Chapter 162: Let This Downpour...

"Ah, Ah-Yu, uh... go for it!"

Hearing that Lin Yu was going on stage, Si Shaozhe had a brief moment of lucidity. He raised his hand to cheer him on with a grin before collapsing back onto the sofa into a deep, snoring sleep. Wang Fei, feeling helpless, could only sit beside him and watch.

In a lounge bar, the resident singer isn't just anyone who can hop on stage whenever they please. Fortunately, money talks, and it was easy enough to have the singer step down and hand the microphone to Lin Yu.

The main reason for this was that the resident singer had communicated with the proprietress. The young woman had recognized Lin Yu's back the moment she saw it—he was the singer, A-Yu, whose songs had kept her tossing and turning through countless sleepless nights, haunting her thoughts until dawn.

There was no helping it; Lin Yu was handsome and tall, and those broad shoulders, like a tripod, made him instantly recognizable. A unique kind of handsomeness is impossible to hide.

The proprietress made an executive decision on the spot: "Let him sing. If he sings well, I'll pay him."

The resident singer: "?? How much?"

"Ten times your salary."

The resident singer: "..."

Why did he suddenly feel the urge to go home and farm?

...

Lin Yu stepped up to the DJ booth and glanced at the equipment. Luckily, he had been fond of tinkering with instruments back in middle school, and a girl living next door to his family happened to be a drummer. He had learned a few things from her when he was bored.

After a quick observation, he realized that DJs in this era had already started using USB drives; the scratching was just for show, and all the audio was pre-recorded. Didn't that mean the demo he had made earlier would come in handy?

He inserted the USB drive, adjusted the volume, and put on the headset. "Tonight, drinks are on yourselves! Pay your own tabs! Let me hear you scream!"

...

A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.

The atmosphere was so high and the alcohol so intoxicating that, in their haze, some even mistakenly thought someone was giving out money. A moment later, they realized the truth and began to boo.

What was that? They had thought the dashing Young Master Zhao was making an entrance.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. Seeing that the song had loaded and the prelude was playing, he suddenly lifted his eyes to look at everyone present, his voice calm as he spoke a single sentence.

"Tonight, 'Let This Heavy Rain Fall'."

Below the stage, Wang Fei was bewildered. Huh?

No way, could it be? Had Lin Yu lost his mind?

If he recalled correctly, this song was on the program's setlist; it was the original track Lin Yu was supposed to perform in tomorrow's competition!

If he sang it here in advance, what would Lin Yu do tomorrow?

There were strict rules for releasing new songs. They had to be debuted on important platforms—like variety shows, talent competitions, or concerts—or officially released by the company.

This move by Lin Yu certainly hadn't been approved by the company. Was he really not afraid of the consequences?

...

Lin Yu was already immersed in the prelude. Under the stage lights, he opened his eyes, a look of deep affection radiating from them.

It was a sentimental ballad, following the rhythm of every song Lin Yu had released before—a heartbreaking love song.

Accompanied by a few seconds of melody, the men and women in the audience began to sway, closing their eyes to enjoy the music in silence.

"The most complicated version of myself"
"The most uncontrollable memories"
"The most melodramatic emotions"
"The part I'm most afraid to tell you"
"How can I prove it"
"How can I stay calm"
"What must I do to be able to forget you"
"..."

Sad love songs really do need to be sung after a few drinks to capture that true feeling of heartbreak.

Lin Yu's voice was low and raspy, lending a sense of world-weary sorrow to the already melancholy lyrics, layered with a touch of helplessness and a questioning tone. The atmosphere of heartbreak was pushed to the absolute limit.

Most of the people there had been caught up in the fun of drinking, but as they laughed, the smiles suddenly vanished. Dice cups stopped shaking, conversations between couples ceased, and apart from the singing, the room fell almost completely silent.

"You, whom I loved deeply"
"Some things simply cannot continue"
"My problem is that you don't think I have a problem"
"Can I, can I please hear your voice one more time"
"Call me pathetic"

The sentimental ones were already reliving their own failed romances, while the rational ones took out their phones to record.

People came to bars either to pass the time or to have fun, and some were here specifically to drink away the pain of a recent breakup.

The resident singer had actually been quite good; a ballad during the warm-up had even moved people to tears. But that was down to the power of the song itself, not the performer's skill.

With Lin Yu on stage, it took only the first minute of the performance for his voice and those hauntingly real lyrics to take absolute control of the room's atmosphere.

Those who came to drown their sorrows were immediately transported back to the warmth of their former flames, the reluctance of a fresh breakup, and the desperate desire to hold on—all of it surging to the surface.

Their noses stung, and infected by Lin Yu's voice, they wept from the bottom of their hearts.

Those recording were doing so to listen to it the next time they went through a breakup... or to share it with friends and family. Good things should be shared!

The emotional infection and the piercing power of his voice were simply too strong.

Both in terms of vocal technique and genuine emotion, his skill completely overshadowed the previous singer!

Lin Yu was lost in his own world. He closed his eyes, and a single tear traced a path down his cheek. His slightly trembling voice added even more depth to the tragic song!

...

"Let this heavy rain fall."
"Let it hide the struggle on my face."
"Let it all end, let me speak my heart."
"Are you the most selfish one of all?"
"My sadness is only written on my phone."
"So you don't have to worry about forgetting."
"Everyone, just go."
"I’ll be home a little later."

The guests were no longer distracted by anything else; one by one, they turned their eyes toward the stage, shocked by this sudden, explosive power.

It felt as if he were singing about love itself.

The initial pleading after the loss, the subsequent disappointment, the slow descent into despair, and finally, the surrender to the struggle.

The song was so contagious that during the first chorus, everyone in the room crowded toward the stage, completely immersed.

Lin Yu suddenly realized something. He paused for a moment and then smiled. During the chorus, he used the DJ booth to add a sound effect of falling rain, making it fit the title of the song even better.

That touch of rain was the perfect finishing touch, the dragon's eyes that brought the painting to life...

"Let this heavy rain... fall down!"

The crowd began to sing along involuntarily. Amidst the sound of rain mixed into the background music, the sudden choir of voices pushed the atmosphere to its climax.

After the chorus, the music cut out abruptly. Before the crowd could react, Lin Yu transitioned into the bridge, raising his pitch. He was almost shouting, yet it sounded unexpectedly beautiful.

It was raspy, carefree, as if he were advising himself, and also advising everyone trapped in the quagmire of heartbreak who refused to wake up.

Don't hold on, stay clear-headed. Don't let the person who doesn't love you see you at your worst in the end.

"In the parallel universe that exists,"
"There is no ocean, no land,"
"Only a non-stop rainy season."
"The sound of the raindrops falling,"
"Has a frequency of loneliness."
"A sound that can dilute every emotion."

...