Chapter 24 Are you nervous?
Seeing that Chen Yubai remained silent and just kept staring at her.
Peng Chengyi felt that he must have been greatly shocked and was now silently plotting how to mock her, so she simply spoke first, interrupting his spellcasting.
"I just wore a dress, changed my hairstyle, and put on some makeup. Why are you all so stunned?"
Chen Yubai snapped out of her daze, turned her face away, and chuckled lightly: "Who was stunned? I didn't even notice you were wearing makeup until you said so."
Seeing that the preemptive strike was indeed effective, he seemed even more uncomfortable than she was. Peng Chengyi immediately pressed her advantage, saying, "Your bass is about to fall off, and you still say you weren't stunned."
Chen Yubai was slightly taken aback, and a rare hint of unease flashed in his eyes.
He looked down, picked up the slipped shoulder strap, and put the bass back on, before resuming his usual nonchalant demeanor. He said casually, "You bumped into me, okay?"
Peng Chengyi: "..."
Chen Yubai stepped forward, lowered his body slightly, and glanced at her face: "So where did you put on makeup? You look no different than usual."
Although it was a good thing that he wasn't being mocked, Peng Chengyi was inexplicably annoyed by his blindness and couldn't help but glare at him: "You're the one who should go see an ophthalmologist."
"Oh, if you look closely, there's something shiny at the corner of my eye."
"My eyelashes have also become a little curlier."
"Her lips are also much pinker than usual."
Hearing him suddenly recount the details of her makeup application, Peng Chengyi felt a little ashamed and turned her face away, quickly taking a step back: "Fine, fine, you don't need to see an ophthalmologist, just go see a neurologist, you're acting weird."
Chen Yubai chuckled and slowly followed her: "You were the one who complained that I was blind. I just tried to observe carefully. How is that crazy? Shouldn't you praise me for having good eyesight?"
Peng Chengyi: "..."
She just wanted to smash his head in.
-
Upon entering the auditorium, a wave of noise immediately hit me, with laughter and chatter rising and falling among the throng of people.
Peng Chengyi glanced towards the seating area of Class 7 and caught a glimpse of Zheng Xinyue waving at her.
She had already reserved aisle seats for her and Chen Yubai so that they could easily go on stage to perform later.
Shortly after we sat down, the lights in the audience area dimmed, and the arts festival performance officially began with the host's announcement.
To ensure fairness, the performance order of the show was determined by drawing lots.
Peng Chengyi's band sent Zheng Xinyue to draw lots because she said she always had good luck.
As a result, I drew the final act, but then I ended up following a K-pop group dance that was sure to blow the audience away. It's hard to say whether this was good or bad luck.
But this is pretty bad for Peng Chengyi.
She'd rather be one of the first two performers than be the last.
Because this meant that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on watching other people's performances throughout the entire show.
Meanwhile, Chen Yubai, who was next to her, actually fell asleep leaning against the back of his chair halfway through the performance.
She was so jealous of his composure that she wanted to snap him out of his daze.
Peng Chengyi took a deep breath and barely managed to suppress this unpleasant impulse.
But not long after, he fell asleep with his shoulder slumped and he leaned against her.
The scent of soap pods emanating from the boy wafted into her nostrils without warning, and his slightly higher body temperature made half of her feel warm.
Although in the past, when she went to his house to play games, he would sometimes fall asleep on the sofa, leaning against her shoulder like this.
But now, he seems much heavier than he was back then.
The pressure had exhausted her last bit of patience, and she couldn't take it anymore, so she reached out and pinched his arm: "We still have two more performances to go backstage to prepare, don't sleep!"
Chen Yubai opened his sleepy eyes with a pain, but his shoulder was still leaning on hers. He said in a lazy voice, "Then wake me up after two shows."
“…No, how can you sleep so much!” Peng Chengyi nudged his shoulder again, speechless.
Chen Yubai swayed slightly, closed his eyes, and replied lazily, "I can only grow this tall because I can sleep, unlike some shorty."
"You!" Peng Cheng pinched him again in anger.
But he seemed oblivious to pain, his eyes closed indifferently, his raven-feather-like eyelashes drooping below his eyes without even trembling.
Seeing this, Peng Chengyi was at a loss.
With people all around, she couldn't yell at him or shake him awake by choking him.
He could only secretly pull out his phone, tap on his little white dog profile picture, and furiously tap the screen:
"So what if you're tall! If the sky falls, you'll be the first one hit!"
"And are you a pig? How can you fall asleep with all this noise on stage!"
"Cat Combo Punch.jpg"
"Smash your dog's head.jpg"
"Whirlwind Roundhouse Kick! Ah-da!"
...
After she finished venting, the show on stage was nearing its end.
"Shouldn't we be heading backstage to get ready?" Chen Wei, sitting on her other side, picked up her drumstick bag and reminded her.
"Oh, right." Peng Chengyi quickly turned off her phone and nudged Chen Yubai on the outside with her elbow. "Get up, you pig, go backstage."
Chen Yubai then lazily yawned, picked up the two violin cases leaning against the outer chair, casually slung one over his shoulder, and slowly handed the other to her.
Peng Chengyi hurriedly slung her guitar bag over her shoulder, glanced back at the seats of Class 9 to make sure Zhang Yang had also gotten up with them, and then headed backstage.
Chen Yubai followed slowly behind her, his voice still a little hoarse from just waking up: "Was someone chanting sutras on my phone just now? It kept vibrating non-stop."
Still angry, Peng Chengyi retorted without turning her head: "Yeah, I recited it all, specifically to help a pig like you who can sleep anytime, anywhere to pass on."
Chen Yubai chuckled softly, "Since you've already helped me pass on, I should at least level up a bit."
Peng Chengyi: "Want to be a decent person? We'll have to see how you perform from now on."
Chen Yubai said indifferently, "Oh, so your exorcism wasn't very effective either."
Peng Chengyi: "...I think you haven't had enough of being scolded yet."
The two bickered all the way backstage, only stopping when it was time to tune and test the instruments.
Chen Wei glanced at Peng Chengyi, then at Chen Yubai, a little worried that their tiff might affect their collaboration on stage later.
Seeing through her concerns, Zhang Yang shrugged indifferently and said bluntly, "Don't worry, they've always been like this. No matter how fierce their arguments are, they'll make up in no time."
Chen Wei paused, then turned to Zhang Yang: "Are you sure?"
Zhang Yang smiled confidently: "I'm sure. I've been brothers with them for three years, and I've never seen them really fall out."
-
After tuning the last string, Peng Chengyi hid behind the heavy stage curtain, quietly lifted a crack, and peeked out.
With the strong light from the stage ceiling seeping in through the gaps, the dark audience seats looked like a bottomless sea.
She knew that in less than five minutes it would be her turn to go on stage.
The tension that had dissipated when she was angry with Chen Yubai earlier surged back like a tide.
Peng Chengyi took a deep breath, feeling her fingertips trembling slightly, and her heart pounding so hard it almost drowned out the music on stage.
Are you nervous?
Suddenly, Chen Yubai's casual, teasing voice came from behind. Peng Chengyi abruptly released the curtain and turned around, pretending to be calm: "Who, who's nervous?"
Chen Yubai glanced down at her and said, "Your face is all pale."
"..." Peng Chengyi choked for a moment, then shifted her gaze slightly and said, "That's foundation."
Chen Yubai scoffed, "You really think I'm blind?"
Peng Chengyi: "..."
Seeing that she had finally stopped talking and putting on a brave face, Chen Yubai said, "Give me your hand."
"What are you going to do?" Peng Chengyi asked aloud, but her hand instinctively reached out to him.
Chen Yubai grasped her soft palm and turned it upwards: "To help you relieve tension."
As he spoke, he lowered his eyes and used his slender fingertips to write the character "人" (person) in her palm.
"Swallow it." He released her hand.
Peng Chengyi was stunned and looked at the boy in front of her incredulously: "Where...did you learn that?"
"Chibi Maruko-chan, you haven't forgotten about it, have you?" Chen Yubai shrugged slightly.
"..."
To be honest, she had already forgotten this part before he wrote down the word "person".
After all, she watched this cartoon during her summer vacation when she was in second grade.
Although she really liked it at the time, she even dragged him to watch it with her several times.
But as time went by, she developed many new favorites, and the animations she was obsessed with in her childhood naturally faded away.
But surprisingly, he still remembered.
And when she needed it, he comforted her in this childish yet effective way.
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, her feelings indescribable: "Who would remember something that has no scientific basis?"
Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow: "Like a genius like me with a photographic memory?"
Peng Chengyi: "..."
It really is.
He got away with it again.
She silently tugged at the corners of her lips, but still quietly raised her hand and symbolically swallowed the character "人" (person) he had written.
"How are you? Still nervous?" Chen Yubai looked at her with a slight smile.
Peng Chengyi carefully examined it and it seemed to have some effect.
At least her fingertips stopped trembling, and her heartbeat wasn't so heavy anymore.
Behind them, Zhang Yang nudged Chen Wei's arm: "I told you, there's no need to worry about them. Even if our band breaks up, they won't."
Chen Wei wiped her drumsticks and glanced at him sideways: "We're about to go on stage, can you say something auspicious for the band?"
“…” Zhang Yang immediately put his hands together in prayer, “May our band’s debut performance be a great success!”
-
As soon as she stepped through the curtain and onto the stage, Peng Chengyi's heart began to pound uncontrollably once again.
However, Chen Yubai, who was diagonally in front of her, still had his usual nonchalant demeanor, as if the audience below did not exist, adjusting the height of the microphone in front of him with one hand.
She composed herself slightly and focused all her attention on his fingers hovering over the strings.
After adjusting the microphone, Chen Yubai first glanced at Peng Chengyi, and seeing that she was already focused, he then turned his gaze to Chen Wei.
Upon receiving his signal, Chen Wei raised her drumsticks high.
3, 2, 1—After the precise beat, Chen Yubai lowered his eyes and, with a youthful and clear voice, began to sing a cappella through the microphone:
"I want to take you to the beach on a sunny day when it comes naturally."
Peng Chengyi held her breath slightly and followed the rhythm of his slender fingers as he strummed the guitar.
The guitar and bass intertwine in perfect harmony, and the melody gradually rises, surging out the rhythm of the entire song like ocean waves.
The audience, which had been noisy due to the previous popular K-pop dance performance, gradually quieted down.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that some audience members in the front row had already begun to sway gently to their music. Peng Chengyi's tense nerves relaxed considerably, and her playing became more and more natural and fluent, with the guitar's tone becoming clearer and brighter.
Seemingly noticing the change in her demeanor, Chen Yubai turned his head slightly to look at her.
Peng Chengyi also seemed to sense something and raised her eyes to meet his gaze.
The boy's features were highlighted by the stage lights, making him look exceptionally handsome, and his hair was dyed gold.
The eyelashes, almost transparent in the light, cast deep shadows under the eyes, making them appear even more profound.
His well-defined fingers moved nimbly across the bass strings, his knuckles turning slightly white from the effort, and the pale blue veins on the back of his hands were faintly visible.
Despite being dressed in a low-key all-black outfit, she appeared exceptionally dazzling at that moment.
Their eyes met briefly, and Peng Chengyi smiled knowingly at him, her fingers moving more relaxed as she strummed the strings.
Chen Yubai slightly raised the corners of her lips, turned her head and continued singing:
Can I talk to you?
Run with all your might
Towards the horizon
Before the afterglow fades
None of this is the end.
...
When the song ended, enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience, and some even whistled loudly.
Chen Yubai calmly took the microphone: "Thank you everyone, we are After School."
The screams from the audience rose again, and even after they walked off the stage, they did not subside for a long time.
"We should consider this performance a great success, right?" Peng Chengyi took the guitar off his shoulder, tiny beads of sweat dripping from his nose, his face still flushed from the heat.
"Pretty much, except for a few wrong notes during Zhang Yang's solo," Chen Wei said, taking off her leather jacket and fanning herself.
"Hey! I was just improvising, I didn't play the wrong note!" Zhang Yang said, pursing his lips.
Chen Yubai brushed aside his sweat-dampened hair and said with a casual smile, "To be honest, I also thought you played it wrong."
Zhang Yang: "..."
Chen Wei: "But Chengcheng performed quite well this time, even better than in previous rehearsals."
"Hehe, doesn't this mean I'm a natural for the stage?" Peng Chengyi pouted.
Chen Wei smiled and said, "That's possible."
Upon receiving affirmation, Peng Chengyi immediately hugged Chen Wei excitedly: "Weiwei, you have excellent taste!"
Seeing this, Chen Yubai reached out and pulled down the hood of her sweatshirt, pulling her up from Chen Wei: "Excuse me, are you implying that I have no taste?"
“…Why are you so sensitive?” Peng Chengyi glanced at him speechlessly.
Chen Yubai moved his lips, but before he could say anything, Zheng Xinyue pushed open the backstage door and ran excitedly towards them.
"Your performance was amazing! I recorded the whole thing, and the screams were deafening! You guys definitely deserve first place tonight!"
Peng Chengyi: "Really? Wasn't that K-pop group dance in front of us pretty amazing too?"
Zheng Xinyue: "I think your band has more atmosphere!"
Chen Wei: "But the awards shouldn't just be based on how exciting the stage is, since it's not a student vote, but a selection by leaders and teachers."
Zheng Xinyue: "That's true... but I think you guys have no problem winning an award!"
After the group finished packing and returned to their seats, the school leaders had just finished their concluding remarks, and the host began announcing the award results.
After failing to secure third or second place, Peng Chengyi glanced nervously at Chen Yubai beside her and whispered, "We didn't end up with no rankings at all, did we?"
Chen Yubai turned his head and calmly asked her, "Did you enjoy the band's performance just now?"
Peng Chengyi paused for two seconds, then her tense expression relaxed.
"I enjoyed it."
She smiled slightly, and as she finished speaking, the host announced the winning act.
"The song 'Want to Go to the Beach' is performed by the band After School."
Although she was able to enjoy the band stage and make a group of new friends, it had already fulfilled her original intention of learning guitar.
But when she heard that her band had won first place, Peng Chengyi excitedly grabbed Chen Yubai's hand, which was resting on the armrest of the chair.
"Ahhh! We're number one!"
"Hmm." Chen Yubai smiled and let her hold his hand tightly, shaking it back and forth for a while, before standing up with a smile in his eyes. "Let's go, let's go up on stage to receive the award."
"Come on, come on! Yueyue, you come with us too!" Peng Chengyi turned around and tugged at Zheng Xinyue behind her.
"Huh? I didn't perform..." Zheng Xinyue was slightly taken aback.
Peng Chengyi blinked and encouraged her, "But you helped us borrow rehearsal space and helped us with our costumes and styling, you deserve a lot of credit! And the band manager is also part of the band!"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Xinyue stopped refusing and stood up happily.
After receiving the awards, the arts festival officially came to a close.
There was only one crystal trophy, and everyone agreed that Peng Chengyi should take it back for safekeeping.
Without her organization, After School would not have been established.
So Peng Chengyi happily hugged the trophy and boarded the bus home.
After securing a seat, she put away her trophy, turned on her phone, and browsed the school's forum.
I've noticed there are already popular posts about their band—
"AS's lead singer is that freshman representative from the first year of high school, right? He's so handsome, so handsome, so handsome!"
"Yeah, how can someone be so amazing? Good at studying, good-looking, and sings so well too!"
"It's not just about singing well; I think you all don't understand the true value of being a bassist and lead vocalist!"
Does anyone know the name of AS's guitarist? He's so cute!
"Gently place your jade buttocks," "Place an ear," "I'll also squat down and play guitar."
"Is no one looking for a drummer? She's so cool! I fell in love at first sight!"
"+1" "+1" "+10086"
"Actually, the keyboardist is pretty good at playing too."
"They were musically gifted students to begin with, how could they not be amazing?"
"I still want information about the guitarist."
...
Peng Chengyi slid her finger down, and the more she looked, the more she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips.
Chen Yubai couldn't help but glance at her: "What are you looking at, grinning like an idiot?"
"Who's grinning like an idiot?" Peng Chengyi pursed her lips and looked up. "Did you see the school forum? Our performance this time was a huge success!"
"I didn't watch it, it's so boring." Chen Yubai leaned back lazily in his chair and looked away.
"Tch, it's probably because a lot of people are paying attention to me this time, and you're just jealous."
Chen Yubai paused for two seconds, then scoffed and turned away: "What am I jealous of? You're shorter than me, so won't you be hit if the sky falls?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Peng Chengyi: ...
Thank you Soleil for the nutrient solution!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
