Chapter Seven: Ah, People! Everyone Must Have a Hobby

"Yuanyuan, this song... it's quite nice," You Nianwei said, her white teeth biting the straw of her milk tea. Her long eyelashes dropped, half-covering her eyes—clearly, she was drawn in by the singing, almost lost in it.

It really was... surprisingly good!

Xi Yuanyuan was a little stunned.

This was not the level she expected from a street performer.

Of course, more importantly, she had never heard the lyrics or melody of this song before.

"The man singing must be really handsome!"

You Nianwei said with a serious expression.

Xi Yuanyuan shot her best friend an exasperated look. If you could tell a person's looks by their voice, then every voice actor would be a heartthrob.

But she had to admit, the singer's voice was indeed captivating.

Xi Yuanyuan had listened to many celebrities sing, but rarely did anyone pull her emotions into a song so effortlessly from the very first note.

And yet, a street musician had managed to do just that.

In that instant, curiosity bloomed in Xi Yuanyuan's heart.

"Vivi, let's go take a look."

"Sure!" You Nianwei, ever the enthusiast for excitement, would have dragged Xi Yuanyuan over even if she hadn't suggested it.

The two squeezed forward; beauties always have privileges. The crowd, upon seeing them approach, spontaneously opened a path, letting them slip right to the front.

The moment You Nianwei caught sight of Chen Fang, she tugged excitedly at Xi Yuanyuan's sleeve. "Yuanyuan, didn't I say the singer was handsome?"

Xi Yuanyuan signaled her to hush.

You Nianwei fell quiet, sulking.

At this moment, Chen Fang sat on the edge of the street, guitar in hand.

Once he entered his singing state, nothing outside seemed to disturb him. He didn't notice the two beautiful women gazing intently at him.

The crowd only glanced at Xi Yuanyuan and You Nianwei for a second before refocusing on Chen Fang. His song, "Zebra, Zebra," was a ballad much like "Anhe Bridge," similar in style but utterly unique.

Dozens of phone cameras were trained on Chen Fang.

His first small-scale concert, right at a street corner, with only a few dozen people in the audience.

...

◤Zebra, zebra
You have returned to your home
But I waste my cold years
Your city has no door open for me
In the end, I must return to the road◢

The story begins with two zebras.

One drifts far away, unsettled, homeless.

The other, wounded by others, licks its wounds and heals alone.

And at the story's end... the drifting zebra keeps drifting, just as when he first arrived in this city—bringing nothing, taking nothing away, save for the guitar in his hands.

Suddenly, a deep sadness washed over the crowd, hard to resist.

To be honest, if Chen Fang had to choose, Song Fatty's saddest song wasn't "Anhe Bridge." That song always had the line: "You've gone home, I'm waiting for you." But in "Zebra," there was no warmth. The wanderer had no reason to stop, so the final lyric was: "I want to sell my house and roam the world."

Sadness doesn't need to be shouted or screamed.

Just as Chen Fang did.

Head bowed.

Strumming.

Singing.

That was enough.

Gradually, the eyes of the crowd reddened, but not a single person broke the silence—not even a loud breath disturbed the moment.

Moreover, the audience kept growing. From just over a dozen, to dozens, and now over a hundred. The crossroads at People's Park was always busy, but now the crowd blocked the way, causing a traffic jam.

Everyone was trapped in the atmosphere of sadness, unable to escape.

Xi Yuanyuan was holding up fine.

You Nianwei's eyes were already red, on the verge of tears.

Xi Yuanyuan stared at Chen Fang, lost in his music, her gaze bright as if she were looking at a rare, flawless gem.

Sign him!

The thought surged and spread wildly.

In truth, You Nianwei wasn't wrong!

Xi Yuanyuan loved being a talent manager.

But the young star she was currently handling was becoming a nuisance, pestering her daily. If he had any talent, she might have endured, but he couldn't carry anything, couldn't sing, couldn't dance.

He survived in the industry solely on his looks.

Utter despair!

Because of this, Xi Yuanyuan had considered quitting as a manager, switching careers, or simply not working at all—her family wasn't short on money, so there was no need to make herself miserable.

But now.

Her thoughts changed once more.

She had found a young man worth nurturing.

"You are mine!"

Xi Yuanyuan's eyes burned with passion.

Such a promising talent—if she could guide him from the very start, his future would be limitless.

...

Every story must end.

So too must every song.

As Chen Fang sang the final line—◤Zebra, zebra, sleep, sleep, I want to sell my house and roam the world◢—the guitar faded away, leaving only silence.

The surroundings were hushed.

What moves people is not the song itself, but the resonance with their own experiences.

The singer sings casually; the listener is moved deeply.

All sad stories revolve around people, but in the end, have nothing to do with them.

So when sadness comes, have a drink, smoke a cigarette, do something you want—the bad feelings will gradually fade.

Chen Fang smacked his lips.

What a pity!

If only he had a cigarette now, he'd light one up.

Back on Earth, Chen Fang drank and smoked constantly. Here, he hadn't had a cigarette or a drink all day, and only just now, when feeling low, did he think of those things.

Forget it!

He'd quit.

Quit both smoking and drinking!

He finally had a young, healthy body—he ought to treasure it.

After a pause, Chen Fang looked up at the crowd. Immediately, he spotted Xi Yuanyuan and You Nianwei at the very front; their beauty stood out starkly from those around them.

Chen Fang glanced at them a few times, smiled kindly, nodded, then looked away.

Truthfully.

Chen Fang preferred women like Ji Mei.

With age comes wisdom—figure is far more important than a pretty face.

Smooth and supple—that’s the key!

As for Xi Yuanyuan and You Nianwei, their looks far surpassed Ji Mei, but after years as an entertainment company boss, surrounded by beautiful female artists, he'd grown tired of it.

Hmm...

Should he quit women, too?

Chen Fang pondered the question seriously.

A few seconds later, he dismissed the thought. Without smoking, drinking, or women, what fun was left in life?

People must have at least one passion.

After a long while, the crowd slowly came out of their emotional reverie, and the crossroads of People's Park erupted in thunderous applause.

The song "Zebra, Zebra" was every bit as good as "Anhe Bridge." If composing one was a stroke of inspiration, composing two was proof of true talent.

Chen Fang sighed.

If only he'd printed a bigger payment QR code!

Right now, only the front rows could scan it—the people in back couldn't reach it. What a loss!