C1 The Marriage Was Broken and the Love Had Become a Thing of the past

Blue Star, Rhelaweth, Lasthold.

"Butterfly Dreams," a high-end music bar.

A man with unkempt hair and a scruffy beard sat slumped in a corner, nursing a glass of wine.

This disheveled drunkard was none other than the bar's owner!

A slender and charming figure approached the man.

"Qin Mo, let's get a divorce," she said.

She laid the divorce papers on the table.

The woman's petite and delicate face was concealed behind a black mask, her eyes betraying a subtle sorrow.

Her fair skin, picturesque features, and cascading black hair, along with her refined aura and graceful figure, drew the gaze of many patrons in the bar.

Speculation about her relationship with the bar owner buzzed among the customers.

Qin Mo looked up, his expression one of bewilderment.

He had transmigrated!

Memories began to coalesce.

Regrettably, the original Qin Mo had been a heavy drinker, leaving his mind in a fog, and his recollections of this life were somewhat jumbled.

In his past life, Qin Mo was a top-tier talent agent in the entertainment industry; now, he was a nearly thirty-year-old, obscure singer with little fame.

Once a prodigy at the music academy, he had since faded into obscurity, sidelined for years by his former company after a falling out, and he had drowned his sorrows in alcohol, ruining his voice.

The woman before him was Ling Xuerou, his wife in this body's life.

She was his childhood sweetheart.

Currently, she was the youngest and most celebrated triple-threat superstar in the entertainment industry of Blue Star's Rhelaweth!

Throughout their six-year marriage, Xuerou had selflessly nurtured and supported her husband, using her savings to help with household expenses and even opening this stylish music bar for him.

Yet, the original Qin Mo had avoided facing his failures, living in a drunken stupor, too withdrawn to even speak to her.

After years of enduring his emotional neglect, Xuerou had reached her breaking point and decided to let go.

Qin Mo, having pieced together their history, gazed into Xuerou's tear-filled eyes and felt a twinge of compassion.

The poor woman was unaware that her indifferent husband had succumbed to his vices and died of excessive drinking just minutes before.

Although Qin Mo's soul resided in this body, it was his past life's memories and emotions that held sway.

To him, a transmigrator, Ling Xuerou remained a stranger.

Realizing he couldn't offer her happiness, he decided it was best to gracefully let go. Their marriage had never been made public and was platonic, so it wouldn't impact her future.

With a slight smile, Qin Mo picked up the pen from the divorce papers.

He reviewed the agreement and added, "I voluntarily relinquish all claims to property," before signing his name with a flourish.

Ling Xuerou had supported him for nearly seven years.

All the marital assets were earned by Ling Xuerou; he had no right to them.

He handed the divorce papers to Ling Xuerou.

"I'm sorry for any wrongs I've committed in the past," Qin Mo said with remorse.

Feeling that "sorry" didn't carry enough weight, he added, "If there's ever anything I can do to help you in the future, just ask..."

After all, he had been a billionaire agent in his previous life and still had his expertise.

Starting from scratch shouldn't be too difficult, right?

Surprise flickered in Ling Xuerou's eyes.

Qin Mo seemed different!

Pain flashed in Ling Xuerou's eyes; she had once loved this man with all her heart.

During his darkest days, she had offered him the selfless tenderness and patience of a devoted woman.

Yet he remained unrepentant...

Repeated disappointments had turned to despair, and she longed to flee this nightmarish marriage.

"The bar is yours; keep it as a keepsake. I hope you find your footing after I'm gone..."

Qin Mo nodded. He preferred not to dwell on financial matters at the moment, choosing to address them later.

His memories of their marriage were scant, likely dulled by alcohol.

He smiled reassuringly at her, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. And you, take good care of yourself."

Ling Xuerou's tears finally spilled over.

Memories of their childhood love overwhelmed her with a poignant reluctance to let go.

Qin Mo couldn't bear to see her in pain.

He turned away, scanning the room, and noticed a black piano tucked away in a corner of the stage.

Qin Mo offered a smile and proposed, "Let me sing you a song. I hope it helps us both move on from the past and I wish you a future as splendid as brocade."

As Ling Xuerou looked on in astonishment, Qin Mo made his way to the stage and took his place at the piano bench. His long fingers settled on the keys. Music had been his passion in a past life, and in this body, his musical talent and prowess were even more remarkable. He was certain he could do justice to the classic love song etched in his memory.

Patrons at the bar began to recognize him.

"Is the boss about to give us a live performance?"

"Let's witness the boss's talent!"

There were murmurs among the crowd.

"Didn't he ruin his voice a while back? Can he still sing?"

"I've heard the bar's been bleeding money. Maybe they can't afford a band anymore, so he's taking the stage himself."

Truth be told, his voice hadn't been utterly destroyed. It was simply that in this world, where the entertainment industry was behind the times, there were no songs that suited a raspy voice.

Qin Mo leaned into the microphone atop the piano and spoke with a resonant depth.

"Just had a drink and felt like singing. Here's an original, 'When Love Becomes Past,' dedicated to everyone present."

Before stepping onto the stage, Qin Mo had realized that this world lacked the classic entertainment pieces of his former life. Since the lyricist and composer weren't from this world, and with the bar's audience, the cell phone recordings, and surveillance cameras as witnesses, the song was undeniably his intellectual property. It was impossible for anyone to claim it, nor could he disown it even if he tried.

So, he boldly declared it an original.

Perhaps it was Ling Xuerou's sorrow that moved him, but Qin Mo sang with exceptional sincerity.

"Let's not dredge up the past."

"Life's already filled with trials."

"Though memories resist erasure."

"Love and hate persist within the heart."

"Are you ready to sever what's behind?"

"Let's allow tomorrow to unfold."

"Please, cease your inquiries about my life."

Having lived to the age of forty-five on Earth, Qin Mo found an old song like this resonated deeply with him. His voice, husky with the weight of years, filled the bar with its soulful echo.

The room fell into a hushed silence.

The melody was simple yet tinged with sorrow, and the lyrics, unadorned but rich with life's philosophies, touched everyone there to their core.

The words conveyed a reluctance to let go of love, a sense of helplessness against the tides of reality, and a cathartic release from the passage of time.

"Love, it's such a puzzle."

"It leaves you spellbound."

"Maybe you can forget the pain."

"But forgetting you is far from easy."

"You never truly left."

"You're forever in my heart."

"My love for you lingers."

"Yet I'm powerless over myself."

The singer's voice, sad and raspy, captured the song's essence of regret perfectly.

The audience was drawn into the narrative, feeling the sting of heartache.

What kind of experience could lead to such a profound and painful epiphany?

"Why can't you see?"

"With love comes pain."

"Someday, you'll understand."

"Life without me wouldn't be any different."

"Life rushes by so fast."

"I fear a constant blur of tears."

"Forgetting me means no more pain."

"Let the past be carried away by the wind."

As the final note resonated, the room erupted in fervent applause.

The melancholy and remorse seemed to truly scatter with the breeze.

Ling Xuerou paused at the entrance of the bar, her gaze fixed.

Her eyes, brimming with emotion and complexity, silently watched him on stage.

She was taken aback.

Qin Mo hadn't sung in years, always dodging reality.

How had he suddenly found the courage to perform publicly?

And to sing so well, an original piece no less.

The lyrics hit close to home. Ling Xuerou mused that perhaps it would take a long time to heal from this emotional wound.

Her manager, Faang Yaping, approached with purpose.

Dressed in a crisp khaki suit, her short hair and sharp features marked her as a formidable woman.

It was Faang Yaping who had plucked Ling Xuerou from obscurity.

She had spent years elevating Ling Xuerou to the status of a pop diva, confident in her own prowess.

And all the while, she had kept a firm grip on Ling Xuerou's career and personal life.

"Xuerou, is it taken care of?" Faang Yaping asked, her voice devoid of warmth.

Ling Xuerou snapped out of her reverie, dabbing away a tear, "Yes, he's signed it."

"Regarding the division of assets..."

Ling Xuerou shook her head, "He didn't want anything. The bar was my gift to him."

Faang Yaping considered that a non-profitable bar wouldn't make much of a difference and said icily, "Fine, just make sure from now on you prioritize your career. Don't squander time on romantic entanglements! We're leaving!"

With tears brimming in her eyes, Ling Xuerou cast a lingering glance at Qin Mo.

"Pingping, it seems Qin Mo can sing again. May I offer him some assistance?"