Chapter 60

After finishing his burger, Yang Jingxing went to the cinema. The New Year's films hadn't started yet, and the current movies were all pretty bland. After much deliberation, Tao Meng decided to watch an American film called "The Odd Couple," which was described as a romantic comedy. Yang Jingxing bought the tickets, and Tao Meng chose a seat in the middle back row, without any cola or popcorn.

The screening room had about two to three hundred seats, but only thirty to forty people were there when the movie was about to start, and it was even a weekend! After sitting down, Yang Jingxing said, "I really want to set up two tables."

Tao Meng replied, "Then I'll sit on the right."

"Switch!"

"Annoying." Tao Meng still switched.

The movie started, and Tao Meng asked what instrument was used in the opening music. Yang Jingxing said it was made with a synthesizer, similar to a bagpipe and a clarinet. After the opening, the movie showed the main characters meeting and having a one-night stand. The bed scene wasn't passionate or revealing, but the dialogue was quite funny. Yang Jingxing chuckled, but Tao Meng didn't react.

Movies really should be rated; there were still kids in the audience, but the film had a lot of crude jokes and scenes, though not explicit, they were still vulgar. Tao Meng's evaluation was, "So disgusting!"

Yang Jingxing still chuckled and said, "This is creative."

"You're still saying that!" Tao Meng was angry, "You chose it!"

Yang Jingxing was willing to take the blame, "Alright, I chose it... You should look at it with an appreciative and inclusive eye, then it's funny. Why spend money and still feel disgusted?"

Tao Meng said, "I didn't say it wasn't funny, but it's still disgusting."

Yang Jingxing agreed, "Then it's disgustingly funny."

Tao Meng said, "Just like you, annoyingly funny."

Yang Jingxing, with a thick skin, said, "I'll take it as a compliment."

The one and a half hour movie ended with a slightly romantic scene, but it ultimately ended in vulgarity. Tao Meng was almost furious, "This director is hopeless!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I hate him too."

Tao Meng didn't believe it, "I didn't see it."

By the time they left the cinema, it was already five o'clock, and it was time to send Tao Meng home. They went to get the car, but the traffic was a mess, and they were frustrated.

Yang Jingxing drove slowly, alternating between the gas and brake, while Tao Meng was counting her "loot," asking, "Which one looks better?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Both look good."

"What about the combination?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Dark with light... You're asking an outsider."

Tao Meng said, "Can't you become an insider? Don't you like them?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I like them."

"Really?"

"Really."

Tao Meng regretted, "I actually wanted to buy more for you." Then she was angry again, "But you showed no enthusiasm at all!"

Yang Jingxing felt wronged, "How can I show enthusiasm for myself?"

"You're not very enthusiastic with me either."

Yang Jingxing was helpless, "Alright, let's settle accounts later."

Tao Meng softened a bit, "But overall, your performance was still okay."

Yang Jingxing felt relieved, "Oh, then my day was worth it."

Tao Meng complained, "You make it sound like you suffered!"

Yang Jingxing sighed, "Anxiety and happiness."

Tao Meng couldn't help but smile, "Don't exaggerate so much, I didn't say anything bad about you, did I?"

Tao Meng asked what Yang Jingxing planned to do the next day. Yang Jingxing's plan was to accompany Yu Xinting to buy a computer in the afternoon and then go to Qi Qingnuo's father's bar in the evening.

Tao Meng knew about the Chenghuang band, but she didn't know who Qi Dawei was. However, Tao Meng still had doubts, "You and they, aren't you of different styles? And there's a generation gap."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "I don't even have a style yet, and Beethoven is from a long time ago."

Tao Meng said, "The style of the morning piece was good... Are there any others? I want to hear them."

Yang Jingxing said, "No, that was my debut, and the ones I wrote before weren't well-formed."

Tao Meng was a bit surprised, "Debut? Are you going to publish it? Why let someone else name it!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I don't have that plan for now, and the name isn't important."

Tao Meng thought for a moment and said, "You should make more male friends. Female friends, after all, might not be very helpful to you in the future."

Yang Jingxing said, "They are friends."

Tao Meng said, "Just female friends, doesn't that feel strange?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Who makes me only like women."

Tao Meng was annoyed, "That's a different concept... I won't talk about studies, but do you really need me to accompany you to buy a computer?"

"She doesn't know."

Tao Meng said, "It still feels strange and can easily cause misunderstandings."

Yang Jingxing chuckled, "That's true."

Tao Meng was sensitive, "We've known each other for so many years! It's completely different... What if we change the name to 'Through Wind and Rain'? Is that good?"

Yang Jingxing said, "It's good, but it's already decided. If we change it, Yu Xinting will be sad. Next time, you can choose."

Tao Meng was unhappy, "I want to choose this one!"

Yang Jingxing smiled, "No."

Tao Meng was cold, not speaking for a long time. Yang Jingxing kept being thick-skinned, "You're angry... I know you're faking it, I won't fall for it... Speak up, or I'll misunderstand... How about two songs as compensation..."

Tao Meng suddenly asked, "Do you think we won't have common language in music?"

Yang Jingxing felt wronged, "Then I won't play for you, is the name that important?"

Tao Meng said, "It's important to me... I planned a whole day of activities, and this is how you repay me!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm very happy, but there's no need to make Yu Xinting unhappy, right? If it were you..."

Tao Meng loudly, "Alright, even if my request is excessive, why didn't you tell me in advance! Am I not capable of appreciation? Can't I tell good from bad? I may not be that professional, but my appreciation skills are definitely not bad!"

Yang Jingxing said, "Give me a few minutes to think... We can't end on a bad note."

Tao Meng was serious, "This isn't ending on a bad note, I'm just stating facts and reasoning."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Yes, reasoning."

Tao Meng emphasized, "I said, even if the work isn't good, I understand. Music creation isn't easy, but you should at least communicate with me, right? You can't just finish the work, let someone else name it, and then play it for me once, and that's it. Is that what friends do? Even if it's inconvenient to call, I can make time to come over! Even if I don't understand, I can learn, am I dumber than others?"

Yang Jingxing was disappointed, "It seems I've wasted my efforts today."

Tao Meng was still reasoning, "We're talking about this, not today."

Yang Jingxing said, "Tao Meng, maybe our views are a bit different. Even if you don't understand music, you're still my friend, and I don't understand international trade. Yu Xinting, even if she doesn't understand music, we met under different circumstances and might become friends. You're upset because I didn't let you name it, and I understand that..."

Tao Meng argued, "I'm not upset, I'm saying you shouldn't have done it. If I were really upset, I wouldn't be like this!"

Yang Jingxing compromised, "Alright, let's reason. The logic is simple, I think you shouldn't make such a big deal out of a name."

Tao Meng shouted, "I feel ignored! Why does Yu Xinting have your key and use your instruments?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I can give you a key too, would that help? Yu Xinting and I are friends, and we're in the same school, with the same teacher..."

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it!" Tao Meng covered her ears and shed a few tears.

Yang Jingxing was startled and quickly found a place to park, afraid, "Don't... don't do this..."

"Say nothing!" Tao Meng still covered her ears and turned her face to the window.

After a few minutes, Tao Meng put her hands down, still facing away from Yang Jingxing, rummaged through her bag for tissues, and after a while, turned back, her eyes still a bit red, and said calmly, "Drive."

Yang Jingxing didn't, "We should talk."

Tao Meng shook her head, "It's my fault."

Yang Jingxing was urgent, "That's not what I meant."

Tao Meng said, "Yes, I know, I was excessive. I've calmed down, drive."

Yang Jingxing continued, "Tao Meng, first, we are friends, but in this friendship, there might also be love... "

"No!" Tao Meng was firm.

Yang Jingxing, with a thick skin, "Let me finish. Sometimes when I'm with you, I feel sweet, like love. I think you have high standards for love, and so do I. But love is hard to figure out... However, it's good that even if there is love between us, it doesn't cause harm, and we can't define the relationship..."

Tao Meng looked at Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing continued, "You definitely don't want to, and I don't have the courage either. I'm afraid of being hurt, and so are you. Even as friends, you hope I'm loyal. Although you don't often smile at me, I know you care about me, and I'm moved, so I'm willing to let you scold me. But we can't deliberately pursue becoming friends or even lovers, such feelings are not solid and can easily bring pain... Without true love, there's only harm, which is the silliest."

Tao Meng was confused, her chin trembling, "Are you annoyed with me?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I've never been annoyed with you, I really like you, so I hope you can be happier. Today, we were actually very happy, but now you're not happy, not because you're jealous of my love, but because I didn't follow your planned framework. Maybe one day, we can become lovers, so from now on, we should prepare and treat each other like lovers. I can't have female friends, and you can't have male friends, like arranged marriages, working towards a set goal. But what if we don't fall in love? Is it worth it to invest so much emotion?"

Tao Meng was about to cry again, "You're just annoyed with me."

Yang Jingxing was very patient, "This isn't annoyance. I just feel something is wrong and want to say it, hoping it's for your good. Maybe one day, you'll meet a man and fall in love at first sight, would you think your current self is not worth it? I don't want you to regret. You and I are not people who blindly pursue love. You choose to be cautious and plan step by step, while I choose to go with the flow... Neither is good, maybe we should find a middle ground."

Tao Meng insisted, "No matter what kind of relationship, it needs to be maintained with effort. If you're annoyed with me, just say it."

Yang Jingxing said, "I agree, I'm willing to maintain our friendship. But what about love? Do we have it? Can we be sure?"

Tao Meng looked into Yang Jingxing's eyes, "Are you afraid to love me or don't love me?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Love should be a natural thing, not something where I see a pretty girl and ask her to be my girlfriend, and then we fall in love... If love were so cheap, it wouldn't be worth pursuing for a lifetime. But I can definitely say you're a girl worth my liking... Wipe it."

Tao Meng didn't move, letting Yang Jingxing help her wipe her tears. Yang Jingxing was gentle, and Tao Meng said, "Actually, I agree with your view."

Yang Jingxing was surprised, "You know you're worth my liking? I like your confidence."

Tao Meng smiled through her tears, briefly, then became sad again, "Not that, I mean love should be taken seriously... So I won't fall in love at first sight."

Yang Jingxing said, "That's not certain, you're speaking too soon."

Tao Meng said, "I can't imagine such a person... There are tears on my neck too."

Yang Jingxing wiped Tao Meng's neck and said, "If one day you really fall in love at first sight with someone, please tell me tactfully, don't hurt my self-esteem."

Tao Meng smiled a bit, with tears still on her face, "Will I?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Of course, at least I have the hope of being your boyfriend."

Tao Meng asked, "What if I have male friends at school?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I would definitely be jealous, but I wouldn't cry."

Tao Meng was upset, "I'm not crying because I'm jealous... But I don't agree that I'm too deliberate. I'm trying to make you happy. I know my attitude isn't always good, but friends should be like this... I didn't even get angry this morning!"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Yes, praise!"

Tao Meng said, "Actually, I think what you said is an effort for our relationship."

Yang Jingxing was proud, "Of course."

Tao Meng asked seriously, "Then tell me, how much of our relationship is friendship, and how much is love?"

Yang Jingxing said, "This is hard to say, I think about twenty percent is love."

Tao Meng thought for a moment and said, "For me, it might be five percent."

Yang Jingxing was relieved, "Then if I send you home, will it increase by one percent?"

Tao Meng said, "It depends on your performance, maybe by one thousandth."

Yang Jingxing finally started driving, and Tao Meng looked in the mirror, not wanting to go home with visible signs of crying. After a moment of silence, Tao Meng asked, "When do you feel sweet?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Most of the time, it's when you smile."

Tao Meng smiled slightly and asked, "What about when you're with others?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Sometimes, but not as much."

Tao Meng was unhappy and turned cold.

Yang Jingxing said, "Now is one of the times I feel sweet."

Tao Meng returned to her usual self, "You're annoying!"

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