pester her
Zuo Xiao hasn't been so nervous for a long time.
The last time she was so nervous that her palms sweated and her lips trembled was probably during the college entrance examination. Although she had a full grasp of her level at that time, she was still worried about not performing well.
She felt short of breath and picked up her phone. It was less than twenty minutes until nine o'clock.
"I'm going out for a moment and will be back soon."
In the alley behind the bar, the streetlights were dim. A ginger cat slithered through the piles of snow and vanished gracefully at the end of the alley.
Zuo Xiao wore a burgundy coat over her performance clothes. Her long, straight black hair was permed into wild bohemian curls and dyed a honey-brown hue. The temperature tonight was below zero, and her teeth were chattering, even her hair was cold.
This performance was not supposed to be so tense.
She had performed at the welcome party as a freshman. But back then, folk music was well out of her comfort zone. Besides, there wasn't anyone familiar in the huge gymnasium, except Chen Liqing, who had come to show her support. So, she was only slightly nervous, and with a "I don't care" attitude, she grabbed her guitar and took to the stage.
However, this time, thanks to Zhuang Jinghao's big mouth, everyone who knew Zuo Xiao and could attend the event came to the bar, including but not limited to: Chen Liqing, Xu Ziwen, Liang Sirui, Eric, Zhan Jiaxin, Mao Jiadong, Han Zhaoqing, Li Rong, Jiang Yun, Zhu Jingjing, Wang Zihan, and even Lin Zihan, a former colleague she didn't know at all... Zhuang Jinghao even created a group to gather everyone together and started a chain of cheers...
The flower baskets at the entrance to the bar were also extravagant. Zhuang Jinghao sent eight, Luffy sent a dozen, and there were also gifts from others. It was a grand display, even grander than a grand opening. The backstage was also filled with various bouquets and flower baskets, but she didn't care to ask who sent them.
She stared at the direction where the wild cat disappeared, and suddenly wanted a cigarette.
She took out the packet of green snacks from her coat pocket and pinched them with her fingers, making a string of crisp sounds.
In the evening, Zhuang Yu'an sent a message saying that he was in Shenzhen and would not be able to make it to the performance due to flight delays. He wished him all the best and said that he would try his best to attend the celebration banquet.
A guy who broke his promise. He clearly said he could catch up...
"The first performance of the band "Blue Warning" was a success with all the equipment and instruments in good working order!" She looked at the words, smiled, and decided to put the bag of snacks that were said to be able to bless the performance to go smoothly on the mixing console.
She turned and went back to the bar.
They were the first of two bands to perform tonight, their equipment already set up on stage. During their half-hour set, they'd start with a cover of a popular band's hit to liven up the atmosphere, followed by three original compositions.
"Are you nervous?" Old Sun's voice.
At this moment, the band members were already waiting at the stage. Zuo Xiao couldn't see the crowd clearly, and the music playing in the bar wasn't clear to his ears, but he didn't miss Lao Sun's question.
"A little." She swallowed.
Turning to look at the others: Qin Yufei, as usual, had his hands in his pockets, as if the end of the world wouldn't let him take them out. Peng Lei, however, showed a hint of nervousness; his hand was shaking as he held the beer can, and he was mumbling something under his breath. Qiangzi, on the other hand, wore a calm expression, his eyes cool and intelligent behind his silver-rimmed glasses, but the corners of his mouth were tense. Looking at Zhuang Jinghao again, she was clasping her hands in prayer, facing the industrial-style ceiling with its crisscrossing pipes. Jiang Miaomiao pinched her cheek and said something to her with a smile.
"Relax," Old Sun said, his honesty frustratingly. "On your first performance, the chances of failing are higher than the chances of succeeding. It's always like that."
Zuo Xiao sensed his intention to appease her and teased, "Are you asking me to act with the intention of screwing up?"
"It's all right." Old Sun smiled. "Even if I mess up, it's no big deal. At worst, I won't come here again."
Suddenly, a bright young male voice rang out: "Ladies and gentlemen... tonight's performance is about to begin. Let us welcome the Blue Warning Band!"
Amidst thunderous applause, Zuo Xiao followed Lao Sun and climbed to the heights where the light was shining brightly.
It was not until this moment that she suddenly felt the reality.
Her new career as a musician, the most adventurous journey of her life, officially began at this moment.
Although she was not sure where she would go and whether this journey would be as brilliant as the stars, she inexplicably believed that she would not regret embarking on this path.
She remembers few details about the half-hour performance:
The light was so hot that it made people dizzy;
The faces in the audience were hidden in the darkness and could not be seen clearly;
There was too much noise in the in-ear monitor, and she couldn't hear the first sentence she sang, and she even doubted whether she sang it out loud;
And, she kept making mistakes.
Backstage, everyone busied themselves putting away their instruments and equipment. No one spoke, even Peng Lei, the talkative one, seemed to have his mouth shut.
After all the aftermath work was completed, Zhuang Jinghao called everyone out.
She'd reserved a section in advance, and it was filled with friends and family. Seeing familiar faces, Zuo Xiao raised her glass and greeted them. There were also some strangers, friends and family invited by the band members, and she joined in the conversation, smiling and accepting their compliments.
Zuo Xiao was very happy. So happy that he didn't know how many cups he had.
Another band was performing. They had six or seven years of experience and were very stable on stage. They didn't play original pieces, but specialized in classic repertoires, and they were very good at every song.
In the end, Zuo Xiao felt his eyes were sore, and his mouth and surrounding muscles were tired from smiling.
She walked around the crowd alone, stumbled, and locked herself in a room.
This should be a storage room, but unfortunately there is no wine. There are only boxes of tableware, wine glasses, and napkins stacked messily on the shelves.
She sat on the ground, surrounded by the clutter, her face buried between her knees, and remained motionless.
After an unknown amount of time, she heard the door open. She looked up and saw Luffy approaching.
He sat down beside her, his arm gently touching hers.
The man's lean arms were wrapped in a silk fabric of exquisite texture, while she, with her bare arms, wore a three-dimensionally cut black and white dress with a Gothic and desolate feel. Through the thin layer of fabric, the hairs on her arms could clearly feel the heat coming from him.
"You don't look happy," he said.
"How could that be?" She lowered her head and smiled nonchalantly.
Luffy turned to look at her and suddenly put his arm around her shoulders.
"You've done well enough in your first performance," he said confidently in her ear. "You'll definitely shine in the future."
At that moment, she felt a sinking pain in her heart, like a stone falling into an icy lake. Her cheeks were flushed, yet she felt the chill piercing her bones. She desperately needed warmth, so she couldn't bear to push him away. Instead, she clung to his embrace, to the warmth.
Luffy hugged her tightly and gave her his warmth without reservation.
She gathered some heat and swam slowly towards the surface of the lake.
"Not good at all..." She said with a slight cry, "My performance tonight was not good at all, it was absolutely terrible..."
Luffy's breathing became heavier and his arms tightened a little.
"What's wrong?"
Zuo Xiao felt his eyes burning. He sniffed and listed all his mistakes tonight: "I forgot the lyrics, I missed the beat, I sang out of tune... I played awful, I might as well not have this guitar..."
Finally, he added, "They all pretended to praise me, but they must have been thinking: Can anyone play in a band and be the lead singer?"
"No," Luffy said solemnly, "They watched you radiantly on the stage. Some admired you, some were envious, even jealous. Others wondered: Who will be the lucky one to have her?"
Zuo Xiao's shoulders moved slightly, and a few chuckles came out of his nose, "You are trying to drug me."
"No, I really believe you." Luffy kissed her on the head and said solemnly as if he was taking an oath, "I want to invest in a music label that will only carry Blue Alert, a band. I will make you famous all over the country."
"...How did you become so famous nationwide?" Zuo Xiao said with a laugh, "Your money?"
Luffy smiled softly: "I'm glad that at least I still have money. It can allow you to have the best resources and let your talents and charm be seen by everyone."
"Money is an amplifier and an accelerator, but it's not talent or charm itself." He gently grasped her shoulders, looked into her eyes intently, and said, "Talent and charm are something you possess, something you are born with. I believe in you, and you should believe in yourself too."
At this moment, Zuo Xiao definitely felt that she was drunk. Otherwise, why would she feel dizzy, and why would she feel that Luffy's slowly approaching lips were like a magnet, pulling her towards him and entangled with him?
She indulged in the familiar breath, heard the sound of water stirring between lips and tongues, heard each other's hot breathing. Under his scorching caress, her body became an active volcano waiting to erupt.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from within my heart, blurred and distorted by the heat. This person, draped in the cool air of first snow, put a white, fluffy hat on her head and said she looked like an Arctic fox on the icy plains.
The slight chill in her heart spread rapidly, until it froze the magma. Zuo Xiao woke up as if from a dream and pushed the man away.
Luffy's eyes were still filled with passion, and he looked down at her in a daze and confusion. She sat up, her eyes, misted by alcohol and lust, a trace of confusion in them.
"We shouldn't be like this..."
She felt her thoughts couldn't keep up with her words, so she fell silent, trying to sort out her chaotic thoughts, but the alcohol interfered with her, making the threads in her mind even more tangled.
"Why?" Luffy's eyes were filled with stubbornness. "Why shouldn't we? Who said we shouldn't?"
Zuo Xiao didn't dare to meet his sharp gaze, turned his face away, and said hesitantly: "We have broken up..."
Luffy refused to give in, holding her face in his hands and engulfing her with his gaze. While she was still anxious, his lips pressed against hers again, but she had no strength to move away.
Suddenly there was a "bang" sound, and both of them turned their heads to look at the door at the same time.
The visitor's eyes were wide open, and his short orange hair seemed to be a flame that dispelled the gloom.
She saw Zuo Xiao's flushed face and sleepy eyes, and resolutely walked into the room, bent down, and extended her hand to her.
Zuo Xiao looked up at her, and involuntarily reached out his hand, tightly holding that hand, and then was helped to stand up by her.
Jiang Miaomiao hugged her and turned to ask Luffy: "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Luffy sat there and smiled slightly, "Boyfriend."
Jiang Miaomiao was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Zuo Xiao. Her face flushed, and she whispered, "Ex-boyfriend."
The almond-shaped eyes under the orange bangs narrowed noticeably. Jiang Miaomiao snorted and said, "Since he is your ex-boyfriend, he shouldn't disturb your current life anymore." After that, she put her arm around Zuo Xiao and walked out.
"I'm here to support you." The man behind him suddenly said.
Jiang Miaomiao paused after hearing this, then heard him say, "I can see you're an ambitious band. But there are tens of thousands of bands in China, and to succeed, you need more than just dreams. You need top-notch production, professional promotion and operations, and the appreciation and support of industry insiders. I happen to have a lot of money and connections, and I can support you to go further and faster."
Jiang Miaomiao frowned, turned around and asked, "Are you negotiating a deal with me?"
"There's no need to take it that way," Luffy said calmly. "I don't need anything in return. I won't suck your blood like a boss. Just think of it as artistic sponsorship—I admire your artistic talents and voluntarily support and support you."
"Support?" Jiang Miaomiao scoffed. "I think it's sponsorship."
"I promise not to interfere with your creative freedom," Luffy said. "It's normal for artists to have supporters. Throughout history, countless artists relied on long-term financial support from the church, royal families, or wealthy businessmen to create great works without distraction. Michelangelo, for example, received long-term funding from the Medici family and the Pope, and Beethoven received annual pensions from several nobles. The painter Zhang Daqian even established a powerful network of patrons across the political and business circles, managing his artistic career like an entrepreneur. While accepting financial support, these artists maintained a large degree of artistic independence and did not lose their creative freedom. This certainly cannot be considered sponsorship."
Throughout Luffy's lengthy speech, Jiang Miaomiao kept watching him coldly. When he finally finished, she said calmly, "You're quite eloquent. It's a pity that we don't need sponsorship or support. To be more precise..."
She smiled slightly and said, "I can consider sponsoring others, but not the lead singer's ex-boyfriend."
"Have you thought it through?" Luffy raised his eyes, "You don't even want the band's future anymore?"
Jiang Miaomiao rolled her eyes and said unhappily, "You have to earn your own future. As for your ex-boyfriend, get lost!"
After saying that, she hugged Zuo Xiao and left.
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