On stage.
Spotlight cast down.
Gong Ju Ren, dressed in scholarly attire, stood behind the protagonist’s solitary silhouette.
At this moment, Gong Ju Ren was like a storyteller, using his song to narrate this poignant love story to the audience.
"Window cracks with morning light, sun shines on the west bridge, clouds drift by,
Thinking of your flowing sleeves by the lotus pond back then,
Wood carvings gleam with gold, years ripple, a seal on the brush seven years ago.
For today my ink flows only for you..."
The melody and emotion of the verses were stable.
It was a gentle sadness, tinged with a faint sweetness.
Much like the sweet feelings a scholar recalls of a maiden.
And the resolve to cease writing for the sake of his family.
Meeting you.
You were the world.
After losing you.
I let go of the world.
Perhaps, this is the love everyone dreams of.
It's a pity such love is rare, so rare that it needs to be woven into stories to appear before everyone.
"Rain wets my eyes, I wait by the well year after year for your return,
Most I fear not realizing tears have already streamed down..."
The emotion began to shift.
Gong Ju Ren’s grasp of the song was incredibly precise.
He had studied the story thoroughly and understood its emotional arc.
At this point, the sense of grievance and boundless longing were perfectly conveyed by him, using an almost imperceptible tremor in his voice.
It was as if, watching the vast expanse of fine rain, sorrow suddenly welled up, that moment of heartbreak transforming into endless melancholy, sweeping over him!
"I wander the mortal world, unable to find your heaven,
Placing vases east, mirrors west, wishing I could forget.
It’s Qingming rain again, I send chrysanthemums to your side,
Gently singing your favorite song..."
The scholar, gazing at the sky, picked up a guqin from the side.
He sat down and began to play, the clear sky drizzling rain.
Raindrops fell from the sky, descending into the mortal world.
It seemed to be the thread of connection to his beloved.
Longing spread infinitely along the path of the rain.
Many audience members, hearing the song and seeing this scene, were moved by the emotion.
"Alas... loving someone and not being able to have them is indeed the most sorrowful thing in love."
"Perhaps this is what the ancients called faithfulness unto death, missing someone who has passed away for seven years, utterly impossible in today's world."
"The ancients left behind many phrases, oceans change, deeply etched in the heart, faithfulness unto death, yet in this restless society, they have almost vanished."
"Fortunately, there are still songs that allow me to experience such captivating love stories!"
"Listening to Ting Ge, his performance is consistently stable this time. The lyrics, melody, and sentiment of this song are all excellent!"
Listening to songs.
Is about resonance.
It is also a form of emotional catharsis.
And this song, for many listeners.
Made heaven and earth feel not so distant, as if through the falling raindrops, one could touch the one they longed for.
Of course, this person didn't have to be a lover; it could also be a departed family member.
"From afar, a qin, mournfully ethereal, its notes urge the sky’s rain,
Whispering thoughts to myself,
Moon shadows flicker, fireworks layered, candle wax red,
Old dreams of the mortal world, broken, all turn to emptiness..."
The second verse.
Everyone listened, their eyes lighting up!
The lyrics were as beautiful as a painting!!
Whether it was the elegant parallel structure.
Or the unparalleled imagery.
Or the stunning use of scenery to express emotion.
It made people unable to help but applaud in admiration!
Paired with Gong Ju Ren on stage, like an observer watching the scholar sit on the ground and play the qin.
A feeling of breaking through spatial barriers washed over them.
The audience felt as if they had transformed into that scholar, experiencing his calm yet deeply etched longing.
"Rain wets my eyes, I wait by the well year after year for your return,
Most I fear not realizing tears have already streamed down!
I wander the mortal world, unable to find your heaven..."
In the distance.
There seemed to be a familiar silhouette, drawing the scholar's attention.
At this moment.
The camera focused on the playing scholar.
He stared intently in that direction, two lines of tears tracing down his cheeks.
His hands, however, did not pause.
Yet, everyone could feel the profound sorrow within him.
The word "拆" (chai - to break, to split) was too painful!
Heartbreaking!
But what made his performance even more heart-wrenching was that he seemed completely unaware of the tears falling like rain, his eyes fixed only on the blurred figure in the rain.
He knew it was a dream.
But this dream refused to wake.
Once, the candlelight flickered, on nights of dancing moon shadows, by the hearth, they split wood, washed grain, and cooked meals together.
How blissful and happy it was.
But it was all just an old dream of the mortal world, long gone.
After the dream ended, that happiness vanished without a trace, leaving only endless grief and longing.
"It’s Qingming rain again, I send chrysanthemums to your side,
Gently singing your favorite song..."
When the last line was sung.
The audience below was unusually quiet.
The entire song’s rendition was not a outburst of emotion.
But the desolate feeling was incredibly profound.
Gong Ju Ren's performance this time could be described as perfect.
And judging by his demeanor, he was at ease.
It was then that everyone realized that this top fan of Ting Ge, the "Tia n Wang" (a colloquial term for an ardent supporter), had indeed achieved the skill he was meant to possess!
...
Hospital room.
At this moment, the final chorus of the song "Qing Ming Yu Shang" was still playing.
At some point, Chen Feng had placed a bridal corsage on Xie Wen.
In her left hand, she held the bouquet from the bedside close to her chest, while her other hand tightly clasped Chen Feng’s.
The song had finished.
Chen Feng felt Xie Wen’s grip weakening. He opened the red ring box and took out a diamond ring.
He gently placed it on her finger.
At this moment.
Xie Wen’s lips curved slightly. She forcefully opened her eyes, looking with all her love at the man who had accompanied her through the last year of her life.
"Hello, seniors. My name is Xie Wen, I'm 22 years old, you can call me Wen Wen."
"Welcome newcomers, you are now family."
...
"Wen Wen, latest news, Ting Ge is releasing a new song!"
"Really? Then let's go live together and listen!"
...
"Give me one chance, I know about your condition, but I just want to take care of you."
"You won't regret it?"
"Not at all!"
...
"How many days do I have left?"
"Silly girl, you’ll live to be a hundred."
"If you lie to me, I'll be angry!"
"Wen Wen, will you marry me tomorrow?"
"...Yes!"
...
After the song ended, the nurse turned off the television, and the hospital room fell silent.
The nurses and the family members of both sides covered their mouths, trying to stifle their sobs.
Chen Feng looked at her, watching her efforts to keep her eyelids from drooping, his heart breaking.
He forced his lips into a smile, his voice trembling as he choked out, "If only I had met you sooner."
Xie Wen subtly shook her head.
Before meeting this man, she had never dared to hope that anyone would care for and love her so meticulously.
In this one year, experiencing Chen Feng's love, she already felt incredibly fortunate.
"It's enough..."
A faint sound escaped her throat.
Chen Feng felt her body slowly relaxing.
He slowly leaned down.
And pressed his lips against Xie Wen’s cool ones.
The tears that had gathered in his eyes finally couldn't be held back as he lowered his head, and they fell.
"Goodbye, my love..."
...
ps: Original singer of "Qing Ming Yu Shang": Xu Song, Lyrics: Xu Song, Music: Xu Song