Honestly, even if Zhang Yichen was trending all over the internet, it didn't matter anymore.Military training lasted three weeks, and since he had taken leave, no one could find him unless he appeared on his own.The buzz had finally died down.
But as he stared at the enormous villa, Zhang Yichen just couldn't sit still. Doing nothing felt… wrong.
"Goddess, can we talk about something?" he asked, tone unusually humble.
"No need to talk," Li Yue shot him down instantly.
One look at him and she knew—this brat was plotting something again.
"Come on, Goddess, don't be so heartless! I was thinking… your villa has a huge basement, right? What if we turn it into a music studio—a practice and recording room?"
He pointed enthusiastically toward the floor.
Li Yue's brows twitched. She rolled her eyes. "What do you think about all day? This house is for living, not your side projects!"
"Goddess," Zhang Yichen leaned in, flashing a fawning smile, "but think about it—Xiaoxi needs a place to practice for her comeback. We can't have her running to a studio every day, right?"
Li Yue looked at Chen Xiaoxi, then back at him, and sighed helplessly. "Fine, fine. You win. I give up."
Zhang Yichen immediately raised his hand as if swearing an oath. "Don't worry! I'll make it beautiful, soundproof, and perfectly feng shui–friendly!"
"Yeah, right," she snorted. "Alright, I'll agree—but only if you write me a song in exchange."
"Deal!" Zhang Yichen grinned, darting off to grab a thick stack of sheet music. "Here—pick anything! Take as many as you want. Don't be polite."
One song in exchange for a basement studio—who knew who was benefiting more?
But Zhang Yichen wasn't stingy. After everything Li Yue had done for Xiaoxi and her daughter, he would happily give her a whole album if she wanted.Besides, it was her house. Not everyone would let him renovate a newly furnished villa.And now that she was the CEO of his company, a little bonus didn't hurt.
"Really? I can pick any of them?" Li Yue asked, disbelief and excitement flickering in her eyes.
She knew Zhang Yichen's works weren't ordinary—they were hits. Every single one could dominate the charts.And he was just… giving them away?
What a madman.A generous, reckless, golden-tier madman.
"Go ahead! Plenty suit female vocals. Xiaoxi can't sing all of them anyway. Besides—she writes her own songs too."
His casual tone hit a nerve.
Li Yue blinked. "…Excuse me?"
So that's what this was—picking leftovers?
And that jab about "Xiaoxi writes her own songs"—was that supposed to be a dig?Did he think she couldn't write anymore?
She used to write songs too, okay? Well… maybe she was a little rusty.
"What's wrong, Li Yue? I'm letting you choose freely and you still look upset," Zhang Yichen asked, confused. "How about this—give me a topic, and I'll compose something for you on the spot."
Her eyes lit up instantly. "You serious? No take-backs?"
Chen Xiaoxi's eyes brightened too. She had been wanting to see his spontaneous composing skills again.
"Of course! It's no big deal," he shrugged.
"Then…" Li Yue hesitated, gathering her emotions. "When I was little, my mom passed away. I miss her a lot. I've tried to write a song for her before, but I could never capture that… feeling of longing. Can you help me?"
Her voice trembled, eyes shimmering with unspoken grief.
"I can," Zhang Yichen said softly. "I'll sing it for you now."
He fetched his guitar from the study and sat down.
"You ready?" he asked gently.
Li Yue nodded nervously. "Mm. Ready."
"Alright then—let's begin."
Soft strumming filled the room, and his voice flowed out like a quiet stream.
"Mama, beneath the moonlight,
Quietly… I think of you.
The love flowing in my veins—
Mama, your embrace,
The cradle of my life's warmth,
Still carries the scent of the clothes you once sun-dried…"
The first verse alone made Li Yue's eyes sting with tears.Chen Xiaoxi remained silent—her longing mixed with quiet defiance.
"Mama, beneath the moonlight,
With you, I have a home.
Though half a step apart feels worlds away.
Why must longing come with tears?
Love outlives the years,
And happiness grows in hearts that still feel pain."
"'With you, I have a home…'"
That line shattered the last of Li Yue's composure.
After her mother's death, her father remarried and brought another woman and child into the house—she never truly belonged again.
"So vast, the heavens,
Yet only your love is flawless.
So far, the ends of the earth,
I still hear your heart's message.
So vast, the heavens—I've entrusted your love to him,
Because his smile… reminds me of you, Mama."
By the time the song ended, both women were sobbing uncontrollably.
For Li Yue, it was pure maternal grief—the ache of unconditional love lost too soon.For Chen Xiaoxi, the pain ran deeper—a mix of betrayal, longing, and wounds that never fully healed.
Her mother, once gentle and kind, had changed—forcing her into an engagement with a notorious playboy from a powerful family.
Why?For "family influence"?For hollow status?
They had sacrificed their daughter's happiness for a meaningless political alliance.
She had been pregnant when she was kicked out—penniless, sleeping in hospital corridors until she could afford a ticket to Sichuan.
And through all of it, she'd told herself she wouldn't cry.
Until now.
"So vast, the heavens,
Yet only your love is flawless.
So far, the ends of the earth,
I still hear your heart's message.
The final note faded into silence.
Li Yue's tears fell freely. The song he wrote had somehow echoed her soul.Yes—only with a mother does one truly have a home.And she hadn't had one in a very long time.
Beside her, Chen Xiaoxi wept quietly—for her lost family, her lost innocence, and every moment she wished life had been different.
"Alright, that's enough," Zhang Yichen murmured, pulling Xiaoxi gently into his arms and patting her back. "Don't cry. It hurts my heart to see you like this."
She didn't speak, but she didn't resist either.
Li Yue, still crying, looked over—only to see the two wrapped together in a warm embrace.
Her nose stung again. "Seriously? Crying and now flirting?!"
As if the universe wanted to test her patience, Zhang Yichen suddenly grinned."Hey, Xiaoxi, tell me—does Li Yue look more like a crying clown right now, or a heartbroken noblewoman from a tragic romance?"
"What?" Chen Xiaoxi blinked through tears and glanced over.
Li Yue sat there with tissues in hand, tears streaking her face.The image was… well, less 'CEO goddess,' more 'melancholy damsel.'
"Pfft!" Xiaoxi burst into laughter.
Li Yue: "…"
He used her to cheer Xiaoxi up?
And worse—it actually worked?!
What kind of twisted logic was that?!
For a moment, even her grief forgot to stay.
Zhang Yichen gave Xiaoxi a quick wink.See? Worked like a charm.
In one smooth move, he had comforted both women.