Chapter 77: The Matchstick Heaven

Lin Chuan was completely unaware of the chaos unfolding at the Kyoto University small theater. At the moment, he was in quite a predicament himself. He had left the traffic jam over an hour ago, wandering on foot with frequent stops, but not only was there no sign of Kyoto University, even the number of vehicles on the road had dwindled.

This made no sense—had he gone the wrong way? Doubts began to creep in. He approached a passerby to ask for directions, and the answer left him with a wry smile: he had indeed lost his way. He was walking in the exact opposite direction from where Kyoto University was located. If he kept going, not only would he never arrive, but he would only get farther away.

It was rush hour, and every taxi that passed was already occupied. Lin Chuan tried flagging cabs by the roadside for a while but to no avail. To make matters worse, at this critical moment, his phone died, leaving him unable to contact Uncle Gao.

He had no choice but to change direction, making his way towards Kyoto University while keeping an eye out for any passing taxis—ready to wave them down at the slightest opportunity.

Half an hour later, Lin Chuan’s face grew increasingly grim. If he didn’t find a ride soon, he would surely be late. Just then, he spotted several taxis parked by the roadside ahead, with a few drivers calling out to passersby.

“Hey, where are you headed?” one man called out, jogging over with a smile.

“Kyoto University. Can you take me?” Lin Chuan sized him up, guessing he was a taxi driver.

“Kyoto University? Of course! Let’s go.” The man beamed, grabbing Lin Chuan and leading him forward.

Lin Chuan grinned and quickened his pace to follow. When they reached the taxi, he opened the door to find three people already inside—two young women and a young man, all of whom looked like students.

Lin Chuan didn’t dwell on it; the most urgent thing was to get there as soon as possible. He got in, and the taxi sped off, disappearing down the road under the envious gazes of the other drivers.

Inside the car, as the three students got a clear look at Lin Chuan’s face, all of them were overcome with surprise and delight. One of the girls, unable to contain herself, exclaimed, “You—are you Lin Chuan?”

“Hello!” Lin Chuan was taken aback, then smiled and nodded.

The other two students were instantly overwhelmed. None of them had imagined they’d end up sharing a ride with Lin Chuan; happiness swelled in their hearts.

——

At the entrance to Kyoto University, Gao Meng stood, looking anxiously in both directions. Every time a taxi or private car stopped at the gate, she held her breath, watching intently to see who would get out—only to be disappointed each time, muttering complaints under her breath.

Suddenly, a taxi pulled up quickly, stopping at the curb. Several students got out one after another. Gao Meng glanced over without much hope, but just as her gaze was about to move on, a familiar figure caught her eye.

He was dressed casually, with a jacket and jeans, his face shadowed with scruffy stubble. If one wasn’t paying attention, it would be easy to mistake him for just another student.

The students surrounded him, chattering excitedly. At the sight, Gao Meng’s eyes lit up; she strode over in a few quick steps, grabbed his arm, and said, “Lin Chuan, hurry! Everyone’s waiting for you.”

The man paused, then smiled and followed Gao Meng into the campus.

This man was none other than Lin Chuan, lost and hurriedly making his way over. When the students saw their idol being led away by a woman who was plain and unremarkable, a flash of irritation crossed their faces.

The young man among them merely looked disappointed—he hadn’t even gotten an autograph. The girls, however, glared daggers at Gao Meng, as if she were a rival.

“Who is that girl, and why is she holding Lin Chuan’s arm?” one of the girls asked angrily.

“No idea. She doesn’t look familiar—probably not from our university.”

“Hmph, shameless…”

“Exactly, how well does she even know Lin Chuan?”

The girls chattered away, utterly ignoring the boy beside them. In their eyes, only Lin Chuan and Gao Meng seemed to exist.

At the same time, inside the Kyoto University small theater.

A petite, delicate girl stood on stage, singing along to the accompaniment. Waves of jeers and mocking laughter stung her nerves. If not for the presence of her boss, Jiang Xia, watching from the audience, she would have already fled the stage in tears, unable to withstand the humiliation. For a singer, such treatment was both a grave insult and a bitter irony.

All of this, she blamed on Lin Chuan. If not for him, she would never have had to endure such a scene. The girl seethed with resentment.

A song lasts, at most, four or five minutes, but for her, it felt like an eternity. She wanted nothing more than to finish and walk off stage, never to face this audience again.

Time crept by; the music played on, and she had to keep singing.

Near Jiang Xia sat a woman in her thirties, who adjusted her glasses indignantly. “These people are so rude. How can they behave like this? Is this concert doomed just because Lin Chuan isn’t here?”

Jiang Xia’s expression darkened as he shot her a cold glance. “You're not wrong. If Lin Chuan doesn’t show up today, this commercial performance will be a failure. For us, it’s just a loss of reputation, but for that old fox Gao Mingyuan…” He trailed off, casting a cold laugh in Gao Mingyuan’s direction, who sat nearby looking distinctly uneasy.

As Jiang Xia had said, if this concert failed, his company could still salvage the singers’ careers with some extra effort. But for Gao Mingyuan, if Lin Chuan didn’t appear, it would mean Tiandi Culture had breached its contract—no amount of talent would spare him from a hefty penalty.

At this thought, Jiang Xia’s frustration faded, and a faint smile curved his lips.

As the girl on stage finished her song, she didn’t even wait for the host to come up—she turned and walked off, prompting another round of boos from the audience.

Just then, Gao Meng silently approached Gao Mingyuan and whispered a few words in his ear. Gradually, a smile lit up Gao Mingyuan’s face, and he visibly relaxed.

Jiang Xia noticed all of this, and an uneasy suspicion began to gnaw at him.

Could it be that Lin Chuan had really arrived?

Suddenly, the stage lights went out without warning, leaving only two dim spotlights barely holding back the darkness.

A chorus of surprised exclamations rose from the audience, but no one panicked. Everyone sat quietly, waiting for what would come next.

A gentle guitar melody began, soft but carrying to every corner of the theater.

Walking beneath a snowy night sky, selling matches to keep my dreams alive
Step by step, frozen, step by step, lonely, the coldness of the world freezing my hands
A bundle of matches burns in my heart, the cold night can’t stop me from moving forward
Mockery on my face, snow cutting my lips, dragging my feet—how much farther can I go

An original song, never before heard, rang out in the theater filled with hundreds. The stage remained shrouded in darkness, with only a solitary figure seated at its center, singing and playing guitar.

For reasons unknown, the audience fell utterly silent, listening intently.

Suddenly, with a series of bangs, all the lights blazed on at once, illuminating the stage as bright as day. The lone figure at center stage looked up, his gaze sweeping over the audience, a gentle smile on his lips.

Who will buy my matches, who will ignite each fragile hope
Who will buy my loneliness, who will answer my call for home

As the song soared on the final words—“call for home”—the audience responded in unison. Everyone leapt to their feet, cheering wildly, shouting the same name again and again: “Lin Chuan! Lin Chuan! Lin Chuan!”

“Each time I strike a match, a faint light appears—I see hope, I see dreams; I see my mother in heaven speaking. She tells me to be brave, to be strong, not to fear, not to panic, that I will no longer have to wander… My mother will take my hand home, to sleep in the warm, blossoming paradise.”

Lin Chuan’s appearance was both expected and astonishing.

The commercial performance was nearing its end, and failure seemed inevitable. Even Jiang Xia and Gao Mingyuan had lost all hope.

Yet at the crucial moment, Lin Chuan’s arrival sent the audience into a frenzy; the jeers and sarcasm vanished without a trace.

The entire theater was ablaze with excitement—everyone waved glow sticks and signs, prepared long in advance.

As soon as “Matchstick Heaven” ended, Lin Chuan set his guitar aside and walked to the edge of the stage, where he simply stood silently.

That simple, unhurried gesture was enough to provoke another wave of cheers. In that moment, everyone felt so close to their idol that it seemed they could almost reach out and touch him.

The theater erupted in passionate, unrestrained jubilation.