Chapter 106 What's there to be afraid of? It's not like it's going to affect you much.
It's a little past ten o'clock, and the sun is shining brightly inside the house.
The little girl's face was bathed in sunlight, golden and rosy, her voice melodious and delicate, just like her, clean and pure.
Wen Jiu sang a short verse. Actually, she was quite unsure of herself, but judging from the conversation between the two people, she guessed that something had happened to the teacher for the position she was interviewing for.
She didn't want to lose her job like that, which is why she said she could give it a try.
Although I don't want to sing, I don't care as long as I can make money right now.
Wen Jiu was a little unsure of what the two men were thinking, but she didn't show any fear on her face and quietly waited for them to speak.
After about half a minute of silence, the refined-looking man spoke up: "A music major?"
Wen Jiu shook her head.
"Your voice is quite good," the man commented, then suddenly changed the subject, "but you're just too inexperienced. Pingtan (a type of storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect) still requires some experience and depth."
Her eyes darkened for a moment, then returned to normal: "So you didn't pass the interview?"
No, not exactly.
Wen Jiu's eyes flickered.
"I'll find a professional teacher to teach you," Ye Rongqing said, her heart filled with the joy of discovering a treasure. It would be a shame if she didn't sing with that voice.
But to his surprise, the little girl didn't seem particularly pleased. Instead, she hesitated and asked, "If you find a teacher to teach me, will I still get paid?"
He paused for a moment, then laughed: "Salaries will be paid as usual."
Upon hearing this, Wen Jiu smiled as well.
"good."
*
"Would you like to go for tea?"
"What, starting to cultivate your character?"
“Self-cultivation is out of the question,” Xie Tinghe peeled a pistachio and popped it into his mouth, “but cultivating one’s temperament is fine.”
He Shixu looked at the person who was emphasizing a certain word and kicked him: "Don't die in bed one day."
"This is not about providing every girl with a haven of comfort."
"I think you want to drown in a world of pleasure."
Xie Tinghe smiled and continued, "I heard from Lu Zi that Rong Qing's teahouse has a new Pingtan teacher, a little girl, who is very pretty and, most importantly, has a voice that can melt your heart."
Upon hearing the sweet voice, a figure inexplicably surfaced in He Shixu's mind.
It's strange, though, that person would occasionally pop into his mind.
He casually picked up a sunflower seed and slowly peeled it: "Why didn't you go with Lu Zi?"
"It's all because of my mom. She insisted that I take care of the family company's affairs. I was forced to go to work by her a few days ago."
Xie Tinghe pointed to his face as he spoke: "Haven't you noticed how weathered I look? I need some nourishment right now."
He Shixu raised his hand and threw the peeled sunflower seed into the trash can, then got up from his chair.
"Then let's go."
*
Xiao Jiu: "Zhou Yanchuan, don't you think he's handsome?"
Zhou Yanchuan had just seen the text message from the girl and hadn't even had a chance to reply when a photo popped up.
It was taken in front of a mirror. The girl's dark hair was tied up, adorned with a camellia flower. She had delicate, arched eyebrows, a small, exquisite nose, and wore light makeup. There wasn't a single blemish on her face; she looked like a smooth, lustrous white porcelain plate.
Wen Jiu's phone, which she had placed on the table before going on stage, vibrated. She picked it up and looked at it, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
He said, "How could it not be beautiful?"
She tapped the screen with her finger, her usual aloofness gone, replaced by a playful, girlish expression: "Too bad you can't see it."
Wen Jiu had just sent out the message when she was told she had to go on stage.
She put her phone in the drawer, picked up the pipa (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) next to her, and walked towards the stage.
*
The car stopped in front of the teahouse.
He Shixu glanced through the car window: "Are you sure this is the place?"
If the navigation hadn't told him he was still in the city, he would have thought he was in the suburbs: "Would anyone come if I drove here?"
"Aren't we?"
He Shixu gave a slight twitch of his lips: "That's true."
"I'm going to see what this little oriole that Lu Zi mentioned is all about today," Xie Tinghe said, pushing open the car door and getting out.
He Shixu found it amusing; a little oriole, how could he have come up with that?
He took out a cigarette from his coat pocket and followed slowly behind.
The teahouse in front of them looked like an ordinary Chinese building from the outside, but pushing open the door gave them a pleasant surprise.
From the layout and furnishings to the small ornaments, it's clear that care was put into it.
Snow fell on the plum blossom branches as the two walked along the cobblestone path into the house.
Before even entering, a delicate, slightly bitter aroma of tea wafts into your nostrils, and wisps of steam slowly curl around the carved beams.
Some people sat by the window, chatting and laughing with the person opposite them, and occasionally the crisp sound of a teapot lid lightly tapping against a tea tray could be heard.
The two followed the waiter to the second floor.
He Shixu showed little interest in the little oriole they were talking about, and sat in his chair playing on his phone with his eyes down.
Xie Tinghe, on the other hand, kept talking, seemingly genuinely looking forward to it.
These people have a high happiness threshold; ordinary things simply don't interest them. Aside from the chores they're asked to do at home, they spend most of their time discussing how to have fun.
Today we go to a party, tomorrow we go to a teahouse; wherever we go, it's all for fun.
He Shixu didn't look up; he was tapping the screen, playing a mini-game.
In the complete silence of the room, he suddenly heard the sound of a pipa.
It was like pearls falling into a silver plate, making a clinking sound.
"Hey, that girl downstairs looks kind of familiar," Xie Tinghe suddenly said, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.
He Shixu casually raised his eyes.
When he saw the people on the platform below, a subtle change appeared in his calm eyes.
Xie Tinghe finally recognized her: "Isn't that Yan Chuan's girlfriend down there?"
The girl was wearing makeup and dressed differently than usual, so he didn't recognize her at first.
He Shixu gave a faint "hmm," his gaze remaining fixed on the slender figure.
When that gentle voice rang out, it made the surroundings seem even quieter. Like a clear mountain spring, it went straight into people's hearts.
Xie Tinghe was unusually quiet for a while.
After the last sound from the girl's lips faded, the room was silent for a moment, then bursts of applause rang out.
Xie Tinghe raised an eyebrow slightly: "This girl is quite interesting."
*
As soon as it was time to leave work, Wen Jiu went backstage to change her clothes.
She didn't go through the front door, but went to the backyard as usual. However, there was someone there now, even though the doorway was usually empty.
The man was wearing a black cashmere coat and had an outstanding demeanor.
He was lighting a cigarette with his eyes downcast.
The wind was strong here, so the man raised his hand and lightly cupped it, sparks flew, and white mist spread around his lips.
Wen Jiu could also see his face clearly.
*
Just as He Shixu lit his cigarette, a girl dressed in a white down jacket, wrapped up like a little bear, caught his eye.
A hint of a smile appeared in his eyes, and he casually stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.
The girl made no attempt to come over and greet us.
He smiled and walked over.
"How did you end up here?" A question asked knowingly.
Before coming, he had asked Ye Rongqing about the situation.
Wen Jiu looked up at the person approaching and said honestly, "Part-time job."
He Shixu leaned slightly to shield the girl from the wind from the doorway and asked in a low voice, "Need money?"
The person looked at him without saying a word.
It was cold and windy, and in just a minute or two, the girl's nose turned red from the cold, and the corners of her eyes turned slightly pink.
Its innocent yet wary appearance resembled that of a timid rabbit.
He smiled, his tone affectionate and indulgent: "What are you afraid of? I don't really care about you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com