Chapter 1. Revisit the old haunt

At night, the early summer in the southern hemisphere still carries a hint of coolness. "I'll take a walk alone," after the celebration, Ye Xi dismissed his assistant and entourage, walking alone on the streets of the small town, with a faint intoxication, and the applause of that moment still echoed in his ears. The summer night breeze swept in, tossing his curly hair, blue petals falling onto the tips of his hair. He shook off the petals, lowered his head to button up his coat, and quickened his pace. Suddenly, he felt like laughing, a familiar taste of red wine lingering on his lips, and a familiar face vividly appeared, triggering the most important memories of his life. Memories of the homeland made his nose tingle. Looking up, he saw the vast expanse of stars, and Ye Xi recalled the afternoon when Yan Feng put a ring on his finger.

"Let's get married." As if time and space were intertwined, he vaguely heard these five words, unsure if it was due to drunkenness or a dream. Ye Xi stood there stunned, caught off guard. In that moment, Yan Feng had already placed a Cartier ring on his finger, the same design as the bracelet they had bought together a few years ago. Instinctively, Ye Xi covered his hands, silent. He turned and sat on the sofa, drinking water continuously. The two remained silent, staring at the identical bracelets on their wrists, lost in thought.

"We're going back to the United States now," he paused for a few seconds, "Let's register our marriage." Yan Feng spoke urgently, and the hotel room, heated and suffocating as if exposed to the sun, became the backdrop. Ye Xi remained silent, his curled long hair beside the dim floor lamp, the purity and sadness in his expression captivating Yan Feng as always. "Haven't you had enough fun?" Ye Xi was accustomed to treating his words as a game in their relationship. His gaze still didn't meet Yan Feng's eyes, but in a moment of trance, he saw tears sliding down the other's cheek. Ye Xi never thought there would be a fleeting second where he would be so serious. He shed tears too but continued to stay silent. Yan Feng stood motionless at the bar, took another sip of red wine.

Yan Feng looked at Ye Xi's face, as if seeing his own reflection in the cup. Only during the deep night, in solitary drinking, could he experience a moment of freedom and joy. Suddenly, he could no longer contain himself, took large strides, and embraced Ye Xi, "I'm not joking. Promise me, we don't have to make our marriage public." His arms enveloped Ye Xi.

Ye Xi chuckled, a burst of laughter that seemed like mockery for a moment. He freed himself from Yan Feng's arms, straightening his white shirt. "I can't promise you. Are you willing to give up your fame and fortune? Are you willing to let go of the perfect idol image you've painstakingly cultivated for your fans?" With a threatening tone and the courage of a moth to the flame, he said, word by word, "Do you think, given the current situation, we can keep our marriage private?" Ye Xi waited for his affirmative answer with a refusal in his tone.

"I can't," Yan Feng's eyes looked away, choosing to evade once again. "Then don't bring up the topic of marriage again," Ye Xi responded coldly, tears uncontrollably streaming down his face. He saw Yan Feng's face leaning against the border of the red velvet sofa, slowly sinking with his own will. Perhaps, at this moment, their relationship could no longer continue. The person in front of him seemed to have never existed—the familiar yet unfamiliar face—and yet, he couldn't help but love him.

"Mr. Ye, why are you here alone?" A shout brought him back to reality from his slight intoxication. A stranger warmly addressed him, "It's already so late, aren't you going back to the hotel to rest?"

"Oh, who are you?" The fatigue from travel and days of practice made Ye Xi feel tired, still immersed in his memories.

"Haha, I'm your fan. I just sat in the front row and gave you flowers." The woman continued, "What a coincidence to meet you here! My name is Zhou Yi." She smiled, her short hair both capable and gentle. Her petite and plump lips spoke at a leisurely pace. Her eyes, like a crescent moon when she smiled, radiated warm sunlight, sharp and spirited without a hint of aggression.

"Ah... Haha, I came out for a walk alone," Ye Xi hastily composed himself.

"Your performance today was absolutely brilliant. Your seamless integration with the piano on stage was so beautiful!" Zhou Yi was still immersed in the music of that moment, completely unaware of Ye Xi's emotions.

"Thank you for your support." Ye Xi rolled up his sleeves and gracefully rotated the purple rope on his wrist. He then gestured a goodbye to Zhou Yi. "It's getting late; I should head back to the hotel." Ye Xi walked briskly in the opposite direction.

"Then, see you in Brisbane!" Zhou Yi raised her arms and waved towards Ye Xi's retreating figure.

Ye Xi kept his head down as he walked the streets of the foreign city. He didn't want to return to the hotel immediately. Since the incident, it had been a long time since he had the freedom to stroll alone on the streets. He walked about a kilometer away from the hotel, still unable to distinguish the city's directions, especially in this unfamiliar place. Even though in his memories, he and Yan Feng passed by a certain coffee shop, he only remembered things related to him. He reexamined the street, the bustling pedestrians, the rain-washed pavement shining like glazed tiles under the colorful glow of the streetlights. Rows of tall trees, unidentified blue petals scattered on the ground, and the post-rain air carrying a familiar dampness akin to his hometown.

He didn't have time to savor or dwell on the details. Two decades of wandering and touring had made him accustomed to living amidst the intertwining threads of people and things. Tomorrow, he had to go to a university in Brisbane to borrow a practice room for his piano rehearsal, preparing for the next performance.

"Hey, Yanzhi, come pick me up." Ye Xi answered the phone, calling his manager.

"Ah, okay. Lost again?" A teasing tone came from the other end.

"Haha, yeah, come over quickly." Ye Xi spoke with an embarrassed yet commanding tone.

"Send me your location."

"Alright, just sent it. Check your WeChat." Ye Xi opened the speakerphone on his phone, watching the map on the screen.

"Got it. I'm on my way."

Five minutes later, a Mercedes-Benz pulled up. Ye Xi opened the car door, slumping into the seat.

"Weren't you just going to the supermarket and back to the hotel? How did you end up on this street?" Dai Yanzhi asked in a hushed tone.

"I took a few extra steps and got lost."

"It's almost 1 am, and you have a flight the day after tomorrow. Get some rest. Here, the sponsor of the celebration dinner gave this. They said it's the best vintage red wine from the best region in A City. I've put it in the back seat. Take it to your room, have a sip, and relax. You'll need to practice the piano tomorrow."

"Ah, you know my taste." Ye Xi held the wine wrapped in brown paper. "Why is there no packaging, and the cap is twisted open?"

"That's how Australian red wine caps are. They even applied for a patent. This type of wine cap won't let the air leak."

"Ah, I remember the caps were different in the past." Ye Xi seemed to be speaking to himself.

"It's been how many years since you last came up here? Things have upgraded."

"Ah, finally here. Exhausted. I don't know who booked the flight. Just arrived last night, had to quickly familiarize myself with the venue today. Luckily, I only played one piece for the encore today," Ye Xi changed the subject, expressing his complaints.

"Young Master, it's my fault. It's a special period, and it's hard to get good flight bookings."

"Okay, you've worked hard too. Go rest now." Ye Xi opened the car door and got out.

After a quick shower, he looked at himself in the mirror. Since that day, he had developed a habit of examining his curly hair, simply because Yan Feng had incorporated the image of his hair into the lyrics. Over the years, Ye Xi had only shortened his long hair once. He walked out of the bathroom, opened the bottle of red wine, swirled the glass a bit, took a sniff, and then finished the glass in one gulp.

The next day, intense light streamed through the window slits onto his eyelids. He woke up and checked the time—7:10 AM. After a cup of hot water, a habit he had cultivated over the years, and a quick wash, Ye Xi hurriedly went to have breakfast. By a little after 8 AM, he anxiously arrived at the practice room, finding no one there, and Dai Yanzhi hadn't finished breakfast either. Since that incident, it had been a kind of trial for him, and he didn't know whether it was fortunate or unfortunate. Falling from the pedestal was perhaps a choice he had already made when he chose to be with Yan Feng. What happened later was beyond his control. Now, he could only retreat back to the ivory tower of his childhood. After all, in music, he would forever be heaven's favored child. It was the only thing that made him feel secure.

The sound of a sonata echoed from the practice room. Playing the piano was as simple as breathing for him, finding a balance between granularity and strength. He always presented his understanding of the composition with the most suitable playing style, using the most elegant hand movements to exert the strongest control over his muscles. He had shown a superhuman understanding of musical phrases since childhood. However, in these many years, there were too many distractions. Finally, he returned to his student days. He practiced the piano for a whole day, and practicing often made him forget about food and sleep. However, he never felt hungry. All his desires were fulfilled in music.

He glanced at the time; it was already 3 PM. Leaving the practice room, he had a simple lunch—boiled vegetables and thick, plain yogurt that Dai Yanzhi had brought over. Hastily finishing his meal, he left the practice room and walked by the river near the University of Adelaide's Music School. Looking at his reflection, he seemed to see Yan Feng's face.

"Another evening flight." Ye Xi complained to Dai Yanzhi in the adjacent seat.

"There's no other option. This is how the organizers scheduled the itinerary this time," Dai Yanzhi explained.

"Boss, as long as your dark circles aren't too prominent, it's not a big deal," the makeup artist joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Then I'll put on an eye mask and get some sleep," Ye Xi conceded.

"You better get some sleep. People will be up at 8 AM tomorrow," Yanzhi added.

The performance in Brisbane went even more smoothly than the first one. Sweat soaked Ye Xi's hair, and the tailcoat wrinkled at the back, but none of these affected Ye Xi's performance. The positive feedback from the first performance undoubtedly gave Ye Xi great confidence. Returning to the stage this time, he held the expectation of starting everything anew. However, music reaffirmed its strongest affirmation to him. He knew that music would never disappoint him. Always carrying the mindset of a child prodigy, if the audience approved, he would savor it. Numerous spotlights in his decades-long life blinded him gradually, smudging his vision. Standing again where Yan Feng had once promised, his memories imprisoned him, and the future was still unclear. He could only navigate between the two in a dilemma. What the public enjoyed was his ravaged appearance, witnessing him from genius to fallen prisoner, witnessing him rise to great heights, witnessing his grand banquets, and witnessing the collapse of his tower. People laughed, cursed, these were all post-dinner topics, observations of societal samples. For an individual, the capriciousness of fate, with emotions freely molded, was too cruel. But he had not chosen anything given by heaven.

"Goddess! Goddess! Too beautiful!" The woman offering flowers before him was tearful.

"Thank you, Zhou Yi." Ye Xi suddenly remembered her name, bending down to receive her bouquet, his hair falling. A flash from behind highlighted him, outlining a golden edge.

"You remember me! Thank you!" Zhou Yi screamed almost dramatically.

"Yeah, from two days ago in Adelaide." Ye Xi was taken aback by her sudden scream, thinking, another fan who doesn't know her boundaries, responding slightly awkwardly. He didn't linger, quickly adjusting his tailcoat with one hand and retreating backstage. Another exhausting day, his whole body drenched in sweat, he returned to the hotel and fell asleep immediately.

As the Australian tour came to an end, the final performance in Melbourne went very smoothly. After the performance, he stepped back to the backstage and seemed to see a familiar face. The face looked at him with the eyes of a passerby, but the expression was somewhat anxious. He recognized the woman as Zhou Yi.