Politely declined the classmates' face and had a great time at the music festival
Xue Jiuyue pretended to be surprised, then looked around the room before slowly saying, "Oh, that's true. Although I don't have many customers here, there are still some. I didn't pay much attention. If you want to know when he came, I have to think about it." Xue Jiuyue paused for a moment, as if trying to recall, "He has been here at all times, and there is no obvious pattern. I really don't know his schedule. After all, he is just a customer and I am not that familiar with him. I can't ask every customer, 'When do you visit our store?' Right." After speaking, Xue Jiuyue lowered his head and shook the water glass, then took a sip to hide his guilt.
"Oh, so that's the case..." Ai Mu's disappointment was immediate.
"How about I keep an eye out for you. Next time he comes, I'll call you right away. Can you come and run into him by chance?"
"This... may not be a coincidence, and it may not be in time..." At this point, both parties knew each other's intentions. Ai Mu hesitated for a moment and prepared to make a final effort. "Xiaoyue, you see, we are old classmates. To be honest, at this critical juncture, if..."
Ai Mu softened his tone, "If someone can lend a hand, we'll definitely be grateful! This is a lifetime favor!"
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you. If Mr. Qian is close to anyone, I'll describe them to you and you can do some targeted PR. It's just that I'm not familiar with him. Sorry, old classmate." Xue Jiuyue felt guilty again. It wasn't that she didn't want to help, but she couldn't afford to owe Qian Jianjun a favor. It was a favor she couldn't repay.
"You?!..." After a long period of fruitless efforts, coupled with the misunderstanding from the beginning, Ai Mu's voice and anger rose. But his reason quickly controlled his emotions. After all, if his suspicion was true, even if Xue Jiuyue didn't help him, he couldn't let her become his enemy.
"Ahem..." Ai Mu coughed a few times to cover it up before continuing, "It's indeed inconvenient for you. Mr. Qian is just your customer. How can the second party ask the first party to do something for you?"
Ai Mu's "understanding" allowed their conversation to continue...
On the other side, Mr. Qiu and Liu Che were also chatting enthusiastically.
"You mean, Xiaoyue should be able to recover soon?" Mr. Qiu repeated excitedly.
"Yes, optimistically speaking, there should be noticeable results within a few months."
Mr. Qiu was still worried and continued to ask, "Are there any specific manifestations or any basis for this?"
"I'm sorry, I have an obligation to keep Xiaoyue's secret. I can only tell you this much." Liu Che lowered his head, holding the coffee cup in both hands, but his words were neither humble nor arrogant.
Elder Qiu was not angry but delighted. "Haha, what a good young man. No wonder Qiu Nian said Xiaoyue thought highly of you. Well done, well done..."
"Thank you for the compliment. I hope you don't mind! I also heard Xiaoyue say that you take special care of her and protect her like a father. She is very touched. Logically, I shouldn't doubt you, but it is my professional ethics not to reveal secrets, not to mention that Xiaoyue and I are friends." Liu Che explained sincerely.
"Did she really say that?" Mr. Qiu asked back.
"Well, she's especially grateful to you and your wife."
"Good, good..." Old Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, looked out the window to relieve his fatigue, and then continued to praise: "You are all good children."
"You're too kind. I'm just a listener. At most, I sincerely hope to be of help to Xiaoyue."
"All of this is already very difficult. I'm old now, and I've suffered losses and hardships, but I've also met benefactors. I've been let down, and I've also been saved. So I trust my judgment. I can see your sincerity, your dedication, your integrity, and your composure. In time, no matter what field you're in, you'll surely achieve something."
"I'm just a psychologist. What else can I achieve? I just want to do my job well and help more people." Liu Che's voice was a little dim.
Mrs. Qiu, who had been observing with a smile, interrupted, "Young man, I've heard the saying, 'Mastering a skill brings you close to the truth.' So, no matter what you do, achieving perfection in it is a great achievement. Freud and Jung were not both psychiatrists, but they both founded schools of philosophy and had a profound influence. So don't underestimate yourself. Just work hard. I'm optimistic about you, too."
"Madam, you are very knowledgeable. I will definitely work hard to live up to your expectations."
At this time, Mr. Qiu asked again: "I also have some psychological problems. Can you please help me?"
Liu Che looked puzzled. "Why do you think you have a mental problem? What are the symptoms?"
Mr. Qiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't complain for no reason. Just tell me if you are willing to help me."
"It's my honor to have your trust! If you really have psychological problems, I will do my best to help you."
"well……"
Fearing that this would upset Xue Jiyue, Liu Che had originally planned to ask Zhou Ying to tell Xue Jiyue and then leave. Xue Jiyue, upon learning of this, rushed to the door to see him off, but was unable to keep Liu Che for dinner. Having already declined Ai Mu's request, she couldn't afford to be nitpicked over the details. So, that evening, Xue Jiyue sent a message to Liu Che to explain, only to be accused of being distant.
This busy day ended with a spitting goodnight. Filled with all sorts of bittersweet, bitter, lost, and happy memories, all settled in the following time, gradually fading into water or brewing into wine, hidden in memory and covered in dust.
As quiet days slowly faded like a forest, Xue Jiuyue's entrepreneurial project wasn't going smoothly. Embracing a completely new field requires more than just ingenuity and enthusiasm. Undeterred, Xue Jiuyue continued to learn and experiment. Through her continuous efforts, she developed new ideas and explored innovations in areas she was more familiar with. While it would take some time to see results, it was always comforting to wait for something worth looking forward to.
It was already the weekend when Qian Jianjun, whom Ai Mu was looking forward to "encountering by chance", appeared again.
"Xiaoyue, let's go to the music festival together tomorrow?"
The magnetic voice further weighed on one side of the scale, and Xue Jiuyue became even more entangled. "Ahem, I've been dawdling for several days. It's just that kind of music carnival, there will be a lot of people, right?"
"He has been pestering me for a long time and asked me to buy several VIP tickets with independent areas where you can't squeeze in even if there are too many people." According to Qian Jianjun's description, Ke Yike naturally took the blame.
Seeing Xue Jiuyue still hesitant, he added, "I didn't want to go either, but Keke said the atmosphere was so relaxing and hilarious. That brat even said that only youth can swing their waists! If I didn't want to go, he would understand and say it's called the generation gap. I know this is just a provocation, but it's an open conspiracy."
"Then may I ask, Mr. Qian, is this a provocation?"
Faced with Xue Jiuyue's provocative questions, Qian Jianjun remained calm. "I'm just paraphrasing what I said. It's up to you how you interpret it. My personal opinion is that we're all a team, and if the four of them all went, I'd look really out of place if I didn't. Besides, I always look old-fashioned, but I'm actually not that old, and I really should look younger. After all, only those kind of music festivals have the latest music, and the latest people have the latest outfits and clothing!"
The emphasis of the last sentence helped Xue Jiuyue make a choice, "You win! Do you want to ceremonially wear our basketball team uniform?"
"Perfect!"
The music festival Ke Yike and Qian Jianjun longed for was Xialin's annual "Sahuaner Music Festival," hosted by the bar "I Follow the Breeze to Sahuaner." Each year, the organizers choose a distinctive location near Xialin for the festival. Past venues have included wheat fields, soccer fields, parks, abandoned factories, and campuses. This year's venue was even more unique: a disused train station.
The audience watched the performance on the platform from the side of the railway tracks. The old station buildings and the mottled station sign served as natural props, and the sunset glow, adorned with a lingering golden color, transported the audience to a station they had once passed by in their memories or dreams.
The VIP seats are a slightly higher stand with several tables and chairs similar to train seats, creating a more comfortable feeling of being on a train. To create a harmonious atmosphere, this "carriage" has no walls or ceiling and is simply a stand.
Since the "Sahuan Music Festival" is a music event in the entire southeast region, tickets are hard to come by, and the price of an ordinary ticket is often hyped up to one thousand or even two thousand.
Watching the crowds surging and the swarming crowds, Xue Jiuyue now understood better what her mother said, "Many things cannot be repaid by just giving money."
Looking around, it's true, as Qian Jianjun said, that this is where the cutting-edge of fashion converges. Eye-popping outfits and unconventional looks showcase individuality; minimalist materials and provocative cover-ups reveal youth. Going one's own way is a form of confidence, and being passionate and open is a state of mind. The urge of primal desire is both an expression of nature and a regression of human nature, but who knows if it's not a natural, unadorned expression of self-liberation?
Who cares? While we're young and free, why bother with so many rules and restrictions? We must etch a few sizzling summers into our memories, so that even those stiff limbs of old age can be revived by the thought of them. Even if we make a small mistake, so what? There's still plenty of time to erase those painful memories... Unlike the mavericks or the overly affectionate couples, Xue Jiuyue and his friends' conventional sporty style makes them stand out.
But as the music began, everything vanished. The drum beats seemed to command the body, the guitar's electricity seemed to course through the soul. My mind disintegrated into mud and water, my bones and muscles weakened, and my thoughts and rationality collapsed into nothingness. Only my senses reached out, like countless tentacles, connecting with my own, with others, with the stage, and with the surroundings, infecting and interweaving, forming an impenetrable web that resonated with every living being within it.
Xue Jiuyue, too, was moved by the music. She was no longer the master of her emotions; the notes were the invisible baton. When the notes were gentle, tears welled up in her eyes, filled with resentment and longing; when they reached their peak, her blood surged, and she felt the urge to soar and sing. Her emotions were stirred into a surging torrent, sweeping away the accumulated resentment within her and shattering the ruts of life's oppression. She didn't want to shake her head, but her mind was already captivated; she only wanted to sway, because her soul was freeing.
The originally quiet train station was now bustling with people, while a restaurant in Xialin City's commercial district was quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle.
"Why do you feel guilty today and insist on treating me to a meal?"
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