Chapter 110: Life is but a Mayfly, Praying for the Willow-Down Song

"I believe music is alive."

Under the spotlight, the boy was exquisite and dazzling, gold foil scattered in his blue hair as he raised his trophy with reckless, unstoppable pride.

"My music will live on with me."

The long shot zoomed out from the award ceremony to a television screen.

Xiongxiong pushed open the door and walked in. "Ge, are you going to the celebration banquet?"

The beauty on the sofa was deeply focused, his cool gaze fixed on the screen, appearing not to have heard him.

Xiongxiong held up the freshly ironed suit. "Ge?"

Shen Jixing snapped out of his thoughts. "What is it?"

Xiongxiong's round eyes blinked. It was the first time he had seen him looking so distracted.

His gaze followed Shen Jixing's to the award ceremony on the screen. The boy in the frame was walking off the stage holding the trophy, his legs looking longer than Xiongxiong's entire lifespan.

What a handsome rookie.

"I mean, you even had Brother Pei accept your trophy on your behalf. Why do you suddenly want to go to the celebration banquet?"

Shen Jixing paused for two seconds. "I'm hungry."

"?"

Xiongxiong almost wanted to drop to his knees to apologize. "Ah? Did I not order takeout for you today? I must have forgotten, I'm so sorry... Wait, no, I did order it, didn't I?"

"You did." For the first time, a look of anger bordering on grievance appeared on Shen Jixing's exquisitely expressionless face. "Don't order from them again. I saw a bug."

Xiongxiong's wails echoed through the entire building. "Ge, I'm sorry, boohoo!"

Shen Jixing was a severe germaphobe.

Xiongxiong thought he was done for. He was ready to pull out thirty burner accounts to drag the restaurant down with him.

Then he suddenly noticed Shen Jixing smile slightly.

"Ge... what are you looking at?"

To make him this happy.

Brother Shen hadn't smiled like that in a long time!

Shen Jixing put away his phone. "Nothing."

It was just a coincidence that he had scrolled past a video. It was an interview with Zhou Yili right after he walked off the stage—

"Is there a senior in the industry you really like?"

"Yeah."

"There's someone I like very much. His name is Shen Jixing."

This was their first reunion in four years.

Shen Jixing walked out of the lounge on the top floor of Star Entertainment. He was dressed in cool, snow-white clothes printed with crescent moons. The barely perceptible smile at the corner of his lips vanished in the next second.

Bo Yu smiled warmly and said to him, "I'll drive you."

The neon lights of the late night flowed backward beside them.

Bo Yu was still relatively composed back then, his voice betraying no emotion. "Is that little boyfriend of yours still not over you?"

Shen Jixing's tone was cold and indifferent. "We aren't in touch. If you want to know, ask him yourself."

Bo Yu folded his hands over his stomach, his amber eyes reflecting Shen Jixing's profile. At this time, he was not yet used to Shen Jixing's coldness.

They had once been close and inseparable, living under the same roof.

But ever since Shen Jixing debuted, it was as if a wall of ice had formed between them.

Bo Yu said slowly, "A-Xing, like me. Don't like him."

Shen Jixing acted as if he hadn't heard him.

Bo Yu wasn't angry. Back then, he lived in the illusion of a miracle, believing everything would turn out fine. "Otherwise, I'll make him experience what it means to debut in the morning, apologize at noon, and leave the entertainment industry by night."

He turned his head and asked Mu Si with a lazy smile, "Was that actually said?"

Mu Si replied, "There's still another half to it."

He glanced at Shen Jixing's expression through the rearview mirror.

"And the beating is happening right now."

As soon as the words fell, Shen Jixing grabbed the cane resting beside him and pressed it against Bo Yu's pale chin.

He said calmly, "Don't touch him."

Bo Yu knew that as long as that boy was mentioned, Shen Jixing cared deeply.

He sneered. "You two were only together for three months, yet that kid was willing to come out publicly for you. If you'd been together for four years, who knows what would have happened? If he were a girl, you'd probably have kids by now."

Mu Si: "..."

Shen Jixing remained cold and unmoved.

Bo Yu's disguised gentleness vanished in an instant.

He said coldly and gloomily, "I don't want to see a repeat of what happened four years ago. While I still have some guilt and patience left for you, don't force my hand."

Guilt and patience.

Shen Jixing had never actually seen either from him.

Bo Yu had never been a proper mentor. Someone who had never experienced love could not cultivate it. Shen Jixing never argued with others about their judgments of him.

"If I hadn't broken free from that rainy night, how long would your guilt have lasted?"

Bo Yu's expression froze.

That heavy rain was like a thorn embedded deep in his heart.

"You still blame me, don't you?" Bo Yu knew he held a grudge. Putting Shen Jixing's life in critical danger was never what he had intended. "If you hadn't messed around with that boy... would I have locked you up in a fit of rage?"

The car stopped at the entrance of the celebration banquet.

Shen Jixing got out of the car calmly. "I'm not arguing with you. I'm just telling you."

"Sir, your love is truly cheap."

The two had clearly parted on bad terms.

Even Mu Si thought Shen Jixing would rebel against Bo Yu. While others couldn't see it, he could.

Shen Jixing liked that blue-haired boy.

But he never expected the decision Shen Jixing would ultimately make.

"Young Master."

Mu Si walked across the floor covered in scattered shards and bent down to bandage the wound on his hand. "Though life is as fleeting as a mayfly, I pray for the elegance of drifting catkins."

Even if life is as small and fleeting as a mayfly, one still prays for a life as free as drifting willow catkins.

Mu Si was a bodyguard trained specifically to protect Bo Yu. He wasn't highly educated, nor could he offer grand, comforting words.

"If you want to leave, I'll go steal the contract for you."

Shen Jixing stared at the overlapping bloodstains on the floor, unable to tell which belonged to him and which to Zhou Yili.

"Why?"

"You are a good person." Mu Si knelt on one knee, a slight smile touching his lips. "Good people shouldn't be covered in wounds."

Shen Jixing asked him, "What about you?"

Since he had the ability to leave, why stay in this place?

"I don't want to leave," Mu Si whispered to him, as if afraid someone might overhear. "I'm not like you. I fought tooth and nail among the bodyguards just to stay here."

"But there is an exception—unless he kicks me out."

Mu Si asked him, "Do you need me to?"

"No."

Shen Jixing had always held onto his principles. He said softly, "I don't need anyone to pay a price for me."

Including Zhou Yili.

In truth, Shen Jixing had always felt that he was the burden.

He would not trap Zhou Yili in the name of love, causing him to fall from the dazzling heights of the music world.

...

Shen Jixing fell fast asleep in the car.

Zhou Yili couldn't bring himself to wake him. He couldn't help but feel that his question had been a bit too heavy.

'Was he very bad to you in the past?'

"Not really."

Shen Jixing had given a vague, noncommittal answer in the end.

Zhou Yili murmured in response and said no more. Not really bad, but not good either.

Shen Jixing had brushed him off on both questions.

The car parked downstairs. Zhou Yili pinched his cheek playfully. "Do I look like someone who is easily fooled?"

Today had indeed been exhausting. Zhou Yili hadn't expected him to still have enough strength to send his father-in-law flying.

Zhou Yili tucked him into his usual duvet. Looking at his exquisite, cool face with half-closed eyes, he felt his heart soften into a puddle.

"I love you so much, Shen Jixing."

"I don't want you to suffer any grievances."

Zhou Yili came out of the master bedroom and leaned against the swing, an unlit cigarette between his lips.

He didn't usually smoke. In the past, it was because he was afraid Shen Jixing would find the smell unpleasant. Later, it was supposedly to protect his throat, but deep down, he was still afraid that if they met again one day, Shen Jixing would hate the smell.

Zhou Yili slid his screen and dialed a number. "Little Uncle, what are you doing?"

The other side paused. "Blind date."

"You're actually on a blind date?" Zhou Yili was somewhat surprised.

Fu Chen gave a brief grunt of assent.

"Then go ahead and finish up. Call me back when you're free, I have something to ask you."

Fu Chen had already been warned by Shen Jixing.

The little lion wasn't very bright and was easy to fool, so Fu Chen kept it brief to put an end to it once and for all.

"I'm not close with Shen Jixing."

"..."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Zhou Yili bit down on his cigarette filter and said slowly, "Then perhaps you know Mu Si? A bodyguard whose master is Fu Chen, but who is currently following Shen Jixing."

"Yes."

Fu Chen possessed the same calm composure that wouldn't waver even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

He calmly hung up the phone and sent a message to Shen Jixing.

[Fu Chen]: Sorry, the cover's blown.