December 27th, Thursday.
As he was leaving work in the evening, Li Yifei said to Qian Fei, “I’m going out tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner.”
Qian Fei acknowledged this without showing any sign of “it’s lonely to eat alone.” Instead, her face betrayed a joy that seemed to say, “Great! I can finally do whatever I want freely!”
Li Yifei was quite displeased that his status remained so insignificant after such a long time, especially after he had lowered himself to treat her as a brother. Her indifference to his dinner absence was particularly galling. He decided he needed to find time to educate this insensitive fellow about the depth of brotherly affection.
That evening, he had dinner plans with Jin Tian.
As luck would have it, just as they finished eating, Dajun called, inviting him to go bar-hopping.
He usually preferred not to bring girlfriends when hanging out with his buddies, feeling it inconvenient for casual chatter and banter. However, since Jin Tian was introduced to him by Dajun and they all knew each other, he decided to bring her along.
At the bar, he became so engrossed in discussing business opportunities with Dajun that he completely forgot about Jin Tian.
When he finally remembered, his other friends informed him that Jin Tian had already taken a taxi home.
“She told you several times that she wanted to leave, but you kept saying ‘wait a bit,’ so she left on her own,” they explained.
Li Yifei asked Dajun, “Did she ask me?”
Dajun nodded, “I think she did.”
Li Yifei responded with an “Oh” and said, “Well, it’s fine if she left. Saves me the trouble of sending her home.”
Dajun remarked, “I think she might be upset. I’d feel wronged too if I were in her shoes.”
Li Yifei grunted, “Let her be upset then. She can come find me when she’s in a better mood. I’m not in the habit of indulging women’s tempers.”
Dajun exclaimed, “Damn! Would it kill you to comfort her a bit?”
Li Yifei snorted, “Am I the type to coddle women?”
Dajun waved his hand, “Fine! I’ve given you another chance to act tough! Alright, let her go her own way. We can have a good drink together!”
Li Yifei glanced at his watch, thought for a moment, and said, “Well, we’ve finished our business talk. I think I’ll head back. We can drink another day.”
Dajun’s jaw dropped in mock surprise. “Li Yifei, are you turning over a new leaf? It’s only ten o’clock and you’re going home? The night’s just beginning!”
Li Yifei stood up and said, “I’ve got work tomorrow, got a problem with that? How about I call you when I wake up tomorrow morning?”
Dajun affectionately called him a “jerk.”
On his way home, Li Yifei found himself pondering Qian Fei’s gleeful expression just before leaving work, wondering what secret it might be hiding.
When he got home and opened the door, he saw Qian Fei crouching in the middle of the living room, eyes glued to the TV channel with a logo that looked suspiciously like a toilet bowl.
She was so engrossed that she didn’t even notice him enter.
He changed his shoes, walked up to her, and kicked her lightly, asking, “What are you doing? Using the living room as a toilet?”
Qian Fei turned and looked up at him.
“Don’t disturb me, Da Peng is about to sing! I’ve been waiting all evening!”
Li Yifei glanced at the TV. So this was what her earlier excitement was all about?
“What show is this?” he asked.
Qian Fei impatiently replied, “The Chameleon Show! You uncultured swine, how could I expect you to know anything? Don’t disturb me, Da Peng is about to sing!”
Li Yifei stood beside her, not moving.
He decided to see what this Da Peng, who had her so captivated, looked like.
The music started, and to his surprise, it was “Glorious Years,” a song he liked.
He found it interesting.
BEYOND’s songs were beloved by every boy who had gone through adolescence. At seventeen or eighteen, everyone loved to belt out a few lines in the hallway between classes.
It wasn’t easy to sing such a widely known and often imitated song in a way that people would accept and appreciate.
As he was thinking this, when the first lyrics came out of the mouth of the man who appeared in BEYOND’s style holding a guitar, he was slightly stunned.
It was so similar! Not just the timbre, but the emotion in it.
The man on TV sang passionately, while he stood outside the TV, listening quietly along with the woman crouching on the floor. The voice moved them both simultaneously.
He remembered when he and his wastrel friends used to shout this song outside the classroom. He felt like he could touch his past youth in this man’s singing.
When the song ended, he stood still for a long time.
He began to understand a little why the fool crouching on the floor liked this man called Da Peng so much.
There was something about him that could truly inspire people, perhaps that thing called “motivation.”
When Da Peng was announced as the season’s champion, Qian Fei cried her eyes out.
Li Yifei handed her tissues while complaining, “Come on, sis, this is too much! I haven’t seen you cry like this even when you broke up!”
Qian Fei sobbed, “You don’t understand! This… this is crying from happiness!”
Li Yifei snorted, “You’re right, I don’t understand! All I see is a fangirl!”
Qian Fei sighed, “Ah!”
Li Yifei, even more exasperated, asked, “What now?”