"This word truly pierces my heart! All that's left is a numb me, devoid of the passion I once had!"
"Exactly. Our youthful dreams, abandoned due to life's necessities. Living a mediocre existence, crushed and unable to breathe – this is the reality for most."
"Damn it, so that's what 'listening to the rain' meant by choosing 'life' as the keyword!"
"I came to listen to music, not to have my heart broken..."
"Damn it, it just hit me. I used to have dreams, but they were replaced by mortgages and car loans, and I gradually forgot them."
During the song's interlude.
Someone completely lost it.
The dreams, long buried deep within their hearts, were unearthed by this song. Da Feng Fiction Network.
Many realized they once had dreams.
It's just that their lives were filled with reality, leaving no room for those original aspirations.
"Years have passed in the blink of an eye, so many partings and reunions.
The young man who once set his sights afar, envying the geese flying south.
Figures hurrying towards their own futures, gradually drifting apart.
Where does the ordinary future lie? Ah, who can give me an answer?
The people who accompanied me back then, where are you now?
The people I once loved, what do they look like now?"
To everyone's surprise.
Zhang Wei, in the singer's area, was desperately wiping away tears at this moment.
His sleeves were already damp with tears.
The director, seeing his state, quickly switched the camera to his side.
However, upon realizing this, Zhang Wei quickly ducked down.
He was so moved by the song that he couldn't help but cry, and he didn't want the cameras on him.
After a brief pause, the director switched the camera back.
This two-second interlude went largely unnoticed by many.
Everyone remained captivated by the emotions on stage.
"Have the wishes from back then been realized?
Must they now be mourned?
Letting the years dry up our ideals, never to find our true selves again.
Looking up at the starry sky,
That star that accompanied me then,
Do you still remember the stories here?"
As this section was sung.
On stage, the classmates surrounding Zhou Tao gradually began to leave.
He, however, seemed oblivious, his eyes closed as he played the guitar.
On the large screen behind him, a video began to play.
The video featured an actor, specially hired to create the effect, walking through a story. As his steps progressed, his appearance and clothing changed.
This effect mimicked the rapid passage of time, like a mini-play.
Just after graduation, a group of classmates, arm in arm, talked animatedly about their dreams.
Though they appeared youthful, the genuine happiness emanating from them was palpable.
As time passed, the classmates around him gradually disappeared.
However, they would still arrange to meet in their free time, at internet cafes, or play together in games.
As they matured, contact between friends and classmates gradually lessened.
The people around them gradually became colleagues and clients.
Although they chatted happily with colleagues at the company, the sense of deep friendship was missing.
Returning home, they suddenly found that the more people appeared around them, the more lonely they felt.
"Life is like a merciless carving knife,
Changing our appearances.
Must we wither before we even bloom?
I once had dreams..."
At this moment.
The emotions reached their peak.
The audience was moved by the song and the story unfolding on stage.
A sense of resentment brewed in their hearts.
Yes, resentment.
Life, indeed, was merciless.
Silently, it changed our dreams and pursuits.
Most of the classmates with whom they once discussed ideals were now out of contact.
It turned out that life wasn't about persevering for dreams as they initially thought.
Most of life was simply its most superficial meaning.
That is, to be born, and to survive.
Upon a sudden awakening, they would, as the lyrics suggested,
At a certain moment, shake their heads in self-mockery, sighing, "Heh, I used to have dreams?"
And would only mock themselves.
Turning back to mechanically perform their roles as numb money-making machines for the sake of survival.
...
"Youth is like a rushing river,
Gone forever, with no time for farewells.
..."
During the final chorus.
Zhao De and Zhou Tao had moved from their original positions to the center of the stage.
They looked up at the dazzling, star-like lighting above.
Pushing the atmosphere to its zenith.
At this moment.
Countless men broke down in tears!
Some covered their faces and sobbed.
Others stared blankly at the stage, tears streaming down their cheeks.
Perhaps it was because the song resonated deeply with them.
Or perhaps it was because they were reminded of their own experiences and current situations.
Some pressures, perhaps unknown even to themselves, suddenly felt understood when they heard a particular song that seemed to narrate their own lives.
At this moment, they realized that listening to music could indeed evoke empathy.
...
The empathy extended far beyond the live audience.
In the gaming area of an internet cafe.
A man in his thirties, his shoulders trembling slightly, was hunched over his keyboard.
He wore headphones, and the computer screen displayed a livestream of a city tournament.
Next to the livestream feed was the game's friend interface.
At this moment, he was the only one online in his friend list.
Back when they first graduated, although everyone went their separate ways,
They would often play together in internet cafes, achieving streaks of wins.
Back then, work was tiring, but after a few games, they would feel invigorated the next day.
Later, as they grew older.
They rarely visited internet cafes.
When they had time, they would play on their computers at home, forming five-person parties in games.
At some point, the friends they used to have gradually started families.
Five-person parties became four-person, then three-person.
When the last friend told him he had no time for games as he needed to earn money for his child's formula,
He knew then that youth had passed him by.
And he uninstalled the game from his computer.
Today, after years, they had reconnected through their group chat and decided to have a five-person party that evening.
However, when the time came, one had to work overtime, another's child was sick and taken to the hospital, and yet another suddenly had to go on a business trip out of town.
In the end, only he logged in.
His mood was already heavy, and hearing "Old Boy" completely broke him, causing him to collapse onto the table and weep.
...
"...
Looking up at the starry sky
That star that accompanied me then
Do you still remember the stories here
If there is a tomorrow, I wish you well, my dear..."
After the final line was sung.
The audience in the venue visibly relaxed.
Although the song was realistic,
Its emotional impact was gentle, moving the audience through relatable experiences.
Therefore, when the final line, "If there is a tomorrow, I wish you well, my dear," was sung,
It felt like a blessing to friends struggling under the weight of life, or to those striving for their dreams.
After listening,
Everyone felt a sense of release.
Time will not stop its forward march. We are fortunate to have lived this life, and we should live it to the fullest.
At this moment, everyone shared a common thought: to wish well to all those who bravely move forward in life!