Chapter 48 New Year's Eve (Bonus Chapter 1)
On the last day of February, the sky in the provincial capital was overcast and cold. There was no sign of sunshine or snow.
The weather, caught in the middle, felt rather mundane and uninteresting, not at all befitting the date and the special significance people have given it.
But Pu Xia was still very happy because this would be her first New Year's Eve with Xie Sheng.
They got up very early that day, intending to go to a famous temple in the provincial capital to offer incense.
But Xie Sheng was approached by Li Ke early in the morning.
"Did I tell you not to contact me today?" Xie Sheng said impatiently to the person on the other end of the line, holding his phone.
“I finished dealing with everything yesterday. Don’t talk about new cases. With your logic, there’s no end to the work. I’m taking the day off today.”
"Hidden danger? Isn't that what you should be dealing with?"
...
Xie Sheng decisively and quickly explained everything to Li Ke, then hung up the phone and added the person to his blacklist.
"Brother, isn't this a bit of an exaggeration?"
“Just today, and we’ll release him tomorrow,” Xie Sheng said, hugging the girl. “All my time today belongs to you.”
After hearing this, Pu Xia stood on tiptoe and kissed Xie Sheng, not holding back her praise, "Brother, I like you so much."
Her bluntness made Xie Sheng a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly, rubbed her head and said, "Well, then follow your brother closely, and you'll live a life of luxury from now on."
-
As the car drove out of the city, the dark clouds that had been gathering in the sky gradually thinned, and sunlight shone through the clouds.
When we reached the foot of the mountain, the sky was clear and blue.
Pu Xia looked up at the half of the mountain forest that looked like it was edged with gold, and felt great.
The provincial capital is located in the southwest, and even in winter the leaves have not all fallen. Now, with the sun shining on it, the desolation of winter has been swept away.
Perhaps because so many people come here to worship Buddha, and the incense is so strong, the road up the mountain has been repaired into steps paved with white stones, making it very easy to walk on.
They arrived at the temple in less than fifteen minutes, without much effort.
Even though there are many pedestrians coming and going, the golden roof and red walls are hidden deep in the mountains, and still have a tranquility that is hard to find outside.
The deep, resonant sound of the bell echoed through the mountains, calming the mind.
They paid for their tickets and received incense offerings before heading inside.
The temple was not large, and they soon arrived at the entrance of the main hall, where a huge incense burner was placed.
Pu Xia walked to the incense burner and quietly looked at the Buddha statue inside through the door.
At that moment, everything around fell silent.
She has never believed in gods or Buddhas, or rather, she doesn't believe in anything, perhaps because she has no hope or need for protection.
This time, however, she earnestly prayed to the Buddha, who was high above, to bless her and to have a good ending with Xie Sheng.
She closed her eyes and bowed three times, then solemnly placed the incense sticks in the incense burner. Turning around to look for Xie Sheng, she spotted him immediately, his tall and conspicuous figure standing out in the crowd.
He was standing under a huge ancient tree, talking to the people below.
Pu Xia saw him take a sign and write something down. By the time she got closer, he had finished writing.
He handed her the sign that read: Xie Sheng and Pu Xia, never to be separated.
“I just heard someone passing by say that this is very effective, so I got one. We’ll come back to fulfill our vow when we’re old.”
Xie Sheng's tone was as if he were stating an inevitable fact, with a certainty that made one's heart race.
Pu Xia's eyes flashed, and she replied with an "okay".
After burning incense in the morning, Pu Xia and Xie Sheng had lunch at a nearby farmhouse restaurant and then drove back to the city.
Just then, they received a message from Guan Yan, who invited them to attend her performance.
Pu Xia took one look at the location and found it to be a fairly well-known local livehouse.
The two checked the time; it would start at eight o'clock in the evening, which wasn't too rushed. Pu Xia was also somewhat interested, so Xie Sheng agreed.
When evening came, they arrived at the performance venue as promised.
There was already a queue at the entrance for ticket checking, which surprised them; there were quite a lot of people coming to see the swallows.
"Watching swallows is quite popular."
Xie Sheng played with Pu Xia's fingers and said casually, "Ah, she started playing with this in junior high school, and she's actually made a name for herself in it."
"You've known her since junior high."
“Well,” Xie Sheng suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, “to be precise, we met because she was in a band.”
Why didn't you say that before?
Pu Xia suddenly raised her voice, her little face full of surprise, and at the same time, a hint of delight.
"It's all just a joke."
"So what's your position in the band?"
"...I'd say I'm the lead singer."
"It suddenly occurred to me that I haven't heard you sing before, brother."
"It doesn't sound good either."
"How can someone who doesn't sing well be a lead singer?"
Xie Sheng was a little embarrassed to say that he wasn't very good at any musical instruments, and his singing was neither good nor bad. He joined the band because Guan Yan said they needed his face as a signboard, and that they could split the ticket sales from the performances 40/60 with him.
He was short of money at the time, so he agreed without thinking.
When he actually joined the band, he realized he had been tricked by Guan Yan.
The band, composed of several junior high school and vocational high school students, is lucky to have any performance opportunities; making money is simply a pipe dream.
Xie Sheng only stayed in the band for less than three months before leaving.
He vaguely mentioned it to Pu Xia, and the girl laughed. At first, she chuckled, but then she burst out laughing. "So, brother is the face of the group!"
"I understand 'face,' but is it really that funny?" Xie Sheng made a face of gritted teeth, hooked his arm around Pu Xia's shoulder and pulled him into his arms. "Isn't your brother handsome?"
"Handsome! The most handsome man in the universe!"
The two of them were laughing and joking around in the queue.
Just then, shouts came from the crowd not far away, "Brother Sheng! Sister Xia!"
Pu Xia's smile froze, and she subconsciously tried to break free from Xie Sheng's embrace, but Xie Sheng held her even tighter.
He whispered impatiently in her ear, "When are you going to change this habit of trying to get rid of me whenever you see someone you know?"
Her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.
"You guys are here too!" A-Jie and Da-Peng said as they walked up to them, looking around and saying, "Sister Yan has really made it big, with so many fans."
Pu Xia remained in Xie Sheng's arms, observing the expressions of the two men. Seeing that they did not show any unusual expression, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She thought that maybe she was overthinking things; in reality, not many people care that much about other people's lives.
...
The atmosphere at the scene was even more enthusiastic than they had imagined.
Guan Yan is usually aloof and taciturn, but she is exceptionally passionate on stage, and her enthusiasm is highly infectious.
She got everyone on the scene going, and they started jumping and swaying with their hands outstretched.
Pu Xia was no exception. With her bright eyes wide open, she stretched her limbs freely, her hair flying with her movements, and her whole being was like a burning flame, just like the swallows on the stage.
The performance lasted until 10 p.m., and Guan Yan's voice was a little hoarse during the last song.
She was breathing heavily when she suddenly said to the audience, "I don't plan to sing the last song. I want to take this opportunity to go back to the beginning."
As soon as she finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the audience, with shouts of pleas for her to stay filling the air. Guan Yan put her index finger to her lips and shushed them. After a while, the audience quieted down.
She turned around and looked backstage, "Let me play a guitar quietly. This song is yours, Sheng-ge."
The audience looked completely bewildered. Who was Brother Sheng?
Only Pu Xia's heart pounded like a drum, his eyes fixed on Xie Sheng as he walked from backstage to front.
The lights in the venue dimmed, and a magnetic voice rang out in the darkness. The only sound was his singing; his deep, captivating voice drew everyone's attention.
Then, a beam of light shone on him.
Some people noticed his tall and straight figure;
Some people stared at his perfect facial features;
Pu Xia met his affectionate gaze at first glance.
She heard him sing—
I never speak
Because I'm afraid
No one answered.
I never struggle
Because I know
The world is too big
Too much time wasted
There are too many things to face.
Too much doesn't matter
Too many fakes that are hard to distinguish
Too much trouble and controversy
...
I am willing to live quietly in every corner where you are.
If there's anything in life that makes you sad...
Don't be afraid, let me stay by your side.
I'll be there for you.
...
All the crossroads in life
This is by no means the end.
Don't be afraid, let me stay by your side.
I'll be there for you.
When the last note stopped, the entire venue fell silent.
After a certain moment, whistles and screams suddenly erupted.
——————————
The lyrics are from Eason Chan's "Let Me Stay By Your Side";
Brother Sheng: I don't usually flirt with girls.
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