I walked onto the small stage amidst the applause and gaze of the crowd, took the guitar from one of the band members, and plucked its strings. During the sound check, I pondered which song I should sing.
After much deliberation, I decided on “Relative,” by the Ziya Band, because it seemed to express the emotions I had experienced in my recent romantic relationship.
As the lyrics described, when facing Mi Cai, I felt ashamed for not being worthy of her beauty. I tried desperately to keep up with her pace, but I grew increasingly exhausted in the pursuit.
…
Plucking the guitar strings, I no longer wanted to sing with heart-wrenching intensity. I relaxed and sang calmly, recalling memories as I sang, my voice growing softer and more choked until I was nearly sobbing. At that moment, I realized I had been wronged in this recently ended love affair, and thus, on a subconscious level, I truly needed a place like Xitang.
When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Afeng, the bar owner, gave me a thumbs-up, acknowledging my self-accompanied performance. Even the woman in the red coat clapped along with everyone else. I realized then that music is a wonderful force—it can temporarily erase the prejudices between two people.
I put down the guitar, but Afeng approached me and encouraged the crowd to ask me to sing another song. Despite not feeling like singing anymore, I reluctantly agreed to their request.
I picked up the guitar once more and said to the customers, “Pick a song, and I’ll sing it for you.”
Everyone began shouting out song titles simultaneously, naming over a dozen in an instant. Afeng quickly stepped in to restore order, saying, “If everyone keeps suggesting songs, we won’t be able to accommodate them all for Brother Zhaoyang. How about we play a game instead? I have a deck of playing cards here. I’ll give each of you one card, and whoever gets the King of Hearts will have the chance to request a song. How does that sound?”
Everyone agreed enthusiastically.
Afeng gestured for silence, smiled, and continued, “The theme of this bar is: I’m waiting for you in Xitang. I can wait for a breeze, for a snowfall, for a chance encounter, or perhaps just for one person. A single word—’waiting’—tells a story. Therefore, sharing stories is also the theme of our bar. I’d like to propose that whoever is lucky enough to draw the King of Hearts should also share the story of their ‘waiting.’ Together, through your story, we can pass through this lonely night. How about that?”
With the crowd’s approval, Afeng began shuffling the deck of cards and then distributed them one by one to the bar’s customers.
There was only one King of Hearts, and everyone was disappointed when they realized they had missed the opportunity, making them even more curious about who had drawn it.
Amid murmurs and whispers, the woman in the red coat held up her card and said, “The King of Hearts is with me.”
I looked at her in surprise, finding the coincidence incredible, as the chances of drawing the King of Hearts were only one in dozens.
Afeng took the card from her and, returning to my side, whispered so only I could hear, “I intentionally gave her the King of Hearts. I’m actually quite curious about her story.”
I nodded in understanding and quietly replied, “She’s a very special woman.”
“Mm.”
Afeng responded with a nod, then turned to the woman and said, “Miss, you’ve won the chance to request a song. Please tell us what you’d like to hear. Zhaoyang will definitely fulfill your request.”
“Love and Commitment.”
I said, “If I’m not mistaken, this is a duet by Jacky Cheung and Priscilla Chan, right?”
She nodded.
“This is a duet. I need someone to sing with me.”
Afeng asked her, “Miss, would you like to sing this song with Zhaoyang?”
She shook her head, indicating she was unwilling.
I felt slightly embarrassed but not offended, because I understood that some songs can only be sung with one person. For her, I simply wasn’t that person.
Afeng turned to the female bassist behind him and said, “Xing’er, would you like to sing this song with Zhaoyang?”
Xing’er nodded. Holding the microphone, she stood beside me. After exchanging nods, we began singing this emotional duet that could bring tears to those with stories of their own.
Although Xing’er was a bassist, she had a very delicate and gentle voice. Mine, on the other hand, was slightly hoarse from years of smoking. The combination of these two contrasting vocal styles created an unusual effect—passionate, sorrowful, and longing—causing everyone to become immersed in our singing. She had already begun to sob uncontrollably. In that moment, I seemed to see the tightly wound string in her heart mercilessly snapped by our music.
As the song faded away, there was no applause—only a roomful of deeply moved faces. Everyone had heard their past hopes and expectations in our song, and now their present pain and helplessness had been torn open once again.
After a long silence, Afeng was the first to clap loudly, but no one joined him, because their hands were busy protecting the cruelly torn wounds.
Afeng wasn’t surprised. He stopped clapping and, with an encouraging smile, said, “I believe everyone here was reminded of their past vows of eternal love through this song ‘Love and Commitment,’ and thus reopened wounds that hadn’t yet healed… but so what?”
He paused briefly before continuing, “This is a music bar, but more importantly, it’s a place for healing. Over the years I’ve run this bar, I’ve seen too many heartbroken customers come here seeking comfort. Unfortunately, they often don’t find real solace. Instead, their wounds are further torn and bleed even more… but that’s not scary, because I firmly believe that only by truly experiencing the pain of being torn apart can one understand the true meaning of life and love, break free from the cocoon, and walk the rest of life’s path more strongly… Remember, only strength is the final support you can rely on, because pain is inevitable as long as you live—it’s something no one can escape.”
Finally, the previously silent crowd began to applaud for Afeng.
I thought perhaps breaking free after enduring the pain of being torn apart was the true meaning for this group of people seeking healing who came here.
According to the rules of the King of Hearts game, the woman in red should have shared her story after my performance, but she left early. However, no one questioned it, because we all understood that some stories cannot be shared, even if it meant breaking the game’s rules.
…
After finishing the impromptu performance, I returned to my original seat. Tongzi, who was with me, looked deeply contemplative. After a while, he said to me, “Brother Yang, I think it’s better to remain a virgin… Love is too scary!”
I didn’t know how to respond to his strange remark, so I silently lit a cigarette for myself.
Suddenly, he turned to me, filled with anger, and said, “Oh, I’m really mad now!”
“What’s wrong this time?”
“Le Yao really saw that reply, and she blocked my account… You heartless butcher, I hate you so much!”
Instinctively, I replied, “Is that even a big deal? I’ll just ask her to unblock you later.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage