Liang Chongwei arrived half an hour early. Despite arriving early, there was already a long line of people outside the livehouse waiting to check tickets. Seeing this scene, Liang Chongwei initially wanted to ignore it, but when he reached the entrance, he turned around and took a photo of the queue with an impassive expression. He intended to show it to Liang Zhen’s grandfather later, to prove that his grandson was now a popular singer with a considerable following.

After explaining his identity to the ticket checker, a staff member came out to lead Liang Chongwei inside. Liang Zhen was still doing a soundcheck. Seeing that his father had arrived, he didn’t take off his in-ear monitors. He jumped off the stage and walked over to him.

“You’ll be sitting up there!” Liang Zhen pointed to a booth on the second floor. On non-performance nights, the livehouse functioned like any other bar, but on performance nights, the stairs to the second floor were closed off, concentrating all the audience on the first floor. Liang Chongwei had not been aware of the livehouse’s layout before coming; he had thought the VIP section was simply a closer spot on the first floor. He hadn’t expected it to be a small loft away from the crowd.

“I can’t have you down there rocking out with everyone else,” Liang Zhen joked. He knew his father was once young too. When Liang Chongwei was his age, he would listen to Cui Jian, Dou Wei, and Zhang Chu. The symbols of youth were rock music then, and now it’s rap.

Liang Chongwei went upstairs and sat at a table near the railing. Without having to stand up, he could see Liang Zhen back on stage, continuing his soundcheck, going through the songs he was about to perform. Shao Mingyin emerged from backstage, tossing a bottle of mineral water to Liang Zhen, who nodded upstairs while twisting the cap open.

“My dad’s up there,” Liang Zhen said while drinking water, “I’ll go up with you.”

“No need.”

“What, you don’t need company or you don’t need to meet him?” Liang Zhen teased, “You’ll have to meet him sooner or later.”

Shao Mingyin also glanced upstairs. Due to the contrasting lighting, it was quite dark up there, and from the stage or the first-floor audience, it was impossible to see who was up there unless they stood by the railing.

“Do I really have to meet him?” Shao Mingyin withdrew his gaze and asked Liang Zhen.

“My dad won’t eat you,” Liang Zhen nudged him off the stage, heading towards the stairs together. On the way, Liang Zhen grabbed several bottles of beer from the bar. When they reached the upstairs, he placed the beers on the table next to where Liang Chongwei was sitting.

“I don’t drink,” Liang Chongwei said. More accurately, he didn’t drink the kinds of foreign beers young people liked in bars.

“You might get thirsty later,” Liang Zhen said, patting Shao Mingyin’s shoulder and seating him next to Liang Chongwei. By this time, the ticket check had begun, and the audience was filing in. Liang Zhen still had his in-ear monitors on, and he received a prompt to quickly return backstage.

“I have to go,” he pointed at his ear and swiftly ran back down the stairs. He paused, turned back to give his father and his boyfriend a glance, then hurried backstage.

This left the small loft overlooking the stage with just the two of them. Shao Mingyin pursed his lips and greeted Liang Chongwei nervously, “Hello, uncle.”

He turned his face fully to say this, and Liang Chongwei got a clear view of his features. After all, this was the person his son liked. Looking at his face, Liang Chongwei wondered what it was that his son liked about him.

Liang Chongwei was straight, but he had met countless people over the years. He could appreciate that Shao Mingyin had a comfortable kind of attractiveness. Although he was also a northerner, Shao Mingyin had a slighter build compared to Liang Zhen. His frame wasn’t broad, and his muscles under his short sleeves were cleanly defined. This kind of just-right slimness made Shao Mingyin seem light. Imagining his job, Liang Chongwei could picture how agile and quick Shao Mingyin would be in facing danger or sudden situations.

Liang Chongwei knew that Shao Mingyin had been working at the grassroots level for three or four years, but looking at him now, he could match the person in front of him with the experiences detailed in that highly confidential internal file.

He and Liang Zhen’s grandfather had read that file last year. Since Shao Mingyin was living with Liang Zhen, they naturally investigated him. After reading it, the grandfather had smoked half a pack of Black Lanzhou cigarettes, sighing continuously and remarking that this young man had sacrificed too much for the anti-drug effort. Such a good person, Liang Zhen would be fine with him. Liang Chongwei, who had also served in the military, was equally impressed by Shao Mingyin’s experiences. But when Shao Mingyin’s identity became his son’s lover, Liang Chongwei had to hide his admiration.

He was past the age of knowing destiny, understanding how to set obstacles for young people’s relationships. He didn’t know if Shao Mingyin had told Liang Zhen everything about those three years and what happened afterward, but he knew that if he asked Shao Mingyin if Liang Zhen would be completely safe with him, Shao Mingyin, if he was sincere about the relationship, would make choices accordingly.

With this strategic confidence, Liang Chongwei didn’t reject the greeting “uncle.” Even during the performance, he continued to talk with Shao Mingyin. Whenever he asked about a song, Shao Mingyin would tell him when Liang Zhen wrote it and where he got the inspiration. They even ended up drinking together — the stage was so vibrant, and they needed something to calm down, so they drank beer straight from the bottle. When Liang Chongwei, feeling the camaraderie, extended his beer bottle towards Shao Mingyin, Shao Mingyin hesitated but then clinked bottles with him.

On stage, after finishing a song with guest artist Jewish, the lights dimmed slightly, signaling the final part of the performance. During the brief interlude before the last song, Liang Zhen casually chatted with the audience. Given that he had more female fans, amidst the conversation, a girl suddenly shouted “husband,” causing laughter and making Liang Zhen cover his face in embarrassment.

Liang Chongwei heard the commotion too. He told Shao Mingyin, “A lot of people like Liang Zhen.”

Many people liked Liang Zhen, liked his songs, and liked him as a person. Among them, there were both men and women, some younger and more attractive than Shao Mingyin, with better physiques or greater ability to inspire Liang Zhen’s creativity. This kind of affection would only increase in the future. Liang Zhen was only twenty years old, and their relationship might not even need any problems to arise — a young Liang Zhen might simply get carried away and fall for some temptation.

Shao Mingyin could hear the implications, but he didn’t respond or argue. He just continued to watch the radiant youth on stage, his eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.

“It’s like this,” Liang Zhen said, holding the microphone in one hand and putting the other on his hip, “It doesn’t matter what you want to shout, as long as you’re here to listen to music and have fun.”

“But today’s show is a bit special,” Liang Zhen pointed to the second floor, “You might not know, but my dad is here to see me perform today, so—”

Liang Zhen didn’t finish his sentence because the crowd erupted with “oohs” and “ahhs.” Once the noise subsided, someone loudly shouted, “Father-in-law!”

Liang Zhen laughed, his face reddening. When the staff handed him the microphone stand, he fixed the microphone onto it and stood in front of it, pretending to stammer and asking everyone to give him some face.

“Please, don’t get too rowdy,” Liang Zhen said into the microphone, “My boyfriend is also up there.”

Rappers aren’t idol stars; what matters most is their music, not their private lives. Before today, Liang Zhen had never mentioned his relationship on social media. Fans who knew about his relationship, like Lily, never made a big deal out of it. This is why his tweet after the Nanjing show, saying “My partner is waiting for me at home,” caused such a stir, leaving many female fans heartbroken.

Today, in Wenzhou, with both his dad and partner present, it was almost like an unofficial announcement. After a moment of feigned sorrow, the crowd quickly started shouting for them to get married.

“Got it, got it,” Liang Zhen said, his ears turning red, “It’s in the works, it’s in the works.”

The audience laughed at Liang Zhen’s sudden Lanzhou accent, and the commotion gradually died down. Liang Zhen didn’t take the microphone off the stand but held it in place. He asked the audience if they knew what song was next, and while the answers were varied, they all pointed to the same song.

“But today, the lyrics of this song are a bit different from what you’ve heard on the album. However—” Liang Zhen scanned the audience and asked, “You all know the hook, right?”

In unison, the crowd responded, “Yes!”

“Then let’s sing together.”

“Okay!”

“Alright, the last song,” Liang Zhen said, gripping the microphone with both hands. As the stage lights turned to a deep blue, his expression became serious.

“This last song is dedicated to my beloved family,” Liang Zhen said, “Dedicated to my father who came from afar. ‘Crossing Mountains and Rivers.’”

Almost instinctively, Liang Chongwei straightened his back upon hearing Liang Zhen’s words, as if this would bring him closer to the young man on stage.

He heard Liang Zhen’s voice, narrating, “He comes from Lanzhou, and this is his 937th night and day in Wenzhou….” Liang Zhen used a calm voice to recount his experiences with rap, the highs and lows, the joys and frustrations. Someone in the crowd first turned on their phone’s flashlight mode, and as Liang Zhen finished the last line of the first verse, “But I crossed mountains and rivers for music, for hip-hop,” the crowd joined in a chorus, waving their phones and creating a sea of lights.

Liang Zhen joined them in singing the repeated chorus:

“No matter which mountains

Which lakes or seas I

Crossed mountains and rivers

Just to come to you

No matter which mountains

Which lakes or seas I

Crossed mountains and rivers”

All just to come to you.”

Liang Chongwei had also heard this song. It was very catchy, and the chorus was so memorable that he could sing along after hearing it just once. If he were twenty years younger, he might have sung along just like he did when he first heard rock music. He watched Liang Zhen on stage, the boy accumulating energy under the not-so-bright lights.

And Liang Zhen continued to sing—

This might sound lamentable

But I haven’t faced much stormy weather

Rainbows aren’t that dazzling

Whether I’m humble or arrogant, I could still be envied

Just like Gatsby at the beginning with all his advantages

I could follow the path most people take, why not…

This was the second verse, a self-reflection by Liang Zhen about his current state. He didn’t shy away from discussing his life under Liang Chongwei’s protection for the past twenty years. During his times of uncertainty, he hesitated, wondering if he should just go home and live a stable life as the young master.

But now, he was standing here, with his father listening to him sing from not far away.

My family has wealth

I don’t worry about food and money

Everyone says I’m rebellious for playing around with rap

With so many escape routes, I still chose to crash into the south wall

How should I measure

Love and others’ expectations

If my dad made the choice for me, I’d go back north

With him forging ahead for my future

He doesn’t know that what I seek isn’t fame and fortune

But a cure for the heartache, to know when I can stop hesitating

If I choose to move forward with music by my side

Wouldn’t all this come to life on paper

Liang Zhen paused briefly, still holding the mic with both hands, and said, “So I’m standing on this stage right now.”

As soon as he finished this line, the stage lights swiftly went out and then changed to a colder white. Before the crowd could cheer, Liang Zhen continued singing with a newly added special melody:

I know I can’t become the next Song Yuting

But I also won’t add ‘lil’ before my name

Taking Eminem as an idol

I was born arrogant and wild, neither servile nor overbearing

Because the name Liang Zhen carries my father’s hopes—

In an instant, the accompaniment abruptly stopped. All other stage lights went out seamlessly, leaving only a white spotlight shining down on Liang Zhen. During this break, everyone, including Liang Chongwei, held their breath, watching Liang Zhen spread his arms in that beam of light.

In the silence, with everyone watching, Liang Zhen firmly said:

Listen, I’m A New rap God and REAL.

Those words hit Liang Chongwei’s eardrums. As he saw the lights around the stage turn warm yellow amidst the cheers, he pieced together the first letters of those words to form Liang Zhen’s surname. The impact reached his tear ducts. He blinked his stinging eyes, and amid the moving chorus “only for you,” he saw clearly the boy who took the mic off the stand on stage.

—That was his son, the one carrying the surname he gave. His blood flowed through Liang Zhen, his unique boy.

And that boy was looking at him too—

Hey, this year I’m twenty

Getting closer to the golden age of life

I want to eat, sleep, and become a fleeting cloud

Never give up and always live in the moment

I suddenly understand my father’s painstaking efforts

He hopes I don’t become the oppressed cattle and sheep

He paved the way, hoping I’d suffer less than he did

He loves me

Just as I love him

But no matter how big a safety zone he gives me, I need to grow

And today he’s in the audience—

At this point, Liang Zhen’s voice was trembling, with a nasal tone, repeating several times, “he’s in the audience today.” Liang Chongwei, unsure of what was happening, looked at Shao Mingyin with concern and inquiry.

“He’s fine, he didn’t forget the lyrics,” Shao Mingyin, having read Liang Zhen’s lyrics, knew this was how it was meant to be. “He’s just really happy you’re here today.”

He’ll know his son is forever the wolf of the northwest

Choosing this path without fearing the weight of responsibility

From the Gobi of Jincheng to the lakes and seas of Oujiang, never lost

Shao Mingyin hummed along with the chorus, smiling as he moved his lips. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he glanced at Liang Chongwei, only to find him smiling too. As their gaze lingered, the smile in their eyes deepened. At least for these few lines of the chorus, they let go of everything else, immersing themselves in the melody and the beauty of the music.

When they looked back at the stage, Liang Zhen seemed completely relaxed. Without deliberately finding the beat, Liang Zhen said, I must sing.

I must sing

For the name Liang Zhen, for hip-hop

Shao Mingyin was also curious, not expecting Liang Zhen to continue singing after the hook—

To live up to my ideals

Music and the passing time

I believe I haven’t let that person down

The accompaniment faded away, but Liang Zhen hadn’t finished. At first, Shao Mingyin thought the “that person” Liang Zhen mentioned was his father, sitting beside him.

But when Shao Mingyin looked at Liang Chongwei, he saw Liang Chongwei shake his head with some doubt. They then heard Liang Zhen say, “So standing here, I want to ask him.”

Twenty-year-old Liang Zhen stood on stage, holding the mic, shouting loudly, asking Shao Mingyin—

“Sasha! Would you go back to Lanzhou with me?”

Liang Chongwei watched Shao Mingyin laugh, covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking subtly from the smile.

He had looked in this direction from the stage earlier, knowing that their seats were quite dark, and Liang Zhen couldn’t clearly see Shao Mingyin’s expression or actions from under the spotlight.

But Liang Zhen still accurately looked towards Shao Mingyin, blinking playfully, then kissing his pressed fingers, directing the kiss towards him.

Standing on stage, smiling just as wildly and showing his little tiger tooth, Liang Zhen didn’t know his Sasha was shedding tears, while his father handed him a tissue.

“Sorry… I…” Not expecting himself to cry, Shao Mingyin was a bit incoherent. He didn’t feel any sadness, yet the tears fell. He took the tissue but didn’t use it, just holding it in his hand. Seeing the tears on his lashes softened Liang Chongwei’s heart, and as Shao Mingyin messily wiped his face and looked back at Liang Zhen, he chose to smile.

Liang Chongwei leaned back in his chair, watching both Shao Mingyin and the blurry image of Liang Zhen in his peripheral vision.

Looking at these two young men, he could no longer completely deny them, saying their relationship wasn’t love. But love—

Love.

Liang Chongwei kept repeating the word in his mind as he watched them, love.

His perspective hadn’t changed. He still believed love couldn’t be priced, was elusive, and had no absolute guarantees. Love could change at any moment, just as some fans, knowing Liang Zhen had a partner, still loudly responded “yes” out of affection and admiration.

He knew, and Shao Mingyin surely knew too, that as many people loved Liang Zhen, as many would be willing to go to Lanzhou with him.

But the one who should say “yes” remained silent, because without words, the boy on stage knew his answer. Shao Mingyin wiped the remaining tears from his face, sniffling but still smiling. When he turned his head, unable to hide the emotions in his smile, Liang Chongwei felt a momentary envy for his son.

His son who had love.

That moment made him understand that love was undefined not because it was cheap, but because it was priceless, just like Liang Zhen’s wink and Shao Mingyin’s smile. No one could guarantee absolute safety for tomorrow, but they had each other today, feeling as rich as owning the world.

That moment also made Liang Chongwei give up the idea of separating them. He stood up, patting Shao Mingyin’s shoulder before leaving, a gesture like an elder’s approval.

He should have stayed to celebrate with Liang Zhen after the show, but he left first. As a father, his feelings were complex and subtle, still worrying about his son’s future due to traditional beliefs, yet starting to accept and acknowledge their relationship, knowing these two young men were inseparable like lingering melodies.

They shared the same blood—how could he not understand his son? No matter how many people were willing to go to Lanzhou with Liang Zhen, Liang Zhen only wanted to go with Shao Mingyin.

^[1]Author’s Note Hehe: Lil means little. Some rappers add “lil” before their names, hoping to be as great as their idols one day. Liang Zhen always used his own name, aspiring to be the first … Continue reading