Chapter Fifteen: The Unofficial Street Performance

"Ah, well..." Hearing Pei Zhuxuan's answer, Chen Zhe was momentarily dumbfounded. He wanted to say something, but seeing Pei Zhuxuan’s awkward expression, the words caught in his throat and he could only sigh helplessly.

"Young man, do you need an instrument? Is a guitar alright?" Just as Chen Zhe and Pei Zhuxuan stared at each other, not knowing what to do, a slightly hoarse male voice sounded from the crowd—and he was speaking the language Chen Zhe was most familiar with.

"Hey, uncle, are you from China too?" Following the direction of the voice, Chen Zhe saw a middle-aged man who looked a little weathered by life.

"Yes, my name is Gu Cheng, and I'm Chinese just like you. Also, I'm only twenty-five, so don't call me uncle!" As soon as Chen Zhe called him that, the man bristled, his tone turning a bit irritable.

"Alright, alright, Brother Gu Cheng, do you have a guitar I can borrow?" Seeing that he’d touched a nerve and made Brother Gu Cheng a bit grumpy, Chen Zhe pressed his palms together in earnest supplication.

"You little brat, here you go—just be careful, don’t damage my precious!" Gu Cheng, though still slightly exasperated, was taken aback by Chen Zhe’s attitude. He shook his head helplessly and, after placing his guitar case on the ground, opened it and handed him a black guitar.

"Thank you, Brother Gu!" Taking the guitar, Chen Zhe strummed a few notes. The tuning was perfect, and on closer inspection, he could see the instrument was meticulously maintained—its owner clearly cherished it.

Hearing the brief melody Chen Zhe played, Gu Cheng relaxed a little; after lending out his guitar, he’d immediately regretted it, worrying that Chen Zhe might be a novice and damage it.

"Chen Zhe, may I ask what song you’re planning to sing?" After Chen Zhe received the guitar and returned, Pei Zhuxuan had composed herself and, curious about his choice to accompany himself, stepped closer to ask.

"I’ll sing a song called ‘Melody’." This song was very familiar to Chen Zhe, a classic he always picked at karaoke.

"‘Melody’? Do you mean the solo single by Senior Krystal? If so, we have the track." Hearing the song title, Pei Zhuxuan thought for a moment before recalling where she’d heard it—it was the same title as the personal single by Jung Soo-jung, the youngest member of the company’s group f(x).

"I’m not singing Krystal’s song. You’ll know once you hear it." Chen Zhe quickly clarified. The ‘Melody’ he referred to was a Chinese song from his previous life, released in 2002 by a domestic singer, not Krystal’s 2010 solo with the same name.

"Alright then, we’ll leave the stage to you, Chen Zhe." Looking at the handsome young man before her, Pei Zhuxuan’s curiosity grew. If it wasn’t Krystal’s song, had he written it himself? Moreover, he was accompanying himself—he couldn’t be more than a high school student, yet already had this kind of skill.

Taking his place before the microphone, Chen Zhe adjusted the stand, gently caressing the guitar as he recalled the Korean version of ‘Melody’ he’d once learned from a band’s video before his rebirth. Thanks to his extraordinary memory since being reborn, he quickly pieced together the entire video’s content. Clearing his throat, he signaled his readiness.

"Hello everyone, I am Chen Zhe from China. The song I’ll perform is called ‘Melody’. If there’s anything lacking in my performance, I hope you’ll forgive me." He bowed politely to the surrounding crowd, introduced himself simply, then placed his fingers on the guitar strings. With his gentle strumming, a soothing melody filled the air.

"Finally I understand you’ve become a memory; no words can explain.
When others ask, I compose a melody with no ending, impossible to continue.
Like a certain scent lying in ambush on the street, it stirs old laughter and tears as I unwittingly pass by.
Suddenly, my heart aches unbearably; turns out, I’ve never forgotten."

When the guitar’s prelude ended, Chen Zhe’s slightly deep voice joined the rhythm.

After he finished the opening lines, the onlookers were surprised. None of them had ever heard this song before; it seemed this young man really had written it himself. What’s more, it sounded genuinely good—the melody was lovely. Many people began recording Chen Zhe’s performance on their phones, planning to upload it to YouTube later.

Among them, Chen Yuqi’s brow furrowed deeply as she listened. As his older sister, she never knew her little brother wrote songs. And judging by the lyrics, it sounded a lot like reminiscing after a breakup. Could it be that this brat had been wounded by someone? She decided not to jump to conclusions and waited to hear more verses, though her grip on her arm unconsciously tightened.

From the moment Chen Zhe began playing, Pei Zhuxuan had been listening intently out of curiosity. When he sang the opening lines, her eyes shone; though his vocal technique and breathing still needed polish, his timbre was truly beautiful. She glanced at Jiang Seulgi beside her.

At that moment, Jiang Seulgi hadn’t noticed Pei Zhuxuan’s gaze—her attention was fully on Chen Zhe’s singing. Compared to Pei Zhuxuan, Seulgi’s singing ability was more refined; she could hear much more. Her impression was that Chen Zhe was quickly adjusting and improving; in the opening four lines, each one sounded better than the last. She was genuinely curious how good he’d become once he fully settled in.

"Melody, the tune in my mind turns without end; loving you, I forgot to tell you so many things.
Melody, countless touching notes in my life; loving you, losing you—I only now know to treasure you.
The song I never wrote for you is my eternal regret now that love is gone.
If all my mistakes could be relived, would the ending change?
As the song finally falls to a rest, I listen to each note flowing through my memories; why, after so many years, can I still not say goodbye?"

His fingers never ceased their dance; with the unfolding rhythm, Chen Zhe sang the second verse. This time, he began to pour himself into the music, drawing on techniques hidden in the fragments of his memory, recalling the feeling of his first breakup from his previous life. His voice gradually filled with genuine emotion, infusing the song with its own soul and sentiment.