Ye Wu × Zhou Yi – The Beginning

When Zhou Yi was very young, his parents divorced, and he stayed with his mother. As they left the old, dilapidated building, he clung to his brother’s sleeve, crying so hard he couldn’t open his eyes. His tears formed a small puddle, seeping into the cracks of the tiles, like a gap in his childhood memories that could never be filled.

His mother remarried, and two years later, they had a younger brother. Zhou Yi’s small room gradually filled with things like baby diapers, unused strollers, and outdated toys. As his brother grew, the adults’ work became busier. Zhou Yi, in fifth grade, had to rush home on his bicycle to take care of the crying baby before his mother’s night shift.

In high school, Zhou Yi would rush home to cook dinner, watching the rice porridge in the pot while memorizing the classical Chinese texts he had to recite the next day. His brother would count on his fingers to solve math problems, and Zhou Yi would explain the homework to him after finishing dinner.

When his mother came home at night, the younger brother would cling to her leg, complaining that Zhou Yi wouldn’t help him with his homework. Zhou Yi, under his mother’s reproachful gaze, remained silent and returned to his room to finish his homework.

One day, he fainted during a physical education class.

His brother, who was in college, came to see him, pinching his thin arm without a word. Zhou Yi’s eyes sparkled as he asked his brother, “Is college good?”

“Good,” his brother said. “If you get into college, I’ll work in your city, and we can live together.”

Zhou Yi’s thick bangs covered half his face as he softly replied, “Okay.”

The first time he heard about Ye Wu was in math class.

The two girls in front of him were secretly watching a video on their phones, and Zhou Yi, glancing over, couldn’t take his eyes off it. He was instantly captivated. When the math teacher called his name, he panicked, accidentally knocking over a stack of books, and the class burst into laughter. His face turned red, and he stood there, his head almost touching the floor, as a piece of chalk hit him. The math teacher, frustrated, told him to sit down.

The girls in front of him were scared and stopped watching, but Zhou Yi, lips pressed together, wrote “Ye Wu” carefully in the top left corner of his scratch paper, then smiled slightly.

How could there be such a gentle and radiant person?

He saved up his money to buy posters from a small store. He carefully rolled them up, tied them with ribbons, and tucked them into his drawer.

How could such a person exist?

He copied down the lyrics and only dared to hum them softly on his way home from school. His brother’s old MP3 player still worked, and he lied about staying after school to help clean, but actually went to a classmate’s house to download songs before the classmate’s parents came home.

One day, his light suddenly dimmed.

Ye Wu announced he was taking a break from the entertainment industry, with no set return date. When Zhou Yi heard the news in his Chinese class, he bit his lip, using his thick bangs to hide his tears.

His brother, who came to visit that week, noticed his distress. Zhou Yi grabbed his brother’s sleeve and, for the first time, confided his desire to sing.

His brother patted his head and told him to focus on his college entrance exams. He then took Zhou Yi’s demo and ran to various music companies, finally hearing a response in the vast sea of submissions.

Zhou Yi had a naturally gifted voice but needed refinement. During college, he would take the bus to the company after class to practice with other students. His thick hair was cut, and he learned to wear contact lenses. Zhou Yi looked at his reflection in the mirror, lips pressed together.

He wasn’t as bad as he thought.

Five years had passed since Ye Wu announced his break. When Zhou Yi received the news that the company planned to have him participate in a program, he wasn’t ready, despite the positive reviews of his recent songs and even Ye Wu’s praise. Deep down, he still lacked confidence.

Director Lin winked at him, waving a document, “I heard they’re planning to invite Ye Wu as a mentor.”

Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up, but he hesitated, “But didn’t Teacher Ye announce he was taking a break?”

“There have been rumors about his return,” Director Lin said, handing him the document and nodding. “Take a look.”

He read the document over and over, hiding in a secluded spot, unable to stop his silly laughter.

The program arranged for the mentors to make surprise visits. When Zhou Yi wasn’t prepared, Ye Wu suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Is it good?” Ye Wu squatted down, looking at him with a half-smile.

Zhou Yi awkwardly hid the potato chips behind his back, then realized it looked too deliberate. He didn’t know where to put his hands, so he hunched his shoulders and stammered, “Y-Yes, it’s good.”

“Really good?” Ye Wu raised an eyebrow, extending his hand, “If it’s that good, can I try some?”

“These have been eaten by me,” Zhou Yi said, embarrassed, “If you want to eat, I can buy some for you next time.”

Ye Wu thought he was being polite, but the next time, the boy really brought him a box of potato chips, his face flushed, and said, “Teacher Ye, I didn’t know which flavor you like, so I bought a few.”

“You’re a singer, you shouldn’t eat snacks frequently,” Ye Wu said instinctively, but when he saw Zhou Yi’s drooping head, he couldn’t help but add, “Which flavor do you like the most?”

Zhou Yi hesitated and picked out a cucumber-flavored bag. Ye Wu opened it and tasted it, nodding, “Not bad.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Zhou Yi said. Being so close to his idol was too stimulating; his face alternated between hot and cold, making him feel like he couldn’t stay any longer. He hurriedly said goodbye and left.

Ye Wu held the half-empty bag of chips, frowning slightly, wondering, “Am I that scary?”