To write this biography well, the ailing Dematero, stricken by his literary illness, even went as far as to offend all his fans without hesitation, halting the ongoing serialization of his popur work "Gods."
Naturally, his actions sparked a public outcry—
“What the hell? Has Dematero gone mad? Your integrity is completely ruined! He used to be the madman behind unfinished stories, and now he's sick again?”
“'Gods' is at such a crucial point in its serialization, and now he's doing this. Do you think you're being fair to your loyal fans?”
“This pretentious literary youth, it’s all about marketing. Instead of writing books seriously, he’s just pying tricks…”
“He’s actually writing a biography for a singer. What’s his retionship with her?”
“I’m going from fan to hater. Dematero, as a cultured person, how can he be such a brainless fan of a pop singer? His image is falling apart!”
“Although I’m also a hardcore fan of Xanthia, and she has some good songs, does she really deserve a biography with her fleeting career?”
“To be blunt, it’s only because Xanthia died young that she became famous. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even heard of her. She didn’t even make headlines much while she was alive. This is all just hype. Writing a biography for her? Dematero’s a fool!”
...
Despite the public outrage, there were also many who were curious about why Dematero, a bestselling author at the peak of his career, would make such a drastic decision at such a critical moment.
But this was Dematero!
Alone, he feared nothing anymore. What was the point of becoming a great writer again after losing her?
If he could go back, dreams of becoming a writer would have just been incidental.
The most important thing was that she must be happy and live long.
Dematero chose to face public opinion head-on: “I want to write a biography for her. I want everyone to remember that she once graced this world!”
This definitely stirred up a storm. He was actually going against the world for a deceased female singer!
What an act of adolescent recklessness, even at his age.
As expected, the fans’ furious criticism followed—live broadcasts burning his books and sending him razor bdes. They felt they had been blind to support him in the past!
However, despite offending countless fans, Dematero’s actions unexpectedly earned him the friendship of Dionysius, Santos, and others, naturally integrating into their circle.
To write this biography of Xanthia in detail, Dematero certainly needed more material.
But he only knew Xanthia’s personal side; her life as a tycoon’s daughter and her career were all hazy to him.
Now, with Dionysius, Santos, and the others providing him with material, he naturally gained a fuller understanding of Xanthia. The process of writing this biography could be described as a “brainwashing” process.
He poured all his emotions for her into this biography.
In the final conclusion, he naturally included the lyrics of the song "Like Smoke."
With the help of Dionysius and others, Dematero’s biography, simply titled "Fate," smoothly went to publication.
The st posthumous work of Xanthia’s song "Like Smoke" was also released, sung by former band guitarist Santos.
He sang with extreme seriousness and dedication, breaking down in tears several times during the recording process. Even Dematero couldn’t help but marvel at how loyal and touching the guy was.
Undoubtedly, after Xanthia’s death, the band "Meeting," centered around her as the lead vocalist, disbanded.
Dematero mingled with people like Dionysius and Santos, who were skilled in music, and was greatly influenced by them.
He even regretted not having joined Xanthia’s career earlier. If he had, he wouldn’t have misunderstood her, and could have been her official lyricist. As a poet, he was fully capable of it!
Xanthia remained innocent until her death. Her frail body couldn’t have possibly “imparted” what he had imagined.
He had been so paranoid, too caught up in writing about jealousy. His mind had run wild with thoughts.
Sigh, every time he thought about it, his heart ached again. He hated his own selfishness. Why couldn’t he have raised his head and cared more about her back then? How much of a fool was he!
After the release of "Like Smoke," although the song’s popurity wasn’t particurly high at this time—Xanthia had been dead for so long, and time would eventually forget everything—its lyrics, without a repeated verse, still amazed countless listeners.
It even garnered a nomination for Best Lyrics at the Oscar Golden Musical Awards and eventually won.
Clearly, its nature as a “posthumous work” pyed a significant role. Judges always loved this kind of “storytelling,” and it had strong visual and mental appeal.
Dematero attended that year’s Golden Musical Awards and choked up several times while accepting the award. Now, everyone knew how much regret and remorse he had for Xanthia’s death.
The specutions online were rampant until the release of his life’s masterpiece—"Fate," and then everyone suddenly realized!
This time, everyone was stunned!
Even those who had sworn never to read Dematero’s trash novels again were caught off guard—
“Is there really such a wonderful girl in this world? I regret not becoming her fan earlier!”
“Never thought I’d be so engrossed in a biography one day. Dematero, you old scoundrel, you’ve really done it!”
“Wonderful! So it turns out you, old scoundrel, are that scumbag. Do you think writing this biography can redeem you? No, I curse you to live forever in this infernal abyss…”
“Watching her fingertips vanish like smoke~~~ such a perfect girl, disappearing like smoke, all we can do is sigh.”
“Xanthia is magnificent, no further words needed!”
...
Dematero’s biography truly achieved something remarkable—it made countless people remember this girl, dazzling and brief like fireworks.
But his inner guilt continued to haunt him; he could never let go of her throughout his life.
The timeline began to jump again, and Dematero no longer knew how old he was. He only knew that he was numbed by pain.
He really couldn’t squeeze out any more anguish. The unseen puppeteer had been too ruthless…
Yet he still remembered that every year on this day, he would visit Xanthia’s grave with his friend Dionysius, or as he had come to think of him, his “brother-in-w.”
The cemetery was nestled in the mountains, incredibly serene.
Dionysius told him that Xanthia had been there as a child and had even pnted a mango tree.
This year, when Dematero saw the tree again, a line of ancient text suddenly fshed in his mind: “In the garden stands a mango tree, pnted by my wife, in memory of her death. Now it stands tall and elegant.”
After they finished paying their respects, Dematero got into the inconspicuous car driven by Dionysius, a modest and unpretentious brand. Inside the car, the song "Like Smoke" pyed.
Suddenly, he remembered something and congratuted Dionysius, “I saw the news. Your grandfather is holding a press conference tomorrow to officially announce that you will be the sole heir of the Papadopoulos familia. Congratutions!”
Dionysius shook his head, his enthusiasm fading, “There’s nothing to congratute. What’s the point of all this?”
“Is there a tomorrow where I can start over, to relive the wasted yesterday…”
Just as the song reached this point, a muddy truck came speeding and crashed violently into their inconspicuous car!
As Dematero lost consciousness, he saw only an incredibly attractive and imposing woman in red fiercely attacking Dionysius, “You wild dog, do you dare to try to take over the Papadopoulos familia? Stop dreaming, you useless waste who couldn’t even protect Xanthia!”
Dionysius fell into a pool of blood, staring fixedly at her, struggling to speak, “Susan…! So… rry…”
Dematero’s final thought was—
Oh well, let death come. It’s better to go early and be with Xanthia.
He had had enough of this world!
The next moment, he abruptly woke up, and to his surprise, he heard the long-lost voice of Xanthia—
Come on, come onMove a little closerCome on, come onI want to hear you whisperCome on, come onSettle down inside my love!!!~
