Chapter 46

Zhong Yang had already drunk most of the bottled water in his hand, but he still hadn’t vented enough and continued to rant incessantly. However, Peng Keshi could tell that he had repeated himself several times.

It wasn’t until Qin Qingzhuo and Jiang Ji walked out from backstage that Zhong Yang finally stopped: “Brother Qingzhuo, you finally came!”

Qin Qingzhuo walked towards them. “You guys were waiting for me?”

“Of course! We’ve been waiting for you with heavy hearts!” Zhong Yang exaggerated.

Qin Qingzhuo chuckled at his tone.

“Anyway, I have to apologize to you,” Zhong Yang said more seriously, “A day as a mentor, a lifetime as…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Ji glanced at him from across, and Zhong Yang realized something was off. He scratched his head awkwardly, “That doesn’t sound quite right… Anyway, you get the idea.”

This time, Qin Qingzhuo was genuinely amused, “Alright, then let me treat you all to dinner.”

It had been a while since the recording ended, and the audience and bands had already left. Only the staff were walking back and forth in the corridor.

As they stepped into the elevator, Zhong Yang asked, “Brother Qingzhuo, what are you treating us to?”

“What do you guys feel like eating?”

“Let’s have barbecue!” Zhong Yang suggested enthusiastically, “With some beer, it’ll be great!”

“Barbecue?” It had been years since Qin Qingzhuo last had barbecue, probably back in his college graduation days.

“I remember there’s a good barbecue place near Yang Yin University,” he thought for a moment, “But it’s been so many years, I’m not sure if it’s still open.”

“Barbecue places near universities are usually bustling,” Peng Keshi said, “They probably haven’t closed down.”

“Alright, let’s go check it out then,” Qin Qingzhuo said, looking at Jiang Ji, “Do you want to bring Jiang Bei along?”

“No need,” Jiang Ji leaned against the elevator wall, looking at him, “She should be asleep.”

“Sleeping at this hour?” Qin Qingzhuo remembered something, “Oh, you mentioned on the phone earlier that Jiang Bei wasn’t feeling well. How is she now?”

“She’s much better.”

“She’s usually so lively and fearless. It’s surprising to hear that she got lost,” Qin Qingzhuo said, somewhat incredulous.

Jiang Ji didn’t say much, just responded with a simple “Mm.”

The elevator descended to the basement parking level, and the group walked out. Standing by his car, Qin Qingzhuo halted, and the three members of the band stopped as well.

With his hands in his pockets, Jiang Ji looked at Qin Qingzhuo and lifted his chin slightly, “The motorcycle is parked over there. I’ll head there first.”

Qin Qingzhuo nodded.

Zhong Yang began to circle around Qin Qingzhu’s car again, praising without end, “Brother Qingzhuo, your car is so beautiful. Look at the rims, the streamline, the muscular feel—it’s so cool…”

Qin Qingzhuo chuckled and opened the passenger door, “Get in.”

As they got into the car, he recalled the name of the barbecue place from back in the day. He opened the navigation app on his phone, entered the name, followed by DJ search, and indeed, the corresponding location information appeared.

Outside the car, the roar of a motorcycle approached. Jiang Ji rode over on the motorcycle and stopped right next to Qin Qingzhuo as he applied the brakes.

Qin Qingzhuo lowered the car window, and upon Jiang Ji’s inquiry about the address of the barbecue place, he leaned over and handed him the phone with the navigation route already set.

Jiang Ji took it, swiped the screen to check the route, and then looked at Qin Qingzhuo, “It’s inconvenient to check the navigation while riding a motorcycle.”

“Hmm?” Qin Qingzhuo didn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind his words.

Jiang Ji handed the phone back to him, “I’ll lead the way. You guide me.”

“If you’d rather ride with us…” Zhong Yang stuck his head out and suggested.

However, Jiang Ji didn’t respond, still looking at Qin Qingzhuo, waiting for his reply.

After some consideration, Qin Qingzhuo turned to the driver and said, “Zhao, Jiang Ji and I will go together. You can take them.”

The driver agreed with a simple “No problem.”

Qin Qingzhuo pushed the door and got out, walking towards Jiang Ji. He took the helmet and guitar from him, then swung his leg over the motorcycle, sitting behind him.

Zhong Yang started to circle around Qin Qingzhu’s car again, praising, “Brother Qingzhuo, your car is too beautiful. Look at these rims, the streamline, the muscular feel—so cool…”

Qin Qingzhuo smiled and opened the passenger door, “Get in.”

As they got into the car, he recalled the name of the barbecue place from back in the day. He opened the navigation app on his phone, entered the name, followed by DJ search, and indeed, the corresponding location information appeared.

Outside the car, the roar of a motorcycle approached. Jiang Ji rode over on the motorcycle and stopped right next to Qin Qingzhuo as he applied the brakes.

Qin Qingzhuo lowered the car window, and upon Jiang Ji’s inquiry about the address of the barbecue place, he leaned over and handed him the phone with the navigation route already set.

Jiang Ji took it, swiped the screen to check the route, and then looked at Qin Qingzhuo, “It’s inconvenient to check the navigation while riding a motorcycle.”

“Hmm?” Qin Qingzhuo didn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind his words.

Jiang Ji handed the phone back to him, “I’ll lead the way. You guide me.”

“If you’d rather ride with us…” Zhong Yang stuck his head out and suggested.

However, Jiang Ji didn’t respond, still looking at Qin Qingzhuo, waiting for his reply.

After some consideration, Qin Qingzhuo turned to the driver and said, “Zhao, Jiang Ji and I will go together. You can take them.”

The driver agreed with a simple “No problem.”

Qin Qingzhuo pushed the door and got out, walking towards Jiang Ji. He took the helmet and guitar from him, then swung his leg over the motorcycle, sitting behind him.

Zhong Yang continued his teasing, “Last time, I asked you to take me along, but you said you weren’t used to having company!”

Ignoring him, Jiang Ji, looking at Qin Qingzhuo, said, “Secure yourself,” then focused ahead and twisted the throttle, driving out of the underground parking lot.

The Maybach followed closely behind. Zhong Yang turned to look at Peng Keshi, lowering his voice, “Sister Shi, do you think they’re back together?” Without waiting for Peng Keshi to respond, he added, “It’s definitely true… He can memorize a map at a glance, and he still needs Brother Qingzhuo to guide him?”

The street was well-lit, and it was already past the rush hour, so there weren’t too many vehicles on the road.

Similar to a few days ago when he took Jiang Ji to the music festival, Qin Qingzhuo would remind Jiang Ji to turn or change lanes ahead of intersections.

However, due to riding a motorcycle this time, with the strong wind and both wearing helmets, pointing out the route was not as smooth as it was last time.

“The next intersection, turn left,” Qin Qingzhuo said.

Jiang Ji, who was leaning slightly forward, focused on riding the motorcycle, showing no response.

Qin Qingzhuo moved a bit closer and raised his voice slightly, “Turn left at the next intersection.”

Jiang Ji tilted his head slightly, “What?”

Feeling that the motorcycle seemed to be accelerating, the wind noise grew louder. Seeing that they were about to reach the next intersection, Qin Qingzhuo had to lean in even closer. His chin almost touched Jiang Ji’s shoulder as he almost shouted, “Turn left up ahead!”

Only then did Jiang Ji hear clearly. He slowed down slightly and turned on the left turn signal, entering the adjacent lane.

Why would he accelerate if he couldn’t hear clearly? Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t help but say, “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you, Jiang Ji?”

He heard a low hum amidst the roar of the motorcycle, as if Jiang Ji had chuckled quietly.

They were too close, and the warmth from the boy’s back transmitted over, along with a refreshing scent of soap.

As he moved away, Qin Qingzhuo thought, So he hasn’t been smoking lately? Quite obedient.

It was ten o’clock at night. The snack street near the school was almost empty, with only a few couples still holding hands and crossing the road.

Sitting at the outdoor table by the roadside, watching the master grill a bunch of skewers over the charcoal fire, the slightly pungent white smoke and the aroma of roasted meat wafted over with the breeze, giving a relaxing feeling.

However, Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t completely relax, thinking about how Rough Cloud was eliminated. He still felt a knot of emotion weighing on his heart.

“Come on,” Zhong Yang raised the bottle to the center, inviting everyone, “Let’s have a toast.”

The clinking of glass bottles echoed crisply as they took a few sips of beer—except for Jiang Ji, who would be riding the motorcycle later, so he grabbed a bottle of chilled mineral water.

“Brother Qingzhuo, you know, we hadn’t even decided to sing ‘Endless Night’ before we went on stage,” Zhong Yang, usually talkative, became even more so after a few drinks. “It was probably since the day before yesterday. Jiang Ji suddenly started making us practice this song. I asked him if we should change the song, but he ignored me and just told us to practice. With his temper, I didn’t dare ask too much, so, well, we practiced.”

“Even when we were in the elevator at the recording building today, he still showed no signs of changing the song. But do you know? When he turned his head on stage, without saying a word, Sister Shi and I exchanged a glance and instantly knew he wanted to change the song. Isn’t that a perfect understanding?”

Qin Qingzhuo remembered the moment when Jiang Ji looked over on stage and that look of wanting to confirm something.

Could it be that in that instant of eye contact, Jiang Ji decided to sing “Endless Night”?

The gentle night breeze made him feel comfortable. Perhaps influenced by Zhong Yang’s mood, Qin Qingzhuo gradually relaxed.

“So it was a last-minute decision to change the song?” Qin Qingzhuo took a sip of his drink and looked at Jiang Ji. “Why?”

Only after asking this did he realize that the host had already asked this question on stage.

Jiang Ji, on the opposite side, lowered his eyes slightly, pressing his fingers against the bottle of mineral water, causing the plastic to deform slightly.

He looked up at Qin Qingzhuo and gave a different answer from before, “Because someone wanted me to sing this song.”

That gaze stared straight at him, catching Qin Qingzhuo off guard, and his heart skipped a beat.

The slightly bitter alcohol slid down his throat, leaving a hint of sweetness.

“Who?” Zhong Yang had a terrible tolerance for alcohol, and after finishing a bottle of beer, he began to talk nonsense. “Me? So, you do listen to what I say.”

Peng Keshi glanced at him with some helplessness. “Drink less, Zhong Yang.”

Qin Qingzhuo lowered his eyes, unable to hold back a chuckle.

Completely oblivious to how he ruined the atmosphere, Zhong Yang opened another bottle of beer. “Brother Qingzhuo, have you ever drunk with other bands?”

“No,” Qin Qingzhuo answered truthfully.

“So, you’ve only drunk with our band?” Zhong Yang was excited. “Does that mean, among all these bands, you like our band the most?”

“Right,” Qin Qingzhuo smiled.

“Why? Is it because our band is the coolest?” Zhong Yang asked enthusiastically.

“Probably because…” Qin Qingzhuo paused and said, “you guys are the most genuine.”

Zhong Yang looked at him with a puzzled expression, Peng Keshi also looked up, and Jiang Ji intermittently squeezed the mineral water bottle.

Qin Qingzhuo thought seriously, “Because there’s a genuine struggle in your music. It’s not just Jiang Ji’s lyrics and music; there’s also that struggle in Zhong Yang’s drums and Peng Keshi’s bass. When listening to your songs, I feel a very real sense of living.”

Zhong Yang nodded. “I get it, Brother Qingzhuo. You mean, after listening to our songs, you feel like your life before was meaningless.”

Peng Keshi almost choked on her drink, coughing a few times with a tissue.

Jiang Ji glanced at him. “If you don’t speak, no one will mistake you for a mute.”

Qin Qingzhuo shook his head with a light laugh. “Zhong Yang, you’re indeed a mood killer…”

After finishing the meal, it was close to dawn, and even the couples holding hands and crossing the road had disappeared.

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t refuse Jiang Ji’s offer to send him back. Standing by the car, he instructed the driver to take Peng Keshi back to school first and then drop off Zhong Yang at home.

Watching the car drive away, he straightened up and said to Jiang Ji, “Let’s go.”

However, Jiang Ji didn’t immediately take a step, still standing in place and looking at Qin Qingzhuo.

He had been quite reserved during the barbecue, but now he took the initiative to speak, “About that question, didn’t we agree to discuss it privately?”

“Hmm?” After a pause, Qin Qingzhuo realized he was referring to the question he asked on stage about “liking which band member the most.”

That subtle feeling reappeared, and Qin Qingzhuo unconsciously raised one eyebrow, then smiled, “That’s indeed a question only kids would ask…”

Seeing Jiang Ji still staring at him as if waiting for an answer, Qin Qingzhuo thought for a moment and then said jokingly, “As the saying goes… Only children choose between options. Adults want everything.”

He intentionally joked, but Jiang Ji continued to gaze at him directly. After a few seconds, he lowered his gaze. “Let’s go.”

The previously relaxed atmosphere turned somewhat strange, and Qin Qingzhuo noticed that when they had just come out of the barbecue restaurant, Jiang Ji kept looking intentionally or unintentionally at the gate of the Central Conservatory of Music across the street. So, he casually changed the subject, “You always did so well in school; did you ever think about which university you wanted to attend?”

“The Central Conservatory,” Jiang Ji replied, lowering his head slightly as they walked.

“Because you love music?” Qin Qingzhuo asked.

At first, Jiang Ji didn’t answer. It wasn’t until he straddled the motorcycle that he spoke, “Because of someone.”

“Someone you like?” Qin Qingzhuo sat behind him.

Jiang Ji picked up his phone and swiped the navigation to check the route. “The person who gave me my guitar.”

Qin Qingzhuo remembered the old guitar Jiang Ji always used. He had thought it was a gift from Jiang Ji’s deceased father or mother during his childhood, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

He had intended to continue asking about it, but the motorcycle’s engine had already roared to life, so Qin Qingzhuo didn’t say anything more.

On the way back, Jiang Ji’s speed was slower than usual.

The route to the Central Conservatory was in the opposite direction from Qin Qingzhuo’s home, so sending him back required passing by the recording building of the program group.

Today’s recording had ended early, and the cold noodle stall in front of them was deserted. Jiang Ji recalled the sight of Qin Qingzhuo standing by the roadside that night, his mask pulled down to his chin, with a faint hint of agitation between his brows.

Even though Jiang Ji’s gaze hadn’t lingered on Qin Qingzhuo for long at the time, he still vividly remembered Qin Qingzhuo wearing a uniquely designed dark green shirt and black pants, holding his phone with clear knuckles on his right hand, with an antique black ring on his index finger.

He had blurted out the question “Where are you going?” when he was straddling the motorcycle. From the moment he picked up Qin Qingzhuo to the moment he dropped him off, it formed a closed loop. It’s quite good, Jiang Ji thought.

Jiang Ji knew the route from the recording building to Qin Qingzhuo’s home very well, but this time, he deliberately took a longer route. The original 20-minute journey ended up taking more than half an hour.

Arriving at their destination, Qin Qingzhuo stepped down from the motorcycle and casually asked, “Did you change the route?”

Jiang Ji didn’t deny it and simply said, “Hmm.”

“No wonder, it doesn’t seem like the same route as before,” Qin Qingzhuo said, taking off his helmet and handing it to Jiang Ji. He shook his head casually, causing Jiang Ji to inexplicably think of a white long-haired cat occasionally seen near the Honglu Bar.

Just give the fur a shake, and the messy hair will become fluffy and smooth.

Qin Qingzhuo was the same. After shaking his head twice, his hair, which had been flattened by the helmet, returned to its fluffy state.

Under the streetlight, the chestnut color looked very soft to the touch.

“Is this route closer?” Qin Qingzhuo looked up at him.

Jiang Ji also looked at him and then, after a moment, said, “Farther.”

A hint of surprise flickered in Qin Qingzhuo’s eyes.

He didn’t ask anything, but Jiang Ji said, “Can’t I want to spend a little more time with you?”

Qin Qingzhuo was taken aback for a moment.

“Go.”

Jiang Ji looked at him deeply for a moment before lowering the visor of his helmet, twisting the throttle, and speeding away without looking back.

Qin Qingzhuo’s raised hand paused in midair, and he smiled helplessly before lowering it again.

He remembered that the first time Jiang Ji had sent him back was like this too. He hadn’t even finished speaking before Jiang Ji had turned around and driven to the other side of the road.

He left decisively, just like before…

Turning around, Qin Qingzhuo walked towards the villa. Just as he was about to step onto the steps, the motorcycle behind him approached from a distance.

He turned around somewhat surprised to see Jiang Ji coming back again.

“I forgot to tell you,” Jiang Ji’s gaze under the helmet visor fixed on Qin Qingzhuo, “I regretted that birthday wish.”

With that statement, without waiting for Qin Qingzhuo’s response, Jiang Ji twisted the throttle again and drove away from the villa area.