Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 94

Farewell

After participating in the first live broadcast of Whisper of the Heart, Shen Zhiyu disappeared from the public eye again. He made no further public appearances, and his social media remained silent, leading to widespread speculation among his fans.

It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve, as countless people were welcoming the new year, that Shen Zhiyu’s personal accounts on major platforms published a handwritten letter.

In the letter, he first thanked his fans for their support and love over the years, and then announced that after careful consideration, he had decided to retire from the entertainment industry. However, before officially retiring, he wished to hold a birthday party and sincerely invited the fans who had supported him all along to come and spend this special birthday with him, marking a complete end to his acting career.

After the birthday party, he would no longer participate in any commercial performances.

As soon as the news broke, it instantly ignited the entire internet, with related search terms all followed by a glaring “Explosive” tag. Shock, confusion, regret, and blessings—various emotions intertwined online.

Right after Shen Zhiyu posted the announcement, Jiang Zhou emerged from the bathroom.

It was winter, and he had taken a long shower, his skin flushed red from the hot water, and water still dripping from his hair tips.

Shen Zhiyu beckoned him over, and Jiang Zhou obediently walked toward him.

The whirring sound of the hairdryer started. Jiang Zhou was already accustomed to Shen Zhiyu’s service, leaning comfortably in his arms. He opened his phone and saw Shen Zhiyu’s trending topic.

“My birthday party, will you come?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhou looked up at him.

“Done.” Shen Zhiyu turned off the hairdryer, lowered his head, and captured Jiang Zhou’s lips, their mouths grinding together.

The phone buzzed. It was a call from Wei Yan.

Shen Zhiyu slightly released him, answered the call, and put it on speakerphone.

Jiang Zhou was breathless from the kiss, his eyes bright and watery, incredibly alluring.

Shen Zhiyu felt a tickle in his heart and couldn’t resist kissing his lips again.

Wei Yan’s voice came through the phone, “CEO Jiang?”

Jiang Zhou hummed, “What is it?”

“Mr. Shen just released a statement announcing his retirement from the entertainment industry.”

“I know—” Jiang Zhou’s voice suddenly tightened, and he nearly let out a scream.

The instigator immediately covered his mouth, collecting all the muffled cries into his warm palm. His other hand roamed unrestrainedly over a heated area.

Jiang Zhou remembered a similar time before, when Shen Zhiyu deliberately teased him while he was on the phone. His body, caught between the deliberate provocation and the shameful danger of being discovered, quickly reached its peak.

This time was no different.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t take it anymore. He bit down hard on Shen Zhiyu’s palm, his body uncontrollably trembling with excitement.

“I knew you liked it.” Shen Zhiyu lowered his head and sucked on Jiang Zhou’s earlobe, gently and slowly tracing the line of his neck.

The malicious impulses hidden deep within his heart shamefully surged forth under Shen Zhiyu’s step-by-step seduction.

His rationality screamed, yet it couldn’t shake off the feeling in the slightest.

Jiang Zhou reached his climax amidst intense shame and excitement.

Before he could let out an uncontrollable, sharp scream, Shen Zhiyu kindly hung up the phone for him.

Flashes of white crossed his vision. It took Jiang Zhou a while to recover, and only then did he belatedly check his phone.

Seeing that the call had been disconnected a few minutes ago, Jiang Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn’t help but glare at Shen Zhiyu.

“You get more excited when someone else is around,” the culprit said without any hint of remorse, pushing the blame onto Jiang Zhou.

Jiang Zhou denied it, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Shen Zhiyu didn’t speak, merely applying a slight pressure with his fingertips.

A certain someone immediately surrendered, letting out an inarticulate moan.

“Don’t worry, I’m very petty,” a husky voice whispered close to Jiang Zhou’s ear.

Jiang Zhou: “?”

Shen Zhiyu pulled the phone away and leaned in, “I wouldn’t actually let him hear you.”

“Your cries are only for me to hear.”

—

The preparations for the birthday party proceeded intensely and orderly. The venue was finally set at a large stadium capable of holding ten thousand people, employing a strictly enforced real-name lottery system for tickets.

To present a perfect and meaningful farewell performance, the team poured their hearts into the effort. Every segment was meticulously designed and repeatedly refined. From the stage construction and lighting layout to the sound system adjustments, they pursued excellence, striving for perfection in every detail, solely to leave a precious and unique memory for every attendee.

That night, Jiang Zhou accepted Shen Zhiyu’s invitation amidst the surging waves of emotion.

Afterward, he learned that Shen Zhiyu’s invitation was for him to serve as the sound engineer for the final original song of the birthday party.

Or rather, it was more than just a sound engineer role; it was an open declaration of standing on the stage with him.

Shen Zhiyu worried that this request might exceed Jiang Zhou’s psychological capacity and was prepared for him to hesitate or regret it later.

To his surprise and relief, Jiang Zhou showed no sign of backing down. Instead, he immediately threw himself into the task with great focus and enthusiasm.

In the following days, besides managing Languang Media affairs, he dedicated all his free time to studying. He learned with extreme seriousness, often listening repeatedly to Shen Zhiyu’s a cappella demos late into the night, analyzing every breath change and emotional fluctuation, trying to resonate with different sound effects, and searching for the most fitting audio and rhythm.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the birthday party.

The ten-thousand-seat stadium was packed. Brilliant seas of lights swayed with the rhythm, converging into a dazzling galaxy. Fans chanted Shen Zhiyu’s name in unison, the sound waves surging, almost lifting the roof.

Shen Zhiyu appeared in a sharply tailored black suit. Without excessive, redundant decoration, the minimalist design maximized the display of his tall figure and striking features.

He walked confidently to the center of the stage, his gaze slowly sweeping across the venue, smiling in greeting to the audience, which triggered an even more enthusiastic response.

Throughout the evening, he performed several of his representative works since his debut, interacting with fans and sharing his journey. The atmosphere was warm and nostalgic. He didn’t deliberately dwell on the sadness of parting, his words filled with gratitude and blessings.

Jiang Zhou stood in the backstage control area, watching the stage intently through the monitor. His palms were slightly damp with nervousness. Watching Shen Zhiyu perform with such ease and brilliance on stage, he felt a mixture of pride and pressure.

It was almost time for the final segment.

Finally, Shen Zhiyu finished the second-to-last song, and the stage lights slowly dimmed as the last note faded.

When the lights came back on, the stage setup had changed. Only Shen Zhiyu remained in the center of the venue, along with a simply designed, transparent control console.

Behind the console stood Jiang Zhou, dressed in the same color scheme, looking slightly nervous.

A wave of surprised whispers and commotion immediately swept through the audience. Many fans instantly recognized him, their gazes of confusion, curiosity, and speculation converging on him.

Shen Zhiyu walked toward Jiang Zhou, picked up a spare microphone, gave him a gentle look, and then faced the entire audience, his voice clear and steady, reaching every corner of the stadium: “Next, as a singer, this is the last song I will present to you all. It is an original work that has never been released.”

He paused briefly, his voice distinctly carrying throughout the venue, “And tonight, the person who will complete the final sound presentation for this song is the most important person in my life—Jiang Zhou.”

The moment his words fell, a thunderous roar erupted from the stadium.

A spotlight precisely hit Jiang Zhou, suddenly placing him under the gaze of tens of thousands.

Jiang Zhou felt countless eyes focusing on him, his heart pounding violently in his chest. He took a deep breath and instinctively looked up, meeting Shen Zhiyu’s returning gaze. In that look, there was no doubt, only complete trust and an almost proud frankness.

This gaze was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the last trace of tension and unease in his heart. He nodded lightly toward Shen Zhiyu.

Shen Zhiyu retreated to the center of the stage and closed his eyes.

The prelude did not begin; the entire stadium fell into absolute silence.

Then, Shen Zhiyu’s clear and deeply emotional voice rang out, like moonlight flowing water, without any instrumental accompaniment, purely moving.

The instant he sang the first line of lyrics, Jiang Zhou’s slender hands landed firmly and decisively on the sound control console.

An ethereal background sound effect unfolded, perfectly complementing Shen Zhiyu’s vocal line.

As the emotional intensity of the song progressed, Jiang Zhou’s hands moved smoothly across the equipment, sometimes adding a steady rhythmic pulse, sometimes creating subtle environmental soundscapes, and finally pushing Shen Zhiyu’s performance to the extreme with grand background effects.

Shen Zhiyu sang with complete devotion, occasionally looking at Jiang Zhou during transitions.

Their eyes met silently in the air.

The initial nervousness had long vanished, replaced by total concentration. Jiang Zhou was unconsciously led by Shen Zhiyu, immersed in the music they were creating together.

The fans listened quietly, tears unknowingly welling up in their eyes, moved by the song.

When the last line of the song faded, the lingering sound still present, the controlled tail end of the music under Jiang Zhou’s hands also dissipated into the air like wisps of smoke, long and gentle.

The entire stadium fell into a moment of absolute silence.

Then, thunderous applause and cheers erupted like a tsunami, lasting endlessly.

Shen Zhiyu remained standing in the center of the stage, slightly breathless, his eyes visibly red and sparkling with tears. He didn’t linger but immediately turned and strode toward the control console. Under the gaze of all the spectators, he unhesitatingly pulled Jiang Zhou into a tight embrace.

“Thank you, Azhou,” he whispered in his ear, his voice tinged with suppressed excitement, “You were amazing.”

Jiang Zhou hugged him back tightly. At that moment, the huge stone that had been hanging in his heart finally dropped, and his chest was filled with immense satisfaction and surging warmth.

He had stood on Shen Zhiyu’s stage, and instead of becoming his regret, he had helped him complete this perfect farewell.

Shen Zhiyu released the embrace but kept a firm grip on Jiang Zhou’s hand, pulling him to the very front edge of the stage. Facing the thousands of spectators still immersed in excitement and reluctance, they bowed deeply and solemnly in salute.

“Thank you, everyone! Goodbye!”