The Complete Guide to the Use and Care (41-end)

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Before Ji Linxi could do anything, Feng Ji walked over.

As one of the workers, Feng Ji had access to the whole stadium. Since the seat beside Su Yuyang was still empty, Feng Ji sat down in it.

The atmosphere was tense. Feng Ji coughed twice, cleared his throat, and said, “The concert’s starting. What are you glaring at each other for? Look at the stage!”

As Feng Ji finished speaking, the lights all around dimmed and two blinding white spotlights appeared on the stage. From one side of the stage, a figure slowly walked out.

“Good evening, everyone! I’m Yan Li, and thank you for coming tonight!” Yan Li was the emcee for her own show, which surprised Ji Linxi.

Seeing Ji Linxi’s surprise, Feng Ji explained: “Yan Li’s concerts are always like this. She hosts them too.”

As Yan Li finished her opening speech, thunderous applause and cheers rose from all directions like the roar of the ocean. As if rehearsed, every person called Yan Li’s name. The thunderous shouts left Ji Linxi convinced of the strength of Yan Li’s fans, and gave him a new opinion of Yan Li herself.

“I’m very happy to have a concert in my hometown. So, I dedicate this first song to my hometown!” Having said her piece, Yan Li raised her hands in the air and backup dancers swarmed onto the stage from all directions. The concert had officially begun.

Ji Linxi watched Yan Li on the stage and couldn’t tear his gaze away. Yan Li on stage and the Yan Li he knew seemed to be two completely different people.

As the first song ended, Ji Linxi was still immersed in Yan Li’s radiance. The song changed, and Yan Li took the image of a countryside girl on the stage. The melancholy music and sentimental lyrics made Ji Linxi feel that Yan Li was the girl described in the song, and he almost wanted to rush onstage to comfort her.

“Fuck. Do you need to make people sad the moment it starts?” Ling Miao said huffily.

Su Yuyang was calm as he smiled and said, “The theme of the concert is ‘The love letter I can’t send,’ so the sadness is going to continue.”

“What’s the point of a love letter? Why not just confess?” The moment Ling Miao said the words he frowned, but soon his eyes lit with surprise: I… can I write my confession into my book?

The same notion had occurred to Su Yuyang. Since I can’t tell him to his face, I’ll just write it in the section for author’s notes!

The concert was still ongoing. Su Yuyang looked at the program on the back of the ticket and told Ling Miao: “The concert’s about to go into halftime.” At halftime, Yan Li wouldn’t rest. She was going to invite a fan onstage.

Lights on both sides of the stage went on. Yan Li turned around to look at the big screen, which cut to Yan Li’s face, then spotlights roved over the audience.

“Stop!”

Yan Li yelled out the command and the spotlight stopped. Ling Miao felt the light hurt his eyes and almost thought it had chosen him, but then he looked at the big screen and realized the person chosen was Ji Linxi who was sitting beside him.

A stagehand walked over and invited Ji Linxi on stage. Ji Linxi looked pleadingly at Ling Miao, who stared at his toes and completely ignored Ji Linxi’s pleas for help.

Ji Linxi was helpless. He asked the stagehand: “Can I bring this flower?”

“Let me check it.”

The stagehand checked Ji Linxi’s flower and confirmed nothing was amiss then led Ji Linxi to the stage.

Ling Miao cursed softly: “Fuck. He’s really going to deliver it?”

“Weren’t you going to stop him?” Su Yuyang laughed coldly.

Ling Miao glared fiercely at Su Yuyang. He had intended to scold Su Yuyang but then he met Su Yuyang’s eyes and couldn’t say a word.

“Dumb cat.” Su Yuyang’s hand gently stroked the back of Ling Miao’s head. “Why are you interfering in their matters?” Su Yuyang said this against Ling Miao’s cheek, hot breath blowing into Ling Miao’s ear, their positions charged with implications. All around them the lights had dimmed and Su Yuyang got up the courage to put his lips to Ling Miao’s temple, but he didn’t linger there, just brushed past as if the contact had been an accident.

Ling Miao felt his cheeks and ears burning. His heart kept pounding.

“Hey, why are you molesting me?” Ling Miao pretended that Su Yuyang was teasing him.

Su Yuyang looked disgusted: “Who wants to eat old tofu?”¹

“I like it,” Ling Miao said self-righteously, meeting Su Yuyang’s eyes which were full of meaning.

If one year was the difference between old tofu and tender tofu, then to Ling Miao, wouldn’t Su Yuyang be old tofu?

Translation notes:

[1] ‘eat tofu’: take advantage of someone