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Everyone in the private room was stunned.
“Change the group?”
“What does that mean?”
Qin Zhiwei grew anxious too. He picked up a glass of water from the coffee table and forced some cool water down Xu Ye’s throat, then reminded him again, “Xu Ye, Gu Mengyao is here.”
After swallowing the cold water, the dizziness and fogginess in Xu Ye’s head eased considerably.
His consciousness gradually cleared. He rubbed his eyes and glanced up at Gu Mengyao.
Her outfit today was clearly calculated.
A pale blue sailor uniform paired with a short skirt, white socks hugging her ankles — any boy their age would be distracted by such a look.
When Xu Ye and Gu Mengyao’s eyes met, a rush of disgust, anger, and regret flooded over him.
He coldly said to Qin Zhiwei beside him, “I’ve had a bit too much to drink. I’m going back to sleep first.”
With that, under the surprised gazes of everyone, Xu Ye wobbled to his feet and left the private room without even looking back at Gu Mengyao once.
When the heavy door slammed shut, Gu Mengyao’s pride shattered like a vase dropped on the floor—broken into countless pieces.
What’s wrong with Xu Ye?
Could it be that he really doesn’t have feelings for me anymore?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Her close friend Liu Qian whispered in Gu Mengyao’s ear, “Don’t worry, Xu Ye is just jealous. Tomorrow, find a chance to explain everything clearly to him and sort things out.”
“Jealous?” Gu Mengyao blinked, thinking to herself, Yes, it must be that. He’s jealous because he saw me with Duan Qingjun.
Qin Zhiwei, however, was a bit puzzled.
What’s wrong with Xu Ye?
He used to be obsessed with Gu Mengyao, but now his attitude was so cold. That look just now—it was like the look my mother gives me, full of disdain.
…
After leaving the KTV,
the air felt much fresher.
A cool breeze brushed over him, even making Xu Ye feel a slight chill.
He walked home along the main street, passing by a lakeside on the way. His pace was unhurried as he looked up at the moon. Suddenly, from not far ahead, a pleasant guitar melody floated toward him.
Still feeling the alcohol in his system, and knowing that when he got home his mother might nag him again, Xu Ye paused and hesitated for a moment before following the steps down toward the lake.
The guitar music grew louder.
From a distance, Xu Ye saw a girl sitting on a stone bench by the lake, practicing guitar. He walked closer but didn’t sit right next to her; instead, he took a seat on the stone bench beside her.
Xu Ye recognized the song she was practicing—Qi Li Xiang (Common Jasmin Orange).
A song released by Jay Chou in 2004.
Today marked exactly ten years since its release.
Leaning back against the stone bench, Xu Ye gazed at the shimmering lake under the moonlight. The gentle splashes of water made the night feel incredibly peaceful.
Xu Ye’s ears were still ringing from the noise at the KTV, so the sudden quiet by the lake felt surprisingly pleasant.
After sitting for a few minutes, a violent churn in his stomach suddenly hit him. Xu Ye sprang to his feet. The girl beside him seemed to notice his movement, and the guitar music abruptly stopped.
But Xu Ye only passed by her, bending over to vomit into a nearby trash can.
The girl let out a sigh of relief and fixed her gaze on Xu Ye.
Great!
Dinner was wasted.
The fifty yuan was ultimately flushed away. If he had known, he’d have stayed home instead of coming to this damn class reunion.
After vomiting, Xu Ye’s stomach felt a little better.
He wiped his mouth and turned around, his eyes unintentionally resting on the girl holding the guitar.
Sitting next to her before, Xu Ye hadn’t paid much attention.
He hadn’t expected the girl practicing guitar at the lake so late to be so young—probably only seventeen or eighteen. She wore a white shirt with a faux two-piece design on top and loose-fitting jeans below.
Her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Under slender, willow-like eyebrows, her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with life. Her elegant nose and fair complexion gleamed like jade under the moonlight.
The two stared at each other quietly.
Neither spoke until Xu Ye caught a hint of offense in the girl’s eyes. Embarrassed, he asked, “Classmate, do you have any tissues?”
The girl’s face showed no expression, radiating a cool, aloof aura. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached into her pocket and tossed a pack of tissues at Xu Ye’s feet.
“Thanks.”
Xu Ye crouched down, picked it up, and pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth.
The tissue smelled sweet, even more pleasant than perfume.
Leaning against the railing by the lakeside, Xu Ye kept a safe distance from the girl before starting a conversation, “You play guitar really well. Did you teach yourself?”
The girl didn’t respond, continuing to pluck the strings.
Xu Ye didn’t feel awkward. He decided to listen to the entire song before leaving.
The girl played Qi Li Xiang quietly, as if Xu Ye was invisible—completely absorbed in her own world.
But just as she was about to finish, a discordant voice interrupted:
“The chorus part is too fast, and the rhythm is a bit off. You should practice more with a metronome. But the harmonics sound really nice.”
After saying this, Xu Ye immediately regretted it.
In his final year at university, Xu Ye often coached freshmen in the guitar club. He had gotten used to instinctively pointing out mistakes whenever he heard someone play poorly.
But now he wasn’t a university student, and she wasn’t his junior.
The girl looked up at him. Her face remained cold and expressionless, but her brows furrowed slightly.
Xu Ye hurriedly added, “Uh… I was just saying that casually. Don’t take it to heart.”
The girl still didn’t respond. Instead, she took down the six-figure guitar and handed it over to Xu Ye. Her gaze and gesture seemed to say: “If you think you can do better, then go ahead!”
Seeing this, Xu Ye didn’t refuse. He stepped forward, but just as he got close, he noticed the girl subtly lean back, as if unwilling to let him get any nearer.
Xu Ye took the guitar and instinctively stepped back to the shore.
He slung the guitar over his shoulder, placed his hands on the strings, and briefly recalled the sheet music in his mind. Then, his ten fingers began to skillfully strum the strings.
A melodious prelude soon filled the air, gradually progressing…
When the verse started, Xu Ye couldn’t help but sing along with the guitar:
“The sparrows outside the window
Chatter on the telephone wire
You say that line
Feels very much like summer…”
The girl blinked, and the moonlight shimmered in her eyes.
He really could play.
And he definitely played better than she did.
Was he self-taught too?
A flicker of curiosity stirred in her heart.
“Through the night
My love overflows like rain
Butterflies on the windowsill
Like beautiful chapters fluttering in a poem
I keep writing
Ending the poem with forever loving you
You’re the only one I want to understand
…”
At this moment,
The starry sky, the bright moon, and the surrounding lake and mountains became the perfect backdrop for Xu Ye’s playing and singing.