Chapter 9 009 Spring Sleepiness "Right now, take my hand..."
"Summer sleep, summer sleep!"
As the end of the month approached the holiday, Qinglan suddenly took the initiative to message me on WeChat.
"I'm telling you, Pei Yan got accepted into Peking University for graduate school! You two won't be separated forever, right? Aren't you happy?"
"!"
Summer Sleep replied with a big exclamation mark instantly.
Pei Yan gave up his plans to study abroad and went on to pursue a master's degree at Peking University under the tutelage of Professor Chen. Xia Mian wasn't particularly surprised, but she was still very happy.
And she played a role in this to some extent.
"I'm so happy!" Xia Mian replied cheerfully. "But how did you know?"
"This is my network, you know?" Qinglan said with a hint of pride. "I know Pei Yan's roommate, and he personally saw Pei Yan confirm his acceptance letter on the computer."
"Roommate? I've never heard you mention that before," Xia Mian said in surprise. "When did you meet her?"
"We just met," Qinglan replied. "I bumped into him a few times in the library study room. He switched majors to literature, so we chatted for a bit, and we became friends after a while."
"As expected of you." Xia Mian said unsurprised, "A super little e-person."
"By the way, Mianmian, you haven't made any plans for National Day yet, right?" Qinglan changed the subject. "Not going home, are you?"
"I won't go back." Xia Mian felt that Qing Lan had something to say next.
Qinglan then probed gently, "You probably don't go sightseeing either?"
"It'll be so crowded during National Day, I'm not going to go out to play now." Xia Mian understood what Qing Lan meant. "So, what do you want me to do with you?"
"Come relax with me for a couple of days. I'm planning to give myself a short break from studying so hard for the exams," Qinglan said. "Don't stay cooped up in the lab all the time. Let's just wander around the city, it won't be so tiring."
"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say," Xia Mian agreed.
If Qinglan hadn't made an appointment with her, she really did want to visit the lab a few more times during the National Day holiday.
She chose her major herself, and despite the tedious experiments, she still managed to capture many valuable moments.
Qinglan ultimately scheduled her short vacation for the first two days of the eight-day National Day holiday.
They ate hot pot and watched a movie together on the first day, and went to the park to enjoy the autumn scenery on the second day. In the evening, Qinglan suddenly remembered something and pulled Xia Mian to join in the fun.
After a long and winding journey by subway, I finally arrived at the Midi Festival's "National Day Special" event.
Even from a great distance, you can see that a lot of people have already gathered in the outdoor area.
What a lively scene!
"Why don't you go by yourself? I suddenly remembered I have something to do."
Summer Sleep has always avoided music festivals and similar events, and right now all she wants to do is run away.
What is honey to one is poison to another.
For some, it's hell; for others, it's heaven.
In such situations, summer hibernation can feel really awkward and uncomfortable.
But Qinglan was in high spirits and wouldn't let her off the hook: "Didn't you say you didn't have any other plans for today?"
“Oh, right. But…” Xia Mian forced a smile, “I don’t have any money, and we don’t have any tickets, so we probably can’t get in. Oh well.”
"You don't need to worry about that." Qinglan patted her shoulder. "I've seen the promotional posters. Admission is free, no reservations required."
It's over.
Having exhausted all his excuses, he was about to be forcibly dragged away by Qinglan.
"Oh right, did I mention that?" Qinglan cleared her throat. "According to Pei Yan's roommate, Pei Yan and his friends are coming today too."
"Um?"
With just one sentence, one can reduce the resistance to summer sleep by 99%.
"I'm not lying to you. They're probably here much earlier than us. Look for them if you don't believe me." Qinglan had a keen eye; she quickly spotted Pei Yan in the crowd and pointed, "Target at three o'clock! Charge!"
Before Xia Mian could react, Qing Lan had already dragged her into the crowd.
The band on stage was playing their last song, and the atmosphere was electric. Qinglan had barely settled in when she seamlessly blended in, swaying along with the crowd.
Meanwhile, Xia Mian stood there awkwardly, looking like an alien who was landing on Earth in a UFO for the first time.
"Relax." Qinglan, swaying to the music, nudged Xia Mian with her shoulder. "Everyone's having fun, nobody knows you."
Perhaps that's the point of going to music festivals.
Party with strangers and let your inner self, which you wouldn't normally dare to express, flow freely through music.
Although Xia Mian still had some reservations, she began to try her best to keep up with the rhythm of the music and sway slightly.
The band on stage left, and a new band took their place—the last one.
The surrounding crowd was bustling, coming and going, but Xia Mian's eyes were quietly searching ahead.
In a crowded environment, only tall people can be quickly spotted.
The only person Xia Mian could wholeheartedly seek was Pei Yan.
The distance between her and him was about three meters, Xia Mian silently estimated.
Should we walk over there to him?
It seems difficult.
Xia Mian couldn't bring herself to push aside the strangers in front of her and make a grand entrance to Pei Yan's side.
The band's performance lasted about forty minutes. As they sang song after song, the atmosphere grew increasingly frenzied, and a group of people started playing "train" (a popular Chinese slang term for a train-like performance).
Help, why does this have to be included...?
Socially anxious Xia Mian kept her distance and then tried to find Qing Lan, only to discover that she had already joined the train crew and was far away from her.
But at the same time, while she was dodging left and right, Pei Yan, who was originally three meters away from her, suddenly came into her view.
My eyes trembled uncontrollably when I saw you.
As the band played "Pink Lightning," pink beams of light illuminated the sky, pink lyrics danced on the large screen on stage, and even Xia Mian's hair was dyed pink.
Some people raised their phones, some raised their arms.
The crowd around her was celebrating their shared passion, but Xia Mian felt that her heartbeat was almost drowning out the music.
This is almost the band's most famous song, and the fans cheered excitedly, with the whole venue jumping and swaying.
I hadn't heard a single song by Xia Mian, and I secretly realized that it was really hard to truly immerse myself in a music festival.
She looked in the direction Qinglan had left with the crowd, but she could hardly find Qinglan's figure anymore.
Surrounded by complete strangers, she suddenly felt a little uneasy.
She wanted to hold onto something, to calm her mind.
When a couple squeezed past her from behind, she seemed even more flustered and almost instinctively grabbed Pei Yan's sleeve.
Pei Yan slowly turned his head and looked down at her hand. Only then did she belatedly realize her embarrassment, but because of nervousness, she froze and stopped her hand from going back.
Don't let time go to waste, the night is still dark.
The crowd nearby started another round of playful banter, their laughter and merriment revealing the unguarded warmth and sincerity of strangers who had just met.
Pei Yan perhaps noticed Xia Mian's panic, and when someone bumped into her again, he gently grasped her wrist.
"Right now, take my hand."
"Come with me now."
"Right now, no turning back."
In sync with the music, the pink lyrics were still jumping rapidly on the big screen, and her wrist was already tinged with Pei Yan's body heat.
As their skin touched, Xia Mian's face instantly turned bright red.
Pei Yan pulled her to his side and immediately let go of her; the whole process took no more than five seconds.
But she was so nervous that she couldn't breathe, her cheeks were burning, and she couldn't cool down even by fanning herself frantically.
Even after the band's performance ended, Xia Mian couldn't calm down, and she didn't dare to look at Pei Yan even once more.
All she remembered was that he was still beside her during the band's group photo.
He was there when the balloons rained down from the sky.
When Qinglan finally came back to find her, he was still there.
"I love the flower wall!" Qinglan went completely crazy, still in a state of high excitement when she ran over. "Tonight is just too wonderful!"
"Yes, it is indeed wonderful," Xia Mian thought to herself.
She tugged at the hem of his shirt.
He grasped her wrist.
Everything was so beautiful it seemed unreal.
Even if he might have just noticed her unease and thus broke the ice—a simple act of kindness between acquaintances—it was likely just a small gesture.
etc.
Compared to the complete strangers around them, she and he could indeed be considered "acquaintances"... right?
"What a coincidence! Pei Yan, you're here too!"
Qinglan pretended to have just noticed Pei Yan, and then casually asked, "Who came with you?"
"No one's with me," Pei Yan said calmly.
“So you…” Xia Mian was taken aback.
Qinglan clearly said that Pei Yan came to Midi with his roommate Song Zhiyang, so it seems the information was wrong.
“So I came alone,” Pei Yan replied gently.
Whether it was her imagination or not, his tone was rising, and she couldn't detect a trace of loneliness in him.
By 9 p.m. in the southern part of the city, the sky had completely darkened.
The crowd dispersed, and Xia Mian looked at Qing Lan; they should also think about how to get back to school.
"Let's take the subway." Xia Mian opened Gaode Map. "There's still a subway. We'll transfer twice and then take a bus."
"Why take the subway?" Qinglan gave her a disappointed look and raised her voice a little. "Let's take a taxi back."
After saying that, Qinglan avoided Xia Mian's pleading gaze and turned to Pei Yan, asking naturally, "Pei Yan, are you going back to school?"
"Yes," Pei Yan replied crisply, his voice clear and crisp.
Xia Mian, who had her head down, seemed unaware that he had glanced at her discreetly as he spoke.
"That's great! I'll call a ride-hailing service, and the three of us can split the cost, it won't be much." Qinglan nudged Xia Mian's waist with her elbow and winked at her frantically.
Xia Mian, who is usually good at talking big online, turned into a silent gourd at this moment, unable to utter a single word.
There are many people calling for rides nearby, and it takes a long time for a ride-hailing car to arrive.
Xia Mian and Pei Yan stood side by side in front, while Qing Lan deliberately walked to the back and stood further away from them.
Xia Mian turned around and looked at Qing Lan with pitiful eyes, afraid that it would be too awkward to be alone with Pei Yan. But Qing Lan pretended not to see her and continued to make WeChat calls and chat with her friends.
In the chilly autumn wind, Xia Mian coughed softly.
"Is your cold better?" Pei Yan suddenly asked.
"Much better, thank you." Xia Mian replied politely, but then a question arose in her mind, "How did you know I had a cold a while ago?" "My aunt told me." Pei Yan explained simply.
Aunt? Oh, Duan Jinhua.
Xia Mian recalled that when she recently met the director, she did mention that she had a cold and made a point of maintaining social distance to avoid infecting her with it.
"Who are you here for today?" Pei Yan asked again.
Xia Mian was taken aback, not understanding what he meant: "Huh?"
“The band,” Pei Yan added, seeing her blank expression.
"Oh, actually it wasn't for any particular band," Xia Mian answered honestly. "I don't usually listen to rock music; I just came out with Qinglan."
Their conversation was rather casual, with Xia Mian not being one to take the initiative, so Pei Yan did all the talking and Xia Mian answered.
"It's finally here!"
Qinglan's cheers came from not far away, and Xia Mian also breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as the white BYD stopped, Qinglan immediately opened the car door, gave the last four digits of her phone number, and rushed to sit in the passenger seat.
It seems that Xia Mian and Pei Yan, who are sitting side by side, are destined to be at the back.
As soon as Xia Mian walked to the car, Pei Yan opened the door and let her get in first, then sat down on her right.
Once the car door is closed, Xia Mian closes her eyes and goes to sleep.
He said he was sleeping, but it was more like he was pretending to be asleep.
She wasn't sleepy at all; her mind was unusually active, and she was daydreaming about what would happen tonight, with too many unspoken questions.
For example, who did Pei Yan come to Midi for?
Is it for a certain band?
Is he a fan of a certain band?
That's right. He has a great voice, loves to sing, and has even participated in competitions.
Perhaps one of the lead singers in the bands present today is his idol.
By the way, wouldn't people who love to sing also appreciate someone like him who is incredibly good at singing and has a beautiful, pleasant voice?
The two sang together, a true "one singing, one harmonizing," with leaping notes and a lively rhythm.
Wow, like love song duets or something.
That's great, that's great, she'll dream about this tonight.
But thinking about her tone-deafness, Xia Mian immediately frowned.
The light from the streetlights flashed past the car window, making her open her eyes and sigh softly.
"What's wrong?"
Xia Mian never expected that Pei Yan would look at her with such concern and ask further, "Are you feeling unwell?"
He probably noticed her frowning and sighing, but she couldn't very well say that she was thinking:
Can someone as tone-deaf as me sing love songs with a male lead in my dreams?
"It's alright... I'm just a little carsick." Xia Mian held her forehead, offering a seemingly plausible excuse.
Pei Yan clearly believed her excuse and handed her a Bluetooth earphone half a minute later.
"Listening to music can relieve motion sickness, why don't you give it a try?" His slender fingers swiped across the phone screen, opening a playlist and browsing. "Xia Mian, what would you like to listen to?"
Even though they were only a fist's distance apart, Xia Mian couldn't bear just hearing Pei Yan call her name.
I couldn't resist his gentle voice.
I couldn't stand his proactive concern.
When I put on those Bluetooth headphones, my mind went completely blank, and for a moment, I couldn't think of a single song.
"I don't know." Xia Mian truly closed her eyes this time, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper, "I'll listen to you."
Pei Yan remained silent, and the next second, the song "Pink Lightning," which she had heard not long ago, quietly entered her ears.
As Xia Mian listened, she recalled the hand-holding with Pei Yan that wasn't really holding hands, and her face instantly turned bright red again.
The ride-hailing car drove all the way to the school gate.
After getting off the bus, Qinglan didn't forget the initial agreement to split the cost of the taxi. She very tactfully opened her payment QR code and asked Pei Yan to scan it to share the fare.
The farewell was also hasty.
Before Qinglan could even put her phone back in her pocket, she saw Xia Mian already running away as if she were fleeing.
"Why are you running?" When she caught up with Xia Mian, Qing Lan was panting heavily and found it funny. "You're so pathetic. You're scared like a quail just because you're riding in a ride-hailing car with Pei Yan."
Qinglan could never forget Xia Mian's trembling and cowardly appearance when she first got on the bus.
"It's too cold at night!" Xia Mian defended herself.
"Oh dear, it's good that our school heartthrob is so kind, sharing his earphones to warm you up." Qinglan couldn't help but tease, then squinted her eyes and said, "Mianmian, seeing you tonight immediately reminds me of Teacher Yan Ni."
"Why?" Xia Mian couldn't understand what the connection was between herself and Yan Ni.
"A slight buzz." Qinglan snapped her fingers, her warm palm pressed against Xia Mian's cheek, and she could clearly feel that her face was hotter than her hand. "Why are you like you've been drinking tonight? You're so red and hot."
Before Xia Mian could even offer a few words of explanation, she heard Qing Lan continue meaningfully, "Tsk, women with budding romantic feelings are terrifying. They lose their composure the moment they see a crush."
aestivation:"……"
Being criticized by Qinglan was inevitable.
Even so, after returning to her dorm and lying on her bed, Xia Mian still listened to "Pink Lightning" on repeat countless times.
At one o'clock in the morning, after turning off her phone, she experienced insomnia for the first time and couldn't fall asleep.
Is she under some kind of spell? Otherwise, why would she be counting sheep while her mind is filled with thoughts of Pei Yan from tonight?
After failing the Nth time, Xia Mian simply turned over and picked up her phone from under her pillow.
Check WeChat, check Weibo, check Xiaohongshu...
Finally, let's take a look at TikTok.
The chat list showed that [Valuri] was online.
Since she had nothing better to do, she might as well chat for a bit and let out the feelings she had been suppressing all night.
[Spring Fatigue]: Oh no, he's keeping me up all night, I can't sleep at all.
【Valuri】: Who?
[Spring drowsiness]: You know the answer already! Pei Yan, ahhh!
[Spring Fatigue]: This kid's got me hooked, or he's deliberately trying to seduce me! (Just kidding)
[Spring Fatigue]: But how can he notice my every move? Is he watching me the whole time? Ugh, this is so annoying, I'm going to be even more hopelessly infatuated! QAQ
【Valuri】: Maybe.
[Spring Fatigue]: I can't keep thinking about this, I'm overthinking it.
[Spring fatigue]: Let's go surfing instead (doge.jpg), and play on our phones a little longer!
Using your phone to distract yourself.
That's what they say, but before she'd even scrolled through Xiaohongshu for five minutes, Xia Mian started searching for "Pink Lightning" herself.
She was so nervous all night that she didn't have time to take any photos or record any videos.
The photos taken by netizens are quite beautiful, especially the large pink screen displaying the lyrics.
A fleeting glimpse of beauty
Two minutes later.
【Valuri】: Changed the background?
[Spring fatigue]: ! You even noticed that?!
【Valuri】: Why did you suddenly change to this?
[Spring Fatigue]: Because this is my favorite song.
【Valuri】: Why do you like it?
Summer hibernation didn't return.
How should I put it?
She only started liking her favorite song tonight.
To say he was like a pink lightning bolt, a fleeting, breathtaking flash.
She had a crush on Pei Yan because of that fleeting encounter two years ago.
Tonight, the moment Pei Yan grasped her wrist, it felt like being struck by lightning—a tingling, numb sensation that made her feel flustered and her heart flutter.
A note from the author:
----------------------
The lyrics are taken from Flower Wall's "Pink Lightning." Listening to the song while eating enhances the flavor! [hug]
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