Chapter 61 61. It seems

Xie Kang thought that Zhuang Yongyuan's offer to help was just a joke. After all, he knew that Zhuang Yongyuan was a person who would come up with a new idea every few days and then get bored of it as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, after school on Tuesday afternoon, Zhuang Yongyuan actually sent him a message, asking him to ask Shen Xifu to meet in the rehearsal room.

When Xie Kang and Shen Xifu arrived, Zhuang Yongyuan was already waiting in the rehearsal room. He stood in front of the old piano with his back to the door and window, occasionally pressing the out-of-tune keys. The setting sun shone on him, and his shadow was cast on the piano.

Xie Kang swallowed his throat, feeling that Shen Xifu beside him was in the way.

He stared at Zhuang Yongyuan blankly without saying a word. It was only when Shen Xifu called out "Teacher Zhuang" that Zhuang Yongyuan, who had been lost in thought, turned around.

"You're here."

Shen Xifu was still nervous when she saw Zhuang Yongyuan. She was speechless after greeting him. Xie Kang coughed a few times and asked Zhuang Yongyuan, "What did you say when you asked us to come?"

"The performance is on the evening of the 31st, right?" Zhuang Yongyuan asked, touching his chin.

Xie Kang said, "Yes, the same as before."

Zhuang Yongyuan raised his chin towards Xie Kang and said, "You play the guitar."

Xie Kang smiled in a rather insincere way: "I don't play it very well."

Zhuang Yongyuan said impatiently: "If you don't know how to do it, just learn it. I'll teach you. What are you afraid of?"

"The time was very tight and I had to study every day."

Zhuang Yongyuan's attention was focused on the band's arrangement, and he didn't see Xie Kang's smug expression. Instead, it was Shen Xifu who noticed it and winked at him. Only then did Xie Kang become serious and solemnly touched the guitar.

"What about you? Which of these instruments can you play?" Zhuang Yongyuan looked at Shen Xifu, and her expression immediately became uneasy. The question she asked made Shen Xifu even more embarrassed.

Shen Xifu said softly: “Neither…”

Zhuang Yongyuan was shocked: "You don't even know this, and you're still forming a band?"

Shen Xifu was already heartbroken and in a bad mood. After being choked by Zhuang Yongyuan, she felt ashamed and her eyes suddenly became a little moist. Xie Kang spoke for her: "It's just a student band, it's not that strict."

Zhuang Yongyuan sighed irritably and added, "It would be better to add a rhythm guitar."

Most people wouldn't notice anything, but Zhuang Yongyuan couldn't stand flaws. He hadn't originally planned to go to the show, but last night, on impulse, he'd taken on this mess and had to go. Hearing someone tamper with a song he'd written was torture, and he tried to make it feel better.

Xie Kang said in surprise, "Aren't you here? Why don't you just play it?"

"Me?" Zhuang Yongyuan pointed at himself, looking incredulous.

Xie Kang said, "Why are you acting like a celebrity? I'm telling you, even if you want to perform here in the future, you won't be able to."

"Isn't it just a matter of telling the principal?"

"No, we're moving to a new campus next year, and this place will be demolished."

"Tear it down? Really?" Zhuang Yongyuan took a breath in surprise.

Pingnan No. 1 Middle School occupies a prime location in the center of Pingnan City, and its area is not small. There have been rumors of demolition since they were studying there. After so many years, it is actually going to be realized.

Xie Kang said: "Really, the new campus building has been built and is now being renovated."

He paused, then added, "It's in the new district across the bridge. I bought my wedding house right next to it."

"Take me to visit it someday."

Zhuang Yongyuan didn't clarify whether he was visiting the new campus or the bridal chamber. Xie Kang glanced at him and asked, "How about you come up and play rhythm guitar? You don't have to speak anyway."

Seeing Zhuang Yongyuan didn't say anything, Xie Kang said, "Maybe you'll get better after being nurtured by the feng shui of your alma mater."

Zhuang Yongyuan made a vomiting gesture but still didn't give an answer. He changed the subject: "Okay, I'll help you contact other musicians to help. You just need to practice your part well."

Shen Xifu asked with a look of longing: “Will anyone from the band come over?”

Zhuang Yongyuan smiled and said, "If you pay the performance fee, I'll help you contact them. I know a lot of musicians who are interested in taking the job. What's your budget?"

Shen Xifu was quiet, but because Xie Kang was there, she mustered up the courage again after a while and asked Zhuang Yongyuan: “Teacher Zhuang, what do you think of my singing?”

Zhuang Yongyuan had given her some pointers a few times before, but he only asked her to keep the beat right. As for whether she sang well or not, Zhuang Yongyuan never said it directly.

"It's okay, not out of tune."

"Just keep it in tune?"

"What else? My singing skills are just so-so anyway. Xie Kang used to sing better."

Xie Kang was originally plucking the strings to get a feel for the instrument, but when he heard Zhuang Yongyuan say this, he quickly said, "The styles are different, so you can't say that."

Shen Xifu said: “Teacher Xie, I really think you sing very well, why don’t you stop being a teacher and go back to playing in the band.”

Xie Kang nodded: "Sure, I'll resign next semester."

Zhuang Yongyuan glared at him: "Can you please stop wasting time?"

Xie Kang stuck out his tongue, picked up his pick, and studied the sheet music with a frown. He still had the basics, so playing through the piece wasn't difficult, but it always sounded formulaic and boring. After all, band accompaniment is more than just following the sheet music. A good guitarist knows how to add subtle techniques and flavor. Add to that the fact that this song required frequent pedal changes, and Xie Kang was even more flustered.

Zhuang Yongyuan walked over and habitually grabbed his hand to teach him: "I told you that when bending the four strings, you should push them downwards. Pushing them upwards will cause them to get stuck. And don't be so hasty. You did that before..."

Xie Kang was a little unhappy. He saw Shen Xifu's eyes wide open. He tried to break free from Zhuang Yongyuan's hand, but couldn't. He said angrily, "Everyone has different habits. You are always like this, always finding fault. Ah Dian actually tolerated you for so long."

He thought Zhuang Yongyuan would refute him, but he didn't expect Zhuang Yongyuan to just let go of his hand and asked him seriously, "Am I really a picky person?"

Xie Kang was stunned by his question. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think so in the past, but I don't know what it's like now."

He shrugged, "After all, I haven't seen you and Lily Heart and the others rehearsing."

Zhuang Yongyuan looked at him steadily, with a strong emotion in his eyes that Xie Kang couldn't understand. It seemed like it would burst out at any time, but it would quickly stop. It was from that moment that an inexplicable irritation began to plague Xie Kang.

Zhuang Yongyuan walked behind the keyboard and pressed a few keys to adjust the tone. Although Zhuang Yongyuan wasn't a keyboardist in the band, he could play a little. He practiced a few times, played the prelude, and said, "Let's go through it again."

Time was limited, and they had to send Shen Xifu back to evening self-study. In the next hour, they didn't joke around much, but practiced and reviewed the group seriously. When they walked out of the classroom, it was completely dark.