Chapter 6

Lu Yun was not very familiar with songs from the eighties and did not have a precious recording device like a tape recorder. However, Lu Xiang’an owned one and cherished it greatly. After Lu Yun mentioned it to him, he handed her a somewhat large and slightly heavy black tape recorder.

In Lu Yun’s memory, she had used such devices when she was a child to learn English. However, back then, the tape recorders were already smaller, unlike this one that could easily be taken to the square to play dance music for public gatherings.

Since Lu Yun had crossed over, she had not encountered many electronic devices; this tape recorder was the first one she had handled. Cradling it in her arms, she found it quite interesting for a moment.

However, avoiding electronic products, especially mobile phones, had some benefits for Lu Yun. For instance, it helped her break the habit of playing on her phone every night before bed.

After she eliminated this habit, she no longer stayed up late; now, she went to sleep around nine o’clock each night. Having a regular sleep schedule was something she had never dared to imagine before, perhaps only having experienced it during her school days.

In the yard, Lu Yun fiddled with the tape recorder for a while without any sound coming out. Lu Xiang’an approached her and taught her the functions of various buttons. After Lu Yun inserted a tape and pressed the play button again, music gradually filled the air.

“You ask me how deep my love for you is, how much I love you…”

The song playing was “The Moon Represents My Heart.” Lu Yun could even sing a few lines of it. Immediately, she decided this would be the song she would perform at the Mid-Autumn Festival gala at the Cotton Textile Factory.

Lu Yun lay on the table in the yard, with the tape recorder beside her playing “The Moon Represents My Heart.” She hummed softly along with the music, her voice light and gentle.

—o—o—o—

Zhang Hao’s girlfriend had not seen Zhang Hao since they had quarreled over Lu Yun.

She was reluctant to break up with Zhang Hao, especially since he was good-looking and had many girls who admired him.

She had worked hard to win him over. She specifically inquired about Lu Yun and, in the afternoon, went to find Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao looked a bit aloof. “What is it?”

His girlfriend, Li Lan, smiled and said, “Aren’t you helping your brother He chase Lu Yun? Lu Yun will be singing at our factory’s Mid-Autumn Festival gala, performing ‘The Moon Represents My Heart.’ I specifically came to tell you this.”

She nudged Zhang Hao’s arm and added, “About what happened last time, don’t be angry. It was my fault; I won’t say anything next time.”

He Cheng’an came out and noticed the two of them, furrowing his brow but saying nothing.

Li Lan, afraid of him, moved closer to Zhang Hao and waited until He Cheng’an walked away before she patted her chest—feeling relieved.

Li Lan had seen He Cheng’an fight before; he was fierce and intimidating, making her legs tremble.

Zhang Hao glanced at her, said nothing, and followed He Cheng’an.

Zhang Hao took He Cheng’an to the bus station. It was referred to as a bus station, but in reality, it was just a well-known stop, unlike the actual bus station in the provincial city.

There weren’t many people traveling to the provincial city at that time, and the stop was rather empty.

Among the few, there was a couple; the woman was worried as she sent her husband off.

He handed her some crumpled money, which she refused, insisting that even if they were poor at home, he should still take care of himself. She continuously reminded him of various things.

He Cheng’an watched for a while before looking away, his gaze lowered as he lost himself in thought.

This trip to the provincial city was related to the renovation team. He had managed to earn quite a bit through various businesses, making more than those who worked in the factory for a salary.

Recently, he found a new job involving renovations in the provincial city. If the deal went through, he would earn a considerable amount. The renovation team had already given him a heads-up, but he would need to stay in the provincial city for several days this time.

Zhang Hao felt conflicted about whether to mention Lu Yun. If he did, He Cheng’an would undoubtedly rush back, causing some delays. He calculated that if He Cheng’an returned, it would be like creating a disturbance, and he probably wouldn’t be able to handle everything. He felt sympathy for He Cheng’an and ultimately chose not to say anything.

The bus to the provincial city approached, and the ticket seller opened the door, calling out, “Bus to the provincial city! Hurry up and board!”

The people waiting outside hurriedly climbed aboard. Finally, the ticket seller noticed He Cheng’an still standing in place and glanced at the bus, which still had a few empty seats. He quickly asked, “Are you going to the provincial city? We are about to depart.”

He Cheng’an asked, “When is the next bus?”

The ticket seller said, “The next bus is the last one for today, about an hour later.”

He Cheng’an smiled a little. “I won’t take it. I’ll wait for the next bus.”

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Hao. “I’m going to find Lu Yun; you head back.”

He Cheng’an hopped on his bicycle to look for Lu Yun, and Zhang Hao quickly ran to catch up, jogging alongside the bicycle.

Zhang Hao said, “Li Lan mentioned that Lu Yun will be singing ‘The Moon Represents My Heart’ at the Cotton Textile Factory’s Mid-Autumn Festival gala. If you can finish up, make sure to come back!”

He Cheng’an glanced at him. “I know. Didn’t she host the event last year? She’ll probably participate again this year.” As he spoke, his expression darkened; coming back would indeed be troublesome since he had a lot to deal with in the provincial city this time.

After saying this, he left Zhang Hao behind.

Zhang Hao stood there, speechless.

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun saw He Cheng’an, she had just finished work at the Cotton Textile Factory and was heading home.

He Cheng’an stood not far from the alley, holding an ice cream. Lu Yun suddenly realized that aside from helping her carry things last time, He Cheng’an rarely appeared in the alley. She wondered if she had said something to him before.

Lu Yun pursed her lips as she thought of this.

She was about to walk over when He Cheng’an approached her.

He Cheng’an wanted to hand the ice cream to Lu Yun but noticed that it was soft due to the heat. Before Lu Yun could say anything, he said, “Wait for me; I’ll go buy another one.”

He Cheng’an moved quickly and soon returned with a new ice cream.

He peeled back the wrapper and handed it to Lu Yun while keeping the almost melted one for himself.

“Eat it quickly; it’ll melt again soon. I’m heading back,” he urged.

Lu Yun looked at the weather; it was quite hot today, though better than the previous days. She asked, “You came all the way here just to bring me an ice cream?”

He Cheng’an, who had already mounted his bicycle to head back, abruptly halted, standing steady in place. He turned around, gripping the handlebars tightly as sweat began to form on his palms. “I need to go to the provincial city for a bit, but I’ll be back before the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

He added, “If you need anything, go find Zhang Hao first. I’ll bring you something when I return.”

—o—o—o—

The Mid-Autumn Festival gala at the Cotton Textile Factory was held the day before the actual festival. After all, people were busy celebrating with their families during the festival, leaving little time to attend a factory event.

Li Ling rushed over early in the morning. “Cousin, look what I brought you!”

Li Ling handed Lu Yun a dress that looked like a wedding gown popular in the eighties. It was made of pink satin and had a layer of pink tulle on top, giving it a slightly glamorous appearance. The dress shimmered softly in the sunlight.

Li Ling explained, “A few days ago, my boyfriend and I went to the provincial city. We were looking for clothes to wear for our wedding. Originally, we were choosing a red dress, but we found out that they have rental wedding gowns in the provincial city.

They looked stunning! I was so dazzled when I walked in; it was overwhelming. They were a bit expensive, though, six yuan a day, plus a deposit. They said the gown was quite valuable.

I had to wear it for a day, and it would take two or three days to return it to the provincial city. After some hesitation, I negotiated with them. They’ll deliver the gown to me the day before my wedding, and I’ll wear it for a day, then have someone return it the next day.”

She fondled the dress she brought for Lu Yun. “I saw they had more beautiful dresses in the shop. I thought it would look great on you when you sing, so I decided to rent it as well. I rented it for two days—one day today and another tomorrow for the return. They said this isn’t exactly a wedding gown but a cocktail dress.”

With Li Ling’s radiant smile, Lu Yun looked at the vintage dress, something she had only seen online. She expressed her fondness for it but thought she needed to prepare a more substantial wedding gift for Li Ling.

Lu Yun pondered for a moment and asked, “Who paid for it?”

Li Ling replied, “My boyfriend paid for the wedding gown. I didn’t let him pay for your dress; I paid for it myself. But since I rented the wedding gown, they didn’t ask for a deposit.”

—o—o—o—

The Lu family was busy; Zhang Meili had her own factory matters to attend to, and Lu Dong was helping her. As for Lu Xiang’an, he was acting mysteriously, claiming he had something important to do. When he left the house, he was carrying a large bag, so none of them could go to the Cotton Textile Factory to watch Lu Yun sing.

Lu Yun felt indifferent; it wasn’t like the artistic performances she used to participate in at school.

As she watched the Lu family discuss her previous experience as a host, she thought to herself how nice it would be if she could regain her old memories.

That evening, Lu Yun didn’t dare to take too much food in the cafeteria. The dress Li Ling had rented was a bit snug; it had a fitted waist design that clung to her body. Although Lu Yun wasn’t overweight, eating too much wouldn’t look good.

The Mid-Autumn Festival gala at the Cotton Textile Factory was quite impressive. It was said that nearby factories were also organizing similar events, and everyone was determined not to fall behind. They even set aside a special dressing room. However, calling it a dressing room was a bit generous; it was merely an empty room divided by gender where people could change clothes.

Lu Yun sat on a chair in the center, surrounded by people. Her dress was rare, and some of them had never seen anything like it before.

Sister Sun touched the fabric. “Last year, I saw people wearing skirts like this on the Spring Festival Gala at a neighbor’s house. They looked amazing!”

Lu Yun applied a layer of powder, used a match to shape her eyebrows, then put on some lipstick, using it as blush as well. The colors complemented her outfit.

Everyone gathered around, and someone suggested that Lu Yun’s blush would look even better if it were more pronounced. Lu Yun just smiled and remained silent, waiting until it was almost her turn to perform when everyone finally stepped back.

The atmosphere at the Cotton Textile Factory’s Mid-Autumn Festival gala was lively; people were in high spirits, especially with a day off the next day.

When Lu Yun stepped out, she didn’t know who started the applause, but soon, thunderous claps echoed throughout the venue, almost drowning out the music. Standing on the makeshift stage, Lu Yun felt a bit nervous; she hadn’t expected to be this popular.

Chen Zhiqiang was busy handling the gala’s affairs and hadn’t been watching from below.

When he finally had a moment to sip some water, he heard the applause. Standing outside the crowd, he looked towards the stage and was momentarily taken aback at the sight of Lu Yun.

However, since he was a bit far away, he couldn’t see her very clearly; she appeared somewhat blurry. Instinctively, he stepped forward a few paces.

People nearby, aware of Chen Zhiqiang’s connection to Lu Yun, looked at him with envy, and those close to him couldn’t help but comment.

“She’s is absolutely stunning!”

“Chen Zhiqiang, I really envy you,” someone said.

“If anyone could marry Lu Yun, they’d just want to hide under the covers and laugh,” another chimed in.

Sister Sun sat in the audience, covering her mouth as she laughed, clapping enthusiastically. “She looks just like a movie star!” she exclaimed.

Li Ling had come with Sister Sun, and since Lu Yun had asked Sister Sun to bring Li Ling along, the two of them were familiar with each other.

Li Ling nodded in agreement as she listened to Sister Sun praise Lu Yun, fully endorsing her comments.

He Cheng’an pushed his way through the crowd, looking somewhat disheveled, with dirt on his clothes. From a distance, he gazed at Lu Yun. Their eyes met in the air, and He Cheng’an smiled at Lu Yun, then extended his hand to clap, his smile growing brighter.

As the music’s prelude began to play, Lu Yun felt considerably more at ease. Holding the microphone, she knew the sound quality wasn’t the best, but her voice flowed gently like water.

“You ask me how deep my love for you is, how much I love you… My feelings are true, my love is true, the moon represents my heart…”

He Cheng’an’s eyes remained fixed on Lu Yun on stage, softly singing along with her.

His voice was so low that it was barely audible.

—o—o—o—