Core theme: This is a story about finding one's own voice amidst mental oppression and rebuilding inner strength in isolation. It explores the difference between "light" and "warmth" - dazzling backlight can make people feel lost, while real warmth comes from inner awakening and mutual protection.
Summary of the story: Eighteen-year-old Li Xiao lived like the shadow of his stepbrother Xu Chen in the light of others for ten years. On the most critical day of the college entrance examination in her life, the whole family was celebrating Xu Chen's award all night long, and no one remembered her exam. She fainted in the examination room and hit rock bottom in her life.
The year she resumed her studies, she moved back to the old house left by her biological mother. Next door lived a blind man named Lu Xian who always played the piano late at night. He couldn't see the music score, but he could always play the incomplete melodies she hummed about her mother and herself. Accompanied by the sound of his piano and silence, Li Xiao's broken self began to be stitched together bit by bit.
However, when she finally got her college admission notice and tried to start a new life, Xu Chen's shadow loomed over her again, accusing her of "stealing life." At the most embarrassing moment, Lu Xian stepped forward and completed the most steadfast protection by saying, "She is here with me every night, using my piano."
The story follows Li Xiao's growth, from the shadow of depression to the vast world, from the desire to be recognized to the establishment of self-worth. She finally understood that the hardships that came against the light were not fate.
