Chapter 44 Summer Evening Party
Peng Chengyi pressed her face against the boy's hot chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and her panic gradually subsided.
She sniffed, then belatedly realized that their posture was a bit too intimate, and immediately took two steps back.
"Ahem..." She cleared her throat, feigning composure, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. "You really scared me to death just now! It was too dangerous to attack so suddenly! There were three of them; it would have been wiser to lose money to avoid further trouble!"
"Don't worry," Chen Yubai casually put his hands back in his pockets and said nonchalantly, "Those drunkards can't even stand properly, they might not be a match for me if it really comes down to it."
"Even if you could win the fight, you'd inevitably get hurt. Besides, what if you accidentally cause a serious injury by swinging a bottle at someone?! You'd be ruining your own future!"
“I knew my limits. I controlled the location and force of the blows. At most, I'll get a mild concussion.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Besides, this was self-defense, so I won't be criminally punished.”
"Self-defense? They haven't even laid a hand on you yet. If you go to the police station, you won't be able to explain yourself at all!"
“There are no security cameras in that alley, and they were drunk and causing trouble first. Even if they sober up, they probably won’t dare to call the police.” Chen Yubai paused slightly, and seeing her anxious expression as if she wanted to argue, he couldn’t help but smile and say, “So concerned about my safety? You weren’t crying just now because you were afraid something would happen to me, were you?”
"..." Peng Chengyi choked for a moment.
Indeed, as he dragged me along, those horrific images uncontrollably flooded my mind—
The boy was found lying in the alleyway covered in blood, or being handcuffed and taken into a police car.
Fear clung to my heart like vines, so much so that the moment I escaped danger, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
But now that the crisis has passed, she was too embarrassed to admit it, so she could only turn her face away and say, "Don't flatter yourself! I just cried because I was too tired from running."
"Oh..." Chen Yubai drawled, his smile deepening. "Last time you ran 2000 meters and I didn't see you cry. This time you only ran less than 500 meters, right?"
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips nervously, shifting her gaze slightly as she explained, "This time you dragged me along, far exceeding my normal speed, so of course I'd be more tired!"
"Blame me again?" He raised an eyebrow with a lazy smile.
"If it's not your fault, who is?" she sneered.
“Of course,” he glanced at her with a mischievous smile in his eyes, “It’s your own fault for having short legs.”
"...Chen Yubai!!!"
The two boarded the bus amidst their bickering, gradually forgetting the shadow cast by the drunkard.
But I can't go to that rehearsal room anymore.
The group chose a rehearsal room in a bustling shopping mall. Although it was a bit more expensive, everyone agreed that safety was the most important thing.
-
Time flew by during rehearsals, and before we knew it, autumn had arrived. The date for the summer evening party was also set for the first Saturday night after the start of autumn.
This time, Zheng Xinyue learned from her experience at the cultural festival and helped Peng Chengyi and Chen Wei choose their outfits well in advance.
As for Chen Yubai and Zhang Yang, her requirement for them was still that they match the color scheme of the girls.
Since it was a community-organized event, no formal rehearsal was arranged.
However, considering that Peng Chengyi and Chen Yubai live far away, Zheng Xinyue specially arranged for them to be in a more prominent position on the show so that they could go home earlier in the evening.
So at 5 p.m. that day, Peng Chengyi finished dinner early and took a taxi with Chen Yubai to Jiangwan New City.
This new city is built along the river, with well-arranged high-rise residential buildings and riverside villas glowing warmly in the sunset. Zheng Xinyue's home is in one of these low-rise buildings.
"Come on, I've already borrowed all my cosmetics!" Zheng Xinyue enthusiastically pulled Peng Chengyi into her room, then stopped Chen Yubai, who was about to follow her in. "Why don't you wait in the living room? You can watch TV whenever you want."
"..." Chen Yubai paused, glancing at Peng Chengyi beside her.
Peng Chengyi, who didn't want him to watch her put on makeup, said bluntly, "Boys can't just go into a girl's room. Go watch TV by yourself."
"Alright then." Chen Yubai shrugged and turned to walk into the living room.
"Oh, by the way, when Chen Wei and Zhang Yang arrive, just press the button on the intercom and you can open the downstairs door for them," Zheng Xinyue instructed him again before closing her own room door.
The look she prepared for Peng Chengyi this time continued the sweet and cool style, while also incorporating some punk elements.
A black, edgy tank top paired with distressed denim shorts, and two neat scorpion braids hanging over her shoulders, with a few strands of silver metal chains adorning the ends of her hair.
"How is it?" Zheng Xinyue asked smugly, opening the full-length mirror in the wardrobe next to her.
"Wow, that's so cool! I love it! Yueyue, you're amazing!"
This was Peng Chengyi's second time trying this outfit, and she was no longer as awkward as she had been at the cultural festival. She twirled twice in front of the mirror, carefully adjusted the metal chain at the end of her hair, and then stepped out of the door satisfied.
Chen Yubai, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up when he heard the sound. His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, before he casually turned back to the TV screen.
Peng Chengyi pouted in dissatisfaction at his indifferent reaction: "Hey, why don't you say something! Don't you think I'm super cool right now?!"
"It's so-so," Chen Yubai said, staring at the TV screen.
Instead, Zhang Yang, who was standing next to him, brightened up and exclaimed, "Wow, Peng Chengyi, you look amazing! So cool!"
"Hmph, Zhang Yang has good taste, unlike someone who's blind." Peng Chengyi scoffed, walked to the sofa, and nudged Chen Yubai's long, lazy legs with the tip of her slipper. "Move over there and make room for me."
Chen Yubai slowly moved closer to Zhang Yang, glancing down at his watch: "Aren't you going downstairs yet?"
"Chen Wei's makeup isn't finished yet." Peng Chengyi sat down next to him, annoyed. The ends of her braided scorpion hair swayed gently with her movements, and the silver chain in her hair reflected shimmering light. "Besides, we're not the first show, what's the rush?"
"..." Chen Yubai was silent for a moment, then finally turned to look at her again, "I'm not comfortable with you sitting next to me like this."
"What's there to be uncomfortable about?" Peng Chengyi turned her face away speechlessly. The glass lip gloss on her lips glistened under the light, and her eyes, which had been painted with mascara, looked brighter than usual.
Chen Yubai met her gaze for a moment, then gently lowered his eyes and said, "That's so cool."
Peng Chengyi paused for a moment, then unconsciously raised the corners of her drooping mouth, revealing a shallow dimple on her cheek: "Oh, so you're not completely blind after all."
-
After Chen Wei finished getting ready, the group took the elevator downstairs.
The stage for the party was set up in the square in the center of the residential area. When the group arrived, there were only 5 minutes left before the party started, and the audience was already bustling with people.
Those who occupied the front row naturally had small stools, while those who came later were not in a hurry, squeezing in to sit on the steps behind. The dark mass of people was filled with a lively atmosphere and anticipation that the evening breeze could not dispel.
The evening breeze, carrying the chill of early autumn, swept across the square, and Peng Chengyi unconsciously rubbed her exposed shoulders.
Chen Yubai glanced at her sideways and said indifferently, "You were trying to act cool earlier, now you're feeling cold, aren't you?"
“…Who’s cold? It’s still quite hot today if there’s no wind.” Peng Chengyi stubbornly put her hand down.
Chen Yubai chuckled, untied the clothes tied around her waist, and tossed them onto her shoulder: "Wear these for now, so you don't catch a cold and get a fever."
Peng Chengyi caught it instinctively; his body heat still lingered on her clothes, instantly shielding her from the cool evening breeze and warming her heart.
She pursed her lips, still looking a little awkward, and said, "Tch, I'm not as fragile as you, getting a fever as soon as I catch a cold."
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally and casually put his hands into his pockets.
Before long, the lively opening music blared, colorful spotlights pierced the deepening night, and the host's enthusiastic voice echoed throughout the square through the microphone.
After watching two song and dance performances from the back steps, Zheng Xinyue called everyone to stand up and prepare for the band's performance.
As a rare performance type in the annual summer evening parties, their appearance on stage immediately caused a stir among the audience.
Especially the students of similar age, they all leaned forward, craning their necks, their eyes full of anticipation.
Whispering chatter drifted over on the breeze:
Wow! That guy with the guitar is so handsome! How come I've never seen him in the neighborhood before?
"Really... Is he a new resident?"
"However, it looks like he's carrying a bass? The girl next to him is carrying a guitar."
"That girl looks unfamiliar..."
"But she's so cool!"
Peng Chengyi lowered his head slightly, his fingertips stiffly twisting the piano knobs, trying to shut out the noisy voices, laughter, and evening breeze from the audience.
But his heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest, each beat heavy and rapid.
This time, the band's first note will be played by her guitar, and if she gets the rhythm wrong, the whole band might be led astray.
Under such pressure, she inexplicably started to feel a pain in her stomach.
There wasn't enough time to run to the toilet now, so she could only bite her lower lip and force herself to press her trembling fingertips back onto the strings, focusing all her attention on tuning, as if that was her only lifeline.
However, as the pitch gradually improved, the cramps in her abdomen did not subside; instead, they intensified, even causing her to feel a slight dizziness.
She couldn't help but take a deep breath and secretly draw the character "人" (person) on her palm.
Chen Yubai, who caught a glimpse of her movements out of the corner of his eye, turned his face away: "You've rehearsed so well before, are you still nervous?"
Normally, Peng Chengyi would have stubbornly retorted, but at this moment she was in so much pain that she had no strength to argue with him. She could only pitifully raise her pale face and say, "Um, what should I do if my stomach hurts from being so nervous!"
"Stomach ache?" Chen Yubai frowned, glancing at the slight sweat on her forehead. "Do you need to go to the toilet?"
“There’s no time to go…” Peng Chengyi shook her head, her voice trembling slightly, “It’s almost our turn, we can’t postpone it, the rest of the program will be in chaos, I’ll just have to wait…”
After a brief moment of thought, Chen Yubai simply took the guitar off her shoulder: "Go quickly, the first verse doesn't need a bass. If you can't make it back in time, I'll fill in for you."
Peng Chengyi was taken aback, clutching her stomach, and still asked with concern, "Are you sure you can do it?"
Chen Yubai smiled casually and confidently, saying, "I've heard you play it countless times, of course I can."
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Author's Note: [Dog head with rose in hand]
Thanks to SaltyFishDoesntWantToTurnOver, uoow, Sunshine, and LemonSmoke for the nutrient solution!
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