Chapter 221: I’ll Wait for You in Xitang

The boy got up from the ground, grabbed the laptop back from me, and upon seeing the Weibo reply I had sent on his behalf, immediately deflated into a state of collapse. After a while, he said to me, “Brother Yang, you’re truly inhuman!”

I looked at him innocently and said, “Haven’t you always claimed to be a virgin? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

“But you can’t say stuff like that on the goddess’s Weibo! It makes me look so low!”

Trying to comfort him, I said, “Look, she replies to so many people on her Weibo; she might not even notice yours, right?”

“She already replied to me before, so she’s definitely waiting for my reply. How could she possibly miss it?”

Once again, I was left speechless by him. After a pause, I said, “Okay, I admit this was my fault. Is that good enough?”

“No way! You have to help me explain, right away!”

“Come on, she’s such a big celebrity. How can I, a nobody, help you explain?”

“Fine, stop looking so gloomy. I’ll take you to a bar tonight to cheer you up!”

“You’re treating?”

“Yeah, I’ll treat!”

Only then did the boy let me off the hook, though he kept grumbling, clearly still angry. I couldn’t understand his value system, so tightly bound by his virginity.

…

After finishing our takeout dinner, I faced yet another idle afternoon. I went to the inn’s front desk and started chatting with the innkeeper.

I asked him, “Boss, are there many guests staying here now?”

He shook his head.

“Is it because of the low season?”

“The business has always been bad.”

I handed him a cigarette and said, “I’m going to be honest, don’t take offense. The accommodation conditions here are somewhat inferior compared to other inns, and the value for money isn’t high.”

He replied expressionlessly, “But you moved in anyway.”

“I moved in because of that stringless guitar hanging at your door.”

“You into music?”

“More like a hobby.”

He nodded and said, “Tonight I’ll take you to a bar. The owner there also loves music. You two can exchange some ideas and skills.”

“That’s great.” I paused briefly and asked, “Is this inn your own house or are you renting it?”

“Renting.”

I couldn’t help but worry for him, “If your business continues to struggle long-term, it’ll be hard to sustain operations, right?”

He exhaled smoke heavily and said, “The competition is fierce now. We’ve been losing money since the second half of last year. If it gets too bad, we’ll just have to close shop.”

Although he appeared indifferent, his words carried a deep sense of attachment to the inn that was about to shut down.

I patted his shoulder and comforted him, “The tourist season will come in two or three months. Hang in there and you’ll definitely make it through.”

He looked at me without saying a word, making me realize: he might not even have the money to survive these next few months.

…

As the day ended and night arrived, I, along with the boy, continued our post-dinner stroll along the Xitang River. However, I felt a slight regret: the pretty woman in the red coat didn’t come today… Maybe she had already left Xitang.

Compared to my mild regret, the boy was devastated. He leaned on my shoulder and wailed, “Brother Yang, today is my disaster day. I’ve lost two beautiful women in one day. I’m going to collapse!”

The boy’s sorrow reminded me of my younger self. Back then, I also had feelings for two women: one was the icy cold Xiaolongnü, and the other was the gentle and virtuous Bai Suzhen. I often struggled with whom I should marry when I grew up, feeling that no matter whom I chose, I would regret having to give up the other. But now, looking back, neither of them had anything to do with me, and my childhood dilemma was completely unfounded.

I thought the boy must have been struggling internally, wondering whether he truly wanted Leyao or the woman in the red coat. That’s why he said he had lost two beautiful women in one day.

But I wouldn’t mock him for it, because this kind of reckless fantasy, born from the status of being a virgin, is precisely the happiest kind. As for me, I had long lost the original drive for such fantasies after gaining understanding, which is why my life has become so dull!

Back at the inn, I invited the owner to take the boy and me to a bar. He led us to a music-themed bar called “I’m Waiting for You in Xitang.”

It was a small bar, and the owner was named Afeng. When the innkeeper introduced me, Afeng smiled and asked, “Are you here in Xitang to heal a broken heart or to seek a romantic encounter?”

I smiled back and said, “To heal a broken heart.”

Afeng patted my shoulder and said, “Then you’ve come to the right place. Order a drink and listen to us sing.”

I clapped, showing my anticipation for their performance.

…

The boy and I ordered a few bottles of beer and chose a seat near the performance stage. Afeng, guitar in hand, asked me to request a song.

Without hesitation, I immediately said, “Runaway With Me (私奔).” I wanted to hear whether, when sung by someone else, this song would still sound as heart-wrenching as it did when I sang it.

Afeng gave me an OK sign, then strummed his guitar and began to sing.

Afeng sang “Runaway With Me” calmly yet deeply emotional. It wasn’t that he failed to capture the essence of the song, just that he expressed it differently, probably due to differences in personality. As someone who had recently gone through a breakup, I remained deeply unsettled, living painfully on the sharp edge of heartbreak.

After a while, Afeng finished singing “Runaway With Me” and came over to me with a beer glass in hand, smiling and saying, “Brother, Ant (the inn owner’s name) told me you’re also into music. Why don’t you come up later and have some fun?”

We clinked glasses, and I nodded. In fact, I really enjoyed singing in an environment like this, singing for people who each had their own stories.

While chatting and drinking with Afeng and listening to the performances on stage, suddenly, the boy beside me tugged hard at my sleeve, gesturing for me to look toward the door.

I instinctively turned my head. Walking into the bar was the beautiful woman in the red coat. She walked straight toward the performance stage without looking sideways and stopped beside a box near the stage.

I didn’t understand what she was doing, so I looked more closely at the box and realized it was a prop used to collect tips from customers after the performance.

I watched as she took out a red wallet from her handbag and pulled out a thick stack of money—about two or three thousand yuan—and placed it into the box without even counting it. Then she found a quiet corner and sat down.

I was quite shocked. I hadn’t expected this woman to be so wealthy. To her, two or three thousand yuan was like paper.

Afeng gave her a respectful bow from where he stood, and she merely nodded slightly in response. Then, she casually glanced at me before returning her gaze to the performance on stage.

Seeing my astonished expression, Afeng chuckled and said, “This woman has been coming to our bar for several days in a row. Every time, she’s been very generous. The most she’s ever tipped us was 5,300 yuan!”

I shook my head in amazement and said, “Rich people’s world is beyond our comprehension!”

Afeng nodded in agreement, then patted my shoulder again and said, “Sun Ke just finished singing. Why don’t you go up and have some fun? Entertain our brothers and sisters from all over the country here at the bar!”

I nodded, instinctively clearing my throat, then walked toward the small performance stage.