Singing

When Chu Lian returned to where her classmates were, she saw Zhang Feng being kept at a distance. Her arrival prompted them to look at her with complicated expressions.

Too many things had happened that day, and Chu Lian seemed to play a key role in it all, which explained their looks.

However, none of them had been harmed, and even Zhang Feng, who had been dead, came back to life for some reason.

Zhang Feng's bizarre resurrection had led to his isolation. Even those who had encountered mysterious forces were frightened, let alone these students who had never seen anything so strange. Fear was inevitable, and both Zhang Feng and Chu Lian were prepared for it.

Time is the best remedy to heal wounds. Zhang Feng wouldn't be kept away for too long; someone familiar is easier to accept than a stranger.

"Do you all know what happened?" Chu Lian asked, sitting on a table while holding Inori's hand, looking at her classmates.

"We're glad Zhang Feng didn't die, but resurrection is too shocking. I'd rather believe it's because his vital essence wasn't harmed, so he didn't die," said a skinny boy with glasses after exchanging looks with his classmates.

"You'd rather believe in ghosts and spirits, trust what TV feeds you, and accept online falsehoods over believing your classmate you've known for months? Ridiculous." Chu Lian knew that soft words wouldn't solve the issue, so she provoked them directly.

"We don't disbelieve, but we can't accept it!" the skinny boy retorted angrily, face flushed. Chu Lian laughed, "Heh, what's the difference? Believing but not accepting is the same as not believing. Different words, same self-deception. If you believed, why keep him at arm's length? What are you afraid of?"

Once Chu Lian decided to address the problem, she wouldn't give them time, her words high and mighty, yet irrefutable: "You've all been scared out of your wits by this accident, instinctively rejecting the extraordinary."

"Where's your pride as the elite? All I see are cowards, afraid of your own classmates. Can you muster the courage to visit the remaining eleven cities?"

"Maybe what happened to him was shocking, but compared to a girl flying, walking in the air, wielding a greatsword, what's the big deal? If that girl stood before you, wouldn't you all swarm her with questions instead of fear?"

"In the end, it's your inferiority complex, being ruthless to the familiar and fake to strangers. Disgusting." Her words, though partly true, were harsh, making her classmates blush with indignation, and some girls were on the verge of tears.

"Oh well. Zhang Feng will soon undergo tests. We didn't want this to happen, but I believe he'll be fine. Will you accept him if he returns?" Chu Lian softened her tone as her words sank in.

"Of course, if he's okay, we won't be afraid," a stubborn-looking girl replied, biting her lip. Her words encouraged the others to agree.

Seeing her goal achieved, Chu Lian relaxed internally but didn't show it, exchanging glances with Chu Chu, Zhang Feng, Ning Zhiyuan, and Cai Ya.

You could say they're just kids; at their age, they're quick to adapt, but their pride is strong. Provocation and insults can easily stir them to impulsive decisions they wouldn't usually make.

Even if they later regretted it, pride would force them to persevere. As long as they held on, misunderstandings would eventually clear up with time and interaction.

With the problem resolved, she had other tasks. This started with her and ended with her. The dead couldn't all resurrect like Zhang Feng; she wasn't accountable for their deaths. Still, she couldn't rest easy without doing something.

She wasn't Black Chu Lian, indifferent to life; she was just a simple person, responsible, guilty, prone to regret and fear, with a desire to make amends.

Chu Lian wanted to hold a private concert for the victims. She couldn't heal physical wounds, but she could soothe fear, sadness, loss of loved ones, confusion about the future, and complaints about fate.

With Inori by her side, even if she didn't sing those songs, she could help harmonize, enhancing the performance's effect.

Taking advantage of the subtle atmosphere, Chu Lian slipped into an empty room, retrieving a guzheng case from her system space. She planned to use only the guzheng for this performance. In this situation, other instruments didn't seem appropriate. The xiao was too ethereal, the pipa too seductive, and the erhu too mournful. Only the versatile guzheng suited the performance now.

Without Ayase, who could perfectly complement her playing, the performance would undoubtedly be less impactful. But she wasn't there for a public performance. Breaking her previous vow not to perform publicly was simply to "seek peace of mind."

Silently following her, Inori gazed at her back and suddenly asked, "Lian, let me join you. I only know one song, but it's very suitable." Her words made Chu Lian's body tremble slightly, then she nodded.

She knew that Inori wanted to help bear the burden. No matter how well she concealed it, Inori could perceive the weakness in her heart. With a wry smile, Chu Lian didn't let her see her expression and said, "Alright, let's sing 'Euterpe' together. Although it's a Japanese song, music has no borders, and I believe they'll understand its meaning."

Squeezing Inori's hand, Chu Lian turned around with a radiant smile. "Inori, I planned to have you stay hidden for a while before appearing in public, but this trip exposed you. I'm sorry..." Inori suddenly reached out and flicked Chu Lian's forehead, saying, "It was bound to happen eventually. If I can help you, there's no regret."

This affectionate flick surprised Chu Lian, then a sincere smile spread across her lips. Inori was slowly changing. Perhaps eventually, she wouldn't be the emotionless diva I knew, but she would be a woman living with a smile. The you I like deserves to be happy, not someone who can't even smile.

Holding hands, the two walked out. Chu Lian wore a black Gothic outfit, a petite figure with a guzheng case on her back, while Inori looked like she stepped out of a computer-generated image with her pink hair and exquisitely refined appearance, drawing everyone's attention.

The pair naturally drew attention. The gazes were numb, fearful, despairing, confused, and some were calm.

They didn't understand why these two girls appeared in such a situation. Hadn't they experienced the fear of death from this disaster? Why did they seem so youthful and beautiful now?

Chu Lian ignored them and found a higher spot, brought over a long table, and opened the guzheng case, taking out the guzheng. She also took out two identical microphones, revealing them as "Lux microphones."

She had exchanged points for these to achieve the best performance effect. Finally, she took out a small music player and a compact speaker.

Those maintaining order noticed the strange duo, but before they could act, the elegant prelude of "Euterpe" flowed through the air, followed by the heavenly voices of the girls.

They sang, questioning the meaning of the harm humans inflict on each other, wondering why everyone couldn't coexist peacefully, wishing everyone could be as free as wildflowers on a meadow.

Even if the lyrics were unclear, even if they couldn't fully grasp the song's meaning, the seamless duet of the two girls conveyed their message like a gentle stream, flowing into hearts.

The three-minute song soothed their hearts, but those deeply affected by emotions couldn't shake them off. Chu Lian knew one song wasn't enough. Even with high-tech speakers spreading the sound everywhere, more performances were needed.

So she placed the microphones in front of the guzheng, letting Inori stand behind her, sitting cross-legged in front of the table, and began gently plucking the strings. Looking at those watching her, she sang, "Emerald waves in the evening, a gentle breeze flows,..."

This is? This is the preface to "Emerald Waves Reflecting The Moon"! Everyone was excited. Some recognized the performer above as Chu Lian, who had played four instruments to capture the essence of this song, and now she was here, performing for them.

The soft, ethereal melody pulled everyone into a hazy illusion, soothing their inner wounds, forgetting joys and sorrows, forgetting the world, and wishing to grow old in solitude.

In such a special scene, Chu Lian's musical skills seemed to have advanced, drawing everyone's spirits.

The sky began to gray, and the girl played on a high platform, providing the best comfort to those who had just experienced disaster...