The basketball court was nearly empty, but a small crowd had gathered around, their gazes occasionally darting toward the two of them. A few boys were causing a commotion, whistling as Chen Luzhou went to get the ball. One of them couldn’t resist teasing, “Lu’s got a game, huh?”
Chen Luzhou ignored them, snatching the ball from his hand. “I’m playing with Xu Zhi for a bit. Are you guys training now?”
“No, no, you two play,” the other quickly stepped aside, adding with exaggerated understanding, “It’s fine. We can lose matches, but getting a girlfriend comes first. Go on, keep her company!”
As soon as they stepped onto the court, Xu Zhi noticed a few girls leaving the sidelines. She glanced at Chen Luzhou, who was finding his rhythm, and said, “Hey, your class’s cheerleading captain just left.”
Chen Luzhou gave a noncommittal “Oh,” his eyes fixed on the hoop. He stood at the three-point line and casually tossed the ball. It traced a perfect arc and swished through the net. The crowd of boys erupted in cheers, whistles, and seal-like applause, instantly livening up the entire court.
Xu Zhi, still watching the girls who had started moving water bottles, added, “Your class’s cheerleading captain just un-fanned you in person and even took away the supplies.”
Chen Luzhou, having just retrieved the ball, bounced it twice before turning to look at the court’s edge. He burst out laughing, “You’re crazy. Those are senior girls from our department. There’s another second-year match next door. Your Department Head Jiang is playing too. Those supplies are for them.”
Xu Zhi let out an “Oh.” They stood face to face at the free-throw line. Chen Luzhou extended the ball to her, but as she reached for it, he pulled it back slightly, looking at her with cool eyes. “Do you want to win or lose?”
Xu Zhi teased, “Of course I want to win. I’ve already booked the hotel.”
Chen Luzhou stood motionless, looking down at her meaningfully. “Then I’ll give you a four-point head start. You need ten, I need six.”
Xu Zhi suggested, “I suggest you just admit defeat.”
“That won’t do,” Chen Luzhou said principled, bouncing the ball once before casually tossing it towards the hoop. The smooth arc sailed over her head and landed firmly in the basket with a clang. Another score. Xu Zhi felt the pressure mounting. He looked at her with a half-smile and said in a low voice, “You’ve got to put in some effort, you know. Otherwise, how could sleeping with me be so easy?”
His gaze, usually frank and open, now seemed to hold something else—an emotion that made her heart race. When he looked at her, it was like the fiercest beast hiding in the densest part of a dangerous jungle, direct and filled with impulse.
Her heart inexplicably quickened. She wasn’t sure if Chen Luzhou was being serious. From earlier until now, she had thought he was joking, but now she felt he might mean it. “Are you serious?”
Chen Luzhou stood still, watching her grow visibly uncomfortable and avert her gaze. He coolly replied, “Mm.”
What else could he do? He hadn’t wanted to talk to her on the court at first, but seeing her standing there alone, he couldn’t bear it.
Actually, before coming to Beijing, they had met once. Tan Xu had been very direct, asking if he was dating Xu Zhi. Chen Luzhou hadn’t answered, only asking in return if it was any of his business. Tan Xu had said it wasn’t, but added, “You’ve only known her for a month. She’s not as good as you imagine, Chen Luzhou. You don’t know her at all. She’s a selfish person who gets jealous when others study better than her.”
“She’s quite stubborn too. Once, a print shop at the school entrance cheated her out of five yuan, and she changed her WeChat name to ‘XX Print Shop is a Scam’ for a long time. And her moral compass is weak. If she saw an old lady fall on the street, she definitely wouldn’t help, because she’s afraid of being framed. She habitually looks out for herself first. Her only way of solving problems is through violence. If you’ve been to our school, you’d know that the bulletin board still has her A University acceptance notice posted next to her disciplinary record. Also, besides Cai Yingying, she used to have another good friend who ended up in rehab. She doesn’t surround herself with good people.”
“Oh, and after her mother died, her father suffered from depression for a long time and even attempted suicide once. She says her father is a gentle person. During that time, she was constantly on edge. Before leaving the house, she’d have to put away all the knives. Sometimes she’d space out in class, worrying if she’d forgotten to hide the knives, and would have to skip class to run home and check. And actually, she’s always smoked. She smoked heavily in her senior year of high school. You didn’t know that, did you?”
“Chen Luzhou, I spent some time at No. 1 High School before. Everyone says you have a good temper, a good upbringing, and good grades. If not perfect, you’re certainly among the rare, clean, and excellent ones. Her life is a chaos you’ve never seen. Your appearance in her life is like a dimensional strike. Or rather, she’s someone who could easily go astray, but she managed to get into A University because I was there, step by step, guiding her. We spent two years together in high school. I corrected her mistake books, I taught her study habits hand in hand.”
Chen Luzhou, upon hearing this, was surprised but not entirely shocked. The Xu Zhi that Tan Xu described was unfamiliar to him, yet he felt that Xu Zhi might indeed be like that. But he sensed that Tan Xu was her spiritual guide, while he, apart from kissing her, hadn’t had any substantial interaction with her. He felt like a cheap substitute.
Just as he finished speaking, someone called Xu Zhi’s name softly from the edge of the court. They both turned to look. Xu Gongzhu was standing there with Tan Xu. Tan Xu wore a white shirt and glasses, his face as pale as ever, but his eyes behind the lenses were fixed firmly on Xu Zhi. Chen Luzhou nonchalantly looked away, lowering his head to bounce the ball casually. As Xu Zhi was about to walk over, Chen Luzhou raised the ball high above his head, pushed it out, and casually threw out a sentence—
“If you go to him now, don’t come looking for me again. I don’t have the patience to drag this out with you anymore. We’re done here.”
Xu Zhi finally realized what had been bothering Chen Luzhou all day. “Did you see something yesterday?”
He remained silent, his face cold. Feeling disheartened, he threw the ball to the ground, having lost interest. He walked off the court, bent down to pick up a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and took a sip. The people nearby, unaware of what had transpired between them, thought it was just a halftime break and immediately came over to ask Chen Luzhou if he wanted milk tea. The class monitor said they’d order one for each player on the court.
Chen Luzhou, head tilted back as he drank water, initially wanted to refuse. But after a moment’s thought, he turned back and asked for one. Just in case Xu Zhi wanted to drink it. You are a cheap substitute, he thought to himself, still thinking about whether she might want milk tea even while arguing.
This kind of threatening talk had little effect on Xu Zhi. She looked at him directly and calmly, saying, “Is that really what you think? Chen Luzhou, I thought you were like me.”
There were still quite a few people around the basketball court. The two of them stood by the hoop, and seeing the tense atmosphere between them, no one lingered nearby. A group of boys sat on mats behind them, curious glances occasionally surveying the scene, but no one dared to approach. Even passersby deliberately gave them a wide berth.
Chen Luzhou’s face showed no excess emotion. Leaning against the hoop frame, he let out a cold laugh. “Give me a break. I admit defeat, I bow to you. When others pursue me, you’re practically cheering them on from the sidelines. If you cared about me, would you act like this? I understand Tan Xu coming to find you last night and you having a late-night snack with him, but couldn’t you at least have told me? What do you take me for, really treating me like a friend with benefits?”
“I thought you wouldn’t care about him, and I’ve explained to you many times before that I don’t like him and never will. Chen Luzhou, are you stupid?”
“But he likes you. Xu Zhi, you’re the only one who thinks I’m stupid. To me, I’ve always treated you as my girlfriend. Otherwise, do you think you could casually kiss me? If it were Gu Yan coming to see me, do you know what I would do? I wouldn’t hide it from you and meet her. Since you think it’s no big deal, why don’t we just call it quits?”
With that, Chen Luzhou pushed off from the hoop frame. As he passed under the basket, he intercepted a ball someone had just shot in. He dribbled it coldly a couple of times, never looking back at her again.
*
After Xu Gongzhu sent Tan Xu away, Xu Zhi returned to her dorm room and sat there all afternoon. The horizontal lines of the structure diagram, which usually brought her peace, now looked anything but peaceful. Xu Zhi drank half a bucket of water from the water dispenser but still couldn’t calm down. She hadn’t felt this kind of emotion for a long time. Since her mother passed away, everything at home had been in chaos.
Before Lin Qiudie’s death, there had been some issues with the project under her supervision, and a large group of workers couldn’t be paid. Lin Qiudie had been the project manager and had a good relationship with them privately. After her incident, they all came to the door one by one, crying, making a fuss, and threatening suicide to demand money.
Old Xu was too socially anxious to handle it, and the old grandmother would only brandish a rolling pin to drive people away. Having witnessed how difficult these people could be—all smiles and politeness when things were good, but the moment someone left, they’d pick the most acerbic and harsh words to say. Some even set up camp at their doorstep with half-month-old babies, stubbornly refusing to leave until they got their money.
It was then that she realized anger was the most useless emotion in the world. After being angry, the money that needed to be paid still had to be paid, and not a single exam paper that needed to be written would be reduced.
Xu Zhi found a movie to watch. The basketball court was close to the dorm, and she could occasionally hear bursts of cheering from that direction. When Zhu Yangqi called her, the movie’s progress bar was nearing the end. She turned her head to look out the window and realized it was almost dark. She took off her headphones and picked up the phone from the table.
Zhu Yangqi was in a panic on the other end of the line, so agitated he was getting heartburn. “Damn, finally got through. Where the hell is Chen Luzhou? I’ve been waiting for him at the hotel all day.”
Xu Zhi paused the movie on her computer. “He’s playing basketball, but it should be over by now. He didn’t bring his phone.”
“Then he probably hasn’t gone back yet. I’ve been calling him, but his phone is always off. Are you busy now? If not, let’s go out and eat first. I’ve got some urgent business and might have to go back later.”
*
Zhu Yangqi had slept at the hotel all day and was so hungry his stomach was touching his back. As soon as he sat down, he ordered several dishes in grand style and urged the owner to serve quickly.
“Aren’t you waiting for Chen Luzhou?” Xu Zhi asked while flipping through the drinks and food menu.
Zhu Yangqi gulped down a glass of water and said, “Who knows when he’ll be done? Guys playing basketball is complicated. He’ll probably go eat with his roommates after the game, then go back to shower and wash his hair, then blow-dry it. It’ll take at least an hour or so. Don’t you two often make plans to eat together at school?”
“We don’t make proper plans that often. He’s been taking make-up classes recently.”
“Well, it’s the weekend today. He’ll surely contact you later.”
Xu Zhi sighed, “He won’t.”
Only then did Zhu Yangqi belatedly remember, “Is this guy still not over his jealousy? That’s not like him. He chatted with me until three or four in the morning last night, then got up again around five, saying he was going back to have breakfast with you. I thought he’d figured things out on his own.”
Xu Zhi finally looked up at him directly: “This morning?”
Zhu Yangqi nodded. He sighed, pouring himself some water while carefully choosing his words to Xu Zhi. If he said too much, he was afraid Chen Luzhou would beat him up. If he didn’t say anything, he felt frustrated on Chen Luzhou’s behalf. After some thought—he wasn’t usually one for deep contemplation, but when it came to matters concerning Chen Luzhou, he always considered things a bit more than others.
“Xu Zhi, I’ll just say this once, and don’t bring it up with him later. I’ve never shared these thoughts of mine with him either.”
“Mm.”
“He’s always lacked a sense of security, for various reasons. Add to that his excellent conditions—people who approach him are never that pure in their intentions, you know? Good-looking, wealthy family. So he demands a lot from himself, forcing himself to be the best in every aspect, to cover up the most superficial things. Because he lacks security himself, he always gives ample security to those around him—in family, love, and friendship. As a son, he’s beyond reproach. Although we often joke that he’s half a mama’s boy, he’s different from us. He doesn’t have the luxury of being spoiled. In elementary school, when he ranked first in his class, his mom thought it was nothing special. So for his middle school entrance exam, he ranked first in the entire city.”
“If his family told him to transfer schools, he would. If they told him to go abroad, he would. He was always adapting to new environments. I only transferred once and realized how hard it is to adapt to a new environment, but he never complained to us. He’s someone who can digest negative emotions on his own. As a friend, he’s even more remarkable. I never worry about him making new friends it would make me nervous. You two have been in this ambiguous relationship for so long, has he ever made you nervous?”
“Although he’s been practically missing these past few months, I know every step he’s taken has been towards you.”
“I don’t know exactly what happened. His parents got divorced, and he lost his only home. He once told me that was his only home. You probably don’t understand how difficult it is for him to take this step coming from that kind of family.”
Feeling unsatisfied, Zhu Yangqi wanted to go sing after dinner. There was a KTV downstairs from his hotel. He booked a small room. While choosing fruits at the supermarket, Zhu Yangqi received a text from Chen Luzhou. He glanced at it, tossed the phone back into the basket, and said to Xu Zhi, “Chen Luzhou will be here soon. He just finished the basketball game and is showering now.”
“He’s only finished now?” Xu Zhi asked casually while selecting wine.
“He said he twisted his foot and just went to the infirmary.”
When Chen Luzhou pushed open the door to the room, Xu Zhi instinctively looked at his foot. He wasn’t limping. She looked at Zhu Yangqi half-doubtingly. Zhu Yangqi was belting out Ashin’s “Still Have to Love” with all his heart, but his knowing glance was unmistakable. He whispered in her ear, “Worried about my bro? I didn’t say he twisted his foot, it was his roommate.”
“How childish,” Xu Zhi rolled her eyes at him.
Chen Luzhou walked in without speaking to Xu Zhi and sat down next to Zhu Yangqi. Zhu Yangqi, sandwiched between them, was still immersed in his performance, howling into the microphone. After finishing the song, he handed the mic to Chen Luzhou, “Here, sing one.”
Chen Luzhou sat on the sofa with his arms crossed. He looked tired, probably from just finishing the game. His eyes swept over the microphone impatiently, “Forget it, my voice is hoarse from shouting during the game.” His voice was indeed a bit raspy, and he coughed and cleared his throat after speaking.
“Did you win?”
“Mm.”
“Was it that hard on your voice?”
He lazily sighed, “I haven’t played much lately, so we lacked coordination. They couldn’t understand my hand signals, so I had to call out names. The cheerleaders were so loud, I couldn’t shout over them even at the top of my lungs. There was a pretty good player on the other team though. He blocked me twice, and I got a bit confused in the second half. Couldn’t keep up with the defense either.”
“Winning is enough, don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“No way, I have OCD. I need to block him back next time.”
“Come on, your OCD is all about forcing others.”
Chen Luzhou curled his lip slightly, and they stopped talking. The room fell silent, so Zhu Yangqi had to pick up the microphone and sing by himself again. The two statues beside him sat motionless, staring at the TV screen.
**
The room was dimly lit, with some complimentary fruits and sunflower seeds on the table. The whole room was filled with shifting light and shadows, the MV images flickering across their faces in an unsettling way.
Zhu Yangqi’s singing was truly heartbreaking. He probably had a rock soul inside, with a smoky voice. That metallic quality in his voice sounded like there was a lump of old phlegm stuck in his chest. It was completely different from Chen Luzhou’s style. Chen Luzhou’s voice was clean, with occasional raspiness that somehow seemed sexy.
The two weren’t talking, and Zhu Yangqi, sandwiched between them, was feeling increasingly uncomfortable in this atmosphere. He felt like he was being held hostage by two plainclothes police officers, not daring to move, afraid they might pull out guns at any moment. Some people torment themselves when dating, but when the cool guy and girl date, they end up tormenting others.
Zhu Yangqi could only act as a messenger, though this messenger had to use his brain a bit.
Xu Zhi said, “Ask him if he’s eaten. If not, we can order food here.”
Zhu Yangqi immediately relayed the message, “Xu Zhi is asking if her little sweetheart has eaten yet?”
The guy leaning on the sofa, legs sprawled out casually, eyes fixed on the TV, glanced at him silently: “You added the ‘little sweetheart’ part yourself, didn’t you?”
Zhu Yangqi shook his head innocently: “Absolutely not, I don’t have that kind of experience.”
Like hell I believe you, Chen Luzhou said lazily: “Not eating.”
But then he heard Zhu Yangqi turn to Xu Zhi and say, “He says he wants you to feed him.”
Chen Luzhou, still staring at the screen with a cold, detached look, unhesitatingly kicked Zhu Yangqi: “…I can hear you, damn it.”
Xu Zhi finally glanced at him and went out to order food. She ordered a bowl of fried rice and a bowl of wonton. When she returned, Zhu Yangqi had disappeared somewhere, leaving only Chen Luzhou on the sofa. His tall figure was leaning there, wearing just a loose black hoodie, the same brand he often wore, similar in style but with the logo in a different position. There was a small, not-very-intimidating tiger embroidered on the sleeve. He looked clean and fresh, holding the microphone in his hand.
With just the two of them in the room, the atmosphere became even more tense, impossible to stir. Xu Zhi saw him lowering his head to choose a song on his phone and casually asked, “Where’s Zhu Yangqi?”
He didn’t even lift his eyelids, holding his phone in one hand and scratching behind his ear with the microphone in the other, his voice cool, “Bathroom.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the music intro began to flow. Xu Zhi leaned quietly against the sofa, wanting to hear what he would sing, what he could sing. The intro sounded quite cheerful. The song started quickly, and within seconds his voice came through the microphone, his deep, clean voice suddenly crashing into her ears, making her heart inexplicably warm.
“The moon blinks its eyes, I hold you in my palm, afraid to say those words out loud in case you pretend not to hear…”
Xu Zhi glanced at him, but his face showed no extra expression. He was just singing.
“Ding dong, why is tonight suddenly so quiet, just waiting for you, for your breath to decide…”
For some reason, listening to these lyrics and looking at his current cold expression that no amount of coaxing could improve, Xu Zhi’s heart inexplicably sped up, feeling like a little deer prancing around in her chest.
“The light rain falls gently on the roof, the rhythm of cicadas on a summer night is somehow so familiar, tick tock, why am I dreaming of you again tonight…”
…
When Zhu Yangqi returned, Chen Luzhou had finished singing. He pushed the door open after answering a call and hurriedly said to them, “Chen Luzhou, I have to go back first. My art studio teacher forgot his key, I need to rush back.”
So only the two of them were left in the room again. Neither of them spoke. Chen Luzhou sat there selecting a bunch of songs but not singing, just letting the music in the room switch back and forth. No song was listened to in full. He’d listen to half before losing patience and switching to the next one. He leaned against the sofa, his legs spread casually, spinning his phone in his hand absent-mindedly. He’d spin it for a while, stop to change the song, then toss the phone back and start spinning it leisurely again, looking no different from a loafer.
Moreover, every time Xu Zhi started to hear the chorus, just as the emotions – whether gentle, passionate, excited, or sorrowful – began to well up in her heart, just as the smooth and melodious tune was still echoing in her mind, he would abruptly switch the song. And the playlist he chose was quite something:
“Heartless Man”
“Flower Butterfly”
“Bad Girl”
“The Kiss Was Too Real”
“A Game, A Dream”
“A Little Hurt”
“Starting to Understand”
“I’ll Be Fine”
“How Could You Bear to Not Want Me”
“Son of a Bitch”
But Xu Zhi didn’t say a word, just quietly watching him act out in this passive-aggressive manner.
Finally, she spoke calmly: “Zhu Yangqi’s room upstairs hasn’t been checked out. When I went to settle the bill, the manager said at this hour they’d charge for the full night even if we checked out, so I didn’t have him cancel it.”
Chen Luzhou glanced at her, feeling like she was hinting at something. Damn, she wanted to sleep with him that badly. Chen Luzhou said: “What’s the point of keeping it? Who’s going to sleep there?”
Xu Zhi had light makeup on today, her lip color a bit deeper than usual, making her skin look fair and smooth. Her eyes were direct and clear. She wore a creamy white sweater that outlined her delicate neck. She sat with one leg crossed over the other, the toe of her boot lightly tapping the ground. She replied nonchalantly: “If you won’t sleep there, I will.”
*
When the two entered the elevator, there was already a young couple inside. The boy was teasing the girl, saying not to make wishes on shooting stars in the future because he’d heard they were astronauts’ bodily waste. The girl let out a surprised “Ah!” and leaned against the elevator wall, laughing so hard she bent forward and backward, saying, “I’m not well-read, don’t fool me.” The boy whispered something in the girl’s ear, making her blush and punch him lightly, saying, “You’re so annoying,” in a coquettish yet sweet tone. Such flushed and heated scenes were common in a university town. The love between students always seemed a bit bolder and more unrestrained.
Chen Luzhou didn’t press G for the ground floor. Xu Zhi glanced at him and asked casually, “Aren’t you going back to your dorm?”
Chen Luzhou had one hand in his pocket and didn’t look at her. The couple behind them were getting increasingly intimate, but they didn’t seem to care about being seen. Chen Luzhou was too lazy to look, tilting his head back to watch the red numbers jumping on the elevator display, looking completely detached. He rolled his Adam’s apple and said stiffly, “I’ll walk you to your door, then go back to the dorm.”
Xu Zhi usually didn’t feel cramped riding elevators with others, but even though he was thin, he was tall with broad shoulders. The elevator suddenly felt confining. He seemed to take up half the elevator space, making it hard to breathe. Her heart was pounding loudly.
“Were you serious about what you said on the basketball court?”
“Mm.”
When he turned cold, he was truly cold. No wonder, after all, growing up he must have broken quite a few girls’ hearts.
“Okay, I got it.”
Xu Zhi closed the door and sat on the sofa for about twenty minutes. Then she realized she hadn’t brought anything – no makeup remover, no face wash. She sighed, picked up her phone, and was about to go downstairs to buy some facial cleanser. As she opened the door, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow in her peripheral vision to the left. She instinctively looked over and saw someone leaning against the wall.
Chen Luzhou probably hadn’t expected her to suddenly open the door, so the look in his eyes when he glanced over still held some unguarded emotion – a mix of bewilderment and suppressed feelings as if he’d been interrupted in the middle of deep thought. There was also some surprise, but it quickly faded to indifference. He crossed his arms and turned sideways, shoulder against the wall, looking down at her, “I’m thirsty. Do you have any water?”
As Xu Zhi turned to go get him water, she heard the door suddenly close behind her. Thinking the door latch hadn’t caught properly and had swung shut, she turned her head to look, assuming she’d accidentally locked Chen Luzhou out again. Hotel doors are usually closed automatically. Just as she was about to look, a dark shadow loomed over her, and she was suddenly pinned against the full-length mirror by the door, her body hot and flushed. She was wearing a thin knit sweater with some open work, so she felt a sudden chill on her back while her chest was burning hot.
One part was a glacier, the other a bonfire. Her blood seemed to start racing through her body, her scalp tingling, her toes and nerves curling. She couldn’t help struggling a bit, but he had gone too far this time. He pinned both her hands behind her back with one hand, lowering his head to kiss her neck. Xu Zhi was forced to tilt her head back, feeling the warm, numb sensation by her ear and his intermittent light and heavy nibbles. She looked up at the ceiling, feeling as if the whole world was spinning.
The room was still dark, silent except for their heavy breathing and the tantalizing sound of him nibbling on her neck.
“Chen Luzhou, is this what you wanted too? Why are you still pretending?” Xu Zhi managed to say with her head tilted back.
“I don’t want to,” his voice was unusually hoarse, with a hint of sexiness rarely heard in his usual tone. Muffled against her neck, his breathing was rapid but also had the awkwardness of someone new to intimacy, like short, sharp honks from a novice driver. “But I stood outside the door for twenty minutes thinking, and I’m not satisfied just going back like this today. I’ll give you two choices, Xu Zhi. Either we sleep together tonight and pretend to be strangers at school from now on, or you let Chen Luzhou be your boyfriend.”
**
About half an hour later.
Zhu Yangqi was still hurriedly rushing back to the art studio in a taxi. The traffic was congested along the way. The night, illuminated by the interplay of taillights and neon lights, seemed particularly lonely, especially for a student from out of town like him. Zhu Yangqi sat alone in the taxi, looking at the bustling world outside the car window just as the lights were coming on. That sense of helplessness of being alone in a strange city suddenly welled up, and he inexplicably fell into a melancholic loneliness.
Fortunately, he still had two friends from his hometown.
As if on cue, his phone rang in the car. He saw it was Chen Luzhou. Indeed, it was his brother, with a psychic connection. Such a comforting call came at just the right time.
Zhu Yangqi answered, “Hello.”
The familiar voice came through: “Hey, help, I can’t catch my breath.”
Zhu Yangqi was stunned, “What’s wrong, is your sweater too tight?”
“No, it’s my girlfriend hugging me too tight,” the voice on the other end was smug, “She just confessed to me.”
Zhu Yangqi: “You son of a bitch!!!!!!!!!”
Author’s note: Basically, it’s all sweet daily life from here on, not much plot left. I’ve been writing 6-7 thousand words recently because I’ve been staying up late to write and can’t adjust my state. Sorry, I’ll give red envelopes for this whole chapter.
The lyrics are from “Rainy Weather”.
That song didn’t exist that year, but it suits them well. You can listen to it as background music if you like.