Chapter 61

Puhai is really quite small, and the traffic is so good that it didn't take long to get home. After parking by the roadside, the two looked at each other, and Yang Jingxing said, "I'm sorry for making you cry."

Tao Meng's little lips pouted a bit: "How are you going to make it up to me?"

Yang Jingxing feigned a deep tone: "Life is full of mistakes, but who can really say what is right or wrong? I always feel that many things don't have a clear right or wrong, let alone talk about justice and evil. In the same situation, everyone might be wrong, or everyone might be right..."

Tao Meng's face turned unhappy again.

Yang Jingxing continued: "Everything has two sides, right? If it's already wrong, talking about making it up is just empty words. Time can't be reversed, and it can't be made up... But today, now, looking at you, I really feel I was wrong. How are you going to forgive me?"

Tao Meng turned her head away from Yang Jingxing, and when she turned back, her lips were even more pouted: "You want me to forgive you without making it up!"

Yang Jingxing said, "Alright, I was planning to write the next song after I learned the orchestration, but now I'll have to do it earlier."

Tao Meng, feeling a bit smug, asked, "What is orchestration?"

After understanding what orchestration was, Tao Meng refused: "No, you have to finish learning before you write. It has to be better than this one, and it has to be the best... I can wait."

Yang Jingxing agreed: "Okay! I'll work overtime at home; I learn quickly."

"More time too!"

"At least one more minute."

Tao Meng was strict: "No, at least... eight minutes, and if I don't like it, I'll make you change it until I'm satisfied."

Yang Jingxing nodded solemnly: "Sure, thank you for giving me such a profound lesson."

Tao Meng giggled: "Let's see if you dare again."

Yang Jingxing got out of the car, tidied up the things from the back seat, then opened the front door and invited Tao Meng to get out, saying, "I'll see you to the elevator."

Tao Meng said, "No need, I'm going back to Songjiang."

Yang Jingxing said, "Be careful on the way."

Tao Meng nodded: "You too, I'll text you when I get home."

Yang Jingxing said, "Drive slowly, I can wait."

Tao Meng said, "We can drive together for a while."

So Yang Jingxing waited for Tao Meng to get her car, and they drove together for about two or three kilometers before parting ways. Yang Jingxing had dinner and then went back to school, but Yu Xinting wasn't in Room 402 anymore.

Yang Jingxing cherished his current creative impulse and inspiration, so he didn't even play the trumpet, but went straight to the double keyboard. This thing is indeed a powerful tool for composing and arranging, like having an orchestra at your disposal, where you can call any instrument to play any melody or chord, and it can automatically record.

The initial idea was to write a piece with contrasting counterpoint, with two parts in "Through the Storm Together." A duet for piano and trumpet.

On Sunday morning, Yang Jingxing arrived at school at six, practiced the trumpet for two hours, then took Yu Xinting to her tutoring session. Then he started thinking about the new piece. At noon, he met Yu Xinting for lunch, and An Xin joined them.

Yu Xinting was dressed quite nicely today, with black boots, tight jeans, and a long coat that was very cute, made of a velvet-like material, in a light pink color, with a cartoon bear pattern on the chest and a large hood on the back.

Yang Jingxing, of course, praised her, saying she looked very pretty.

Yu Xinting giggled: "I really like this outfit. I bought it when I went home during the New Year to celebrate passing the exam... It's my most expensive one, costing over 800 yuan."

Yang Jingxing scolded her: "You only share it with me today!"

Yu Xinting explained: "It's been cold, and it's hard to wash."

Yang Jingxing said, "If it's hard to wash, you can give it to me, An Xin too."

An Xin agreed: "Sure!"

Yu Xinting couldn't refuse anymore.

After lunch, they went shopping, with the main goal of buying a computer, but they could also look at clothes, so An Xin was also invited. Yu Xinting said her budget was 6,000 yuan, unsure if she could find a suitable laptop. Yang Jingxing used a high-end brand, costing nearly 20,000 yuan, which Yu Xinting liked but didn't dare to think about.

They compared prices at three different stores, spending about two hours, with Yang Jingxing mostly doing the consulting, bargaining, and making decisions. They chose a small red laptop. The configuration wasn't great, but it was pretty and cost just over 5,000 yuan.

Yu Xinting held it lovingly, and Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you want to buy more clothes?"

"Sure!" Yu Xinting decided to have a big haul but said, "We won't go to the mall, we'll go to a place with many small shops. I want to bargain, bargain!"

An Xin knew the place and went directly there, but it took a long time to find a parking spot. It was similar to a mall, but with various small clothing stores and many food stalls, offering all kinds of food. Yu Xinting was excited and bounced around.

They started with clothes, looking left and right. Yang Jingxing followed Yu Xinting and An Xin into a small shop, probably only ten square meters, with walls full of women's and girls' clothes, but none of them were ugly.

"Welcome, handsome and beautiful, feel free to look, they're all good clothes," the owner, a woman in her late twenties, said, dressed nicely and very热情.

Yu Xinting and An Xin were still looking, and Yang Jingxing found something first: "That one, the brown one."

It was a girl's coat, mid-length, with a puffy design on the hem and sleeves, quite pretty. Yu Xinting's coat had no buttons or zipper, making it hard to take off and put on, but she wasn't like Yang Jingxing, who didn't mind the trouble.

After trying it on, An Xin said, "It's a bit big."

So they tried a smaller size, which fit perfectly.

This time, Yang Jingxing said, "Not bad."

The owner also said it looked good: "You have a slim waist, you should wear something that shows it off."

Yu Xinting asked Yang Jingxing, "Really good?"

Yang Jingxing smiled: "Of course, the owner doesn't give kickbacks."

The owner complained: "I'm not making any money, let alone kickbacks!"

Yu Xinting wasn't in a hurry, carefully examining the edges and corners, and didn't find any major issues, so she asked, "How much?"

"Since it's the last two, 650 yuan, I won't make a profit on you."

Yu Xinting shook her head and asked, "Can it be washed? Will it fade or shrink?"

The owner patted her chest: "Impossible, come back if it does!"

Yu Xinting looked at Yang Jingxing and said to the owner, "300 yuan, will you sell it?"

The owner looked at her in disbelief, in a Puhai accent: "Beauty, are you joking?"

Yu Xinting felt embarrassed. Yang Jingxing said, "She's serious, 300 yuan, it's a fair price."

The owner looked at Yang Jingxing for a few seconds, then angrily said, "Handsome, you're wearing Ganni and bringing a beauty to look at clothes, and you're bargaining like this? This isn't bargaining, it's murder!"

Yang Jingxing laughed: "She's a little beauty, you're a big beauty, give her a fair price."

The owner was helpless: "600 yuan, no less."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Is it true that the prettier the boss, the higher the price? Let's go to another store."

Yu Xinting was about to take off the coat, and the owner quickly said, "Tell me, what price can you give, don't be too unfair."

Yang Jingxing said, "She said 300 yuan."

The owner was speechless: "You're not really here to buy, 580 yuan, take it if you want, I'm not making any profit."

Yang Jingxing chuckled: "Boss, these clothes are all your own selection, right? The little beauty appreciates the big beauty's taste. This coat isn't even worth one pearl on your necklace, so 300 yuan, we'll come back later."

The owner exclaimed: "If you come back, I'll close the shop. Handsome, is 300 yuan a fair price for a coat? You're wearing all designer clothes!"

Yang Jingxing pretended: "I'll take it off!"

The owner sneered: "You take it off, and I'll sell it!"

Yang Jingxing threatened: "I really will take it off!"

Yu Xinting giggled: "Forget it, let's go somewhere else."

The owner held Yang Jingxing back, flipping open his coat: "Let me see your shirt... Zegna, right? Handsome, even as a friend, you should help the beauty buy this coat!"

Yang Jingxing said, "Okay, 300 yuan... Beauty, you've seen my underwear!"

The owner teased: "Let me see your abs."

Yu Xinting stopped laughing, quickly took off the coat, and grabbed her own coat from An Xin, putting it on and leaving: "Let's go!"

The owner tried to retain them: "550 yuan..."

Yang Jingxing was shameless: "Let her see, what's the big deal, I'm a man."

Yu Xinting said, "I don't like that coat anymore... I can only bargain in dialect, I'm not used to it."

An Xin blamed Yang Jingxing: "You being with us, people can tell right away."

Yu Xinting asked Yang Jingxing, "Did you buy the clothes yesterday? You look so handsome."

They entered another store, where the owner was older and seemed more honest. An Xin liked a coat and a pair of pants, and they bought them at a reasonable price.

They continued shopping, and Yu Xinting was attracted by the smell of spicy and sour rice noodles from a distance. Each of them had a bowl, and Yang Jingxing paid. Yu Xinting said it was delicious but too expensive, more than twice the price in Yidu!

After finishing the noodles, they still needed to find something for Yu Xinting. They looked at one store after another, and finally, something made her happy.

Yu Xinting liked a mid-length coat, and Yang Jingxing helped her choose a short one. After trying them on, both looked good. The two owners, both in their early twenties, didn't tease Yang Jingxing and were quite respectful.

The bargaining process wasn't intense, and they quickly bought both for 600 yuan. Yu Xinting was delighted, and Yang Jingxing praised her: "You're better than me."

An Xin teased Yang Jingxing: "You don't know how to bargain, you almost sold yourself."

Yu Xinting comforted her: "The owner was bad, I hope she goes out of business and closes soon!"

Looking at the time, it was already five, and they needed to get back to school quickly, as Yang Jingxing had to meet Qi Qingnuo in the evening. On the way to get the car, they passed an ice cream shop, and Yang Jingxing suggested: "It tastes good, do you want to try?"

Yu Xinting was happy: "I've had it twice, it's delicious."

So Yang Jingxing bought ice cream for the two girls, but not for himself.

After getting back to school, Yu Xinting went to her dorm first and asked Yang Jingxing if he wanted to change into new clothes. Yang Jingxing said no, and instructed: "Put it in the car, I'll wash it and bring it back to you, An Xin, bring your clothes too."

Yu Xinting thought for a moment: "I'll put my computer in the car too."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you want to go for hot pot?"

Yu Xinting shook her head: "Next week... Are you free?"

"Yes."

Yu Xinting giggled and pulled An Xin: "We'll go together then."

They had dinner at school, and Yang Jingxing received a call from Qi Qingnuo: "Can you come at seven?"

Yang Jingxing said, "No problem, I'm having dinner now."

Qi Qingnuo asked, "Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No need."

Qi Qingnuo added, "It's hard to park here, come first, and I'll take you there."

A little later, Tao Meng called: "Did you buy the computer... Have you eaten... Where is the bar... Go home early, say hello to them for me."

Yang Jingxing was a bit upset: "They didn't say hello to you."

Tao Meng was generous: "I don't mind. By the way, Grandma asked about you."

"What did she ask?"

"If we've been in touch, I said we haven't."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Who do you talk to more often?"

Tao Meng loudly: "I lied."

Yang Jingxing criticized: "That's not good."

Tao Meng felt wronged: "They'll overthink it, you think I like lying."

Yang Jingxing said, "It's normal for a few people to pursue you, why overthink it."

Tao Meng said, "But it has to be you contacting me."

Yang Jingxing agreed: "Okay, let's be more normal in the future."

Tao Meng huffed: "You just say it nicely. Also, I want the sheet music for the song from yesterday, the piano version."

"Is it 'Through the Storm Together'? No, it's 'Sun in the Rain.'"

"You're so annoying!"

Around six, Yu Xinting and Yang Jingxing set off. Yu Xinting also invited An Xin, but she refused, saying she wasn't interested in rock and didn't like noisy places.

The bar was in the north of Pudong, a bit remote. The area was well-developed, but it was more like an industrial park with few residents. It took about half an hour to drive from the music college, and Yang Jingxing was relatively fast.

Yu Xinting was a bit excited and asked what kind of people would be in the bar, if there would be drinks and juices, and if anyone would dance.

Yang Jingxing had no experience, having only been to a disco once with Tan Dong, with no happy or proud memories.

They drove around for a while but couldn't find the bar, so Yang Jingxing called Qi Qingnuo. She was speechless after he described the location: "Do you see the June Flower? It's right next to it... I told you the door is small, and I don't need to pick you up!"

Hey, they had passed by a few times. The bar, Glory, had a small door and no sign, looking nothing like a bar, more like a warehouse.

Qi Qingnuo was waiting at the small iron gate, got in the car to show Yang Jingxing where to park, and teased Yu Xinting: "You look like a junior high student, no one under 18 allowed."

Yu Xinting wasn't afraid: "I have my ID!"

Qi Qingnuo teased Yang Jingxing: "I'll introduce you to a few beauties later."

Yang Jingxing was dismissive: "I know both of you."

Qi Qingnuo added: "Uncle Chen has been talking about you, and the girls can't wait."

Yang Jingxing to Yu Xinting: "Protect me, don't be as unrighteous as her."

Yu Xinting was scared: "How do I protect you?"

Qi Qingnuo suggested: "Just be his girlfriend for the night."

Yu Xinting was modest: "I can't do it!"

Qi Qingnuo was frustrated: "It can't be me, my parents are here, how will you deal with it later?"