In the last performance, Qi Cong performed “A New Life” on the piano. He sat in front of the piano, his fingers jumping both lightly and heavily on the keys as his mood changed. His expression changed with the shallow notes.

Finally, the song ended.

In the video, Qi Cong curled up his fingers and stared in daze.

Outside the video, the audience had also become completely still.

To their ears, the emotions of this version of ‘A New Life’ sung by Qi Cong and the official version were perfectly coincidental. The previous version that Qi Cong sang could only be described as what Master Cao Dewen thought Qi Cong was like, but this version was what Qi Cong was really like.

Gentle, strong, grateful, soft… dazzling and excellent enough to be worthy of everyone’s attention.

Their hearts beat faster as their eyes slowly moved away from Qi Cong. The melody of the piano was still floating in their eyes and those raging emotions were still rushing through the heart.

Then, in the video Qi Cong looked at Cao Cewen and showed his first prominent smile since the vlog started. His pretty almond eyes curved up tenderly, and his voice became soft as he spoke. “Mr. Cao, I like this song.”

Wow.

It was as if everyone saw little birds flying towards them, crashing into pieces of pink petals and smashing their negative impressions made up of news, rumors , gossip, surveillance, and cases.

How could anyone be like this? How could someone play like this, how could anyone smile so touchingly?

A series of abrupt “ah ah ah ah” screams suddenly appeared in the quiet live screen comment section and a pop-up screen with a large string of exclamation marks appeared.

– Qi Cong don’t cry, laugh! ! You laugh as much as you want, I love it when you laugh ！！！！！！！

This was like a signal. From here, the comments and barrage screens from various platforms and broadcast rooms suddenly became lively again. Many exclamation marks appeared in the comment sections as more people began to learn not to look down with a compassionate attitude. Instead use the equal attitude of looking at a normal person to evaluate him and start to look at Qi Cong like a person.

There were many, many people who expressed their hearts straightforwardly: I seem to like Qi Cong a little.

After that, Qi Cong’s every move in the vlog attracted a large number of comments, as everyone sincerely encouraged and enthusiastically expressed their ideas, making the atmosphere cheerful and enthusiastic.

The first day of the recording of ‘A New Life’ ended in such an atmosphere. Then the second day of the recording began, when at 12:00, Qi Cong appeared in the practice room.

Some people asked in the barrage in confusion: Eh? Why did he come at noon? Did he have some other work in the morning?

Then a more sensitive person commented: Wait, I have an impression of this suit. Before the whole network boycott of Qi Cong, Manju posted a video of Qi Cong going to a medical examination. He wore these clothes in that video.

Then a person with nimble brains reacted: So Qi Cong went for a checkup that morning?

Most people’s attention was on a few other dazzling words – the whole network boycott.

The originally lively atmosphere in the comment section and live stream barrage suddenly cooled as many viewers looked at the recording date marked on the vlog in afterthought. Some viewers with good memories recalled it, and then spoke in the comment sections.

– It seems that this was on the night of the same day that a lot of unfavorable news about Qi Cong was exposed online, and then the topic of… boycotting Qi Cong’s debut hit the hot search.

All the viewers were reminded and recalled what happened those days. Looking at the video, Qi Cong immediately began to practice as soon as he arrived at the practice room . Serious and hardworking, Qi Cong made them feel at a loss for words. 

 The chorus ended and the interlude played.

Then Qi Cong sang as another photo appeared: But the world is like a journey, always full of ups and downs and unpredictable.

The figure of the teenager swayed and disappeared as an admission notice from Haven University appeared.

The song continued, but the admission notice wavered and disappeared as it finally turned into a photo. In the photo, Qi Cong, who had now become an adult, was standing at attention in the corner of a schoolyard in his military training uniform, wearing the badge of outstanding cadet on his chest. The sunlight fell on him, illuminating his body full of confidence.

The lyric could be heard again: There was a time when I was naive, saying that nightmares had nothing to do with me.

The photos that had fallen suddenly began to fly quickly towards the camera, as the picture changed into a group photo. In the group photo, the grown-up teenager’s age regressed and he became younger with the change of the photo. He stood at the front gate of a university smiling as he took pictures with his parents. He hugged his mother outside the college entrance examination room, in high-school ran together with Shen Jia in a long distance event, was touched on his head by his teacher outside the piano competition. There were also photos of him celebrating his friend’s birthday in the calligraphy classroom, and presenting his works to the teacher in the origami class. Photos of him during a summer running together with his friends, being held in the arms of an old Sanmu employee at the Sanmu factory and wiping away the tears of his crying classmate at the gates of the kindergarten. Finally, the photo was of him, back to when he was a toddler, smiling as he threw himself in the arms of a woman in a long dress.

The chorus was about to come, as the lyrics sounded: But dreams are like books, which will inevitably lead to joys, sorrows or eternal separation.

The photos suddenly shattered and disappeared as a new photo of Qi Cong’s pale face leaning on the hospital bed appeared. In the corner of the photo, the same gentle handwriting wrote: Cong, Mom wishes you get better quickly.

The music gradually became strong. In the other half of the video, Qi Cong closed his eyes and sang: After what I have experienced you must never come near me again.

The photos changed quickly again. Countless checklists, countless medical records, they fell like snowflakes, one on top of the other, until the whole screen was filled.

The music broke out, the second chorus came, as the rapidly stacking cases suddenly exploded and shattered together as a screenshot of the report appeared. Qi Cong sang: If one day I become a demon, will you run away or hold me tight?

The first paragraph of the report was highlighted: A patient at the third city Hospital became agitated and tried to jump off the building, but was persuaded against jumping after a two-hour standoff.

Qi Cong: If one day I lose myself, will you push me away or reach out?

Surveillance video footage showed Qi Cong entering Yanhuang in slightly rustic clothes, his walking posture cowering, his head habitually bowed down. There wasn’t even a trace of the confidence from previous photos.

Qi Cong: If one day I become a coward, will you be disgusted or help me?

Another surveillance video appeared in which Qi Cong was working and was caught and scolded by Jiang Zhaoyan’s parents. Then he was caught and reprimanded by Jiang Zhaoyan in various areas of the company. In each picture, Qi Cong acted obedient and didn’t try to resist. He let the others bully him.

Qi Cong sang: If one day I get sick, will you dislike me or comfort me?

The surveillance images were replaced by screenshots of various Weibo posts and words such as “Qi Cong split personality”, “Qi Cong amnesia” and “Qi Cong tendency to violence” were marked, one word at a time, until the whole picture was covered densely.

Qi Cong sang: If I have no memory, will you help me find my way home?

The dense words disappeared, and a lot of screenshots of Weibo articles appeared. Sentences such as “Qi Cong white-eyed wolf, not caring about his own parents”, “Qi Cong, due to unrequited love tries to frame Yanhuang company”, “Qi Cong maxed out credit cards while forcing his parents to live in an old neighborhood.”, “Qi Cong’s chaotic private life”and other articles’ titles flew out, taking over the whole screen.

Music erupted, the song continued: I stared in surprise, not daring to believe your choice.

I trembled and buried my head, crying over your choice.

All these fast-changing cruel words were suddenly smashed by a heavy hammer and turned into a still screenshot of the success of Qi Cong’s registered Weibo.

Qi Cong sang: When one day I turned into a demon, you didn’t run away, but held me tight.

Sitting in the warm living room, Qi Yin said to the camera, “I still didn’t want to give up, thinking that my child could get better.”

In the other half of the video, Qi Cong’s eyes become red at some point as he sings: When one day I lost myself, you didn’t push me away, but reached out.

In a shaky video, people come and go from the airport as Shen Jia, with a smile, took off the necklace around his neck and put it on Qi Cong’ neck. Then he put his arm around Qi Cong’s shoulders.

The emotions in the song gradually intensified: When one day I became a coward, you weren’t disgusted but helped me.

When one day I was sick, you didn’t dislike me but soothed me.

The swaying images disappeared, turning into the clarification announcement sent by Manju Entertainment Company and the Weibo sent out by Shen Jia: “You protected me before, I’ll protect you now.” Then Gu Xun’s 10 consecutive Weibos appeared followed by the encouraging words of strangers, one Weibo post after another.

Qi Cong sang: When I had no memory you were always there to help me find my way home.

When I was no longer me, you were still afraid that I would be displaced, miserable and lonely.

The Weibo pictures disappeared and became one Wechat chat screenshot after another.

Mom: How is work?

Mom: If you are tired, come back.

Dad: Don’t worry about us, do you have enough money on hand?

Dad: Cong, don’t be afraid. It’s alright, you still have mom and dad.

Emotions erupted to the highest point, and then gradually fell back. In the other half of the screen, Qi Cong opened his eyes and looked at the lyrics, his expression gentle and voice low: I have been in despair, and felt that my life was lost. It’s your proximity that has changed me, thank you for your proximity that has changed me.

The screenshot of WeChat disappeared and turned into a photo of Qi Cong and Shen Jia in front of Manju Entertainment Company and a photo of Qi Cong and his parents eating together in their new home, looking warmly at each other. The two halves of the picture then fused into one.

In the recording studio, Qi Cong took off his headphones after the music disappeared, blinked his somewhat swollen eyes, looked at the staff outside the recording room and asked, “Is this OK?”

All the staff looked at him without saying anything but after a few seconds everyone cheered and applauded together, and the recording engineer shouted excitedly, “Of course it’s OK!

Qi Cong smiled as he looked at the music score on the shelf, touching it tenderly.

Subtitles appeared, announcing the completion of the recording of “A New Life”, then the screen went black as the video ended completely.

The comment sections and live stream barrages of various platforms were quiet for a few seconds, then exploded with a bang.

In such an atmosphere, Qi Cong appeared in the live broadcast.

He sat in front of a backdrop of vines and flowers as he seriously introduced himself to the live stream audience. “Hello, I’m Qi Cong. It’s my first time meeting you, please take care of me.”

In the backstage of the interview room, Zhao Zhenxun looked at the rapidly rising popularity of the slipstream and the various gift effects that suddenly appeared on the screen, stacking layer upon layer. His heart relaxed as he showed a rare smile.

This level of popularity at the starting line was okay.

 

Edited by: Antiope1

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