“What melody?”

Looking at Xia Xiyao nestled in his arms like a little bird, Gu Xingyi couldn’t resist reaching out and gently ruffling her hair.

That simple, real moment gave him immense satisfaction.

Xia Xiyao squirmed a little and shot him a glare—was he petting her like a dog or something?

“It’s the song I’ve been trying to compose. I’ve always been missing a bit of inspiration, but now it just came to me!”

She slipped out of his embrace—there was no time to waste now that inspiration had struck.

Feeling the softness in his arms vanish, Gu Xingyi felt a bit disappointed. He hadn’t hugged her enough yet!

Scratching his head, he stood up and pulled out some sheet music from his bag and handed it to her.

“I was planning to write a song tonight… but since you’ve got one, you go ahead and write it.”

He set up the paper and pen, then stood by the bed watching her. He was curious—what kind of song had been troubling her this long?

Xia Xiyao’s cheeks were still flushed, but she nodded firmly. After thinking for a moment, she sat cross-legged on the bed and took the pen and paper.

Ever since arriving in Modu, this melody had been echoing in her mind. She’d been trying to write it, but it always slipped away.
Now that she’d caught it, the rest flowed naturally.

While humming softly, she wrote quickly. Before long, a complete melody took shape on the page.

Looking up at Gu Xingyi standing under the lamp, her eyes sparkled with joy.

She had finally completed it!
She wasn’t just a pretty face after all!

“Do you want to take a look?”

Xia Xiyao asked.

Gu Xingyi smiled and shook his head gently.

“I’d rather you sing it for me.”

Xia Xiyao ducked her head, her face reddening even more.
This melody was entirely based on her own feelings. In a way, it was her version of a love confession.

“Sing it,” Gu Xingyi urged softly. “You’ve never sung just for me before, have you?”

“I don’t have lyrics yet…” she murmured.

“Humming’s fine too!”

He grinned.

Unable to resist his request, Xia Xiyao nodded shyly.

There was no accompaniment. Everything felt natural.
As she hummed, it was like her heart was quietly speaking.

She and he… both needed a little courage.

The moment the melody began, Gu Xingyi froze.

He stared at her, eyes wide.

He’d heard this melody before.
In his original world.

Still uncertain, he listened carefully. When she finished the segment, he suddenly interrupted—

“Wait a second!”

He rushed over, grabbed a pen and began scribbling on the page.

Xia Xiyao blinked, confused at the sudden stop.
But when she leaned in to see what he was writing, her eyes lit up.

There, on the top of the page in big bold letters:

"Courage"

Lyrics?!

Just from listening to her hum, he had written the lyrics?!

Their heads were now side by side under the warm glow of the lamp—like a couple straight out of a fairytale.

As she read through the lyrics, her joy grew.

This was exactly the kind of lyrics she had been dreaming of.
Even better than what she’d written on her own. Her attempts paled in comparison.

Flushed, she looked over at Gu Xingyi’s focused side profile.
He looked so handsome when he was serious.

And the lyrics… he understood her.

Before she realized it, she leaned in and gently kissed his cheek.

Gu Xingyi’s hand, mid-sentence, froze. The ink blurred across the page as he stiffened completely.

He could feel the warmth on his cheek—and that soft, fleeting touch.

Looking down at the lyrics, he felt like his heart exploded with joy.

This… this must be the “courage” Xia Xiyao had wanted to express.

As for her, the moment the kiss landed, she panicked.

Face lowered, she wished a hole could open up beneath her so she could crawl into it.

She didn’t even know why she did it—something just took over.

Thankfully, Gu Xingyi didn’t react too strongly. Otherwise, she definitely would’ve fled in embarrassment.

Gu Xingyi was struggling hard to hold it in.
He knew she was easily embarrassed, so he forced himself to stay calm and keep writing.

When he finally finished the lyrics, he let out a breath and turned around as casually as possible, handing the paper to her.

“Here. Now you can sing it properly for me.”

“…Mhm~”

Xia Xiyao still kept her head low, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito’s whisper.

But she reached out and took the paper, placing it gently on her lap.

Looking at the completed lyrics, she realized just how beautiful the song was.

“Try matching the lyrics to your melody and sing it again?”

Gu Xingyi watched her, eyes full of anticipation.

Even her humming earlier had stunned him—if she sang it with lyrics, it would be even better.

In his past life, this song had been incredibly popular.
It even became a running joke online: “Where did you get the courage?”
Just thinking about it got him excited.

“…Then I’ll sing.”

Xia Xiyao whispered.

She was curious too—how would her melody feel with his lyrics?

The room quieted.

Then, softly, her voice filled the air.

    “I’ve finally made this decision,
    I don’t care what others say,
    As long as you feel the same.”

    “I’m willing
    To follow you to the ends of the earth,
    I know… it won’t be easy.
    My heart
    Keeps trying to convince itself.
    What I fear most… is you suddenly giving up.”

From the first line, Gu Xingyi was stunned.
He clenched his fists, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched her.

It was as if this song had been tailor-made for Xia Xiyao.
No wonder—it was her melody, after all.

But what amazed him was that two different worlds could create the same spark.

    “Love really needs courage,
    To face all the gossip.
    As long as you give me one look of affirmation,
    My love has meaning.”

    “We both need courage,
    To believe we’ll be together.
    In the crowd,
    I can still feel you…
    Holding your true heart in my hand.”

As she sang, Xia Xiyao became fully immersed in the song.

Memories of her time with Gu Xingyi flashed through her mind.

Love did need courage.

He had changed. She had made her decision.

From now on, they would share an umbrella through the storms.
They no longer cared what others said. They could bear it all.

This was the courage she had been trying to express for so long.

Her voice stayed soft.
Gu Xingyi listened quietly—not just to the song, but to her heart.

How could he not fall for a treasure of a woman like this?

The song continued, and both of them found the strength to face what was ahead.

    “If my stubbornness
    Accidentally hurts you,
    Could you gently remind me?
    I may be impulsive,
    But I’m more afraid of losing you.”

These lines struck Xia Xiyao especially hard.

It felt like Gu Xingyi was whispering directly into her ear—

As if he were saying:
What I fear most is missing the chance to be with you.

She looked up.

Their eyes met.

No words were needed.
Everything they felt was reflected clearly in that gaze.

As long as I have you, that’s enough.

—

Meanwhile, back at the apartment.

Xiao Nainai slurped her yogurt and let out a small burp.
Pouting, she looked at Tao Lele beside her.

“Aunt Lele!”

“Why are Papa and Mama taking so long to come back?!”

“Did they forget about Nainai?!”