Chapter 84
This was the first trending topic about Su Xingyao's recent activities in a while.
Originally, after everyone witnessed during the finale of "The Voice of Heaven" that the popular masked singer was Su Xingyao himself, his popularity skyrocketed.
After the competition, fans from both identities merged, and with the hit song "Sister," even though he missed the final competition, he genuinely gained a large number of new fans.
At first, everyone thought that Su Xingyao, who had finally become popular, would capitalize on the momentum, using this surge in popularity to seize the opportunity and promote himself as much as possible.
But what happened next surprised everyone.
After that night, Su Xingyao seemed to disappear completely, no longer appearing in the public eye.
For three whole months, fans had no idea about his recent activities, and even the entire entertainment industry was clueless about his recent activities or whereabouts.
Fans inquired with his new company, Lanxing Entertainment, about his recent activities.
The official response was simply that Su Su was in seclusion, busy preparing a new album, and asked everyone to patiently await his return~
Many found this answer hard to believe.
However, just as everyone was wondering what Su Xingyao was up to, a video of him on a foreign island rescuing a mother orca with her calves went viral from abroad back to China.
And this news quickly shot to the top of the trending list.
Qin Mingchuan eagerly clicked on this trending topic and opened the most popular Weibo post.
He barely glanced at what the reposter had written, immediately clicked on the short video.
It was a video of a maritime rescue team saving a mother orca entangled in wire.
In the video, three baby orcas waited in the sea, patiently waiting for the rescuers to free their mother. Once freed, the mother orca led her children to guide the rescuers, swimming alongside them for a very long distance.
Before parting, the mother orca even tossed a devil fish to them as a thank-you gift.
There are many videos of rescuing marine life abroad, and humans rescuing orcas is not the first case.
But this video stood out because of another third-person perspective video posted by netizens during the rescue.
As foreign netizens said, the handsome guy rescuing the orca has such a beautiful face, seeing this video is good for my eyes and mood.
Such an important video was naturally also reposted back.
Right after the first rescue video, this third-person perspective video followed.
This video was shot by a middle-aged lady, who added subtitles while filming to explain what was happening.
In the footage, three baby orcas lingered on the calm sea, circling several boats and trying to interact with humans.
The video shooter herself thought these cute baby orcas were greeting and playing with humans, even reaching out to touch their smooth heads.
But unexpectedly, a handsome guy on a neighboring boat observed the baby orcas for a while, then bent down to communicate with them, and hurriedly followed the baby orcas in his boat.
Curious, she asked her boyfriend to follow in their boat.
When they caught up with the handsome guy's boat, she realized that the baby orcas weren't playing with everyone, but their mother was trapped here by wire and had been calling for human help.
They were so careless that they didn’t notice anything amiss, but the handsome guy was sharp enough to pick up on their signals.
In the video, the lady kept gushing about his looks and thoughtfulness.
However, the guy she kept complimenting throughout the video never once turned to face the camera, even after the orca was rescued.
Everyone was dying to catch a glimpse of him but couldn’t, and just as they wanted her to stop praising his looks, she suddenly pulled in for a close-up—
Against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky, a tall, striking figure appeared in front of the camera.
A young man with stunningly handsome Eastern features was wearing a gentle smile as he watched the playful baby orcas frolicking around him in the sea.
The golden sunlight bathed his white shirt, and the faint red glow highlighted his striking features.
The soft sea breeze tousled his hair, and his eyes, peeking through his tousled hair, radiated warmth.
The sea, the sunset, the orcas, and the young man.
This harmonious scene between man and nature was as serene and picturesque as a masterpiece.
Everyone who suddenly saw this scene was momentarily breathless, feeling a wave of tranquility wash over them.
Although the domestic netizens were prepared based on the trending hashtag, they were still blown away by Su Xingyao when they saw him.
Yes, the guy in the video, seen from a third-person perspective, who patiently deciphered the baby orcas' distress signals and called the marine rescue team to save the orca mother, was none other than Su Xingyao himself.
Qin Mingchuan was lost in a daze as he watched this scene.
His fingers kept rewinding the last five seconds of the clip again and again.
Such a vibrant Su Xingyao seemed far more carefree and content than when he was at the Shen family.
For a moment, Qin Mingchuan’s resolve faltered.
A thought kept echoing in his head.
Perhaps, Xing Yao's departure was the right choice.
Without him, without Fu Qingyan, without the Shen family, and without the interference of everyone from the past, his life felt so much lighter and freer.
While Qin Mingchuan was in an internal struggle, the netizens were already showering him with praise.
"I was always curious about how this video was related to Su Xingyao, but now I get it after seeing the last second."
"Turns out the foreign netizens' gushing over Su Xingyao wasn’t an exaggeration but a factual description."
"No big deal, my Su just effortlessly wowed international fans with his flawless looks."
"Ahhh, I was blindsided by Su Xingyao’s handsomeness again. How could I have been so blind before and never noticed such a good-looking person?"
"Wuwu, the orcas are so cute, and Su Xingyao is so, so, so handsome."
"Honestly, such a harmonious and beautiful scene, I’ve only seen in comics before. Su Xingyao is the living embodiment of a manga character."
"I really want to screenshot this and make it my wallpaper."
Besides praising Su Xingyao's looks, netizens who hadn’t seen his news in a long time couldn’t help but vent their frustrations on the trending topics.
"Su Xingyao, you’ve been laying low for months, only to go abroad and blindside international netizens with your charm. So this is the new trend among you good-looking guys, huh?"
"Bro, you’re red-hot right now, why aren’t you out there working but instead saving a family of orcas abroad? LOL"
"Seriously impressive, I saw the little orca swimming so joyfully in the video—never thought they were actually seeking human help."
"That’s Su Xingyao for you—always thinking ahead. Who else would’ve thought of that?"
"Traveling thousands of miles to save orcas? I’m dying of laughter. Why does Su always pop up in the most unexpected ways and blow up instantly? Hahaha"
"Speaking of which, Su Xingyao, when are you making your comeback in the entertainment biz? I’m kinda itching to see you on a variety show."
"Since we’re trending, might as well ask—anyone know when Su Su’s album drops? I’m dying to hear it!"
The whole thing about a star going abroad for inspiration, accidentally saving orcas, and stunning foreign netizens because he’s too good-looking is downright hilarious. Of course, the gossip-loving netizens are all over this, spreading the story like wildfire.
But netizens figured the buzz would fizzle out after this trending topic. Little did they know, this story was about to get a sequel.
Over on a gossip forum, someone dropped a short video and some screenshots.
OP: Today at an auction, I saw a painting that went for 46 million, and it’s a dead ringer for the orca family Su Xingyao saved...
After sharing the auction video, the OP posted some shots of 'The Orcas' from the scene and compared them to the video screenshots.
Netizens dove into the post, ready for some tea, only to find the two were eerily similar!
Netizens were floored, and marketing accounts wasted no time reposting this bombshell.
"OP, you’ve got the hookups—you’re a gossip goldmine."
"Back then, I thought the scene with Su Xingyao and the orcas looked like a painting—turns out, it literally became one."
"No lie, it’s a 46 million masterpiece—the scene looks straight-up real..."
"With that level of similarity, it’s hard not to think the painter and Su Xingyao were in the same spot, right?"
"It’s gotta be the same orca family, right? Not just the three little ones, but even the injured spots on the mom orca match up perfectly."
"Don’t even say it, but seriously, the mountain in the painting’s background is a perfect match for the video..."
"So, in a way, we’ve not only seen the 46 million masterpiece 'The Orcas,' but also the real deal in action."
"Am I the only one blown away by the price tag... 46 million?!"
After picking apart the similarities, netizens pretty much confirmed that the orcas in S’s painting are the ones Su Xingyao saved.
But whether it was the mysterious S just happening to be there or something else, netizens started speculating.
"Girls, given Su’s track record of miracles, I’ve got a wild theory..."
"Should I say it, I think so too."
"Same here..."
"What’s the guess? Let’s hear it."
Amidst the curious guesses of many casual viewers, someone finally voiced that guess.
"Could this S also be one of Su Xingyao’s amazing friends?!"
The netizens kept analyzing with confidence, even though their logic was sound but their conclusion was off.
After all, the netizens were convinced that geniuses like Lance and Hermann were friends with Su Xingyao.
So it’s no surprise that this up-and-coming artist S also knows Su Xingyao!!
"If S is also Su Xingyao’s friend, then Su Xingyao’s social circle is seriously huge."
"It’s just so wild—does anyone get what I’m saying?"
"Girls, my idol Louis just had an art show with S’s paintings. I’m gonna check it out ASAP."
While the netizens were busy speculating, Qin Mingchuan had already pieced it all together.
He finally got why Lu Jiuxu showed up and was hell-bent on bidding for S’s painting...
Because he knew S was actually Su Xingyao.
He could’ve had an assistant handle it, but he insisted on bidding himself—all for Su Xingyao.
Qin Mingchuan thought about how he’d started bidding but then backed out, feeling completely ridiculous.
He could’ve won Su Xingyao’s painting.
But his indecision made him miss out, again and again.
Just like how things went with him and Su Xingyao.
They could’ve been together, married as planned...
Qin Mingchuan was drowning in regret and bitterness.
The helplessness of not being able to change anything infuriated him.
Qin Mingchuan figured out S was Su Xingyao from the auction, and Wen Ningshu, who’d been tracking Su Xingyao, also had a hunch from the netizens’ post.
To check, she went all the way to the art show in country W that the netizens talked about.
At the Loo Art Museum in country W.
In the stunning gallery, Wen Ningshu walked on, her face blank.
Though she loved art shows, she didn’t even look at the works of the hot young artist Louis.
She had someone take her straight to S’s exhibit.
"Mr. S doesn’t have many paintings, and they’re only here because he’s close friends with Mr. Louis."
"Ms. Wen, you’re in luck. This is the first time Mr. S has shown one of his ‘Choice’ series pieces publicly."
He gestured for Wen Ningshu to step forward.
But his words made Wen Ningshu’s heart skip a beat.
She froze, her legs shaking uncontrollably.
"Mrs. Wen?"
The gentle voice reached her ears once again, and Wen Ningshu took a deep breath this time, stepping forward.
A few moments later, she arrived before the painting mentioned by the other person.
And the moment she clearly saw the content of this oil painting, being exhibited for the first time, her mind went blank.
In a vast sunflower field, a beautiful, kind-faced woman smiled as she bent down with open arms in the rain.
Hidden among the clusters of sunflowers was a tender face where her gaze fell.
A little boy, about four or five years old, held a small umbrella.
His big eyes, filled with hope, looked up at the woman, eager to throw himself into her embrace.
Or perhaps, the innocent child wanted to shield his mother from the wind and rain with the small umbrella in his hand.
Yet, such a loving painting was given a name that clashed with the atmosphere.
The painting was titled "Fantasy in the Rain."
Wen Ningshu stumbled, nearly falling.
The person beside her, immersed in the painting, didn't notice her distress, enthusiastically explaining everything to the distinguished guest.
"The 'Choice' series holds extraordinary significance for Mr. S. To create this series, Mr. S even planted the sunflower field in the painting by hand, one by one."
"It's said that for two weeks, he secluded himself in the sunflower field, from blooming to withering, and completed two paintings."
"This is the second piece in the series."
"Originally, Mr. S never planned to exhibit this painting, but this time he finally agreed..."
Relieved that Mr. S finally agreed to exhibit the painting, the curator's joy was evident.
"Though we may not see the first piece in the 'Choice' series, exhibiting this painting by Mr. S has brought great prestige to our gallery."
Wen Ningshu, already in tears, didn't respond.
The first piece in the series, which the curator said was out of reach, she had seen before anyone else—she even owned it.
But this painting, treasured by the curator, had once been angrily discarded by her like trash in the villa's storage room...
Wen Ningshu returned home, feeling like a soulless puppet.
She clutched the painting "Girl in the Sunlight," which Su Xingyao had sent her on her birthday.
If only she hadn't been so blindly biased against Su Xingyao back then...
If only she had taken the time to really look at this painting...
If only she had loved Su Xingyao like an ordinary mother...
Heavy rain began to fall outside the window.
In the darkness, Wen Ningshu closed her eyes.
The curator's words kept echoing in her mind.
In her daze, she couldn’t stop imagining.
How did Su Xingyao plant each seed in this field, one by one?
And what was going through his mind as he painted alone in his favorite sunflower field?
Was it like the little boy in "Rainy Fantasy," who longed to run into his mother’s arms, dreaming in the pouring rain that she might show him even a little love?
Or did he already know deep down that his mother would still treat him coldly when she came home?
Wen Ningshu couldn’t bear to think about it, but she understood Su Xingyao’s feelings better than anyone.
Because this painting exists in two versions.
The child loved by his mother in the rain was a fantasy he could never realize in his lifetime.
The reality was that his mother didn’t want him—a child rejected by everyone.
Yet even knowing this, he still clung to the naive hope that, without him, his mother could wander freely through her beloved sunflower field and find joy.
No matter how cold and heartless his mother was.
He still painted his imagined mother—radiant and alone in the sunlight—overflowing with love.
Before leaving, he arranged for this gift of good wishes to be delivered to his mother.
Her child had once loved her with all his heart.
Even though she had already wounded him deeply...
Wen Ningshu’s heart shattered.
She knew better than anyone why Su Xingyao had finally decided to exhibit "Rainy Fantasy."
Because putting it on display meant he had truly let go of any hope for her love.
On that cold, lonely rainy night, Wen Ningshu clutched the "Girl in the Sunlight" that Su Xingyao had once given her, her hands shaking as she sent a message from the blocked WeChat account—
Xing Yao, Mom finally gets your painting.
It was her son, after using up the last shred of love he had for her.
Saying his final goodbye to her.