After coaxing Xiao Nainai to sleep, Xia Xiyao couldn't fall asleep at all. She tiptoed out of the bedroom and curled up on the sofa, zoning out in silence.

Lately, she'd spent less and less time at home. For the past few days, even at night, she had been staying at the hospital—she just wanted to be the first person he saw when he woke up.

That was why Yun-jie and the others had forcibly sent her home.

In the dark, Xia Xiyao curled up tightly, her eyes vacant. These days, she had been wondering: if she hadn't made a comeback, would things have turned out differently? Would Gu Xingyi not have gotten into that accident?

If Gu Xingyi were here, he would understand exactly what she was feeling right now.

But he wasn't, and no one could give her the answers she needed.

After a while, Xia Xiyao slowly stood up—not returning to the master bedroom, but heading instead to the side room.

When she pushed the door open, she saw that Gu Xingyi had once again turned it into a small study. The desk was covered in a mess of sheet music and lyrics.

Xia Xiyao quietly sat down in the spot where Gu Xingyi always used to sit and began gathering the scattered sheets together, one by one. He used to stay up late working every night—she had wanted to scold him for it.

But now, she could only wait until he woke up to scold him.

As she opened a drawer and placed the organized sheets inside, she suddenly froze.

Inside the drawer was a thick stack of sheet music, crammed with musical notations and lyrics in his handwriting.

...

This was the first time Gu Xingyi had returned here since he left—Little Sun Orphanage.

He didn't know why he had come. But somewhere deep inside, something kept urging him to visit.

Right now, Gu Xingyi truly looked like a strange uncle—his beard hadn't been shaved in days, his hair was a messy tangle. When he stood at the entrance of the orphanage, even the security guard eyed him like a potential threat.

But Gu Xingyi still saw it—a couple inside choosing a child.

The children had gathered around them, doing everything they could to show how well-behaved, smart, and lovable they were.

He even saw a little girl offer up a lollipop she'd likely treasured for ages, placing it in the couple's hands and calling them "papa" and "mama."

Watching this scene, tears suddenly streamed down Gu Xingyi's face.

He didn't know why he had to come here, or why he had to see this scene—but the pain in his chest was unbearable. It felt like he had lost something—something precious.

He felt as though someone had once tried so hard to win him over like that too. But who was it?

His memories became tangled. Gu Xingyi's breathing grew erratic, like he was on the verge of remembering something—only for it to slip away again.

What did I forget? Damn it, what did I forget?!

Gu Xingyi collapsed to the ground, pounding the pavement with his fists in frustration. Blood seeped from his palms, but he didn't even seem to notice. He just wanted the pain to jolt his memory back.

His outburst quickly drew the attention of the guards in the security booth.

Not out of sympathy, of course—they just didn't want him scaring the kids. Their only concern was getting rid of him.

Dragged to a street corner by two guards, Gu Xingyi was in complete mental disarray. Hugging his head, tears kept falling. The more he tried to remember, the more chaotic everything in his mind became.

But one thing was clear—he had forgotten a memory that was incredibly precious to him.

From the street corner, a familiar melody suddenly drifted over, making Gu Xingyi freeze mid-motion.

"I finally made this decision, no matter what others say, I don't care, as long as you feel the same way too…"

Along with the lyrics, a series of faint voices echoed in Gu Xingyi's mind—

"Gu Xingyi!"

"Are you dumb or what?!"

"Alright! Now we're even!"

At the end of the song, a soft, childish voice gently echoed in Gu Xingyi's mind, lingering like a whisper from the deepest corner of his soul.

"Papa! Hungry! Food!"

At that moment, Gu Xingyi completely froze. Tears still streamed down his face, but his eyes suddenly cleared. Clutching his pounding chest, he broke into a laugh.

He remembered. Finally—he remembered.

Xia Xiyao and Xiao Nainai—they were his only bonds in this world.

...

November 8th, 8 PM.

As always, at Modu Sports Arena—

《Hua Country's Strongest Voice》 officially began.

On the three main stages, Yin Hai Entertainment sent out their first defender: top-tier singer Lina. Shengshi Entertainment stuck to their usual conservative strategy, putting up a veteran singer. Tianmei Entertainment brought out their hottest rising star, Xiang Roujing.

Meanwhile, the challengers—artists from other entertainment companies—had also been sent to the stage. Even though everyone knew it would be nearly impossible to topple the "Three Giants," it was still great exposure, even in defeat. So why not try?

Three matches in a row, and whether in vocal performance or original composition, the Three Giants fully demonstrated their dominance. All three challengers lost, and all three defenders held their ground.

The venue was lively and bustling—but online, the buzz was far quieter than in past years.

Why? Because netizens suddenly realized… they couldn't get into the music anymore. It wasn't that the songs were bad—they were decent. But good? They lacked something.

Their ears had been spoiled by Gu Xingyi. Now, everything else just felt bland and hollow in comparison.

Just when netizens were about to despair at how tasteless life had become, the host's voice suddenly echoed from their screens:

"Next up, please welcome Xingyao Entertainment's Xia Xiyao to the stage!"

In that instant, netizens thought they were hearing things.

What?

Xia Xiyao?!

They blinked in shock—then instantly grabbed their phones and stared at the screen.

It really was Xia Xiyao!!!

She stepped out from backstage, dressed in a long black gown. Her cheeks were pale, her eyes filled with sorrow. Step by step, she walked onto the stage.

Tonight, she was challenging Tianmei Entertainment.

Yun-jie and Tao Lele stared anxiously as Xia Xiyao made her way onto the stage. Neither of them understood what had caused her sudden change of heart.

It seemed to have started the night they made her go home. The next day, she wasn't the same person anymore.

In fact, looking at her now—they could almost see the shadow of Gu Xingyi in her.

No one knew why Xia Xiyao suddenly returned to the company or why she declared they would participate in 《Hua Country's Strongest Voice》.

Only Xia Xiyao knew.

As she stood on the stage, gazing down at the audience, the lights dimmed, and the background music slowly began to play.

On the big screen behind her, a name appeared—one that brought tears to countless eyes.

"Xingyao! Oh my god!!! Xingyao is back!!! Bros, I can't hold it in anymore! Let me cry for a minute!"

"Lyrics, composition, arrangement—it's all by Xingyao!!!"

"Can we shout the slogan? Xingyao production—guaranteed excellence!"

"Xingyao returns!!! Just like that day!!!"

Xia Xiyao stood still under the spotlight as the music rose, and a single tear silently slipped down her cheek.

Everyone who witnessed that moment felt their hearts clench.

The next second, Xia Xiyao began to sing. Her voice, like something from heaven, flowed into the ears of the crowd—and shattered their hearts.

   "Oh heaven, can't you see how much I love her?
    Why must you tear apart two people who clearly love each other?
    Oh heaven, please don't secretly tell her—
    That during countless silent, lonely nights—
    There's someone out there, thinking of her."