Chapter 119: "The First Snow"

The girl rested on the boy’s back and whispered, "I’m so sleepy. I want to sleep for a little while."

"If you're tired, then sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get to your house." The boy turned his head to glance at her.

"Mmh, you must remember to wake me. I still have to watch the first snow of the season with you later, cough, cough..." The girl's voice grew fainter; her body was already incredibly weak.

The boy, however, did not notice a thing. He simply nodded and gave a soft, "Mmh."

"You silly boy, how did I ever fall for you?" The girl dared not let herself fall asleep. She was afraid that once she did, she would never again see the person she loved.

"Because I’m handsome, that’s why." The boy smiled.

"Don't be so conceited... In the next life, if I can meet you again, I want to love you all over again... If I’m not around, you must take good care of yourself... In the next life, I will still love you..." Tears streamed down the girl's face.

"What kind of silly talk is that? I won't allow you to say such things ever again. You are going to be with me for a lifetime; I still want to listen to you nag me." The boy did not grasp the meaning behind her words.

The color had drained from the girl's face, and her voice became lower and lower: "In the future, you must bring our... wife to visit me often... and our little one... You silly boy, I hate to leave you, but it’s a pity... I can't keep you company to watch the first snow... I can only, only wait until the next life... to make it up to you..."

Crystal tears flowed out, leaving tracks on her cheeks as she closed her eyes forever.

Seeing that she had gone silent, the boy hurriedly let her down. As she lay on the cold ground, he discovered that his hands were, at some unknown moment, covered in blood.

A pool of blood spread slowly around the girl, stinging the boy’s eyes and piercing his heart.

At that moment, snowflakes began to drift from the sky. It was snowing.

The girl’s body grew even colder, but alas, she would never see it.

The girl had always had a wish: to watch the sunrise with the boy, to have a snowball fight in the snow, and to admire the winter scenery together.

Yet, when this first snow finally fell, it was so sorrowful, so desolate...

As the story concluded, Gao Meng was already streaming with tears. Chu Fei’s eyes were red, and he reached out to rub them from time to time, muttering, "Too foolish, that girl was just too foolish."

Xia Tian’s brows were knit tight; it was evident that this story had moved him just as deeply.

Suddenly, music began to play.

"Ice and snow brush across the silent night, freezing the smiling angel. The love I longed for, yet you have closed your eyes. Slowly holding you tight, warming your cold palms, the frozen past of the first snow..."

This song was not being sung by Lin Chuan live; it was a recording... No, it *was* Lin Chuan singing, but he had recorded it in advance.

The melody was desolate, and the lyrics were filled with deep regret.

"Once playing in the dust of the world, until that fairy-tale encounter. A perfect story, yet turned into a tear-stained ending... The cold air cannot freeze these tears; the cruel beauty of memories..."

Having heard the story first, then hearing the song, the combination of the two created an indescribable sorrow. At this moment, everyone present was completely immersed in the song and the tragic tale.

They offered no critique, nor did they judge if it sounded good or bad; they simply listened in silence, savoring every lyric.

"As snowflakes fall one by one upon you, fading into memory, I close my eyes and can still see the beauty of your smile. I picked fresh flowers for you, letting the petals stain your nails, wanting to taste the meal you cooked for me, wanting to paint a portrait of you... The dandelion seeds scatter, wishing for time to stop, not letting it heartlessly and cruelly wither the flower of life, telling me not to be afraid. But in the end, God did not let you stay, leaving no time for me to fulfill the promises I made to you..."

This section was the rap portion. From the lyrics, one could clearly feel all the wishes the boy and girl had once held, and the boy’s regret after losing her.

The song ended quickly, though it had lasted a full four minutes. When the music stopped, the room became exceptionally quiet.

No one spoke; even their breathing was shallow.

Time slipped away, and after an unknown duration, Xia Tian broke the oppressive silence: "Brother Chuan, what is the name of this song?"

"First Snow," Lin Chuan smiled faintly.

"Did you write it yourself?" Chu Fei asked as well.

Lin Chuan shrugged noncommittally and said, "This song was written based on the story."

"Then... was that story just now a true event?" Gao Meng’s face still bore clear tear tracks.

"I don’t know. Perhaps it’s just a sad love story," Lin Chuan chuckled.

"This story is so touching, and that song is truly beautiful, especially the rap part—how did it go... As snowflakes fall one by one upon you... and then, I close my eyes and can still see the beauty of your smile... picked fresh flowers for you, and stained your nails..." Chu Fei hummed while reminiscing.

Although he only remembered a few lines, when Chu Fei sang them, there was a sense of emotion—as if he felt the girl’s "foolishness" was undeserved, yet he was filled with pity.

Regardless of the truth, Lin Chuan had achieved his goal. He hadn't told the story just to pass the time. With less than two days until their commercial performance, it would be difficult for Chu Fei and Xia Tian to learn a song and perform it with genuine heart in such a short window.

There was no other way; he had to use a story to enter their hearts first, and then learning the song would yield twice the result with half the effort.

Knowing the story behind the song made it much easier for them to express the required emotions.

Seeing the current situation, Lin Chuan knew his approach had been highly effective.

"Brother Chuan, can you play that song one more time? I want to hear it again," Xia Tian said.

"No problem," Lin Chuan nodded.

The music began to play again. This time, as they listened, their state of mind had changed slightly, though they couldn't quite say how.

Xia Tian and Chu Fei listened with intense focus. Every note and every lyric seemed branded into their hearts.

When the music finally faded, Xia Tian let out a long breath and said slowly, "Brother Chuan, is this your new song?"

"No, this is your new song."

Lin Chuan said this casually, as if it were an everyday matter. But when Xia Tian, Chu Fei, and Gao Meng heard it, their expressions shifted. They gasped in unison and exchanged glances.

After a long silence, Chu Fei stood up from the sofa and said loudly, "Brother Chuan, is this song really for us?"

Lin Chuan smiled and nodded. "That's right, it’s for you. However, you must master this song completely by the end of today."

Today? The excitement that had just surged within them was instantly dampened by more than half. To fully master a song in such a short time—was he joking? Even with the story as a foundation, this was too difficult.

Seeing Lin Chuan sitting there, smiling in silence, Xia Tian frowned slightly and asked, "Brother Chuan, why must we learn it today? Is there some hidden reason?"

There was no longer any need for Lin Chuan to hide the truth. He proceeded to explain the entire situation, point by point.