Chapter 88: Letting Go
The wind had completely changed direction.
Aside from a few sharp-tongued people who still called Huang Guolun “Blind Uncle,” most participants in the discussion area now addressed him as “Uncle” or “Teacher Huang.” The comment section was flooded with messages praising the song—
“Did Uncle Huang write this song himself? It’s so good!”
“This is the first time I’ve had to look up while listening to a song on a sunny day. If I don’t, my tears will fall.”
“My heart has been cut open by this song. Suddenly, I really miss her! Sister Jing, the Teacher Huang you invited is amazing. Here’s a cloud (10 RMB) as a token of respect.”
“Where’s the rainbow? Where is it! A song like this deserves at least a rainbow! It’s so damn good! This has to be the best new song I’ve heard this year! Teacher Huang is awesome, Sister Jing is awesome!”
“Suddenly, I miss you so much. Sister Jing, show your face, just once. Have you been happy lately? Do you know I think about you every day, refreshing Sunny Day for you every day? In my next life, I want to meet you again! I feel like such a joke, sitting silently on this side of the computer, thinking of you—is this love?”
“Uncle sings so sincerely! I’m a mess of tears and snot. Suddenly, I really miss her! And him! And it!”
“Time might be a numbing poison—it numbs the nerves but seeps into the bones. So much time has passed; I thought I’d forgotten him. But after hearing this song, I realized I still miss him so much. Here’s a rainbow for Uncle Huang, to commemorate my past.”
“I remember asking her: ‘Why are you so thrifty?’ She replied: ‘I’m afraid of spending you broke, so you won’t be able to marry me in the future.’ I laughed and said: ‘If we don’t end up together, wouldn’t you have lost out?’ She said: ‘That’s why I can’t waste money. If some other girl is spendthrift, you’ll be even less able to marry her. I need to save for you, so you won’t end up single.’… I wanted to laugh at the time, but now thinking back, I want to cry! Xiaoli, I miss you so much! If heaven gives me another chance to love you, I’ll love you for ten thousand years!”
...
Zhao Jing had never seen her comment section filled with so many nostalgic, heartfelt messages.
It was clear just how deeply Huang Guolun’s song had touched everyone!
Rainbows streaked across the screen one after another, making Zhao Jing beam with delight.
From the looks of it, Saturday was sure to be a lucrative day for them!
Smiling, Zhao Jing said to Huang Guolun, “Teacher Huang, so many people in the livestream are praising how beautiful your song is.”
Beside her, Liu Xiaowei wiped his nose and sighed, “It really is good. Better than ‘Xi Shua Shua.’”
Su Ling was utterly annoyed with Liu Xiaowei; if Zhao Yan hadn’t said not to throw out the trash recklessly, she would have tossed Liu Xiaowei out herself.
Huang Guolun sat at the piano, savoring the lingering emotion from his performance of “Suddenly Miss You So Much.” He felt he’d sung it so beautifully—even he himself was moved by his own voice.
Ever since he gained those miraculous ears, his singing had undergone a rebirth, elevating his emotional connection with music to a divine level!
His performance was so moving he didn’t dare sing too often, lest he move himself to tears.
He’d heard of people fainting from their own reflection’s handsomeness; now, Huang Guolun understood that feeling—his singing could almost make himself swoon.
On the sofa, Zhao Yan and Huanzhi secretly wiped their tears, but their eyes were already red—no matter how they wiped, they couldn’t rid themselves of it.
Turning around, Huang Guolun saw Zhao Yan and Huanzhi’s reddened eyes and naturally guessed his song had struck a painful chord, making him feel somewhat guilty.
Zhao Jing, however, was not afflicted by that suffocating pain; instead, she was excited: “Teacher Huang, everyone in the livestream wants you to sing another!”
Huang Guolun asked, “How was the piano’s sound pickup just now?”
With two dimples on her face, Zhao Jing gave him an OK gesture and praised, “Perfect!”
Huang Guolun nodded knowingly, got up from the piano, picked up his guitar, and returned to his seat, saying, “Let’s try the guitar for the last test. Is there anything you’d like to hear? I’ll sing for you.”
Huanzhi, channeling her sorrow into her appetite, munched on chips, hesitating to request another song from Huang Guolun. This uncle’s singing was truly monstrous—she’d hoped he could soothe their heartbreak, but instead, he had sprinkled salt on their wounds! And with such vigor! Afterward, you’re left speechless—so frustrating!
She dared not provoke Huang Guolun again, and was almost afraid to hear him sing.
At that moment, in Su Ling’s eyes, Huang Guolun was already a radiant uncle. She suggested admiringly, “Teacher Huang, why don’t you sing another of your own songs? What was the name of the one you sang just now? It was beautiful!”
Huang Guolun smiled, “It’s called ‘Suddenly Miss You So Much.’”
Huanzhi groaned, “That’s too painful, Teacher Huang. Please don’t sing such songs anymore—I can’t take it.”
Huang Guolun smiled, “I understand. I’ll sing a song called ‘Letting Go.’”
Zhao Jing frowned, “’Letting Go?’ Tai Zhengxiao’s? Isn’t that a bit old?”
Huang Guolun replied, “Not Tai Zhengxiao’s—it’s a song I wrote myself called ‘Letting Go.’”
Su Ling cheered, “Great! Teacher Huang, I’ve noticed you sing with extra feeling when you perform your own songs.”
“Every songwriter sings their own work with feeling, I suppose. If you can’t feel it, you can’t write it,” said Huang Guolun, with a hint of bravado. But these “new songs” that appeared in his mind truly moved him, so he believed they were his own creations.
Huanzhi, anxious, asked, “Letting Go? That sounds a bit scary. What’s it about? If it’s another breakup song, I won’t listen—I’m going to the bathroom.”
Huang Guolun considered and replied, “It’s a song about acceptance. Often, in love, when we let go of someone, we’re also letting go of ourselves. Heartbreak is not the end of the world—no need for hysterics. If you endure and stay strong, you’ll find a wider, bluer sky and sea.”
His words were directed at Huanzhi, but even more at Zhao Yan.
This song was for Huanzhi, and even more so for Zhao Yan.
As their eyes met, Zhao Yan felt the warmth of friendly comfort radiating from Huang Guolun, and her clear eyes shimmered with gentle gratitude.
Picking up the guitar, Huang Guolun sang not from his own emotional turmoil, but with the perspective of someone who had been through it all, serenely delivering “Letting Go” to everyone:
“Watching you and him walk up to me
Smiling, you say, ‘Long time no see’
If I hadn’t let go back then
Would we still be circling the same place today?
Not for the sake of forced dignity
All sorrow left behind on the day we parted
Forever isn’t the only way love is complete
One person’s letting go
Is better than three tangled hearts
...”
The lyrics hurt, but Huang Guolun’s delivery was a striking contrast.
His calm voice conveyed acceptance to Zhao Yan and the others, greatly diminishing the pain of lost love. Only a faint trace of resignation lingered—a subtle composure that unexpectedly brought about a “looking back on the past” effect.
When Zhao Yan and Huanzhi listened to the song and recalled their irrevocable past, they weren’t nearly as hysterical as when it first happened. The patience time had settled in their hearts was brought out perfectly by Huang Guolun’s song.
By the time he reached the chorus, Zhao Yan felt a brief sense of acceptance and emotion.
It was as if the song was tailor-made for her; every lyric fit perfectly, touching her heart with uncanny empathy, moving her deeply—
“I’ve given you my youth for so many years
And all I get is a thank you for letting go
Letting go of your freedom and adventure
Letting go of my endless sky and sea
She promises you mountains and seas, sweet words and honey
All I have is a single, regretless letting go
Letting go of your today and tomorrow
Letting go of my next summer
...”
Unlike the bone-deep sadness she felt when listening to “Suddenly Miss You So Much,” Zhao Yan now felt an inner urge to lift her head and stride forward.
Letting go, then—why imprison oneself in the past, unwilling to take a step forward, when the sky and sea are so vast?
Those who are sensitive and sentimental are easily moved when their softest feelings are touched; listening to Huang Guolun’s song, Zhao Yan felt as if her sky had grown wider and bluer.
Liu Xiaowei, Su Ling, and others were utterly captivated by Huang Guolun’s skilled guitar and singing.
Su Ling’s chubby face was filled with adoration; hands clasped at her chest, she gazed longingly, wishing he would sing forever, never stopping.
Zhao Jing was also shaken by Huang Guolun’s “Letting Go.”
She had anticipated his original works, but worried they might not be exciting enough and would be nitpicked by the sharp-tongued audience in the livestream.
Her worries proved groundless.
Every song Huang Guolun wrote was so beautiful!
Such melodies were pure gold, refined by time—never restless, only soothing to the soul.
Far better than the shallow new songs flooding the music scene today!
Truly, old ginger is the hottest!
Zhao Jing’s admiration for Huang Guolun’s musical talent grew ever deeper.
Meanwhile, the livestream exploded.
Many people asked—
“Who is this uncle, anyway? His songs are insanely good!”
“Newcomers must’ve missed Sister Jing’s introduction—Teacher Huang is the music producer for the movie printed on his T-shirt. He’s a professional musician, so of course he’s awesome.”
“There are lots of professional musicians, but few as incredible as Uncle Huang. He’s not only great at singing, he’s amazing at songwriting! Honestly, the two songs he randomly sang would blow away most professionals. Sister Jing says he’s a genius, and she’s not exaggerating!”
“This is the first time an uncle’s singing has made my heart itch... What’s happening to me? Am I being converted?”
“This ‘Letting Go’ is so good! Where can I download it? I want to send it to my girlfriend!”
“Can’t wait for Sister Jing’s music special on Saturday night! This uncle’s singing is just too good—I’m starting to fall for him! Let’s all show support for Uncle Huang and Sister Jing Saturday night and blow up the Sunny Day livestream!”