Chapter 20: I Want to Hear a Song About You

After Zhang Qidong finished speaking, he looked at Song Yue, as if seeking some form of validation.

Song Yue shook her head slowly, a complex expression on her face. "Actually, my problem is even greater. It seems... it seems that not only do I not understand him, but I also... I don't really know him at all. Perhaps I truly spent too much energy and time on my work; I really did neglect him."

Zhang Qidong stared, stunned. "I..."

Xu Shujian shook his head immediately, reaching out under the table to tug at Song Yue’s clothes. "It’s not that bad. In the past, it was indeed me who was more unreasonable."

Song Yue ignored him and said earnestly, "I used to think so too, but now I’ve realized that it seems to have been my own prejudice."

Xu Shujian looked at Song Yue, his eyebrows arching involuntarily, as if asking, "What are you doing?"

Having lived two lifetimes and being an insider in the industry, Xu Shujian knew the tone of variety shows. Since he was already here, he would inevitably perform. He never worried that this show would tarnish his reputation; as long as you had the talent, there would always be "great scholars" to debate on your behalf.

He was indeed guiding Song Yue’s image. There was a lot at stake behind her, and if she were to be vilified, it would be very troublesome. Much like Pan Yun’s wariness toward him, what if he still had die-hard fans? Xu Shujian was worried about this too. His departure years ago had left many fans dissatisfied; if Song Yue wasn't careful, she would easily be attacked by those people.

Xu Shujian felt he needed to focus on two things while filming. First, establish a firm footing to capture a stable "fan" demographic, such as those over thirty. This program was about divorce, and most of its viewers were people who reflected on life. This demographic was not only stable but also relatively respectful of one's private life.

Second, guide Song Yue’s image. First and foremost, Song Yue was a good person and deserved respect. After all, his predecessor had loved her, and he—having occupied this man's body—couldn't let "his own" wife be cast in a poor light. This didn't align with Xu Shujian’s values; he didn't think of himself as a saint, but he at least couldn't allow those who had been good to him to suffer criticism if it could be avoided.

The general direction Xu Shujian had mapped out was that he was the pretentious one who wouldn't change, and that they simply weren't a good match. This had to be demonstrated through his own behavior; he couldn't let Song Yue be the one to smooth things over. Otherwise, it would end up like Lin Xiaoxian and Zhang Qidong—no matter how the production team edited it, it would still make some people uncomfortable.

As for himself, he would let his work speak for him.

Song Yue seemed to see through his concerns. She smiled. "Playing the autocrat, are we? Only you are allowed to admit your faults, and I’m not allowed to admit mine? That’s not authentic; that’s not me. Even if we’re divorced, do you want me to turn into a hypocrite? Relax, everything is just an experience."

Zhang Qidong reflexively touched his nose, feeling as though Song Yue’s words were a veiled dig at him.

Yu Hui clapped his hands. "Look, how wonderful! Isn't this segment just about identifying problems so we can solve them? President Song, don't keep bringing up the word 'divorce'—it's not good. See, Brother Xu is still worried about you."

Huang Mi-Mi tugged at Yu Hui, signaling him to stop talking nonsense. She didn't fully understand the situation, but she sensed a specific atmosphere: President Song and Xu Shujian clearly had irreconcilable differences and really seemed to be getting a divorce, yet at the same time, they were both looking out for each other. For some reason, even this fractured marriage made her feel a bit envious.

Pan Yun chimed in, "You two are actually quite good. Don't jump to conclusions easily. Ten years of marriage isn't easy. Just like Chen Linye and me—we came here specifically to solve our problems."

Chen Linye, who had been silent, suddenly asked, "President Song, Brother Xu, can I ask you a question? Do you still love each other?"

Xu Shujian looked at Song Yue first, then smiled at Chen Linye. "Brother Ye, don't follow Brother Hui's lead. Technically, I'm the youngest here. He's joking; you can just call me Shujian. How should I put it? Too much has happened. Time is a magical thing. The old Xu Shujian is dead. That is my answer."

Song Yue sighed slowly and nodded. "Indeed, time is a magical thing. It seems the old Song Yue has also vanished without me even realizing it."

After she finished speaking, Song Yue looked up at the sky, feeling a tightness in her chest. She felt she could understand Old Xu’s words; it was likely that she had changed first, and then he had "died."

Zhang Qidong opened his mouth several times, but found he didn't know what to say. After much deliberation, he leaned back into his chair, silently complaining to himself, *So childish. Xu Shujian is so childish. And you, Song Yue, you've been in business for years, yet you're just as childish.*

Noticing the shift in atmosphere and thinking he had spoken out of turn, Chen Linye said softly, "Apologies, if that question was inappropriate, please forgive me."

Yu Hui picked up his guitar. "Alright, this segment is finally over. What do you want to hear? Or who do you want to sing? Let's all relax. When it comes down to it, this is still a legitimate travel itinerary. Let's be happy; we can worry about unhappy things tomorrow. You can't expect an answer to everything immediately. Let's just treat Brother Ye's question as if it were never asked."

Chen Linye took the guitar, feeling he had spoken wrongly again. The trip had only lasted a few days, so why ask such things now?

He decided to sing; that was his comfort zone.

Chen Linye and Yu Hui each performed a song, and the scene slowly returned to the atmosphere of a vacation.

At that moment, Song Yue suddenly looked at Yu Hui and whispered, "Can you lend me your guitar?"

Yu Hui handed it over immediately. Once Song Yue had the guitar, she reached out and pulled Xu Shujian along. "Come on, walk with me."

Xu Shujian set down the melon seeds in his hand and stood up.

Everyone on the scene noticed Song Yue and Xu Shujian leaving, but they were already deep in conversation and didn't pay much attention. Pan Yun was in high spirits, chatting animatedly with Zhang Qidong.

This was a high-altitude area, over 1,500 meters above sea level. Sitting on the sandy shore of the lake, one could see a starry night sky—it was beautiful.

Xu Shujian looked at Song Yue, who was hugging the guitar in her arms, and smiled. "What’s this? Are you going to sing?"

Song Yue handed the guitar back to him. "You sing. I don't believe that after all this time, you haven't written a song about yourself. I want to hear it."

Xu Shujian instinctively took it, then glanced back. At a distance of at least three or four meters, there were at least three figures holding cameras pointed their way.

Xu Shujian put the guitar down. "Who writes songs about themselves? Isn't songwriting about finding themes and stories to write about other people?"

"You have no stories? No themes? You can tell that to others, but I’m not unaware that you’ve been doing your own thing for years. You’ve spent so much energy and time; it’s impossible that you don't have works of your own."

"I really don't."

Song Yue took a deep breath. "You are so annoying. Can you stop doing things to me in your own way? I just wanted to know if I really didn't understand you. Don't worry, I want to know this not because I'm curious about you again. You should understand my style of doing things—there’s something stuck in my heart, and it’s very uncomfortable. Can you make me feel better now?"