I Heard That I Am Poor

Chapter 130: I will record the accompaniment in a while

He Xiao was a person with a strong and resolute personality, accustomed to controlling his own destiny. He spent the latter half of his life bedridden due to illness. As early as two years ago, he had already made detailed plans for his own funeral. He even repeatedly instructed Louisen to ensure that peonies, which were Yu Tayue’s favorite flowers, were used for all the floral arrangements at the funeral.

On the day of the funeral, Yu Nian changed into plain clothes and stood at the memorial hall as He Xiao’s only son, receiving guests. Wealthy businessmen and celebrities from various countries came to pay their respects upon hearing the news. Through the words of the guests, Yu Nian could vaguely glimpse the grand and tumultuous life of He Xiao.

An elderly man with gray-white hair came over, shook hands with Yu Nian, and then scrutinized him carefully. Finally, he sighed, “Your father, Mr. He Xiao, all of us old friends and rivals, referred to him as the King of the Sea. In recent years, he withdrew from the public eye, rarely made appearances, and seemed to have lost enthusiasm for the world and life itself, waiting for death. But a few days ago, he called us and said he found you. As he spoke, a man who had lived half a lifetime cried.”

Yu Nian’s eyes welled up with tears.

The man didn’t say more, “Using your father’s own words, he has lived a fulfilled life this time around. Please accept my condolences.”

Yu Nian bowed sincerely and said in a choked voice, “Thank you for coming in person.”

The funeral lasted for a full three days. In the midst of receiving condolences, Yu Nian engaged in conversations with the visitors. He gradually learned that He Xiao’s parents were murdered by enemies when he was young, and the family’s wealth was taken away. As he grew older, he meticulously planned his revenge and eventually took matters into his own hands, but he also suffered injuries in the process. His health deteriorated rapidly, and he couldn’t recover due to the damage caused by medication. In his prime years, his body weakened drastically, and he could never regain his health.

Yu Nian also learned that He Xiao possessed great talent and strong determination. He expanded his fleet continuously, amassing over a hundred ships, and his maritime routes spanned the vast oceans. He had harbored ambitions of conquering the seas, but due to his frail health, he was confined to a sickbed.

By the afternoon of the third day, the number of visitors had significantly decreased. Louisen’s eyes were bloodshot as he brought afternoon tea for Yu Nian, saying, “Young Master, please eat something.”

Yu Nian shook his head apologetically, “I really don’t have the appetite.”

He hadn’t slept well at night and had no time to rest during the day. Yu Nian visibly lost weight, his clothes hanging loose on his frame, his chin more pointed. However, his eyes were bright. He spoke gently, “Don’t tire yourself too much. Make sure to rest.”

Upon hearing this, Louisen nodded, standing beside Yu Nian. Unable to help himself, he engaged in a bit more conversation, “I was down and out when I was young. Sir saved me, pulled me out of the muck, and let me live uprightly. I’ll remember this favor for a lifetime.” His gaze rested on He Xiao’s portrait for a moment before he continued, “I’ll go greet the guests outside.”

On the fifth day, following He Xiao’s final wish, Yu Nian personally held He Xiao’s urn and went out to sea. Standing at the bow of the ship, facing the sea breeze, he scattered the ashes into the sea. Louis wore a black suit, wiping away the moisture at the corner of his eye.

Returning from the bow, Yu Nian looked at the tumultuous waves on the sea’s surface. The fine ashes disappeared in an instant, carried away by the currents to an unknown destination.

Seagulls cried out, and with lowered eyes, Yu Nian stared at the waves for a while. Quietly, he turned and buried his head on Xie You’s shoulder.

Xie You raised his hand and embraced him.

Meanwhile, in the past couple of days, major online forums in the country have exploded with activity. Posts related to the event had taken over the front pages.

“Did you see the international news? It’s confirmed now. Those who used to insult Yu Nian for being poor, for not having a respectable background, and for being an illegitimate child with no father’s name, how swollen are their faces now? [Link]”

[To prevent some brainless haters from blindly criticizing without clicking on the links, here’s a screenshot. Promise me, criticize only after you’ve seen it, retaining at least a bit of human intelligence, okay?]

[Holy crap, Yu Nian is really the biological son of the Ship King? What magical truth is this! A few days ago, they were shutting up those who claimed Yu Nian was Yu Zhusheng’s illegitimate child. Yu Zhusheng couldn’t even count how many wives and children he has—a mess of family property disputes! Ship King is different, public information suggests he led a clean life throughout, with not even a hint of scandal. He mentioned in an interview once that he’d only love one woman in his lifetime. Now it seems that woman is Yu Tayue, right? Immortal love!]

[Saw the news on foreign websites, Ship King He Xiao passed away. Many politicians and tycoons attended the funeral. Must be really tough for Nian Nian. He looks much thinner in the photos, his face was already small to begin with, and now it’s just heartbreaking QAQ.]

[Yu Nian inherited Ship King’s enormous wealth, foreign reports listed out the items of his visible assets, saying it’s almost dizzying. I’m about to go crazy too! Aaaaaah, haters, please stop! If you keep on hating, what if Nian Nian decides not to stay in this circle if he’s unhappy? Nervous!!]

Yu Nian wasn’t physically present in the country, but three related topics had trended consecutively. The hashtag #YuNianCantAffordTakeout#  surged in popularity once again. Under this topic, people left comments saying things like, “What happened to not being able to afford takeout? Is there still time to call him ‘dad’?” 

However, soon another topic gained massive attention:

[#XieYouYuNian# Ladies, pick up your magnifying glasses. In the photos released by the news, the person standing behind Yu Nian during the farewell, on the right side in the background, is that President Xie? No matter how I look at it, it seems like him! Wait, did President Xie attend Yu Nian’s father’s funeral? Or… was he with Yu Nian the whole time?]

[#XieYouYuNian# Turns out I’m not the only one who noticed! But weren’t Nian Nian and President Xie good friends in real life? It’s normal for him to accompany Nian Nian on the scene! Although I still don’t quite understand, how did President Xie, who used to be completely focused on hating Yu Nian, suddenly change?]

[#XieYouYuNian# Aaaaah, exploding in tears. It’s so heartwarming. At Nian Nian’s most difficult time, President Xie is by his side. QAQ I guess I’ll believe in love again!]

After the funeral was over and He Xiao’s affairs had been properly handled, Yu Nian suddenly realized that it was already early November. Returning to Ning City, he saw many leaves had fallen, leaving only bare branches with bare fruit. The sky above was divided into sections by these branches, resembling shattered glass. There had also been a week of continuous rain, and now there was a hint of sunlight, but it was too late to save the dropping temperatures. Day by day, it was getting colder.

Wearing a mask, Yu Nian entered a coffee shop and ordered seven cups of hot coffee to go. The person at the counter was a young girl wearing a slanted duckbill cap. When she handed back the change to Yu Nian, she whispered, “My colleagues, including the cafe customers, all really, really love your songs. I saw on the news that you’ve been through a tough time. Please take care of yourself and find solace.”

After saying that, she added two pieces of candy to the change and, along with the coins, handed them to Yu Nian with a bright smile.

Taking the bills and candy, Yu Nian replied earnestly, “Thank you.”

Carrying the hot coffee to the recording studio, Yu Nian handed the cups to the staff and gave the last two to Meng Yuan and Shi Rou, who had just arrived.

Meng Yuan took the coffee but wasn’t in the mood to drink it. He looked at Yu Nian and expressed his concern, “Why did you lose so much weight in just a few days? Aren’t you resting for a couple of days? I was quite surprised when I got your call.”

Knowing that Yu Nian was both distressed and busy, Meng Yuan hadn’t bothered him with work-related matters. He had thought that Yu Nian would take a rest after returning to Ning City in the morning before starting work. But he hadn’t expected Yu Nian to begin recording in the afternoon.

Yu Nian shook his head, cupping the coffee mug, seemingly trying to absorb its warmth. “I can’t sleep even at home. I figured I might as well work. Brother Meng, you should be happy. I’m so diligent.”

“I can’t be happy seeing you like this. Have you even looked in the mirror? Your chin is so sharp!” Seeing Yu Nian’s subdued mood and a faint smile, Meng Yuan couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He sighed, “Several media outlets want to interview you, but I’ve turned them all down. Don’t go wandering around either. If reporters corner you, it’ll definitely be annoying.”

Yu Nian nodded in agreement.

Meng Yuan continued, “Take this time to focus on the album and ease your emotions. The temperature in Ning City has dropped significantly, so make sure to wear something warm.” He knew that in times like this, others’ consolation often had limited effect. He patted Yu Nian’s shoulder and fell silent.

In the afternoon, Yu Nian’s state hadn’t fully recovered, and he only managed to record half a song. Seeing that it was getting close to the end of the workday and noticing that Yu Nian wasn’t in great spirits or physical condition, the staff members found various excuses to leave early.

Meng Yuan raised an eyebrow, “Look, everyone’s leaving. You should leave soon, too. You can’t record a song all by yourself.”

Yu Nian sighed, “Alright.”

“How will you get back?”

Checking the time, Yu Nian replied, “Xie You will come to pick me up.”

Upon hearing that Xie You would be coming, Meng Yuan felt reassured. However, he still accompanied Yu Nian to the parking lot and only left after seeing him get into the car.

The car merged into the endless stream of traffic. Yu Nian gazed at the wet and withered leaves on the street, lacking energy as he leaned against Xie You. “Were you busy this afternoon?”

Xie You didn’t hide anything, “Yes, I had two meetings and a pile of documents to work through. But I can handle it all, so don’t worry.” He lightly brushed his thumb against Yu Nian’s eyelashes. “And you?”

Understanding what Xie You was asking, Yu Nian replied, “I’m feeling a bit better than yesterday.” He paused for a couple of seconds. “I sent off my grandfather and then my grandmother. I thought I had already become accustomed to life and death, understanding the impermanence of human existence. But when it’s right in front of you, the feeling of parting is truly painful.”

He held Xie You’s hand and whispered, “Being alive offers various possibilities. Once you’re dead, everything becomes empty. When you’re alive, even if you don’t meet, you know the other person is still living somewhere. But once they’re dead—”

He stopped himself and remembered an ancient poem he had recited as a child: “Life is like the changing of yin and yang, our years are as fleeting as morning dew. Life is suddenly but a temporary sojourn, and longevity is not as solid as gold and stone.” Another saying goes, “Life is entrusted to us for a single existence, and it can vanish suddenly like a gust of dust.”

In retrospect, human life truly was like dust, easily scattered by a gust of wind.

As Yu Nian spoke, he seemed to drift into a daze. Xie You leaned down and kissed the corner of Yu Nian’s temple. “Do you want to take a nap?”

The gentle sound of Xie You’s voice reached Yu Nian’s ears, and the fatigue and drowsiness that had been suppressed surged like a tide. Yu Nian loosely held Xie You’s fingers and responded with a soft “Hmm.” Within a few breaths, he peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Yu Nian showed no sign of waking up even when the car came to a stop. Knowing that Yu Nian had been exhausted lately, Xie You didn’t wake him up. He carefully cradled Yu Nian in his arms and got out of the car.

The album’s production had already been energy-consuming, and Yu Nian had invested most of his focus into it. By the end of December, the Christmas trees were displayed in the storefronts, and malls were holding end-of-year sales.

After finishing shooting the New Year advertisement for Oumu watches, Shi Rou hurriedly passed a down jacket to Yu Nian. She chattered, “At least Ri Yao phone let you wear a sweater for the shoot. But Oumu actually had you wear a shirt in such cold weather outside! Are artists not human?”

Accepting the hot water bottle that Shi Rou handed over, Yu Nian smiled and said, “It’s fine. The shoot went smoothly, and it wasn’t too troublesome. Don’t be upset, Sister Rou Rou.”

Seeing Yu Nian’s smile slowly return to his face, Shi Rou’s own smile brightened. “Okay, I won’t get upset.”

She checked her schedule and said, “The afternoon plan is to record the piano accompaniment.”

Slapping her forehead, she continued, “Yes, yes, look at my memory!” She quickly called the waiting driver.

Rather than going home, they went to the place where Xie You used to live. Yu Nian had visited once before when Xie You was sick, so he had some memories of the place.

Xie You led Yu Nian up to the third floor, standing before a door. Xie You placed his hand on the gilded doorknob, hesitated for a moment, then pressed down firmly, opening the door.

With a gentle creak, as if breaking into the room’s aged history, Xie You explained to Yu Nian, “No one has been in this room for a long time.”

Passing Xie You, Yu Nian opened the window first, letting out the musty air in the room. Turning back with a smile, he asked, “Do you need to practice before recording the accompaniment?”

A faint smile appeared in Xie You’s eyes as well, and he spoke with certainty, “No need.”

As if captured by the radiance in each other’s eyes, Yu Nian approached and couldn’t help but lean in to kiss Xie You’s lips. Unexpectedly, Xie You held onto his waist and, with a firm motion, pushed him onto the cool surface of the piano lid. What followed was the sound of their ragged breaths and deep kisses.

Startled by this sudden action, Yu Nian involuntarily let out a surprised sound, but most of the sound was caught by Xie You’s lips. His arms were around Xie You’s shoulders, and he relaxed his body, leaning into the kiss.

Feeling slightly out of breath, Xie You, whose suit and tie were now a bit disheveled, sat on the piano stool with Yu Nian in his arms. He fed Yu Nian spoonfuls of rice porridge, slowly and patiently. In the end, Yu Nian couldn’t bear it anymore. With a slight blush at the corners of his eyes and a teardrop mole beneath his lower eyelid, he trembled with hunger and requested, “…Can you be a bit faster?”

Hearing this, Xie You sped up his feeding.

Once they finished, Xie You even let Yu Nian hold the spoon for a while longer. However, some porridge spilled out, making Yu Nian’s fingers sticky and damp. His voice weak and soft, he said, “Xie You… I want to take a shower. I still have to record the accompaniment later.”

Xie You kissed the tear-stained corner of Yu Nian’s eye, his voice husky and sensual. “Wait a bit, okay?”

Feeling weak and a little sour, Yu Nian replied with a soft “Hmm,” and leaned against Xie You, relying on his embrace.