Chapter 45 Indirect Kiss
Upon hearing this, Peng Chengyi didn't bother arguing with him anymore. She rushed off the stage and headed straight for the public toilet in the corner of the square.
A gust of wind swept past Zhang Yang, who was sitting in front of the keyboard. He squinted, his fingers pausing on the melody, and he looked up, bewildered, exclaiming, "Huh?! It's about to start! Where did Peng Chengyi go?!"
Chen Yubai didn't even look up. He deftly removed his bass and stood steadily to the side, slung his guitar over his shoulder, adjusted the strap, and said calmly, "Her stomach is hurting terribly. I'll take over the first verse and chorus."
"Wow! Brother Yu, you're really good at this? You've never played the guitar during rehearsals!" Zhang Yang exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
Chen Yubai casually plucked the strings with his slender fingers, tried the first two chords, and produced a clean and accurate sound: "No problem."
"What if she hasn't made it back by the intermission?" Zhang Yang asked anxiously, still worried.
Chen Yubai finally glanced at him, a faint smile curving his lips: "Perfect, haven't you always wanted to show off your keyboard solo skills but never had the chance? I'll leave it to you to improvise."
“…Okay! Awesome!” Zhang Yang was spurred on by those words. He nodded emphatically and immediately turned to Chen Wei behind him, shouting, “If I’m going to do a solo during the interlude, can you provide the rhythm on the drums?”
Chen Wei raised her face from behind the drum set, expressionless but extremely decisively raising her hand to make an "OK" gesture.
Offstage, Peng Chengyi ran into the restroom, panting. After squatting for a short while, the cramping pain miraculously disappeared.
Damn, it seems it really was due to nervousness.
Hearing the faint sounds of a guitar opening and the cheers that followed, she panicked and, without thinking, quickly composed herself and started running back as fast as she could.
Under the spotlight, Chen Yu's slender, bony fingers glided effortlessly across the neck of her black guitar, her right hand gripping the pick as she smoothly strummed the strings.
He leaned slightly closer to Li Mai, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and his clear voice rang out—
"The brightest star in the night sky, can you hear the loneliness and sigh in the heart of the one who looks up at it..."
The boy's voice was incredibly clear, like a sudden gust of wind on an autumn night, calming everyone's hearts.
The slight commotion in the audience caused by the band's sudden shortage of members miraculously ceased at that moment.
All eyes were on him, and Peng Chengyi unconsciously raised his face to look at the most dazzling boy in the center of the stage.
The light danced on his hair, outlining his defined jawline and focused profile.
Perhaps during every rehearsal or performance, she always stood beside him, never looking at him from the audience's perspective.
At that moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of unfamiliarity.
It seems that he and she on stage have no connection whatsoever.
After a few seconds of confusion, she snapped back to reality, quickened her pace, and arrived at the edge of the stage.
She took a couple of breaths, unsure of when to go on stage to appear natural without disrupting the band's performance.
Just as she was hesitating, Chen Yubai suddenly glanced at her.
The light shone into his eyes, like shattered stars. Although he didn't say a word, she immediately understood the meaning in his eyes—
Waiting for his signal.
So she took two deep breaths, clenched her slightly sweaty palms, stood in the shadows of the side curtain, followed his every move with her eyes, and waited with her heart pounding.
As he finished singing the last word of the first chorus, he finally turned his head and gave a simple gesture to everyone in the band.
Peng Chengyi immediately stepped forward and, during Zhang Yang's impromptu solo, took the guitar that Chen Yubai handed back to her.
The moment their fingertips touched, she felt the lingering warmth of his hand, and her tense heartbeat inexplicably calmed down a bit.
"Are you alright?" Chen Yubai picked up the bass guitar standing at his feet and mouthed the question to her, his eyes filled with barely perceptible concern.
"It's alright." Peng Chengyi nodded and quickly slung the guitar over his shoulder.
After she got into position and signaled to him with her eyes that she was ready, Chen Yubai gestured to everyone again.
Zhang Yang, having received his signal, brought the impromptu interlude to a close, and Chen Wei's drumbeats followed steadily, as if they had rehearsed countless times before.
Peng Chengyi silently counted the beats of the bass drum, held his breath slightly, and swept out the chords of the second verse.
The moment the clear, melodious piano music began, Chen Yubai's lips curled slightly, his gaze lowered as he looked at the audience below the stage, and he continued singing—
The brightest star in the night sky
Do you know?
The figure that once walked with me
Where are you now...?
His profile appeared exceptionally deep under the light, and as the bass's deep frequency blended in, the entire piece instantly became richer and more three-dimensional, like light and shadow intertwined in the night.
As the last note slowly faded into the night sky, Chen Yubai gently pressed his long, slender fingertips on the strings, stopping the final tremor.
There was a moment of silence on the stage, as if even the evening breeze held its breath.
The next second, thunderous applause and cheers erupted like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the entire square.
The young students jumped up from their seats, shouting and waving their arms, their faces beaming with undisguised excitement.
Peng Chengyi was still slightly out of breath, and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead glistened under the lights. A thunderous roar of cheers flooded her ears, and she felt a surge of excitement and relief wash over her, her cheeks burning.
She subconsciously turned her head to look at Chen Yubai, who was diagonally in front of her.
He had taken the bass off his shoulder, and a few strands of hair on his forehead were damp with sweat and lay casually on his skin.
Faced with the roaring crowd below, he didn't show any particularly excited expression on his face, but there seemed to be a hint of subtle pleasure mixed into the usual casual smile on his lips.
Sensing her gaze, he turned his head and subtly raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say, "See, I held up, didn't I?"
This dog is really...
Peng Chengyi unplugged the guitar string, intending to retort with "Don't get carried away," but before she could utter the words, she was defeated by the uncontrollable upward curve of her lips. She could only hurriedly lower her head, pretending to carefully tidy up the guitar string, secretly weaving that unconcealed smile into the coil.
After stepping off the stage, she approached Zhang Yang and Chen Wei with a guilty expression, clasping her hands together in apology: "I'm so sorry everyone! My stomach is so uncooperative, it let me down at the crucial moment, I got nervous and..."
"It's nothing." Chen Wei waved her hand dismissively. "This is a blessing in disguise; the effect is phenomenal."
"Exactly!" Zhang Yang exclaimed excitedly. "I can even improvise a solo, that's a huge bonus! Besides, a band that can adapt to the situation is a true band, and our performance here is top-notch!"
Zheng Xinyue also smiled and came over: "To be honest, if I hadn't seen your rehearsal, I would have thought that the opening part was a pre-arranged segment, it was so good!"
Amidst everyone's cheerful and comforting words, Peng Chengyi's slight guilt was finally replaced by a warm smile.
On the way home, I couldn't help but hum the melody of tonight's performance, following the evening breeze blowing in through the window.
"Haven't you sung enough yet?" Chen Yubai leaned lazily against the car window, resting his chin on his hand, and turned his head to look at her.
“No,” Peng Chengyi turned back, her eyes sparkling, “On the contrary, I’m even more looking forward to the next performance!”
As she spoke, she eagerly pulled her phone out of her pocket and deftly plugged in her earphones: "I need to quickly figure out what song to perform next."
"You'll be at the arts festival next time, right? There are still several months to go, what's the rush?" Chen Yubai said with amusement.
"It's not several months! Look, it's already mid-August. Summer vacation will be over in the blink of an eye. The arts festival is in two months, so of course we need to make plans early."
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, her hands still moving, skillfully putting on the right earphone, and then naturally handing the left one to him: "Hurry up and choose with me."
"Can't you just let me sleep in peace for a while?" Chen Yubai scoffed lazily, but took her earphones and put them in her ears.
The only sounds in the carriage were the shared melody and the faint sound of the wind outside the window. Peng Chengyi swiped her fingers across the screen, the playlist flickering in her excited eyes.
"How about this one?" She suddenly paused and tilted her head to look at him.
This is an upbeat indie rock song with a lively bass line in the intro.
After listening for a few seconds, Chen Yubai unconsciously tapped the beat on his knee with his left hand: "It's alright, but the bass in the chorus could be changed a bit, it would be more catchy."
He habitually started thinking about the details of the arrangement.
"You can even play bass now?!" Peng Chengyi blurted out in surprise, her voice rising slightly as she couldn't control herself. The driver in the front seat glanced at her in the rearview mirror, and she immediately shrank her neck and lowered her voice, "Did you learn that from some harmony guide?"
"More or less," Chen Yubai mumbled, changing the subject, "Any other songs?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Finally, he got excited. Peng Chengyi didn't bother to ask him anything more and quickly scrolled through the playlist in her hand. "I think this one is also good. It's more lyrical."
As she spoke, she unconsciously began to hum along, her soft voice blending with the accompaniment in her headphones, brushing against his eardrums.
Chen Yubai didn't answer immediately, but turned to look out the window.
The car window, like a hazy, dark mirror, vaguely reflected her lowered profile.
She stared intently at her phone screen, her slightly pouting lips opening and closing gently as she hummed. Her long eyelashes cast delicate shadows under her eyelids, like butterfly wings resting, overlapping and shimmering with the lights along the riverbank outside the window.
It cast a blurry, gentle ripple in his heart.
"Hey, give me some feedback?" Seeing that he didn't react for a while, Peng Chengyi gently nudged him with his elbow.
"Hmm?" Chen Yubai snapped out of his daze, swallowing back the words that almost slipped out, "You hummed it better than the original," and instead said indifferently, "Okay, whatever you say."
"...You're being way too perfunctory." Peng Chengyi pouted in dissatisfaction and pressed him, "How does this one compare to the last one?"
"This one," Chen Yubai said without hesitation.
"Okay, this one wins for now, there's more to come." Peng Chengyi's eyes curved into crescent moons as she enthusiastically moved on to listening to the next song.
The headphone wires connected the two people, swaying gently with the slight bumps of the taxi.
The night was gentle, and the car, carrying the unfinished melody and the unspoken thoughts of the young man, quietly blended into the dim lights of the old city.
-
Once the summer evening party is over, the start of the new school term won't be far off.
Wanting to seize the last moments of summer vacation and have one last bit of fun, Peng Chengyi rallied the band members in their group chat.
Chen Wei: "Where are we going? The arcade we went to last time?"
Peng Chengyi: "Arcades are so unoriginal. Are there any places where you can sing karaoke, relax and watch movies, and even play a couple of games?"
Zheng Xinyue: "You mean a party venue, right?"
Zhang Yang: "There are only five of us at the party venue. If we split the cost, we'll probably be eating dirt."
Peng Chengyi: "Let me check the price!"
Zheng Xinyue: "Link sharing"
Zheng Xinyue: "This is already the cheapest in Linbin, the smallest unit is 1600 for 6 hours..."
Peng Chengyi: "??? This is robbery!"
Peng Chengyi: "Crying kitten head.jpg"
Zhang Yang: "That's enough, it's time to wake up from this dream."
Chen Wei: "Is it still an arcade?"
Zheng Xinyue: "But I'd rather watch a movie..."
Zhang Yang: "But I want to sing even more."
Peng Chengyi: "Then can we first have a showdown at the arcade, then head to the movie theater, and finally dominate the karaoke bar?"
Zheng Xinyue: "Wake up, minors are not allowed in KTVs."
Peng Chengyi: "I forgot... does anyone have a karaoke machine at home?"
Zheng Xinyue: "I have some at home, but my mom has been home these past few days, and I'm worried you might feel uncomfortable."
Peng Chengyi: "@Zhang Yang, let's cancel the singing segment for now. It'll also protect everyone's ears from the torture of someone's singing."
Zhang Yang: "@Peng Chengyi, are you being polite?"
Peng Chengyi: "I don't think I named anyone specifically, but you insist on taking it personally."
Zhang Yang: "..."
Zhang Yang: "@Chen Yubai, Brother Yu, your little brother is bullying me."
Chen Yubai: "What she said makes perfect sense."
Zhang Yang: Damn it!
Zheng Xinyue: "I just looked around, and there aren't many good movies in theaters lately, they're all bad films."
Chen Wei: "Then let's just go to the arcade."
Peng Chengyi: "Sigh, we've come full circle..."
Peng Chengyi: "Sad Kitten.jpg"
Peng Chengyi: "Crying Kitten.jpg"
Peng Chengyi: "Tears flowing like a river.jpg"
After a moment of silence in the group chat, Chen Yubai suddenly posted: "Why don't you come to my place? We can watch movies and play games."
Peng Chengyi: "Your place is fully equipped, but won't it be too crowded for five of us?"
Chen Yubai: "It's not a family compound."
Peng Chengyi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly messaged him privately: "You don't mean your dad's villa, do you?"
Chen Yubai: "Hmm"
Peng Chengyi: "But Aunt Lin told you not to go over there..."
Chen Yubai: "My dad is currently abroad, and there's no one at the villa, so just don't make a fuss."
Peng Chengyi: "I promise to be as quiet as a chicken!!"
Peng Chengyi: "But why are you suddenly being so nice?"
Chen Yubai: "To save myself from being bombarded with someone's memes again."
Peng Chengyi: "...I only posted three, there was no spamming!"
Chen Yubai: "There's also a crying cat head on top, so there are at least four."
Peng Chengyi: "..."
-
Peng Chengyi had never actually been to Chen Yubai's villa, but she had heard that it was in Binjiang Garden in the old city, not far from the family compound, only five bus stops away.
That area can be considered one of the oldest and most prestigious affluent neighborhoods in Linbin. It is quiet and secluded, seemingly a world apart from the noisy residential compounds.
So when she arrived at the villa area with Chen Yubai, she looked around curiously, her eyes darting around like she was at a market. When they passed a tennis court, she tugged at his sleeve and asked, "Is this court free for anyone to use?"
"No, that's someone else's backyard," Chen Yubai replied casually.
"...His yard is huge! I thought it was part of a villa complex." Peng Chengyi stuck out her tongue. "What's in your yard?"
"You'll find out when you get there," Chen Yubai chuckled lazily.
"Tch, still keeping us in suspense. Looks like there's nothing there." Peng Chengyi curled her lip and loosened her grip on his sleeve.
When she arrived at his villa, her eyes widened instantly when she saw the swimming pool shimmering in the sunlight through the glass door of the balcony: "Damn! You actually gave up this luxurious accommodation for my mom's meal!"
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally, squatted down on the ground, and connected the Switch he had brought to the giant screen TV in the living room.
Before long, the other members of the band arrived one after another, and they were all shocked to see each other.
Zhang Yang dramatically backed away on the spot: "Wow! Brother Yu! So you were hiding your true abilities all along?!"
Zheng Xinyue's eyes widened: "Oh my god! You should have told me there was a swimming pool! I would definitely have brought my swimsuit!"
Chen Wei silently surveyed the minimalist living room and calmly commented, "The soundproofing should be excellent. My parents definitely won't be able to hear me practicing drums here."
“Then next time we have a performance, we can rehearse here! That would save us money on rehearsal room fees!” Peng Chengyi excitedly replied.
Chen Yubai, having connected the Switch, stood up, turned around, and lightly flicked her forehead: "Are you stupid? There's no drum set here, otherwise I would have let you all come over already."
"Ah, right." Peng Chengyi rubbed her forehead and glared at him unhappily. "Don't call me stupid! I just forgot."
"Alright, you silly goose." Chen Yubai shrugged and lazily walked to the sofa.
"..."
Are you playing word games with her again?
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, grabbed the game controller, and sat down next to him decisively: "Come on, let's play Mario Kart. Whoever loses is the real idiot."
“Sure.” Chen Yubai’s lips curled into a smile as he slowly picked up the other handle, speaking in a leisurely tone.
The remaining three exchanged glances, and Zhang Yang shrugged: "Alright, let's just retreat. We shouldn't get involved in their battle."
Zheng Xinyue immediately nodded: "I second that, let's go to the media room and pick a movie to watch."
"Mm." Chen Wei had already started walking, showing her agreement with her actions.
On the TV screen, the colorful and dazzling selection interface of "Mario Kart" lit up, and cheerful background music instantly filled the entire living room.
"I'll let you choose the track first." Chen Yubai casually placed the controller on his lap, raised his chin at her with an air of confidence, and looked like he had the victory in his grasp.
"...Don't give me that. I don't need you to let me win." Peng Chengyi snorted and raised her hand. "To be fair, rock-paper-scissors. The winner decides the race."
"Whatever you want." Chen Yubai sat up a little straighter lazily and obediently stretched out his hand.
Although she didn't need him to offer her anything, she had already made her own plans in mind—
Based on her years of practical experience, Chen Yubai most often chose paper in the first round of rock-paper-scissors.
So she didn't hesitate to pull out the scissors.
"Hehe, I won!" Peng Chengyi shook his finger triumphantly, quickly picked up the handle again, and began to select a track with sparkling eyes.
Chen Yubai watched her smug expression as her little scheme succeeded, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips. He said nothing and lazily leaned back on the sofa.
Peng Chengyi ultimately chose the "Rainbow Road" suspended in the sky. Although this track was winding and full of dangerous bends where it was easy to fall, she had already figured out all the hidden shortcuts—her secret weapon to reach the finish line the fastest.
As the countdown ended, the two go-karts shot off simultaneously.
Peng Chengyi was completely focused, his body unconsciously tilting back and forth along with the curves on the screen, muttering to himself, "Drift, accelerate... Ouch!"
In a moment of carelessness, her car grazed the edge of a winding road and nearly fell off, as a blue race car following behind her sped past.
"Tsk!" She clicked her tongue and quickly accelerated again using the nitrous oxide boost from the rear of his race car.
Chen Yubai, on the other hand, seemed much more at ease. He leaned back on the sofa, his long fingers moving nimbly on the controller, precisely navigating corners, using items, and even having time to glance at the person next to him who was almost one with the game.
After three rounds, with each side winning and losing, the final decisive game was Rainbow Road.
Peng Chengyi held her breath slightly, staring intently at the screen, using the shortcuts to take the lead.
With the finish line in sight, she smirked triumphantly: "Someone's about to become an idiot!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a red tortoise shell flew accurately from the top of the screen, smashing her and her car to the ground with a bang.
Before she could even get up, Chen Yubai's blue race car calmly drove past her and crossed the finish line.
"Chen, Yu, Bai!" Peng Chengyi, seeing her character looking dizzy and disoriented on the screen, angrily slammed the controller onto the sofa. "You're too cunning! You actually left me an item to trick me!"
"All's fair in war." Chen Yubai put down the controller and slowly turned his face. "Idiot."
"I'm too lazy to play with you anymore! I'm going to watch a movie with them." Peng Cheng stood up defiantly and left the living room.
Chen Yubai chuckled softly, got up and went to the kitchen to get a few cans of cola, before leisurely following her to the media room.
The audiovisual room was dimly lit, with only the light and shadow flowing on the giant screen.
Seeing that Peng Chengyi was already slumped in the sofa and there was no empty seat next to her, Chen Yubai finished handing out Cokes to everyone, then dragged over a beanbag chair and sat down at her feet.
Peng Chengyi opened the Coke, took a few sips, and casually placed it on the small coffee table next to her.
As the film's plot deepened, she became engrossed in the intense police-gangster fight scenes and reached for a Coke nearby.
As she brought it to her lips, she suddenly felt that something was wrong.
She probably only took two sips, but when you shake the can, it looks like there's only half left. She probably grabbed the wrong one.
Peng Chengyi quickly put down her cola and went to get her own cup, only to find that there was nothing on the small coffee table.
She paused slightly, then subconsciously turned to look at Chen Yubai beside her.
Sure enough, he was holding a can of Coke in his well-defined knuckles, and under the flickering screen light, a faint trace of lipstick could be seen on the rim of the bottle.
He seemed oblivious, his gaze still fixed intently on the screen, his Adam's apple bobbing gently with each swallow.
"Hey, stop drinking!" Peng Chengyi hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, her voice low.
Chen Yubai turned his face, the light from the screen flickering in his deep eyes: "What?"
"You've got the wrong one! This is mine!" She pointed to the Coke can. "Yours is still on the coffee table. Didn't you notice the weight was off?"
Chen Yubai glanced down at the bottle in his hand and paused for two seconds.
When he looked up again, a familiar, lazy, and playful smile appeared on his lips: "Oh, I've already drunk it, what am I going to do? Should I make you throw it up?"
Peng Chengyi glanced at him speechlessly: "...Can you please stop disgusting me!"
"Then I'll go to the kitchen and get you a new one." Chen Yubai shrugged slightly and stood up, supporting himself with his long legs.
"That's more like it." Peng Chengyi pouted and curled up back on the sofa.
Although the two were speaking softly, Zheng Xinyue overheard them.
Taking advantage of Chen Yubai's absence, she quietly leaned close to Peng Chengyi's ear and teased in a low voice, "Hey, wouldn't you two count as indirectly kissing?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Peng Chengyi nearly jumped off the sofa as if she'd been stepped on, her cheeks burning uncontrollably. "He... he might not have even touched the place I drank from..."
"How big is the mouth of a Coke can..." Zheng Xinyue said meaningfully, but seeing that her ears were red, she smiled and stopped, sitting back in her original seat.
Peng Chengyi unconsciously pursed her lips, but her heart was like a lake with a stone thrown in it, unable to calm down.
How could she kiss him!
This feels almost like incest.
Peng Chengyi shook her head violently, trying to shake off these chaotic thoughts, but her face suddenly pressed against a cold can of cola.
She was startled and subconsciously looked up.
Chen Yubai, who had returned sometime earlier, held a can of cola, his eyes lazily lowered, a faint smile playing on his lips, and asked in a low voice:
"You're shaking your head like a rattle-drum, what shameful thing are you thinking about?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Peng Chengyi: !
Double update today! Thanks to uoow and Sunshine for the nutrient solution!
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