Chapter 132: Emptiness

To the surprise of the livestream viewers, Lu Zhou actually chose to go through with the dare proposed by Wen Yiming.

[Here comes the excitement!]
[Who will he pick?]
[Pick Li Jiayan, he’ll definitely succeed.]
[Why not just admit defeat? How annoying, I don't want to see scenes I’m not looking forward to.]
...

At this moment, Lu Zhou had already stepped out of the men's tent. Zhang Chen, Wen Yiming, and Xu Junze were hiding by the tent entrance, peering out through a crack in the fabric.

However, after Lu Zhou exited, he didn't head toward the women's tent. Instead, he took a turn and walked toward the staff's base camp.

"Hey! The women's tent is over here, where are you going?" Wen Yiming whispered, hiding behind the tent.

Lu Zhou ignored him and continued in the opposite direction to find the staff.

"What is he doing?" Wen Yiming couldn't understand his actions and looked at Zhang Chen in confusion.

Zhang Chen shook his head, his eyes fixed on Lu Zhou’s figure outside. "Who do you think he’s going to look for?"

Xu Junze: "He shouldn't be looking for my ex, but I’m not sure about the rest."

Wen Yiming: "It's hard to say, but I feel there's a higher chance he'll go for his own ex."

At this time, Lu Zhou had requested an electronic keyboard from the staff and asked them to help move it to a spot behind a distant slope. After finishing this, he turned back toward the tent area.

Passing the men's tent, he glanced at the three figures hidden behind the curtain before heading toward the women's tent.

He stood at the entrance and listened for a moment. Compared to the boisterous men's tent, the women's side was much quieter, with only occasional low voices that were impossible to identify. It seemed some of them might have already fallen asleep.

Not knowing if the person he wanted to find was awake, he decided to try his luck. Lu Zhou cleared his throat and asked as softly as he could: "Fangfei, are you asleep?"

His voice was loud enough for those inside to hear, but not enough to wake anyone who was already asleep. The murmuring inside stopped abruptly.

The livestream comments exploded:
[Ahhh! I guessed it right!]
[I’m crying, Feizhou couple is set in stone!]
[So much sugar today, my teeth are going to rot.]
...

"Who did he call?" In the men's tent, Zhang Chen, who had been distracted and didn't hear clearly, furrowed his brows and asked.

Wen Yiming pursed his lips, glanced at Zhang Chen, and said, "Didn't hear it clearly. We'll know in a minute."

Zhang Chen felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Xu Junze had actually heard the name, and his heart was full of surprise. Lu Zhou hadn't chosen Li Jiayan, but Ye Fangfei instead! Xu Junze was confused—did Lu Zhou actually want to succeed in the dare or not?

Xu Junze didn't think any of the four male guests had the ability to convince Ye Fangfei to hug them for a minute... even if they told her they were playing a game, it probably wouldn't work. Yet, Lu Zhou had chosen her.

Could his goal not be the dare at all, but rather an excuse to express his feelings? Even if he were rejected, he could use the "game penalty" as a cover to save face. As Xu Junze thought about it, he realized Lu Zhou wasn't simple.

Lu Zhou was interested in Ye Fangfei... Thinking of this, Xu Junze couldn't help but glance at Zhang Chen. Regardless of whether Lu Zhou succeeded in his dare, it looked like there would be a good show to watch when he returned.

Wen Yiming was equally surprised. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that if Lu Zhou had chosen Li Jiayan, the dare would have been easy to complete. Instead of taking the easy path, he had made the most challenging choice.

Choosing Ye Fangfei... this kid was brave. However, despite the bravery, Wen Yiming predicted that Lu Zhou would fail. He felt a hint of gloating; Li Jiayan’s recent intention to get back together with Lu Zhou was so obvious, yet Lu Zhou hadn't chosen her here. This meant one thing: Lu Zhou had no intention of reconciling.

Previously, Wen Yiming hadn't felt great about Li Jiayan wanting to get back with Lu Zhou, and he had forced himself to suppress the urge to pursue her. But tonight, Lu Zhou's actions made that urge return.

Not long after, the zipper of the women's tent opened, and half a head poked out—it was Ye Fangfei. Seeing Lu Zhou, she looked slightly surprised. "You’re looking for me?"

"Yes, did I disturb your rest?" Lu Zhou’s face lit up with a smile as he asked in a low voice.

Ye Fangfei shook her head. "I'm not asleep yet. What is it?"

"I have a new idea regarding music and wanted to discuss it with you. Is now a good time?" he said.

"Sure."

Ye Fangfei opened the tent and stepped out. In the nearby men's tent, Zhang Chen’s eyes widened the moment he saw her. His fists tightened, and without a word, he punched Wen Yiming. "Damn it, if they actually hug, it's all your fault!"

Wen Yiming wiped his brow. "???"

"Relax, they won't hug. Do you think Fangfei is the type to let someone hug her for a minute for no reason?" Wen Yiming quickly reassured him. Zhang Chen thought that made sense.

Looking back, Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei had already walked some distance away.

"Wait... where are they going in the middle of the night?" Zhang Chen panicked. If they went any further, they would disappear from sight.

"Exactly, if they go that far, how will we know if they succeeded?" Wen Yiming agreed.

Looking to the other side, staff members were moving an electronic keyboard in the same direction.

Everyone: "???" What was going on?

"He wants to seduce her with music!" Once Zhang Chen realized the situation, he rushed to leave the tent. "No! I have to follow them."

Xu Junze pulled him back. "Wait until they get past that slope, or we’ll be discovered."

The livestream comments were hysterical.

[Zhang Chen is about to lose his mind.]
[Zhang Chen: The clown is me.]
[Brother Zhang, who told you to play Truth or Dare in the middle of the night? Regretting it now, aren't you?]
...

In their view, the staff, Lu Zhou, and Ye Fangfei walked up a small slope and then down the other side, their figures disappearing from sight. Zhang Chen couldn't wait another second and rushed out of the tent, followed by Wen Yiming and Xu Junze. The three of them jogged over and crouched behind the slope to monitor the pair.

After the staff set up the keyboard and filming equipment, they left the space to Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei. When they passed the slope and spotted Zhang Chen and the others hiding, they held back their laughter and slipped away as if they had seen nothing.

Over there—

Ye Fangfei watched as Lu Zhou bent down to sit at the keyboard. Not far away, only a single camping lantern provided dim light.

"Do you need me to hold the light for you?" she asked softly.

"No, I don't need light," he replied quietly.

"Which piece of music do you want to discuss?" she asked curiously.

"Listen to it once first," Lu Zhou said, turning to smile at her.

"Okay."

"By the way, may I ask a small favor of you as my listener?" Lu Zhou smiled slightly.

"Go ahead."

"If you don't mind the ground being dirty, I hope you can sit down and listen to the whole piece while looking at the starry sky," he said.

She stood beside him while he sat. She looked down at him, and he looked up at her slightly. By the lantern light, she could see his handsome features; the faint smile at the corners of his mouth made him appear exceptionally gentle. She was momentarily dazed.

"Okay," Ye Fangfei agreed. She didn't know what kind of music he would play, but his request must have had a reason.

Ye Fangfei found a spot a few steps away, sat down, hugged her knees, and looked up at the brilliant starry dome. Lu Zhou adjusted his posture, his hands finding the keys, and he closed his eyes.

After a moment of silence, his right middle finger began to tap a single key repeatedly.

"Dong... dong... dong... dong..."

Beneath the starry sky, the solitary sound of the keyboard spread through the silent wilderness. Then, his left hand began to embellish with other keys, and his right hand changed its rhythm. The melody gradually grew, then sped up slightly, before returning to a low, faint repetition.

Every note struck Ye Fangfei’s eardrums. Even though she heard the music right beside her, it made the surroundings feel incredibly tranquil. The music was indescribably gentle yet carried a hint of intensity. The progressive elements became more complex, but sounded perfectly orderly.

Sitting under the dark, brilliant sky, she listened quietly, feeling as if she were in the middle of the universe. The music made her feel as if she were floating in the silent darkness, alone, surrounded by massive celestial bodies suspended in the vast space. She didn't know where the end was; everything was slowing down.

The complex emotions of humanity became empty and indescribable. A sense of loneliness began to invade her. Time in the boundless firmament seemed to become eternal, yet lost its meaning. What is life? It’s so small.

The whole world seemed to be left with only her. No family, no friends; everything she once had was gone. It was so cold. Her soul began to grow hollow and numb, but in a deep, small corner, it seemed to be longing for something. It was struggling, trying to find a glimmer of hope. But looking around, where was that hope?

The final notes were once again the monotonous sound from the beginning. Only this time, instead of growing from weak to strong, it went from strong to weak, until it vanished entirely, swallowed by the darkness.

Warm liquid welled up from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Ye Fangfei was lost in the music and couldn't emerge for a while.

Finishing the last note, Lu Zhou slowly opened his eyes. His own eyes were moist; after playing this, his own emotions were hard to settle. He didn't know if this music could move her—an electronic keyboard had limited power—but he had poured all the emotions he wanted to express into it. He had tried his best.

Lu Zhou stood up, walked slowly to Ye Fangfei's side, and looked down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice.

His textured, low voice reached her ears like a beam of light piercing the darkness, waking her from her daze. She slowly looked up at him. The light was dim, but she could still see the faint, moist shimmer in his eyes. Music creates resonance.

"It seems not quite," she smiled at him faintly.

He crouched down to look at her at eye level. "What did it bring you?"

"The ethereal feeling of being in the universe, boundless loneliness, and darkness." Because of her sensitivity as a musician, she had been too deeply immersed. The loneliness invading her body couldn't be pushed away, and tears gathered again, one large drop sliding down her right eye. "Everything seemed to lose its meaning, yet I was longing for redemption." As she said this, her voice was hoarse.

Her words unexpectedly tore open his own fragments of memory, nearly causing Lu Zhou to break down.

"That's why I named it 'Empty'." His eyes were slightly red, and he gave her a warm smile.

"Did you write this score?" Her sad eyes moved, showing surprise. A tear that had been brewing in her left eye for a long time was about to fall. He wanted to reach out and wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes, but he suppressed the urge.

"Yes," he nodded.

"An excellent piece of work," she said with a tearful smile.

The resonant sensitivity of a musician. For the next two seconds, both were lost in emotion, wordless, silently looking at each other beneath the infinite starry sky.

"Do you mind if I give you a hug?"

He could see her heart permeated by loneliness in her eyes, and he thought she must be looking at him the same way. He broke the silence. She shook her head silently, a bitter, sad smile on her lips as she longed to escape the emotion.

Lu Zhou’s Adam's apple bobbed. He knelt on one knee, leaned in slightly, and reached his right hand behind her to pat her back gently.

"I traveled through time and space to meet you again, Fangfei. Everything has not lost its meaning."

As they embraced, Lu Zhou said these words in his heart, words he couldn't say to her face. They held each other at a distance. As he gently patted her back, for some reason, the tears in Ye Fangfei's eyes gathered again.

It was a strange feeling. It was like having been lonely for so long, sleeping in the boundless darkness for too long, when suddenly a strong light from afar shone into her eyes, like the dawn of hope. She woke up from the darkness, and her empty heart suddenly found its footing.

...

The three people hiding behind the slope saw this scene and their eyes widened.

"???"

They were stunned for a long time.

Weren't they just playing music? One played, one listened. The music itself had a strange, empty feeling that made their thoughts slow down. When the music stopped, the three of them were still in a daze in the dark, only noticing Lu Zhou walk over and talk to Ye Fangfei. Their social distance seemed normal.

They were too far away to hear what they were saying. They couldn't understand what Lu Zhou was up to. It was a dare, why bring a keyboard? It made no sense.

Just as they were all confused, the two of them suddenly hugged each other???

What happened?!

Zhang Chen was dumbfounded, Wen Yiming was dumbfounded, and Xu Junze was dumbfounded.

Damn it, was this the legendary hypnotic masterpiece? Could Lu Zhou perform hypnosis? Did he hypnotize Ye Fangfei?

The audience in the livestream had a different reaction:

[Wuwuwu, so romantic.]
[It looks just like a scene from a movie.]
[It’s not a romantic hug, it’s a mutual solace for their loneliness, but it looks very loving.]
[Soulmates. Perhaps only they can understand the intense emotions brought by this music.]
[If they don't end up together, it’s going to be a tragedy.]
[I suddenly feel Lu Zhou shouldn't be in the entertainment industry; he should take the high-end music route.]
[Music student here, begging for this score. Where can I download it?]
...

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei didn't hug for long before letting go. Both of them emerged from their emotions and smiled at each other.

Ye Fangfei stood up, brushed the dust off her pants, and said, "This piece of music should be in a concert hall. I think an organ might be more suitable to perform it; it would surely bring a powerful shock to the soul."

Lu Zhou stood up, smiled, and said, "Indeed, we think alike."

"Although you brought me out to discuss this work, I think it’s already perfect. I’m not very good at arrangement, so I’m afraid I can't give you any useful advice on the composition. Later, I’ll recommend a master arranger to you? Perhaps he can help you," Ye Fangfei said.

"Thank you, I look forward to it."

"I'm sorry for causing such a huge emotional fluctuation for you in the middle of the night," Lu Zhou said after thanking her.

"It's fine. I'm glad I could hear such good original music today." This was the madness of a musician. Ye Fangfei laughed, "This music feels like it could be the background music for a space-themed movie; the atmosphere would be a perfect fit."

"Am I the first listener of this music?" she asked suddenly.

Lu Zhou nodded. "Yes."

Ye Fangfei said "Wow" and smiled.

As they talked, they packed their things to return to the tents. Lu Zhou thought for a moment and finally confessed that the reason he called her out was because he lost a game.

Ye Fangfei froze when she heard it.

"Are you angry?" Lu Zhou noticed her expression and asked nervously.

"You, Lu Zhou!"

Ye Fangfei gave him a heavy huff, threw the chair and lantern she was holding on the ground, turned around, and walked away with long strides, leaving Lu Zhou to carry the keyboard and other items by himself.

Seeing this, the three people behind the slope were so startled they almost slipped; they hurriedly ran back toward the tents.

"Don't be angry, okay? Although losing the game was the catalyst, my original intention was to discuss music with you! Whether the dare succeeded or not didn't matter to me." Lu Zhou explained from behind her.

"Are you really angry?"

"Fine, but since you're angry, could you help me call the staff to give me a hand? I really can't carry all this by myself."

Ye Fangfei was halfway there when she heard his words. She finally stopped, turned back to his side, picked up the things she had thrown on the ground, and left.

Lu Zhou couldn't help but smile, carrying the keyboard behind her.

"I sincerely apologize."
"I'm sorry."
"I was wrong. I shouldn't have tricked your emotions and tears."

Lu Zhou kept chattering behind her. Ye Fangfei was suppressing a laugh as she walked in front. Hearing the last sentence, she turned around abruptly.

"In your dreams, tricking my emotions... my tears weren't shed for you." She looked at him speechlessly.

Seeing her smile, Lu Zhou felt relieved.

"Yes, yes, of course they couldn't have been shed for me," he agreed repeatedly.

"Then... can you forgive me now?" he asked.

Ye Fangfei turned back around, her long hair swinging in an arc in the dark night.

"I'm not that petty," she said, dropping the sentence.

Lu Zhou smiled brightly and looked up at the night sky.