Chapter 33 Who is this person?
Peng Chengyi was taken aback, and her ears inexplicably felt hot.
Is he complimenting her on her natural beauty?
She subconsciously raised her hand and touched her chubby cheeks, feeling that something was amiss.
After all, he had never said anything good about her, let alone praised her beauty, something that is rare to hear from others.
Because she has had a round face since she was little, people around her always compliment her on her cuteness.
The first thing that comes to mind is saying she's beautiful.
But after thinking for a long time, she still couldn't figure out where the trap was.
Just ask him directly: "What do you mean?"
Chen Yubai: "The literal meaning"
Chen Yubai: "I'm going back to sleep. Remember to send me the original image."
...
Peng Chengyi stared at his reply for a while, speechless, but couldn't find any flaws.
I could only silently send him the original image.
-
Having stayed up all night, Peng Chengyi originally planned to sleep until noon on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
But just after eight o'clock, Zhou Lifen ruthlessly dragged her out of bed and, still half asleep, arranged for her to visit relatives and friends to offer New Year's greetings.
"We just met all our relatives yesterday... Is it really necessary to have everyone gathered here so early in the morning? I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open..."
Peng Chengyi, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, looked like a sloth that hadn't woken up yet. She slowly stuffed dumplings into her mouth and complained indistinctly.
“Yesterday was the Lunar New Year’s Eve reunion dinner, and today is the formal New Year’s greeting. How can they be the same? Who told you to go out and show off for so long last night?” Zhou Lifen glared at her and put another plump dumpling into her bowl. “Eat a few more, so you won’t be hungry on the way back.”
"Oh..." Peng Chengyi yawned deeply, poking at the dumpling wrappers in her bowl with her chopsticks. "We don't need to go to Chen Yubai's house, right? He probably hasn't gotten up yet."
"No need, I already met with your Aunt Lin this morning. She has to go to the hospital for her shift today, and your Uncle Chen left early this morning too," Zhou Lifen said as she cleared away the dishes.
Upon hearing this, Peng Chengyi's mind cleared up a bit: "Then Chen Yubai will be spending the New Year alone today?"
“Hmm.” Zhou Lifen paused for a moment. “We have to go to your grandma’s house for lunch, so we won’t be able to take care of him. Ask him if he’s coming to our house for dinner.”
“Okay…” Peng Chengyi nodded, then took out her phone and opened WeChat.
Their conversation was still stuck on the photo she sent last night; he didn't reply after that.
Peng Chengyi paused for two seconds, then clicked on the photo again to take a look.
I don't know if it was influenced by what he said last night, but now when I look at my round face in the photo, it seems much more pleasing to the eye.
She closed the photo and tapped his profile picture: "My mom asked if you're coming over for dinner tonight."
Just as she expected, he didn't reply until noon, saying, "I'm going to the hospital to have dinner with my mom tonight."
Peng Chengyi, who was having lunch at her grandmother's house, paused, chewing on the braised pork in her mouth, and typed with one hand: "So what are you having for lunch?"
Chen Yubai: "Let's just have some instant noodles."
Peng Chengyi: "This is so miserable during the Lunar New Year!"
Chen Yubai: "It's okay, I'll still grow taller than you even if I eat instant noodles."
Peng Chengyi's lips twitched slightly: "...I was originally thinking of packing some good food for you to take back with me."
Chen Yubai: "No need, you should eat more, lest you grow slower and slower."
Peng Chengyi: "Believe it or not, I'll go back and smash your dog's head in a minute!"
Even so, after the meal, she quietly packed up the dishes she had saved for him in advance and took them home.
When she knocked on his door, she deliberately kept a straight face and, unwilling to say another word, shoved the bag into his hand: "My mom insisted that I bring you some food. Goodbye."
After she finished stuffing the food in her mouth, she turned around coldly to leave, but he gently grabbed her wrist.
Peng Chengyi paused, raising her eyes in annoyance: "Why are you pulling me?"
Chen Yubai stared at her puffed-up little face for a moment, then lowered his head slightly towards her.
"Didn't you say you were going to smash my head in? I'll give you a chance for the sake of these dishes."
The afternoon sun in winter shone through the old glass window at the corner of the stairwell, dancing on the ends of his hanging hair. The soft strands of hair slightly obscured his sharp brow bone.
It made his usually world-weary eyes appear strangely gentle.
Peng Chengyi paused for a couple of seconds before turning her face away and saying, "I'll let you off this time, considering it's the first day of the Lunar New Year."
Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow slightly and lifted his eyelids: "Oh, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Tch, you're not three meters tall. I can hit you anytime I want, and I don't need you to bow down." Peng Chengyi curled her lip.
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally and released her wrist: "Want to play games? All those game cartridges you bought during summer vacation are almost gathering dust."
"...It's like you've never played it yourself." Peng Chengyi pursed her lips and muttered a complaint.
Chen Yubai shrugged casually, turned around, and went into the house.
Peng Chengyi glanced at the door that he had deliberately left open. Although she felt that he had her under his control again, after a moment of internal struggle, she still stepped inside.
After all, going home is pretty boring except for lounging on the sofa watching cartoons. It's better to stay and play games with him; at least that way I won't be bored.
Chen Yubai was unpacking the packing tape she had brought in the kitchen when he glanced at the girl bending down to change her shoes at the door, and a slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.
Once inside, Peng Chengyi expertly turned on his TV and connected it to his Switch game console.
When she saw that the cassette tape inserted in his ear was "Taiko no Tatsujin," her fingertips on the handle paused slightly.
really.
No wonder he couldn't have broken the arcade record so easily on his first try; he had secretly practiced beforehand!
To prevent him from having any more chances to show off, Peng Chengyi quickly got up again and replaced the cartridge with "Kirby: Discovery Channel".
As soon as he entered the game interface, Chen Yubai came out of the kitchen carrying a hot meal.
He didn't go to the dining table, but went straight to the coffee table, put down the plate, and sat cross-legged on the carpet, eating while watching her play games.
Peng Chengyi was completely focused on the screen, her fingers flying across the keys, and she had no time to pay attention to him.
She fell off the same cliff for the third time in a row, when a very soft, barely suppressed laugh came from beside her.
"What are you laughing at! Eat your food quietly!" She raised her foot, a little embarrassed and angry, and kicked him in the back.
Chen Yubai swayed, and the braised pork on the tip of his chopsticks fell onto the coffee table with a "thud".
Chen Yubai: "Ah."
Peng Chengyi: "Serves him right."
"..." Chen Yubai paused for two seconds, then turned his face away slowly, "Do you know why you can't jump over it?"
Peng Chengyi snorted coldly: "It's just a small mistake."
"Then keep jumping." Chen Yubai chuckled, bent down to pick up the braised pork on the coffee table, rinsed it by the sink, and popped it into his mouth.
Peng Chengyi adjusted the angle, took a running start, and tried to take off several more times, but without exception, they all fell into the cliff.
She then glanced at Chen Yubai, who had sat back down at the coffee table, her expression struggling for a few seconds before she lightly kicked his back with her toe: "...Tell me, why?"
Chen Yubai smiled silently, picked up his chopsticks, and said without turning his head, "Because you can't jump over here in the first place. You've taken the wrong path, you idiot."
"Huh?" Peng Chengyi was stunned and said incredulously, "How is that possible? There aren't any other roads around here!"
"Yes, go back, there's a ladder on the edge of the cliff, you can climb down directly," Chen Yubai instructed her calmly.
Peng Chengyi quickly manipulated the joystick and ran back, and indeed found a very hidden ladder on the edge of the cliff.
"It's hidden so well, it's easy to overlook. Don't call me stupid!" She pursed her lips nervously, trying to salvage some dignity.
Chen Yubai: "I'm sorry, it was my fault."
It was rare to see him admit his mistake so readily. Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, but before she could say, "I'll reluctantly forgive you," he turned around casually and added with a lazy smile, "You're just blind, not stupid."
"Oh, and he's also a bit directionally challenged."
"..." Peng Chengyi's lips twitched violently as he gripped the game controller tightly.
I silently prayed for a long time, thinking, "For the sake of him helping me with directions, and for the sake of the New Year..."
I barely managed to suppress the urge to kick his cocky, handsome face—no, his dog face.
-
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, it was finally time to go to the livehouse to see a show.
As dusk settled over the city, Peng Chengyi impatiently finished the last few bites of her meal.
"Mom, I'm going with Chen Yubai to the music store to buy piano picks!" She mumbled a lie while stuffing the last piece of beef brisket into her mouth, and rushed out the door without even zipping up her down jacket.
Outside the stairwell, a cold wind swept in, and Peng Chengyi, pushing her bicycle, hunched her shoulders, only to see Chen Yubai already waiting downstairs.
The boy straddled a black mountain bike, his long legs casually braced against the ground.
The dim streetlights cast shadows of varying depths on his sharply defined profile.
"How come you're here before me?" Peng Chengyi quickly pushed her bicycle in front of him, her breath steaming in the cold air. "You didn't seem very interested in this performance before?"
Chen Yubai glanced at her half-open down jacket, raised his hand and pulled up the zipper that wasn't fully closed, before lazily saying, "Isn't it because I'm afraid that if I'm late, some shorty will jump around in the back row for ages and still not be able to see the stage, and then he'll complain to me endlessly again."
“I’m not that short!” Peng Cheng glared at him defiantly, then hopped on his bicycle. “I’ll lead the way, you just follow me.”
"Can you really lead us the right way?" Chen Yubai looked at her skeptically.
"Of course!" Peng Chengyi confidently patted the bicycle bell. "I just rode there last week, and the route is still deeply imprinted in my mind."
She was fed up with being treated like she had no sense of direction.
Today, she is determined to prove herself.
Ten minutes later, looking at the seemingly random side road that had appeared out of nowhere, Peng Chengyi suddenly fell into a state of amnesia.
Wait, is this a left turn or a right turn?
Did she really walk this way last week?
Peng Chengyi tightened his grip on the handlebars slightly, and pedaled slower and slower until he finally came to a stop at the intersection.
"Isn't the light green ahead?"
The sound of tires rubbing against the ground came from behind. Chen Yubai stopped beside her with one foot on the ground, his lazy tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Peng Chengyi awkwardly sniffed her nose, which was red from the cold, and hurriedly pulled her phone out of her down jacket pocket: "I need to, just a little, confirm the route..."
"Don't waste time confirming, turn left." Chen Yubai chuckled, pushed off with his foot, and the bicycle passed her as it turned the corner.
"Huh?" Peng Chengyi was taken aback, quickly put away her phone, and rode her bike after them. "How can you be so sure?"
"You didn't think I was just idly waiting downstairs, did you?" The boy asked without turning his head, his teasing voice carried on the night breeze. "Of course I checked the navigation."
"..." Peng Chengyi was speechless for a moment and could only follow behind him.
But with someone breaking the wind ahead, pedaling her bicycle became much easier.
Her face wasn't so cold anymore.
-
Just after 7 o'clock, the two arrived at the entrance of the livehouse.
When I pushed open the door, the venue was empty, with only a few staff members setting up equipment.
Peng Chengyi suddenly felt a little uneasy again, and whispered to Chen Yubai, "It seems we arrived too early..."
"It's okay, there aren't many people, so I can pick any seat I want." Chen Yubai shrugged indifferently and held out his hand to her. "Give me your ticket too, I'll go to the bar to redeem a drink first."
Peng Chengyi patted her pocket and pulled out a crumpled ticket: "I want orange juice."
"I know." Chen Yubai smiled lazily, took the ticket from her, and turned to walk towards the bar.
Peng Chengyi scanned the area around him and chose a high chair area directly in front of the stage.
After struggling a little to move herself onto the bar stool, Peng Chengyi found that the height of the view was quite good.
She couldn't help but say to Chen Yubai, who was returning with two drinks, "I feel like we don't need to squeeze into the front row. We can just sit here. Even if it gets crowded, we won't be too crowded."
"I think you're just too lazy to stand up." Chen Yubai pushed the orange juice in front of her.
Peng Chengyi picked up the orange juice and scoffed, "If you're so diligent, you go stand up."
"If I were standing in front, even a shorty sitting on a high stool wouldn't be able to see me," Chen Yubai joked casually, stretching out his long legs as he sat down opposite her.
Peng Chengyi's lips twitched: "Don't make me throw orange juice at you."
Chen Yubai: "This drink costs 25 yuan if ordered separately, go ahead and pour it."
"..."
Peng Chengyi, reluctant to part with even 5 yuan, silently gripped the glass in her hand.
Just as I was thinking about how to deal with him in a different way, the heavy wooden door of the livehouse was pushed open again, making a creaking sound.
She subconsciously turned her head and looked at a face that looked somewhat familiar.
Their eyes met briefly, and the man actually raised his hand to greet her.
Peng Chengyi was stunned for a moment. Only when he got closer did she realize that he was the boy who had given her directions at the entrance of the livehouse that day.
"Looks like you got your ticket safely." He walked over to their table and greeted her familiarly.
Peng Chengyi tensed up, and unsure how to respond, she nodded awkwardly: "Um...yes..."
The boy paused slightly, glancing at Chen Yubai beside her, who was frowning and scrutinizing him: "Boyfriend?"
"Huh?" Peng Chengyi was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head. "No, no... he's my childhood friend."
"Oh—my childhood friend!" the boy said, his words trailing off with an ambiguous tone.
Chen Yubai's eyes darkened for a moment, then he turned to Peng Chengyi expressionlessly: "Who is this person?"
“He…” Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, but suddenly didn’t know how to introduce him.
After all, she didn't know who he was.
Fortunately, he considerately took over her words and said, "My name is Ke Xingjian, the bassist of the Black Sugar Band."
"Huh? You're the bassist for Black Sugar?" Peng Chengyi was taken aback.
The promotional poster on the door was photographed too artistically; apart from the lead singer, no one else's face was clearly visible, so she had no idea he was also in it.
However, it's surprising that there's such an outgoing bassist.
She had always thought that only someone with a lazy personality like Chen Yubai would be willing to play bass.
"Yes, thank you for bringing your childhood friend to support our band." Ke Xingjian smiled gently. "You've finished your orange juice, can I buy you another one?"
Upon hearing this, Peng Chengyi waved her hand awkwardly. Before she could refuse, Chen Yubai said in a cold voice, "She doesn't like to drink anything else, and we are all minors."
“It’s alright, we have some low-alcohol fruit wine here. I’ve tried it and it’s pretty good. Why don’t you try it?” Ke Xingjian raised an eyebrow, and after noticing Chen Yubai’s increasingly cold gaze, he added with a smile, “Don’t misunderstand, I’m also a minor. I’m from No. 4 Middle School and I’m a second-year high school student.”
Upon hearing that he was only a high school sophomore, yet he could perform in livehouses with a band and release an album online, Peng Chengyi couldn't help but ask, "How did you manage to study and form a band at the same time?"
“Because I’ve been learning since I was little, forming a band wouldn’t take up much time.” Ke Xingjian paused, then asked her, “What, you want to form a band too?”
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, a little embarrassed, and said, "Actually, I already have a band at school, but I don't know how to perform in a livehouse."
"It's simple. First, you need to have your own original songs, then accumulate a certain number of fans online, and then you can apply to livehouses for performances," Ke Xingjian said casually.
Peng Chengyi: "..."
These steps sound like they're anything but simple.
She can't even play the difficult guitar parts smoothly now, let alone compose music.
It seems that a guitarist like her, who came to the profession later in life, should probably give up on dreaming of performing in a livehouse.
"So which school do you go to?" Ke Xingjian asked again.
“No. 1 Middle School,” Peng Chengyi said, snapping out of his reverie.
"Ah, then we're rival schools." Ke Xingjian smiled and took out his phone from his pocket. "How about we add each other on WeChat? You can ask me if you have any questions about your band later."
“We’re already rival schools, why add each other on WeChat?” Chen Yubai suddenly interjected. “Besides, we didn’t start learning from a young age, so we don’t have that much energy to put into the band.”
Peng Chengyi, who was indeed not used to adding strangers on WeChat, gave an awkward laugh: "Never mind, my band is too amateurish, there's nothing worth asking you."
Ke Xingjian moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something more, when the door to the tightly closed rehearsal room on the second floor suddenly opened.
The cool female guitarist on the poster leans against the railing and shouts down, "Ke Xingjian, rehearsal time is almost here, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up and come up."
"Sorry, I'm here." Ke Xingjian looked up and replied, then hurriedly said goodbye to Peng Chengyi, "Have fun. If you want to try the fruit wine, just ask me to order it."
After he carried the bass on his back and jogged upstairs.
Chen Yubai glanced at Peng Chengyi, whose gaze was still following him upstairs, tapped the glass in his hand with slightly annoyed fingers, and spoke in a nonchalant tone.
"You have quite a wide circle of friends right now."
-----------------------
Author's note: I won't say who's jealous [eating melon emoji]
Thanks to uoow and 75981039 for the nutrient solution!
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