Beautiful Love Story Selected: Letter to Nana and Zhang Jie
He was a boy who grew up in a modest home in Xinjin, with a simple dream of one day buying a house for his parents, where they could plant flowers. He graduated from an ordinary high school, attended an ordinary university, and if not for a twist of fate, he would have had an ordinary job, found an ordinary wife, and together they would have saved diligently to fulfill his promise to his parents.
She was a girl who grew up in Chengdu, an ordinary girl without striking looks but with a kind heart and a lively, carefree personality. “Nana, how will you ever get married acting like that? Who would dare marry you?” the elders would say with concern. But she didn’t care; all she wanted was to carve out her own path. She graduated from the same ordinary university, with a degree that had nothing to do with hosting, and she bravely moved to Changsha to join Hunan TV.
In the summer of 20xx, he participated in a show called My Show. At that time, he was a boy so plain that he was almost invisible—wearing a loose T-shirt, with short hair dyed blonde. He was so unremarkable, but when he opened his mouth to sing, the entire audience fell silent.
That summer, he became the champion, and although he wore a cheap suit when he won, the confidence and defiance surrounding this boy foreshadowed an extraordinary life ahead. Though he was only 21, countless pop stars had praised his singing. It seemed that his path ahead was smooth.
She was then at a high point in her career, having finally established herself at Hunan TV as an excellent host, with a man as charming as a prince by her side. This man had a tall stature, broad shoulders, sculpted features, and melancholic eyes.
Any woman who looked at him twice would blush and walk away. She held this prince-like man and smiled sweetly, but deep down she worried—how long would this outstanding man stay by her side?
Later, he discovered that the road ahead of him was full of thorns. No matter how hard he tried, he remained in a state of half-success, half-obscurity. Even Harry Xu, who once admired him greatly, was confused. His singing began to lose confidence, and as newer talents emerged, he was eventually abandoned.
The new artists had powerful fan bases, while he had only a few die-hard fans at his signing events. In front of those vibrant newcomers, he seemed so inexperienced and shabby. His new album was hastily put together, becoming a victim of power struggles. When he complained to his new boss about the noise on his album, the man in the boss’s suit coldly replied, “Do you think you even deserve to sing these songs? You better stop dreaming!”
Eventually, the prince-like man grew tired and turned to the arms of a foreign woman, forgetting the promises he once made. She couldn’t believe it but eventually accepted the truth as fate.
From the start, she was the weaker party in this love affair, and almost everyone believed that her lively, carefree personality made her nothing more than a sidekick, unworthy of the perfect prince. She finally broke down during a show, only to be accused of using her ex-boyfriend for publicity. Publicity? Did she really need it? All I knew was that she was the queen of variety shows in China, hosting the highest-rated programs.
Rumors began to circulate about her and him, but everything seemed unclear. People assumed it was just two struggling individuals trying to make a comeback. Sarcasm and ridicule followed. A friend who was infatuated with the prince said to me, “How could Xie Na like Zhang Jie? He’s nowhere near Liu Ye.” I didn’t respond, but silently tasted the sudden bitterness—I couldn’t find the words to refute her.
The prince was synonymous with luck and perfection. He inexplicably starred in a popular TV drama and then quickly rose to fame, getting noticed by an internationally renowned actress, which led to him starring in several international films, effortlessly becoming a leading star. His lazy gaze seemed to mock all those who worked hard but couldn’t achieve success.
As for him, the boy who grew up in a red-tiled house seemed to be synonymous with bad luck—releasing two albums but gaining only a few fans. So, when people talked about him, they would say, “He’s a great singer, but he doesn’t have the star quality.”
After three years, he didn’t even have a manager. To save money, he rode a bike to work. He was drifting further from his dreams, but luckily, he still had her, and a group of loyal friends. He could appear on their shows, earn some appearance fees, and stun the audience with his beautiful high notes. But his relationship with her remained ambiguous.
Even though people would joke about the two of them, they never admitted anything. But once, I captured a moment: his gaze drifted past He Jiong’s shoulder, and he smiled at her. Happiness filled the air at that moment.
In April 20xx, he made headlines—My Show champion Zhang Jie defected to join Super Boy. The doubts and criticisms came wave after wave! What right did an artist who had released two albums have to participate in a talent show? Three years had been enough to turn the spark in this boy’s eyes into weariness, but it couldn’t change the kindness and innocence in his bones. He was still the same silly boy, a great singer but awkward in conversation. He scratched his head and awkwardly said, “I just want to sing.” I laughed out loud—this fool, after all this time in the entertainment industry, still couldn’t say a few polite words.
He stumbled his way forward, carrying 100 times the pressure of others right from the auditions. I once hated a man named Hei Nan intensely because he was always so biased. Even when his performance was perfect, Hei Nan always found a flaw. During the Top 50 to Top 10 round, he was constantly in danger, and in the end, he had to compete with three other contestants for the last spot in the Top 10. She, as the host of this competition area, had a glimmer of tears in her eyes. When the music started, and the spotlight focused on him, I was once again stunned. Unlike three years ago when I was amazed by his voice, this time my heart was shaken.
What a desperate cry! What deep emotions! My heart ached—how much hardship had this 24-year-old kidman endured! Finally, he made it to the Top 10, along with the reluctant acknowledgment of that stern-faced man and a surge in fans.
In the final battle for the championship, he finally became the champion of the Chengdu region.
Although the record company executives had humiliated him as if by mutual agreement, the number of votes he received in text messages mercilessly humiliated those self-righteous executives. When he drew the sword symbolizing victory, joy flashed in his eyes.
And what about her? To avoid putting him in an awkward position, she gave up the chance to host the Chengdu finals. Later, she even gave up the opportunity to host the national finals, just because she couldn’t bear to hear that flowery woman’s sarcastic comments about the songs he poured his soul into. How foolish she was! The finals’ viewership ratings were so high that even the supporting judges became famous overnight. She could have solidified her position as the queen of variety shows, but for him, she gave it all up.
But then, unbelievably, she returned to the stage that had once hurt her, facing the same woman who had caused her pain. She did it all for him, hoping to help him reach the Top 3. On stage, she danced with him, moving together as if perfectly choreographed. When their eyes met, there was only each other in their gaze. Bao Xiaobo said, “A perfect match.” The two of them smiled shyly yet proudly.
In the end, he lost, defeated by the public judges, defeated by the combined forces of the other two fan groups.
He lost because he cared too much about gain and loss, believing that a better ranking could give him more opportunities, perhaps even allowing him to buy a house full of flowers for his parents.
He lost because of his unwavering self-confidence, his hard work, and his natural talent, which he took pride in. So, he tried every genre, proving that he could sing anything.
He lost because he didn’t know how to deal smoothly with everyone, to give speech after speech, or to hide his anxieties and pretend to be calm.
He lost, and it was a crushing defeat, one that made the two hosts who always joked about him cry uncontrollably.
He lost so badly that even the judges helplessly told him to accept his fate.
He lost so tragically that the nine contestants who had been brought back to the stage, lined up in a row, cried until their faces were red.
And at that moment, on stage, he was the only one smiling, his face relaxed. He took the microphone and, in his silly but sincere way, said, “The person I’m most grateful for is Nana.” At that moment, the whole audience erupted in applause. Everyone was moved by him. That stammered, simple speech was as pure and beautiful as the most touching lines in a Korean drama. I hadn’t planned to cry, but I was moved to tears by this confession. At that moment, I understood love.
He continued, “I want to thank her for always encouraging me to try different types of songs. I’m no longer just a ballad singer; Zhang Jie can sing anything!”
There was something sparkling in his eyes again—I believe
it was tears of happiness. The director cut to the woman with flowers, her eyes wide as bells, seemingly unable to believe that this silly boy had just made such a confession to a woman on a program seen by the whole world.
His eyes were full of affection as he put down the microphone and turned around gracefully. The Top 9 surrounded him as if surrounding a true king as they left the stage. In the four years since this show started, everyone’s departure had been down the stage on an elevator. No one had ever enjoyed such a grand treatment. I think everyone understood that he was the real champion, including the so-called Top 3; otherwise, their figures wouldn’t have been so lonely, like three forgotten wanderers.
As the dazzling lights shone down, he turned away gracefully, leaving behind only the most beautiful brilliance. Watching his thin back, I suddenly heard her softly singing, “…I can’t give you the happiness you want, I’m not afraid to become your friend instead…” My eyes welled up with tears as I said, “From now on, you must give him his happiness, and you must also seek your happiness from him! And I will defend you with all my might.”
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
