Perfect Superstar.

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With a breath heavy from alcohol, Lu Chen leaned toward the dusty microphone. 

He said, "This song is for Gao He, our dorm's high-spirited boss. I hope he stays as optimistic and open-hearted as ever. It's also for everyone who's ever had ideals and dreams."

Buzzed from the alcohol, Lu Chen had a lot on his mind, though he didn't want to say any of it. So instead, he chose to sing. 

This song was for Gao He, for his friends, for everyone, and also for himself.

"Alright!"

Gao He and Wan Hongzhi cheered loudly. They didn't care what Lu Chen would sing or how it would sound— they just wanted to laugh, to cry, and to spend their last moments before graduation with no regrets.

Several people in the town square noticed the commotion and gathered to watch. Among them were a few students from Jianghai University, pointing and laughing at Lu Chen.

"Who's that senior acting out drunk here?"

Lu Chen didn't care.

He strummed the guitar and began to sing with all his heart.

"Once dreamed of carrying a sword and traveling to the ends of the earth, 

to see a bustling world, 

A youth's heart is always somewhat reckless, 

nowadays you lead a wandering life. 

The girl who once made your heart ache, 

she has quietly left without a trace. 

Love always makes you yearn yet brings you trouble, 

It once left you with wounds and bruises…"

Lu Chen's slightly intoxicated voice was not as pure as usual. It carried a touch of sorrow and maturity, deep and filled with a soulful power that instantly captured the audience's attention.

It was a song they had never heard before.

Gao He stopped laughing because he hadn't drunk enough to miss the lyrics' meaning.

Lu Chen's voice was like a heavy hammer striking his heart, making this nearly 2-meter-tall big man bend slightly, trembling.

"The girl who once made your heart ache, 

she has quietly left without a trace. 

Love always makes you yearn yet brings you trouble, 

It once left you with wounds and bruises." 

Wasn't that song speaking directly to him?

In the next moment, the song's tone rose, becoming spirited and uplifting.

"Dilililidilililidada~ 

Dilililidilililidada, 

Dilililidilililidada, 

Walking courageously on the road, 

Dilililidilililidada~ 

Dilililidilililidada, 

Dilililidilililidada, 

It is sad, yet also brilliant."

More and more people were drawn by the singing. Initially, only about ten or twenty were watching, but soon, the crowd grew to dozens, even hundreds, forming a large circle around Lu Chen in the square.

Lu Chen ignored it all, fully immersed in the song's mood, letting all the emotions flow through his singing.

"Whenever I feel down, 

I would gaze at the sea alone, 

always thinking of friends walking on the road beside me, 

How many of them are now waking up? 

Let's share a toast, 

A good man's mind is like the wide ocean, 

Experiencing the warmth of the many states of the world, 

These smiles are warm and pure."

The large square felt as though it had become Lu Chen's personal stage, with all the noise and distractions fading away. Only his voice resonated, reverberating, and captivating the crowd!

Despite holding a cheap guitar worth only a few hundred yuan, despite singing into a stained old microphone, despite the poor quality of the speaker—none of this detracted from the song's allure.

It was a tribute to the bygone days of youth, an unapologetic statement about the past, and when it broke through time and space to appear in this world, it moved everyone.

"Let's share a toast, 

A good man's mind is like the wide ocean, 

Experiencing the warmth of the many states of the world."

Gao He, along with Wan Hongzhi and Zhou Rui, all had smiles on their faces.

Especially Gao He. His breakup with Wang Xiaoling had been like a thorn lodged in his heart, silently causing pain. On the surface, he laughed it off, but only he knew how much it hurt.

Lu Chen's song gave him a sense of release.

No matter how many regrets they had, no matter what they'd lost, they had once shared genuine friendships and love, experiencing the best moments in their campus days! 

A true man's heart should be as vast as the ocean, able to embrace countless storms.

As Lu Chen started the second round of the song, the crowd grew to hundreds. Many people raised their phones to record him, while even more listened quietly.

Until he finished singing.

In an instant, the crowd erupted into applause, shouts of "Well done!" and "One more song!" raising the energy to a peak. Several people took coins from their pockets and placed them in the open guitar case on the ground.

They thought Lu Chen was a street performer.

"Thank you, everyone!"

Lu Chen bowed and then returned the guitar to the real street performer beside him. "Thank you!"

The man took back the guitar, a bit dazed, and as Lu Chen turned to leave, he snapped out of it and quickly asked, "Friend, what's the name of that song? Where can I download the sheet music?"

Lu Chen looked back and replied, "The song is called 'The Way You Are'. I wrote it myself."

The street performer stared in astonishment, clutching the guitar as he watched Lu Chen walk away.

---

"Old Third, since when did you get this good?" Gao He couldn't help but ask on their way back to the dorm, "Did you really write that song yourself?"

Even though he didn't know much about popular music, he could tell it was a genuinely good song. It was hard to believe Lu Chen had written it.

Lu Chen said matter-of-factly, "Yes, I've been making a living singing in Capital City."

"Old Third, you're incredible!"

Wan Hongzhi exclaimed excitedly, "I think he's got what it takes to be a star—good looks, he can sing, and he can write songs."

Zhou Rui chimed in, "Great! That was amazing. How about a few more drinks?"

He still wasn't sober!

The three of them laughed, then dragged Zhou Rui back to the dorm, where they all collapsed into bed and slept deeply.

That night, Lu Chen dreamt.

In his dream, he was back in that familiar yet foreign world, like a wandering soul moving through the earthly dust, witnessing the rise and fall of splendor, the joy and sorrow of life.

At times, he was Xu Bo, sometimes Mo Ran, and sometimes Fang Mingyi.

"Achoo!"

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Chen felt a tickle in his nose and sneezed loudly, waking himself up.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a round-faced girl with round eyes and a smiling expression, holding a small calligraphy brush that Wan Hongzhi used for practice.

Lu Chen was speechless. "Great Class Leader Cao!"

Cao Xiuzhu laughed. "I called and called, but none of you lazy bones would wake up. Time to get up and eat breakfast!"

Lu Chen looked around and saw Gao He and the others had vanished.

He sniffed the air and said, "Century egg and lean pork congee, bacon burgers, and fresh soy milk!"

Cao Xiuzhu was stunned. "You can smell all that?"

She offered him a burger and congee.

Lu Chen grinned, "After a few months working at KFC, you'd pick up on it too. Thanks, Class Leader!"

He took the breakfast and started eating, sitting on Gao He's bed without bothering to freshen up first.

After hesitating, Cao Xiuzhu sat beside him and said, "Lu Chen, Wang Ying asked me to check how you've been. She said her uncle's company in Hangzhou is hiring, so if you're…"

She had sent Gao He and the others away so she could speak to Lu Chen privately.

She had always thought Lu Chen and Wang Ying were a good match.

"No need."

Lu Chen's appetite disappeared, and he put down the burger. "Class Leader, thank Wang Ying for me, but I've already found a good job."

Wang Ying was his ex-girlfriend, and they had broken up after his father passed away.

At that time, it had been a heavy blow to Lu Chen.

Cao Xiuzhu bit her lip and asked, "Are you still resentful toward her?"

It was Cao Xiuzhu who had introduced Wang Ying to Lu Chen, and their breakup had left her feeling guilty ever since.

"Resentful?"

Lu Chen shook his head and said, "That's all in the past. I'm doing fine now, really, and I don't hold it against her."

They were like strangers now.

Cao Xiuzhu looked at him deeply and said, "Lu Chen, you've changed."

Lu Chen smiled. "People change."

Once a reckless youth, he had matured after the upheaval in his family and his time struggling in Capital City. He now carried the memories of his third life's trials and dreams, a soul finally grown.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the passion in his heart.

"So, what about you and your fiancé? Any plans after graduation?"

He changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on himself.

Cao Xiuzhu replied, "After we graduate, we'll stay in Hangzhou, and get married in a couple of years when things are stable."

"Congratulations!"

Lu Chen grinned, "Make sure to invite me to the wedding!"

With tears and laughter, that's just how life is.

---

'(End of chapter)'