Chapter 123: Resonance

"It’s your turn, Yu’an!" Chen Mo suddenly thrust the microphone from Huang Mao’s hand in front of him. The screen displayed the lyrics for "A Happy Couple."

The song’s intro took Chen Mo and Huang Mao by surprise.

It wasn’t a conventional love song. The melody was peculiar, but it instantly softened into a soothing rhythm right as the vocals began.

Lin Yu’an’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he began to sing, his voice telling a story.

"I remember you loved wearing white dresses~

I loved your long braids the most~

You loved to see my goofy smile~

Said I was the boy you loved~

Quietly sitting on a bench by the lake~

The first time I held a girl in my arms~

We saved up money to buy a house together~

And we’ll have a chubby son together..."

Lin Yu’an heard his own husky voice flow out, mixed with the backing track. He had never sung in front of so many people before. His fingertips, clutching the base of the microphone, were slick with a thin layer of sweat. But when he caught a glimpse of Zhao Yuanyuan listening intently with her chin in her hands, and Chen Mo tapping out the beat on the coffee table with his fingers, his tense shoulders subconsciously began to relax.

The entire song was a gentle narrative, telling a beautiful love story that resonated deeply with everyone—a story of progressing from strangers to lovers, staying committed to one another, and finally growing old together.

Long after Lin Yu’an sang the final line, everyone remained silent, lost in the beautiful love story the song had woven.

Su Yuqing’s eyes shone as she stole a glance at Chen Mo.

’A simple, quiet love like that, one that lasts a lifetime... it’s truly beautiful.’

"Wow, Lin Yu’an, you’re full of surprises!" Zhao Yuanyuan exclaimed.

Lin Yu’an possessed the uniquely clean and bright voice of a boy whose voice hadn’t completely broken yet, making it incredibly pleasant to hear.

It was an especially brilliant match for a song with such a narrative style.

It also allowed him to perform at 150% of his normal singing ability.

Now that the two newcomers, Zhao Yuanyuan and Lin Yu’an, had both sung, Chen Mo and Huang Mao naturally turned their attention to Zhao Yuanyuan and Su Yuqing.

The flickering spots of light from the crystal chandelier swept across Zhao Yuanyuan’s lowered eyelashes. She was curled up in a corner of the sofa, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the pattern on a maraca.

When the song "Super Star" lit up on the screen, Huang Mao suddenly shoved another microphone into her palm. "The birthday girl’s little sister has to sing a song too!"

Zhao Yuanyuan’s hand trembled, and the maraca fell onto the coffee table with a CLACK.

She waved her hands in a panic, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. "I... I can’t sing..."

"Just hum a few lines! I’ll be your safety net!" Zhao Yuanyuan grinned, wrapping an arm around her sister’s shoulders. "Don’t you love their songs?" Meanwhile, Huang Mao pressed the button to play the original vocals, making it easier for a novice to sing along.

The moment the rock intro blasted through the speakers, the tips of Zhao Yuanyuan’s ears turned bright red, and she nearly buried her face in her sister’s chest.

"Don’t be shy, sing with your big sister." Zhao Yuanyuan chuckled and started singing along with the original track.

Slowly, her sister’s energy drew her in, and after a moment, Zhao Yuanyuan began to sing along too.

Although she sang rather quietly, everyone could still tell her pitch was much better than Zhao Yuanyuan’s.

Zhao Yuanyuan was almost completely off-key. The fact that Zhao Yuanyuan could stay focused and hit every note correctly, despite her sister’s "guidance," was already impressive.

Just as they were getting into the groove, Huang Mao turned off the original vocals at the perfect moment.

By now, Zhao Yuanyuan no longer needed the original vocals to guide her and could continue singing smoothly.

Without the original vocals mixed in, her pleasant singing voice stood out even more.

At this point, Zhao Yuanyuan also quietly lowered her volume, and it eventually became Zhao Yuanyuan’s solo.

After she finished the entire song, she suddenly realized that in the end, she had been the only one singing.

As she looked around at everyone in surprise, expecting their comments, they immediately gave her a supportive round of applause.

This gave Zhao Yuanyuan, who was singing in public for the first time, a great sense of inner satisfaction and validation.

"You sang really well, much better than your sister," Huang Mao commented at the right time.

"Drop dead, Yellow Hair! What did you say?" Zhao Yuanyuan glared, her hands on her hips.

"Hey, it’s your birthday! Don’t talk about ’dropping dead.’ Let’s keep it auspicious," Huang Mao immediately surrendered.

At this time, the intro to the next song had already begun to play.

You could say that coming to sing with Huang Mao and Zhao Yuanyuan was the perfect combination for Chen Mo and Su Yuqing.

They liked quieter songs, some of which were even a bit sorrowful. That’s when you needed Huang Mao and Zhao Yuanyuan to pick some lively songs to break the overly quiet and sorrowful atmosphere.

Huang Mao’s "Joyful Worship" and "Super Star," which Zhao Yuanyuan had picked for her sister, were both relatively lively and energizing songs.

And as "Super Star" ended, the next song, "Don’t Cry, My Dearest Love," was another one from the more downbeat category.

Chen Mo still remembered that Su Yuqing had said she liked this song back when they were on the bus, so he had picked it for her.

He turned to look at Su Yuqing. "Yuqing, want to sing this one?"

Su Yuqing’s fingertips, clutching the hem of her dress, suddenly tightened.

A bitter lump rose in her throat, causing her to instinctively pull back, but a warm palm steadied her. The young man leaned over, gently offering the microphone to her. At the same time, he grabbed another mic for himself and sat down beside her. His breath brushed against her trembling eyelashes as he smiled and said, "Don’t be nervous. I’ll sing with you."

As the melody of "Don’t Cry, My Dearest Love" started up again, with Chen Mo sitting there beside her, Su Yuqing gradually began to find her footing.

Soon, under Chen Mo’s lead, she began to sing along.

Her cool and clear voice was like moonlight steeped in spring water. At first, it carried a slight tremor, but then she felt a warmth on the back of her hand—Chen Mo’s fingertips were gently resting over her hand that was holding the microphone. His body heat transferred through her skin, bringing a strange sense of calm, and only then did she gradually let go and sing freely.

After all, she had personally experienced the emotions of this song.

She had once been like the ephemeral flower in the lyrics, nearly "withering away in her most beautiful moment."

Su Yuqing’s voice was cool and beautiful as she sang, but when paired with the song’s melody, it stirred an inexplicable feeling of tenderness and pity in the listeners.

As Zhao Yuanyuan listened, for some reason, she started to feel like crying.

Only when the whole song was over did Zhao Yuanyuan immediately start clapping and say, "Yuqing, you’re an amazing singer! I almost started crying just now."

At that moment, in a corner no one noticed, Lin Yu’an had already used his sleeve to wipe away the tears that had just inadvertently fallen.

The desperate emotion from her memories that Su Yuqing revealed while singing this song was something Lin Yu’an could empathize with all too well.

He had had extreme thoughts several times in the past, but it was only the sight of his lonely mother and his adorable younger brother that stopped him from going any further.

On top of that, meeting Chen Mo later had brought a ray of light into his life, allowing him to gradually walk out of the gloom.

But the moment the song began, especially in the instant Su Yuqing’s voice—so full of a resonance that easily stirred the soul—swept over him, those old, dark emotions had unknowingly turned to tears, flowed out, and vanished.