This is nothing more than an ordinary pop song.

“This is the task hint I bought with all my points?!” In the black and white world, as images finally appeared, Ji Fanxing stared in disbelief at the slip of paper in her hand.

“The ‘Compendium of a Hundred Physicians’ records that pollen can alleviate sudden fright in children.”

[Ding, that is correct, Host.]

“But I’m allergic to pollen! And which pollen should I use, how do I use it? This only says it can alleviate, but the task requires a cure…” The more Ji Fanxing spoke, the more anxious she became.

[Ding, after analysis, this is the optimal solution. If you cannot accomplish it, you may pay with your soul according to the contract.]

“…I can do it!” the girl gritted out between clenched teeth.

…

“Why am I in the hospital?” Ji Fanxing’s face was pale as she lay in the hospital bed.

“You used up all your oxygen and passed out from suffocation. If you hadn’t been found in time, you’d be dead now! Can’t you pick another research direction? You insist on fighting your pollen allergy—starting tomorrow, you’ll join Senior Brother’s molecular research…”

“No! The laboratory temperature was off! My experiment!” Ji Fanxing, paying no attention to her senior’s words, panicked and yanked out her IV before bolting from the room.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Come back!”

No matter the shouts behind her, she never looked back. Blood trickled from the IV wound, and Ji Fanxing stubbornly bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes but never falling.

“I want to live! I want my own life! I want to live well…”

The black and white world gave way to the present. Ji Fanxing stood on stage, the song entering its second verse, her emotions growing ever more abundant.

A gentle spotlight bathed her as she closed her eyes, her voice flowing out clear and heartfelt.

Each lyric seemed plucked from the softest part of her soul, carrying a tremor yet unwavering in its conviction.

Her voice lingered in the air, as if reaching out to touch the heartstrings of every listener.

“A cup to greet the dawning sun, a cup to honor the moonlight~
Awakening my yearning, softening the cold window’s gloom~
So I can fly into the wind without looking back~
Unafraid of rain in my heart, or frost in my eyes~”

The audience was swept up in her emotion; some began to hum along softly, others stood up involuntarily, waving glowsticks in their hands.

The entire stadium became a vast ocean, the song its waves, the listeners’ emotions its currents, all converging into a tremendous power.

This force gradually dyed the monochrome world in vibrant colors.

“Congratulations to Ji Fanxing for winning first place at the ‘Chinese Heritage National Music Grand Awards!’”

[Ding, congratulations Host, ‘Rites and Music’ task complete.]

—

“Academician Ji’s research has saved countless children.”

[Ding, congratulations Host, ‘God of Medicine’ task complete.]

…

“Comrade Ji drew most of the gang’s fire onto herself, buying precious time for us to complete the mission. Her sacrifice rescued fifty hostages and ensured the safe retreat of our team…”

[You knew dying might cause the mission to fail, so why did you do it?]

“I’ve lived long enough already; if you want my soul, take it.”

In her soul state, Ji Fanxing earnestly scanned the faces of every comrade and rescued hostage, a sense of relief washing over her.

The system scanned her battered, broken soul—covered in blood, one hand blown apart, a gunshot wound in her brow still leaking black mist and blood that streamed down, splitting at the bridge of her nose, dripping from her chin, soaking her chest.

She looked less like a martyr and more like a vengeful spirit crawling out of hell.

The usually aloof system was, for once, speechless.

[Ding, ‘King of Soldiers’ task… just barely passed.]

…

[Ding, congratulations Host, all tasks completed. According to the contract, I will fulfill your wish.]

“My wish is to go home, to live my life again.”

[As you wish.]

…

The song “Dissolving Sorrow” did not sound complicated; in fact, the whole piece was hardly even smooth, but every note seemed infused with magic, gently touching Fang Zhijing’s soul.

The lyrics were concise yet profound, laying bare the joys and sorrows of life in vivid detail.

“A cup to my hometown, a cup to the distant road~
Guarding my kindness, urging me to grow~”

Tears glittered in Fang Zhijing’s eyes, his expression complex.

For some reason, he remembered his younger self.

Once brimming with talent and ambition, after a few hit songs, he began to act on his own terms. He disliked much of the entertainment industry and only wrote songs for those he found agreeable.

To himself, this was independence and character; to others, it was arrogance and disdain.

Eventually, youth’s impulsiveness led him to offend someone with considerable influence, and he was “taught a lesson.”

His adversary was ruthless, even threatening to break his hands and cut off his ears so he could never create again.

Fortunately, he was saved by a stroke of luck.

—

But from then on, he changed…

Fang Zhijing hadn’t thought of those days in years; he thought he’d long moved past them, but a single song had stirred his heart anew.

On the contestants’ bench, everyone was drawn into the song.

Chu Hao closed his eyes, savoring the beauty of the voice, his fingers tapping the rhythm on the table, his stern features softening.

Chongming’s friends had to nudge him from his daze.

“Losing to her isn’t a shame.”

They didn’t wish to interrupt Ji Fanxing’s singing, so they mouthed the words silently.

Chongming understood, his body stiffening; he glared fiercely at his friend, then shrugged helplessly, tacitly admitting the truth.

Sitting in the best seats, Ruan Lin looked at her second daughter as if seeing her for the first time, astonishment and disbelief warring in her eyes.

Ji Rufeng was equally stunned. Though he’d heard Ji Fanxing sing at school, he’d never imagined she could sound this good live.

Her heartfelt, moving voice, amplified by the top-tier sound system, struck him directly, piercing his soul and sending chills down his spine.

Not yet eighteen, Ji Rufeng couldn’t fully grasp the song’s meaning, but it didn’t lessen his sense of awe.

He began to understand why so many classmates liked her.

He wondered, if Ji Fanxing weren’t such a surly, hot-tempered girl…

“Impossible!” The dangerous thought snapped him back to reality.

“What’s wrong, Rufeng?” Ji Shengxue asked softly.

“It’s nothing… This song… is really… really awful!”

His eldest sister was still the best; Ji Fanxing was just an ugly duckling!

Ji Shengxue’s nails almost dug into her palm as she forced a smile.

“But the lyrics are impressive. I wonder which master wrote them.”

With that, she shifted all the song’s impact onto the lyrics.

“Yes, it’s just the lyrics. The melody is so bland… What’s gotten into me?” Ruan Lin seemed to awaken from a dream.

“Axue, it’s just a regular pop song. Don’t worry—Master Fang would never be interested.”