Chapter 16: Late Summer 2009
Pingnan No. 1 Middle School ended its vacation at the end of August. On the afternoon before reporting to school for registration, Xie Kang took his last class of the summer vacation at the piano store.
Although the summer heat in Pingnan lasts until October, Xie Kang feels as if autumn is approaching when he thinks about the start of school. There are fewer students strolling around the streets, and even passers-by seem to be in a hurry in Xie Kang's eyes.
After a summer of guitar lessons, Xie Kang discovered he wasn't completely devoid of musical talent, as Yang Ruihui had claimed. Zhuang Yongyuan had praised him numerous times for his rapid learning, and his words were sincere, surely not blind encouragement.
The pieces Zhuang Yongyuan had practiced with him today were all quite simple, and Xie Kang wasn't paying much attention. While playing, he casually remarked to Zhuang Yongyuan, "School starts the day after tomorrow! This summer vacation is going by so quickly."
"Well, it just so happens that we've just finished our last class today." Zhuang Yongyuan suddenly asked Xie Kang with a bit of uneasiness, "What do you think of my teaching? Are there any parts that I didn't explain clearly?"
Xie Kang turned his head to look at him and grinned, "Teacher Zhuang teaches very, very well."
Zhuang Yongyuan looked at the guitar and said, "That's because you're smart."
Xie Kang watched Zhuang Yongyuan nervously awaiting his evaluation. He sat upright, his hands resting on his lap, his neck stretched out like a kitten lurking in the corner. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He wanted to reach out and touch Zhuang Yongyuan's head. Zhuang Yongyuan's hair must have been very soft, a gentle brown in the sunlight.
Xie Kang thought about it and moved his hand. He didn't really stretch out his hand, but he was still startled by this sudden thought.
In the past ten years, he had never had such thoughts about any of his friends.
Xie Kang, as if avoiding the thought, asked an irrelevant question without thinking: "Am I a faster learner, or is Li Xiuyu a faster learner?"
Although Li Xiuyu was not around, Zhuang Yongyuan still didn't want to belittle him in order to encourage Xie Kang. But to be honest, Xie Kang would definitely be unhappy to hear that. He thought for a moment and said, "I learn the fastest."
Xie Kang laughed heartily and asked, "You're amazing. Can I continue to learn from you?"
Zhuang Yongyuan shook his head and said, "Actually, you can already learn it on your own. I've printed out a sheet of music. Go back and practice it. Once you've mastered the chord changes, you'll be able to play it well."
"But I still want someone to teach me."
"School is about to start, and I don't have much time to teach you well." Zhuang Yongyuan saw that Xie Kang looked a little disappointed, and added, "Even if you don't study piano here, you can always come over to play. You know Li Xiuyu anyway."
"I don't want to see him," Xie Kang said, stretching himself and asking Zhuang Yongyuan, "Can I play my favorite songs? It's a bit boring to keep playing these etudes."
"If you were not satisfied with something, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Zhuang Yongyuan started to get nervous again. He was afraid that Xie Kang might have more dissatisfaction, but he just didn't tell him.
"It's not too late now. Isn't there still one last class?"
"So what do you want to play?"
Xie Kang said without hesitation: "I want to learn 'Too Smart', is that okay?"
Hearing the song title, Zhuang Yongyuan felt as if an electric current ran through his body, and his chest ached. He first replied to Xie Kang, "Of course, the accompaniment for this song won't be difficult for you."
"That's great."
There was no ready-made guitar sheet music, so Zhuang Yongyuan took a piece of white paper from the bookshelf and wrote the score. The black fountain pen left all sorts of marks on the paper, and the friction of the pen tip sliding across the paper became very obvious.
As Zhuang Yongyuan wrote, he asked Xie Kang, "You also listen to Chen Qizhen. I thought you would prefer Jay Chou."
"I didn't know her before. I just happened to hear someone singing it and thought it was beautiful."
"Is that so?" He suddenly said something completely unnecessary to Xie Kang: "This is my favorite song."
"What a coincidence." Xie Kang stared at Zhuang Yongyuan's hand as he wrote and drew on the paper and asked him, "Wait..."
"Wait what?" Zhuang Yongyuan looked up and looked at Xie Kang in confusion.
Xie Kang cleared his throat. These words came out completely out of his mouth, even surprising himself.
He asked Zhuang Yongyuan: "After class, are you free?"
Zhuang Yongyuan shook his pen and said, "I'm fine. What's wrong?"
"Would you like to go shopping at Xinding Plaza? I'll treat you to McDonald's."
Xinding Plaza is a shopping mall that just opened in Pingnan last week. It is said that it has many brand chain stores that were not available in Pingnan before.
Zhuang Yongyuan handed the guitar sheet music to Xie Kang. Xie Kang was looking at him, but his eyes were not serious and were vague. Even the invitation seemed to be a spur-of-the-moment idea and was mentioned casually.
Zhuang Yongyuan knew that Xie Kang had many friends. At school, Zhuang Yongyuan saw him talking and laughing with different people every day. For a person like him, is it as common for him to ask others out as eating and drinking water?
"Okay." Zhuang Yongyuan paused, then said, "Then I'll ask Li Xiuyu to come along."
Xie Kang was stunned for a moment and said, "Then ask him."
"Did you call any other friends?"
"No, I just asked you."
"Then you look at the score first. I'll call Li Xiuyu."
"Do you really want to call him?"
Zhuang Yongyuan turned back from the landline at the music store and said to Xie Kang, "If you don't want to go out with him, I won't call him."
"I don't mind. Just call him if you want him to come." Xie Kang said, and then added: "Do you often go out together?"
"No, he's very busy." Zhuang Yongyuan made a call and Li Xiuyu answered quickly.
After hearing what Zhuang Yongyuan said, Li Xiuyu laughed continuously without saying a word.
Xie Kang was practicing piano with his head down, seemingly not noticing this, but Zhuang Yongyuan still lowered his voice and asked Li Xiuyu, "What are you laughing at?"
"Do you want me to go, or do you not want me to go?"
Zhuang Yongyuan stroked the seam of the receiver's plastic casing, thought for a long time, then glanced at Xie Kang briefly and said, "I don't know. Are you coming or not?"
"I'd really like to go and watch the fun, but unfortunately I have something else to do tonight." Li Xiuyu said teasingly at first, then suddenly turned serious: "But if Xie Kang says anything that makes you uncomfortable, you must tell me, not like that time in junior high school."
"I'm not..." Zhuang Yongyuan was halfway through his words when Li Xiuyu interrupted him: "Okay, let's leave it at that for now."
Li Xiuyu hung up the phone after he finished speaking. Zhuang Yongyuan put down the receiver. Xie Kang had already learned the accompaniment almost completely. He played the guitar and sang softly.
"I'm beginning to regret showing off my cleverness..."
Zhuang Yongyuan didn't interrupt him, but watched from a distance as he strummed his guitar, sang word for word to the beat. Xie Kang's voice was a little deep and raspy when he sang, and he sounded very serious, unlike when he spoke, whose tone was always confident and rising, as if wherever he stood became the unreachable, lofty center of the world.
"I'm guessing what's in your heart. I want to confirm it once more." Xie Kang stumbled over the lyrics and rhythm, playing the wrong chord or sliding the notes several times. He no longer looked arrogant.
I didn't expect that you would also have trouble doing something. Zhuang Yongyuan gloated in his heart, and then remembered that until now, he was still Xie Kang's guitar teacher.
Zhuang Yongyuan sat down across from Xie Kang. Xie Kang straightened up when he saw him, but his hands became even more clumsy. Seeing the lingering smile on Zhuang Yongyuan's face, he complained, "You said this song wasn't difficult for me."
Zhuang Yongyuan said, "Maybe you're not used to singing and playing at the same time, so you're distracted."
"What should I do then?" Xie Kang fiddled with the piano intermittently, then an idea suddenly occurred to him: "How about I play and you sing, then I won't be distracted."
Zhuang Yongyuan was startled. Xie Kang had already begun playing the prelude. Zhuang Yongyuan had no choice but to follow Xie Kang's lead. The glass frame of Xu Zhen's graduation certificate, mounted on the wall, reflected a square spot of light, framing his and Xie Kang's knees facing each other. Zhuang Yongyuan lowered his head, watching the spot slowly drift across the dark wooden floor beside them.
Zhuang Yongyuan has sung this song many times and is familiar with every transition, but never like this time. His throat was tight and his mouth was dry, making it so difficult to sing. Every word he uttered felt as difficult as climbing over mountains.
Zhuang Yongyuan felt that with every line he sang, Xie Kang saw through him more clearly, and everything about him was about to be exposed in front of Xie Kang.
There were good things, like his piano and singing skills, but more of them were his embarrassing secrets. He'd never traveled, never taken a train, and never flown. His clothes were all hand-me-downs. He was effeminate, couldn't play basketball, and hated fighting, sweating, and loud talking. Aside from Li Xiuyu and Xu Zhen, he had no friends. No one liked him since he was born, and the fact that he'd grown up was because everyone had to accept him out of necessity.
"Okay, let's stop here." Before the song was finished, Zhuang Yongyuan abruptly interrupted Xie Kang.
"What's wrong?" Xie Kang put down his guitar in surprise.
Zhuang Yongyuan made up a crude excuse: "Don't we have to go to Xinding Square? Leave early and come back early. We have to get up early to go to school tomorrow."
"Oh..." Xie Kang said with disappointment, then asked Zhuang Yongyuan, "Is Li Xiuyu here?"
Zhuang Yongyuan shook his head: "He has something to do and can't come."
Xie Kang felt relieved after hearing this. He was surprised that he had annoyed Li Xiuyu so much that he didn't even want him around when they went shopping. He stood up, straightened his clothes, slung his backpack over one shoulder, and said, "Let's go, then?"
When Xie Kang said the word "we" to Zhuang Yongyuan, he suddenly felt like he was riding a bicycle over a speed bump, bouncing up and down.
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The background music for this chapter is Magdalena Bay’s “Prophecy”, which is full of dreamy and bubbly memories for both of them> <“Will you be my prophecy?”
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