Chapter 41

The security checkpoint had only a few people, and most of the audience had already entered the venue. Instead of heading directly towards the stage, Qin Qingzhuo took Jiang Ji to the beer square on the east side of the venue. Stopping at one of the stalls, he turned to Jiang Ji, eyes shaded under the cap, and asked, “How’s your tolerance for alcohol?”

“It’s okay,” Jiang Ji replied.

“With your personality, saying it’s ‘okay’ means it’s quite good,” Qin Qingzhuo turned to the vendor and said, “Give us a pitcher of wheat beer.”

“I have to drive back later,” Jiang Ji reminded Qin Qingzhuo.

“Just focus on drinking,” Qin Qingzhuo said, “Don’t worry about anything else.”

Taking a pitcher of beer from the vendor, Jiang Ji followed Qin Qingzhuo towards the main stage.

The performance had already been underway for quite some time, and the front rows of the audience waving their arms seemed to be fully immersed. Qin Qingzhuo found a relatively quiet spot facing the main stage on the grassy lawn. “Here is good.”

The view wasn’t perfect, but Jiang Ji wasn’t eager to dive into the crowd. Besides, both he and Qin Qingzhuo were quite tall, so their line of sight easily cleared the crowded heads and reached the stage.

Jiang Ji opened the can tab with one hand, handed the beer to Qin Qingzhuo, and opened one for himself. Tilting his head back, he took a few sips.

The bands performing were of good quality, and many of them were regulars on his playlist. Some of them had even appeared on Qin Qingzhuo’s car playlist.

Surrounded by various sounds, the slightly bitter taste of the beer slid down his throat as he listened to the music. This mildly dizzy feeling made him feel quite comfortable.

Since Jiang Keyuan’s death, he hadn’t relaxed like this.

No, perhaps even earlier, he hadn’t relaxed like this since coming to Yancheng.

When he put on his headphones, the music could also help him relax, but he could sense that it was a kind of illusory security.

Standing beside Qin Qingzhuo was different. Qin Qingzhuo gave him a very reassuring sense of stability.

The closer he got to Qin Qingzhuo, the stronger that sense of stability became.

Jiang Ji watched the band on stage, the restless crowd around him, and the rock flags dancing in the night sky. But most of the time, he watched Qin Qingzhuo without making a sound.

After watching for a while, he could discern Qin Qingzhuo’s preferences for a song. When he liked a song, Qin Qingzhuo’s drinking pace would slow down, his fingers would lightly tap along with the beat on his other arm, and occasionally he would close his eyes and immerse himself in the music. At these times, Jiang Ji’s gaze on him would become slightly more unrestrained.

As the chorus of a song ended, Qin Qingzhuo opened his eyes and looked towards Jiang Ji. “Why are you staring at me all the time?” he asked.

Jiang Ji’s pupils were darker than those of ordinary people, and when he stared at someone, they seemed even heavier, as if carrying a weight. This time, the eyes under the brim of his cap seemed to contain a hint of inquiry.

“Are you drunk?” Qin Qingzhuo asked, looking into his eyes.

Jiang Ji noticed a hint of intoxication in Qin Qingzhuo’s eyes. After spending so much time in bars, he could easily tell whether someone was drunk or sober.

Qin Qingzhuo was probably in a slightly tipsy state with a clear mind. He was too.

“Why are you staring at me?” Qin Qingzhuo smiled. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Jiang Ji noticed the magic of Qin Qingzhuo’s features. During the day, they had a warm and pleasant appearance, but when night fell, especially when the slightly hazy lights fell on his face, they revealed a somewhat aggressive and dazzling charm.

“You’re still staring,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled. “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Although he had drunk quite a bit, Jiang Ji suddenly felt a bit thirsty. He shifted his gaze away and looked towards the stage. “Have you brought anyone else here before?” he asked.

The band on stage said something, and suddenly there was a burst of cheers from the crowd around them. Qin Qingzhuo didn’t hear what Jiang Ji said clearly, so he leaned in a bit closer, and his gaze, which had been on Jiang Ji’s eyes, shifted to his lips. “What did you say?”

“You…” Jiang Ji, who had drunk quite a bit, suddenly felt a bit thirsty. He looked away and towards the stage. “Do you often come to music festivals?”

“Not often. I used to come quite a bit a few years ago, but I was always on stage singing. This is my first time as an audience,” Qin Qingzhuo replied.

“Why did you bring me here then?” The words came out, and Jiang Ji realized he had already asked a similar question before.

But this time, Qin Qingzhuo thought for a moment before saying, “When I used to sing on stage and looked at the audience below, I always wondered why they were so happy. If I stopped singing one day and became an audience member like them, would I be as happy as they are?”

As Qin Qingzhuo spoke, he looked towards the ecstatic audience dancing and swaying to the music. “Jiang Ji, when will you be able to be as happy as they are?”

Jiang Ji picked up his beer, took another sip, and remained silent amidst the fading strains of the song and the erupting cheers.

The band on stage finished their song, and the lead singer, Lin Qi, was saying something to the audience. Qin Qingzhuo didn’t pay much attention. He drank his beer and let himself relax, only vaguely hearing Lin Qi mention meeting an old friend.

When Lin Qi raised his voice and said the three words “Qin Qingzhuo,” Qin Qingzhuo realized that the “old friend” Lin Qi mentioned was himself.

Qin Qingzhuo hadn’t told Lin Qi about coming to the music festival, so he didn’t know how Lin Qi had spotted him. Qin Qingzhuo declined to go on stage, but unexpectedly, Lin Qi jumped down from the platform and ran towards him. The bassist and drummer also jumped down and ran over, surrounding Qin Qingzhuo.

“Come on, just carry him up directly,” Lin Qi waved his hand. “Qingzhuo, sorry for the trouble.”

After saying that, he and the band members rushed forward, lifting Qin Qingzhuo and heading towards the stage.

Qin Qingzhuo and Jiang Ji had both consumed quite a bit of alcohol and were already somewhat intoxicated. Before they could grasp the situation, Qin Qingzhuo was being carried up to the stage by several people, and Jiang Ji was squeezed by the enthusiastic audience trying to get a closer look.

Onstage, Lin Qi took the microphone, “How’s everyone doing, friends? I’ve brought a heavyweight singer up here to assist us today. Wasn’t this trip worthwhile?”

Lin Qi’s fans knew about his good relationship with Qin Qingzhuo, so they also had a favorable impression of Qin Qingzhuo. They hadn’t expected Qin Qingzhuo to be present today, and everyone was excited about this unexpected turn of events. People were shouting Qin Qingzhuo’s name, and some were even yelling, “Sing a song!”

The place where they had been standing was now occupied by the crowded audience. Jiang Ji, holding a beer in his hand, took a few steps to find another less crowded spot, watching Qin Qingzhuo on the stage.

Since Jiang Ji had known Qin Qingzhuo, he had never heard him sing live. Tonight’s atmosphere seemed perfect for Qin Qingzhuo’s singing.

But for some reason, even though Qin Qingzhuo’s face was smiling, Jiang Ji had a feeling that Qin Qingzhuo might not want to sing.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Qin Qingzhuo leaned slightly towards the microphone and joked, “I won’t sing, after all, Lin Qi refused to pay me a performance fee, and I’m afraid of stealing his thunder and making him lose face.”

This remark prompted laughter from the audience below. Some people shouted, “No way!” while others continued yelling, “Sing a song!”

Qin Qingzhuo continued, “But since I’m up here, I shouldn’t dampen everyone’s spirits. How about I play a bit on the guitar?”

“Ah, not singing again, is it so hard for you to speak up?” Lin Qi exaggeratedly sighed into the microphone, then teased the audience, “Can you accept him fooling around like this?”

“No!” the audience below responded in unison.

Qin Qingzhuo laughed, waved his hand, borrowed a guitar from the guitarist, and then sat on a high stool while cradling the guitar. He adjusted the microphone height and spoke to the audience as if chatting, “This song is for a little friend who plays the guitar well but is always unhappy. I hope he can be as happy as all of you.”

As Qin Qingzhuo was about to start playing the guitar, the atmosphere in the venue suddenly quieted down.

Qin Qingzhuo lowered his head, and his fingers gently plucked the guitar strings. A brisk and light melody flowed from his fingertips.

Jiang Ji was about to tilt his head back to drink his beer, but in that instant when the melody began, his movements paused. He clenched the beer bottle in his hand.

He listened attentively to this melody, and in his mind, he recalled the scene from the last time on the second floor of the bar when Qin Qingzhuo held the cheap guitar he bought, tuning it with his head bowed.

However, Qin Qingzhuo only played a short section before stopping and said into the microphone, “Sorry, I recently injured my right hand a bit, so it’s not very flexible. I’d like to find someone to help me out, to strum the strings a bit.”

“I’ll do it,” the guitarist behind him raised his hand voluntarily. “Brother Qingzhuo, I’ll assist you!”

“Thanks, but I already have someone in mind.” Qin Qingzhuo was quite familiar with him, smiled and glanced at him. “Didn’t I mention earlier that I brought a little friend here? I’d rather ask him to help me out.”

After saying that, he looked towards the east side of the stage.

Although there was a considerable distance between the stage and the audience, Jiang Ji saw Qin Qingzhuo looking in his direction, scanning through the restless crowd to find him.

It only took a few seconds for him to find him. After a brief but distant eye contact, Qin Qingzhuo called out Jiang Ji’s name, “Jiang Ji, are you coming?”

The entire audience immediately followed Qin Qingzhuo’s gaze, directing their attention to Jiang Ji.

Jiang Ji, now the center of attention, looked at Qin Qingzhuo on stage as if he hadn’t noticed the sudden convergence of gazes.

Qin Qingzhuo had phrased it as a question, implying that Jiang Ji had the right to refuse.

In fact, Jiang Ji wasn’t eager to go on stage. He never liked the feeling of being scrutinized by curious eyes.

But under the expectant gaze of Qin Qingzhuo, Jiang Ji found himself unable to refuse, especially considering that Qin Qingzhuo’s hand injury was caused by him.

Jiang Ji lowered his gaze and took steps towards the stage, the audience spontaneously making way for him to approach the stage.

As he walked towards the stage, Jiang Ji heard people around him discussing him. Some were asking who Jiang Ji was, some were talking about the band program, and others mentioned Qin Qingzhuo’s name.

All kinds of noisy voices drilled into his ears, impossible to ignore.

Jiang Ji stepped onto the stage and sat on the high stool next to Qin Qingzhuo. The guitar lay between them, with its body resting on Jiang Ji’s thigh and its neck on Qin Qingzhuo’s side.

“What rhythm style?” Jiang Ji asked.

Qin Qingzhuo demonstrated on the guitar first, and Jiang Ji swept the strings once in the air, “It’s good.”

The rhythm pattern Qin Qingzhuo provided wasn’t difficult; it derived from a fairly common rhythm pattern variation. Jiang Ji turned his face slightly to the left, lowered his eyes, and watched Qin Qingzhuo’s fingers press the guitar strings. His finger movements were skillful and clean, with the tendons on the back of his hand slightly protruding, giving a neat and powerful impression.

As he swept the strings with his right hand, Jiang Ji’s gaze moved upward and landed on Qin Qingzhuo’s face.

Qin Qingzhuo was slightly tilting his head, playing the guitar with a focused expression, the brim of his hat shading most of his face.

From the perspective of the audience below, they could probably only see the lower half of his face, but Jiang Ji could see the part obscured by the brim of the hat — his profile had smooth lines, curving down along the jawline to a slightly pointed chin, and a straight nose casting shadows on the side of his face, and then upwards…

Perhaps sensing Jiang Ji’s gaze on his face, Qin Qingzhuo turned his head to look at him.

The colorful glowsticks waved by the audience below reflected in his eyes, which were filled with a smile, creating a dazzling moment.

Whether it was due to the alcohol kicking in or not, Jiang Ji felt the dizziness of intoxication intensifying.

Then, amidst the light and airy ending, he suddenly heard his own heartbeat.

It echoed in his body and reverberated in his ears, beat after beat.

Thump, thump, thump.

Amplified countless times, it sounded like the slow, deep beats of a bass drum pounding on his eardrums.

The guitar stopped, but the heartbeat continued, overpowering the restless cheers from the audience below.

Jiang Ji lifted his right hand, which had finished sweeping the strings, lowered the brim of his hat, concealing the emotions revealed in his eyes.