Image of You
There was a big piano with a stool in the middle of the stage. Chi Yun took a step back and sat on the stool.
The bright light dimmed and turned dark blue. The screen behind her turned black.
Chi Yun's slender hands were dancing on the ivory keys.
As soon as the notes hit the audience's ears, they were transfixed by the beauty of the melodic sound. The wavy, faded silver hair on the beautiful face moved with an unnatural wind.
The prelude began. The subtitles on the screen appeared one by one, like a typewriter. Chi Yun opened her mouth and sang the first sentence:
"You told me that you were fine since we last met, but you didn't know the storm in my heart."
"I still remember the image of you that was imprinted in the back of my mind."
The tune was melodious. Under the light, she lowered her eyes as she kept playing the piano. One of her long legs rested on the pole of the stool, while the other stretched out as she quietly sang.
There was no wild and cool dancer accompaniment, no dazzling dance beauty, no hoarse shouts, and no band that had a tacit understanding with each other.
She sat there alone as if she were slowly telling a story, but her voice entered everyone's hearts.
Everyone looked at her in a daze, being brought into the picture of the story by her.
"The hand that I used to hold seems to vanish in the wind."
"How could I forget the day—the day you finally turned your back?"
"You said you loved me, but people in love will get married."
"Oh, how I wish to hold your hand and grow old with you."
On the screen behind her, the handwritten lyrics seemed to have struck into the depths of everyone's hearts, touching their nerves.
Some people's eyes were moist.
They seemed to see themselves through the lyrics.
In the end, after a climax segment ended, a short piece of fast-paced music was accompanied by the piano. Chi Yun hummed the last sentence softly:
"This love game is give and take, but how could you take everything? All I ever wanted was to be your everything."
The corners of her mouth rose slightly.
Her gaze was gentle.
After the song finished, she continued with a slower, more peaceful tune. Her skilled fingers danced effortlessly and smoothly across the piano's ivory keys, producing another beautifully harmonious melody. The audience quietly and attentively listened and watched as she played.
"I remembered the way we used to be."
"Hand in hand, dancing so freely."
"But now it feels like the end of the show."
Her voice rose to a soft, sweet, and gentle tune, reaching people and filling their hearts.
The lyrics reached deep into people's souls, and the audience was entranced by the song. She continued to sing with her eyes closed, and the song seemed to go on forever, so beautiful and touching that people were almost tearing up.
"Every word we spoke, every touch we shared."
"Bow, they're just memories floating in the air."
The music faded as the song came to an end, and she took a deep breath and opened her mouth again.
"As the music fades, I'll find my way back home."
"Somewhere out there, I'll learn to be alone."
"So here's to the future that I don't yet know."
"I'm gone and letting go."
Her voice was pure and rich, and her tone was clear and strong. The beautiful words poured from her lips, filling the room and the audience with a sense of longing and beauty.
"I hope you'll finally find the peace you didn't find in me."
Her final note rang out with clarity and precision, marking the end of the performance. As it faded, the audience applauded in appreciation.
Chi Yun put down the microphone and finished the song.
It was quiet.
No one said a word.
Everybody's stuck in there, and they're not coming out.
Until one of them sobbed quietly.
And this one pulled everyone back.
The man asked his companion for tissue paper and sobbed quietly, "Sob, Mama Ye, I didn't think that I would come to this concert and actually cry on the spot; it's really too embarrassing, but I just can't help it. Sob."
This tear really ran out on its own. She really couldn't control it at all.
Her companion looked at the sky at a 45-degree angle. It was said that this way, the tears wouldn't fall.
It was really strange. Why were her eyes moist?
She hadn't listened to music and had cried for a long time.
Could this be the magic of listening to music on the spot?
However, she had never expected that she would cry while listening to Chi Yun sing.
At this moment, most of the people at the scene only had one question.
Was this really the live soundtrack?
Was it all on the microphone?
Did it not have any padding?
Was this Chi Yun's real voice?
Could live singing sound like this? It was really...
It completely shattered their original expectations of Chi Yun!
Based on their understanding of Chi Yun, they knew that she was an amazing pianist. They thought that she would perform on a stage and just play the piano like she always does.
But they never thought that Chi Yun would bring them such a big surprise!
This song! Whether it was the composition or the lyrics, it was flawless!
It can be said to be perfect!
They suddenly realized that she was also the one who wrote the lyrics and the composition.
After the concert, there are Q&A sessions.
One of her fans still had doubts in her heart. He couldn't help but ask, "Chi Yun, I saw that the lyricist and composer of this song are both you. Did you participate in it?"
"I wrote the lyrics. As for the song..."
Chi Yun paused for a moment before her gaze drifted to the side. "Yes, but I was inspired to write this song."
The fan blurted out, "Wait, inspired?"
Chi Yub said, "Yes."
Another fan said, "Chi Yun, did you lie when you said you have never been in a relationship? Or perhaps you have a one-sided love? If you have never been in a relationship or don't have a one-sided love, then how can you write such a heartbreaking song?"
"This album isn't just for people who have gone through heartbreak but also for people who have lost someone dear to them."
Chi Yun said. "This person inspired me to finally compose the title song of my first album, Image of You."
The judge didn't want to admit that he was ignorant, especially to that line—you don't pay attention to my songs. It was too harsh. He cleared his throat, trying to search through his memory. "Then is the person who inspired you a crush, a friend, or a family member?"
Chi Yun replied. "Someone close to me. A love, a friend, and a family."
"Am I mistaken? Why do I feel that Chi Yun's mood just plummeted?"
"You are not mistaken."
"Then, I have another question. Do you feel like he's with us?"
Chi Yun went silent for a moment. "No. She's already gone."
The fan mumbled, "Hmm... does Chi Yun have anything else to say to your fans? For example, the meaning behind the lyrics or your top 3 favorite songs in the album? Even for a minute."
"Every song of the album Image of You has different meanings, obviously. The song 'Turn Your Back', which I just sang, is a breakup song about one of them giving up; the song 'Time' is about how time can heal the wound but not the scars that it left behind; and 'Will Death take me to you' is a song about two people who, despite being in love with each other, still end up breaking up. So that's my top 3."
After the fans finished asking their questions, Chi Yun took a deep breath.
"Thank everyone for supporting me all these years. I will be taking a break for personal reasons, but you don't need to worry since I'll update everyone on Weibo like I always do."
"Then, Chi Yun, can you, um, tell us the reason why you'll be taking a break?"
"Oh, it's because I'll be going to school. It's been my dream to attend school like everyone my age."
"Then last question: Are you planning on participating in the Best Idol Program?"
Everyone was silent in anticipation.
"Yes, I'll be participating in the Best Idol Program—well, that is, if I pass the audition," she joked as everyone laughed along.
...
After that, the 3-hour concert finally ended.
"I don't know why, but when I heard the Chi Yun sang earlier, I wanted to cry. Now that I hear her talk, I'm a little sad for her since she wasn't able to experience something at her age."