Chapter 77

At eight o’clock in the evening, the black Maybach sped towards the outskirts of the city.

It was drizzling on the road, and the raindrops fell rapidly. The windshield of the car was soon blurred by the rain, and the automatic wipers swiped intermittently. Qin Qingzhuo leaned over to look out the window.

The weather forecast said there would be a drop in temperature within the week, and it seemed that this rain was the prelude to the arrival of the cold wave.

The car stopped at the entrance of Suzhou. The driver turned his head and asked, “Mr. Qin, do you want an umbrella?”

“It’s just a few steps, I won’t need one,” Qin Qingzhuo replied, then opened the car door and got out.

The rain was not heavy, but the cool and dense raindrops were blown by the wind, hitting his face. Qin Qingzhuo tightened his coat around him.

Before leaving, he had deliberately changed into a overcoat instead of a windbreaker. It seemed that this decision was wise.

He took large strides and walked into Suzhou in a few steps. Then, he walked through the corridor and found the private room according to the number sent by Li Zi in advance – 1127, which happened to be his birthday.

As he reached for the door handle and pushed open the door of the private room, everyone inside shouted in unison, “Happy birthday!”

For a moment, Qin Qingzhuo was almost startled by the grandeur of the scene.

Glancing around, there were nearly twenty people sitting inside, all turning their heads to look at him.

He walked in, closed the door behind him, and smiled, “So organized, did you guys rehearse in advance?”

“You bet,” Xia Qi, sitting in the closest seat, patted her chest, “I, a graduate from the directing department, always arrange rehearsals properly, you know?”

“Amazing,” Qin Qingzhuo laughed, “Indeed, Director Xia.”

He found an empty seat and was about to pull out the chair to sit down when Xie Chengyun waved at him from across the table, saying, “Qingzhuo, don’t sit there, we’ve reserved the main seat for you. Come over here.”

“Very formal,” Qin Qingzhuo didn’t bother with false politeness, and walked over to the vacant seat directly facing the door.

All the people who came to celebrate Qin Qingzhuo’s birthday today were his friends, including his alumni from the Central Conservatory of Music led by Duan Chong and Xia Qi, colleagues from his studio led by Li Zi and Lin Qi, and friends in life and work led by Xie Chengyun and Shen Cha.

Qin Qingzhuo has always had good interpersonal skills, not only reflected in his ability to make many close friends but also in the fact that his friends often become friends with each other.

“Qingzhuo, you really went back to change clothes,” sitting opposite him, Li Zi said, “This outfit looks good on you.”

“I didn’t fool you guys,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled.

Today, he wore a gray-black plaid woolen short coat, paired with a black sweater inside and a silver chain around his neck, matching the silver earring on his earlobe.

Actually, every year on his birthday, he would deliberately dress up a bit. No matter how he usually lived, he hoped to at least look better on this day.

“You’re late, Mr. Xiong,” Lin Qi stood up and pushed a glass of red wine in front of Qin Qingzhuo, “Drink up, drink up.”

“Am I really late?” Qin Qingzhuo smiled, “Don’t scare me, I checked the time before entering. I was actually five minutes early.”

“Li Zi informed all of us in this room to come for rehearsal at half past seven,” Lin Qi insisted, “Do you still think you’re not late?”

“Alright,” Qin Qingzhuo was easy-going, “Then I’ll accept the punishment.”

He picked up the wine glass and drank the contents in one gulp.

“One glass isn’t enough,” Duan Chong pushed two more glasses over, “He can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. How about making him drink three glasses first?”

Shen Cha became interested, “Qingzhuo, do you really have such a high alcohol tolerance?”

“He’s like this,” Duan Chong explained, “It’s divided into three stages. In the first stage, no matter how much he drinks, he’s fine, not turning red or getting dizzy. Then suddenly he passes out, if you think he can’t continue, then you lose. The correct thing to do at this point is to wake him up and make him continue drinking. At this point, he’s still conscious, but after drinking another bottle, he enters the third stage. He’s still conscious but very agreeable, agreeing to whatever you say, quite amusing.”

“Really?” Shen Cha listened with fascination, “That’s so interesting.”

“It’s guaranteed,” Duan Chong said, “When we were in college, the six of us in the dormitory took turns trying it out. Most people can’t even reach his second stage.”

“I didn’t even know I had a third stage,” Qin Qingzhuo also laughed, “What did I agree to back then?”

“You gave me your bank card number and password,” Duan Chong said solemnly, “You were just a step away from taking me to the ATM to withdraw money on the spot. If I hadn’t had a conscience at the time, you would have lost everything, you know?”

Everyone at the table laughed, and Qin Qingzhuo also chuckled, “I really don’t remember.”

“Is there no fourth stage?” Xie Chengyun asked.

“I don’t know either,” Duan Chong said, “I was the last one to pass out, and when I did, he was still very spirited, insisting on taking me to withdraw money.”

Everyone burst into laughter, Xia Qi said as she laughed, “So you didn’t have a conscience, you just couldn’t stand up!”

“Shall we try it tonight?” Lin Qi suggested, “With so many people here, I don’t believe we can’t outdrink him alone.”

“Don’t,” Qin Qingzhuo shook his head with a smile, “Spare me.”

Duan Chong pointed to the two glasses of wine he had just pushed over, “Finish the punishment first.”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t refuse either, picked up the wine glass, and drank both glasses in one gulp.

As he put down the wine glass, his phone on the table lit up, and someone sent a message.

Thinking it was a birthday wish from a friend in the circle, he glanced down, but when he saw the sender of the message, his hand paused, and his expression froze slightly—the message was from Jiang Ji.

While his friends continued to discuss the topic just now, those voices suddenly stopped entering his ears.

A few seconds later, his fingers touched the screen, and he opened the message.

On the chat interface, Jiang Ji sent a message: “Happy birthday.”

And as he stared at this message, another message came in: “Want to see you”

Suddenly, in his mind, the scene of himself getting drunk and sitting at the bar of the Honglu Bar flashed back, seeing Jiang Ji squatting in front of him very close, and his lips moved, saying the three words “can we?”

Sitting beside him, Xie Chengyun noticed something was wrong and quietly asked, “What’s the matter?”

Qin Qingzhuo then came back to his senses and shook his head, “Nothing.”

The screen automatically turned off, and he put his phone aside without replying to the message.

Without being prepared for a new relationship, he shouldn’t hastily respond, or it would only make the other person’s hopes fall again.

Having already indulged in one kiss, perhaps he shouldn’t indulge in another meeting.

But after this text message, he couldn’t immerse himself in the lively atmosphere before him. Thoughts of the message from Jiang Ji kept recurring in his mind.

After three rounds of drinks, a waiter pushed the door open and said that the cake ordered by Li Zi had arrived.

A three-tiered cake was brought in and placed in the center of the table. On the top tier sat a fondant figure playing the guitar, and in front of it were the numbers “29.”

“Is that me?” Qin Qingzhuo looked at the slightly long-haired figurine. “It’s quite alike.”

“Not as handsome as you,” Li Zi said sweetly, then stood up again. “I’ll light the candles.”

She took the lighter, leaned over, lit the “29” candle, and then proceeded to light the surrounding candles on the cake. Once the candles were lit, she turned off the lights in the room.

As the lights went out, accompanied by the flickering candles, everyone in the room began singing the birthday song.

After the song ended, everyone shouted in unison, “Happy 29th birthday,” and then Qin Qingzhuo sincerely said, “Thank you.”

He could guess why these friends had organized this small birthday party for him—probably because they had learned about the unpleasant things that had happened to him in the past few months and wanted to cheer him up with this gathering.

“Qingzhuo,” Li Zi said, “Make a wish and then blow out the candles.”

Qin Qingzhuo agreed, clasped his hands together, and prepared to make a wish.

But what wish should he make? There didn’t seem to be anything he wanted to wish for. Wishes like “a speedy recovery for my ears” or “to be able to return to the stage and sing again” he had made in previous years, but they hadn’t come true, so he decided to just go through the motions.

However, in the moment he closed his eyes, he suddenly remembered the wish he made three months ago, as a young and reckless teenager with injuries on his hands, facing the flickering flames, wishing for “every day to end quickly.”

He suddenly knew what wish he wanted to make now—”I hope that from now on, Jiang Ji can wish for time to slow down every day.”

Opening his eyes, he leaned down and blew out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” Li Zi asked.

“I can’t say,” Qin Qingzhuo smiled, “If I say it, it won’t come true.”

“True,” Li Zi laughed, standing up again and turning on the lights, “Then let’s each give Qingzhuo a blessing.”

Sitting down, she was the first to start, thinking for a moment, “I’ll make a practical wish: I hope our studio can produce a breakout signed artist and make lots and lots of money.”

“That wish isn’t hard to achieve,” Shen Cha chuckled, sitting beside her, “There’s already a budding star among us.”

Her words were pointed, and the others present all smiled knowingly, seeming to agree.

“Is it my turn?” Shen Cha held up her glass and gestured towards Qin Qingzhuo, “I wish for Teacher Qin to encounter a passionate and lasting romance before turning thirty.”

Everyone present was Qin Qingzhuo’s friend. Even if they weren’t aware of his being cheated on, they all knew his relationship with Ji Chi had ended.

“Let me add to that,” Xia Qi took over, “It would be best if it’s with a handsome young man.”

“Eighteen is too young, nineteen would be just right,” Li Zi added promptly.

Her words elicited laughter from everyone present.

“Huh?” Lin Qi also joined in, teasing, “Seems like there’s a suitable candidate?”

“Oh…” Li Zi pretended to suddenly realize, “You mean…”

“Li Zi,” Qin Qingzhuo interrupted her, stopping her from continuing.

Li Zi couldn’t help but laugh, making a zipper motion across her lips, “Alright, I won’t say anything then.”

The atmosphere lightened up, and Duan Chong joked to Qin Qingzhuo, “Given the situation, we should invite Cheng Yun to make a declaration of bachelorism and splash some cold water on your party.”

Normally, Xie Chengyun wouldn’t refuse such invitations, and most of his “classic” remarks were made on such occasions.

But today, he shook his head with a smile, “I won’t be the vibe killer today. Come on, let’s all toast Qingzhuo.”

At his words, everyone present raised their glasses to the center.

The clinking of glass echoed crisply, and outside the window, the patter of raindrops continued to drum against the glass.

The red wine slid down his throat, and in Qin Qingzhuo’s mind, a pair of dark, penetrating eyes that always seemed to be looking at him emerged.

The bitterness of the wine was suddenly tinged with a hint of sourness, flowing through his veins along with the pounding of his heart.

As he set down his glass, he couldn’t help but glance at his phone screen, but there were no more messages from Jiang Ji.

It was he who had decided not to reply to the message. Why was he so concerned about it now?

He suddenly lost his appetite, struggling to immerse himself in the lively atmosphere of the gathering but finding himself constantly distracted.

After dinner, with everyone finally assembled, someone suggested playing Murder Mystery, which received unanimous approval. So, the group of over a dozen people moved to the entertainment suite upstairs to continue the fun.

Qin Qingzhuo was the guest of honor tonight, and since everyone was interested, he had no reason not to join in.

However, he couldn’t fully engage in the game and found himself glancing at his phone every now and then.

Normally, he could easily hold out until the final rounds, but tonight, he frequently showed signs of weakness, relying solely on the protection of being the birthday celebrant to make it to the end.

After the game ended, it was already late at night. He put on his coat and bid farewell to the others before leaving the venue.

The drizzle was still falling outside, and the night air felt damp. After spending the whole night in the suite, feeling dizzy and flushed from the warm air conditioning and alcohol, Qin Qingzhuo felt a bit groggy now.

He got into his car, rolled down the window, and took a deep breath of the damp, cool air, feeling a bit more awake.

The driver in the front seat asked him, “Mr. Qin, are we going straight home?”

Qin Qingzhuo nodded, then took out his phone, checking his messages for what seemed like the umpteenth time tonight.

After the message “Want to see you” there had been no further messages from Jiang Ji.

Well, Qin Qingzhuo thought, with Jiang Ji’s temperament, sending that message tonight after what he said last time they met wouldn’t be in line with his usual behavior. So, how could he expect more messages?

Raindrops splattered on his face through the open car window, and he suddenly remembered that night when he and Jiang Ji escaped from the recording site, Jiang Ji driving and saying he wanted to leave the rainy clouds behind.

And that night when Jiang Ji held his hand, pulling him towards the direction of the headlights, as if running into the light.

His mind was filled with thoughts of Jiang Ji, whether his eyes were closed or open.

He suddenly realized, whether he wanted to admit it or not, after a month without seeing Jiang Ji, he really wanted to see him now.

Why restrain himself? With this thought, another question flashed through his mind: Qin Qingzhuo, oh Qin Qingzhuo, are you truly ready to step into another relationship?

The two thoughts clashed in his mind, with the former gaining the upper hand, yet the latter not falling behind.

“Then let’s go take a look,” he thought, “If I don’t see Jiang Ji, at least I can take a glimpse of the Honglu Slope Street.”

Moreover, having indulged Jiang Ji so many times, on his birthday night, he should be able to indulge himself once, right?

Once this thought emerged, it couldn’t be stopped. He closed his eyes and said, “Uncle Zhao, go to Honglu Slope Street.”

The driver acknowledged without questioning and turned at the next intersection.

As the car drove on, the drizzle stopped at some point, seeming not to have reached the western part of the city.

On the way, every few minutes, Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t help but check the message Jiang Ji had sent, and the frequency increased.

Realizing this, he put his phone aside and turned to look out the window, trying to distract himself.

At dawn, there weren’t many vehicles, and most of the storefronts had closed. However, a livehouse on the street was still open, with flashing lights visible from outside, and many young people gathered at the entrance.

As the car passed by the livehouse, the driver slowed down because someone was crossing the road at the intersection.

Qin Qingzhuo looked at the fluorescent board standing at the entrance, which read: “Midnight Temperature Band’s ‘Midnight Flash Event’ starts today!”

Surprisingly, it was people he was familiarw with. Qin Qingzhuo remembered the PK between Asperatus and Midnight Temperature, with Jiang Ji standing in the dimly lit waiting area, his distinct silhouette outlined by the light.

He took out his phone and checked the chat with Jiang Ji again.

After the “want to see you” message, there was still no response.

What is Jiang Ji doing now? If it’s a flash event organized by Asperatus’s band, there should be more people coming to see them.

As the car passed the intersection and turned a few corners, about to enter Honglu Slope Street, Qin Qingzhuo spoke up, “Just stop here, I’ll get out and take a walk.”

“Alright.” The driver acknowledged and pulled over to the side of the road.

Opening the car door, stepping onto the pavement, Qin Qingzhuo walked towards Honglu Slope Street.

All the bars on the street had closed, and the alley was quiet and deserted, perfect for a casual stroll.

As he stepped into the alley, Qin Qingzhuo subconsciously glanced in the direction of Honglu Bar, then froze for a moment—

A few meters away, in the quiet alley, a young man wearing a cap stood alone leaning against a utility pole.

Even though only a glimpse of his profile under the cap was visible, there was a sense of unease between his eyebrows.

He had a cigarette in his mouth, yet seemed not to be smoking, just flicking the lighter on and off, the flickering light casting alternating shadows on his face.