Chapter Sixteen: Unofficial Street Performance II-Starlight Shines on the Peninsula(A traveler in a green robe wanders through misty mountains veiled in rain.)

As the crowd listened to the song, they noticed that Chen Zhe's voice carried a special, indescribable charm, and the emotions woven into the melody subtly affected the mood of everyone present. As Chen Zhe gradually infused his singing with his own feelings, Bae Joo-hyun's face registered utter shock. She truly hadn't expected Chen Zhe to reach such heights—she had just been thinking that his vocal skills were lacking, but in the blink of an eye, he displayed a range of techniques, his singing leaping forward in skill by several levels. Most astonishingly, his voice now contained...

The second verse of lyrics made Kang Seul-gi's eyes light up involuntarily. This segment pushed the sense of resonance, which the first verse had already inspired, to even greater heights. Resonance is one of the most crucial elements in the creation of a love song, and "Melody" achieves this from the very first line, allowing listeners to find their own connection. It could be said that this song was a resounding success, brilliantly composed.

After hearing the second verse, Chen Yuqi's expression became complicated, shifting with her thoughts. She pondered what her younger brother had experienced during her time studying in Korea. After some deliberation, Chen Yuqi finally decided that the plan she had discussed with her best friend, Choi Soo-young, needed to be put on the schedule immediately.

Originally, the arranged meeting for her brother was simply meant to strengthen ties with the family's business partners, but now Chen Yuqi felt she needed to pay closer attention. From the lyrics her brother sang, she sensed he still cared deeply for that girl, unable to let go.

If this match didn't work out, she would keep searching. Under no circumstances should that girl's shadow remain in his heart, continuing to cause him pain.

Meanwhile, still singing, Chen Zhe remained oblivious to the extent of his sister's imagination, or to how much this song would impact his life.

"Melody, the tune in my mind is so familiar; loving you brings only a soft sigh in my heart."

"Melody, countless moving notes in my life; loving you, losing you, made me realize how precious you truly are."

After the deep, resonant singing, Chen Zhe suddenly sped up his guitar playing, and the lyrics were delivered more swiftly, matching the quickening tempo.

"Melody, oh Melody, I can never forget; you are so beautiful, let this music keep ringing on."

"Melody, oh Melody, I can't bear to forget; our joyful past, please don't wake me from this dream."

"Melody, the tune in my mind is so familiar; loving you, I beg you to listen as I finish this melody—please don't leave."

Chen Zhe's third variation, half-spoken, half-sung, struck deep within each listener's soul like a drumbeat, stirring ripples across their hearts. It was as if the lyrics played out their own love stories before their eyes, evoking powerful empathy.

Listening to Chen Zhe's stunning third variation, Bae Joo-hyun could no longer hide her amazement. His vocal performance now far exceeded her expectations, rivaling even some of the lead singers within their company.

As for Kang Seul-gi, whose vocal prowess was even greater, her feelings were more profound. Chen Zhe's variation, paired with the previous verses and his emotionally charged singing, gradually drew listeners into the world created by the lyrics, awakening their deepest memories of love. To her, this was the song's greatest strength.

"Melody, the tune in my mind is so familiar; loving you, I beg you to listen as I finish this melody—please don't leave."

"Melody, you are the unending tune in my mind; loving you, all I can do is sigh without words."

"Melody, countless moving notes in my life; only after losing you did I realize how much I should cherish you."

As the third segment ended, Chen Zhe's guitar playing slowed, the rhythm gently eased, and with the softening music, he closed his eyes to sing the final verse. It was as if all emotion had been poured out, relinquishing what should not be held onto, slowly learning to accept and let go.

When Chen Zhe finished his performance, silence fell over the scene. Even hurried passersby had stopped, seemingly captivated by the show.

After composing himself, Chen Zhe gradually opened his eyes, and thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

Looking at the crowd, Chen Zhe noticed many men and women with reddened eyes, as if their most profound love stories had been stirred. The pain of separation, the persistent longing for the other, the repeated reminiscing of happier times and the dreams they'd once promised to pursue together but never fulfilled—all of this, the agony of memory and yearning, eventually led them to learn how to let go, to accept, to find peace.

"Chen Zhe-ssi, your performance was truly outstanding! You're not a trainee from some company, are you? I don't recall ever seeing you at any trainee gatherings." After Chen Zhe bowed in thanks to the audience, Bae Joo-hyun, accompanied by Kang Seul-gi, approached him, unable to contain her curiosity.

"No, I'm not a trainee from any company. I'm just a tourist from Huaguo, singing out of interest!" Standing in the spotlight before all those eyes, Chen Zhe felt his mind flush with excitement, and without hesitation, he borrowed the famous words of a certain ever-passing knight. Only after he spoke did he realize what he'd said, a sudden sense of embarrassment washing over him.

"Chen Zhe-ssi," "Chen Zhe-ssi," "Chen Zhe-ssi"...

Contrary to his expectations, the audience became even more excited upon hearing his words, shouting his name in unison as if at a music show or concert, calling for an encore.

"Everyone, I really... ow, ow, ow—Big Sis, let go!" Witnessing the scene, Chen Zhe felt as if he were ablaze, his mind instantly rehearsing what to say next. Yet, just as he started to speak, a slender, fair hand pinched his ear, stopping him mid-sentence with pain. The hand belonged to his sister, Chen Yuqi, who had somehow slipped quietly to his side.

"Have you forgotten why you came out today? The performance is over—stop lingering! Are you shamelessly occupying someone else's stage?" Releasing his ear, Chen Yuqi crossed her arms, scolding her brother with a slightly angry look. After all, this was someone else's street performance stage; it was bad enough that he disrupted it, but now he wanted to keep the spotlight, as if it were his own concert.

"Yes, my apologies just now, Bae Joo-hyun-ssi, Kang Seul-gi-ssi, I'll return the stage to you now. I still have things to do with my noona." After being thoroughly scolded by his sister, Chen Zhe quickly bowed to Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi, expressing his apologies for having disrupted their performance.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Chen Zhe-ssi." "It's alright, Chen Zhe-ssi." Seeing his gesture, both Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi were startled, quickly bowing in return and assuring him that he need not worry about what had just happened.