As soon as Guan Chi finished speaking, Shi Si immediately ruined the atmosphere with enthusiastic applause: “You’re so awesome! I bow to your elite-level posturing. I almost dropped to one knee in respect listening to you!”
Ji Yan smacked the back of Shi Si’s head: “Can’t you stop ruining the mood?”
Lin Qingye placed one arm lazily over Xu Zhinan’s shoulder and smiled at them: “What brings you all here?”
Guan Chi said: “You’re too inconsiderate. I told you before, if you need anything, just ask us. The chemistry between us four was cultivated over the years. Can any ordinary backup band compare?”
Ji Yan added: “Actually, Uncle Wang told us. For a music festival like this, singing alone is boring. You do need us.”
The journey became quite lively due to the arrival of the other three members of the Locust Tree Band.
The official music festival is tomorrow. After arriving at B City airport, they all took a business vehicle to the hotel, chatting along the way.
Lin Qingye and Xu Zhinan shared a suite, while the other three had a large suite with three bedrooms and two living rooms.
Everyone put down their luggage.
Lin Qingye wrapped his arm around Xu Zhinan’s shoulder and gave it a gentle rub: “Are you tired?”
“Not tired. How could I be when you carried all the bags?”
Lin Qingye sat on the bed, pulling the young woman into his arms: “Being with them, would you find it boring?”
“What?”
“Guan Chi and the others.”
The four of them had indeed known each other since forming a band in high school, and were extremely familiar when speaking, but Xu Zhinan wasn’t close with the three of them. Lin Qingye worried she might feel ignored.
Moreover, he hadn’t treated her seriously back in university, which had also led to some awkwardness in her relationship with the three of them now.
“Not at all.” Xu Zhinan didn’t see this as a problem at all. “It’s great that they can accompany you for your first solo music festival.”
Just as she finished speaking, speak of the devil—the doorbell to their suite rang.
Lin Qingye got up to open the door. The three stood in the doorway, with Guan Chi wearing a suggestive smile: “Is it convenient for us to come in?”
Lin Qingye chuckled lightly, stepping aside to let them in.
“Your wife agreed to let you come this time?” he asked Guan Chi.
“I’m pretty free recently, and since the kid has grown up a bit, it’s easier for her to handle things. I can slack off for two or three days.”
Ji Yan smiled: “We’re all the same age, but looking at it this way, you’re really at rocket speed. Your child is already nearly two years old, while Shi Si and I don’t even have partners yet.”
Guan Chi chuckled: “At the time, I unexpectedly became a father, completely unprepared. I didn’t expect it to happen so fast, but things worked out naturally. Initially, it was chaotic, but now my son is about to grow up.”
The three sat on the sofa chatting while Lin Qingye lowered his head to reconfirm the address with the person responsible for transporting the instruments.
After sending the message, Guan Chi teased again: “Maybe the next one will be our captain. With the way things are going, you might unexpectedly become a father too.”
At that moment, Xu Zhinan finished washing her face and walked out of the bedroom.
Hearing Guan Chi’s comment, she paused mid-step.
Lin Qingye noticed her, yet maintained his composure and casually criticized: “Don’t say such things in front of the young lady.”
Guan Chi: “…”
Shi Si: “…”
Ji Yan: “…”
Lin Qingye beckoned to her: “Come here.”
Xu Zhinan walked over and sat on the single sofa. Lin Qingye sat on the wide armrest of the single sofa, leaning lazily against her.
This was the first time they had seen how Lin Qingye behaved in front of Xu Zhinan, and they were stunned by his comment, “Don’t say such things in front of the young lady.”
What Guan Chi said wasn’t even that inappropriate, was it?
When they normally made dirty jokes, the level was several times more explicit!
Besides, Xu Zhinan was only one year younger than them, she must be 25 now, right???
Why was he acting like she was 15 and couldn’t handle such talk?
Shi Si couldn’t hold back and sincerely asked: “Captain, you never make dirty jokes in front of your girlfriend?”
That shouldn’t be right. Given their previous relationship, it shouldn’t be this pure.
“I do,” Lin Qingye said, “but you guys can’t.”
The three: “…”
OK8J.
The next day, the four of them rehearsed together for a full morning and afternoon. By evening, fans of the music festival began entering the venue.
B City frequently hosted various music festivals, both commercial and campus-based.
A large patch of grass, lush and green, looked full of vitality from a distance, with each blade growing exceptionally well. Behind the stage was a huge poster featuring not only the cover photo of “Murmuring,” but also three magnificent, flowing characters—Lin Qingye.
As evening approached, the breeze swept across the grass, bringing a refreshing scent of greenery.
Xu Zhinan’s seat was in the front row.
Soon, the surrounding seats were gradually filled.
Everyone was dressed beautifully, clearly having prepared meticulously. Xu Zhinan was dressed simply in a white T-shirt and black pants, but her blue hair was eye-catching enough.
She hadn’t dyed her hair for a while, and a short section of black roots had grown out.
The girl sitting next to her nudged her with an elbow: “Sister.”
“Hmm.”
“Your blue hair is so beautiful.”
Xu Zhinan smiled: “Thank you.”
The girl then saw her face properly and blinked: “You’re so pretty too!!”
Her tone was excited, not holding back her praise for others.
Xu Zhinan smiled and thanked her again.
“But your blue color looks a lot like the hair brother dyed during the ‘I’m Here for Music’ finals. Did you dye it because of him?”
Xu Zhinan paused slightly, then nodded: “Yes.”
“Ah, I’m so envious. I want to dye mine too, but if I dared to dye my hair blue, my mom said she’d kick me out of the house and cut off my living expenses.”
Xu Zhinan laughed: “You don’t have to dye your hair the same color to show you like him.”
“Also, I might look fair with makeup today, but my skin is a bit dark without it. Blue hair is too selective—I’m afraid I can’t pull it off. But you and your brother both carry it so well, it looks super good!” The girl was quite chatty. “But I prefer the new album’s style. It’s cool, seems even cooler than two and a half years ago!”
Soon, staff members came on stage to set up the equipment, bringing out the drum set, keyboard stand, and microphone stands.
Fans in the audience craned their necks in anticipation.
But after the stage was set up, Lin Qingye still hadn’t appeared.
Someone in the crowd started it, and soon everyone began shouting Lin Qingye’s name loudly, as if trying to summon him.
“Lin Qingye!”
“Lin Qingye!”
“Lin Qingye!”
It started with just a small section, but quickly spread until the entire venue was shouting.
Xu Zhinan, in the midst of it all, felt her heart tremble more intensely.
She joined everyone in calling Lin Qingye’s name.
This young man, this man, despite mixed reviews and hardships, at least now these shouts belonged to him.
There would surely be more in the future.
Suddenly, the lights above rotated a few times, and the crowd grew even more excited. Lin Qingye seemed to emerge from these countless calls, with the spotlight immediately focusing on him.
In Xu Zhinan’s peripheral vision were the swaying glow sticks and bulbs, while her pupils reflected Lin Qingye in his entirety.
He walked onto the stage, followed by the three others in a row, all approaching the front of the stage. Lin Qingye’s gaze swept over Xu Zhinan, and he smiled slightly, then leaned toward the microphone.
“Hello everyone, I’m Lin Qingye.”
He turned to introduce those behind him, with a smile that wouldn’t fade from his lips.
“This is my band,” he said.
The fans below quickly reacted, shouting: “Locust Tree Band!!!”
The screams nearly pierced eardrums, and everyone again very synchronously began shouting the name of the Locust Tree Band.
At this moment, not just the four people on stage, but even Xu Zhinan found it hard to contain her emotions.
Since graduating from university, they hadn’t performed on the same stage again.
The four of them had been together since high school, experiencing everything from skipping classes to playing music on the rooftop of an abandoned building, to sudden overnight fame. After four years of performing in bars, Guan Chi, Ji Yan, and Shi Si embarked on ordinary, uninteresting lives, leaving only Lin Qingye to continue on this path.
But halfway through, darkness enveloped him.
Now, finally, after the storm comes the calm.
Guan Chi, Ji Yan, and Shi Si were also stunned by the scene, with tears in their eyes and blood boiling.
The three wiped their eyes and each returned to their instruments.
Drummer Guan Chi.
Bassist Ji Yan.
Keyboardist Shi Si.
And, lead vocalist Lin Qingye.
He carried a guitar, sat on the high stool behind the microphone stand, rested the guitar on his leg, and leaned toward the microphone: “A song called ‘Murmuring’—”
He raised his eyes, scanning the audience below, finally resting his gaze on Xu Zhinan.
His long, slender fingers strummed the guitar strings, producing a smooth melody that landed on everyone’s heartstrings, and then he spoke, “For you.”
Xu Zhinan’s heart trembled.
As soon as he finished speaking, the prelude began.
The Locust Tree Band’s coordination was impeccable. A section of drums came first, with rapid beats falling like a violent storm, instantly igniting the entire venue.
Everything else blurred, leaving only the four people on stage.
This was their moment.
The audience below stood up, swaying and singing along with the melody. The glow sticks were like a field of wheat being blown by the wind, all moving in unison.
He sang:
That girl
I’ve never felt such an urgent desire to see her
But she doesn’t speak
Like a silent deity
…
Lin Qingye stood on the stage, looking at the crowd below, at the light boards and sea of glow sticks dedicated to him.
The lyrics of “Murmuring” had been completely rewritten, different from the initial version, describing his feelings while in prison.
In that dark world, he couldn’t see Xu Zhinan, could only stand in front of a mirror and see the girl carved on his back.
No matter what he said or thought, the girl would look at him with a smile, as if casting a river of stars between them, supporting him through that time.
As the music festival ended, fans left with excitement that couldn’t be suppressed.
The Locust Tree Band’s coordination was too perfect; every musical note, drum beat, and keyboard stroke matched flawlessly. The melodies intertwined as they entered the ears, instantly giving people goosebumps.
It was as if every listener was part of the sweating performers on stage, immersed in it, and by the end, they were all drenched in sweat.
If the audience felt this way, not to mention the four of them.
After the music festival ended, the topic #LinQingyeBCityMusicFestival# had already risen to the top of the trending searches.
He had debuted as a solo artist, and this was the first time since his debut that people saw the Locust Tree Band reunite. For a time, the internet was buzzing with discussions and information about this band.
Besides photos and videos from today’s stage, even old photos and videos from their bar performances were being widely shared.
Ahhhhh does Wild Boy have any more surprises for us?!!
As a Yan City resident, I had never gone to see Locust Tree Band’s performances before. I’ve sinned!
I must go to the next few concerts!!! Just watching videos makes my blood boil. I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead. The atmosphere at the music festival is even better than a concert!
Ah, seeing Lin Qingye shining brightly on stage while singing, I don’t know why I want to cry again. It’s so hard, so hard.
I! Am! Crazy! In! Love!
Lin Qingye, go for it! Walk the flower road! Top-tier! Top!
…
After the performance ended, Xu Zhinan returned with them.
Shi Si had pre-ordered a lot of late-night snacks—grilled skewers, fried foods, beer, and the like, filling two large bags. Once they returned to the hotel, the food arrived.
He opened the door to get the food delivery, then turned back to ask: “How about it? We won’t be able to sleep tonight anyway. Should we go to the captain’s room for some late-night snacks?”
After such a performance, the long-dormant excitement in their bones had been activated, and they indeed couldn’t sleep.
Shi Si recalled Lin Qingye’s attitude from yesterday afternoon: “If we go now, he won’t beat us up, right?”
Guan Chi pondered for a moment, looked at his watch: “It’s only been how long since we got back? They shouldn’t have gotten into the main event that quickly, right?”
Shi Si: “Then let’s hurry over. If we’re any later, we might miss our chance.”
So the three of them carried the late-night snacks together and rang the doorbell of the next room.
Lin Qingye opened the door, still wearing the same clothes from the stage. Shi Si secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Good, it seems like they hadn’t interrupted anything indescribable.
Lin Qingye stood at the door, silently looking at them, raising an eyebrow.
Guan Chi held up the bag of late-night snacks: “Want a drink?”
Lin Qingye chuckled and stepped aside to let them in.
They took out all the things from the bags. Guan Chi was in a good mood today and had bought quite a lot, covering the entire coffee table.
“We must drink until we’re drunk today,” Guan Chi said. “It was so damn satisfying. I haven’t touched the drums for so long. That first hit went straight to the top of my head.”
Shi Si laughed: “Brother, you bought beer. It’s like drinking water. I’m afraid ‘drink until we’re drunk’ isn’t going to happen.”
Ji Yan: “Where’s the Light of Pingchuan?”
After so much time, they sometimes still habitually called Xu Zhinan “the Light of Pingchuan.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice suddenly sounded from the bedroom next door: “Qingye-ge.”
Everyone looked over in unison.
Xu Zhinan stood at the bedroom door, having already showered, wearing pajamas—a light pink shirt-style top and loose shorts, revealing a large expanse of fair thighs.
She had just washed her hair but hadn’t dried it yet. Water dripped down, sliding into her eyes, making her unable to open them momentarily.
With her hands raised, reaching behind her back, she closed her eyes with slightly furrowed brows: “I can’t fasten my necklace. Can you help me?”
The living room fell silent.
Lin Qingye was the first to react, casually covering the eyes of Shi Si, who was standing right next to him, and taking large strides towards Xu Zhinan.
He grabbed Xu Zhinan’s arm and pulled her back into the bedroom, closing the bedroom door with a “bang.”
Leaving the three people in the living room looking at each other in bewilderment.
“Holy shit,” Shi Si was dumbfounded. “So, we still came at a bad time?”
Guan Chi: “You idiot, still staring at the Light of Pingchuan.”
“I’m wronged, I just didn’t react in time,” Shi Si said. “Besides, what she was wearing was fine, right? She didn’t show that much. But isn’t that too childish? Captain likes this type?”
Ji Yan threw a cushion at him, saying impatiently: “You still dare to talk about this? When he comes out, he’ll beat you up!”
Shi Si shut up.
Xu Zhinan only realized what happened after being pulled back into the bedroom. She raised her hand to wipe her eyes, opening them, and then belatedly heard the sound from the living room outside, as well as the smell of barbecue permeating the air.
She blinked at Lin Qingye.
He was quite calm and didn’t feel there was anything wrong, leisurely helping her fasten the necklace again.
It was still the necklace he had given her on her birthday back then.
“I’ll get you a new one next time,” Lin Qingye said, fingers pinching the blue sapphire.
“No need, this one is beautiful,” Xu Zhinan pursed her lips. “Outside, did they come?”
“Yeah, just arrived, having some late-night snacks.”
“Then I just now…”
Lin Qingye: “It’s fine, I pulled you in immediately. Change into something else before going out.”
“Should I go out too?”
“You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that.” Xu Zhinan bit her lower lip. “I just feel a bit awkward. You didn’t even tell me they were coming.”
Lin Qingye patted her head, bending down to kiss her: “I thought you heard the noise.”
“The soundproofing is good. I had the water running loudly in the bathroom, so I didn’t hear anything.”
“It’s okay. Come out and eat something later. I noticed you didn’t eat much dinner earlier. After you’re full, if you feel bored, you can go to sleep first. They’ll probably make noise for a while longer.”
Xu Zhinan nodded.
Lin Qingye went back to the living room, and soon after, Xu Zhinan also came out after changing clothes. She had changed into a pair of jeans, slipped on white slippers, and walked over to sit next to Lin Qingye.
The young woman’s hair was half-dried, falling smoothly down her back. She had no makeup on, just a clean, fair face.
She couldn’t have looked more pure if she tried.
Even the dyed blue hair didn’t affect that purity.
She sat down obediently next to Lin Qingye.
Ji Yan looked again at the three of them on their side, and suddenly felt strangely that the coffee table in the middle was like a dividing line, separating the heavenly gods and fairies from their chaotic demonic selves.
Shi Si had been staring for several seconds just now, and feeling he had offended his sister-in-law, he voluntarily stepped up to atone, picking up a few skewers and actively passing them over: “Here, here, sister-in-law, don’t be shy, eat more, you’re too thin!”
Xu Zhinan had a slow-warming personality. Being addressed so enthusiastically, she looked up at him in surprise, quickly standing up to accept: “Thank you.”
Not just “thanks,” but a proper “thank you.”
She was too polite.
It made him unsure how to respond.
They had just been talking about the upcoming music festivals. Lin Qingye wasn’t particularly attentive to Xu Zhinan; seeing her eating with her head lowered, he just left her be.
The one paying attention to her was Shi Si.
Lin Qingye and Guan Chi were in the middle of a conversation when Shi Si suddenly stood up again: “Sister-in-law! You’ve been eating for so long without anything to drink!”
Saying this, he picked up a beer bottle and leaned over, “Here! Let me pour you a glass!”
“No need, no need.” Xu Zhinan hurriedly covered the glass mouth, still holding a piece of grilled meat in her hand, all flustered.
Shi Si: “How can you not drink?”
Xu Zhinan covered the glass, turning her head to look at Lin Qingye, shaking her head: “I can’t drink alcohol.”
The other three also looked at Lin Qingye in unison.
Xu Zhinan looked at him originally because she remembered getting drunk at Zhao Qian’s wedding and didn’t want to get drunk again today and trouble Lin Qingye.
However, that look in the eyes of the other three took on a different meaning.
What’s going on?
How did this become husband control???
It’s just beer, how come she needs Lin Qingye’s permission now!?
That’s too inhumane!!
Shi Si was even more shocked. Previously, when Lin Qingye had first decided to pursue Xu Zhinan again, he had barely accepted the setting of a humble captain, but now he found the roles had completely reversed.
Lin Qingye straightened up and spoke: “Don’t give her alcohol.”
“…” Shi Si numbly sat back down with the beer bottle. “Oh.”
After eating several skewers, even though the ones she took weren’t spicy, they were still very salty. She was indeed thirsty. Xu Zhinan turned her head to tell Lin Qingye: “I’m going to get a bottle of water.”
“Okay.”
They had all been wild in their ways.
Their friends were also of similar personalities. This was the first time they had seen someone like Xu Zhinan, who would dutifully report to Lin Qingye even for getting a bottle of water.
After Xu Zhinan walked out of the living room.
Shi Si asked: “Captain, sister-in-law can’t drink alcohol?”
“She has a low tolerance.”
“…Oh.” Shi Si nodded. “If you don’t let her drink, she won’t drink. She looks like a good student.”
Lin Qingye glanced at him, probably understanding what they were thinking.
If Xu Zhinan wanted to drink, he wouldn’t stop her. As long as she didn’t drink too much to the point of getting a headache or feeling dizzy, it would be fine. But in their eyes, it had become him not allowing her to drink.
He didn’t bother to explain, picking up the cigarette pack and taking one out, tapping it on the coffee table before putting it in his mouth, not lighting it.
After a moment, lazily, with a smug smile, he said: “She’s obedient, right?”
Guan Chi: “…”
Shi Si: “…”
Ji Yan: “…”
How did Xu Zhinan manage to turn Lin Qingye, who had once humbly pursued her, back into this shameless version?
It was like taking a good hand of cards and playing it terribly.
But it was also good that she had transformed the cold, depressed Lin Qingye from when he first got out of prison back into this cocky figure, which was quite nice too.