Chapter 35: Thoughtful
"I heard there's a super amazing drummer at the bar today, Director Li, could he be a member of our production team? Such a master shouldn't be hidden away. We need his guidance in our banggu practice!"
Ren Limeng took the red wine glass filled with crystal clear liquid from Boss Li. Her slender white fingers gently circled the base of the glass, and she tilted her head to look at Li Ming with a smile, as if it was just a casual sigh rather than a premeditated test.
Seeing Boss Li with the program crew, it would be stupid of her to not connect the drummer boss with the program crew.
But, I don’t know...what role does Shen Xingzhi play in this?
Could it be that he had conjured up this drummer from nowhere? Did he bring this big guy to Lin City specifically for the banggu thing?
Such speculation seems to explain Dong Zhu's "taking shortcuts" and Li Ming's subconscious look at Shen Xingzhi at this moment, and then his smile without saying a word.
"Ren Limeng, aren't you practicing your drums pretty well? I see you've basically memorized the melody this afternoon. Any other questions?"
Chen Xingzhi spoke slowly. Compared to the ambiguous "seniors and juniors", when they were together in front of the camera, Chen Xingzhi would more often just call them by their full names, just like Ren Limeng would call him "Brother Xingzhi" like everyone else.
"Brother Xingzhi, you think too highly of me! Of course there are problems. I just relied on my memory as the host to memorize the drum beats. The details of my playing are completely unreliable and far from performance level."
Ren Limeng's description was a bit exaggerated. It was her first time to come into contact with banggu. Rather than explaining her ability to learn it quickly as a accumulation of basic opera skills, she hoped to strengthen her memory as a host in front of the camera.
In the program, she has limited opportunities to perform, and she cannot miss any chance that may strengthen the audience's impression. After all, her purpose of appearing on "Shan Hai" is to attract fans, transform herself, and become a famous host. Compared to reminiscing about the past, she values her future and her hosting career more.
"oh?"
Shen Xingzhi curled the corners of his mouth in a noncommittal manner, with a deep meaning in his eyes.
Most people are not professionals and may not be able to hear the subtle differences between the drum beats. They can only feel the excitement brought by the same uplifting music. Ren Limeng's statement can basically fool these people, as well as the audience who can only see a small part of the practice clips after the program is edited and broadcast.
But to him, her words were just another casual act in front of the camera.
Just like the professional smile she always wears, it can easily bring strangers like Boss Li closer, and can also unconsciously make staff members like Li Ming let down their guard, but what he sees in her is more of a false pretense in her eyes.
However, he still subconsciously noticed her.
Even if he didn't agree with her actions, his eyes would still involuntarily fall on her.
"Brother Xingzhi, Director Li, please don't keep me in suspense. After today's interaction, I really like drumming. If I weren't in my thirties and had too much to do, I would have wanted to take this drummer as my teacher. I always feel that he and I might be destined to be together."
Ren Limeng casually smoothed her hair on her forehead as if jokingly, and looking at the playful smile on the corner of Shen Xingzhi's mouth, she suddenly felt an inexplicable premonition in her heart -
The next second, the bar owner, Mr. Li, was expressing his feelings one after another, and his voice was full of excitement and praise.
"That's such a coincidence, Li Meng. The master you wanted to learn from is so far away, yet so close to you. It's Xingzhi! Xingzhi is truly amazing! I only knew he sang well when I heard his songs before, and he could also write his own lyrics and music. I never thought Xingzhi would be so proficient in musical instruments as well! I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to hear your drums in our little bar today! Thank you Xingzhi and Director Li for giving us this opportunity at Changye Bar..."
Boss Li kept talking about his inner joy, not noticing the slightly stiff corners of Ren Limeng's mouth.
Ren Limeng maintained a stiff smile, staring at Shen Xingzhi who was standing there coldly as if it had nothing to do with him with an inquiring look. Even when Boss Li excitedly wanted to shake hands and pat his shoulders, he did not move at all, but silently pushed Li Ming beside him half a step forward. Li Ming continued to exchange pleasantries with Boss Li in a sophisticated manner. The warm and harmonious atmosphere was as if they had met too late.
Looking at Li Ming and Boss Li arm in arm, Shen Xingzhi almost forgot that Changye Bar was just a high-scoring "Lucky Bar" on a social media app that he randomly chose that night. Although Li Ming and Boss Li both had the same surname "Li", they had only known each other for a few hours.
Feeling a pair of fixed gazes, Shen Xingzhi looked away and met Ren Limeng's eyes with mixed feelings. Perhaps it was because everyone's attention was more focused on the conversation between Li Ming and Boss Li at the moment. As they looked at each other, Ren Limeng, who was in the shadow of the light, restrained her smile, and a complicated look flashed across her face. I wonder if they also remembered his request for advice when they were learning banggu in the afternoon.
Why on earth did Shen Xingzhi ask her for advice?
Until the next morning, when she saw Shen Xingzhi again in the training room, Ren Limeng still hadn't figured this out.
It's not that she didn't have doubts, but she imagined too many possibilities. Whether it was a conspiracy theory or scheming, all kinds of speculations seemed possible. Ren Limeng couldn't make up her mind for a while. If she wasn't much more stable now, she would definitely not be able to help but give him the thumbs up if he acted like this.
Thursday's recording time was moved up by an hour. On the sofa in the training room, Ren Limeng glanced at the cameras around her, coughed lightly, and held back the yawn that was rising in her throat. Thanks to Chen Xingzhi, she could be said to have tossed and turned a lot last night.
At this moment, the culprit slowly pushed open the door of the training room and strode in carrying several brown paper bags.
"Thanks."
Ren Limeng took the tissue handed to her by Xu Chichi, lowered her head to cover her mouth, and managed to maintain her elegance and cough softly. She caught a glimpse of Shen Xingzhi's tall and steady figure out of the corner of her eye. Xu Chichi had already stood up in a panic and greeted Shen Xingzhi loudly.
"Hello, Brother Xingzhi! Have you had breakfast? We're meeting early today, and we packed some Lin City snacks in case you guys don't have time to eat!"
"I've eaten, thank you!"
Chen Xingzhi's eyes swept across the table and saw the familiar plastic bag at a glance. Xu Chichi noticed his pause and continued to introduce enthusiastically, "This morning, Li Meng and I went to a very famous specialty breakfast shop here. Their shredded potato cakes and beef and egg skins are very delicious. We specially packed a few portions and wanted everyone to try them."
“That’s thoughtful.”
For some reason, Ren Limeng subconsciously avoided Shen Xingzhi's sight. She stood up and threw the tissue in her hand into the trash can in the corner.
There was nothing to feel guilty about. In the morning, Xu Chichi took the initiative to suggest having breakfast together. She wanted to shoot a vlog about Lin City's special snacks. The program crew allowed Xu Chichi to shoot by herself, but the program was also recorded. It was just an ordinary recording. She went to the breakfast shop in the morning and didn't specifically observe whether he was in the store!
She even mentioned, intentionally or unintentionally, that she had also eaten at this breakfast shop yesterday, but Xu Chichi was so focused on taking pictures of the snacks that had just been served that she didn't ask any further questions and simply skipped the topic.
Yan Baiwei and Li Qingzi arrived the latest, but they were not late. It was just that their rhythm of arriving on time was a little out of sync with the three people who arrived earlier.
"Why is there such a strong smell? Did you eat in the training room? Who eats something so greasy in the morning?"
As soon as Yan Baiwei walked in, her eyes immediately focused on the packed special snacks on the table. She fanned her hands in disdain. Her beautiful face, carefully dressed up, even sounded cute and coquettish when she complained. Ren Limeng's eyes moved.
"Excuse me, Baiwei, Qingzi, have you eaten yet? These are some Lin City specialties that Limeng and I brought. If you don't want to eat them, we'll take them out first."
"Chi Chi, we appreciate your kindness. If our female star eats one of these in the morning, all her skincare regimen today will be in vain, and she'll have to spend at least an extra half hour in the training room. Sorry, but please take it out!"
Yan Baiwei said this with a forced smile, and Xu Chichi helplessly helped Yan Baiwei open all the windows around the training room. No one paid attention to the running air conditioner. Compared with the annoying little smell that was almost imperceptible, the extra electricity bill for the air conditioner did not seem to need everyone's attention.
Ren Limeng picked up the packing bags and distributed them directly to the staff outside the door. When she came back, she quietly adjusted the air-conditioning mode. Just as she was about to close the screens on the inside of the windows, she turned around and found that Shen Xingzhi and Li Qingzi had already closed all the screens together.
"Brother Xingzhi, can't you smell this oily smell?"
Yan Baiwei wanted to stop Chen Xingzhi and Li Qingzi from closing the window, but she remembered her agent's repeated orders last night and her solemn promise, so her tone softened. She glanced at Chen Xingzhi's perfect figure and believed that they should be able to reach a consensus this time.
However, Shen Xingzhi seemed to be at odds with her recently. Yan Baiwei frowned unconsciously when she heard Shen Xingzhi's answer.
"It smells good. I tried it yesterday and it was delicious. Any questions?"
Shen Xingzhi seemed puzzled, but also seemed to be giving Yan Baiwei a subtle warning. Yan Baiwei's smile froze on her face. At this moment, if she continued to complain about these special snacks, she would not only be singing a different tune from Shen Xingzhi, but would also reveal a kind of arrogance and "unworldly" attitude. Even if she had the capital behind her, she would not do such a stupid thing in front of the camera.
"Brother Xingzhi, you closed the screen window because you're afraid of mosquitoes, right? There are too many mosquitoes here. After recording yesterday, Bai Wei and I were covered in rashes!"
Li Qingzi stretched out her arm with a wry smile. The red mosquito bites on the back of her fair hand were particularly clear. She seemed to be complaining about the mosquitoes in Lin City, but in fact she cleverly changed the subject.
"Yeah, we got a lot of bites too!"
The recording had just started today, and if there was another quarrel, no one in the entire group would be able to bear it. Ren Limeng nodded and echoed Li Qingzi's voice. When they looked at each other, the bitter smiles between them were filled with a similar tacit understanding.
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