The meeting between Fu Hua and Yun Feng was arranged at a relatively quiet corner of the corridor backstage of the concert hall.
Yun Feng wore a well-tailored dark suit, but an obvious layer of worry shrouded his brow.
Compared to the steady and comprehensive elder brother in the previous loop, the current him was just an ordinary family member anxious about his sister's state.
"Master Fu Hua, you are here."
Upon seeing Fu Hua arrive, Yun Feng quickly stepped forward to greet her.
Although his etiquette was impeccable, his speaking speed was uncontrollably faster than usual.
"Mengxi... has been acting a bit strange since coming to the company this morning.
"She locked herself in the lounge. The breakfast sent in was barely touched. When asked anything, she just shook her head saying 'it's fine.'
"She was also absent-minded during rehearsal, spacing out several times..." He rubbed the center of his brow. The ease of a business elite seemed somewhat fragile at this moment.
"I tried asking if the pressure of the concert was too great, or if she was feeling unwell, but she just shook her head... This time I'm completely clueless."
He looked at Fu Hua, his eyes filled with sincere pleading and helplessness: "This child sometimes has heavy thoughts but is exceptionally sensible, keeping everything bottled up inside.
"She has been looking forward to this concert for a long time, prepared for a long time. I'm really afraid she's putting shackles on herself because she values it too much.
"Please, help enlighten her... If it's you, she might listen a bit."
Fu Hua listened quietly and nodded.
Just as she was about to turn and head to the lounge, something suddenly stirred in her heart.
Something seems wrong... this is a bit different from before.
"Mr. Yun Feng, as far as I know, holding such a high-profile concert and stepping onto the biggest stage... this seems to have once been your youthful dream as well.
"And now seeing your sister about to realize it, you... aren't you looking forward to it?"
Fu Hua's sudden question made Yun Feng obviously stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Fu Hua to know so much...
However, he was only silent for two seconds before a complex chuckle appeared on his face.
That smile didn't contain much nostalgia for past dreams, but rather the indifference after being smoothed by years.
"Dreams of the past..." He repeated in a low voice, his gaze drifting a bit far, then focusing back immediately.
"Honestly, if Mengxi hadn't been so persistent, I might have... almost forgotten about it long ago.
"A person's dream is not an inscription carved on stone that never changes in a lifetime.
"It is like a person. It ferments, deforms, and finally turns into a brand new appearance along with the things a person sees, experiences, and responsibilities shouldered in this life."
He paused, his tone becoming more plain.
"Maintaining the heart of a newborn consistently is ultimately too difficult... And for me, my current dream is very simple.
"Let the people following me in the company live a stable life, see their smiling faces when buying houses, cars, and providing for children's schooling. Let parents worry less in their old age, no longer needing to worry about me, this son, and Mengxi, this daughter.
"And also..." He looked at the closed door of the lounge, his eyes softening, "Let Mengxi do what she wants to do, be happy, and not be troubled by those messy things.
"This is enough.
"Besides this, I have no other requests."
When he said these words, the corners of his mouth still carried that faint indifference, as if stating the most natural thing.
No unwillingness, no resentment, only the calm of accepting dust and responsibility frankly after a long journey and taking off the gorgeous robe.
And a rejoicing of "fortunately so."
However, these calm words, the thick aura of "experience" contained behind this smile, struck Fu Hua unexpectedly like a silent thunderclap.
Dreams... will ferment, deform, and finally turn into another appearance.
Let the people following me live well, let her live well, ask for nothing else.
A certain image of someone similarly shouldering everything, whose figure gradually overlapped with Yun Feng in front of her, smashed violently into her mind—
Not the current Shu, but the earlier Shu deep in memory, who would still shine with eyes because of a small discovery and be high-spirited when talking about the future.
Then, the image flowed. That figure turned into the later one walking silently at the forefront, blocking all dangers behind him. The high-spirited light in his eyes was gradually replaced by deep responsibility.
He became the Shu who would say "This is my choice," "They need it," quietly replacing his own dream with "protecting more people's right to pursue dreams"...
So... it's like this.
Shu... is also like this.
After repeated "compromises" and repeated "efforts," he had unknowingly and completely transferred his dream to these people he protected, pouring it onto the "future" of this broken world.
He might even... not have clearly realized this transformation himself.
Or, he had long accepted it frankly.
Fu Hua wasn't unaware of Shu's transformation, but until this moment, Fu Hua began to seriously consider another question.
If Yun Feng's initial dream was to become a big star...
Then what was Shu's initial dream?
...
Fu Hua collected her mind and nodded slightly to Yun Feng.
She said no more, turning to walk towards that closed lounge door.
Before knocking, she adjusted her breathing, settling the vibration in her heart just now, restoring her usual calm.
Then, she pushed open the door.
The light in the lounge was soft. Yun Mengxi sat with her back to the door in front of the vanity mirror, but wasn't looking at the mirror. Instead, she lowered her head slightly, thinking about something unknown.
Hearing the door opening sound, she didn't seem surprised, slowly turning around.
Four eyes met.
At that moment, Fu Hua clearly saw some emotion in Yun Mengxi's eyes that wasn't restrained at all—
It wasn't melancholy or fatigue, but a kind of understanding as if having insight into some truth of the cycle, and a trace of extremely subtle, long-awaited silence.
Not confusion, not resistance.
But "I knew you would come."
With just one glance, Fu Hua understood instantly.
She remembered Yun Mengxi's proactive "Goodbye" with a resolute smile at the end of the last loop, remembered her silent lip language "Thank you" in the space-time countercurrent.
Something might not have been completely erased by reincarnation, but turned into deeper intuition or emotional etchings.
Thus, on Fu Hua's face, there was no longer the deliberately adjusted gentleness or clumsiness of trying to find topics like the previous two contacts.
She just looked at Yun Mengxi, ice-blue eyes clear and calm. Then, she revealed an extremely natural, very faint smile even carrying a bit of "as expected" meaning.
She spoke, voice steady, yet seemingly crossing the interval of more than one loop, gently falling into the quiet room.
"We meet again, Miss Yun Mengxi."