Having You In My Life

As soon as the prelude music started, the melancholic notes seemed to come alive, as if someone was softly whispering a story in your ear.

"Because I dreamed of you leaving, I woke up from my crying..." Bai Tiange, with his head down, brought the microphone to his mouth, opened his lips slightly, and started to sing softly. His deep voice, tinged with a slight huskiness, made people instinctively want to listen more closely.

"As the night wind blows past the window, can you feel my love?" The gentle singing continued, like a stone dropped into a lake, creating ripples in the hearts of the listeners.

"When we reach that day of growing old, will you still be by my side..." Cai Ya's clear voice seamlessly followed Bai Tiange's, rising into the air.

If Bai Tiange's singing gave the impression of a solitary singer recounting his story in the darkness, then Cai Ya's singing felt like a gentle breeze caressing the ear, not intense, but gradually permeating the heart.

"Seeing those promises and lies slowly drift away with the past." Cai Ya slightly lowered her head, her long hair covering her face. No one could see her expression at that moment, but the feeling of questioning and indifference seemed to linger around them.

"How many people admired your youthful beauty, but who would withstand the ruthless changes of time? How many people came and went in your life, but know that I will always be by your side throughout your life..." When the duet began, the emotions in the song reached a climax. These philosophical words made people ponder deeply.

This was not only a question to "her" but also an interpretation of the young generation's view on relationships in today's society — it's too difficult to grow old together.

At this moment, no one felt it was inappropriate for Cai Ya to be the second lead vocalist anymore because this song indeed suited a male voice better.

The emotions in the song, whether reminiscing about the past or feeling uncertain about the future, fit perfectly with the theme of the school anniversary. The simple yet extraordinary melody and the youthful perspective on relationships in the lyrics made many people start to reminisce about their own youth.

After the first verse, there was a short instrumental break. Both singers fell silent, leaving the stage to the accompanying musicians.

Chu Lian stood quietly on Cai Ya's left, playing her guitar. She knew that the stars of this band performance were not the ones who initially caught everyone's attention but the two singers at the front, softly singing.

So she restrained most of her charm and existed merely as a guitarist.

As she closed her eyes and focused entirely on her guitar, she did not notice a faint, white glow emanating from her body. This glow formed a circle with her standing point as the center, spreading out and enveloping the other band members.

After this segment of music, those who listened carefully noticed that the previously stiff performance had suddenly become seamless. The accompaniment was now incredibly smooth, and even the singers' integration with the music had improved significantly.

Immersed in the song, the band members did not realize this change, as if this state felt entirely natural to them.

The band's sudden improvement did not draw much attention, as it was common for performers to start nervously and then regain their confidence and fully display their talents.

As the song continued, more and more people reminisced about their wild and carefree youth, some even smiling at the memories.

Some thought of their long-time crush they never dared to confess to, others remembered the person who promised to stay by their side but parted ways at graduation. Still, others recalled mutual affection that couldn't materialize due to various reasons.

Sighing, lamenting, feeling nostalgic? Perhaps all these emotions were present. The charm of this song lay not in its perfection but in its ability to evoke memories, prompting listeners to reminisce about the old days.

As the final note from their fingers faded away, the four-minute song finally ended. The members of the Rain Band stood on stage for a while before the audience began to applaud. Many people spontaneously stood up, cheering and clapping enthusiastically.

Obviously, this song had won the hearts of many. After all, songs that can touch people's hearts are becoming increasingly rare. Unexpectedly, such a song appeared at this school celebration, truly befitting a top-tier high school in the country and even the world, full of hidden talents.

Of course, the beneficiaries of this song were not just the school or the two singers. The little girl in the white dress with an incomparably pure smile also caught the attention of many.

This was inevitable because the composer, lyricist, and original singer of this song were all her. It was hard not to notice.

Many people began to feel that today's trip was worth it. After enjoying so many excellent performances, encountering such an outstanding original song was a pleasant surprise.

The key point was that those who presented it to the world, whether the original creator or the performers, were all so young. It was reminiscent of the rise of those legendary foreign bands.

As mentioned before, this world differs from the previous one. In this world, the strong support for culture has led to a high level of cultural dissemination globally. The open creative and growth environment has also allowed more and more young geniuses to become famous early.

Some of today's famous bands started performing on stage as young as ten years old. Of course, those were mostly abroad. In China, the popularity of literature far exceeds that of visual and auditory media like movies and music, so such occurrences are rare.

The last instance of this happened five years ago, and the members of that band had since left to pursue different paths. Therefore, seeing this new band today brought great excitement.

It wasn't just because they performed well or because the song was good. It was the excitement of seeing a new, more talented band from their own country rising.

Someone had already uploaded a video of the Rain Band online, from the moment Wang Tingsi took the stage until Chu Lian was the last to bow and leave, without missing a single detail.

Although the video was a bit shaky due to being shot on a mobile phone, the high resolution still allowed viewers to clearly see the appearance of each band member.

In the video titled "The Rise of a New Generation of Youth Bands? Genius Literary Girl or Genius Music Girl?", the uploader, "Electromagnetic Man," introduced it as follows:

"It seems that someone has been attacking Chu Lian (Black Meow) recently. I don't know who it is, but it's ridiculous that anyone would say such malicious things about such an outstanding and cute girl. And it's even more laughable that some people support such attacks. Please watch this video, and then see how many of you can still speak against her with a clear conscience!"

"P.S.: The individual performances are coming up. I will follow Black Meow closely and record all her performance scenes! Rest assured, I've asked someone to bring a proper camera this time, so it won't be shaky next time!"

"Alright, enough talk. Now please watch the video carefully! And finally, please like and subscribe! If you want to know more about Black Meow, watch my next video!"

Well, it was clear that this guy was one of Black Meow Chu Lian's fans. His various introductions and comments were all about expressing his admiration for her. Yes, a grown man's affection for a girl who hasn't even grown out of the "loli" phase and into her teenage years clearly marks him as a true gentleman (hentai).

The song's conclusion left the audience below the stage unsettled for a long time, which resulted in a lack of enthusiasm for the subsequent performances by other classes, making for an awkward situation.

Backstage, the recently returned members of the band all breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they had given their best performance. If they still lost after giving their all, there would be nothing more to say.

Only Chu Lian furrowed her delicate brows and seemed lost in thought, as the system had issued a prompt that left her both surprised and unsure of what to do.