Chapter 43 Holding her in his arms...
Peng Chengyi was taken aback and subconsciously lowered her head.
The straps of her nightgown had somehow slipped down to her arms, revealing large expanses of her fair skin.
Even in the dim light, the faint, indistinct ravine was still visible.
She frantically pulled the suspenders back onto her shoulders, her face flushing slightly.
Damn it, she was so busy arguing with that bastard Chen Yubai when she woke up that she completely forgot she was only wearing a thin tank top.
Even though she probably only saw him as a buddy, it was still a bit awkward.
After all, she didn't want to see him walking around in his underwear in front of her.
But just now, didn't he say she was a primary school student again?!
Peng Chengyi couldn't help but glare at the boy standing at her door, feeling both ashamed and annoyed.
He nonchalantly curled the corners of his lips, lazily strode off with a long stride.
Chen, Yu, Bai!
Peng Chengyi gritted her teeth, wishing she could immediately give him a good scolding.
But considering that Zhou Lifen was also at home, she could only slam the door shut to vent her resentment.
Feeling the door frame vibrate, Zhou Lifen poked half her body out of the kitchen: "Chengcheng, what's wrong with you now! Can't you close the door more gently? It's so early in the morning, you're going to shake the whole building down!"
Chen Yubai turned around, looking apologetic, and said, "I'm sorry, Aunt Zhou, I accidentally slipped my hand."
"Oh dear..." Zhou Lifen's expression softened instantly. She waved the spatula in her hand and said, "It's alright, Xiaoyu, go sit down at the table. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Chen Yubai: "Yes, thank you for your hard work, Aunt Zhou."
Through the door, she could vaguely hear him taking the blame for her, and Peng Chengyi's frustration dissipated somewhat. She turned around, opened the wardrobe, and casually pulled out a loose T-shirt to put on.
After breakfast, Peng Chengyi received the guitar tabs sent by Zhang Yang.
She quickly scanned through the notes and found that some of the chords were quite difficult to play, so she immediately picked up her guitar and started practicing.
Because she did well on her final exams and made it into the top 30 in her grade, Zhou Lifen significantly reduced her supervision of her.
As long as she finishes her studies for tomorrow, she can play the piano for as long as she wants.
So within a few days, she was already able to play the entire piece.
Feeling that there was no point in practicing alone any longer, Peng Chengyi carried her guitar and amp and knocked on Chen Yubai's door.
"I've finished practicing my guitar part. How's your bass? Want to try playing together?" She looked at him with her clear, bright eyes and blinked expectantly.
Chen Yubai glanced down at her, then lazily released his grip on the doorknob: "Come in."
The curtains in the room were half-drawn, and the sunlight filtering through cast a soft glow on the floor.
Chen Yubai walked to the bedside and picked up the bass. His black T-shirt stretched taut over his shoulders and back as he bent over.
He turned around and plugged the audio cable into the speaker in the corner, the metal connector making a crisp "click" sound.
"You play first." He casually plucked the strings with his long, slender fingers to adjust the pitch. "I'll find my own way in."
"Oh." Peng Chengyi sat down by his bedside, holding his guitar, and pulled a pick out of his pocket. "Want to turn on a metronome?"
"You've already practiced everything, why do you still need a metronome?" Chen Yubai slowly lifted his eyelids, glancing at her with a half-smile.
“…I’m afraid you’ll lose your rhythm.” Peng Chengyi unconsciously stroked the pick with his fingertips, his eyes shifting slightly as he spoke.
Unlike when she first started learning, the sound of the metronome now makes her feel very reassured.
Especially since she wasn't very skilled at playing it yet.
"Oh." Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally, took the metronome off the bookshelf and handed it to her. "Then you can start it."
The mechanical "click-clack" sound rang out rhythmically in the room. Peng Chengyi took a deep breath, gripped the pick, and began to strum the strings.
After the intro, Chen Yubai hooked his fingers, which were casually resting on the strings, and the deep bass sound steadily joined in.
The two of them finished singing along fairly smoothly, then Peng Chengyi reached out and turned off the metronome: "Why aren't you singing?"
“…It’s just the two of us playing together, there’s no need to sing, right?” Chen Yubai pressed down on the trembling strings and raised his eyes.
Peng Chengyi tilted her head in confusion: "Then you're the lead singer, so you only practice bass and not vocals?"
Chen Yubai stared at her for a few seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "You want to hear me sing?"
"I want to." Peng Chengyi nodded, somewhat puzzled, not understanding why he was suddenly acting so awkwardly.
Could it be because she said before that when he was a child, his singing sounded like a cat that had been caught in a door?
Thinking of this, she added, "After all, you still sing quite well now, much better than when you were a child."
"I know," Chen Yubai said calmly, lowering his eyelashes to hide the smile in his eyes. "Then let's start from the beginning."
"..."
Tch, just a few words of praise and this dog starts being narcissistic again.
I wish I hadn't added that extra comment.
Peng Chengyi pursed his lips speechlessly and began strumming the strings again.
After this intro, the boy's clear and pure voice came in along with the deep bass.
Unlike previous rehearsals, he sang very softly at this moment, making it sound exceptionally gentle.
It was as if they were afraid of disturbing the tranquil afternoon.
It was as if he was singing just for her alone.
The moment the thought crossed Peng Chengyi's mind, her heart skipped a beat, and her hand pressed the wrong chord.
Chen Yubai raised his dark eyes and glanced at her.
"..."
Peng Chengyi quickly composed himself and hurriedly switched back to the correct chords, but he could no longer match the rhythm of his bass.
"Why are you suddenly panicking?" Chen Yubai pressed his long fingers on the strings, and the bass music stopped abruptly.
"Who, who's panicking!" she tried to remain calm, but her voice involuntarily rose. "It's just that I'm not used to the sudden addition of human voices."
She paused, then feigned displeasure and criticized him, "And why are you singing so softly? Didn't you eat enough for lunch?"
Chen Yubai chuckled: "It's not a formal rehearsal, why would I sing so loudly? It'll strain my voice."
"..." Peng Chengyi was speechless for a moment, then hurriedly lowered his head and strummed the strings to hide his embarrassment. "Fine, fine, you always have so many twisted arguments. How about we do it again?"
Chen Yubai's gaze lingered on the top of her fluffy hair for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips, before his slender fingers returned to the strings.
As the sun gradually dipped westward outside the window, warm orange light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow on the room.
The two repeated the melody over and over, and before they knew it, Peng Chengyi was already able to hum along naturally.
Whenever I can't find the meaning of existence
Whenever I get lost in the night
The brightest star in the night sky
Please guide me closer to you.
Her voice was very soft, like a feather falling on a musical string.
Chen Yubai suddenly pressed down on the vibrating strings, looked up at her, and said, "Can't you sing and play at the same time? You can have your lead vocalist position back."
"No, no, no!" Peng Chengyi was taken aback and hurriedly shook her head. "I was just humming along with you. If I were to sing it myself, I would definitely panic and play the wrong chords."
"Then try singing the harmony for my chorus?" Chen Yubai said, casually strumming a note on the bass. "This key is right in your vocal range, so you should find it easy to sing."
Peng Chengyi tried to follow along, and her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "It's really not difficult!"
“Then let’s start from the chorus again.” Chen Yubai paused slightly, glancing at her with a half-smile, “Remember to sing louder, don’t sound like you haven’t eaten.”
"......"
Unexpectedly, the boomerang hit her again. Peng Chengyi pursed her lips awkwardly and glared at him weakly: "You don't need to tell me."
And so, after a week of practicing with Chen Yubai, the day finally came for the band rehearsal.
To avoid the sweltering heat, they scheduled their rehearsal for 7 p.m.
When they arrived, they discovered that although the rehearsal room was only about 500 meters from the bus stop, it was located in a chaotic alley.
The narrow alley was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with mottled graffiti. Several drunk men leaned against the alley entrance, smoking.
Looking at the bar sign above, which was flashing an eerie red light, Peng Chengyi unconsciously moved closer to Chen Yubai and tugged at his sleeve: "Are you sure this is the place? It doesn't feel right."
Chen Yubai glanced at his phone's navigation, then checked the faded doorplate on the wall, and pushed open the creaking wooden door in front of him: "A rehearsal room at this price in the city center, do you really expect it to be located in a glamorous shopping mall?"
“...That’s true.” Peng Chengyi nodded slowly.
The bar was filled with smoke, and outdated rock music was playing from the wall-mounted speakers.
Peng Chengyi followed closely behind Chen Yubai, passing through the crowded dance floor, and finally found the stairs leading to the underground rehearsal room behind the bar.
Fortunately, once inside the rehearsal room, it looked almost identical to the pictures shown online.
The walls are covered with sound insulation cotton, and the equipment is all professional-grade, even the drum kit is a brand name.
Peng Chengyi's tense nerves finally relaxed, and she quickly reminded the three who hadn't arrived yet in the group chat: "The rehearsal room is in the basement of the bar. You need to turn left and go downstairs after you come in."
Zheng Xinyue immediately replied: "I haven't even found a bar yet, this place is so confusing!"
Zhang Yang added, "Not only is it circuitous, but the security situation doesn't seem very good either."
Chen Wei: "Indeed, I just passed by a few thugs, and they stared at me and sized me up."
Peng Chengyi: "Oh! Are you alright?"
Chen Wei: "No, I glared back. They just seem like paper tigers."
Zheng Xinyue suddenly interjected excitedly, "Weiwei, I see you! Stand still for a moment, wait for me!"
Chen Wei: "Oh, I see you too."
Zhang Yang: "I think I'm at the bar entrance, but I can't even make out the door number clearly."
Chen Yubai: "The bar is called 'Night Never Ends'."
Zhang Yang: "That's right, I'm coming in."
Just minutes after Zhang Yang pushed open the door and entered, Chen Wei and Zheng Xinyue also arrived at the rehearsal room, panting.
"Wow!" Zheng Xinyue's eyes widened as soon as she entered the room, looking around. "It looks so shabby from the outside, but it's so professional inside!"
Chen Wei put down her drumstick bag and nodded in agreement: "It's definitely much better than I imagined."
"But walking this road was indeed a bit scary," Zheng Xinyue said, patting her chest with lingering fear.
"Should we change the location for our next rehearsal?" Peng Chengyi asked.
Chen Wei walked up to the drum set and casually tried a few rhythms: "I don't think it's really necessary. The sound of this drum is good, and it's rare to find such a well-equipped rehearsal room in the city center at this price."
“Indeed, and this place even provides a keyboard, a Roland one, so I don’t have to carry it myself.” Zhang Yang pressed the keys on the keyboard and chimed in.
Peng Chengyi thought for a moment and said, "Then next time, let's try to meet at the bus stop and not walk alone. It shouldn't be a big problem."
“No problem!” Zheng Xinyue nodded. “Anyway, you and Chen Yubai came together, so the three of us can just set a time.”
After finalizing the rehearsal arrangements, the four of them started tuning their instruments.
Zheng Xinyue sat down on an unused guitar amp and started recording video on her phone.
Compared to the bumpy ride during the band's first rehearsal at the cultural festival, this rehearsal went much more smoothly.
Zheng Xinyue couldn't help but exclaim, "You guys have made such great progress! You're already showing the flair of a professional band."
Zhang Yang smiled and said, "It's mainly because Peng Chengyi and Brother Yu have made great progress. I've actually been busy improving my saxophone this year and haven't practiced the keyboard much."
“But it might take us two or three more years to catch up to your original keyboard skills,” Peng Chengyi said.
Zhang Yang waved his hand: "No, no, it's not that serious. I'm not that professional with keyboards, and Brother Yu's bass playing is already quite good."
Hearing that he only praised Chen Yubai, Peng Chengyi couldn't help but feel a little unconvinced and said, "Is my guitar not as good as his bass?"
“Uh…” Zhang Yang paused for a moment, then said bluntly, “You have made progress, but compared to Brother Yu, you are indeed a bit lacking.”
"Tch, it's obviously because you two are closer, that's why you're taking his side." Peng Chengyi curled her lip and pulled Chen Wei's arm. "Weiwei, you say something fair!"
Chen Wei moved her lips, originally wanting to agree with Zhang Yang's statement, but seeing Peng Chengyi's expectant eyes looking at her, for the first time in her life, she said against her will, "You are no worse than him."
"Did you hear that! My sister Wei is a professional too!" Peng Chengyi's eyes crinkled with laughter, and she proudly gestured with her chin towards Zhang Yang.
After she and Zheng Xinyue went to the restroom happily, Zhang Yang glanced helplessly at Chen Wei, who was tidying up her drumsticks, and said, "Just spoil her."
Chen Wei paused for a moment, then calmly raised her eyes and said, "I'm willing."
Zhang Yang: "..."
Perhaps it was because the air conditioning in the rehearsal room was too strong, but Peng Chengyi felt a stomachache as soon as she sat on the toilet.
"Yueyue..." she called out to Zheng Xinyue, who was already washing her hands, "You should go back first, my stomach isn't feeling well."
"Oh, are you alright?" Zheng Xinyue asked with concern as she walked to the door of her cubicle.
"It's nothing, I just caught a bit of a cold." Peng Chengyi smiled. "When you go back, tell Chen Yubai to wait for me for a while, and you guys can go ahead."
"Oh, okay." Hearing that she sounded energetic and was alright, Zheng Xinyue nodded and left the restroom.
Peng Chengyi sat on the toilet for almost twenty minutes before her stomach finally calmed down.
After washing her hands, as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Chen Yubai carrying a bass guitar and a guitar, leaning against the wall looking at his phone.
The noise from the bar.
"Why did you come here to wait?" Peng Chengyi was slightly taken aback.
"I'm just afraid you'll fall into the toilet and won't be able to get out."
“…You’re the one who fell into the toilet. I was only squatting there for a little while.” Peng Chengyi pouted, took the guitar bag from his hand, and slung it over her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally, put his phone back in his pocket, and casually straightened up.
The bar is at its noisiest at 10 p.m., with deafening music that could practically lift the roof off.
The world suddenly fell silent only after the heavy, soundproof door was pushed open.
The alley was dimly lit, but the moonlight was brighter than the streetlights, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Three drunken men were leaning against the corner of the wall smoking, with empty bottles scattered around their feet.
Peng Chengyi subconsciously moved closer to Chen Yubai, her fingers secretly gripping the hem of his clothes.
Before they could even suggest taking a detour, the drunkards had already staggered and blocked their way.
"Hey pretty girl," the man in the lead reeked of alcohol, "want to lend you some money to buy some drinks?"
Peng Chengyi's breath hitched, her heart pounding as she frantically patted her pockets: "I... I have no money..."
"That thing you're carrying looks pretty valuable, doesn't it?" The leading man raised an eyebrow in displeasure. "How could you be broke?"
Thinking that in this situation, it would be best to lose money to avoid further trouble, Peng Chengyi nervously tugged at Chen Yubai beside her, her voice trembling as she said, "He, he should have money."
"Oh?" Another drunkard chuckled and put his arm around Chen Yubai's shoulder. "How about you do something special, handsome young man?"
Chen Yubai frowned, glanced at the wine bottle in his hand, and calmly took out his wallet from his pocket.
As he opened his wallet, revealing several red banknotes, the drunkard laughed loudly and turned to his companion: "We can have a good drink tonight!"
"Not only can we drink to our hearts' content, but there's also a pretty young lady here..."
Before the other party could finish speaking, Chen Yubai paused, and a fierce look suddenly rose in his eyes.
He slammed his wallet shut, snatched the bottle from the drunkard next to him, and slammed it into the back of his head with a dull thud.
The drunkard, hit by the bottle, swayed twice like a broken log, his expression blank.
The remaining two accomplices were clearly caught off guard, staring blankly with bloodshot eyes, forgetting even to shake off the cigarette butt that burned their hands.
In a split second, Chen Yubai swiftly grabbed Peng Chengyi's wrist: "Run!"
The burning heat from the boy's palm traveled through his skin, and Peng Chengyi snapped back to reality, taking off running after him.
Behind me, I heard the angry curses and staggering sounds of drunkards chasing after me. Broken bottles rolled across the ground with a clatter, making a jarring sound in the quiet alley.
The night wind whistled past her ears, and he tightened his grip on her fingers, his well-defined knuckles pressing against her wrist like a branding iron.
The moonlight stretched and shortened the shadows of the two running figures, making them leap wildly across the dilapidated wall.
When the curses behind them completely disappeared at the end of the alley, the two finally rushed out of the dark alley and stepped into the brightly lit main road.
On the bustling streets, neon signs bathed the night in a gentle, warm yellow hue.
Chen Yubai then slowed down and looked back at the girl whose face was flushed and who was panting heavily.
Her sweaty hair clung messily to her face, and her eyes still held lingering panic: "Shake it off, shake it off? Did it fall off?"
"I shook her off." Chen Yubai released her wrist, his voice also carrying rapid breathing, but he deliberately kept it steady.
"Well, that's good." Peng Chengyi's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and her legs went weak, almost causing her to slide down.
Chen Yubai swiftly caught her as she slid down, a habitual smile playing on his lips: "Didn't you get to run 2000 meters at the sports meet? How much have you run so far..."
He jokingly lowered his eyes, only to meet her reddened eyes and brimming tears.
Chen Yubai's expression froze, and he swallowed back the rest of his joke instantly.
After a moment of silence, he slowly pulled her into his arms, gently patting her still slightly trembling back, his voice filled with a tenderness he himself was unaware of.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here, everything is alright now."
-----------------------
Author's Note: The lyrics in this article are from "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky." It's the weekend, so there are red envelopes dropping in the comments! Thanks to "Salty Fish Doesn't Want to Turn Over" for the nutrient solution!
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