In the shadows where the hallway met the living room.
Qiu Qiu stood there, her body stiff, not daring to move.
Because of the time difference and her excitement, she had tossed and turned in the second bedroom, unable to fall asleep.
Later, she vaguely heard the sound of a glass bottle rolling from the living room.
Guessing that Su Yu was still awake, she had wanted to come out to pour a glass of water and see whether she needed someone to keep her company, or perhaps simply wish her goodnight.
However, the moment she reached the end of the hallway, that soft singing rooted her to the spot.
There was no accompaniment, only the drizzling Paris night rain outside the window serving as chords.
It was the most moving live performance she had ever heard in her life.
As Su Yu's fan of ten years, Qiu Qiu knew every one of her albums, every B-side track, even the unreleased demos.
But she had never heard this song before.
The melody was simple yet lilting, while the lyrics seemed to tell a long story about waiting and youth.
"Years remain silent, time enters the painting.
Especially that final line.
Time never loudly spoke of anything, yet it quietly engraved every experience, every change, and every untold story into a thought-provoking painting.
That Northern Small Town hidden in the song, that Bicycle Boy, that summer carrying a Cheap Soap Scent.
They should have been utterly unfamiliar to Qiu Qiu, who had grown up in Rong City.
Yet in that moment, they felt so vivid, so real.
Qiu Qiu's eyes burned as she listened, as if she had witnessed an unforgettable youth through the song itself.
The singing stopped.
What followed was Su Yu comforting Qing Ning.
Then came the heartbreaking