How about letting me play with your guitar for a while?

Snap! Zhao Yu looked at the steaming pork trotters soup in front of him and took out his phone to take a picture.

"It's so late, aren't you having a late-night snack?"

While typing this message in his chat with Yuuka, he sent the photo to her.

A few seconds later.

"What is this? It looks delicious!"

"It's a Sichuan-Chongqing specialty, pork trotters soup."

"Darn it! It's making me so hungry!" Yuuka sent a crying bunny emoji.

"Hahaha, then let's have some?" Zhao Yu had a triumphant smile on his face, tempting Yuuka.

"No... no! I'll get fat!" Even through text, Zhao Yu could tell Yuuka was struggling.

"I can't chat with you, I can't focus on studying anymore!" Yuuka sent an angry emoji and stopped replying to Zhao Yu.

Ah, that feels good. Teasing girls really does make one happy. Zhao Yu happily began to eat the pork trotters in front of him.

After finishing the soft and tender pork trotters, it was already past midnight.

Zhao Yu wasn't planning on going back yet. Although Rongcheng was a bit cold in November, it didn't stop his desire to go shopping.

Looking at the familiar scenery around him, Zhao Yu felt a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced since becoming a corporate slave.

After starting his job, his life became a monotonous commute between the company and home. He not only had no time to play games, but even rest was a luxury.

Whenever he was working overtime late at night, looking at the brightly lit city outside his window, he would wonder if he was enjoying life or being swept along by it.

Zhao Yu had once heard a saying: the most leisurely moment for an adult man is when he lights a cigarette in the parking lot.

The old Zhao Yu couldn't understand why he had a job that earned money but no time to play.

But later, he understood that once a man starts working, he carries more than just himself on his shoulders.

Now that he had finally returned to the parallel world just after graduation, he finally had the chance to appreciate the scenery around him again.

He exhaled a breath of hot air and looked at the Jinjiang River under the night sky. The river's water reflected the neon lights of the surrounding buildings, making it shimmer.

Not far away was Nine-Eye Bridge, which could be said to be the brightest pearl of Rongcheng's nights. The surrounding bars and snack streets were bustling with activity.

Whether it was a weekday or a holiday, the crowds were always endless. When he was a child, he was always curious why some people didn't work and enjoyed eating, drinking, and having fun every day.

He originally thought that when he grew up, he could be like those people he saw as a child, but in reality, the gap between people was greater than the gap between humans and dogs.

"Forget it, why do I keep thinking about these things? I've been reborn once, and if I can't live a free and easy life, I might as well find a piece of tofu and kill myself."

After muttering a self-deprecating remark, Zhao Yu continued to stroll slowly forward.

The night was still long, and he wanted to see more of this city, to see the scenery he had never noticed before.

He didn't know how long he walked, but he was near Anshun Covered Bridge. The brilliant and magnificent architecture on the bridge seemed to transport Zhao Yu back a hundred years in Rongcheng's history.

He raised his phone and took a picture, capturing the beautiful scenery.

The next moment, a song drifted over. Zhao Yu turned his head and saw a man singing by the roadside.

The cold night air made the man shiver. He blew on his hands, rubbed them together, and then continued to play his guitar.

As China's most inclusive city, it was home to many dreamers, but not everyone could succeed.

Although the pace of life here wasn't fast, it wouldn't stop and wait for you just because you were down on your luck.

Pedestrians came and went, but no one stopped. The young man was singing an old song by Wu Bai, and it sounded very much like Wu Bai's style.

Zhao Yu stopped and listened for a while, then hesitated before walking towards him.

Li Fei strummed his guitar with all his might. This was his last attempt. The strings were incredibly cold, making it difficult for him.

The biting cold wind constantly seeped in through his collar. He felt like he was freezing stiff, but even so, it couldn't compare to the sorrow in his heart.

He was a folk singer who came to Rongcheng because he thought it was a very romantic city.

But after performing in countless bars, he still hadn't found hope of making it. This was his third year.

Not only had he not settled down, but he had also been kicked out after offending a bar owner.

It all stemmed from his pathetic pride as a folk singer.

A drunken patron insisted he sing a cheesy pop song from a certain app, but to him, singing such a song was an insult to his pursuit of music.

The result was his current situation: losing his source of income as the end of the year approached.

Recalling his parents' worried calls, Li Fei felt like crying. The grand promises he had made to his parents made him too ashamed to face them.

But besides himself, he also had a girlfriend who had always supported him, so he couldn't stop earning money.

Now, the only solution he could think of was busking on the streets.

"Forget it, I'll save up enough rent to get through the New Year, and then I'll go back to my small hometown county to find another job. I can't go on like this anymore."

"Ahead, there is no direction, on my body, there is no clothing... Blood, seeps from the wings..."

Singing Wu Bai's "White Dove," it seemed to express his failed pursuit of dreams. Li Fei sang with all his might, pouring his heart out, even though no one stopped to listen.

When the song ended, Li Fei let out a sigh of relief, as if he had finally expressed the last bit of stubbornness in his heart.

"Nice singing, brother."

A gentle voice sounded, followed by a red banknote landing in the guitar case.

Li Fei looked up and saw a handsome young man in front of him. The man's eyes were full of admiration, as if he really liked his song.

"You gave me too much." Li Fei pointed to the sign beside him, which read 'One song request: 10 yuan, no specific songs'.

Not singing songs he didn't like was perhaps his last shred of dignity.

"You sing so well, why don't you try performing at a bar?" Zhao Yu ignored his reminder and instead asked him.

"I'm not going. I'll quit being a singer after the new year," Li Fei sighed.

"Did your dream fail?" Zhao Yu asked.

"Yeah, it failed. Failed miserably," Li Fei gave a bitter smile.

Even though he was a stranger, perhaps because he was the first person to stop today, Li Fei didn't hide his situation.

"Big cities are truly cruel. Sometimes it's better to face reality early."

The first lesson for adults is to learn to make peace with themselves and admit their ordinariness.

And Li Fei was only now realizing that even if he sang well, he was still just an ordinary person.

If his singing were truly top-notch, would he offend his boss by refusing to sing songs the customers liked? The boss would be overjoyed to have him.

No matter how proud he was, he had to admit that he was just an unremarkable singer, easily replaceable by countless others in the world.

"Indeed, big cities are very cruel," Zhao Yu nodded.

"But isn't that precisely why they are more charming?"

Li Fei looked at Zhao Yu, confused.

"They embrace everyone who pursues their dreams, which is why they seem so cruel. After all, in the face of dreams, everyone is the same."

"How about letting me play the guitar for a while? I'll consider the extra money as payment," Zhao Yu extended his hand to Li Fei, a smile on his face.