succinct, and seamless. In this brisk transition, everyone’s thoughts shifted with the light, bringing us straight to the heart of the evening in such a natural way, perfectly mirroring the atmosphere a bar should embody.

Just as I was congratulating her in my heart, the lights once again converged on the center of the dance floor. Amid the surprised murmurs of the crowd, Tao Yueran, dressed casually, emerged from the darkness, stepping into the spotlight with her microphone as the music began to play—“The Rest of Life With You” by Waterwood Years.

As the gentle prelude faded, Tao Yueran started to sing softly. An old song, a bygone era—more often than not, what we feel in music is not its artistry but a lingering nostalgia.

How many once adored your youthful beauty, but who would weather the merciless passing of time with you?
How many drifted in and out of your life, but if I have you for a lifetime, I’ll always be by your side...

Tao Yueran’s voice brimmed with youthful vibrancy, and under its spell, the entire bar seemed enveloped in the glow of school days past. As she sang, I heard many other young people around me humming along.

As the first verse ended, the lights gathered at the center of the floor suddenly fanned outwards, so that the bar was no longer shrouded in darkness. Every corner was illuminated, and—unnoticed until now—a young man and woman stood under each beam, embraced as if frozen in a tableau, each pair quietly telling a story through the music.

Everyone instinctively turned to follow the lights, and when they saw the couples standing motionless in each corner, exclamations of surprise and wonder rippled from the booths.

Because I dreamed of your leaving, I awoke in tears...
When we grow old one day, will you still be by my side? Watching the lies of reality drift away with the past...

As everyone’s attention was drawn to the handsome and lovely couples around the edges of the room, Tao Yueran’s voice resumed. At that very moment, all the previously motionless pairs suddenly began to move in unison!

With the music, they danced rhythmically, gazing into each other’s eyes with such intensity that it seemed every emotion was being poured into those simple, beautiful movements. From an embrace to holding hands, from holding hands to parting, their light steps brought them gently toward the dance floor, finally forming a ring around Tao Yueran at the center. By then, “The Rest of Life With You” was nearing its close...

With familiar lyrics and a lovely voice, the young men and women beside Tao Yueran let go of each other’s hands. The girls half-knelt, gazing dreamily at the ceiling, their eyes full of longing and hope, while the boys simultaneously turned away, their heads bowed, expressions complicated and tinged with sorrow.

Standing at the circle’s heart, Tao Yueran bowed gently and, in a voice as ethereal as a wisp of mist, said, “Love in youth is always full of fantasy, yet inevitably battered by reality. Youth is without regret—even if life takes us far from our ideals, let all the beautiful endings of our stories remain forever on the other shore of our hearts.”

As she bowed again, the tender, mournful music faded, and the lights went out in an instant.

As darkness reclaimed the bar, waves of applause erupted, mingled with whistles and shouts from many young men. I let out a quiet sigh of relief; whatever the result, the effect was certainly impressive. I could see many young couples gently embracing, some even kissing passionately.

The applause only faded when the band’s drummer began tapping out a steady rhythm. Sitting in my corner booth, I was not just an audience member but an observer, gauging others’ reactions from their eyes and gestures. To my relief, I saw anticipation shining in their gazes.

The power of the band was overwhelming. With all the colored lights and stage spots ablaze, the bar was ignited by a surge of musical energy as if the whole place exploded into life in a heartbeat!

The music I had selected for the band was “I Want My Tears Back” by the world-renowned group Nightwish—a battle anthem that, after love has run wild, expresses a fierce yearning. Its powerful melody was the perfect spark to ignite the passion of every guest.

I want my tears back now!

This was the unfiltered cry of everyone who had ever been played or wounded by love: once, we’d held on to love like fools; now, looking back, it all seems a joke... Today, you can leave—I just want my tears returned!

Gorgeous lights flashed and crossed through the bar. The lead singer had left the stage, weaving through the aisles between booths, singing with such energy that the whole crowd seemed to go mad. The explosive rock music reverberated through the bar. In a fever of excitement, the singer thrust the microphone overhead, and everyone—regardless of whether they knew the song—joined in, belting and shouting in wild abandon!

As the final note fell, the entire bar was caught in a frenzy, everyone reveling in limitless freedom. With each wave of celebration, the second act drew to a close.

Even as the band bowed together to thank the crowd, the passion in the room was undiminished, the applause thunderous, shouts and roars never ceasing.

Swept up in the feverish atmosphere myself, I was suddenly brought back to earth as the lights went out for a third time. In the darkness, my own excitement finally began to settle, though many around me could hardly contain their exhilaration, still loudly discussing the show with their companions.

When the shroud of darkness was lifted again, I saw a slender girl, dressed in a loose black tracksuit, sitting alone on a tall stool, bathed in a solitary beam of light. In that moment, she seemed the very picture of solitude and melancholy.

Youqin cradled her black acoustic guitar, nodded, and smiled at everyone. The adorable, fair face she turned to the audience was so charming and sweet.

The restless crowd gradually quieted. Somewhere in the darkness, someone whispered, “She’s so cute when she smiles—adorable!”

Youqin rolled up her sleeves and gently strummed the strings. A familiar melody, like a tide, washed over us. I started in surprise—it was the intro to Teresa Teng’s “I Only Care About You”! Of the three segments in tonight’s event, Youqin’s was the only one I hadn’t helped plan. From song choice to performance, I hadn’t interfered at all, because I simply wanted to hear her truest voice.

As the guitar melody shifted, Youqin began to sing softly in time with her strumming.

If I had never met you, where would I be? How would my days pass, and would life be worth cherishing?
Perhaps I would have met someone else and led an ordinary life, but would I have tasted love as sweet as honey?

When Youqin finished the first line, the bar fell utterly silent. Her unique, pure voice was like a tender beam of light, melting away all darkness in the room and warming every heart—sweet and comforting, crisp and delightful.

As time flows swiftly by, I only care about you, willingly breathing in your essence...
How many times in life can one find a soulmate? Even to lose the force of life would not matter...
So please, I beg you, don’t let me leave you, for without you I cannot feel the slightest affection...

Youqin’s voice rose, her clear, penetrating notes drawing me into a vast painting: as time flows by, I cannot forget you. We, so ordinary, doing ordinary things—all only to feel your presence, to remember every bit of you...

As time flows swiftly by, I only care about you...

Still lost in the song’s world of lovers parted, I was stunned to hear the entire crowd begin singing along with Youqin! The massive chorus snapped me out of my reverie. I stared, dazed, at all the faces in the bar—some tearful, some smiling, as they sang with the delicate girl before them.

“Life is short...” Youqin stood and sang boldly, but broke off, turning the standing mic toward the audience.

“To find a soulmate! Even losing the force of life would not matter!” Everyone sang out, following her lead.

Youqin hugged her guitar and walked to the front of the stage, gently playing as she went, leaving the microphone far behind. She simply kept strumming the beautiful melody, beaming at the crowd without singing another word.

“I cannot live on, relying only on fragments of memory!” Not just the young couples, but even the dignified business magnates stood and sang along to her guitar. By now, Youqin’s song was no longer a solitary memory—she was sharing this precious feeling with everyone present.

Youqin gently set her guitar on the floor, rolled down her sleeves, and flashed another brilliant smile, spreading her arms as if to embrace the sky before bowing in thanks.

Even as her song ended, the crowd kept singing “I Only Care About You,” again and again. Though the guitar had fallen silent, that soulful, stirring chorus lingered in every ear.

It was only when Youqin left the stage that the waves of song slowly faded, taking a long time to finally subside.

“That was... so damn incredible...” I don’t know when An Ye had slipped up beside me, stammering in awe.

I nodded, too delighted to speak. Achieving this effect... Did it mean tonight’s theme was a success?

The thought made me laugh uncontrollably, for I already knew the answer.