Chapter Ten: The Heart of a Dreamer

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“Where in the world is filled with flowers? If it truly exists, then I will surely go there. I wish to stand atop the highest peak, never mind if it’s a sheer cliff or a precipitous ridge.”
Wu Xiang’s voice was plain, unremarkable—even making one feel that he wasn’t singing at all, but simply speaking with a certain rhythm.

“To live with all my might, to love with all my heart, even if I’m battered and bruised—
I seek no one’s approval, only to remain true to myself.
As for dreams, I’ve never chosen to give up,
Even in those gloomy, dust-stained days...”

His voice seemed almost too ordinary, and the jeering from below hadn’t ceased.

“What the hell is he singing?”
“Are you just reciting lines?”...

Yet at this moment, Huang Yi, sitting in the audience, said nothing. Though she wasn’t trained in music, these lyrics resonated with her; she found them beautiful, even if the singing itself was nothing special.

Undeterred by the heckling, Wu Xiang pressed on.

“Maybe I lack talent, but I have the innocence of dreams!
I will spend my life proving this to the world.
Perhaps I’m clumsy with my hands and feet, but I’ll search on, never stopping,
Giving all my youth, leaving no regrets!”

At that final “no regrets,” Wu Xiang’s voice erupted—as if everything before had been flat ground, and now, suddenly, the path began to climb. But it wasn’t over yet.

“Run forward! Facing cold eyes and ridicule—”

That “run forward” was practically a roar, as if he was pouring his very life into the shout!

“The vastness of life—without hardship, how can you feel it? Fate—
Fate will not force us to kneel! To beg for mercy!”

That cry of “kneel, beg for mercy” seemed to contain all of Wu Xiang’s strength!

“Even if—my arms are soaked with blood!” Wu Xiang erupted again!

By now, the students below were stunned into silence, their mouths agape.

But it still wasn’t over—another scream burst forth!

“Keep running! Carry the pride of a child’s heart! The brilliance of life—how can you see it without persevering to the end? Rather than dragging out a miserable existence, it’s better to—burn! For one day, new shoots will grow again!”

A final, terrifying howl—the entire song felt like a challenge flung in the face of fate. Wu Xiang’s voice might not be good, but his hoarseness and his raw shouting filled everyone with passion!

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When the verse ended, Wu Xiang was drenched in sweat, exhausted. Below the stage, his classmates were utterly shocked, each of them gaping in disbelief. Even Huang Yi was the same, unconsciously showing her two rows of teeth.

After the interlude, the song resumed at once.

“The dazzling future always calls out to me—even if pain is my only companion, I will charge ahead.
I wish to sail across the bluest sea, never caring if I’ll return safely...”

When the chorus came, students in the audience began keeping time with the rhythm.

“To wallow in misery after failure—that’s the mark of a coward.
As long as you have breath, clench your fists tight.
Before the sky brightens,
We must become braver,
Awaiting the most radiant moment at sunrise!”

Here, the melody climbed again, but now it seemed everyone knew just how it should be sung.

“Run forward—!”

This time, everyone shouted together, their voices surging like a tide.

Facing cold eyes and ridicule!

On and off the stage, everyone sang together; they seemed to relish the shouting, joining in until the very end.

Rather than dragging out a miserable existence, it’s better to—burn! For the sake of the beauty in our hearts!

The stage seemed to expand, and then the music stopped abruptly.

Wu Xiang was left panting, breathless—this song had pushed him to his limits, but it was the only way he could win.

“Never compromise until we are old—” The final line was more like a hum; Wu Xiang simply had no strength left.

“Wow! Amazing!”
“Encore!”
“Encore! Encore! Encore!”...

His classmates nearly went mad, but in truth, Wu Xiang couldn’t possibly do another. He barely knew how he’d made it through that one time.

“Xiangzi, you were incredible!” Sun Li, standing nearby, was close to tears. “I’ve got goosebumps! What were you thinking—how did you come up with starting off by just speaking?”

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Upon hearing this, Wu Xiang nearly burst into tears.

“I was singing from the start, Senior. Give me a break—don’t be so harsh.”

This song, “Chasing the Innocent Heart,” was indeed copied by Wu Xiang—it had been one of his favorites in his previous life. When it came to music, Wu Xiang had no real talent, and his physical condition was poor; he didn’t even have the lung capacity for basic singing. But if he wanted to win this bet, this song was his best chance.

The reason was simple: this song was full of youthful passion, guaranteed to ignite fervor in young hearts. With no technical skill to rely on, Wu Xiang could only hope to win by striking a chord with his classmates—through the lyrics, through raw shouting. If you asked him whether he thought his singing was any good, even Wu Xiang wouldn’t have believed it.

But it was still plagiarism. Though it wasn’t his first time, Wu Xiang felt a twinge of guilt. He’d already decided that if he ever made it big, or earned money from this song, he’d never forget the original creators—the Corner Band.

Honestly, for someone reborn into this world, if you can’t even plagiarize, aren’t you just too stupid?

Yet in a corner Wu Xiang couldn’t see, an elderly man had listened to the entire song. Smiling, he turned to the young man beside him. “This kid’s not bad. Did he write this song himself? I haven’t heard it before.”

The young man smiled in return. “He’s said to be the top scorer in this year’s literature class—during the exam, he even scolded the fifth and sixth generation directors.”

Of course, that was an exaggeration, but the old man found it amusing. “Oh? Is he really that impressive? Heh, I’d like to see what kind of work he can produce.”

“Are you interested in him, sir?” The young man seemed to sense something.

“A little,” the old man replied honestly.

“Are you planning to recruit him?” The young man’s curiosity was piqued.

“No hurry, no hurry. Let’s wait and see.” The old man waved his hand with a smile.

Had Huang Yi seen this scene, she would have immediately recognized the young man as her homeroom teacher, Mr. Huang Sanshi. As for the old man, she wouldn’t have recognized him, but by now, she was no longer in the auditorium.

“What are you doing?” When Wu Xiang returned to room 307 and saw Huang Yi standing at the door of the boys’ dormitory, his jaw could have held at least two eggs.

“Don’t play dumb!” Huang Yi’s expression was serious. “Clothes! I lost the bet and I’ll pay up! So what if you want me to wash your dirty laundry? Bring it on—I’m not scared of anything!”

Wu Xiang was momentarily speechless. The bet had slipped his mind, but she’d come too quickly. “But the results aren’t even out yet! Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Lost means lost! I’m not petty like you—not manly at all!” The way she said it, with her unique southern accent, made Wu Xiang feel rather embarrassed.

But as for the laundry... “Um, Huang Yi, I haven’t got my dirty clothes ready yet. Give me two days, all right?”

“Hahaha...” As soon as Wu Xiang said this, Kun and the others beside him nearly collapsed with laughter.

“Go to hell!” Huang Yi’s face was flushed, practically steaming, as she pushed through the crowd and stormed out of the boys’ dormitory!