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Every parent hopes to be able to find their child's talent, something that they are naturally gifted at. In Xie Lian's case, he was the definition of talent.
An academic weapon at a young age, athletically skilled at every sport, charming and well-liked among peers and teachers. Praises upon praises would be sung to the parents to the point where even they wondered if there was something their son couldn't do.
On his sixteenth birthday, Xie Lian asked for an unusual gift.
"Can I sign up for vocal lessons?" Xie Lian asked them on the morning of his birthday.
"Vocal lessons? For singing?" His mother clarified.
"Yes," Xie Lian nodded, "The school is hosting a talent show and I've decided to enter as a singer."
While no one would doubt Xie Lian's talent, he's never had an interest towards the performing arts. The six arts curriculum that his private school provided consisted of music classes and his choice of instrument was an erhu. Though he passed the class with flying colors, his parents knew that he didn't pick it up outside of practicing and lessons.
"Did they not like your martial art performance last year?" His father inquired.
When he wasn't swamped with school work, Xie Lian could be seen practicing his sword forms and his martial arts in the backyard. Xie Lian shook his head, "Oh not at all. They enjoyed it. I just wanted to try something different."
Although curious, his parents didn't object and found him a reputable teacher to coach him in singing. They didn't know that it came from a bet between him, Feng Xin and Mu Qing.
They had all dared each other to perform for the talent show and their performance had been a random draw. Feng Xin got ballroom dancing, Mu Qing got beatboxing(the look on his face was priceless, Feng Xin and him couldn't stop laughing) and Xie Lian drew singing.
In order to make it harder, they had made Xie Lian perform an original song so he had to compose and write one. Though it was all fun and games, Xie Lian was diligent in every thing he did so he would try his best for this as well.
It actually came together quite well, Xie Lian had a demo track with three weeks left till the show. He had recorded and used the time before lessons to draft lyrics to go with it. It was a mix of a piano track and erhu chords that synergize well together.
All he was missing was the chorus part of his song and sought advice from his teacher. As he contemplated this after one of their lessons, he heard something coming from an alleyway that made him stop.
Despite the heavy rain, sitting by himself on the steps, was a young child that looked barely ten. His head buried where his arms hugged his knees as his body shook and rain drops wet his shirt. Xie Lian felt compelled to approach him, stopping right in front as he covered him with his umbrella.
The small body had flinched when Xie Lian asked, "Are you okay?"
The boy tucked his head deeper between his arms and curled further into himself. His clothes were baggy on his and he wasn't wearing shoes which was worrying. Xie Lian knelt down to his level and tried again, "The rain is cold, right? You might catch a cold out here. If you tell me where, I can bring you home."
The boy finally had a reaction, shaking his head but still refusing to look up. Xie Lian followed his example and sat on the steps, the umbrella still tilted to cover him.
"No, the rain isn't cold, or no, you won't catch a cold?" Xie Lian observed the young boy's matted hair and the spots of bruises on his arm. He didn't need to say anything for Xie Lian to draw conclusions about his family.
"..." The boy didn't answer but his body was unmistakably shaking from the wet clothes. Clenching his hands, he continued to ignore Xie Lian.
Realizing that he wouldn't be able to draw him out with more questions, Xie Lian looked down at his watch. After a quick text to his driver not to wait for him, he shifted his umbrella to rest on his shoulder so his hands were free. Unzipping the backpack, Xie Lian took out a music player and a notebook and started writing as he listened through his wired earbuds.
The pattering of the rain added a sense of tranquility as Xie Lian hummed the music under his breath, his pencil tapping intermittently on the paper. After a while, he could feel a gaze at the side of his face.
When he looked over, the boy was still hunched over and his messy hair hid his eyes so even though Xie Lian couldn't see, he could feel a pair of eyes looking right at him. Smiling, he took out his right ear bud and offered it, "I'll stay with you until the rain lets up, okay?"
His hand stayed up for about twenty seconds longer before he detached his arm, wiped it on his clothes and accepted it hesitantly. When he tried to put it in his ear however, it kept falling out. The boy quickly tried again but each time he failed to put it properly, his anxiety seemed to spike.
"Little one," Xie Lian called out softly, his hand hovering over the smaller hand, "Let me help."
He held the smaller hand when he was sure the boy wouldn't jerk away, guiding him to put the earbud into his ear. "There." He smiled, "Is the volume alright?"
The long fringe obscured most of the boy's features so Xie Lian couldn't read his expressions. He simply nodded and went back to hugging his knees. His gaze on Xie Lian never left and he was content with this much and continued writing.
An idea popped into his head when he remembered his teacher's advice to take inspiration from his surroundings. Flipping to a new page, Xie Lian glanced at the young boy next to him and the words came surprisingly easy.
In the end, it read like a letter where he wanted to befriend the person next to him and though disheartened by the boundaries, hoped to share his umbrella with them again. Poetry had never felt so easy. Granted, some polishing was needed to incorporate it into a song but it was better than all his previous attempts so far.
When he looked to the side, the young boy was staring at his notebook, openly curious about what he was writing.
"Do you want to read it?"
The young boy's head lowered and shook, "Don't. Know." His voice barely louder than a whisper.
"...You don't know how to read?" Xie Lian frowned.
His nod confirmed it and Xie Lian felt anger simmer in his heart for the neglected child. Before he could say anything, the boy removed the ear bud in his ear and stood up. Bowing once to Xie Lian, he sprinted off deeper into the maze of alleyways.
That was when Xie Lian finally noticed the rain had stopped. After one more look in the direction the young boy ran in, Xie Lian turned towards the main road. Not noticing a pair of red and black eyes watching him from the corner.
The next day, even though there wasn't any reason to, after Xie Lian's classes, he made his way to that same alleyway and as expected, the boy wasn't there. Even so, he sat on the same steps and continued working on the lyrics.
After a while, he felt someone looking and in his peripheral vision, he could see the young boy, peeking out from behind the corner. Xie Lian didn't look up, like trying to get a street cat to warm up to you, you had to be patient and let it come.
His waiting paid off when the young boy came out and sat on the steps next to Xie Lian. He sat at the very end but due to how small it way, there wasn't much space between them. Xie Lian's lips curved up gently, "Hello."
The young boy didn't respond, his hands fiddling on his knees. Xie Lian offered the ear bud again, "I hope you don't mind but I need your help with something."
The boy twitched, hesitating before nodding his head and taking the ear bud. Perhaps because he was still unused to it but Xie Lian helped to put the earbud in as well today. As he played the music, Xie Lian started to sing.
Singing the lyrics for the sections he had written out, humming for those he hadn't. After he finished the song, he turned to the little boy and he was looking at Xie Lian in awe. His heterochromatic eyes wide and peeking through his fringe. Xie Lian gave him a soft smile in return.
"What do you think?"
The boy nodded his head frantically, far more enthusiastic than Xie Lian had ever seen him. Chuckling, Xie Lian told the boy, "It's a song I'm working on. It's not finished yet, that's what I'm hoping you can help me with."
He shrank into himself, his eyes reflected a mix of anxiety and regret as he shook his head.
"It's not anything difficult. And you're the only one I can ask. Please?"
The young boy, faced with Xie Lian's earnest pleas lowered his head and nodded. "I just have a few questions that I was hoping you could answer."
They were all simple questions about himself. His date of birth, what color or food he liked. When Xie Lian asked him about his name, the boy hesitated before telling, "Hong-er."
Hong-er? That sounded more like a nickname than an actual name.
"Hong-er? It's cute." Xie Lian remarked. The young boy gave him an indiscernible look after he said that.
After a round of questions, the boy spoke up, "Uh, am I helpful?"
"Yes, you were a big help." Xie Lian smiled brightly, "In fact, let me reward you for your help."
Reaching into his backpack, Xie Lian brought out a box. He considered buying new sneakers for the kid but wasn't sure his size and found an old, unworn pair of sneakers from when he was younger to gift to him.
Hong-er's eyes blinked curiously before widening in shock when Xie Lian said they were for him. He quickly shook his head, hands pushing the box back.
Larger hands covered Hong-er's hands, the warmth coming from it stopped Hong-er as he looked up. There was understanding in Xie Lian's eyes as he spoke, "They're a reward. And good help should always be rewarded."
Eventually, Hong-er relented. Not before trying to stop Xie Lian from putting the shoes on Hong-er's feet himself. He didn't manage to stop him.
Xie Lian identified multiple small cuts on his foot and was thankful he thought to bring some antiseptic. After disinfecting, he applied band-aids and slipped on a new pair of socks. Thankfully, the shoes fit, if not a little bigger but Hong-er would grow into them soon enough.
"There, how do they feel?" Xie Lian asked after tying the shoelaces.
Hong-er nodded, silent. Xie Lian didn't mind, smiling back.
He continued to meet with Hong-er a few more times after. The same routine, he would ask questions and Hong-er would answer as best as he could. Xie Lian would take his chance to teach him to write the characters of his answers and also new words he wanted to learn. Every time he went home after meeting Hong-er, Xie Lian would get the urge to add a new line to his song.
One of the meetings, he came in with the finalized sample of his songs that he recorded in the studio with his teacher, saved on a separate music player. Hong-er was already waiting there patiently, wearing the new shirt Xie Lian got for him last time.
A smile came easy as Xie Lian approached, "Hong-er!"
"Gege...!" Hong-er straightened his back.
As Xie Lian sat down, he brought out a music player and offered Hong-er both the ear buds, "I want to know what you think of this."
Hong-er, despite all this time, still struggled to put the earbuds on properly. Amused, Xie Lian would help him every time.
As he played the song, he watched Hong-er's reaction. From the surprise when he heard Xie Lian's voice, to the eyes that sparkled as the song ended. He turned to Xie Lian, "Gege, it's so nice!"
Xie Lian grinned, "Thank you. It's all thanks to you that I was able to write the lyrics."
Hong-er tilted his head, confused, "What do the lyrics mean?"
Shrugging, "Looks like Hong-er needs to study more."
He chuckled as the boy nodded with even more determination, "Okay. I will."
"You're a good kid." Xie Lian patted his head.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and when Xie Lian saw the message, his mood dimmed. Turning to Hong-er, "I'm sorry Hong-er, I have to leave early today."
Unable to hide his disappointment, Hong-er took out the earbuds and returned the music player. Xie Lian gently pushed it back into his hands, "It's for you. Take your time to understand the lyrics, okay?"
Tightening his grip on the music player, Hong-er's eyes shone brightly as he nodded seriously. Xie Lian's lips lifted into another smile as he waved goodbye.
Little did he know, that would be his last time seeing Hong-er.
What followed was one of the most chaotic years of Xie Lian's life. From the moment he performed that song on stage, the video clip his schoolmate posted went viral overnight. Scouted by Jun Wu and signed a deal to release a separate song officially.
That song took the nation by storm just as quickly as it did on social media. Taking the number one spot for weeks as people clamored over the nation's new sweetheart.
Things happened so fast for him. But as quickly as he rose to fame, his descent was just as swift. His family's business was caught in a targeted scandal that had in turn affected him. Losing their ancestral home was the last straw for his father. Fortunately, things worked out after their lawyer managed to win their case.
But safe to say, that brief moment of stardom was enough for Xie Lian to completely cut off all connections in regards to that song and him. But the damage had been done. That song was struck down by his own fans, the site received so many reports until they had to take it down.
It wasn't until a few years later that Xie Lian stumbled upon a fan upload of his song. He figured the person likely found the file on a pirate website and was more surprised someone bothered to remember the song. The comment section was dry and empty, with the occasional bot and hate comment.
When Xie Lian played the video, he couldn't be more shocked. When the first lyric appeared on screen, a watercolor painting of a young man in school uniform and a small boy, in the rain, sitting on the steps of a dilapidated alleyway appeared.
Others assumed it was just a nameless artwork they didn't credit but Xie Lian knew differently. He looked at the account and it was just a simple red icon with a default name but, intuition told Xie Lian it was Hong-er.
That feeling strengthened when the painting changed with the lyric. Interpreting the words in a way only he could. If it was him, he wouldn't need to look for the original file, he had a sample that Xie Lian gave him. It was a relief to know he was still doing well.
However, Xie Lian had long moved to the countryside with his parents, with no plans to return to the city. He didn't even keep in contact with Mu Qing and Feng Xin so he couldn't ask them to check on Hong-er for him.
In the end, Xie Lian could only comment a short, "Thank you for this.", knowing it'll be lost in the other comments.
Xie Lian would be twenty-four by the time he returned to the city to obtain a university degree. The first friend he made there, Shi Qingxuan, was shocked to learn that Xie Lian could sing and even more shocked when he heard, "You've never been to a karaoke before?!"
"Uh, not really." Xie Lian scratched his chin.
And so Shi Qingxuan dragged him to the nearest karaoke. Xie Lian only knew old songs but Shi Qingxuan was encouraging all the same, cheering after every song.
"It's actually kind of familiar." Shi Qingxuan had said in passing but Xie Lian stiffened when he heard it, not knowing if he should laugh. He reached into his pocket, blinking, "Eh? My phone isn't here?"
"Ah, didn't you leave it charging inside?" Shi Qingxuan gasped.
They returned to the place but the staff shook their heads, "No one bought anything lost to the counter. You can go check your old room if it's still there."
Xie Lian knocked on the door, slowly opening it as he peeked his head inside. Noticing someone, he apologized, "Hi, I'm sorry. I left something inside, could I check?"
"Sure."
As Xie Lian entered, he noticed the song paused on the screen and came to a stop. It was his song.
"...This song..."
The stranger replied like he was used to a certain reaction, "Yeah, I like it. So?" Almost challenging.
Xie Lian swallowed the emotions that choked, thinking that there was still someone who liked his song enough to sing it in a karaoke. It was a miracle it was even in the system. He couldn't help but send the stranger a complicated smile, "Oh, I like it too."
He couldn't see the stranger's face well in the dim light of the karaoke room, not knowing what expression he was making in response, Xie Lian looked around for his phone and unplugged it.
"Sorry to bother—"
He suddenly spoke up. "Could I ask for a favor?"
Xie Lian turned to them, finally noticing the features on the teenager from the blue light of the screen. It was a youthful and handsome face as he smiled, "No one else I know likes this song. Care to sing it with me?"
"But..." Xie Lian looked back at the door where Shi Qingxuan was waiting for him outside.
"For once, I'd like to not sing it alone."
Xie Lian glanced at the earnest eyes and wasn't able to reject him. He sent a text to Shi Qingxuan before taking another mic. "Uh, I might not remember how to sing."
The youth only placed his chin in his palm, smiling, "It's alright. I appreciate you doing this."
As he resumed the music, Xie Lian let the melody guide him, the lyrics coming to him so naturally even he was surprised. The youth's deeper voice harmonized well with him as they sang the chorus. Meeting his curved eyes, a smile formed on his face as he slowly sang with more confidence.
Once the song ended, Xie Lian felt lighter than. Like a weight he hadn't known he was carrying was unconsciously taken off his back.
"You sing well." The youth complimented.
Xie Lian nodded, "So do you."
"I don't normally meet people who like my favorite song so...let me show you something." The youth dug into his sling bag and didn't notice the emotions that welled in Xie Lian's eyes from the comment.
He pulled out a music player which, at this day and age if Xie Lian had to borrow Shi Qingxuan's words, was considered retro. He offered Xie Lian the left earbud and waited until he put it on to play the music.
Xie Lian's eyes widened and he gaped, head slowly turning to face the youth who stared back knowingly. There was only one person who would have this music player.
"...Hong-er?"
"You remembered me, gege."