The Final Song

This stunningly beautiful performance had drawn to a close, yet no one had left. Everyone remained in place, silently reflecting on the afternoon's spectacle, unable to help but sigh—it was truly unimaginable that at this school celebration, they would hear such enchanting music, witness such a graceful dance, and behold a duet so flawless it seemed like a dream.

The woman in red who had drifted down from the tree, and the girl who lightly plucked the strings while softly singing—this performance was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. It had become an indelible memory etched into their hearts.

From the very first piece, "To Pour My All," to the final "Moonlit Ripples on the Jade Lake," the red-clad dancer had told each story with her graceful form. Even when she didn't dance, just standing beside Chu Lian to complement her presence, it created a breathtaking scene.

Those who hadn't been present throughout would find it hard to describe. That dreamlike beauty completely captivated the audience, to the point where they didn't even dare to breathe during the most dazzling moments.

However…

They could only shake their heads in regret. It was a shame that Chu Lian had said she would rarely perform in public again. Though they understood that this limitation wouldn't last forever—

Still, judging from her words, it was clear there would be no hope of seeing such performances again before she graduated high school. After witnessing something so magnificent, the thought of not seeing it again for years left them deeply unwilling. They truly wished they could keep watching her perform alongside Ayase.

But since regret was inevitable, a small sense of joy also grew in their hearts. To have witnessed such a magnificent duet—they were among the fortunate few who got to experience it live.

Even if the two ever performed again, that would be in the future. The context would be completely different. This one live performance from Chu Lian's "loli era" was irreplaceable. It was a treasure to be cherished for a lifetime.

Even if they could watch videos later, it wouldn't be the same. Being present at the scene and watching through a screen were two entirely different experiences. No matter how clear the footage, no matter how well the sound was reproduced—it still wouldn't be the same. Of that, they were certain.

That said, many had conveniently forgotten that Chu Lian had said "perhaps not"—not "never." So this idea of being among the "few live spectators" needed quotation marks. Still, witnessing Chu Lian's first live performance and her duet with Ayase would remain a once-in-a-lifetime memory.

Chu Lian gently plucked the strings, let out a soft breath, and offered a serene smile—it was a perfect curtain call.

She looked up at the sun, now beginning to dip toward the west. She knew the time was almost up. After this finale, it would soon be evening and dinner time.

Facing the sunset, her eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes, letting herself drift into the memory of this performance.

Starting from the erhu, then the xiao, pipa, and finally the guzheng—she had performed two songs on each instrument. Then she cycled back through: erhu, xiao, and pipa again, two songs each. Finally, she closed with the guzheng once more, ending with three songs.

Opening with the slightly playful erhu piece "Erhu Becomes Spirit," stunning the crowd with the xiao rendition of "Moonlit Ripples on the Jade Lake," expressing her inner thoughts through "The Ten Commandments Poem," and then delivering the highlight of the second half with a live guzheng duet of "To Pour My All" alongside Ayase.

Looking back now, even she was surprised at how each change of instrument and the audience's reactions had unfolded. Though it hadn't gone exactly as she initially planned, the outcome had exceeded expectations.

After all, no one could have predicted that during the second round of instrument changes, she would perform "Moonlit Ripples on the Jade Lake" again on the erhu, pipa, and guzheng—closing with the guzheng version to soothe everyone's hearts.

Four different renditions of the same piece, each with its own style yet all equally calming—this truly stunned the audience.

While the erhu and guzheng versions had been heard before, the xiao and pipa versions were entirely new. That fact alone made Chu Lian's name skyrocket.

More impressively, each performance had reached a level near that of the original artist, the legendary "Jade Wave Fairy" Chu Yan.

As videos began flooding the internet, more and more people started calling her "Drifting Wave Fairy"—a name that acknowledged her as the successor to Chu Yan. It was both recognition and a burden.

For now, such comparisons were more helpful than harmful. But if she couldn't maintain her progress or reach new heights, this title could backfire in the future.

Because no matter how well she performed, she'd always be compared to someone else. And if she ever fell short, mockery and criticism would come hard and fast.

But whether or not Chu Lian understood that didn't really matter. She knew clearly—she was Chu Lian, not Chu Yan.

Their paths were entirely different. Music was her second priority; her true core was literature. And with the system backing her, she didn't believe she'd ever fall short. In time, she would forge a new legend—not a continuation of someone else's.

She had already mapped it out: her future would center on literature, supported by music, film, anime, and gaming—a cultural empire all her own.

She would leave her mark on the world. She wanted everyone to remember her name. She would become the most admired person in existence.

What annoyed her, however, was when she told this plan to Ayase, the latter laughed so hard she collapsed onto the sofa, gasping.

"You really think… hahaha… you really think you're the protagonist of a novel… hahaha… such a chuuni dream, I can't believe you thought of that… hahaha… Oh man, I can't… good luck with that…"

No matter how much she pouted, whined, or threatened, Ayase didn't change her tune. To her, it was just the naive daydream of a little girl. Since the system's missions would get her there anyway, why waste extra energy chasing dreams?

Every time Chu Lian recalled that scene, she gritted her teeth in frustration. How dare she! It wasn't that far-fetched!

What she didn't know was that Ayase's words had deeper meaning—ones she hadn't grasped yet.

But Chu Lian hadn't encountered the necessary truths to understand them yet. Maybe one day she'd look back and say, "Ayase really did understand me."

Anyway, as far as she was concerned now, if she wasn't wrong, then it wasn't her fault! Call it determination or call it tsundere—either way, she was a loli, and lolis had special privileges. Didn't everyone know that?

Ahem, back to the topic.

She was satisfied with the performance. There were regrets and shortcomings, yes, but she had done far better than she ever hoped.

She was a bit disappointed that Ayase hadn't joined her on every piece. Aside from two or three songs, Ayase had only stood quietly by her side. While Chu Lian loved that presence, she had hoped for more dancing.

But she knew Ayase had already done her best. Any more might have triggered a system warning or taken away from the spotlight Chu Lian had worked so hard to earn. Ayase's quiet support was the most she could give.

Now, the audience had grown to over two thousand. Nearly twenty nearby stages had been dismantled to make space for Chu Lian's performance.

It was a pleasant surprise: at the school's tenth anniversary celebration, a genius music girl had emerged. Skilled in five instruments, deeply familiar with Chinese classical music, and an ethereal presence like a forest sprite.

Not only could she play, sing, and compose—she could even present four versions of "Moonlit Ripples on the Jade Lake." She was the school's brightest new star.

Though she had only recently transferred, none of her previous schools had seen such talent. But here, she'd exploded with brilliance. Outsiders might feel envious, but all they could do was marvel at the school's luck.

Such press coverage would benefit both Chu Lian and the school. It would help with student recruitment and improve public image—a tangible gain.

Chu Lian, having sorted through all her swirling thoughts, finally opened her eyes, stood up, and walked to the mic. Softly, she said:

"Thank you all for your support. I hope this afternoon has become a beautiful memory, and I hope you've enjoyed my performance."

"I originally intended to end it here. But seeing everyone's faces… it seems you want to hear one more. So I thought—mm, then let me offer one last song for you all."

With that, she returned to the guzheng, sat down, gently plucked the strings, let out a quiet sigh, and began to sing in a low, gentle voice…