Embrace
Zhao Qinfeng bought cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes were round and evenly red. After washing and draining, they were still slightly damp and served on a white porcelain plate. The stems had been removed, so they were ready to eat right away, which was very convenient.
Seeing Zhao Qinfeng return, Lin Ting pressed the play button.
Lin Ting liked to mutter to himself when he was watching, and now that there was a professional next to him, he could talk to someone about it, which diluted the silent atmosphere between the two of them when they first entered.
The two really clicked, especially when they talked about music. There are many cover songs these days, and Zhao Qinfeng himself has covered many songs and has a good understanding of various viewpoints in the music industry. Lin Ting, on the other hand, comes from the perspective of a keen listener. They are two complementary perspectives, and they had to pause their discussion from time to time during the half-hour video.
By the time the video finally reached its end, all the cherry tomatoes on the plate had been eaten. However, Lin Ting didn't realize what the taste was like because her attention was completely focused on the discussion.
He checked the time again and realized that a 30-minute video had been playing for a full hour and a half.
Lin Ting was very excited at the moment. Although his voice was nasal, he was in much better spirits than Zhao Qinfeng. He said, "I think the new ideas I had while talking to you are enough to make another video. You are truly a professional singer. Teacher Zhao is amazing."
Zhao Qinfeng smiled and said, "Teacher Lin is still the best. It seems that the commentary segment of the variety show is still too short."
Lin Ting knew it was a joke. After all, most people on the show wanted to see the singers' performances and interactions, and the music critics' comments were more like supplementary explanations, lacking a bit of importance. However, she was still happy to hear Zhao Qinfeng say that.
Lin Ting took the plates to wash, then returned and asked, "Are we having lunch here?"
Zhao Qinfeng said, "Um...would it be too much trouble for you?"
Lin Ting shook her head and said, "It's okay. Whether you come or not, I'll probably just order takeout today. What do you think of this place?"
Lin Ting handed over his phone, which showed a nearby home-style restaurant. Zhao Qinfeng occasionally ordered from this restaurant at home; the food was good and relatively light.
The two ordered takeout and snuggled up on the sofa in the living room, each sitting on one side, with room for two more people to sit in the middle.
This was Lin Ting's request; he was still worried about infecting the other person.
Zhao Qinfeng sat down on the other side as he suggested, and then said helplessly, "But I suddenly remembered that we seemed to have taken off our masks when we were chatting and eating tomatoes just now."
Lin Ting thought about it and realized it was true!
"And we've just been talking face-to-face."
Lin Ting was somewhat overwhelmed. He had gotten so caught up in the conversation that he had completely forgotten everything. It would be such a shame if Zhao Qinfeng caught a cold just because he came to see him today, which would affect his work afterwards.
As Zhao Qinfeng watched Lin Ting's face gradually darken, a sense of panic welled up inside him. He quickly said, "I got vaccinated this year, so I should be fine."
Lin Ting looked up at him, her eyes clearly saying, "Really?"
Zhao Qinfeng said, "It's true, because catching a cold really affects me, so I get vaccinated every year in advance. Plus, my health is pretty good, so I don't catch a cold very easily."
Lin Ting was finally relieved.
Then, out of the blue, he asked, "Did you rush back in the middle of the night?"
Zhao Qinfeng said helplessly, "Yes."
"Actually, my cold wasn't serious; my fever had already subsided when I woke up this morning."
"Feel sorry……"
"No need to apologize, thank you for coming to see me."
Zhao Qinfeng closed his eyes, as if gathering his courage, and said, "It's me... it's me who wanted to see you so much."
Lin Ting blinked, the drowsy feeling from yesterday returning, making him feel dizzy. Even so, the person in front of him was still incredibly clear.
The two men stared at each other from two body lengths apart. Lin Ting could see the obvious tension in Zhao Qinfeng, and at this moment, the initiative had been handed over to him.
Lin Ting asked, "Do you usually watch the videos that fans edit for you?"
The topic suddenly shifted, and the atmosphere between the two became even more unpredictable, like ripples on the surface of water. Although Zhao Qinfeng was somewhat puzzled, he still answered as usual, "I do watch them, basically all kinds."
What types are available?
Zhao Qinfeng thought for a moment and said, "There are all kinds: those who listen to songs, those who look good, those who reminisce, those who watch memes... Actually, I'm not sure how to categorize them."
He suddenly realized: "Were you listening to music that night because you saw a certain clip?"
Lin Ting looked away, which was taken as tacit agreement.
He had envisioned an awkward atmosphere, but things didn't actually go as planned.
Zhao Qinfeng didn't urge Lin Ting to speak, but simply watched him quietly.
Lin Ting could feel the other person's gaze gently falling on his face, focused, polite, and perhaps even a little ambiguous. Lin Ting felt confused; it was just a glance, so where did he find such complex emotions?
Lin Ting sighed, took out her phone, found the video in her history, looked up at Zhao Qinfeng, and asked, "Do you want to see it?"
Zhao Qinfeng nodded, stood up, took two steps toward him, and sat down again.
This time, the two sat side by side, and Lin Ting thoughtfully placed her phone between them so that Zhao Qinfeng could look at it together.
When watching it again, Lin Ting wasn't as emotionally agitated as the first time, perhaps because Zhao Qinfeng was sitting right next to him, which made him subconsciously control his emotions. The two watched the entire video in one go without pausing. This wasn't the right time to analyze Zhao Qinfeng's progress in singing technique over the years; they just needed to follow the emotions flowing through the video and feel it attentively.
After watching, Lin Ting exited the video app, placed her phone on the coffee table in front of her, and felt a bit stiff, so she sat up straight on the sofa.
Zhao Qinfeng sat up straight with Lin Ting and said, "I've seen this video before. It's very well edited, and I like it very much."
"This video is really well edited," Lin Ting thought, "and it's very emotional; otherwise, why would it make him cry?"
Lin Ting said, "When I watched the videos, I realized that I was just a listener. I would pass by the singers' homepages again and again, listen to the songs and leave, and never take the initiative to learn anything."
Zhao Qinfeng nodded slightly. He knew Lin Ting's habits and had previously expressed his approval.
"But later we became friends. This relationship is different from the relationship between a singer and a listener. Singers are professionals who perform with their voices, while listeners are appreciators. The communication happens as the music flows, every time a listener thinks of a song."
As Lin Ting spoke, he looked down and fiddled with his fingers. He realized that the person next to him seemed a little too close, so close that he could almost feel the other person's body temperature and hear the slight sound of the other person's breath. So he also began to worry that the other person might hear his noisy heartbeat.
"Friends' communication is two-way, involving mutual understanding and sharing. But I've found that you understand me very well. You've always known 'Lin Ting,' understood him, listened to him, and watched him closely. But it's different with you. Even if I listen to every song of yours, I don't think about what kind of situation you were in when you sang it, I don't watch your interviews, and I don't listen to you speak on TV shows. It's like I've never really seen you."
Zhao Qinfeng looked at Lin Ting's hair and really wanted to reach out and touch it, but he restrained his impulsive hand and just listened quietly.
“You’re right. As a music critic, that’s just how I am. External interference shouldn’t influence my judgment on music. But right now, I really want to understand your past, to know how you got here step by step, and to know the perseverance behind the songs I’ve listened to.”
Zhao Qinfeng said softly, "Actually, all I knew about you before was as a 'music critic.' Before we met, we knew each other to the same extent."
Lin Ting simply shook her head without saying a word. Zhao Qinfeng watched as Lin Ting's hair swayed slightly with the shaking motion, and couldn't resist reaching out to gently touch it.
Lin Ting felt an itch on her head and abruptly looked up at Zhao Qinfeng. Only then did Zhao Qinfeng notice that Lin Ting looked like she was about to cry.
Zhao Qinfeng lowered his hand and placed it respectfully on his thigh, saying cautiously, "Don't be sad."
Lin Ting took a deep breath, trying to hide his tears, though his eyes were still a little wet. He said, "I'm fine."
Lin Ting added, "Actually, it's not quite the same. I only realized later that we get along well because you understand me, but I don't understand you. Being accommodated makes me feel guilty."
Zhao Qinfeng said, "So you went online to find out about me? Why didn't you just ask me directly?"
Lin Ting was taken aback, thinking that he was just doing it himself because he always felt guilty, but he still agreed: "Then I'll ask you later."
Zhao Qinfeng said, "It's not that I'm accommodating you, it's that I want to please you. I'm a loyal fan of yours, and I'm happy to see you. I just want to get along well with you."
Lin Ting said slowly, "Don't say anymore, I understand."
He felt that he was no longer fully conscious.
Zhao Qinfeng stopped talking, but he turned his body slightly, reached his hand through the gap between Lin Ting's arm and body, and hugged him.
Lin Ting heard the other person's heartbeat, which was as fast as his own. He couldn't help but reach out and hug Zhao Qinfeng back. As soon as his hand touched Zhao Qinfeng's back, he felt himself being hugged even tighter.
Why would friends hug like that? Something in Lin Ting's heart settled, and the aftershocks lingered for a long time. He closed his eyes resignedly, letting himself sink into the embrace. It was as if all his previous struggles and emotional fluctuations had found a definite explanation in this moment.
The rapid beating of his heart silently told a story. Lin Ting wondered, then what does your heartbeat mean?
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