Chapter 10: Accompany You to the Ends of Time and Earth

Wang Cheng was feeling utterly frustrated. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed someone in the comment section had posted several group chat numbers, claiming they were Gallen's fan groups.

On a whim, Wang Cheng joined one of these groups, only to find there were just nine people inside.

"Welcome, welcome! Another new friend has arrived!"

As soon as Wang Cheng entered, the group owner sent a smiling emoji.

He immediately replied, "Hello everyone, I came from Five-Star Music Net. Could anyone tell me where Gallen's live stream is?"

"It's on Chili Live! There's a Wenzi's channel there—he’ll appear after eight o'clock!"

A group member answered his question. Wang Cheng quickly searched for Wenzi's channel on Chili Live, and found it prominently featured on the homepage.

But when he clicked in, he still didn’t see Gallen. Puzzled, he asked in the group, "I don’t see him? There’s just a girl singing, and it seems to be a bar. The background sounds pretty chaotic."

"Yes! Gallen sings at a bar. The bar owner is Wen Tao, and he’s the one who runs the stream!"

Wen Tao?

Given Wang Cheng’s profession, he couldn’t be unaware of the entertainment industry’s trends. He knew exactly who Wen Tao was, and also knew about his live-streaming venture.

Five-Star Music Net had a live music section too, and they’d tried to bring in Wen Tao’s project before, but the company’s highest offer was just two million, so a competitor snatched it away.

As an editor, Wang Cheng had no say in these high-level company decisions. But now, he saw a glimmer of hope. A talent like Gallen deserved his own independent broadcast.

If he could invite Gallen to join Five-Star and manage him successfully, would he remain just an editor?

The thought made him excited. He couldn’t help but send a message in the group: "What a pity—Gallen really should have his own live channel!"

In just a dozen minutes, the group’s numbers soared past fifty.

The fans came from everywhere—some from Five-Star Music Net, some from Chili Live, some from forums and message boards.

Seeing Wang Cheng’s message, they immediately echoed his sentiment.

"Exactly! If little Gallen opens his own channel, I’d definitely show up every day!"

"Honestly, at his level, he should go solo—why depend on Wen Tao?"

"Agreed!"

"How about we all leave a message in his Five-Star profile, asking him to open an independent stream?"

"But he still sings at the bar every night—does he have the time?"

Reading these, Wang Cheng smiled. His fingers danced briefly across the keyboard, typing out four words: "Where there’s a will!"

He closed the group chat, opened a new document, and started working overtime on a proposal, his phone nearby, waiting for Gallen to appear.

Night fell.

Chen Yingying nestled under her blanket, headphones on, listening to music on Five-Star Radio.

Just as she was drifting off, the host’s voice cut in: "Now, presenting today’s top original song, Gallen’s ‘Fireworks Fade Easily’. This piece perfectly blends ancient Chinese style with Western instruments—a true innovation…"

"Gallen?"

Hearing the name, Chen Yingying held her breath, listening intently, trying to discern if it was the Gallen she knew.

The moment his singing began, her heart skipped a beat and time seemed to pause.

This was Gallen’s own complete, high-definition home recording. Though professionals might pick at post-production flaws, nothing could hide the song’s inherent quality.

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard Gallen sing, but it was the first time she’d heard his original work. Every line of "Fireworks Fade Easily" was sincere and moving, bringing tears to her eyes as she recalled their parting at the platform that day.

"Beep... beep..."

Driven by an uncontrollable urge, Chen Yingying dialed Gallen’s number.

He picked up quickly, background bustling. "Hello? Yingying, I’m about to go on stage! I’ll call you back in a bit!"

Hearing his voice, Chen Yingying sobbed harder, overwhelmed by longing, gratitude, happiness—a thousand emotions tangled together.

"Gallen, I just heard you singing on Five-Star Radio!" she said through tears.

"Oh? It made it onto the radio that fast? Did I sound good?" Gallen chuckled, then noticed something off in her tone. "Hey, are you crying?"

"Hmph! No, it didn’t sound good! Not at all!" Chen Yingying grumbled, "Your ‘Fireworks Fade Easily’ was too sad—it made me cry. You have to sing something warm for me, or I won’t come visit during Golden Week!"

"Haha, alright! Don’t hang up, I’ll sing to you right now!"

Gallen laughed, switched his phone to speaker, and as Liu Qianqian finished her set, he walked to the stage, placing his phone on the music stand.

As soon as Gallen appeared, the audience—many there just for him—burst into cheers and applause. Some whistled, some called his name, and one girl even brought up a basket of flowers.

On Chili Live, the chat scrolled madly, comments flooding the screen like a swarm of locusts.

"Hello, everyone! We meet again!"

Gallen waved to the crowd below. "Tonight’s first song is for the girl I love most—may I be with her to the end of time!"

At first, many didn’t catch his meaning, but some fans in the live chat quickly asked: Was Gallen confessing?

Some even felt a pang of jealousy—did Gallen actually have a girlfriend?

Most, however, offered blessings. They’d come for the music, and as long as he stayed true, his love life wasn’t a problem.

On the other end, Chen Yingying’s cheeks burned hearing his words. She pulled the blanket over her head and listened to Gallen’s voice:

"I want to see you smile, want to tease you,
Want to hold you in my arms,
Arguing one moment, flushed with anger,
But making up the next without a fuss,
Not afraid of your tears or your shouts,
Because you are my pride,
My eyes follow you everywhere,
My heart long since prepared..."

As he sang, Gallen’s mind filled with Chen Yingying’s image, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Chen Yingying listened, tears streaming down her face, a smile tugging at her lips. She knew Gallen had her on speaker, so she covered her mouth, stifling her sobs.

The fact that he’d say such words publicly made her cheeks burn even hotter.

Anyone truly listening to this song felt a warmth in their heart, their eyes brimming with tears, moved and wistful all at once.

Even Liu Qianqian, always so cool and distant, now had reddened eyes, though she stubbornly refused to let a tear fall.

Wu Yusheng sat in somber silence, recalling past promises old and new, a sour ache blooming in his chest.

Aiya and Zhao Liang leaned into each other, hands tightly intertwined. As their eyes met, they couldn’t help but share a passionate kiss.

Wen Tao thought of his ex-girlfriend, then glanced at his current girlfriend, Shi Li. He sighed, unsure whether from sorrow or something else.

Far away in Jianghang, Wang Cheng watched the stream, thoughts filled with his wife and child at home. Before the song ended, he couldn’t resist picking up the desk phone to call home.

"Hello, honey, is the child asleep?"

"Asleep long ago! When will you be home?"

"I’ll be back soon! By the way, haven’t you always wanted to go to Bali? Let’s send the child to his grandmother’s for Golden Week—I’ll take you on a trip!"

"Oh! Got a bonus? Why the sudden generosity?"

"No, I just realize how hard you’ve worked for our family all these years!"

"You…" The line paused, then she suddenly demanded, "Alright, old Wang, did you do something wrong?"

"…" Wang Cheng was speechless, finally replying, "Let’s talk when I get back. I’ll finish up soon…"

Meanwhile, the live chat on Chili Live was blazing:

"What’s with this? Every song from Gallen makes me want to cry!"

"Ahhhh! I’m crying!"

"Li Weiwei, I like you!"

"Darling, are you doing well now?"

"Song Lu from Third High! I love you!!"

"If a man wrote me a song like this, I’d marry him on the spot!"

"Just once—I want to be with you till the end of time!"

"Haochen, I love you! Dress warmly when it’s cold, and don’t drink too many cold drinks in the heat!"

"Where are you?"

"Is this chat live?"

"Just listen to the music—stop showing off your love!"

"Crying and laughing, laughing and crying…"

"Does anyone have the lyrics? They’re not on Five-Star yet!"

"…"

Even after the song ended, everyone remained immersed, unable to pull themselves back to reality. It wasn’t until Gallen’s guitar rang out again that they finally woke from their reverie.

The call remained connected, and Chen Yingying quietly drifted into sleep, listening to Gallen’s music.

Time slipped by, and soon it was time for the last song requests of the night.

The singers, who’d been nodding off, perked up.

Gallen joined Wu Yusheng and the others in leaving the lounge. On stage, a group of lively young women danced as the backup act. During this time, the bar’s regulars, now familiar with Wenzi Bar’s routine, began making their song requests.

A live song list appeared on the big screen, and the servers bustled about the room.

As expected, the top requested song was "Just Once"!

It was the most requested song of the night—when song requests closed, it had out-earned the second place by nearly four thousand yuan.

Second place was Liu Qianqian’s "Lover". Her voice was pure and cool, and many men in the audience were her fans—not to mention her good looks, which inspired plenty of admiration.

She’d always performed well, often leading the requests, but tonight Gallen was the dark horse, earning nearly ten thousand yuan and taking the top spot from her.

By standard procedure, the first place song would be sung first.

Just as Gallen prepared to take the stage with his guitar, a heavyset man suddenly stood up and shouted, "I’ll add five thousand! I want to hear ‘Lover’!"

Saying this, he tossed a stack of bills to a nearby server.