Outside the venue, the jeering grew more intense.
"Where is he? Is he going to sing or not!"
"Let’s go, let’s go, he’s probably got no choice, I bet they don’t even want Goddess An to show up!"
"What a waste of a trip!"
Students from other schools were mocking freely, many of whom were on the verge of graduating college, filling them with a lot of pressure. In such circumstances, many were heckling, hoping for greater chaos.
"Don’t talk nonsense! Someone will definitely come out!"
A number of students from the school had faces red with anger, continuously defending their own school.
"What’s going on, why has no one come out yet!"
While both sides were arguing incessantly and the trustees were nearly trembling with anger, the stage suddenly went dark.
The lights went out, everything went dark.
A beam of bright red stage light shone diagonally from above the stage to the center, but there was no one there!
"What the heck! Are they playing with us?"
"There’s no one there at all!"
"This evening is really terrible!"
"This is the worst school anniversary celebration I’ve ever seen!"
Someone loudly mocked, "So much for the promised male solo!"
Silence fell upon the stage.
Suddenly, the sound of music faintly started.
One sound after another, the crisp and forceful prelude slowly resonated, rippling through the vast venue.
Like a heart, beating forcefully and earnestly!
"Where does the world filled with flowers truly lie?"
A deep, hoarse male voice rang out, echoing on the stage, but no one knew where the voice was coming from, only the lonely cold light on the stage cast down.
The stage lighting suddenly turned a pale blue, like the lost heart of a youngster.
"If it truly exists, then I must go there, I want to stand on the highest peak, not caring whether it’s a cliff or precipice."
"Live with all my might, love with all my might even if it costs me my life, not seeking anyone’s satisfaction but only to be true to myself."
"About dreams, I have never chosen to give up, even on days when I’m down and dirty."
It was as if he was narrating, one sentence after another, calm and deep, clearly echoing in everyone’s ears in the auditorium.
"I know this song, this is ’Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart’!"
A Hua Xia student shouted loudly.
"The singing is quite mediocre."
A student curled their lip, disdainfully.
"I thought it was a love song, this song sounds too bland, really boring."
Some laughed out loud.
"What, it’s actually a Hua Xia song?"
"Hehe, that’s really funny, what good songs could Hua Xia have?"
"Such bland music and rhythm, it’s really bad."
A group of foreign students from other schools scoffed in derision. In an internationalized campus, instead of choosing an English song that everyone understands, they chose a Hua Xia song.
Does this Hua Xia international student think this place is still Hua Xia?
A Hua Xia international student from Mo City University was furious, unable to refrain from angrily looking at the provocative and mocking foreign students.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
That foreign student laughed out loud, not hiding his mockery and disdain at all: "Listen to it yourself, does this even qualify as a song? Songs should be melodious, but his singing is just as bland as speaking!"
Even if some didn’t understand the Hua Xia language, they could still sense the quality from the song’s prelude. Good or bad music knows no boundaries.
"Maybe I lack talent, but I have the innocence of dreaming."
"I will prove it, with my life."
Bai Yan ignored the noise under the stage, ignored the worries of the Hua Xia international students at Mo City University, and ignored the scornful mockery from the foreign students from other schools.
He sang very seriously. Yes, he was taking it very seriously.
Still with the hoarse male voice, there was an indescribable haziness in his voice, yet amidst that haziness, there was a hint of firmness.
Only a few who understood music felt inexplicably sad; they seemed, dimly, to see an image—a confused yet strong young man, struggling step by step on the path of life, advancing with difficulty!
Even though no one understood, even though no one acknowledged.
This youngster, still didn’t want to give up.
What a cruel path life is for the youth; maybe this is a lesson, a painful lesson we have to learn after growing up, about being caught between reality and dreams.
To persist with dreams, or to compromise with reality?
This male voice, he actually conveyed the deep charm concealed within the life path of a youngster through this song.
Below the stage, An Yan was stunned; she recognized it, this was Bai Yan’s voice, Bai Yan was singing!
The Hua Xia student, shaking with anger, tried hard to defend his nation’s song: "This is how the prelude to this song is, if you have the guts, listen till the end!"
"Continue listening? You wish, we don’t want to keep listening!"
"Let’s go, let’s go, this celebration is just ."
"Hehe, Mo City University’s anniversary celebration this year is going to be ruined by a Hua Xia student."
"Hua Xia people like to brag, right? I see, this time they’ve totally blown it!"
Quite a few of the foreign students got up and began to leave.
"What’s going on! What exactly is happening!"
The vice-principal was furious, he couldn’t help but loudly question the person in charge and the student council president.
Why would a school anniversary celebration turn out .
More and more students were standing up, even those from our own school planned to leave the venue in the dim light, too embarrassed to face this shameful scene of their alma mater—it was a failed song!
A portion of Mo City’s important officials also frowned, whispering to one another, shaking their heads incessantly.
Here, singing a Hua Xia song that was hoarse and low was undoubtedly a wrong decision!
More and more people were standing up.
"Ha ha, everyone leave, let’s get out of here, who wants to waste time on a trash song?"
Those foreign students from other schools laughed loudly, very smug.
Young people, always like to stir up some trouble.
Bai Yan’s lips curled into a slight smile, like causing trouble?
Alright, I’ll join you in the trouble.
Bai Yan clenched the microphone tightly, his voice still hoarse and low: "Maybe my hands are clumsier than my feet, but I am willing to keep exploring, giving all my youth, without regrets."
"Run forward!! Facing the cold eyes and ridicule!!"
Suddenly, a high-pitched burst erupted, the hoarse tenor voice seemed to question the injustice of fate! It was as if it was a young man hacking through thorns, covered in blood and mess, yet refusing to sully those dream-seeking eyes!
"Here it comes! The climax!"
Many Hua Xia students couldn’t help but stand up, their faces flushed with excitement, full of anticipation.
Everyone was stunned.
The vice-principal was stunned, the student council president was stunned, Chen Yudong was stunned, An Yan was stunned, the foreign students who were about to leave were also stunned.
This voice... this climax...
Why? Why does this hoarse high-pitched voice, as if a hoarse tenor after straining, still make one’s soul tremble!
"The vastness of life can’t be felt without enduring hardships!"
"Fate can’t make us kneel and beg for mercy! Even if we are covered in blood!"
What kind of perseverance is this, even if kneeling, that young man must complete this path, his dream is more important than life!
"Keep running!! Carrying the pride of a pure heart!!"
Another almost soul-piercing high note, this voice strained to its limit, seemingly willing to tear his own throat!
This hoarse high note carried endless strength and defiance, he was roaring furiously!
This high note sent shivers down everyone’s spine! Goosebumps all over!
Even if the road is rugged, surrounded by people with mocking looks.
Even if I have to crawl along this path.
Carrying the pride of a pure heart!
This is a declaration of war against fate, a bloody persistence on the path of life!
Everyone was stunned, the students who had originally planned to stand up were now motionless, they slowly turned around, looking towards the still empty stage.
This singing voice, as if it could pierce through one’s soul!
Everyone’s eyes became misty, even the school’s leaders and the significant figures of Mo City sitting in the front row couldn’t help but sink deep into their memories.
Everyone has their own youth and moments of defiance, the recklessness of youth, it’s the most precious time, even if it’s somewhat naive, even if it’s somewhat arrogant.
We should not know, the sky! Is! High! The earth! Is! Thick!
All the students couldn’t help but clench their fists, their eyes sparkling with excited and shocked light.
Even those foreign students who had ridiculed Bai Yan earlier were stunned, speechless, they wanted to find some reasons to criticize further, but could find no words or reasons to pick apart this song.
This song’s resolute spirit touched people’s souls too profoundly!
"Life’s brilliance cannot be seen unless one perseveres, rather than lingering reluctantly, better to burn with passion! Someday it will sprout again!"
"The enchanting future always calls to me, even if accompanied only by pain, we must march forward!"
"I want to sail in the bluest ocean there, never mind if I can return!"
"After failure, indulgence in sorrow is the coward’s response, as long as there is a breath left please clench your fists!"
"Before the break of dawn, we need to be braver, waiting for the most dazzling moment of sunrise!"
After the climax, was still one voice after another, simple, clear, hoarse male voice.
He was still singing.
This Hua Xia student was still singing!
This song, was not over!
Everyone went silent.
The whole venue was quiet.
The large venue, no one noisy, no one ridiculed, no one spoke.
As if they spoke, the song would disappear, everyone just quietly waited.
Music, has no borders, no species.
The indomitable spirit and the pride of a pure heart contained in this song moved countless students.
They quietly waited, waiting for the singer to vent again.
They anticipated, extremely anticipated, for this man to sing one more time!
Who sang it, no longer mattered.
Just sing it one more time, please, just once!
Many people’s eyes reddened, moistened, they turned around, silently watching the stage.
Please, sing it once more, let us know, we are still young!
We shouldn’t cool our passionate blood when we most need to be frivolous!
(Song: "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart", very nice, the author really likes this song.)