Chapter 34: The Chain Reaction Sparked by a Song Called "Dilili"

After Xu Mingkun finished his performance and left the stage, Yu Lan smiled and said, “Thank you, Xu Mingkun, for bringing us such a wonderful show!”

“Next, let’s look forward to what kind of brilliance Mr. Su Bai will present to us!”

When Su Bai came on stage, he was holding an acoustic guitar in his arms.

“To all our friends here and everyone watching the live stream, hello!” he greeted. “The next song, ‘The You from Before,’ is dedicated to my former self. At the same time, it’s for all of you as well—to the you from before!”

As Su Bai sat down on the stool and began to play the guitar, he instantly drew the eyes of everyone present.

Many people had believed the rumors spread online, thinking Su Bai couldn’t play any instruments and was only good at singing. They claimed his songs weren’t even originals, that he was just performing pieces someone else had prepared for him.

But now, all those doubts were shattered.

At the very least, right now, it was clear—Su Bai could play the guitar.

Meanwhile, Su Bai’s fans in the live stream cheered with delight, as if their idol had just proven himself with his true abilities, filling them with joy!

“Once I dreamed of roaming the world with a sword,
To see all the splendors it holds.
A youthful heart, always a bit reckless,
Now you call the world your home.”

His heartfelt voice instantly captured the attention of everyone in the room.

Yu Lan was even more astonished.

The previous songs that had gone viral online—“The Lonely Warrior,” “Dragon’s Scales Beneath the Heavens,” and “The Actor”—were already vastly different in style. Yet now, this “The You from Before” seemed even more distinct from those.

Yu Lan had met singers with versatile voices before, but someone like Su Bai, whose voice could change so unpredictably, was a first.

The guitar virtuoso Lin Feng had already closed his eyes as soon as Su Bai started playing, as though he was instantly transported into the story Su Bai was weaving with his music.

“The girl who once made your heart ache
Has quietly disappeared without a trace.
Love always leaves you longing and troubled,
Once leaving you battered and bruised.”

At these lines, many people suddenly found themselves lost in memories.

Where was the girl they once loved? Where had that cherished boy gone?

The love they once yearned for had seemed sweet and beautiful—why did only sadness remain?

Wasn’t falling in love supposed to give you a safe harbor for your soul?

And yet, in the end, you were left wounded all over.

Had you known it would be like this, would you have chosen to fall in love in the first place?

The viewers in the streaming rooms suddenly felt a heavy melancholy.

“Bro, could you stop singing? You’re making me want to cry!”

“I was so excited before, but now I’m suddenly so down! Su Bai, why do your songs always pull us in so deeply?”

“No one truly understands sorrow until they’ve felt it, nor anxiety until they’ve lost innocence. Once you’ve seen the sea, no water compares; once you’ve known the heights, no cloud will suffice.”

“This song is only for those with stories to hear!”

“To roam the world with a sword—what a beautiful dream!”

In a corner surrounded by a large crowd of fans, two girls gripped each other’s hands tightly, their nervousness plain to see.

“Sister Ke, did Brother Su Bai once have a girl he liked very, very much?”

“Why are his songs always so sad?”

“When I listen to him sing, I feel like he has so many stories!”

Yang Mengke shook her head in confusion. She didn’t know if Su Bai had ever loved someone, but he had never spoken of it to her.

“Dilililidilililide
da
Dilililidilililidada
Dilililidilililidada
Walking bravely forward on this road.”

At this, Yang Mengke and Liu Ruotong stopped their conversation at once, eyes wide open as they stared ahead.

Guitar master Lin Feng, who had been immersed in the music with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped his eyes open.

The same astonishment appeared on the faces of the other three masters.

This “dililili” was a stroke of genius.

There were no lyrics, yet it immediately made everyone’s blood surge with excitement.

To transition from chorus to verse in this way—who would have thought it possible?

The online audience was in an uproar.

“What kind of magical song is this? That ‘dilililili’ sent shivers down my spine!”

“Bro, could you sing it a little less simply? You’re making me think I could do it too!”

“How many of you suddenly sat up straight when you heard that part?”

“I feel like even I could sing this section!”

“Look, quick, look! When that ‘dilililili’ came, you could see a clear sparkle in Yu Lan’s eyes!”

“Damn, bro, are you here for the music or just to stare at Goddess Yu Lan? Have you been watching her the whole time without blinking?”

“Guys, stop staring for now—after the song, you can have your turn. If you hog all the looks, what’s left for us...”

But their so-called goddess, Yu Lan, was already awash with emotion inside.

She’d expected the song to be a straightforward, narrative ballad, like a story.

But this “dilili” was truly inspired.

“Dilililidilililide
da
Dilililidilililidada
Dilililidilililidada
There is sorrow, but also splendor.”

Once more, the “dilililili” had everyone unconsciously swaying to the beat.

Outside, the fans who had come to cheer for Xu Mingkun had all fallen silent.

They too seemed to have sunk into their own memories.

Had they, too, forgotten their former selves and dreams, just as the lyrics described?

What was the meaning of everything they were doing now?

“Every time you feel sad,
You look at the sea alone.
You always remember the friends who walked the road with you.
How many are still healing their wounds?
Dilililidilililide
da
Dilililidilililidada
Dilililidilililidada
How many lonely nights have there been?”

When the chorus reached its climax with the “dilililili,” some people couldn’t help but join in.

“Dilililidilililide
da,
Dilililidilililidada
Dilililidilililidada.”

Countless little flags of different colors waved in the air.

At first, it was only Su Bai’s fans and some neutral listeners who sang along, while Xu Mingkun’s supporters remained silent.

But gradually, as the emotion built, even some of Xu Mingkun’s fans couldn’t help themselves. They opened their mouths and began to hum along with the crowd.

The staff assigned by Liu Siyan to monitor this group noticed the change and their expressions shifted. They knew very well—just a single, gentle hum could be the spark that set off a chain reaction.