Chapter 53

Qin Qingzhuo’s eyelid twitched slightly. Originally, he had wanted to act as if that kiss hadn’t happened, but Jiang Ji’s words directly disrupted his rhythm.

“It’s not that serious,” he smiled, pretending to be casual. “I didn’t take it seriously at all, Jiang Ji. You don’t need to worry too much about it. Sometimes, when people are in a certain atmosphere, they may act impulsively.”

“What if I take it seriously?” Jiang Ji looked at him. “I wasn’t impulsive; I was quite serious.”

He had his own set of rhythms, full of aggressiveness, almost intimidating.

Qin Qingzhuo was momentarily at a loss for words, quietly considering how to respond.

“Forget it,” before he could speak, Jiang Ji lowered his gaze. “I know I’m just a troublemaker who can’t be taken seriously. If my actions last night bothered you, rest assured, I won’t do it again next time, and you don’t have to deliberately avoid me.”

His lowered gaze looked a bit dejected, and Qin Qingzhuo immediately felt a bit soft-hearted. He was most worried that his refusal would unintentionally hurt Jiang Ji. With a sigh, he said, “Jiang Ji, don’t say such things. I never thought of you as an unapproachable troublemaker…”

“So you’re allowing me to do it again next time?” Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Ji interrupted him with this.

This time, Qin Qingzhuo was thoroughly stunned.

After two seconds, he couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. “Jiang Ji…”

Where did he learn this tactic of using retreat as an advance? He was simply unable to deal with Jiang Ji. After laughing, he helplessly said, “Come inside and talk.”

Inside, Qin Brother Qingzhuostured towards the sofa. “Sit, I’ll pour you something to drink.”

Jiang Ji sat on the sofa and noticed that Qin Qingzhuo’s home had a few more plush items compared to last time—a plush rocking chair and a plush teddy bear.

Qin Qingzhuo came over with two glasses of chilled orange juice, handing one to Jiang Ji and holding the other in his hand. “How did the talk with Huan Yang go?”

Taking the orange juice, Jiang Ji looked at Qin Qingzhuo sitting on the single sofa next to him. Qin Qingzhuo seemed to have just taken a shower, his hair still damp and jet black, which contrasted with his particularly fair skin. The scent of osmanthus and wood mixed with moisture, creating a damp yet refreshing atmosphere.

He could feel his pulse pounding forcefully with each beat of his heart, and that desire to reach out and touch Qin Qingzhuo’s hair arose again.

“Why are you silent?” Qin Qingzhuo picked up the orange juice and took a sip. “Do you still think the conditions are too harsh?”

“No,” the coolness of the orange juice transferred to his hand, Jiang Ji lightly wiped away the water droplets on the rim of the cup with his fingertips, “I think the conditions are too good.”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t understand. “Hmm?”

“It’s so good that I feel it might be a trap.”

Qin Qingzhuo chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that. Cai Heng and I have been cooperating for many years, and Huan Yang’s reputation in the industry is also well-known. If you have any concerns, you can let them draft the contract first, and then I’ll help you negotiate.”

“It’s not about the contract. I just feel,” Jiang Ji spoke slowly, “that fate tends to attach a price tag to sudden gifts.”

“…Such as?” Qin Qingzhuo raised his eyebrows.

“Such as,” Jiang Ji looked at him, “if I accept all these favors, can I still pursue you with a clear conscience?”

His eyes were very dark, and when he looked at Qin Qingzhuo, his heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Ji’s unconventional approach repeatedly caught him off guard and rendered him speechless.

He took another sip of orange juice, avoiding Jiang Ji’s gaze. After regaining his composure, he thought for a moment and chose not to outright refuse, but rather used the most tactful approach: “Jiang Ji, this isn’t about favors; it’s just my appreciation for you as a senior. Besides, Cai Heng himself really likes your band. Otherwise, even if I had all the face in the world, I wouldn’t be able to persuade him to personally guide you.”

“Appreciation from a senior?” Jiang Ji looked at him and said, “What if I don’t see you as a senior?”

Qin Qingzhuo was speechless.

He intentionally beat around the bush in his words, but Jiang Ji always managed to steer the conversation back to his own track.

He realized that Jiang Ji’s logic was clear. Starting from the first sentence when they met today, Jiang Ji seemed to maneuver through the conversation like solving the final math problem on an exam, step by step, counteracting every move, fully demonstrating the analytical ability of a good student.

Beating around the bush was ineffective. Qin Qingzhuo placed the orange juice on the coffee table and decided to be straightforward this time: “Jiang Ji, you know about me and Ji Chi. To be honest, I don’t currently have any intentions of entering into another relationship.”

He saw Jiang Ji lower his gaze, his eyelashes were long, covering his eyes and concealing his emotions.

He thought perhaps the words he just said disappointed Jiang Ji, but it was better to clarify sooner rather than later.

“Is it related to Ji Chi?” Jiang Ji said, “I thought you two had already ended things.”

“We did, but…” Qin Qingzhuo paused, not saying everything, “…it’s not just about that. Honestly, in my eyes, you’re just a child, and I never thought in this direction before.”

“Well, you can think about it now,” those two eyelashes lifted again, and Jiang Ji looked directly at him, “I like you, I want to pursue you. You don’t have to give me an answer now, just as long as you don’t like anyone else.”

Qin Qingzhuo was stunned for a moment. Over the years, he had encountered many pursuers, but none were as direct and straightforward as Jiang Ji right from the start.

He suddenly felt quite intrigued and found it rather interesting. Were all young boys nowadays so forward in pursuing others? It didn’t seem off-putting at all…

After a moment of silence, he looked at Jiang Ji and his tone remained gentle. “Alright, since you insist on being upfront about this matter, then I should clarify things with you in advance. As a senior, I can be very tolerant towards you, including your mistakes, missteps, and moments of indiscretion. I can forgive all of them because it’s the leniency I should afford to a junior in the industry. It’s how I grew up under the guidance of my seniors.

“But if you insist on me seeing you as a suitor, then I might not be the Qin Qingzhuo you know. I could become capricious, unreasonable, and demanding, perhaps more difficult to deal with than anyone you know. So, you have to decide whether you want to remain a junior in the industry, safely within the space I provide for your mistakes, or if you want me to accept you as a formal suitor, ready to confront any negative aspects of me that may surface at any time.”

Jiang Ji looked at him, and Qin Qingzhuo didn’t avoid his gaze. At this moment, their silent confrontation felt like a standoff.

“What if I want both?” Jiang Ji said.

Qin Qingzhuo almost laughed. “Jiang Ji, life doesn’t work that way.”

“In my view, there aren’t such clear boundaries.” Jiang Ji said, “You know that I’m pursuing you, and you can always expose your flaws to me.”

Qin Qingzhuo leaned his elbow on his thigh, his fingers lightly touching his lips. After staring at Jiang Ji for a few seconds, he said, “Alright, I understand. But this matter will be limited to my knowledge only. I won’t assume any outcomes.”

“Okay,” Jiang Ji responded.

With that said, Qin Qingzhuo didn’t say anything more. He found it quite unbelievable that he would seriously discuss whether someone ten years younger than himself should pursue him. And in this conversation, he didn’t gain the upper hand; instead, he chose to compromise… quite peculiar.

The atmosphere was somewhat subtle. Qin Qingzhuo was about to change the subject when Jiang Ji spoke first, “Are you composing?”

“Hmm?” Qin Qingzhuo followed his gaze to the laptop screen on the coffee table, displaying a complex interface of music tracks. “Yes.”

“Can I listen?”

“Sure.”

Qin Qingzhuo leaned closer, dragging the computer nearer, and played the DJ track with the mouse.

The melodic and pleasant composition woven from different instruments played out. Jiang Ji listened attentively, and the one-and-a-half-minute melody quickly finished. He asked, “Is this a new song you’re composing for someone?”

“It’s a soundtrack for a movie. How does it sound?”

“It sounds pretty good, but…” After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Ji spoke honestly, “I feel like it’s a bit lacking.”

Qin Qingzhuo was somewhat surprised and looked up at him. “How so?”

“It lacks a sense of foundation,” Jiang Ji pondered, “It’s like when you played ‘Pop Can’ with the cello last time. Using the cello as the foundation was quite fitting, but using the piano feels a bit lacking.”

Originally just a casual question, but Qin Qingzhuo was now genuinely interested. He had indeed removed a track from this melody, which was originally played by the cello. However, he felt that the cello’s tone was too heavy for this melody.

He looked at Jiang Ji, not revealing his interest too overtly, and continued to ask casually, “So, what instrument do you think would be suitable as a foundation for this melody?”

“Is this like an interview?” Jiang Ji glanced at him. “If I pass, can I sign with your studio?”

“You tell me first,” Qin Qingzhuo said with a smile.

Jiang Ji reached out to turn the computer screen toward himself and replayed the music. While listening, he commented, “Probably some kind of flute. Maybe you can try the Irish bagpipes.”

Qin Qingzhuo asked with interest, “How did you come up with the Irish bagpipes?”

“The melody gives a romantic and lingering feeling. The added instrument as a base should also have a slightly melodious tone. Though the cello and accordion are in the same category, they feel a bit heavy. I remember the prelude of the ‘Titanic’ theme was played with the Irish bagpipes, and that clear and melodious tone should be more suitable.”

Qin Qingzhuo nodded, “Worth considering. I’ll try it later.”

“If it works well,” Jiang Ji looked at him, “can that be considered passing the interview?”

Qin Qingzhuo chuckled and didn’t answer right away. After a while, he said, “Jiang Ji, you might not understand my studio. It’s not as large as Huan Yang, and our artist management model is not as mature. I signed a few newcomers before, but their development has been lukewarm. So now, the main business is concentrated in behind-the-scenes production. It’s not that I don’t want to sign you; it’s just that, after sobering up this morning, I carefully considered it and felt that Huan Yang would be more suitable for you.”

“What makes it more suitable for me should be up to me, right?” Jiang Ji said. “I feel quite suitable.”

He seemed resolute, displaying an attitude that was not easily swayed. Qin Qingzhuo knew he was a stubborn character, so he had to ask, “So, no matter what, you won’t consider signing with Huan Yang?”

“I told you I’m not interested in signing.”

“Except with my studio?” Qin Qingzhuo smiled wryly.

“Mmh.”

“Alright,” Qin Qingzhuo pondered for a moment. “I’ll think about it again.”

“Until when?”

Jiang Ji pressed on, forcing Qin Qingzhuo to say helplessly, “Until I try the Irish bagpipes and see if it fits.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.” After saying this, Jiang Ji glanced at the time on the lower right corner of the computer. He had to go back to the bar to sing tonight and couldn’t stay here too late. After finishing the last sip of orange juice, he placed the cup on the coffee table. “I have to go back now.”

Qin Qingzhuo nodded and didn’t linger. He stood up to escort Jiang Ji to the door.

As he pushed the door open, Jiang Ji suddenly remembered something and turned to Qin Qingzhuo, “Have you been to Runcheng?”

“Runcheng?” Suddenly asked this question, Qin Qingzhuo was taken aback for a moment, then searched his memory, “Quite familiar… I think I’ve been there, why do you ask?”

Jiang Ji didn’t answer directly but reminded, “You had your hair dyed blue-gray back then.”

“Ah…” Qin Qingzhuo realized, “Now that you mention it, I remember. That was the only time I dyed my hair, quite a failure.”

“It looked good,” Jiang Ji said, “Not a failure.”

“Let’s not talk about it. It wasn’t a failure at the time, but after returning to school, it washed out into green after a shower. I was teased by my roommates all night, so I dyed it back the next day…”

At this point, he took a deep breath and murmured softly, “I should have known it wasn’t a good sign…”

Jiang Ji couldn’t help but laugh, “Are you superstitious?”

Qin Qingzhuo found himself quite enjoying seeing Jiang Ji laugh. When Jiang Ji smiled, he felt good too, “Yeah, superstitious. People our age are a bit superstitious.”

“Actually, I’m superstitious too,” Jiang Ji said, “I even checked the almanac before leaving.”

“Is that so,” Qin Qingzhuo smiled, “What did the almanac say?”

“The almanac said,” Jiang Ji looked at him, “Today is suitable for confession.”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t respond, just raised his eyebrows slightly.

“It seems it’s not accurate, it didn’t work,” Jiang Ji said.

“Fake almanac, get a new one when you go back,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled, “Alright, go back early and take your time on the way.”

Jiang Ji “Hmm”ed, stepped down the stairs, then turned to Qin Qingzhuo, “By the way, what’s the name of that movie?”

“It’s called ‘Try Saying It Again,’ it hasn’t been released yet. Why, do you want to see it?”

“If you don’t inform me of the interview result, I’ll confirm it myself when the time comes,” Jiang Ji said.

“Waiting for me here?” Qin Qingzhuo smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget.”

“Okay,” Jiang Ji turned and left.

The tall and slender young man walked away with a slight sway in his back, while Qin Qingzhuo leaned against the door frame, watching him go with a pensive look before turning back into the house.

As the door closed, he walked back to the sofa and sat down.

Reaching for the computer, he opened another tab on the production interface, where there was a monophonic track that hadn’t been dragged in yet.

With a crisp click of the mouse, the sound of Irish bagpipes slowly rose, playing the same melody he had just composed.

Qin Qingzhuo rested his fingers on his temple, exhaling slowly. Quite coincidentally, the background he added to this melody was precisely the Irish bagpipes Jiang Ji had mentioned.

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Jiang Ji – Pursuing Skills: ★★★★★

Qin Qingzhuo – Difficulty Level: ★★★★★

Round 1 Action!