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nTranslator: Legge Editor: Legge

nThe atmosphere was one of excitement!

nWith “Beijing, Beijing,” the crowd was pumped!

nThis was the result of two months of planning and preparation by Zhang Ye’s Studio. All the audio and lighting equipment at the venue were either rented, borrowed, or bought for use in the concert. Professional teams were then brought in to design and set up the venue with the best equipment available in China, or even in the whole of Asia. For the past two months, this was the only thing they did to turn Asia’s largest concert venue into a stunning musical stage!

nLighting!

nSound effects!

nIt was like a fantasy!

nThis was Zhang Ye’s final performance stage.

nHe was very satisfied with it.

n“Zhang Ye!”

n“Zhang Ye!”

n“Zhang Ye!”

n“Zhang Ye!”

nThe crowd started shouting his name again!

nZhang Ye raised his microphone and looked at the people in the audience. He scanned around him in all directions. Surrounding him was a sea of people. “Thank you, thank you. Thank you for coming to my ‘Final Concert’!”

nWhen the audience heard that, they laughed!

n“Hahaha.”

n“Final?”

n“This is the first concert you’re holding.”

n“You’re speaking like you won’t be coming back in the future!”

n“If you really don’t come back, the entire Asian entertainment circle will celebrate wildly for three whole days and nights by setting off firecrackers!”

n“Hahahahaha!”

nEveryone laughed.

nZhang Ye also laughed. “By convention, I should be giving an opening speech for the concert. All of you know that I can speak quite well. I’ve hosted so many shows that I don’t even know how many there were. I have given so many speeches on countless occasions that I’ve lost count of them. But before coming up onstage, my mind was a total blank. I didn’t know what to say, because I’m beginning to feel more and more unqualified to speak.”

nThe audience quieted as they listened silently.

nZhang Ye said, “I’m not a qualified artist; you guys know that. You can mention any artist out there, and they should be more qualified than I am. The things that I represent are generally not positive, which is why a lot of people dislike me and criticize me for my actions. I can accept all of that, because I’ve never done what was expected of me as a public figure. Sometimes when I think about it, I feel quite guilty too.”

nHa Qiqi looked at the stage.

nZhang Zuo kept his eyes on Zhang Ye.

nThe studio’s staff were all silent.

nZhang Ye said, “I’ve also thought about it these past few years. Tolerance, acceptance, civility, grace, and some of the better values and morals. It would have been better if I had conveyed such an image to the people. Then, perhaps, my popularity would be better as a result, and I would also have more friends surrounding me. I wouldn’t have fallen short of my family’s expectations either. When my family mentioned my name, they would have done so with more pride. When you all talk about me, it would be with more appreciation. When the media reports about me, it would be with more praise—I would really like to experience how that feels.” He smiled and closed his eyes, thinking for about three seconds, then opened his eyes again with a smile. “That would definitely be a very good feeling. Yes, it is definitely a good one.”

nThen, Zhang Ye continued, “But—”

nBut?

nBut what?

nBut what?

nThe audience looked at him.

nEveryone watching the livestream was watching him. They also realized that something a little different with Zhang Ye today!

nAt this moment, the music played.

nZhang Ye smiled for a brief second. Yes, that would be a really great life to live. In the image that came to his mind, Zhang Ye would not be holding this final concert of his, nor would he have made that decision to give up everything. He would definitely have had a good life with Old Wu, witnessed the birth of his child, accompanied it as it grew up, celebrated its first birthday, second birthday, and third birthday. Whenever the child’s teachers mentioned Zhang Ye, they would say that he was a great celebrity, and the child’s classmates would all be envious of it for having such a cultured and refined father. The child would also proudly introduce Zhang Ye as its father during the parent-teacher conferences to its classmates. The greatest father in the world—it was a very beautiful scene, so beautiful that it kept lingering in Zhang Ye’s mind.

nBut.

nHe did not regret it.

nHe owed his family.

nHe owed his child.

nIf he could apologize, he would say sorry to Old Wu a 1,000 times. He would say sorry to his child 10,000 times!

nBut—he did not regret it!

nThe Korean hackers?

nThe Japanese hotel?

nHe would take them on each time they came!

nHe would beat them up twice if they came twice!

nHe would send them packing ten times if they came ten times!

nHe would never regret his actions!

nThere would forever be no room for negotiation on such matters!

nZhang Ye gently brought the microphone up 1 .

n“I proudly destroy

n“the mediocrity I hate.

n“Before remembering those were my favorites.

n“Let summer have its fun,

n“take the brutal future,

n“And toss it light-years away.

n“But for now—

n“Let go of the rules, indulge in love.

n“Throw caution to the wind and forget about the future.”

nZhang Ye looked at everyone. He had no hesitations or any regrets.

n“I won’t veer off.

n“I won’t veer off.

n“I won’t veer off.

n“I won’t veer off.”

nThe audience was stunned!

nAll of the viewers watching the livestream were also stunned!

nIn the blink of an eye, countless people were extremely pumped up!

n…

nAt Zhang Ye’s parents’ house.

nHis mother said, “Little Ye, he’s—”

nHis father said, “What happened to him?”

n…

nAt Old Wu’s parents’ house.

nWu Changhe asked, “What’s with Little Ye?”

nLi Qinqin asked, “What does he mean by all that?”

nWu Changhe said, “Is something the matter? Has the kid gone insane again?”

nBut Wu Zeqing just smiled without answering her parents. She said to herself, “That’s my husband!”

n…

nThe venue was pumping with excitement!

nScreams and cheers were mixed into the singing!

nZhang Ye’s live singing was also getting louder and louder as though he was going to turn the entire venue upside down!

n“I want to go crazy, I want to love!

n“Means I want to go crazy, I want to love!

n“Thousands of MP3s!”

n“Thousands of crazy loves!

n“Cannot extinguish this tiny loneliness!

n“I want to go crazy, I want to love!

n“Means I want to go crazy, I want to love!

n“A wild party in the summer brings us here to light-years away!

n“Is growing up the decay that must happen to us all?

n“Let go of the rules, indulge in love!

n“Throw caution to the wind and forget about the future!”

nStanding at center stage.

nStanding in a venue that held a 100,000 people!

nZhang Ye raised his microphone up and clutched his shirt at his chest. He let out a loud howl:

n“I won’t veer off!

n“I won’t veer off!

n“I won’t veer off!

n“I won’t veer offffffffffff!”

nWhat a good “won’t veer off”!

nWhat a good “I won’t veer off”!

nIn this moment, all of the audience members went crazy!

nIn this moment, all of them stood up!

nSome of them started crying!

nSome of them frantically waved their arms about!

nSome of them followed Zhang Ye’s lead and howled along to the singing!

nThat “but” statement that Zhang Ye did not finish saying had been answered by this song. Zhang Ye was still that Zhang Ye they knew. He would always be!

nZhang Ye was right; he wasn’t a qualified artist. Whether it was in speech, in action, his character, or his résumé, he wasn’t a good artist no matter how you looked at it!

nThey knew that!

nEveryone knew that!

nBut—

nThey still liked him all the same!

nThey did not know why either; they just liked him!

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