Chapter 37
During the evening rehearsal, Qian Yu stopped staring at her like before and instead started avoiding her.
Song Yihuan didn't know the reason for his change in attitude, and didn't pay any attention to him.
On the last day of rehearsals, we didn't stay up too late. We did a group rehearsal around 8 PM, and then we wrapped up early. Qian Yu carried the costumes she had changed out of and walked at the back, while Chi Ran was led out by her hand.
The music festival stage is on a grassy area by the river on the outskirts of the city. Cars can't drive in; you have to park in an open-air parking lot across the street and walk there for ten minutes.
The street was bustling with activity, and restaurants on both sides had set up tables outside their doors, blocking half of the sidewalk.
The rising heat and the warmth of the people made the early spring night feel hot.
"It's so good to finish work early." Song Yihuan stretched lazily in a great mood. "The last few times I walked this way, it was pitch black and not this lively."
Chi Ran laughed at her words: "You're happy just seeing people?"
“Yes.” She nodded.
"He's just like a little beagle."
He grinned smugly and pressed his hand on the top of her head.
Normally, if he provoked her like this, she would have made a scene long ago, but for some reason today, she stood there quietly without making a sound.
"What's wrong?" Chi Ran asked.
Before she could finish speaking, Song Yihuan let go of his hand. Chi Ran tried to pull her back, but couldn't.
She spoke again, already some distance away from him: "I'm going to the convenience store to buy something. You guys go to the car first."
Song Yihuan walked quickly, leaving the other person behind.
But when she walked into the convenience store and looked back, neither of them had gone to the car; they had both followed her in.
She hurriedly glanced past them towards the door, but there was no one else there. Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, she met Qian Yu's strange gaze.
She lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and walked along the shelf, casually grabbing a pack of wet wipes.
"Want some ice cream?" Chi Ran asked, placing her hand on the freezer and turning her head.
Qian Yu said, "Eat, what do you want? We have black coffee, mini puddings..."
"I'll choose myself." Chi Ran took out her phone and pointed it at the freezer.
The assistive devices for the blind are now very well made, and they are more reliable at recognizing goods than Qian Yu's. He opened the cabinet, reached his phone inside, and slowly picked through the items himself.
Song Yihuan stood at the back of the shelf, her mind in turmoil. The gaps between the shelves were wide, and the aisles were also wide, leaving her nowhere to hide.
"Who are you hiding from?" Qian Yu approached her from behind the shelf and asked in a low voice.
Song Yihuan looked up at him, frowned, and didn't answer.
Qian Yu frowned and asked, "Where are you hiding from that person?"
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "At the stall across the street."
In this place so far from home, in this place so close to her dreams, she encountered someone who should never have been there.
She unconsciously clenched her fingers, anxiously peering out through the gaps in the shelves, not even bothering to hide her nervousness from Qian Yu.
Just when she thought Qian Yu was about to say something even more hurtful, he suddenly asked, "That person knows you...?"
Song Yihuan lowered her head and acquiesced.
Qian Yu frowned and said in a low voice, "I'll drive the car over here, you stay out of the way."
Why...?
help me.
Qian Yu ignored her question and went out to drive.
Even after quickly getting into the car, she still couldn't understand why Qian Yu's attitude had suddenly changed 180 degrees and he was willing to help her keep it a secret from Chi Ran.
As the car slowly turned around and drove past, she looked at the people sitting at the night market stalls through the privacy glass.
It's Sister Xin Xin.
She was dressed in an outfit perfectly suited for a music festival, and was holding a small GoPro, filming the late-night snack in front of her and her surroundings. The moment the camera turned to her, she couldn't help but shrink back.
Sister Xin Xin has only been working for a few years, and the end of the month and the beginning of the month are the busiest times for accountants, so there's no reason for her to come to the music festival at this time.
Moreover, it was the music festival she performed at.
Even if Sister Xin Xin really came here to have fun, there's no reason why she wouldn't greet her properly.
Song Yihuan stared uneasily at the receding street scene outside the window, as if she were being chased and on the run.
"Ahem." During a break between traffic lights, Qian Yu coughed deliberately. "The organizers asked me to ask you if you're coming to watch tomorrow."
After saying that, he deliberately added, "It's terribly cold. I think you don't have to come. You might catch a cold and not be able to perform well the day after tomorrow."
Song Yihuan became even more certain that Qian Yu was actively helping her keep it a secret.
Although he hadn't told Chi Ran beforehand, he certainly wouldn't have been this kind of person. She felt somewhat uneasy, with a mix of unease and guilt that was irritating.
Qian Yu's words were delivered rather abruptly, and she didn't respond immediately. Instead, Chi Ran spoke first: "Want to rest?"
"Oh, sure," she readily agreed.
After showering and lying in bed, Song Yihuan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, but she just couldn't drift off.
She simply got up and went to Xin Xin's WeChat Moments.
At the top was still the post about passing the intermediate accountant exam, unchanged. She then clicked into her WeChat Moments, where the top post was a gold-embossed invitation to a lawn music festival.
For what felt like an obsessive-compulsive disorder, she went through each of the profile pictures that had been liked.
There is a picture of Xin Xin, but not of Ms. Wang.
Song Yihuan clicked into her chat with Ms. Wang, where the record stopped at the brief two sentences Ms. Wang had exchanged with her before she went home.
Where are we?
I'll wait for you at the main intersection.
That was the last thing said.
What exactly is Xin Xin here for?
Why doesn't Ms. Wang contact her?
Did Ms. Wang send Xin Xin to take her back? Why didn't she come herself? Why can't she come?
...
Countless questions swirled in her mind, keeping her wide awake. Song Yihuan was always decisive to the point of recklessness; she had never struggled with this for so long.
She hated all unresolved waiting, just as she hated the Sword of Damocles hanging over her family's bloodline. She wished all the joy and sorrow in the world would fall down on her fiercely and swiftly.
Stop planting any more ridiculous foreshadowing. I'm not afraid of anything except waiting.
Thinking of this, Song Yihuan suddenly jumped up, put on her coat without even changing out of her pajamas, and rushed out the door.
I want to know the answer.
"Teacher Chi, there are too many people, let me take you out."
The bald man in sunglasses escorted Chi Ran out of the control room with a respectful attitude, half-embracing and half-supporting her.
"No need." Chi Ran awkwardly tried to pull her hand away. "My assistant should..."
"Here you are, Brother Ran." Qian Yu had been waiting at the door for a while, and rushed over as soon as the door opened.
"Thank you for your help."
Chi Ran was polite in words, but quick in action, she escaped from his support and stood next to Qian Yu.
The bald man said politely, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Teacher Chi has helped me with so many songs."
Chi Ran wasn't one for formalities, and once he said those words, there was no going back. He immediately gestured for Qian Yu to lead him outside.
I had agreed not to come to the music festival today, but Chi Ran said this morning that she had something to do with the music director, so she still came early in the morning.
He didn't know exactly what they talked about.
Although the music festival didn't start until the evening, a large number of people had already lined up outside the stage, with tents scattered all over the ground. Qian Yu led Chi Ran through a side entrance, but they still couldn't avoid the tents and fans that surrounded them from every angle.
Fortunately, Chi Ran has been out of the public eye for two years, and now not many people know him, let alone have any fans.
Otherwise, Qian Yu wouldn't dare take him on this road; it's easy for something to go wrong.
When Chi Ran's eyesight was first damaged, he was recognized by someone. He denied it in a disheveled manner and ran away, his legs covered in bruises. For a long time after that, he not only didn't go out, but he didn't even leave his house, leaving the curtains undrawn, like a vampire.
Thinking this, Qian Yu still subconsciously quickened his pace and led him to the car.
"Really? Is that so?"
"It doesn't seem like it..."
"Go! Go! Otherwise, we'll have waited in vain..."
As he walked to the car, several young people behind him suddenly whispered among themselves, as if they recognized him.
Qian Yu looked up and saw them discussing Chi Ran's back, eager to come over.
"Burning..."
Before he could remind her, Chi Ran quickly pulled open the door, got into the car, adjusted her sunglasses to cover her face, and closed the door without hesitation.
Qian Yu met the gaze of the young man in the lead and hurriedly climbed into the car, but before he could close the door, the young man had already rushed over.
"Hello... I'm so sorry, so sorry!" he said breathlessly. "I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to ask, I just wanted to..."
That's it, I've recognized him.
Qian Yu turned to look at Chi Ran, who was hanging his head and trying his best to turn his back to the source of the sound.
The young man, sweating profusely, blocked the car door, saying hurriedly, "I just want to say two words, just two words. I won't take any photos or videos, and I don't want an autograph, okay?"
Qian Yu looked back at Chi Ran. He didn't make any secret hand gestures, which meant he tacitly approved.
The young man quickly calmed his breathing and looked in Chi Ran's direction, saying, "You...you are Teacher Chi Ran, right? We, our group of people are all your fans."
really.
At the height of his popularity, Chi Ran was just as popular as any top-tier celebrity. After his decline, most fans forgot about him over time, but a few remained steadfast in their memories, trying their best to follow an idol who had long since vanished and disappeared without a trace.
These people recognized him based on his ethereal musical style and the occasional appearance of his hands, firmly believing that the account "Ember" was actually Chi Ran himself.
They actually chased after him all the way to the music festival just to support such a far-fetched theory.
"I... I just wanted to say that we will always support you. Although we don't know why you don't want to write songs in the entertainment industry anymore, but... but no matter which circle you're in, whether it's the entertainment industry, a video blogger, or something else... we don't care, we all... we all like you, we all like your songs." The young man's voice trembled slightly, "I, I'm so excited, I don't even know what I'm saying, I just..."
"Actually... we're just guessing. We don't even know if you're Chi Ran or if Yu Jin is Chi Ran. We'll probably get called insensitive for saying this, but... I just want to say that we support you, we truly support you..."
Having said all that seemed to have exhausted him, he glanced at his companion standing in the distance and could no longer speak.
Chi Ran didn't look up; instead, she turned her face slightly away and lowered her head.
If it were someone else, or in a different setting, he would jokingly say, "I'm blind."
But when such sincerity comes crashing down on him, all he can do is run away.
After the car started moving, the small group of people behind them were still gasping in hushed tones, and then began to discuss it intensely.
"Brother Ran..." Qian Yu looked at him with some concern, "Are you alright?"
He remained silent for a long time, took a deep breath, and resumed his playful demeanor: "What can we do if something happens? It's already happened, so we just have to bear it."
"Is there another performance tomorrow?"
Qian Yu was afraid that he would refuse to go out again.
"Of course I'll perform." Chi Ran smiled a little more. "I've gone through so much trouble today, and I've been begging the music director for so long, so of course I have to perform tomorrow."
His smile held a gentle quality, and it was obvious who he was thinking of.
It seems he's preparing something for tomorrow's performance.
After hesitating for a long time, Qian Yu couldn't help but ask softly, "Brother Ran, are you really not going to tell them?"
The boy's eyes were fervent and sincere; such a pure gaze is something many people never see in their entire lives.
"No, I don't think so." Chi Ran turned her face away from him, her voice very soft. "How should I put it? Should I say I'm sorry, but I'm actually blind? The answer they've been searching for for so long, and it turns out to be just fate playing tricks on them? It's better not to give them this kind of answer at all, why throw cold water on them for no reason?"
"That's true, but..." Qian Yu didn't know what the "but" was, so he couldn't continue.
The car moved forward smoothly, and Chi Ran pressed his forehead against the glass, lost in thought.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice, which was weak and hoarse: "I'm a coward. I'm afraid of pain, afraid of getting hurt, afraid of feeling uncomfortable, so I think of everyone else this way. I don't want to treat others like that."
After listening to him, Qian Yu suddenly asked, "What if you were the one being kept in the dark? Wouldn't you also not want an answer?"
Chi Ran suddenly laughed, his laughter hoarse: "There's no need to ask and figure everything out. I'm just a coward."
Because of those words, Qian Yu didn't sleep a wink all night.
What Song Yihuan was hiding from him was not the same as what he was hiding from his fans. The latter could eventually be kept secret, but the former was like a ticking time machine, and there would come a day when it could no longer be hidden.
Chi Ran may seem strong, and he makes self-deprecating jokes about being unyielding, but he is actually more fragile than anyone else.
What should he do when the truth is revealed?
What terrible things will happen?
He dared not think about it.
To his surprise, the very next day, someone came to find him, something he could hardly believe.
"I will leave after this performance," Song Yihuan said firmly, standing in the dressing room behind the stage.
Qian Yu asked blankly, "Wh...what? What about Brother Ran?"
“He doesn’t need to know anything.” Song Yihuan looked at him with a deep gaze, sighed silently, and said, “As long as you don’t let it slip in the future, he will never know.”
"No...why?"
Before Qian Yu could catch up, the problem that was urgently needed to be solved simply vanished, leaving him unable to process it.
Song Yihuan glanced at him but didn't answer.
"No... then, you just left like that?" he asked.
“Yes,” Song Yihuan said. “For him, it wasn’t even a precipitous breakup, since we hadn’t even broken up yet.”
Qian Yu didn't know what else his clumsy mouth could say, and stared blankly at her.
Song Yihuan suddenly laughed and said, "Weren't you hoping I'd leave soon? Now look at you, not only are you helping me keep it a secret, but when I say I'm leaving, you give me this look."
He let out a heavy sigh, unsure of what to say.
"Why did you help me keep it a secret that day?" she asked.
Qian Yu hesitated for a long time before finally telling the truth: "I told you to leave and criticized you because I was thinking of Ran-ge's best interests. But that day... that day you were talking to Jiu Jiu and A-Jie about dating, about things you hadn't experienced..."
Song Yihuan realized what was happening and raised an eyebrow, asking him, "So you've suddenly discovered that besides harming people, I'm also a living, breathing human being?"
The word "harm" was emphasized heavily, carrying a hint of revenge.
"I shouldn't have said that." Qian Yu scratched the back of his head helplessly. "I only looked at Ran-ge and never understood you."
“If this is an apology, I accept it,” she said.
"Yes, yes, yes, it's an apology," Qian Yu said.
At this point, they really had nothing more to say.
"I'm going to go over the details with Chi Ran. The performance is in two hours." Song Yihuan frowned, then tried to relax her brow and said with a smile, "It's the last show, it has to be perfect."
"Wait a minute," Qian Yu called out to her.
"What are you doing?"
"What...what do you think of Brother Ran?" he finally asked.
Song Yihuan was taken aback by the question, then asked in return, "Are you asking me if I love your Ran-ge?"
"right."
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