If it were Xu Qingqiu herself, she would simply listen to the arrangement file and then read the lyrics. After listening to the first song, Xu Qingqiu was somewhat puzzled at first, but when the chorus came in, her eyes lit up with a sense of amazement. Overall, the song was very good, with a catchy and bold chorus, though the verse was slightly weaker. Of course, this was merely a minor flaw that didn't overshadow its virtues. No song is perfect; every song has its imperfections. Besides, who would dare say the verse was bad? Some people like it, some don't—that's inevitable.

After listening once more, she opened the second folder.

"Little? Sister Qiu? Why is this song called 'Little'?"

"I don't know either. Let's listen to it. It might be someone named Little?"

"Ah? Could it be Youmeng's first love?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? How can you just make up stories like that? Don't talk rubbish."

"Oh, sorry, Youmeng! I was talking nonsense. Forgive my childish words!"

Watching Yiyi pouting and bowing with mock solemnity, Xu Qingqiu couldn't help but laugh despite herself. Then, feeling it was somewhat inappropriate, she frowned and said, "Yiyi, what are you doing? Stop messing around and listen to the song!"

"Hehe, I was just joking."

What kind of joking was that? Youmeng wasn't a deity; one couldn't just worship blindly.

Xu Qingqiu wanted to say more. However, seeing that Yiyi was only in her twenties, hadn't experienced much, and was still very innocent with no ill intentions, she decided not to be too harsh. It seemed she would have to teach Yiyi more in the future; sometimes, one needed a sense of proportion and rules. But that was a matter for another time.

"Memories are like a storyteller"

"Speaking in a voice full of a rural accent"

"Skipping puddles and circling the village"

"Waiting for fate to bring us together"

...

"Such fragile promises, still unsteady"

"Tears striving to hold back, still enduring"

"Tender lips speak of parting~"

"From then on, someone lived in my heart"

"We, who once were so little in our ways"

Unlike the previous song, where the catchy part was concentrated in the chorus, this song unfolded like a painting from its very first word, immersing listeners so deeply they couldn't extricate themselves.

TSK. HMM. SOB... HIC... SOB...

Xu Qingqiu, whose eyes had already reddened while listening to the song and reading the lyrics, was suddenly baffled by the series of noises beside her. She turned her head to look at Yiyi, who was crying a storm with a scrunched-up face, and felt both amused and sympathetic.

"What's the matter? Do you have a childhood sweetheart back home who left you this heartbroken?"

"No! HIC! Not that... It's... it's my—HIC!—my brother. My brother, when... when I was leaving—oh!—he kept pulling... pulling at the hem of my clothes, saying... saying I should come... come back sooner. WAHHH..."

Yiyi seemed to be reminded of something truly sad. She was crying so hard she gasped for breath and couldn't finish a sentence. Xu Qingqiu, however, didn't find it strange at all; in fact, she felt even more pity for her.

Xu Qingqiu herself came from a rural area; her family had three children. Her older brother was in high school, her younger sister was in elementary school, and she was in junior high. Her parents were both village teachers, and her family was average—not too poor, but not rich either. However, life always has its surprises. Her father was in a car accident on his way home from school and lost a leg. Her mother, already heartbroken, also had to care for her husband and three children day after day. She eventually fell ill from overwork, and an emergency gallbladder surgery severely weakened her vitality.

Both parents were hospitalized. Since they were both certified teachers, many of their medical expenses were reimbursed. Still, with three children needing food and schooling, how could an ordinary family bear the cost? Her eldest brother had always been at the top of his class, definitely material for a prestigious university. But what good was academic excellence when faced with the needs of his two younger sisters at home? At first, he started working secretly after school, but later he took a leave of absence to work full-time.

Her younger sister was too young to understand all this. Xu Qingqiu, however, was about to enter high school. She knew her grades weren't as good as her brother's, and she also had a fiercely independent nature. After witnessing her elder brother being scolded and berated while delivering goods on a tricycle, Xu Qingqiu, with tears in her eyes, left a letter. She told her brother to focus on his studies, saying she was going out to earn money, and then she ran away.

At the time, she had heard about trainee recruitment. She knew she had the fundamentals, the looks, and a love for singing—she was very clear about that. Having heard plenty about the lives of celebrities at school, she wondered if singing could earn her some money. The idea was beautiful, and her luck wasn't bad either, as she happened to be selected as a trainee by Baise Entertainment. Unfortunately, the reality was harsh. While others had been learning instruments from a young age and attending special interest classes, she had nothing beyond her raw talent. In the end, it was with Chu Tian's help that she stumbled along the way; otherwise, she would have been eliminated and sent packing long ago.

Yiyi's situation was similar. Her family was even poorer, hailing from a remote mountain ravine and struggling with dire poverty; some families there didn't even earn five thousand yuan a year. They relied entirely on selling crops from their fields and fruits from the mountains to make a little money. With her parents working far away, she had little time with them, let alone a proper education. Graduating at all meant she had already surpassed most of her peers, as other children either dropped out early to help at home or went off to find work. Was it because they held outdated beliefs and didn't want to attend school? No, it was because they lacked the opportunity and the means. In such a remote, impoverished region, it was common for a single teacher to handle three different subjects. How could they possibly compete with children from the cities?

So, by her early teens, Yiyi had left to find work. She was initially a server in a milk tea shop—skinny, small, with a timid face, cautious and careful around everyone. Then, she happened to meet Xu Qingqiu. Xu Qingqiu saw something different in her at a glance, reminding her of herself when she first came to the city, fearful of everything. She felt an instant kinship with this younger girl, as if seeing her own younger sister, and gradually took her on as her assistant.

Xu Qingqiu was also aware of Yiyi's family situation. It was very inconvenient for Yiyi to visit home, and she needed to earn money—a lot of money—to support her grandparents and improve her family's life. The last time she went home was for the beam-raising ceremony of the new house built with her earnings; as the one who financed it, she was expected to preside over the event—a privilege she had earned.

Originally, Xu Qingqiu wanted to give her more time off to spend with her family. Now, with Yiyi's monthly salary of ten to twenty thousand yuan, supporting her whole family wasn't a problem at all. Moreover, Yiyi didn't need to spend her own money on food and accommodation, as Xu Qingqiu covered those expenses. However, Yiyi knew Xu Qingqiu was going through her toughest period and needed to be by her side, supporting her, so she returned quickly.

What Xu Qingqiu hadn't expected was that a song ostensibly about childhood sweethearts would elicit such a strong reaction from Yiyi.

There was no denying that the song's lyrics were incredibly evocative: small people, a small town, a small past filled with abundant memories.

Even her own eyes had reddened just now, hadn't they? Did she have a childhood sweetheart? No. Did she have memories of children in an ancient town, like in the song? Also no. But that didn't stop her from immersing herself in the song, feeling the persistent, gentle sorrow and longing embodied within it.

Indeed, a good song can truly be eternal and captivating. And this song, "Little," being a work by Jay Chou—honestly, even Chu Tian had felt somewhat reluctant to part with it when he first presented it.

"Alright, Yiyi, after we get through this busy period, we'll go home, okay?"

"We'll buy lots of toys for your little brother, heaps of food, and new clothes, new shoes, okay?"

"Mhm," Yiyi sniffled.

Perhaps the song's emotional peak had passed, as Yiyi gradually calmed down. She leaned on Xu Qingqiu's shoulder, her red-rimmed eyes staring blankly at the table, still sniffling occasionally.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.