CH 18

Chapter 18: You like this kind of good girl too?

Seeing Zhou Jingze’s stunned look, Xu Sui lowered her gaze and laughed at herself: “It’s okay if you don’t remember.”

Zhou Jingze leaned back on the bench, slightly arched. He placed one of his long legs on the ground. He had a casual expression and seemed to recall that there was indeed such a girl in his class. She was wearing a large school uniform and often lowered her head. The girl would hurriedly pass by his seat every morning when she entered the classroom. Her sleeves occasionally brushed past the paper on his desk.

He had a little bit of an impression of Xu Sui but never thought it would be the same person as the girl in front of him. Seeing the familiarity, Zhou Jingze shifted his eyes to Xu Sui. The shy, quiet girl in his memory gradually overlapped with the person in front of him.

“You’ve changed a lot,” Zhou Jingze said. The respect he was taught and brought up with prompted him to speak again, “Sorry—”

Xu Sui shook her head. Since the two reunited in university, she has already accepted the fact that Zhou Jingze wouldn’t remember. After all, he was heaven’s favored one; the moon surrounded by a myriad of stars.

She was just a bleak star, too inconspicuous.

Some can’t remember the names of the people around them, but others have been thinking about them for a long time.

Zhou Jingze picked up the can of Coke on the ground. While he was leaning down, the Coke can in his hand touched the hot cocoa she was holding, and his dark eyes locked on her tightly:

“Then, let’s get to know each other again?”

“Okay,” Xu Sui heard herself say softly.

——

In winter, days are short, and nights are long. The time flashed by with the band rehearsals and classes. The group became more familiar with each other, and in a blink of an eye, Christmas Eve came.

The competition organized by the two schools happened to be on December 24 at night. On this day, the school was full of excitement and celebration.

In particular, today also happens to be Xu Sui’s birthday. She woke up early in the morning and received a big red envelope from her mother and grandma. Her grandma also called her in person, remembering to tell her to stay warm. For her birthday today, Xu Sui took the money from the red envelope and went out to eat.

Xu Sui was calling her grandma while walking through the hallways, acting cottequishly, “But grandma, I only want to eat the longevity noodles you make.”

The old woman smiled from ear to ear, “Well, when you come back from winter vacation, grandma will make it for you every day.”

At noon, Xu Sui invited her two roommates out to eat. Liang Shuang sat in the dining room with a suspicious expression, “Did you receive money?”

Hu Xixi wrapped her arms around Xu Sui’s neck and said, “Yea baby, why are you so happy today?”

“It’s because… the exam two days ago was relatively easy,” Xu Sui made an excuse to stop them from continuously asking.

However, Xu Sui didn’t expect that she would be exposed when she paid the bill. The waiter returned with the bill and card. With a signature smile on his face, “Hello, since today is your birthday, you can enjoy a 12% discount on the meal. In addition, the shop will give you an extra cake. Happy birthday Miss Xu.”

Xu Sui was startled. After the waiter left, her two roommates pinched her, exclaiming, “Are you seeking death!? Why don’t you tell us it was your birthday?”

“Don’t you guys know now?” Xu Sui’s eyes smiled and placed her finger on her lips, “But, shhh, I’m already very happy that you’re all eating with me.”

In the afternoon, Xu Sui and Hu Xixi rushed to the Beihang to rehearse since the competition began at night. The annual art festival hosted by the two schools in the evening was very lively.

At night, there were continuous noises and crowded people backstage. It was chaotic, but that didn’t affect the excitement. When Xu Sui was sitting backstage putting on make-up, she felt a little nervous.

Whatever someone worries about, it eventually happens. A girl walked through the overcrowded backstage with two cups of coffee and accidentally bumped into a girl next to her who was trying on clothes.

The girl bent her elbow, and a cup of hot coffee spilled on Xu Sui’s pants and blouse. The sting coming from her body made Xu Sui frown subconsciously.

Hu Xixi, who was helping Xu Sui put on makeup, immediately became irritated and looked at the girl, “What are you doing?”

When the two girls saw this, they stooped down to apologize and handed them tissues. Hu Xixi looked at Xu Sui’s expression and became even angrier at them. She shouted, “How did you not see a person over here? We’ll have to go on stage in a few seconds. How can we go up now?”

Xu Sui took the tissues and wiped off the coffee stains on her body. The white blouse she was wearing was completely ruined. She tugged at Hu Xixi’s sleeves and said:

“I’ll go to the bathroom to try and wash it off.”

Hu Xixi was about to die in anger at her soft personality and said helplessly, “What’s the use? We can only borrow another set of clothes for you, but who has extra clothes at this point?”

“I have,” a simple and somewhat arrogant tone descended.

Everyone turned around– it was Bai Yuyue. She wore a purple dress, looking delicate and graceful. She had an alluring make-up on that when she walked over, her upturned eyes were dazzling.

“The size might not fit. Do you still want it?” Bai Yuyue said with her arms folded.

Hu Xixi, who was about to be out of breath from the anger: “You—”

Xu Sui raised her hands and signaled Hu Xixi to stop. She looked at Bai Yuyue, “Yes.”

Bai Yuyue didn’t expect Xu Sui would accept her “act of kindness” and directed, “Then, follow me.”

Xu Sui followed her and suddenly said: “Thank you.”

After Bai Yuyue heard these words, her tone changed when she spoke, but she still had to maintain her image that she tossed the clothes on the sofa to her, “We’re even now.”

When Xu Sui came out of the changing room, the size of the clothes was indeed quite large on her. Bai Yuyue was born taller, with a slightly larger frame, so it didn’t really fit Xu Sui that she had to hold the clothes, walking forward cautiously.

When Xu Xixi saw Xu Sui finish changing, her eyes lit up and boasted, “So beautiful!”

“But the clothes are big,” Xu Sui’s eyes circled around in the lounge, and said, “It would be nice if there were clips or needles.”

Xu Sui’s gaze swept around but was caught off guard against a pair of eyes. Shi Yuejie came over to give something.

He was wearing a black suit and a red tie today, appearing handsome and graceful. He saw Xu Sui and walked over, attracting a lot of attention along the way.

“Is everything okay?” Shi Yuejie asked with a smile.

After he asked that, he noticed Xu Sui’s grip on the collar and immediately understood what was going on. Shi Yuejie reached out his hand and took off the golden brooch on him without hesitation. He handed it to Xu Sui.

Xu Sui shook her head. The latter smiled and said: “It’s okay. It would just be an ornament to me. However, for you, it’s something you need. As friends, we should help each other.”

Xu Sui gave a gentle smile and no longer refused. She generously followed, “Thank you. I’ll give it back to you afterward.”

Hu Xixi didn’t say a word during the whole thing. Xu Sui took the brooch silently and tightened the loose collar. After some adjusting, they finally got on the stage.

When Xu Sui was about to walk out from backstage, Bai Yuyue, who was leaning against a wall, grabbed her arm and looked at her:

“You’re pretty lucky, but you will never be able to have him.”

Although Bai Yuyue did not say the name, both of them knew who the “him” she was referring to was. Xu Sui has a soft personality and a good temper. But this time, she looked directly at Bai Yuyue and with a cold expression:

“Thank you for lending me clothes, but I never owe you anything.”

After saying this, Xu Sui straightened her back and passed by her without looking back, leaving Bai Yuyue in a daze. She never owed Bai Yuyue anything.

When they met again at university, he no longer remembers her. During their second encounter, she was his niece’s roommate. At their third encounter, they had broken up, and she had never done anything overbearing.

Xu Sui walked over to meet her group standing behind the curtain. The host on the stage announced, “The next band is Tansuan Xinqing, a symbol of the friendship between the two universities…”

“Please invite them to the stage. They’ll be performing an adapted version of Stubborn”.

There was a wave of applause from the audience. Zhou Jingze stood in the shadows with the cello on his back. He suddenly raised his head and glanced at Xu Sui and then shifted his gaze ahead: ” Very pretty.”

Although Xu Sui knew that this was just a polite compliment, her heart was a little bit flustered. When she was about to say something, the curtain slowly opened, and she had to focus her mind on the performance.

Sheng Nanzhou snapped his fingers, and Xu Sui, who sat in the corner, began to play the drums. When the familiar melody rang, the audience cheered.

Da Liu stood on the stage, his voice clear and refined, and with the accompaniment of an electric guitar, he sings:

当我和世界不一样

When I’m different from the world

那就让我不一样

Then let me be different

坚持对我来说就是以刚克刚

Persistence, to me, means standing film to resistance

我如果对自己妥协

If I were to compromise my principles

如果对自己说谎

Or lie to myself

即使别人原谅

Although others might forgive me

我也不能原谅

I’d never forgive myself

最美的愿望一定最疯狂

The most beautiful wish has got to be the craziest

我就是我自己的神

I am my own god

在我活的地方

At the place where I live

The audience followed the beat and shook the light sticks in their hands. They smiled and listened to Da Liu sing. The pace became slower, and Hu Xixi’s electric guitar and Sheng Nanzhou’s accordion were in sync.

After Da Liu sang a line, he gave the person on the left a look. Zhou Jingze lowered his head and drew his bow, revealing a wrist with distinct joints. The unique low voice of the cello filled across the stage.

Zhou Jingze sat there, with his long legs leaning against the blood-red cello, wearing a black baseball cap. His profile looked sharp, and his eyes were lowered, appearing extremely focused. The sound of the cello enchanted the audience.

In the illusion, there was an endless forest. Suddenly, there was a fire that birds and trees were all burnt. Everyone fled in all different directions. A bird was about to fly upwards, but a burnt wood broke its wings, dripping it with blood.

However, when a gust of wind blew up, the injured bird slowly tried to fly upwards again. The note of the cello gradually got higher. When Zhou Jingze reached a certain note, he tilted his head and glanced at Xu Sui.

When their eyes came in contact, Xu Sui took the drum sticks, threw them a few times in the air, and smiled at the audience. She immediately started playing the drums. It was like raindrops, like a gust of wind, powerful and uplifting.

The low note of the cello intertwined with the uplifting sound of the drums. At a certain point, Da Liu let go and sang:

我不怕千万人阻挡

I’m not scared of people’s obstructions

只怕自己投降

I only fear my own surrender

The audience exploded as if they seemed to witness a phoenix’s rebirth. Sheng Nanzhou and the others glanced at each other and sang in harmony as Hu Xixi pushed the atmosphere to the climax with her electric guitar:

我和我骄傲的倔强

With my proud stubbornness

我在风中大声地唱

I sing loudly into the wind

What is youth? It’s a period full of vigor. It’s growth. It’s a moment of restlessness. At this part, the audience felt contaminated and sang together. The screams and applause flooded the crowd:

这一次为自己疯狂

This time, I’m crazy for myself

就这一次我和我的倔强

Just this time, me and my stubbornness

就这一次让我大声唱

Just this time, let me sing it loudly

啦啦啦～～

La la la～～

就算失望不能绝望

Even with disappointments, shouldn’t be hopeless

啦啦啦～～

La la la～～

就这一次我和我的倔强

Just this time, me and my stubbornness

Da Liu threw the mic and dived directly into the audience. The crowd cheered and screamed. Infected by the atmosphere, Sheng Nanzhou couldn’t help but step from the stage and dive along into the auditorium.

The audience threw the two of them in mid-air and cheered for a while. As golden confetti and colored ribbons fell, Zhou Jingze put the cello beside his feet, stood up, and took off his black cap. He stood there in the center of the stage. The corners of his mouth turned up, and his smile was frivolous and reckless. At the same time, he raised his hand and saluted the teachers and classmates in the audience like an unparalleled and handsome pilot.

The audience cheered more loudly. Someone in the crowd yelled “awesome”. A girl stood up and hoarsely shouted, “Drop-dead handsome, okay?”

“Damn; isn’t that Zhou Jingze from the aviation academy? He’s so cool ahhh!”

“Yea, he plays the cello very nicely. He can do everything.”

The discussion about him kept circulating around the audience. Shi Yuejie, who stood under the stage, quietly glanced up. Xu Sui was sitting behind the drum sets. She unknowingly smiled at Zhou Jingze with a flash of light in her eyes.

After all the performances, their adaptation of “Stubborn” won first place without any hesitation. When they came to the stage to accept the award, Zhou Jingze didn’t go.

Since his childhood, he had won many awards, every time making the same short speech that he didn’t bother to go up this time.

Instead, he stood in the corner and waited for them to receive the prize since they were going to dinner afterward. A friend from his neighboring class, Qin Jing, walked over and stood beside him.

Qin Jing patted his shoulder and nodded his chin towards Xu Sui’s on the stage, in an enthusiastic tone, “Man, that girl in your group is really pretty. You should introduce her to me.”

Zhou Jingze looked down at his phone and chewed mint. Thinking that he was talking about Hu Xixi, he didn’t lift his head. In a firm tone, “My niece. No chance.”

“No,” Qin Jing nudged Zhou Jingze’s arm and corrected, “It’s the other one.”

Zhou Jingze paused and slowly raised his head, realizing he was talking about Xu Sui.

Qin Jing has always liked chasing after pretty girls. He handed his phone to Zhou Jingze and said, “The school forum has exploded. People are either discussing about you or that girl. Someone has already found out who she is— the university nearby, class 3 Xu Sui.”

“Look, the posts are all her photos taken during the performance just now. Everyone is asking for her contact information, mainly because she was really attractive on stage. She looks soft and beautiful but can play the drums. Just now she flashed a smile at the audience, and my legs went weak. Fortunately, I recorded her performance.”

Zhou Jingze quickly scrolled through the posts, and his eyes were quiet. Up until Qin Jing showed the video he recorded him, there was only a slight reaction in his eyes.

He was so focused that even though he was standing to Xu Sui’s left, he didn’t notice her performance. In the video, he saw a different version of her.

A bunch of lights spotlighted her. She was sitting there wearing a white tie-neck dress with black eyes, red lips, fair jade neck, and cold shoulder. Her legs were long and straight.

The drumsticks were like pens in her hands. She hit the sticks lightly, but it struck a thrilling note. She was usually a quiet person, but even playing the drums didn’t disrupt her character. She still carried a feeling of tranquility.

Xu Sui started spinning the drum sticks in her hand. After spinning a few times in mid-air, she would hit the drum hard and smile— her dimples appearing. The audience immediately roared, and the video also recorded Qin Jing’s excitement.

At a certain point, Zhou Jingze felt his heart was hit with something. It wasn’t light nor heavy— an indescribable feeling.

Qin Jing saw him looking attentively and nudged his arm again, “You like this kind of good girl too?”

Zhou Jingze looked up, and his eyes fell on Xu Sui, who was standing on the stage. He chewed on the mint in his mouth without saying a word. Qin Jing knew how he usually targets the same type— curvy figures, long legs, pretty, and coquettish. He smirked:

“Or, do you only like one type?”