Fang Yongkang

The downpour had just let up. Dark clouds blanketed the entire sky, and the air was so heavy it was hard to breathe.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, afraid that if they slowed down for even a moment, they would get soaked.

One lonely figure stood out from the crowd. He walked very slowly, as if every step were a struggle.

"Why doesn't anyone support me?"

"My classmates laugh at me, and even you don't believe in me!"

Fang Yongkang trudged down the street in a daze, his face miserable, as if he had suffered some crushing blow.

He was only 1.63 meters tall, and his short stature had made him rather introverted. He already had few friends, and after they heard that his dream was to become a singer, even the handful he had began to avoid him.

Fang Yongkang would never forget how his classmates had made fun of him that morning. He loved music, and was always scribbling in his books, writing his own lyrics and composing his own songs, then humming them to himself.

There had been a surprise exam that day, and the students had to move their desks. One of his classmates, a troublemaker, had picked up Fang Yongkang's book by accident. The moment he opened it, he saw the wish Fang Yongkang had written down.

"I want to be a singer."

The words were written in tiny letters, but the classmate still spotted them. After that, there was no stopping the news from spreading. Soon, the whole class—and even the whole grade—had heard about it.

"I've never heard him sing. I thought he couldn't sing at all!"

"Huh? Seriously?"

"Wow, I never would've guessed he had such big ambitions!"

"Wasn't there a school talent show last year? I heard he wanted to sign up, but there were too many acts, so he didn't make the cut."

"Damn, who are you talking about? Fang Yongkang? I think he'd be better as a crosstalk actor!"

"It's good to have a dream! It's not good to get carried away."

"You need to look the part to be a singer, too. I think I'm more suited to it than he is."

What hurt Fang Yongkang most was that the girl he had a crush on didn't seem to believe in him either. She hadn't said anything bad about him, but he wished so badly that she would support him. Maybe just a simple "You can do it!" would have been enough to bring him back to life.

Fang Yongkang was a quiet, unassuming boy who wore a pair of sensible black-framed glasses. In a crowd, if he didn't speak, people often overlooked him.

But inside, Fang Yongkang was full of passion. He had accounts on several online music platforms, where he secretly recorded and uploaded songs in his spare time. Over the past two years, he had gained the support of more than a thousand fans.

That was why the usually introverted boy had dared to sign up for the school talent show. Unfortunately, there had been too many acts, and he hadn't gotten the chance to perform.

Suddenly, the rain came pouring down again!

Fang Yongkang stood rooted to the spot like a wooden dummy, letting the rain wash over him.

In a daze, he watched a car speed past, splashing dirty water all over him.

Fang Yongkang forced a bitter smile. "Even the heavens won't help me?"

Just then, an old man walked by under an umbrella. He stared at the young man in surprise. "Why are you standing around here? Hurry up and find somewhere to take shelter!"

"My future's shrouded in darkness. It's raining wherever I go," Fang Yongkang murmured.

The old man gave him a wry smile. "Why are young people these days all so gloomy? When I was your age, I used to think the sky could come crashing down at any moment, too. Heartbreak, exams, looking for a job..."

"Even a stranger's snide remark could make me feel like my whole life was dark. But once you've weathered those storms, you'll realize that so many things in this world are nothing more than a joke!"

The old man was clearly a man with stories of his own. He smiled, shook his head, and walked away.

"A joke? Maybe I'm the joke," Fang Yongkang murmured, squinting as raindrops beat against his face.

"Bullshit. Everyone has their strengths. No one's a joke. The only joke is giving up on yourself."

Fang Yongkang spun around, only to find nothing but empty space behind him.

Had I imagined it?

He sighed and turned back, only to see a figure with an umbrella standing in front of him, back turned.

"If you can't find your way in life, go find Master Shen!"

With that, the person walked away under his umbrella, leaving Fang Yongkang standing there alone in a daze.

"Master Shen?" he murmured.

The passerby who'd stopped to show off with his umbrella was none other than Shen Qiong. After closing up shop that day, he had driven alone to Deshun City, near Lingxi City.

It was only a forty-minute trip by high-speed rail. Shen Qiong had made the journey specifically to take his younger sister to register at university the next day.

He hadn't expected to run into a young man acting dazed in the street. Of course, Shen Qiong had taken the opportunity to advertise himself.

His younger sister, Shen Shi, lived with their mother. Following the address they'd given him, he found their place and knocked on the door.

Shen Shi, who had been sitting in a chair watching TV, jumped up excitedly and hurried to open the door. She knew it had to be her brother.

"Big brother! I missed you so much!" Shen Shi threw herself at Shen Qiong.

Shen Qiong chuckled and pushed his clingy little sister away. "My clothes are a bit wet. Don't get yourself wet!"

"Ah! Then come in quickly. I'll see if I can find something that fits you. You don't want to catch a cold," Shen Shi said anxiously.

Shen Qiong walked into the house with a grin. He looked around, but didn't see the familiar figure he was looking for.

"Mom isn't here?" Shen Qiong called to Shen Shi in the other room.

Shen Shi was rummaging through the closet. "She went out to buy groceries. The moment she heard you were coming, she rushed out, saying she was going to make you a big dinner!"

Shen Qiong chuckled, set his umbrella beside the shoe cabinet, and sat down.

He looked the place over carefully. It was a little nicer than his family's old home, but the worn-out furniture showed that they weren't exactly well-off.

Shen Shi came out, blushing. "Here! Wear this!"

Shen Qiong took one look and thought, What the hell? It was a pink shirt with cute cat designs on it.

Shen Shi stuck out her tongue. "It's the only one that's big enough! I bought it online, but it was too big, so I've only worn it once."

"It's fine! No one will see you at home anyway," Shen Shi said with a giggle.

Shen Qiong had no choice but to change into it. He shook his head with a bitter smile. If his fans found out he was wearing something like this, Weibo would probably explode the next day.

Not long afterward, Mother Shen came back carrying a heap of bags full of groceries. When she spotted Shen Qiong, she beamed. "You're here! I'm making your favorite sweet-and-sour ribs tonight."

Shen Qiong licked his lips and smiled. "Sounds great! I haven't tasted your cooking in ages."

Shen Shi looked jealous. "Look how much Mom spoils you. I've begged her to make those for me, but she never does."

"Haha, really?" Shen Qiong said, patting his sister on the head.

"Of course! Mom's always been so unfair," Shen Shi said, pouting in complaint.

Shen Qiong knew all too well that many families still favored boys over girls.

He smiled. "It's okay! Your big brother will spoil you."

Shen Shi smiled. "Who needs you to spoil me? I want Mom to spoil me."

The family was enjoying a happy time together...