Appendix 5 to Chapter 42
For several days in a row, they fed the cat together.
After being bribed with a few cans of food, the tabby orange-white people realized the situation, resolutely abandoned the person who delivered the food, and rubbed around Meng Jining's trouser legs.
Qi Liang looked at Meng Jining, who was squatting on the ground and scratching a few traitors. Under the old and dilapidated signs, he was like a dream blending into the lights.
"Is it convenient for me to come up?" Qi Liang asked, "I have something to give you."
Meng Jining paused, stood up, and examined him for a while: "You are finally willing to come into my room."
Qi Liang avoided his smile and looked at the door in the darkness from afar.
Meng Jining turned on all the lights in the house, including the one his brother had given him, and invited him in in an overly grand manner.
Qi Liang didn't bother to look at the furnishings. He walked over and took out a scratched USB flash drive from his pocket.
"I..." Qi Liang considered his words for a while, "I recorded your song."
A hint of surprise flashed across Meng Jining's eyes. He plugged the USB drive into the computer and saw several neatly arranged folders, including audio and video files.
"Wait a minute," Meng Jining pointed at one of them and asked, "Why is this called 'Ru Ge's Journey Contest'?"
Qi Liang pointed to a document below. At that moment, their hands were very close. "These are some songs I collected for an original music competition. I think this song fits the theme of 'Song-like Journey' very well."
Meng Jining turned his head and stared at him.
"I've heard the winning works from previous years," Qi Liang said, "I think you still have a lot of hope."
Meng Jining turned on the audio, and when the music started to flow, he was surprised: "The sound quality is pretty good, did you buy an external sound card?"
"Well...I borrowed it from a friend."
He paused and opened the video again. The outline of a semicircular stage emerged in the blurry neon light.
After all, he is an amateur photographer, and the picture is out of focus for the moment. However, because of this, the singer is wrapped in a hazy beam of light, with a kind of divine beauty.
Suddenly, the chords of a guitar exploded, the picture zoomed in and became clear, and the neon tube flashed twice at this moment, casting a bluish-purple spot on his face, like a tear mark.
In this video, every frame, every moment, the people in the picture are incomparably beautiful.
The progress bar reached the end, the screen darkened, and the faces of the two people were reflected.
After a long time, Qi Liang stood up, as if to say goodbye: "Everything I filmed and recorded is here. You can open a social media account or send it to the company."
Meng Jining opened his mouth, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end he just asked, "Why?"
He didn't know how the other party squeezed out time to rent equipment, find shooting angles, and make videos while running around day and night. He couldn't imagine it.
More importantly, why do this?
"I just think," Qi Liang said, "that you shouldn't be here."
Meng Jining belongs on the stage; he knew it from the first moment he saw him. And this stage is by no means a remote, shabby bar with half of the light bulbs broken.
He just needs an opportunity.
And I just need to help him find that opportunity.
As for the future...
After that, it’s not something people like him need to consider.
After Qi Liang finished speaking, he turned and left. When he reached the door, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed his arm.
He froze and turned his head slowly.
Meng Jining looked at him, with some unpredictable emotions in his eyes. After a long while, he said, "Promise me one thing."
There is nothing in this world that Qi Liang will not agree to.
"If one day I really become a famous singer..." Meng Jining said, "Would you be my agent?"
Qi Liang stared at him and could clearly feel the heat from his fingertips.
After a pause, the hand on the arm was raised and the little finger was extended. This action was childish, but Meng Jining's tone was serious: "Promise me."
After what seemed like a lifetime, Qi Liang slowly raised his hand and hooked his: "Okay."
That night, there seemed to be something more in Meng Jining's singing.
Qi Liang looked at him quietly from a distance, occasionally glancing at the guests in the bar. Ever since the guitar robbery incident, he always kept an eye out for any suspicious people in the store.
His eyes slid to the other side of the bar and Qi Liang found a familiar face.
That handsome young man, Meng Jining's brother, came again.
He still ordered an inappropriate glass of cranberry juice. Perhaps there was some event nearby today, so the bar was unusually crowded. He looked around but couldn't find a seat. Qi Liang saw him walking around awkwardly for several times, and after a customer at the bar left, he quickly asked him to sit over.
"Thank you." said the other party.
With just these words, the other party did not continue the conversation but just looked at Meng Jining on the stage. A few guests came over to chat with him, but he hurriedly refused and waved his hands to leave an afterimage.
Qi Liang then realized that he was wearing a wedding ring on his ring finger, and he couldn't help but find it funny. He was so upset last time that he didn't even notice such an obvious sign.
Meng Jining obviously also saw his brother coming to support him, and ran over immediately after the performance ended. "Brother, are you free to come over today?"
"Well," Meng Chu said, "Didn't you tell me to come and listen whenever I'm free?"
Meng Jining smiled with dimples: "Thank you, brother."
"By the way, I want to tell you something," Meng Chu said, "I bought you a chair with adjustable height. The one in your room is too low and doesn't match the table. If you work like this all day, your cervical spine will have problems. The express delivery will probably arrive tomorrow. Will you be home at ten o'clock?"
Meng Jining was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."
"Okay," Meng Chu checked the time, "I have classes tomorrow, so I'll go back first."
Meng Jining quickly put away the guitar: "Then I'll take you there."
The place where Meng Chu parked his car was some distance away from the bar. It was already summer, and even in the middle of the night, the wind was still warm.
Meng Jining walked beside Meng Chu, and away from the noise of the bar, the conversation became clearer.
"How are you doing recently?" Meng Chu asked, "You don't know anyone here, can you adapt to it?"
"It's pretty good," Meng Jining said. "In a way, this is the most relaxing time for me since graduation."
Meng Chu looked at him. With a guitar on his back and wearing a loose T-shirt, he still looks like that boy on campus.
"Besides," Meng Jining suddenly lowered his voice, mysteriously, "I'm not alone."
Meng Chu turned his head.
"Do you remember the handsome guy behind the bar?"
Meng Chu recalled and indeed, there was a tall man who stood out.
"That's the person I like." Meng Jining said.
Meng Chu thought for a moment and asked, "Is he the bartender? I saw him during the day, when the tire burst."
“Well, he’s a tow truck driver during the day,” Meng Jining said, “and his family is in a bit of a difficult situation.”
Meng Chu fell into deep thought. Meng Jining glanced at his expression, smiled and patted his arm: "Why do you look so upset for me?"
Meng Chu didn't mean that, but he didn't correct him. He just said, "There are so many people who like you. You can find someone better."
Meng Jining looked at him and said, "If the person who likes me is not the one I want, what's the point of having more people like me?"
"You're going to have a hard time."
"I don't like someone just to make my life easier."
These words made Meng Chu stop. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then shook his head as if defeated.
"I'm leaving first," he got into the car, "I wish you good luck, whether you're chasing your dream or chasing someone."
This sentence made Meng Jining stunned again. In recent days, his brother often did things that stunned him.
Meng Chu started the car, stepped on the accelerator, drove to the corner of the street, and suddenly saw a figure in the rearview mirror.
Meng Jining ran towards him, shouting, "Wait! Brother...wait!"
Meng Chu was shocked for a moment, stopped the car, lowered the window, and looked at Meng Jining running towards him breathlessly.
The other person held the edge of the glass with both hands and looked at him. For a moment, countless emotions flashed through his eyes, but in the end he only said one sentence: "I'm sorry."
Meng Chu's hands gripping the steering wheel paused. He turned his face slightly to avoid the other person's gaze, his face hidden in the shadows.
"I'm sorry," Meng Jining lowered his head, "You are always unhappy when you are with me. I don't understand it yet. I think my happiness doesn't hinder you in any way." After a pause, his voice lowered, "But it is true. My happiness always hinders you."
Meng Chu did not respond, just remained silent.
"I have always been a very selfish person. I have taken all the love from my parents and I want you to love me too."
Under the dim street lights, images of childhood flashed by.
"Gundam when I was a child, I'm sorry, the photos of the spring and autumn outings, I'm sorry, the day when dad took us to see aunt, I said those words to provoke you, I'm sorry..."
Having said this, he paused. In fact, he had apologized for this matter before, but what's the use of apology? What’s past is past.
He raised his head hesitantly and looked at his brother, as if he didn't know how to continue this confession alone.
In the dark night, only faint breathing sounds and the sound of the wind can be heard.
After a long time, Meng Chu turned his head and met his gaze. "The last time I went home, I saw the aunt named Tang."
Meng Jining's expression was shocked.
"She just came out of a senior citizen interest center. She looks healthy and energetic, and looks very young."
After a pause, Meng Chu continued: "Maybe your choice at that time was correct."
Meng Jining looked at him, his eyes full of disbelief.
"I'm not saying these things because I've let it go, or because I don't mind it anymore," Meng Chu said, "It's just that I'm living a happy life now, so..."
Meng Jining opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"Let's go back. It's already late," Meng Chu said. "Someone is waiting for me at home."
The car started and drove into the night.
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