Chapter One: Su Zitan, I Have Returned!
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"Triple-threat superstar of film, television, and music, Lin Ze, passed away from cancer last night at the age of thirty-five. In his final interview, he said, 'Over these twelve years, I fulfilled the promise and reached the pinnacle of the entertainment industry. Now, it's time for me to go see her.' 'To see the girl who remains forever in that summer, twelve years ago—Su Zitan.'"
...
At Mountain Grove Bar, under the dim lights, the resident folk singer was still clutching his guitar, crooning about poetry and distant dreams.
"Hoo..."
In a shadowy corner, Lin Ze slowly woke with his head throbbing. Wasn't I supposed to be in a hospital room? Where am I?
He glanced around, recognition dawning. This was the bar he used to frequent with Zitan—his "Sister Zitan."
"Another dream..." Lin Ze shifted, his body sluggish and uncooperative under the influence of alcohol. "This dream feels far too real."
He pushed himself upright, steadying on the table. The folk singer had left the stage; his guitar rested beside a tall stool. Still dazed, Lin Ze wandered toward the stage, oblivious to the glowing phone left on his table. The lock screen was a photo of Su Zitan, the one who had haunted his thoughts for a lifetime. The time displayed was—
The very summer when Lin Ze was twenty-three, the summer Su Zitan was in that fateful car accident.
Clutching the guitar, Lin Ze settled into the center-stage chair, fingers brushing across the strings. His vision swam, and he didn’t notice the folk singer’s phone propped up below the stage, still streaming live.
The customers, their drinks half-forgotten, turned curiously toward the new figure on stage. The live stream’s audience was small, just a few dozen.
[Where’s the host? Who’s this guy?]
[He staggered up there. Is he drunk?]
[He’s kind of handsome! Hey, handsome, add me!]
The chat scrolled rapidly, until a new message caught everyone’s attention.
[Isn’t that Lin Ze—the one who’s been trashed by Zhang Yang’s fans lately?]
[Hey, it really does look like him! He’s clearly had a lot to drink.]
[This is big news!]
The live stream was shared around. As soon as Zhang Yang’s fans saw Lin Ze’s name, they flooded in.
Before the new arrivals could start hurling insults, gentle guitar chords rang out.
Lin Ze’s voice, hoarse and rough, spoke:
"There was a girl who always stayed by my side, accepting everything about me. I took for granted that she would always be there..."
The folk singer, just returning from the restroom, was startled to hear someone speaking over the mic. Oh no! He dashed out and saw a drunken stranger strumming his guitar on stage.
"Later, I finally learned how to love."
"Unfortunately, you were long gone, vanished into the crowd."
The folk singer rushed forward, then slowed, caught off guard. Wait—he sounds... good?
He hurried over to his phone, glancing at the live stream.
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What had started as a few dozen viewers was now over three thousand and rising fast.
"Later, I finally understood through tears—"
"Some people, once missed, are gone forever..."
The hoarse voice carried an immense sorrow. The bar fell silent. The barrage of insults in the live chat abruptly ceased. Many viewers, sitting before their screens, felt a sting in their noses.
For reasons unknown, even Zhang Yang’s fans, watching the young man on stage singing with closed eyes, felt a pang of sympathy.
"That eternal night, midsummer at seventeen—"
"The night you kissed me—"
"It left me, in all the years that followed, recalling the starlight of that night whenever I felt wistful..."
At the entrance, Su Zitan stepped inside, glancing at the table where Lin Ze had been sitting. She paused, surprised.
Huh? I just stepped out to take a call. Where’d he go?
"Love was so simple back then..."
Following the familiar voice, Su Zitan walked toward the stage and saw Lin Ze sitting on the high stool at its center. His eyes were closed, but tears streamed down his face.
"Later, I finally learned how to love."
"Unfortunately, you were long gone, vanished into the crowd."
"Later, I finally understood through tears—"
"Some people, once missed, are gone forever."
Soft sobs began to ripple through the bar. The person once buried deep in memory, missed and lost, seemed to grow clearer with every word.
Su Zitan watched Lin Ze on stage, tears flowing down her cheeks, but inside, she grumbled: I’m still here, silly boy! Who did you miss?
Lin Ze exhaled and opened his eyes. The guitar fell silent. Everyone snapped out of their reverie. On stage, Lin Ze’s breath caught; his muddled mind cleared in an instant. He stared at that all-too-familiar face in the audience. His hand trembled as he strummed the guitar again.
"There’s no going back..."
"A boy once loved a girl..."
As his final line faded, the bar was quiet for three seconds—then, thunderous applause erupted.
Lin Ze pinched his thigh hard.
The pain was real.
This wasn’t a dream! He was truly, unmistakably back!
He was back to when Zitan was still alive!
[Who’s that? Who’s in the audience?]
[His expression changed when he looked down just now!]
The scrolling chat filled the screen. The folk singer stepped back, turning his camera toward Su Zitan.
[Whoa, she’s gorgeous!]
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[Is she a celebrity? She’s so beautiful!]
[Lin Ze has no class! How could he insult my idol like that? An artist with no manners—]
A few newcomers in the live chat cursed loudly, but their comments were quickly drowned by the flood.
Lin Ze got off the stool, walking step by step toward Su Zitan. The patrons, seeing him approach the girl in the audience, stopped applauding in tacit understanding.
Su Zitan wiped her tears, suddenly nervous, her palms sweating.
Is Little Lin finally making a move? Is he going to confess? But he’s drunk—if he sobers up, will he pretend it never happened?
In the hush of the bar, Lin Ze spoke the words that had been brewing in his heart for over a decade.
"Su Zitan, I love you!"
"Li—Lin Ze..." Su Zitan’s mind blanked, words tumbling out in a stutter.
"Will you marry me?"
Her swelling emotions were abruptly interrupted. Her face flushed scarlet and she punched Lin Ze lightly on the shoulder.
"Who proposes like that? Aren’t you skipping a step?"
"And... now isn’t the right time to go public with a relationship. You’ve offended Zhang Yang, and his fans are all after you. You still have fans supporting you, but if you get together with me now, you’ll lose a lot of them, and in the future..."
"Most importantly, you’re drunk. Who knows if this is just a spur of the moment?"
As Su Zitan spoke, the joy that had just blossomed in her heart faded, her voice trailing off.
"Maybe you should think it over..."
Lin Ze looked at Su Zitan—the young business tycoon who dominated the corporate world—now looking as aggrieved as a little girl forced to give up her favorite doll.
"I’ve thought about it for far too long." Lin Ze pulled her into his arms, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent.
"Su Zitan, I love you."
"If we count from the first day we liked each other, then we’ve been in love for more than ten years. I believe we’ve already surpassed the word ‘like.’"
"So, will you marry me?"
Tears slid down Su Zitan’s flawless cheeks. She, too, had waited far too long to hear these words.
"I will!"
Rising on tiptoes, Su Zitan wrapped her arms around Lin Ze’s neck, pressing her lips to his.
Applause erupted once more, everyone congratulating Lin Ze and Su Zitan.
The live stream now had over fifty thousand real viewers. The folk singer grinned ear to ear.
[My god, Lin Ze is incredible.]
[Right? If you count from the first day you liked each other... that’s so sweet!]
[He dared to confess in public at a time like this—for his courage alone, I’m a fan now!]
[What was that song? It was beautiful...]
Blushing, Su Zitan gently released Lin Ze. "There are so many people here. Let’s go."
Lin Ze took her hand and nodded softly. "Okay, just a moment. Whose guitar is this?"
He was still wearing the guitar.
"Mine!" The folk singer quickly raised his hand.
Lin Ze looked over and saw the singer holding a phone tripod...
Wait.
A sudden sense of foreboding rose in Lin Ze’s heart.