Chapter 47

In the face of happiness, mistakes are insignificant.

When the bass drum missed a beat, no one noticed.

People only saw the man who sat silently and calmly at the back of the stage, the man who, with his own strength, kept tonight’s rhythm—on the verge of falling apart—accurate and stable. When his gaze lifted across the cymbals, his eyes and actions—or rather, his entire being—froze.

His hand, gripping the drumstick, hesitated unconsciously, and the foot that was supposed to stomp the bass drum stayed still, as if he had forgotten to press down, doubting the reality of the moment.

The person he thought he wouldn’t see for another week, who had appeared in his dream last night, was standing right here, like a tall, elegant flower blooming only in response to his gaze amidst the dim, hazy atmosphere.

After two seconds of being stunned, a faint smile lifted the corners of Xiang Feiran’s lips as his eyes met hers above the audience pool.

Shang Mingbao didn’t wave at him. She merely tilted her head slightly, with her hands clasped in front of her, holding an evening bag. Under the halter-style qipao, a slender and delicate shoulder dimpled slightly with each deep breath. Because her collarbone had been highlighted, it looked like it was holding a shimmering pool of pearlescent water.

‘Can we sit now?’ Shang Mingzhuooo teased her.

The two of them followed the waiter to the dining area and took their seats. After ordering two glasses of wine and some snacks, Shang Mingbao tucked ten one-hundred-dollar bills between the pages of the menu and told the waiter, ‘Send a bouquet to the drummer for me. Keep the change and Happy New Year.’

It was hard for the waiter to control his gaze and the corners of his mouth. He wondered if tonight was just a bit too joyful… like money falling from the sky.

With her hand propping up her cheek, Shang Mingzhuooo tapped her face with her fingers. ‘Hmm… as expected, he’s a famous male fox.’

With her sister’s teasing, Shang Mingbao couldn’t help but blush, though she tried to stay calm. ‘His looks are just his least noteworthy quality.’

Shang Mingzhuooo looked at her with great interest and clicked her tongue lightly.

‘He’s pretending to be mute here, so don’t talk to him later,’ Shang Mingbao reminded her.”

“Shang Mingzhuoo choked, ‘Huh?’

‘This way, he doesn’t have to talk,’ Shang Mingbao explained seriously. ‘He doesn’t talk much and will avoid speaking if he can.’

‘Does he talk much with you?’

‘…’

A lot, actually.

Shang Mingzhuoo pursed her lips and said deliberately, ‘It sounds like being with him is pretty boring.’

Shang Mingbao angrily denied it, ‘Not at all.’

‘Then what’s interesting about it?’ Shang Mingzhuoo leaned forward, ‘Tell me, does Xiang Bo say sweet things?’

Shang Mingbao bit her lip and didn’t answer, but the ear holding the white pearl earring was already bright red.

Shang Mingzhuoo raised an eyebrow, ‘Oh… so not only does he say them, but he says them really well.’

Shang Mingbao looked at her pleadingly, ‘Second Sister…’

Shang Mingzhuoo realized that if she kept going, Mingbao might get mad, so she laughed to herself and wisely dropped the subject.

She had always enjoyed teasing Mingbao, because Mingbao was like a cute toy that made sounds. If you poked her, you’d get all sorts of interesting reactions—crying, laughing, anger, shyness, confusion, thinking, or shock, all very obvious. Mingzhuoo had her own lab at Deep Water Bay, and she’d loved doing experiments since middle school. Usually, she didn’t need an audience, but Mingbao was the exception.

Every time she saw the vivid, colorful chemical reactions, with pops, crackles, and smoke, Mingbao would exclaim, ‘Wow!’

At thirteen, Mingzhuoo had seriously considered what she’d say when accepting the Nobel Prize: ‘Lastly, I want to thank my little sister babe, because her adorable reactions made me feel like a magician…’

Of course, there were times when things exploded. Mingbao’s face had been blackened, and her hair stood up like a sea urchin from static electricity, yet she still looked at her with confused and starry eyes, ‘Wow… Second Sister, is babe today’s experiment result?’

Mingzhuoo, thinking of this, dug out a photo from her cloud storage on her phone. ‘Hey, here’s your sea urchin photo from when you were five.’

Mingbao: ‘!!!’

‘I’ll show it to Xiang Bo—’

‘I’ll go bash my head against a wall right now!’

Mingzhuoo put her phone down, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

As a song finished, the lead singer chatted to warm up the crowd. Xiang Feiran twisted open a bottle of water, drinking as he watched the two of them. Mingzhuoo and Mingbao didn’t look alike, so Xiang Feiran assumed she was a friend of Shang Mingbao’s.

His girlfriend was dressed too stunningly today, in a purple qipao skirt that hugged her curves. Her long chestnut hair, smooth as silk, was obediently tucked behind her ears, revealing that pearl earring.

Xiang Feiran was so mesmerized by her that he didn’t notice a waiter stepping onto the stage, holding a large bouquet of vibrant flowers.”

His footsteps stopped in front of Xiang Feiran. He bent down, offering the bouquet and said, “Felix, a guest has sent you flowers.”

Xiang Feiran’s first reaction was to refuse. In the past, guests often tried to buy him a drink or give him flowers, but he always declined, especially since Shang Mingbao was in the audience today.

He waved his hand and slightly nodded toward the lead singer, signaling the waiter to give the flowers to the singer or the guitarist instead.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” the waiter said politely.

He couldn’t tell Xiang Feiran who had sent the flowers because the lady had specifically asked for confidentiality.

The bouquet was so conspicuous that it quickly became the center of attention, and with the lead singer adding fuel to the fire, the whole crowd started whistling and cheering.

Xiang Feiran instinctively looked at Shang Mingbao, who indeed looked somewhat puffed up with anger.

Xiang Feiran: “…”

He was in a difficult situation. He grabbed his phone from a nearby utility box, typed a few words, and then took the flowers from the waiter, walking over to the lead singer and asking him to read it.

“Uh… guys, this kid says…” The lead singer leaned on the microphone stand, glanced at Xiang Feiran, then cleared his throat: “He says thank you to the stranger who sent the flowers, but his girlfriend is in the audience, and he hopes to get through the remaining few hours peacefully… So, OK, OK,” the lead singer stopped reading, took the flowers, “I’ll take them, I’m single.”

The audience burst into laughter. After getting rid of the hot potato, Xiang Feiran returned to his drum set without any extra movements, as if the gazes, whistles, and teasing laughter had nothing to do with him.

Shang Mingbao: “…”

Shang Mingzhuoo was already laughing so hard that she couldn’t straighten up, watching Shang Mingbao furiously typing.

The way she was tapping the screen made Xiang Feiran sense a murderous intent, even from ten meters away. He instinctively felt something was wrong and frowned as he opened WhatsApp.

Shang Mingbao: [That was from me!!!]

A fit of violent coughing made the other four band members turn their heads. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xiang Feiran crushed the water bottle in his hand, then put down his phone expressionlessly, walked to the lead singer, took back the flowers from his arms, and returned to his drum stool.

The band: “…”

The lead singer quipped into the microphone: “See, that’s why it’s good to be mute. You don’t have to explain anything; you just pretend nothing happened.”

Shang Mingbao slumped over the table, her hands crossed in front of her, covering her face and eyes. Even though no one knew the flowers were from her, she still couldn’t stop sweating, and the redness of her ears was quite conspicuous against the pearls.

As the performance started, Xiang Feiran finished typing a line, hesitated about whether to send it, and decided to put down his phone for now.

To be honest, he just thought it was too noisy earlier. Stripped of the actual meaning of words and laughter, it was just a simple wave of sound. When it’s quiet, he imagines himself in the polar regions; when it’s noisy, he imagines himself in the rain. That’s all it takes. With that, he can reduce his worries by ninety percent and only see his own heart.

The performance was too long for anyone to handle, so there would be a break at eleven o’clock.

Before the last song, Xiang Feiran sent Shang Mingbao a message.

Three concise words: [Come backstage]

After reading the message, Shang Mingbao pressed her lips together, her gaze lowering beneath her thick lashes.

Shang Mingzhuoo saw through it at a glance: “Did he ask for you?”

Shang Mingbao, with her hands folded on her knees, didn’t dare to meet her second sister’s eyes, nodding like a primary school student.

Shang Mingzhuoo’s lips curled up, her tone light: “Then why are you wasting time here?”

How interesting, as soon as she got up to leave, the steady drumming on stage that had lasted all night faltered.

As soon as the last song ended and the applause began, the lead singer was still taking off his guitar, but the drummer was already nowhere to be seen.

The bouquet also disappeared along with him.

Shang Mingbao had already arrived early. Led by a waiter, she passed through a quiet, unnoticed passage and waited at the door of the backstage lounge.

When she heard the front stage music stop, her heart reached an unprecedented peak.

The echo of the sound waves still reverberated in her eardrums, but she could hear her own heartbeat, the warm air carrying the moisture of her breath.

Her breath was like a countdown in her heart. Before it reached the tenth second, she saw a pair of black-and-white Vans shoes in her lowered field of vision.

After two seconds, the left foot in those shoes unceremoniously moved between her boots, pressing her against the door.

If one is mute, going straight for a kiss also makes sense.

Xiang Feiran pressed a kiss onto her while turning the door handle to the lounge, pushing her inside.

The bouquet was too large, and as he moved through the door, it brushed against the frame, slowly shedding a few vibrant petals.

Before the petals hit the ground, Xiang Feiran kicked the door shut with the tip of his foot, followed by an unhesitant click of the lock.

While kissing, he removed the black noise-canceling headphones from both of his ears.

He had been performing for two hours straight, so his grip was too strong—Shang Mingbao let out a small “hmm” as he accidentally hurt her.

The petals had long since fallen quietly to the ground.

Upon hearing her soft moan, Xiang Feiran’s grip loosened, switching to holding her legs instead. His strong arms, with veins so prominent, pressed down on her qipao, leaving creases and pinning her legs together so tightly that the pressure created a strange, aching sensation.

Shang Mingbao wrapped her arms around his neck, freeing one hand to take away the bouquet she had given him, which at this moment seemed to be in the way. She threw it aside.

She wanted Xiang Feiran to hold her with both hands.

The hand he now had free was up to no good. He unhooked her clasp beneath the qipao and then moved his hand to her chest, pushing up the padded cup.

The pressure was still too much. Tears welled up in Shang Mingbao’s eyes. After they shared a couple of brief kisses, she had to stop, panting heavily.

Xiang Feiran’s forehead, damp with sweat, hung in front of his eyes, obscuring his gaze.

His eyes were calm but deep. Shang Mingbao, under his steady gaze, surrendered first, placing her hand on his arm and tracing the path of his veins down to interlock their fingers.

Xiang Feiran used his other hand to touch her face, his eyes clearing from their previous desire, and he chuckled softly, “Who gave you permission to throw away my flowers?”

This was the first time he had received flowers from someone—he had just typed a hesitant message on his phone that said exactly that.

The last time he received flowers was when he won a gold medal at the Olympics and a reporter from a local station gave them to him, saying they would look good on camera.

Xiang Feiran looked at Shang Mingbao for a moment but ultimately did not tell her.

It was a small thing, but if this were to be treated as a “first” to be taken seriously, there would be many such “firsts” of the same standard. In the future, he might not be able to recall them all.

When a knock sounded on the door, Shang Mingbao was kneeling on him, her qipao unfastened to reveal more than intended under the light.

One hand fumbled for a while on the bench in front of the wardrobe before finding the vibrating phone.

The chat group was full of mentions and question marks directed at him.

Xiang Feiran quickly typed four letters: [wait]

Outside the door, there were four messages: wait? How long are you going to make us wait?

Inside, with the room’s warmth, Shang Mingbao was sweating and weakly clinging to Xiang Feiran, whispering, “Is the soundproofing good?”

“Not good.”

Shang Mingbao covered his mouth, accepting her role as his accomplice: “Then don’t talk.”

Xiang Feiran smiled, lifting her wrist and leaning in to kiss her, “Use this to make it more effective.”

His kiss slowed, no longer aggressive, but tenderly savoring her lips, his breath mingling with hers.

The noise outside died down as the band members returned to the front stage to join the drinking crowd.

“Why did you suddenly come over?” Xiang Feiran asked while gently massaging her ear and earlobe.

“I missed you,” Shang Mingbao said. “I couldn’t bear to let you spend New Year’s alone.”

“Say it again.”

“Hmm?”

Xiang Feiran pointed to his ears, “I can’t hear clearly.”

Shang Mingbao frowned in confusion, “Are you lying?”

“Really,” Xiang Feiran said without changing his expression, his gaze unwavering and sincere: “After drumming for three hours, my ears are temporarily damaged.”

He wasn’t exactly lying, as drumming does affect hearing, but he heard her last words clearly.

He just wanted to hear it again.

Shang Mingbao repeated, “Because I missed you, I didn’t want you to spend New Year’s alone.”

Xiang Feiran’s expression did not change, and Shang Mingbao thought he still hadn’t heard clearly. She pressed her lips to his ear and said word by word, “Because I missed you, and I want to spend New Year’s with you.”

After pausing, she sincerely asked, “Did you hear clearly this time?”

Her voice was cut off by Xiang Feiran’s tight embrace.

He held her so closely, pressing her back, wrapping her waist, and resting his face against her neck as if to merge her into his body.

Spending New Year’s alone wasn’t a big deal, but having her made it feel particularly unbearable.

Shang Mingbao stopped speaking. At this moment, her hearing surpassed his, catching the sound of his heart beating strongly and steadily, intertwining with hers, making it hard to distinguish whose was faster.

Amid the long and heated breaths, Xiang Feiran uncontrollably said, “Don’t leave tonight.”

He knew it was unlikely, as if it was just to express his current feelings.

“That’s not possible…” Shang Mingbao hesitated and softly refused.

Xiang Feiran smiled, “I know. How about until midnight?”

Was this a compromise or just an advance?

It was an advance.

Before she arrived, he had prayed for a miracle, hoping to see her for just a second at the end of the year, just as she had reappeared in his life after three years.

Does anyone know that from meeting her to kissing her, it only took him five days and a wait of one thousand one hundred eighty-five days?

Shang Mingbao nodded, “Even after midnight, there’s no rush to leave, Brother Feiran,” she said seriously, “Let’s spend New Year’s together. During the countdown, please look at me, okay?”

The feeling of being requested for love captured Xiang Feiran’s breath and tightened his heart.

The love of being needed. Not a love without a place to be used.

The time was almost up, with the electric guitar’s warm-up sounds beginning.

Xiang Feiran helped her fasten her dress and asked, holding both her hands, “If we go back at dawn, won’t your parents mind?”

Shang Mingbao’s face was buried in his shoulder, her voice muffled as she said, “They don’t mind. My second sister is with me today, and they trust her not to cause trouble.”

Xiang Feiran: “…”

His movements stopped. After confirming the buttons were in place, he adjusted her position in front of him, looking at her seriously and examining her three times.

Her lips were swollen.

Her eye makeup was slightly smudged.

Her clothes showed signs of disarray.

Perfect. The first impression was already a negative.

Although he didn’t need a final impression, creating a good image in front of her family to prove that she was a reliable girl was also his duty.

Xiang Feiran rubbed Shang Mingbao’s lips and smiled, “What should we do?”

He rarely showed such a helpless expression, but after thinking it through, it seemed there was no way to fix it.

Shang Mingbao’s ears were also burning as she softly said, “It’s okay. We’ve been out for almost half an hour; no one would believe we were just chatting.”

Xiang Feiran: “…”

Her reassurance somehow made it feel worse, as if it was an admission of guilt.

He clarified, “Half an hour isn’t enough. You’ve tried that before.”

After returning to her seat, Shang Mingbao pretended to be nonchalant, took a sip of her drink, and wiped her lips with a napkin. She knew she couldn’t hide it from her second sister; her whole routine seemed to be an obvious attempt to cover up.

But Shang Mingzhuo didn’t notice these details. Instead, she was frowning deeply, seemingly lost in thought.

Shang Mingbao had to snap her fingers in front of her sister’s face, “Second sister?”

Shang Mingzhuo came back to her senses, “Oh, you’re back?” She looked at her watch, “That was quick.”

Shang Mingbao: “…Half an hour is already quite a long time!”

Shang Mingzhuo: “Half an hour is long?”

Shang Mingbao’s face turned red, almost in tears, “I can’t understand what you’re saying!”

Shang Mingzhuo: “A date.”

Shang Mingbao: “…”

Shang Mingzhuo tapped the table with her knuckles, “I just suddenly thought of something—an idea inspired by Xiang Bo’s research.”

“Really?” Shang Mingbao looked at her with disbelief.

What, had she already understood his research and applied it to her own field so quickly? Is this the world of PhDs?

“When I’m old and have to attend academic conferences I don’t want to go to, I’ll just pretend to have dementia,” Shang Mingzhuo said seriously.

“…” Shang Mingbao finally couldn’t hold it in any longer, “Second sister!”