Chapter 79 79. Bringing You into the Party in the Universe
Xie Kang said, "I discovered this when I was flying kites as a child. Kites take me to many places, places I would never have noticed even if I had passed by them a hundred or a thousand times without a kite."
They stopped at an alleyway where there was a piece of cardboard with the words "Huamei Ballroom is one hundred meters away" written on it with a brush.
They looked at each other and walked into the alley tacitly.
The alley suddenly opens up to a view of the surrounding ruins left by a large demolition site, with only a single-family building in the middle that looks like an old theater but has no sign standing in the darkness, with colorful disco lights flashing in its windows.
Xie Kang frowned and asked Zhuang Yongyuan, "Is there such a place in Pingnan? Have you ever been here?"
Zhuang Yongyuan shook his head: "Don't you often travel around? If you haven't seen a place, there's no way I've seen it."
Zhuang Yongyuan and Xie Kang approached the theater. The large iron door, as tall as two people, was locked, but there were lights and music inside. There was also a large cardboard with the words "Huamei Ballroom" written on it on the iron door.
They walked around the theater and found a back door that was ajar.
Zhuang Yongyuan pushed open the door, and Xie Kang followed him cautiously inside. The layout and furnishings inside looked familiar. The stage and backstage areas were always similar, with utility rooms, control rooms, dressing rooms...
Once inside, the sound from the speakers became much clearer. Zhuang Yongyuan knew the song, a 1995 Taiwanese classic called "Love Song 1939." The barbershop used to have a tape recorder that played songs all day long.
The shamisen's sound was a bit sharp, and Zhuang Yongyuan sang along softly: "Thinking of that person, with that gentle smile."
Xie Kang wasn't as familiar with the song as Zhuang Yongyuan, so he just hummed along. They walked through the backstage area, where a few people were, and they weren't surprised to see them.
For some reason, the faces of these staff members were blurry and I couldn’t leave any impression on them.
The end of the backstage passage is of course the stage. Zhuang Yongyuan and Xie Kang stood on the empty stage and looked down, surprised to see that on New Year's Eve, not only were there many people swaying and dancing on the dance floor, but most of them were young people.
Although the old-style dance halls have not disappeared, they have mostly become places for middle-aged and elderly people to socialize. The scene in front of him was very rare. Zhuang Yongyuan took out his mobile phone to take a picture, only to find that the phone was out of battery.
He asked Xie Kang to borrow his phone, but Xie Kang shrugged: "I left my phone in the box and didn't bring it out."
Zhuang Yongyuan had no choice but to pull Xie Kang off the stage and onto the dance floor.
Although it was their first time here and they didn't know how to dance at all, this place gave them an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if they were regulars here decades ago.
Zhuang Yongyuan took Xie Kang's hand, and Xie Kang took his other hand. The two stood face to face under the dim light.
The music was loud, and Xie Kang asked Zhuang Yongyuan at the top of his voice, "Can you dance?"
"I can't."
"So what are we doing here?"
"Let's give it a try." Zhuang Yongyuan said, and pulled Xie Kang close to him with both hands. He took half a step back to let Xie Kang in. Xie Kang took an awkward step and the soles of his shoes rubbed against the floor, making a sharp hissing sound.
They jumped back and forth a few steps, and Zhuang Yongyuan suddenly let go of Xie Kang's right hand, allowing his body to fall backwards due to inertia. Xie Kang quickly stretched out his arms to hold his waist, feeling a little angry at Zhuang Yongyuan. If he had reacted a little slower, Zhuang Yongyuan would have really fallen down.
Just as he was about to speak, Xie Kang saw Zhuang Yongyuan's face half covered by his shadow. He smiled calmly and accepted his gaze.
Xie Kang held Zhuang Yongyuan like this for a long while before finally breathing. He was sweltering, his skin threatening to crack under the scorching heat. Then, as if in a vast expanse of white snow, he calmed down along with the universe, his blood flowing peacefully like a river.
Zhuang Yongyuan's eyes, like a hand tactilely strumming a piano, reached into the mist that enveloped him and delicately parted it. The world suddenly became crystal clear, clearer than it had been at sixteen. Xie Kang could hear the breathing of those around him, the rustling of fabric, the beat and notes of the music, the fleeting, vibrant colors of clothing as others danced. Only after he had lost something and found it again did he realize what he had lost.
Xie Kang smiled, pulled Zhuang Yongyuan up, and instantly understood how to dance. He swayed his body to the music with ease, figuring out some of the tricks.
They just danced without talking. After finishing "Love Song 1939", they danced "Cha Cha with Tears" and "Just Be Happy".
Perhaps it was the atmosphere in the dance hall that influenced them, but they danced more and more excitedly. Swaying their bodies to the rhythm, and tugging for dominance were more exciting than more intimate actions. For a while, Xie Kang felt that he and Zhuang Yongyuan were already in harmony, with each other part and each other part. At another time, it was like when they first met during the summer vacation and were testing each other. Every breath they took was fascinating, and every gesture was full of concern and hesitation.
They danced until they were sweating profusely. As the lights dimmed, Zhuang Yongyuan leaned in close to Xie Kang's face, licking the sweat. Xie Kang kissed Zhuang Yongyuan's earlobe in return, feeling his shudder. Their clasped hands were also wet, and it felt more like an early spring night than a winter night, when everything was budding.
The music suddenly stopped, the light ball above the head was spinning lonely, people around were talking, and a few staff members appeared on the stage, talking about something anxiously.
Zhuang Yongyuan pulled Xie Kang back to the stage and asked the staff, "What happened?"
The staff member said with a sad face, "For some reason, the disc player is broken."
Zhuang Yongyuan asked, "Is the speaker still usable?"
The staff member pulled out a microphone from somewhere and clapped it a few times. The speakers started to make a thumping sound, so they nodded and said, "Thank goodness the speakers aren't broken."
When Zhuang Yongyuan first arrived from backstage, he saw several musical instruments in the utility room and an old piano in the corner of the stage. He called Xie Kang and the crew, brought up the drums and guitar, and confidently declared, "It's all right. We can perform."
Zhuang Yongyuan and Xie Kang were just two people, but they had more instruments than they did people. Xie Kang held the microphone and asked Zhuang Yongyuan, "What song should we sing?"
"Just sing whatever you want to sing." Zhuang Yongyuan plucked the rusty guitar strings, shaking off the dust. "I can accompany you with anything you want to sing."
He left the guitar untuned, letting it play its strange melody. Xie Kang began to sing, every song that came to his mind, his own songs and Zhuang Yongyuan's songs.
Xie Kang also handed the microphone to Zhuang Yongyuan. Zhuang Yongyuan opened his mouth to try and when he didn't look at the people in the audience, he could actually sing.
Zhuang Yongyuan simply closed his eyes, playing the guitar and singing with Xie Kang. The two sat side by side on the edge of the stage, as if they were at a club activity in high school, feeling comfortable and content.
Gradually, more and more people came on the stage. Some came to dance, some came to accompany, and the sound of the piano tinkled.
The piano was played well. Zhuang Yongyuan turned around to see who was playing the piano, but the space behind the piano was completely hidden in the darkness under the curtain. He could not see anything except a tall human figure.
After Xie Kang sang about a dozen songs, the rotating light ball on the ceiling suddenly stopped.
Unlike last time, no one in the ballroom was surprised, at most they just looked at the time.
There was a tiny crack at the main entrance of the theater, just enough for one person to pass through, and everyone lined up to go out through the door.
Zhuang Yongyuan grabbed a staff member and asked, "Closing so early?"
"There's nothing we can do. The water and electricity will be cut off after midnight tonight."
"Why?"
"This place's been demolished, didn't you notice?" The staff member dusted off his hands and asked Zhuang Yongyuan, "Didn't you come here because you saw the news?"
"We just happened to be passing by."
"Still walking on the street during Chinese New Year." The staff member said noncommittally: "What a coincidence, today is the last day of business, quite a coincidence, thank you for your help."
He left without giving Zhuang Yongyuan any room to ask any more questions. Zhuang Yongyuan stared at his departing figure in amazement and said to Xie Kang, "There's actually a place like this in Pingnan?"
"I haven't heard of it either."
Xie Kang's voice was quite hoarse from singing so much. He cleared his throat and said, "Then let's go too."
"Okay..." Zhuang Yongyuan jumped off the stage again, looked back unwillingly, and found that there was no one behind the piano.
In the open space outside the door, people who had left the dance hall were walking in all directions. The night breeze blew, and Zhuang Yongyuan shuddered. He asked Xie Kang, "Do you think this place is weird?"
Xie Kang shook his head: "What's wrong?"
Zhuang Yongyuan hesitated for a moment and said to Xie Kang, "The person playing the piano just now, I always feel... I always feel that he looks a lot like Li Xiuyu, but it was too dark on the stage and I couldn't see clearly."
Xie Kang was startled and said, "That's not possible. The people inside seem to have shadows, so they must be alive. You love watching horror movies too much, and you're scaring yourself."
Zhuang Yongyuan curled his lips, and Xie Kang added, "The people inside can use mobile phones and wear normal clothes."
Seeing that Zhuang Yongyuan still looked skeptical, Xie Kang simply grabbed someone from nearby.
The man looked at Xie Kang strangely and asked him, "What do you want?"
Xie Kang asked him sincerely, "Can I take your pulse?"
Before the other party agreed, Xie Kang put his fingers into his sleeve and felt the beating pulse on his wrist. He quickly let go and ran to find Zhuang Yongyuan next to him, saying proudly, "There's a pulse, he's really alive!"
Zhuang Yongyuan looked at him for a while, then suddenly reached out, touched Xie Kang's head, and said, "That's right."
Xie Kang was confused: "What is right?"
Zhuang Yongyuan smiled again and said, "Let's go back to the hotel first."
They stayed in the same hotel, and after buying condoms at the convenience store at the door, they went into the hotel together.
While waiting for the elevator, Zhuang Yongyuan blinked and asked Xie Kang, "Your room or mine?"
"Go to my room first and pack your things, then I'll go to your room."
Zhuang Yongyuan nodded and went back to his room. After taking a shower, he lay on the bed waiting for Xie Kang. For a moment, he felt like a bride waiting for her husband to come and pick her up. His face was hot for the first time in a long time, and he buried his face in the pillow.
With a beep, someone swiped the door open. Fireworks and fireworks continued to blare from the mountain, but Xie Kang's footsteps and the sound of him tearing a condom were still audible. Zhuang Yongyuan bit his lower lip, and goose bumps spread across his skin.
They were not the type to be shy about this matter. The first time was during the summer vacation after graduating from high school. Xie Kang rode his bike to take Zhuang Yongyuan to Xiamen to watch Yan Tong's performance. It happened when they stayed overnight in a hotel near the national highway.
At that time, they had been coveting each other for a long time. The hotel front desk looked at their ID cards and asked them if they wanted a twin room. When Zhuang Yongyuan said he wanted a king-size bed room, Xie Kang understood what he meant.
As soon as they opened the door, they hugged each other. Xie Kang closed the door with his foot. Excited, he clumsily pulled up Zhuang Yongyuan's T-shirt and asked Zhuang Yongyuan in a trembling voice, "Is it okay?"
Zhuang Yongyuan's face was covered by his T-shirt, and his voice was muffled: "Where are you putting your hands? And you still ask me if it's okay?"
Xie Kang chuckled a few times, and saw the birthmark on Zhuang Yongyuan's shoulder in the LED light outside the window. Without thinking much, he bit it.
Zhuang Yongyuan cried out in pain and scolded Xie Kang, "What are you doing?"
Xie Kang continued to smile, rubbing his hands and feet at Zhuang Yongyuan's body like he was unpacking a 2,000-piece puzzle. He didn't know where to begin. It's not that he hadn't prepared; he'd watched videos and even taken notes to facilitate the standard procedures. But he couldn't just pull out his phone and check his memos right now.
Zhuang Yongyuan impatiently urged from the bed: "What are you doing? You want me to teach you how to play the piano, and you want me to teach you this too?"
His tone was tinged with teasing, arousing Xie Kang's competitive spirit and causing him to forget all the steps he'd learned online. Only then did Xie Kang realize that people truly had an instinct for this. He only had time to remind Zhuang Yongyuan to speak up if anything hurt, and then he was completely oblivious to anything else.
When Zhuang Yongyuan made a strange cry, Xie Kang finally came to his senses and found that Zhuang Yongyuan's body was covered with marks.
His face flushed and he stopped. Zhuang Yongyuan was lying on his stomach, unable to turn back. He panted and asked Xie Kang, "Why did you stop?"
Xie Kang touched Zhuang Yongyuan and said embarrassedly, "Did I hurt you?"
"No."
"Then you...then you suddenly screamed..."
Zhuang Yongyuan was so angry that he kicked Xie Kang and asked him angrily, "Can't I scream for other reasons? Don't tell me you don't understand anything!"
Xie Kang thought for a while before he suddenly realized what was going on. He was unwilling to be looked down upon by Zhuang Yongyuan, so he teased the body under him with a bit of malice, with which he was already somewhat familiar. Only then did Zhuang Yongyuan speak in a more honest manner.
Zhuang Yongyuan and Xie Kang had forgotten how to be shy when they were eighteen, and now, almost thirty, they were starting to make up for it. Xie Kang came down from his room with his luggage and kissed Zhuang Yongyuan. Zhuang Yongyuan hummed a few times, but he wasn't as proactive or eager as before.
Xie Kang touched the sundae tattoo on Zhuang Yongyuan's back that replaced the birthmark and murmured, "Are we really leaving together?"
"If you bite me again, it will hurt, and that's the truth."
Xie Kang obeyed and bit down. He nibbled at the tattoo, licking it like a real sundae, and then entered.
Zhuang Yongyuan trembled. Xie Kang touched his hair to comfort him, turned him over, and adjusted the position so that the two of them were facing each other.
"Teacher Zhuang, can you teach me?" Xie Kang said.
Zhuang Yongyuan was really like a teacher, pulling Xie Kang's hand and guiding his movements.
The whole process was quiet and solemn, as sacred as a ceremony.
After the incident, Xie Kang refused to come out and held Zhuang Yongyuan even tighter. Zhuang Yongyuan struggled a few times but to no avail, saying, "I'm not leaving."
"I'm scared..." Xie Kang murmured, "You heard it all. Now you know I'm not as good as you thought..."
"You can tell me this when I scold you during group practice," Zhuang Yongyuan said.
There was still a long time before dawn and the first train of the first day of the Lunar New Year arrived at the station. They didn't plan to sleep and there was still a lot to do and talk about.
"I feel a little reluctant to leave Pingnan this time," said Zhuang Yongyuan.
A low and long whistle sounded on the Yanjiang River.
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Ah, I really want to add a thousand-word detailed explanation at the end of this chapter. It’s not easy to be a good person!
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