Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 211 Spring Festival Gala Success
February 16th, Lunar New Year's Eve.

"Teacher Gu, it will be your turn to perform soon."

A staff member from the waiting area ran over and quietly reminded Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi nodded and, guided by the staff, stood in the preparation area of ​​the elevator platform. The New Year's greetings from the front desk came in a deafening roar.

Today he is wearing a traditional Chinese Hanfu with ethnic flair, which was custom-made by a designer several months in advance.

Under the light, the subtle patterns on his clothes shimmered like stars. Gu Jingyi's collar was slightly open, revealing glimpses of his well-developed chest muscles.

In the brief interval before his performance, Gu Jingyi closed his eyes slightly, relaxing his mind and softly singing the lyrics of "Thousands of Miles" in his mind.

The command came through his earpiece, and Gu Jingyi nodded. The next second, the elevator silently started, slowly lifting him up.

Standing in the center of the stage, Gu Jingyi's vision suddenly opened up.

Unlike any other gala experience, the Spring Festival Gala has a much larger audience and a much larger stage than any other gala can match.

After a sharp "beep" from the in-ear monitor, the prelude begins.

This time, it wasn't the desolate feeling of a New Year's Eve stage. The Spring Festival Gala's arrangement was grander, incorporating the clear, resonant percussion of chimes and the distant, melodious sound of the guzheng. Listening to it was like hearing ancient bells and chimes ringing on New Year's Eve, questioning the journey home across thousands of miles.

With the aid of his in-ear monitor, Gu Jingyi precisely timed the beat one second after the intro ended. He raised the microphone, and his deep, penetrating voice instantly reached every household:
"My hometown, thousands of miles away"

Unlike her previous performances at New Year's Eve galas, Gu Jingyi's singing style was fuller this time.

This is a more powerful singing style that comes from deep within the chest.

The camera captured his slightly lowered eyelashes, casting a small fan-shaped shadow below his eyelids that concealed the turbulent emotions in his eyes.

At the same time, the large screen behind him slowly unfolded. From the initial ink-wash landscape to the magnificent mountains and rivers stretching out, it was like a scroll being unfurled.

"My dear family, wait for my joyful reunion."

Below the stage was a large audience, each face beaming with a festive, somewhat formulaic smile.

Gu Jingyi's gaze seemed to pierce through them, reaching directly to Xijiang. He could almost picture the scene of New Year's Eve there: the bustling bazaar, the smoky aroma of roasted naan and meat, and the laughter and chatter of people sitting under the grapevines.

And those deep eyes that are now sitting with their parents, perhaps gazing intently at the screen...

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he suppressed his longing and continued singing.

"Things have changed, people have changed, that's right."

"The clouds are swirling and the winds are blowing, it doesn't matter."

"You gifted me brocade robes, I will inscribe them on a monument, to praise you for eternity."

When Gu Jingyi sang "brocade robes," his fingers gently brushed against the hem of his robes.

His movements were as gentle as if touching the most precious treasure, but he emphasized the words "carve the monument" with extreme force. With an almost eternal solemn promise, he sang the final phrase "eternal praise" even longer and more devoutly.

"Oyna oyna oyn, Oyna oyna oyn..." (Uyghur: Dance to your heart's content)

As the Uyghur phrase was uttered, the dancers dressed in traditional costumes, who had been prepared beforehand, filed out one after another.

Surrounding Gu Jingyi, they danced a passionate ethnic dance together. The dance, rich in ethnic characteristics, burst forth on the screen like a dazzling display of flowers.

.........

On winter nights in Urumqi, the cold air is kept out by thick double-paned windows and the cozy underfloor heating.

In the Di family's living room, warm yellow light flowed through the room. The air was filled with the aroma of baked buns, the rich flavor of stewed mutton, and the dried fruit platter of apricots and almonds.

A huge television screen hangs on the wall, broadcasting the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

Dilraba curled up on the sofa covered with a thick wool cushion, holding a plump maroon pillow in her arms and resting her chin on the soft surface. She was barefoot, her toes unconsciously digging into the fine wool fibers of the cushion beneath her.

Gu Jingyi appeared on the screen, perfectly lit. He wore a traditional ethnic-style outfit with flowing dark patterns, which his strong physique carried off perfectly.

Under the cool white light, his profile appeared even more handsome against the backdrop of a screen full of warm gold tones.

"Wow, this young man is energetic!"

Daddy, holding his milk tea cup, gave a hearty compliment. He then casually stuffed a hot baked bun into his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

Di's mother, her hands still knitting, glanced at the screen. She nodded with a smile, "It's Jun, and he's tall too. Reba, is this the...Little Gu you mentioned before?"

When Dilraba was suddenly mentioned, her heart skipped a beat, and a barely perceptible heat crept onto her cheeks.

She buried half her face in the cushion, leaving only her eyes showing, and mumbled a muffled "hmm".

But she unconsciously hugged the pillow in her arms even tighter, her fingertips sinking into the soft filling and causing a slight deformation.

Di's parents exchanged a smile; who would believe that this girlish demeanor was nothing?
Little Gu is handsome and promising. He's more than a match for my silly daughter...

When should I go visit him? Maybe I should wait until my daughter and he are filming "You Are My Glory" and then visit the set.

Dimu silently made up her mind, and her knitting movements became even faster.

Dilraba paid no attention to any of this. When the grand prelude, accompanied by the distant sounds of chimes and zithers, began, she quietly raised her head and stared intently at Gu Jingyi on the screen.

He raised the microphone and slowly sang the first line of the song: "My hometown, thousands of miles away."

A deep, mellow voice, like fine red wine, flowed into the living room, instantly drowning out the subtle chewing sounds and the clatter of knitting needles.

Dilraba's gaze was fixed on the screen, watching his slightly lowered eyelashes and the LED screen unfolding behind him. A magnificent landscape covered in snow stretched out—the familiar sight of her homeland thousands of miles away.

Stretching along the snow-capped mountain border is her hometown!
Dilraba's grip on the sofa blanket, her anklet gripping the wool blanket, suddenly tightened, and her breathing quickened. Something deep within her chest felt a gentle, weighty touch of love.

So, he remembered everything…

All those subtle complaints she had told him were eventually written into lyrics by him in this way. And through the lyrics, he told the story in a gentle and detailed way.

Dilraba's lips trembled slightly, parting a few times as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, the emotion in her heart causing tears to well up in her eyes once again.

"My dear family, wait for our joyful reunion..."

When I listened to Gu Jingyi's songs again, I could feel that there was a subtle sob in his voice.

Di's mother paused in her knitting, sighed softly, and said, "This young man, he sings so well! Look how moved our Reba is..."

Di's father didn't speak, his gaze fixed on the screen.

"Things have changed, people have changed, that's right."

"The clouds are swirling and the winds are blowing, it doesn't matter."

As he sang those two lines, his voice suddenly became firm and resolute. The stage lights shifted, and wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning exploded and then dissipated around him.

He stood tall and straight, his powerful aura and confidence radiating from the screen. Dad couldn't help but slap his thigh: "Well done! That spirit! Such a powerful performance!"

"You gift me brocade robes, I will inscribe them on a monument, to praise you for eternity..."

When Gu Jingyi sang "brocade robes," his slender fingers gently brushed against the hem of her robe, a tender and respectful gesture. Reba's fingertips curled slightly in the cushion, as if those fingertips were brushing against the golden starlight gauze dress she wore at Bazaar Night in her memory.

Just as she was immersed in the lingering resonance of the pious final note, he cleverly and firmly embedded the next extremely brief and barely perceptible Uyghur word into the gap of the chorus!

"Oyna oyna oyn, Oyna oyna oyn..." (Uyghur: Dance to your heart's content)

That low, short "oyn" sounded like the rustling of sand as the wind swept across the Gobi Desert. It was instantly drowned out by the grand arrangement and the applause from the audience on television.

Unaware of what was happening, Di's parents were in the living room. Di's father was softly singing along to the rhythm, while Di's mother was counting the stitches in her knitting sweater and swaying her head.

Only Dilraba was completely stunned, as if struck by a silent lightning bolt. Her body stiffened instantly, and she gripped the cushion in her arms tightly.

Her knuckles turned slightly white from the force, and her heart pounded wildly and erratically in her chest, making her eardrums buzz and drowning out all the sounds from the television.

That "oyn" was clearly an onomatopoeia, it was... it was from the chaotic, scorching back seat of that car that night. The syllables of the old nursery rhyme she hummed with tears and homesickness were being used by this bastard in this kind of situation...

This is outrageous!

Just thinking about how on this joyous Lunar New Year's Eve, countless families are listening to "Thousands of Miles," makes Dilraba's ears turn red. I wonder if anyone noticed...

What's this all about? Have the audience become part of their play too?

After the performance, she definitely wants to... say a few words.

The cushion in her hands was completely crumpled up, and she was lost in thought.

"Reba?"

Di's mother noticed her daughter's unusual behavior and stopped knitting. She leaned over and looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong with you, girl? Your face is so red. Is the heating too strong?"

Dilraba snapped back to reality and hurriedly buried her burning cheeks deeper into the cushions. Her voice was muffled and almost inaudible: "No...it's nothing, it's probably just that the volume was too high...it's a bit hot."

She could feel the burning heat on her cheeks, and even without looking in the mirror, she knew they must be incredibly red.

On the television screen, the song reached its most exciting part:

"Fallen to the mortal realm—!"

A clear, high-pitched note ripped through the sky, and Gu Jingyi raised his head, the veins on his neck bulging, adding a touch of wild beauty.

Behind them, the LED screen exploded with countless golden stars, and the dancers' movements became more expansive and dynamic.

"I've seen all the open and hidden attacks, but I haven't blinked!"

Gu Jingyi raised his leg and spun and jumped repeatedly in the air.

Mr. Di was thrilled and slammed his hand on the coffee table: "Good lad! You've got guts!"

He turned to look at his daughter, who had her face buried in the cushion, with a mischievous smile.

“Reba, this young man sings really well, and he has a deep heart (Xijiang dialect: meaning affectionate). When do you have time to bring him home for a meal? I'll have your mother stew a pot of good mutton, so we can see what this young man who can sing so movingly is like in private.”

Dilraba's face, buried in the cushion, grew even hotter, and even her delicate earlobes were tinged with a blush.

A mixture of immense pride and overwhelming shyness surged within her, and her lips moved slightly. She raised her head, trying to appear calm.

But the shimmering tears in her eyes and the blush on her cheeks betrayed her. Dilraba glared at her father, then said with a hint of coquettishness, "Ata (Dad)! What are you saying!"

His voice was soft and weak. The song ended with a grand orchestral accompaniment, and as the last phrase "Eternal Praise" lingered with the massive chimes of the midnight countdown, Gu Jingyi bowed deeply.

"Happy New Year!"

Deafening applause erupted on the television, followed by a dazzling display of fireworks.

In the Di family's living room, Di's father loudly counted down along with the countdown on TV: "Three, two, one! Happy New Year!"

Di's mother smiled and put down her sweater, then went to the kitchen to get the freshly cooked mutton dumplings and naan bread.

"Reba, you'd better eat a lot of the naan bread that Gu mentioned in his lyrics later."

"Apa (Mom)"

Dilraba pouted coquettishly, but her voice remained soft.

The light from the television screen flickered on her face, reflecting her image. A smile involuntarily curved her lips, and a glimmer of pride and shyness shone in her eyes.

Outside the window, the sound of firecrackers echoed in Urumqi on New Year's Eve. She drew back the curtains and watched the dazzling lights rise into the sky.

She didn't know what Gu Jingyi was doing at this moment, but she really missed him so much...

Outside the window, the city's lights shone brightly on New Year's Eve, like a galaxy suspended upside down in the sky. She stretched out her finger, her fingertip gently touching the cold glass.

It felt as if I could touch the man on the screen, who had just bowed and stood up, dressed in fine clothes and full of vigor, through the glass.

A shadow was reflected on the glass—the beauty's eyes were red-rimmed, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upwards.

Dilraba gently exhaled, her warm breath condensing into a small white mist on the cold glass.

She gently wrote on the glass window with her fingertips, "No matter how far apart we are, I only wish that lovers will eventually be together."

"Reba, come and eat dumplings!"

The calls of her loved ones rang out not far away, and Dilraba secretly added another heart under that line of text.

……

The van drove smoothly through the streets of Beiping late at night, with fireworks exploding continuously and the lights of thousands of homes still lit up outside the window.

Gu Jingyi leaned back in the seat, her face, now without makeup, showing deep fatigue.

The Spring Festival Gala rehearsed five or six times, and it took a lot of hard work to bring us to today's stage.

Sitting in the row was his agent, Lin Ze, holding a tablet. The light from the screen illuminated his face, which was flushed with excitement.

"Jingyi, the stage exploded! It completely exploded!"

Lin Ze's voice was choked with excitement as his fingertips swiped rapidly across the screen to bring up the page:

"You're in the top five trending topics! '#GuJingyi's New Chinese Style God Descends to Earth at the Spring Festival Gala,' '#A Thousand Miles and Ten Thousand Miles of God-Level Stage,' '#GuJingyi's Uyghur Language Surprise: Cultural Export,' '#CCTV Camera Certifies GuJingyi's Top-Tier Strength,' '#GuJingyi Sings Thousand Miles and Ten Thousand Miles at the Spring Festival Gala'! These are all exploding! They're exploding, not just boiling!"

When talking about these trending topics, Lin Ze spoke rapidly, like a machine gun:
"Look, even the state media has jumped in! CCTV News' official Weibo account released a press release with the headline, 'Gu Jingyi's innovative interpretation of "Thousands of Miles" wins praise for blending traditional culture with modern expression,' directly labeling it a cultural benchmark! And the People's Daily also reposted it!"

"The data is off the charts! The stage performance has garnered over 10 million views in just ten minutes, and it's still skyrocketing! It has soared to the top of QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music charts, dominating the charts once again!"

"The fans have gone crazy! The fans of Jingfei have completely flooded the front row of the Spring Festival Gala's official Weibo account with comments! The Uyghur language segment is being played on a loop with amplified audio, and fans are explaining that it's a traditional Hotan tune, an excerpt from the Twelve Muqam, 'The Suffering Shepherdess,' which is intangible cultural heritage! Your image as a cultured person is as solid as it gets!"

"The rivals are furious! Some sour grapes tried to criticize your Uyghur pronunciation. But they were utterly destroyed by your fans and the official Xijiang Culture and Tourism account. The smear post turned into a massive intangible cultural heritage education event. It's hilarious!"

"It's Chinese New Year for CP fans! Some people are speculating whether you wrote it for Dilraba. But you quickly and secretly moved your focus from the supertopic to the group chat to celebrate the New Year!"

Lin Ze reported everything, his voice filled with undisguised pride.

Gu Jingyi's ears twitched slightly, and the corners of his mouth merely curved into a faint smile. He gazed out the car window, his thoughts wandering.

By now, he has firmly established himself at the top. Those noisy statistics and accolades are nothing compared to…

Gu Jingyi unconsciously rubbed his fingertips on the phone screen, and the next second, as if by telepathy, the phone in his palm began to vibrate.

The screen lit up, displaying that familiar nickname – Teacher Reba.

Gu Jingyi answered the call almost instantly, holding the phone to his ear.

"Hey?"

Gu Jingyi's voice, slightly hoarse from the performance, rang out in the quiet carriage.

There was a faint static noise on the other end of the phone, followed by Dilraba's soft, sweet voice, which she tried to lower but couldn't hide.

In the background, you could faintly hear the sound of a television and Mr. Di's hearty laughter: "Teacher Gu, you were absolutely dazzling on tonight's Spring Festival Gala! You were like a superstar descended to earth! Are you on your way home now?"

His hearty laughter carried a hint of pride, and a touch of barely perceptible intimacy.

A smile instantly spread across Gu Jingyi's lips, and his body relaxed as he sank into the soft chair.

"Yes, it just descended to earth and is on its way back to its nest."

“Oh dear, Dad!” Dilireba’s voice rang out, followed by the sound of footsteps coming from the phone.

With a "click," the door was quietly closed.

Gu Jingyi paused, then lowered his voice further, "Teacher Dilraba, are you watching the replay?"

"No!"

Dilraba immediately retorted, but her voice was even weaker!
"Then why did I hear Uncle playing 'Thousands of Miles' in the background audio just now?"

"Well... he accidentally saw it again."

Dilraba paused, her voice carrying a hint of complaint yet cloyingly sweet.

"It's all your fault, you sang so well! Ata and Apa are all your fans now, and Apa even said she's going to research new recipes tomorrow and wait for you to come over..."

Gu Jingyi could imagine what she looked like right now; she must be back in bed again, burying her face in a pillow like a little girl, her ear tips red as blood.

He chuckled softly, his chest trembling slightly: "Really? Then I'll have to think carefully about what gift to bring."

The two chatted casually, their conversation jumping from amusing anecdotes backstage at the Spring Festival Gala to how sweet the melons and fruits of Xijiang were, and then to how fragrant the lamb stew Di's mother had just cooked was. A sweet atmosphere filled the air, flowing silently without needing to be spoken.

Dilraba's voice was like a honey-coated brush, gently soothing Gu Jingyi's nerves, which had been tense all night.

Suddenly, the background noise on the other end of the phone seemed to quiet down.

After a moment of silence, Dilraba's voice took on a tentative tone, like a kitten tentatively testing the water temperature with its paw:

"Teacher Gu~"

"Ok?"

"That song..."

She paused, seemingly carefully considering the wording, "Why is it called 'Thousands of Miles'?"

This question came somewhat suddenly. This song was also sung on New Year's Eve, but Dilraba didn't ask about it then.

Perhaps at that time she was so immersed in the awe of the stage performance that she didn't delve into the song title.

At this moment, on Lunar New Year's Eve, a time for family reunions, under the warm gaze of loved ones, and after hearing the same question countless times, this question was finally asked, carrying a certain secret expectation.

Gu Jingyi's smile froze, and the fingertips that had been stroking the edge of his phone stopped moving.

The only sounds in the carriage were the low hum of the air conditioner and his own clear heartbeat. He could sense that Dilraba on the other end of the phone seemed to be holding her breath as well.

It was as if there was a certain expectation and an imperceptible tension.

A few seconds of silence flowed across the airwaves, so long that Dilraba almost thought he wouldn't answer. Just as Dilraba was about to casually change the subject—

Gu Jingyi suddenly spoke up: "Because... no matter how far away I am, my heart belongs only to you."

A deep, clear voice, carrying an unprecedented certainty, gently rang in her ear. Each word was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, rippling outwards in concentric circles.

boom--

Dilraba felt like a firework had exploded in her mind!
The declaration she had vaguely sensed when she breathed on the windowpane and it fogged up was now being spoken by him so solemnly!

It is no longer a metaphor in the lyrics, nor a coded message encrypted in Uyghur.

It's a raw and passionate confession!

At this moment, thousands of kilometers away, it precisely struck her via radio waves.

The next second, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Gu Jingyi could even hear a very faint clattering sound in the background, like some confused person bumping their head in surprise.

Time seemed to stretch on for an eternity, so long that Gu Jingyi almost thought the signal had been lost. Only then did he hear a faint, nasal gasp coming from Dilraba's end. The sound was so soft that he would have had a hard time noticing it if he hadn't had exceptional hearing.

Then, a reproachful tone, tinged with both embarrassment and sweetness, rang out: "Teacher Gu, you really are... too good at it..."

Her voice was so soft you could squeeze sugar out of it, with a barely perceptible tremor at the end.

Gu Jingyi smiled silently, his tense shoulders completely relaxing.

Outside the car window, the dazzling lights of Beijing stretched out like a flowing river of light.

The feeling I had now was no longer the desolation I had when I saw the lights of thousands of homes.

Because he knew that on the other end of the phone, in a warm living room thousands of miles away, there must be a light shining for him.

"Um"

Gu Jingyi responded with a gentle tone, "Only for you."

The van silently drove into the hotel's underground parking garage, shutting out the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Inside the car, only the faint glow of his phone screen reflected the satisfied yet gentle curve of Gu Jingyi's lips.

A distance of thousands of miles can be easily bridged by a single whisper.

Why feel lonely?
My heart finds peace in my embrace.

(End of this chapter)