"The tenth program is the English skit Single by the School of Foreign Languages... Please get ready for the next guest." The on-site director kept urging the audience with a loudspeaker, and the rehearsal of the evening party went smoothly.
Tian Xin leaned against the side of the stage, staring at the seniors who were hastily preparing props on the stage. The senior from the Student Union who was holding the program hurriedly walked past her, looking around anxiously while talking on the phone, looking for the director: "What? Jiang Siming and Zhang Qilin haven't come yet? There are only two programs left. Is Master Zhuang here? I'll ask the director if he can rehearse first."
Tian Xin frowned. She had finally persuaded Yang Cong and the others to leave. She just wanted to watch Jiang Siming quietly by herself, but unexpectedly, the protagonist did not show up.
Tian Xin wanted to leave in frustration, but she heard bursts of girls’ gasps amid the noise behind her.
Tian Xin rolled her eyes. She knew without looking back that the legendary god must have arrived.
In a hurry, Zhuang Fei Ze had already walked onto the stage. He had changed out of his previously soiled white shirt and put on a white cotton shirt with two lapels, revealing a strong ancient style. There was still some indifference between his eyebrows, and his thin lips were tightly pursed, showing that he was not in a good mood at the moment.
Tian Xin was a little surprised. How could this guy change his expression so quickly after not seeing him for a while? She looked at him suspiciously, but found that he was holding a cylindrical black leather box in his slender hands. Judging from its appearance, it didn't look like a Western instrument like a violin, nor did it look like it could hold a traditional instrument like an erhu.
His gourd...ah, no, what is in the box? Tian Xin's attention was attracted by the box, and she stared at it without blinking. Zhuang Fize on the stage saw her silly look, and his bad mood finally improved a little.
If Zhuang Feichi hadn't signed him up for the freshman party without his permission, he wouldn't be here today, and he wouldn't be chased by Zhuang Feichi for saving someone. Thinking of this, Zhuang Feize couldn't help but glance at Tian Xin. It was all this guy's fault.
But Tian Xin didn't notice his look. She kept waiting for him to open the box and even stood on tiptoe to see clearly what he was performing.
What exactly is this?
Zhuang Fei Ze carefully opened the box and slowly took out a black instrument. The instrument looked like many black bamboos tied together, and then connected in series with golden silk threads according to the grain. There were air holes on the black bamboos. It looked like an instrument similar to a clarinet, right?
But what exactly is this? Tian Xin was completely confused.
There were many people at the scene who were as unaware as she was. Because of her special position, many female volunteers had already gathered next to her, staring at the people on the stage with love in their eyes.
"What is that, Master? Why have I never seen such a musical instrument before?"
"I don't know. The program was submitted at the last minute. I only know that the piece to be played is "Plum Blossoms."
"'Plum Blossom Introduction'? What is that?"
"Oh, forget it. We don't understand the world of the great god. Just look at Yan."
Can you guys be more casual? Tian Xin couldn't help but stand aside, not wanting to admit that she was the same as them.
Zhuang Fize on the stage simply ignored the discussions, lowered his head, adjusted the reed, and then started playing.
When the first sound rang out, the clear voice was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds, making people feel warm but also with a thin chill.
Isn’t this guy amazing?
Tian Xin was also infected by the music, staring at the person on the stage without blinking . Although he had no expression, he felt that the song contained many emotions. His beautiful eyes were gently closed, and his long and thick eyelashes seemed to cover his eyes like a small fan, like a butterfly gently landing on petals, making people want to get closer.
At this moment, all other noises seemed to have receded like the tide, and only Zhuang Feize was left on the stage, still playing. The white spotlight shone on him, but Tian Xin did not feel the spotlight of the crowd, but felt a little... lonely? It was as if no matter what happened around him, he was the only one left there.
Why do I want to hug him when I listen to his music?
This thought suddenly popped up in Tian Xin's mind. She quickly lowered her head, patted her face hard, and whispered, "You actually want to hug him. Did you not take your medicine?"
"How could that be? You two are destined to be together." A soft teasing voice came to her ear, and Tian Xin was so scared that she quickly looked up and moved to the side. Only then did she realize that the girls had dispersed at some point, and only the man with gold-rimmed glasses and a smirk on his face was left.
"Hehe, why are you here again, Senior?"
"Do I need a reason to come and rehearse with my brother?" Zhuang Feichi looked at the girl with rabbit eyes in front of him and smiled. But that smile looked malicious.
"Junior, I didn't expect that you would actually come to be a volunteer after I just casually mentioned it last time. Weibo said that you even brought your brothers to help, which is really cool."
"That's a misunderstanding, senior." If I had known that you two brothers would show up, I would definitely not have come to volunteer!
"Don't be shy, junior. Look at my younger brother. He's the center of attention wherever he stands. He's probably the most popular one tonight." Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Zhuang Feichi paused on the word "most".
The most popular? More popular than Jiang Siming? That won't do!
As soon as Tian Xin thought of this possibility, all the thoughts that had just arisen in her mind were forcibly suppressed. She followed Zhuang Feichi's gaze and had to admit that Zhuang Feize on the stage was indeed——
She looked to the side again and saw that the group of girls had occupied the best seats under the stage and were staring at the people on the stage with pink hearts in their eyes. And it wasn't just them, even passers-by heard the sound and stopped to take videos.
Isn’t it very cool? The master is playing an unknown instrument, and it looks very elegant.
"Senior, Zhuang Feize...what instrument are you playing? It's really unusual, haha." Tian Xin said awkwardly.
Zhuang Feichi looked at her and smiled. "That's the sheng, the oldest Chinese musical instrument made up of the reed, the stem and the drum. His parents wanted him to learn the guqin, but he refused and chose an ancient instrument used for harmony instead."
"Is that so? Haha, senior is so talented." Tian Xin curled her lips a little stiffly. Even if she was an idiot, she knew that this musical instrument was famous. "I have guests, playing the harp and blowing the sheng" and "The sheng and the flute are the farewells" are all well-known poems about the sheng. But in real life, she has never seen anyone play it live.
"Of course I have the talent." Zhuang Feichi looked at Zhuang Feize, who had just finished rehearsal and was walking towards him with a blank expression, and he was so happy that he almost whistled.
Tian Xin also noticed the people who had packed up and came over. She was a little overwhelmed, but when she thought about how he would shine at the party that night and steal the limelight that originally belonged to Jiang Siming, she was also worried about Brother Siming.
What should I do? What should I do? As Zhuang Feize approached, Tian Xin became more and more nervous. When Zhuang Feize glanced at her and called his brother to leave, Tian Xin could no longer sit still and could only follow him: "Wait a minute."
"Junior, do you have anything else to say?" She was answered by Zhuang Feichi's smiling voice and Zhuang Feize's meaningful look.
"I—" Tian Xin didn't know what to say. She just stopped them subconsciously, "Well, it's getting late. Why don't I treat you two seniors to a meal?"
"Eat? At this time?" Zhuang Feize looked at the cloudless sky, then looked at the hour hand on his watch which was pointing to 4.
"Yes, yes, Zhuang Feize... Senior will be very tired because of the performance tonight, so I will treat you to a meal first." Seeing that they did not refuse immediately, Tian Xin seemed to see a glimmer of hope. She could not help but walk up to Zhuang Feize and tug on his sleeve, smiling flatteringly, "Senior, senior, I know a delicious restaurant, let's go eat, health is the capital of revolution."
"I said, junior sister..." Before Zhuang Feichi could say no, Zhuang Feize, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up to stop him from saying anything, "Okay."
"What did you say?" Zhuang Feichi thought he was hallucinating. Was this his eternally cold brother?
"What did you say?" Tian Xin almost cried for joy. As long as he agreed, she would take him far away and not think about coming back within the stipulated time.
"Let's go." Zhuang Feize glared at Zhuang Feichi secretly, then walked towards the parking lot. Tian Xin followed happily, with a smile on her face like a blooming flower.
Zhuang Feichi was left behind. He touched his chin and looked at the backs of the two people walking side by side in front of him, as if he had made a new discovery.
My younger brother seems to have changed a lot.
In the beautiful white car, a photo of a family of four was posted in a Chinese knot frame hanging under the rearview mirror. Tian Xin sat in the passenger seat and couldn't help but lean in to see more closely. In the photo, Zhuang Fei Ze was still a little immature, with light hair and a stubborn and indifferent look, which made him look out of place with the other three smiling people.
Has this person only had this ? Tian Xin thought about this question seriously. Zhuang Feize, who was in the driver's seat, suddenly stretched out a hand while waiting for the red light, which scared Tian Xin: "What are you going to do?"
Looking at Tian Xin's round eyes, Zhuang Fei Ze couldn't help but pull her seat belt with one hand and pat her head with the other hand: "Seat belt."
"Oh." Tian Xin blushed. She didn't know why, but she felt that since Zhuang Feize saved her, he had changed a little. It seemed that he was no longer as cold as before. Sometimes she even felt like the iceberg was melting.
Was it an illusion? She carefully nudged the person driving next to her and asked, "Senior, what do you want to eat?"
"Aren't you going to treat me to a meal?" Zhuang Feize said as he skillfully turned the steering wheel.
I'm just saying it, do you really believe it? Tian Xin's face turned bitter instantly. She looked at her phone quietly, it was only four o'clock, what should she eat at this time?
"Then...is there anything you don't want to eat?"
Zhuang Fei Ze tried to suppress his smile and looked at the person next to him, his words still cold: "How should I know? Show me the way."
Where should we go? Tian Xin estimated the time in her mind and pointed to the road on the left: "Just keep going east and you will reach the outside of the Fifth Ring Road."
Leave the city? Zhuang Fize nodded and walked eastward as she said without asking any more questions.
Pretty obedient . Tian Xin nodded with satisfaction and was about to send a text message to Yang Cong to explain the situation when a voice came from behind: "I say, did you two forget that there was a third person in the car?"
Well, I really forgot!
Tian Xin quickly put her phone back and turned away somewhat embarrassedly. Zhuang Feichi, who was sitting alone in the back seat, looked at the girl in front of him with a half-smile, and said with a gritted teeth: "After all, you said you would treat both of us to a meal, why are you only asking Zhuang Feize and not me? Do you think my presence is so low?"
"No, no, how could Senior Zhuang have a low sense of presence? I was just about to ask you a question when you spoke first, hahahaha."
"Don't pretend. You were so happy chatting with my brother that you must have forgotten about me a long time ago, right? But speaking of which, you are not from Harbin, are you? You are not afraid of my brother's cold aura."
"Senior Zhuang, you are such a joker. My home is in nearby M City, and it takes less than an hour to get there by high-speed rail."
"M City? I remember that the universities in M ​​City are not worse than Nanyin University. Why did you come to Nanyin University?"
"Well, hahaha..." You can't say that you came here with the boy you like, right?
"Okay, are you here to check the household registration?" Zhuang Fei Ze suddenly asked Zhuang Fei Chi. Zhuang Fei Chi was stunned. He didn't seem to say anything?
"It's okay. I admired the teaching quality of Nanyin University and I really liked Nanyin University, so I worked hard to get admitted." Tian Xin didn't want to embarrass the two brothers because of herself, so she quickly tried to smooth things over.
After hearing what she said, Zhuang Feichi just nodded, then leaned back in the back seat and closed his eyes to rest. Tian Xin turned around and looked straight ahead. Zhuang Feize next to her didn't say anything and drove in silence.
The subtle air was flowing in the car, and she actually felt a little sleepy with the vibration of the car body. However, she still insisted on keeping her eyes open out of politeness, shaking her head from time to time to keep herself awake.
"Go to sleep. I'll call you when we get there." Zhuang Feize next to her spoke softly. The gentle voice made Tian Xin relax completely. She tilted her head and fell asleep.
Tian Xin forgot that she didn’t say where she was going, so how could Zhuang Feize know the destination?
When Tian Xin's breathing became long and even, Zhuang Feichi, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, opened his eyes. He said with a smile, "The iceberg will melt one day. Is it fun for you to protect others like this?"
Zhuang Fei Ze, who was waiting for the red light, glanced at Zhuang Fei Chi's face in the rearview mirror and said, "Interesting."
Everything went smoothly in Tian Xin's dream. The welcome party in the evening attracted many people to watch, and the last person to attend was changed from Zhuang Fize to Jiang Siming. Jiang Siming was wearing the white cotton shirt that she had chosen for him before, sitting next to the piano. A beam of white spotlight hit him, he lowered his head and smiled warmly, and when he raised his head again, his face turned into Zhuang Fize's...
Ahhh, what’s going on?
Tian Xin woke up from her dream and opened her eyes to find that she was still in the passenger seat. The car had already stopped and there was no one else in the car except her. It was quiet. What was even more terrifying was that it was already dark outside.
What happened? Tian Xin tried to open her eyes wide, and after a while she remembered the whole story. So... where did Zhuang Fize and his brother go? They wouldn't leave her behind and go away early, right?
Tian Xin unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door anxiously, only to find that they seemed to be parked in a quiet alley. Under the dim street lights not far away, Zhuang Fize and Zhuang Fichi were standing on the roadside talking about something. She exhaled slowly, walked over, and faintly heard the brothers seemed to be talking?
"This is not like you, to follow in on the fun."
"This is not nonsense, it is...an apology for the previous misunderstanding."
"How come I didn't know you were such a soft-hearted person."
"There are still many things you don't know... Are you awake?" Zhuang Feize, who was standing opposite Tian Xin, noticed her and greeted her first.
Tian Xin scratched her head a little embarrassedly, and laughed softly: "I'm sorry, I made you wait for me, why didn't you wake me up?"
"I want to, but my brother won't let me." Zhuang Feichi said with a smile, glancing at the person next to him, "But, you are a really good sleeper, you slept for almost two hours. If we go back now, we might not be able to make it to the party."
It's not that exaggerated. It was just after five when she went to bed, and it's only eight now.
"No, no, it's only eight o'clock now. We should be able to catch up if we go back."
"It will take at least an hour to drive back from here. Will we be able to catch the curtain call if we go back?"
After hearing what he said, Tian Xin felt a little embarrassed, but she couldn't apologize immediately and expose her thoughts. Just when she was in a dilemma, Zhuang Feize suddenly said, "Didn't we agree to have dinner?"
"Even after all this, you're still in the mood to eat?" Zhuang Feichi was surprised.
"What else? Are you going to continue standing here and enjoying the breeze?" Zhuang Feize's cold joke did not make Tian Xin feel relieved. Instead, it made her feel more guilty.
Since we can't let him go, let's apologize with delicious food. Thinking of this, Tian Xin became more determined to treat them to a good meal.
"Since you have invited us so kindly, we will not be polite." Zhuang Feichi narrowed his eyes and spoke before Zhuang Feize could stop him, "Let's go to Suiyiju."
"Okay, let's go there." Tian Xin was filled with a sense of heroism and agreed without even asking where it was. Therefore, she didn't notice Zhuang Feize's slightly frowned brows.
"After selling, I will let others count the money." Zhuang Feize said softly when he passed by her.
Tian Xin was a little confused. How come this guy's expression changed so much after he woke up?
Seeing Tian Xin still looking confused, Zhuang Feize couldn't help but shook his head: "What a fool."
What fool?
Soon, Tian Xin followed him into Suiyiju. When she was holding the menu of Suiyiju with shaking hands, she realized why he said that.
What kind of place is this? Why can simple vegetables cost three figures? Just ordering vegetables hurt her, and she couldn't even look at the other dishes.
"What? You haven't ordered yet?" Zhuang Feichi saw that Tianxin's hands were shaking as she held the ordering menu, so he teased her on purpose.
"Haha, Senior Zhuang, are the dishes in this place all made of gold? Otherwise, why are they so expensive?"
"It's normal to be expensive, after all..."
"After all, he is one of the bosses. The more expensive it is, the more money he makes." Zhuang Feize took the menu and made a big revelation.
"Ah, since this is Senior Zhuang's place, I won't be polite. You will definitely take care of me anyway. Waiter, serve all your signature dishes!" Tian Xin instantly became very generous.
Zhuang Feichi almost laughed out of anger and reminded him, "Mr. Boss, I didn't say I'd waive your bill."
"Besides me, there's also your brother, right, Zhuang Feize?" Tian Xin bickered with Zhuang Feichi while asking Zhuang Feize for help. Although Zhuang Feize didn't say anything, he still ordered all the signature dishes and stood on Tian Xin's side.
"Okay, I can't argue with you. Forget it, let's just watch the live broadcast of the party first."
"What live broadcast? Is there a live broadcast for tonight's party?"
Tian Xin was attracted and went over to Zhuang Feichi to watch the live broadcast with him. When the dishes came, the two of them discussed the show like brothers.
Zhuang Fei Ze knocked on the table with his hand: "Don't talk or watch TV while eating."
"It will be ready soon, it will be ready soon." Tian Xin said as she held up her phone. After all, Jiang Siming's show was about to start, and without Zhuang Fize he would definitely be the focus of the whole show.
She was right. When Jiang Siming sat in front of the piano, a burst of girls' screams came from the live broadcast. Jiang Siming just smiled lightly, and the girls at the scene were excited.
When the prelude sounded softly, she finally heard clearly that it was Hebe Tien's "Little Lucky".
"I heard the raindrops falling on the green grass, I heard the bell for the end of get out of class ringing in the distance, but I didn't hear your voice, calling my name seriously..."
The magnetic voice and the pleasant piano sound are so beautiful, right? Just as she was listening attentively, a long-haired girl suddenly came up on the stage and sang the chorus behind it along with the melody.
Who is this girl?
Although we only saw her profile, the one-shoulder white lace dress she was wearing, paired with her waist-length hair, made her look as beautiful as a painting. And when you heard the whistles from the boys at the scene, you would know how beautiful this girl is.
This time she even forgot the rule of not speaking, she held the phone in front of Zhuang Fize and touched his shoulder: "Who is this?"
Zhuang Fei Ze glanced at her and said, "Zhang Qilin from the Law School."
Zhang Qilin? This name sounds familiar! Tian Xin always felt like she had heard of this name before, but she couldn't remember where it came from.
"Don't you know? She is with..."
"Just eat your meal, you talk too much." Zhuang Feichi, who had just tried to get in on the topic, was retorted by his younger brother before he could finish. He couldn't help but look at this man who valued his junior over his brother.
Not only did Tian Xin not take Zhang Qilin to heart, but she also quickly put her behind her mind, because when the two people on the stage walked together, her eyes automatically filtered out Zhang Qilin and only stayed on Jiang Siming.
It really is Brother Siming, his ability to control the situation is so strong! Tian Xin quickly fell into a state of infatuation.
The other two people at the table looked at her with different thoughts. Zhuang Feichi thought that this girl might really have a problem with her brain. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the two people on the stage had a close relationship, so why was she still acting like a fangirl? And his brother actually refused to let him expose it?
Zhuang Fei Ze continued to eat expressionlessly under his brother's incredulous gaze. But when he heard Tian Xin's constant praises, his heart moved slightly, thinking, what a fool who would help others count money after being sold.