"Wow!"

As Liu Ruoying slowly walked onto the stage, her appearance immediately drew a gasp from the audience. They never expected that the person who would be defending Xingyao Entertainment's honor was her!

Not only the audience, but even in Tianmei Entertainment's conference room, there was a sudden silence.

Their smiles froze, and they looked at the figure on the big screen with disbelief.

Liu Ruoying! The singer who was once as famous as Mu Baiwei!

If it weren't for her not being able to find a song that truly belonged to her, she would have already become a diva!

Especially Liu Gao, at this moment, his hand holding the teacup trembled.

No one knew better than him, the chairman of Tianmei Entertainment, how incredible Liu Ruoying was. In order to put Mu Baiwei ahead of her, Tianmei Entertainment had spent a great deal of money hiring numerous lyricists and composers, ultimately securing a song that satisfied them, which helped Mu Baiwei rise to the position of a diva.

But now! Liu Ruoying was back on the stage, and this time, she had the backing of the monster that was Gu Xingyi!

Just thinking about this made Liu Gao shudder.

Just moments ago, he felt sure of victory, but now, his heart was completely filled with panic!

On the stage.

Liu Ruoying, wearing a white shirt with gardenia petals printed on it and a light blue pleated skirt, stood there, capturing the hearts of a large portion of the audience.

The gentle smile on her face was enough to make anyone feel warmth.

In the official live stream, the comments about Mu Baiwei suddenly froze. Then, a flurry of question marks filled the screen, followed by overwhelming admiration. Everyone at this moment became even more excited.

   "Liu Ruoying! Brothers! That era! It's really back!"

   "It's back! It's all back! Hahahaha! Liu Ruoying! Mu Baiwei! My god!"

   "At this moment, I don't even know what words to use to express what I'm feeling! People from that era must be tearing up right now!"

   "Xingyao is amazing~~~ Oh my god! Celestial battle!"

   "Liu Ruoying actually joined Xingyao Entertainment! I couldn't have even imagined it! Brothers, I'm even more excited for the upcoming competition now!"

Faced with the enthusiastic audience, Liu Ruoying felt a bit dazed. It had been so long since she had stood on a stage like this. Over the past two years, she had been searching for that song, and now, she had finally found it.

The music began to play, and at that moment, the audience stopped cheering, quietly listening.

On the big screen above the stage, the song title appeared.

Later!

As the music began, Liu Ruoying took a deep breath and picked up the microphone.

   "Three, two, one.

   Later~

   I finally learned how to love~

   But you, you had already gone far away, disappearing in the sea of people~

   Later~

   I finally understood through my tears~

   Some people~

   Once missed, are gone forever~"

Just the short introduction moved countless viewers to tears. That familiar "three, two, one," how long had it been since they last heard it?

Some people, once missed, were truly gone...

At this moment, the audience's hearts were filled with thousands of unspoken words. The previous song Memories, and now Later, shattered everyone's hearts into pieces.

They hadn't seen these artists for so long, and seeing them again, it felt so good!

At this moment, Liu Ruoying's eyes were also filled with tears. This song touched her heart deeply; it was her dream song. She suddenly felt that to have this one song in her life was enough!

She slowly opened her mouth and continued singing. The atmosphere in the venue returned to the time when she had just become famous. The audience waved their glow sticks and swayed their bodies in time with the music.

   "Gardenia flowers, white petals, falling on my blue pleated skirt~

   I love you~ you softly said~

   I lowered my head and smelled a fragrance~

   That eternal night, the summer of seventeen, the night you kissed me~

   Made me recall the starry night whenever I have thoughts about the past~"

Upon hearing this, the audience became dazed. The song title was clearly "Later," but the lyrics spoke only of the past.

Listening to "Later," memories of the past were evoked.

In everyone's minds, there was nothing else, only the sound of the song drifting through the air, taking them on a journey to witness the beauty of youth.

If we say that Mu Baiwei's "Memory" brings people into a sorrowful reminiscence of the past, only for them to turn around and find those memories gone, leaving only a faint sadness, then Liu Ruoying's "Later" brings the past right in front of your eyes. It quietly narrates the beauty of that time, then speaks of later, when one finally learns to love, but the person is no longer there.

Tears overflow!

Tonight, this is a slaughterhouse for hearts!

The melody is the knife, the lyrics the blade, each slice cutting deep, driving the audience to tears, each stroke hitting them where it hurts.

Even Gu Xingyi, who had brought out "Later," now had tears brimming in his eyes.

At first, he didn't understand the meaning of the song. After hearing it again, he had become one of the characters in the song.

Goodbye to "Later!"

Goodbye to "Later!"

A different world, yet the same deep emotions.

The original Liu Ruoying, singing "Later," is a scene he will never see again. But in this world, he saw it once more.

The sparks from the collision of two worlds exploded in front of his eyes, creating a dazzling auditory feast!

"Thanks to Shi Rencheng, the great master! Thanks to Yucheng Qianchun! Thanks to Ruoying-jie!" Gu Xingyi silently whispered in his heart. These three people were the lyricist, composer, and singer of "Later."

On stage, Liu Ruoying was completely immersed in the song. She and the audience below swayed gently to the melody, softly singing along.

   "Back then, why was love so simple~

   And why, when we were young,

   did we have to hurt those we loved so much?~

   In this quiet night, do you, too,

   Regret and feel sorrow quietly?

   If we hadn't been so stubborn back then,

   Would we have no regrets now?"

As she sang this, the audience in the hall could no longer hold back. They stood up from their seats, pressing their hands to their chests, unable to suppress the emotions stirring inside them. Holding back tears, they stared dazedly at Liu Ruoying on stage.

On stage, her song "Later" had stirred up the audience's memories of the past.

If he and she had been able to be together back then, would there be so many regrets now?

If only life were like the first meeting, why should autumn winds make the painted fan so sorrowful?

At this point, the melody began to rise again, and Liu Ruoying extended her hand, as though trying to hold on to something.

   "How do you remember me~

   With a smile or in silence~

   Over the years~

   Has anyone been able to make you feel less lonely?~

   Later~"

When the word "Later" echoed, it was as though the audience wasn't hearing the song for the first time. They all couldn't help but sing along.

Even the viewers in the live broadcast room, whether in front of the TV or holding their phones, joined in, humming along with the song.

What started as a competition had now turned into a solo concert by Liu Ruoying.

A chorus of ten thousand voices!

Though the audience had only heard the song once, and hadn't even finished it, they already sang along with her on stage, perfectly in sync.

Seeing this scene, all the participating contestants were moved. They felt envious and incredibly happy for Liu Ruoying.

This kind of scene was what they all dreamed of! It was the pinnacle they had long sought!

Which singer wouldn't hope for a song like this, for a moment like this to shine?

The chorus of ten thousand voices filled the entire venue, and tonight, there were no regrets!

   "Later~

   I finally learned how to love~

   But you, already far away, disappeared into the sea of people~

   Later~

   I finally understood through tears~

   Some people~

   Once missed, are never to be found again~"