Chapter 2: A Good Person, But the Song Falls Short

Evening descended, the sky awash with a muddy yellow hue.
The city was bathed in the tranquil peace of sunset, but at that very moment, social media was in an uproar!
A trending post titled “To What Extent Can a Man Be Disgusting” had surged to the top of the charts and held firm at number one!
The content was a statement released by Starlight Entertainment.
“Recently, our company’s artist Lin Yanran has repeatedly been harassed by composer Su Chen. These actions have seriously affected our artist’s normal work and life, and infringed on her privacy! As such, our company issues a warning and reserves the right to pursue legal action!”
A Thousand and Seven Nights: Oh my god! It’s already 2023, how do men like this still exist!
Yaya Fairy: Wuwu, poor Yanran baby, my heart aches for her!
The Season Once Came: Isn’t this the songwriter for several of Yanran’s tracks? I used to think his music was good, but turns out he’s scum! I’m done being a fan!
Smoke and Moon Palace: People like this don’t deserve to be called men! Please don’t lump him in with the rest of us decent guys, thank you!
...
“Darling, look at the trending topics, that man is truly disgusting!”
In the park, a young woman with an attractive face and figure nestled coquettishly in the arms of a portly, middle-aged man in his forties.
“You’re so much better—gentle, thoughtful, and generous with your money~”
“Heh, so how do you plan to reward me tonight?” The man patted her on the hip.
“Oh, you’re so naughty~”
Seated nearby on a bench, Su Chen watched them pass, empty bottles scattered at his feet.
Beer, red, white—countless bottles.
Su Chen wasn’t unable to let go of Lin Yanran; he just found it all so absurd!
Why is it that a man who cares for his family is called useless?
Why is spoiling your girlfriend seen as pathetic?
Why is it when a man makes every sacrifice, the world says he deserves what he gets?
Why?!
Su Chen had no idea how much he’d drunk; he was only curious why the world before him remained so clear.
So clear he could see every laser beam shooting skyward from the sports arena across the street.
Hearing the sound system being tested in the venue, Su Chen remembered something and pulled two tickets out of his pocket.
They were tickets he’d prepared to attend a concert with Lin Yanran—scheduled right across the street at Huanglong Stadium.
“Foolish sentimentality.”
Su Chen gave a wry smile and casually tossed the tickets onto the grass.
At that moment, a girl passing by noticed his action.

The girl glanced down, curiosity piqued by the two tickets lying on the ground.
“Eh? Aren’t these tickets to Diva Zhang Fuyu’s concert?”
She picked them up, exclaiming, “Wow! And they’re VIP seats!”
She looked at Su Chen in puzzlement. “Handsome, you’re just throwing these tickets away?”
“Yeah.”
“Uh...”
She held the tickets out to him, earnest: “You’d better put these away! Even the worst seats are selling for over four thousand apiece now, and these are VIP—it must be over ten thousand!”
Su Chen shook his head, refusing the tickets. “I don’t need them anymore.”
“If you want to go, they’re yours.”
“You... you’re giving them to me?”
The girl was stunned, holding the tickets, hesitating.
As a devoted fan of Zhang Fuyu, she desperately wanted to attend the concert, but the tickets had sold out online in minutes—she hadn’t managed to get a single one, and she refused to buy from scalpers.
So she’d come here today just to catch a glimpse from outside the venue, never expecting to run into Su Chen...
“This is too valuable! If you really don’t want them, at least let me buy them from you—let’s say eleven thousand per ticket.” She pulled out her phone, ready to transfer the money.
At her words, Su Chen finally looked up in surprise.
She was beautiful—perhaps even more so than Lin Yanran—and her eyes were especially remarkable: bright, clear, and sparkling like a starry sky.
How could a girl be this pure...
“If you’re serious, just pay face value—four thousand for both,” said Su Chen.
Seeing his insistence, the girl transferred four thousand to him and added his WeChat as well.
“Thank you so much! Without you, I’d have been stuck listening from the park... By the way, my name’s Han Jiangxue.”
“Su Chen.”
Glancing at the sky, Su Chen said, “You’d better hurry—the concert’s about to start.”
Han Jiangxue nodded excitedly but then asked, “What about you?”
“Me...?”
Su Chen paused. The alcohol was gone, but he wasn’t drunk; for a moment, he truly didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
Han Jiangxue glanced at the empty bottles, sensing the handsome man before her had just suffered heartbreak.
Drinking so much after a breakup and leaving him here alone—it didn’t feel safe...
After a moment’s thought, she said, “I have two tickets, and we’re both here alone—why not go together?”

“My treat tonight, what do you say, handsome~”
Seeing Han Jiangxue’s playful pretense, Su Chen was taken aback for a second, then smiled.
“It would be my honor.”
Soon, the two of them crossed the street to Huanglong Stadium. Before they even arrived, the roar of the crowd reached their ears.
A sea of people stretched out before the massive stadium, blocking the entrance completely.
Su Chen was astonished. “So many people? All for the concert?”
The wind and drink had left his cheeks flushed.
“Of course! Zhang Fuyu is a diva—no surprise the crowd is huge!” Han Jiangxue replied proudly.
Clearly, Su Chen had underestimated both the fame and popularity of Zhang Fuyu.
They didn’t have to elbow their way through the throng; as VIP ticket holders, they had their own entrance with no lines.
Entering was smooth and hassle-free.
Inside, Huanglong Stadium was vast, capable of holding tens of thousands, and now it was nearly full. Su Chen couldn’t help but grow curious about this diva.
Truth be told, since arriving in this world, he hadn’t really explored its entertainment scene.
“Su Chen, thank you! Without your tickets, I wouldn’t have made it in today,” Han Jiangxue said again from their VIP seats.
Su Chen smiled. “I was about to throw them away. You stopped me and even treated me to the concert—I should be the one thanking you. Generous as always, Miss Han!”
Joking along with him, Han Jiangxue burst out laughing.
They spent the time before the concert chatting simply and politely.
At last, the show began.
Spotlights converged on the stage, and the tens of thousands in attendance fell silent. The moment Zhang Fuyu appeared atop a rising platform, the crowd erupted in wild screams and cheers!
Music thundered through the arena. Zhang Fuyu’s voice was distinctive, her vocal skills impressive, but Su Chen found himself frowning, a trace of disappointment on his face.
“The singer’s not bad, but the songs fall flat—even the style doesn’t fit. It’s all common chord progressions, as generic as any other pop track...” Su Chen muttered.
“No wonder writing a couple of songs for Lin Yanran made her an instant hit.”
As Zhang Fuyu’s music swelled, the effects of Su Chen’s mixed drinks began to take hold. He found himself swept up, wholly immersed in the revelry of the crowd...