Chapter 14 Laozi is Happy

That day, Xu Xunsheng watched the Heige Paradox Band's competition and had dinner nearby. By the time she took a ride back to the neighborhood, it was already ten at night.

The Heige Paradox Band had advanced to the next round without any suspense. Frankly, Xu Xunsheng had a rather good impression of this band. Unlike other bands that were loud and wild, its members, mostly born in the '80s and post-'85, were no longer young but silent and earnest about their music. Once on stage, they could explode with a soul-shaking power. Having persisted in rock music all these years, in Xu Xunsheng's eyes, these men were the real deal in the music scene. It was no wonder they had become the absolute top-tier band in the Xiangcheng area. Even the Chaomu Band had areas in which they fell short compared to them. Many details about their stage presence were worth learning from.

The night had grown deep, and there were hardly any people in the neighborhood, with only the occasional car passing by. Xu Xunsheng wrapped her coat tighter around herself and slowly walked in her high heels. She always made a point to dress up for official occasions, a habit cultivated by her upbringing and her mother's teachings. Like today, when she went to watch the competition, or last time, when she went to see the Chaomu Band perform. However, she didn't know that because she normally dressed down and went makeup-free, her seriousness on such occasions might seem a bit too proper in the eyes of others.

Just around the corner and she would be at her home. There was a streetlamp at the corner, casting a yellow-orange glow. Beneath the lamp stood a person, leaning against the wall, too tall, with an excellent figure, and slightly drooping hair that covered his side face, revealing only the tip of his nose, his mouth that was taking drags on a cigarette, and those slender fair hands. It was for this reason that Xu Xunsheng recognized him instantly.

Xu Xunsheng hesitated for a moment, at a loss as to why this guy was here at this time. Did today's performance not go smoothly? That couldn't be the case; she'd seen the news that the Chaomu Band was among the first to advance to the next race. Was it something else?

Cen Ye heard the sound and looked up as he put down his cigarette.

Under the streetlamp, the two exchanged a silent gaze for a while. Xu Xunsheng noticed that his handsome face held a silent expression, very silent. A light seemed to be hiding in his eyes.

He appeared to be slightly unhappy.

Xu Xunsheng approached and stopped two steps away from him. She immediately smelled the alcohol. She examined him carefully; was he drunk? But it didn't seem like it, as the drunk didn't have such a lucid and composed demeanor.

"Xu Xunsheng," he called out softly.

"Yes?" Xu Xunsheng replied.

Cen Ye suddenly smiled faintly, "You liar."

Xu Xunsheng was confused, seeing his cold gaze, it clearly wasn't a joke. She asked evenly, "What's up?"

But he turned his head away, took another drag on his cigarette, and stared at the ground. "Why didn't you come this afternoon? You promised."

Xu Xunsheng was startled, not having expected that he had come here for this reason. She felt a faint and warm flow tingling within her heart, making her want to laugh.

"I could have made it in the afternoon, but this morning the parents of the kid I was teaching piano had something come up and couldn't make it. They asked me to watch the kid until 2. By the time I got to the theater, you had already finished performing and left," she responded.

Cen Ye put down his cigarette and laughed again, leaving Xu Xunsheng uncertain of what the young man was laughing at. He suddenly seemed as profound as a forty-year-old man.

And then, suddenly, he raised his arm, and his long, slender hand pressed against the wall beside her face. He dropped the cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out with his foot, his demeanor fiercely intense. Yet his voice remained low and pleasant, even more bewitching than when he sang, "You went to watch the Heige Paradox competition. You support them."

Had the speaker not always been the proud Xiaoye, Xu Xunsheng might have doubted whether it was him speaking, his voice clearly carrying a hint of sadness. They were standing so close, and she hadn't paid much attention, considering how well they knew each other. She scrutinized him carefully again, looking into his earnest eyes, and wondered if he was really... drunk?

"Yes, I just waited until 6 o'clock to watch their competition," Xu Xunsheng replied unhurriedly before looking into his eyes, which were always a foreign and cold realm. Perhaps tonight, due to the surrounding silence and nobody disturbing them, it felt like she could see even deeper within. She said, "I think... if you play normally, you would be on par with them. If you, as the lead singer, were to ignite a spark and lead the whole band, maybe you could beat them."

Her voice was soft and clear, and Cen Ye could hear it distinctly. In that moment, his head clouded, he suddenly understood what she meant.