Night arrived as expected, and the weary body finally found release after a long day. In this vast city, night brought us boundless loneliness, yet also allowed us to indulge ourselves. Perhaps only at night could we truly be ourselves—suffer in authenticity, enjoy in authenticity, and helplessly watch youth gradually drowned in the rushing stream of time…
Because of Leyao, Chen Jingming’s Audi A4 had become my private car these days. After ending the call with Luo Ben, I drove to the hotel to pick up Leyao, and then headed straight to CC’s themed music restaurant, “Empty City.”
After we arrived, Luo Ben appeared at the entrance of the alley, carrying my guitar on his back and riding his modified racing motorcycle.
After parking the car, Leyao and I got out one after another. Leyao was very happy to see Luo Ben, and greeted him from afar.
As the two approached, Luo Ben placed his hand on Leyao’s shoulder, jokingly saying, “Big star Leyao, long time no see!”
Leyao didn’t mind Luo Ben’s casual behavior, and looked at the guitar behind him, asking, “Big star Luo, are you planning to sing tonight?”
“This is Zhaoyang’s guitar.”
Leyao then looked at me and asked, “Are you planning to improvise a few songs later?”
I nodded, saying, “Yeah, it’s been a long time since I last sang at CC’s restaurant. I really miss those days when I used to perform here.”
“How come I feel a sense of bitterness when I hear the word ‘miss’?” Luo Ben said.
Leyao echoed, “Because missing is shameful. We are both people who look forward, right, Luo Ben?”
Luo Ben nodded, “That makes sense. Only Zhaoyang is still occasionally willing to be shamefully sentimental and look back.”
I smiled. At this moment, Luo Ben and Leyao teasing me felt more like a cover and escape, but I wouldn’t expose it. No matter how perfectly he pretends in front of people, late at night, all the masks he puts on to hide will still be torn away, because night hates people who pretend the most.
The three of us talked and laughed while walking through that dark alley toward CC’s restaurant.
Pushing open the restaurant door, CC’s familiar voice came first. This time she was singing a song called “Time” by Xu Wei. She sang with great passion, not even noticing our arrival.
We didn’t interrupt CC, just found a corner to sit down and listened to this song “Time” that brought us many feelings.
When CC sang the line, “You are the most beautiful spring in my memory, the yesterday I can never return to,” Luo Ben and I almost simultaneously pulled out a cigarette from the pack and lit it. I didn’t know what Luo Ben was feeling at that moment, but my heart was filled with nostalgia for the past, wishing I could return to that spring again, jump into her river, and swim all the way to the end of love…
Clapping began intermittently, and I realized that the song “Time” had already ended in the quiet passing of time. I raised my head to look at CC on the small stage. She had already put down the guitar, and almost at the same time noticed our arrival, her eyes filled with surprise. Of course, her surprise was for Luo Ben; it had nothing to do with me and Leyao.
Smiling, CC came toward us while calling the waiter to bring drinks and menus.
Regarding CC’s arrival, Luo Ben showed no special reaction, still holding a cigarette in his mouth, tuning the guitar.
Standing beside Luo Ben for a while, CC finally said, “Long time no see, Luo Ben.”
“Sit down, have a few drinks with us.” Luo Ben made space for CC, but his tone was flat and emotionless.
CC nodded and sat beside Luo Ben, lit a cigarette, and asked him, “How have you been lately?”
“Good.”
Faced with Luo Ben’s perfunctory response, CC looked helpless, but Luo Ben had always been like this toward her, and she was at a loss. Then silence fell.
The waiter first brought the alcohol and drinks, filled our glasses, and we three started chatting, leaving Luo Ben aside.
CC tapped the ash off her cigarette and asked me, “Zhaoyang, why didn’t you bring your girlfriend to play with us today?”
I hesitated before answering, “She’s quite busy these days.”
Before my words had even faded, both Leyao and Luo Ben simultaneously asked me, “You have a girlfriend?”
At that moment, I somewhat regretted having randomly told CC that Mi Cai was my girlfriend that day. But people always have habitual thinking. Since I introduced Mi Cai as my “girlfriend” in front of Fang Yuan and Jian Wei, I naturally continued introducing her that way to CC.
“Sort of,” I replied vaguely.
Luo Ben didn’t seem to care much about my having a girlfriend. He raised his glass and took a sip, not asking further. But Leyao beside me was very interested and continued, “Who is she, Zhaoyang?”
“You’ve met her,” I said, raising my glass to signal Leyao to drink with me, trying to shift her attention.
Leyao ignored me, thought for a moment, and said, “Is it that woman who paid the fine for you at the police station last time?”
“You guess,” I said, picking up the guitar that Luo Ben had tuned and heading toward the small stage opposite, trying to avoid Leyao’s endless questioning.
As I had just sat down on the chair on the stage, Luo Ben also followed me onto the stage. We exchanged a glance, each with a helpless expression. I was afraid of Leyao’s questions, while Luo Ben was afraid of facing CC.
Luo Ben asked the sound technician for another microphone, then said to the band behind him, “Let’s do a song, ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ by Black Panther Band.”
After the band found the right pitch and signaled us, Luo Ben and I gave an OK sign, then closed our eyes and immersed ourselves in the song’s intro.
I was very engaged throughout the entire song, keeping my eyes closed until the end, when I finally opened them. Instinctively, I looked toward the seats where we had just been sitting, only to discover that Mi Cai had somehow arrived at the restaurant without me knowing. She was sitting with CC, clapping for Luo Ben and me, and the diners’ gazes were also gathering toward their direction.
A single beautiful woman is already rare, but now Mi Cai, Leyao, and CC were sitting together, naturally amplifying the beauty effect and attracting the diners’ attention. However, I felt a wave of anxiety under this beauty effect, fearing that CC might introduce Mi Cai to Leyao as my girlfriend, and then Mi Cai would expose the truth in a very unkind way, which would make me extremely embarrassed!
I handed the guitar to Luo Ben, signaling him to continue, and hurriedly walked off the stage toward the three women. Just as I was about to speak, Leyao said to me, “I’ll go on for you. It’s been a long time since I last performed with Big Star Luo.” Then she walked toward the small stage.
I sat down beside Mi Cai. Taking advantage of CC’s attention being on the stage, I lowered my voice and asked Mi Cai, “How did you find this place? I already promised you that I would help you get rid of those annoying cockroaches when I have time. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Mi Cai looked at me as if I were an idiot for a long time before asking, “Do you really think I came here for you?”
At that moment, I realized how self-important I had been in my nervousness. I remembered that Mi Cai had told me before that she really liked CC’s restaurant, so naturally she would come here to dine. Therefore, today was purely a coincidence.
To ease my embarrassment, I shamelessly asked Mi Cai, “How was my performance in that song ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ just now?”
“The man beside you sang really well. I wasn’t paying attention to you.” While talking to me, Mi Cai rested her chin on her hand, staring at Luo Ben on the stage, seemingly anticipating his next song.
I covered my chest, twisted my face into a painful expression, and said, “Oh dear, my heart hurts so much! I’m your boyfriend, you can’t treat me like this. My heart is broken!”
“Boring.”
Mi Cai’s attitude made me secretly relieved. If she had exposed me without any consideration, she definitely wouldn’t have just said “boring” so simply.
I raised my glass and took a sip of beer, then turned my attention back to the small stage, waiting for Leyao and Luo Ben’s duet.
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