Chapter 62

Qing Qino led Yang Jingxing and Yu Xinting through the small iron gate between the large iron gates. Inside was a small courtyard, about twenty square meters, with some flowers and plants, and a large art sculpture, a few rings intertwined, in various colors.

Behind the courtyard was the entrance to the bar, which looked quite grand. The sign read "Washing Glory" in large neon letters, shining brightly in the hazy night.

Yang Jingxing and Yu Xinting followed Qing Qino inside and found that the bar was not small, estimated to be about a hundred square meters. The bar's decor and lighting were quite warm, without the feel of metal rock. The air conditioning was on, making it slightly warm.

The bar was neither noisy nor quiet, with about thirty to forty people. A few at the bar, a few tables on the left, and a circle on the right. Directly opposite the bar on the right was a small stage, equipped with a full set of instruments: guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, upright piano, cello...

Qing Qino led Yang Jingxing to the bar and pointed to the people behind, asking, "Do you recognize them?"

Yang Jingxing asked, "Should I call him Big Brother or Uncle?"

Qing Dawei, who looked much more mature than in the posters or on TV, laughed, "We each have our own relationships in the world." Qing Dawei was almost 1.8 meters tall, with a solid build, probably inherited from his father. He still had long hair, but it was tied up, so it wasn't visible from the front.

Yang Jingxing extended his hand, "Big Brother Dawei, nice to meet you, I'm Yang Jingxing... This is Yu Xinting, we are all friends with Qing Qino."

Qing Qino hugged Yu Xinting, warning, "Don't take advantage of me!"

Yu Xinting chuckled, "Hello, it's so beautiful here."

Yang Jingxing smiled at a middle-aged woman approaching the bar, "Is this your sister-in-law? Hello."

The woman chuckled, "Welcome, welcome. Qing Qino, take them to a seat." Qing Qino's mother looked a bit older than Xiao Shuxia, but she was still well-dressed and in good shape.

Qing Qino then led Yang Jingxing to meet Chen Xiaqiang. Chen Xiaqiang was chatting with three men and one woman. The men were about the same age, and the woman looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with heavy makeup.

Chen Xiaqiang was quite considerate of Yang Jingxing, standing up and patting his shoulder to introduce him, "Young brother, Yang Jingxing, he's a classmate of Nono."

Yang Jingxing met each of them, all called Big Brother: Wang, Kang, Xiao. They were in business, running stores, and even a writer! The woman seemed to be with Boss Wang.

After meeting these few, Chen Xiaqiang led Yang Jingxing to another group. Among the seven or eight people, Yang Jingxing recognized two: one was the drummer of the Chenghuang band, and the other was a well-known music producer.

The producer was named Gan Kaicheng, who had been in the industry for over a decade and was quite famous. However, Gan Kaicheng looked to be under forty, which was due to his slim build, face shape, and medium-length hair, as well as his trendy attire. He had produced albums for many famous singers and had also created many good songs.

The average age of this group was around thirty, including an editor for a fashion magazine, a younger musician, two resident musicians at the bar, and even two civil servants!

The most enthusiastic in welcoming Yang Jingxing were the resident singers, a woman around thirty, who stood up and pulled Yang Jingxing, "Handsome guy, sit here! What do you want to drink? I'll treat you."

Yang Jingxing smiled, "Thank you, Sister Ran."

Qing Qino made Yu Xinting sit next to Yang Jingxing, saying, "I'll leave you in his care. What do you want to drink?"

Yang Jingxing wanted beer, and Yu Xinting wanted apple juice.

Sister Ran couldn't help but admire, "A handsome guy and a beautiful girl, are you from the music college?"

Yang Jingxing said, "She's in the piano department."

A civil servant asked curiously, "What's the minimum age at your school?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Most are high school graduates. She looks younger, just turned nineteen."

Sister Ran envied, "Nineteen! She looks like she's fourteen or fifteen. I'm twenty, but I look thirty!"

Sister Ran's partner laughed, "You've been twenty for decades!"

Yu Xinting sat properly, smiling modestly.

The young musician asked Yang Jingxing, "Are you studying singing?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "I'm in the composition department."

"Planning to be a singer?"

Yang Jingxing smiled awkwardly, "Not really."

Gan Kaicheng, who wasn't pretentious, smiled, "With your conditions, it would be a waste not to be a singer."

Yang Jingxing said, "There are many better than me, and I can't sing."

Sister Ran wouldn't let it go, "Sing one with me later!"

The magazine editor said, "Yang Jingxing, the name sounds familiar, have you appeared somewhere?"

Yang Jingxing said, "The name is common."

The editor slapped his thigh, "I remember, didn't you perform at the concert hall?"

Yang Jingxing was honored, "Yes, once."

"With the New York Philharmonic?"

Yang Jingxing nodded.

The editor smiled, "Our editorial team wanted to interview you but couldn't find you."

A civil servant asked, "Why would your fashion magazine interview him?"

The editor mocked, "Fashion is about taste."

Yang Jingxing said, "Luckily I didn't meet, I don't have taste."

Gan Kaicheng took a sip of his drink and said to Yang Jingxing, "I heard about that incident... it seems you had some unpleasantness with Shen Wuchen?"

Yang Jingxing was embarrassed, "Ah, bad news travels fast."

Yu Xinting spoke up, weakly stating the facts, "It's not his fault, that person was just rude."

Sister Ran seemed to be ignited with a sense of justice, asking urgently, "What happened?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Just a small conflict, it's over."

Gan Kaicheng added, "I've met this person, he might have grown up without parents to teach him... he has a bit of a personality."

The others smiled in understanding.

Qing Qino brought the beer and juice, then sat next to Yu Xinting. Gan Kaicheng asked Qing Qino, "Did you go when he performed with the New York Philharmonic last time?"

Qing Qino regretted, "I didn't have the honor."

Yu Xinting explained, "They didn't know each other then."

Qing Qino asked Yang Jingxing, "When is the next time? I'll schedule it."

Yang Jingxing smiled, "No need to schedule, probably no next time."

Gan Kaicheng was surprised, "I heard it was quite good? You played Rachmaninoff?"

Qing Qino asked Yang Jingxing, "Playing others' works, no feeling?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I didn't dare to play."

Qing Qino was angry, "I'll play your works! This drink is on you."

A civil servant asked, "Almost graduated?"

Qing Qino boasted, "He's my junior, just a freshman, still early."

The group chatted, not just Yang Jingxing and Yu Xinting were new, others weren't all very familiar with each other. Gan Kaicheng and the musician were old friends, and the musician and Sister Ran were good friends. The two civil servants and the editor were acquaintances, and the editor and Sister Ran's partner were buddies... a complex web of relationships.

Qing Qino and Sister Ran were very close. Sister Ran wanted to tease Yang Jingxing, and Qing Qino threatened, "I'll tell your husband! He's only eighteen, shy."

Yang Jingxing drank, "To build up my courage."

Sister Ran laughed, "Really shy? Nono has shy friends?"

Qing Qino laughed, "Spending too much time with you, I need to balance it out."

The drummer of the Chenghuang band was a quiet type, looking like a big boy even at forty. Qing Qino introduced Yu Xinting to him and mentioned that Nian Qing was his student.

Gan Kaicheng and David were old friends, and he was also Qing Qino's mentor. Qing Qino told Yang Jingxing that the folk version of "Contra" received a lot of help from Gan Kaicheng. Yang Jingxing, of course, expressed admiration.

More people came to the bar, including some young people in their early twenties, both men and women. But they weren't rowdy, just a few people ordering drinks and chatting.

At eight o'clock, Sister Ran and her partner went to prepare, getting ready to perform. Qing Qino took Yu Xinting to the restroom, and upon returning, introduced her to a few more people. Qing Qino's mother also came over to greet the new guests, being very polite to Yu Xinting.

When Sister Ran went on stage, she received a lot of applause. Her singing was so good that the applause was genuine. Her voice was solid and powerful, and the accompaniment was just a piano, but the performance was as impressive as a band. After a few popular songs, the atmosphere in the bar became purer.

There was more to come, as Qing Dawei and the drummer went on stage, and the fifty or sixty people in the bar cheered. Qing Dawei spoke, not to thank the fans, but to thank the customers for their support. He then invited Gan Kaicheng and the musician to join, for a four-person performance.

Hey, this was a pleasant surprise, as these two were representative figures from the 1990s. Qing Qino told Yang Jingxing that his father rarely performed personally, only once or twice a month, with no prior notice or advertising. He no longer considered himself a star, just for entertainment. Occasionally, he would invite guests, some of whom were big names, others just ordinary friends, as long as they had fun.

Qing Dawei played guitar, the drummer stuck to his old job, Gan Kaicheng was the lead singer, and the musician played the keyboard. The song was written by Qing Dawei, not from the Chenghuang band, with a different style, less metal, and a bit of jazz.

It wasn't the most beautiful, but the performers were excellent, the guitar and drums were impressive, and the keyboard was good. Since it was free to listen, the audience wasn't picky and found it quite flavorful.

Qing Dawei's stage presence had changed, mature and steady, with lyrics that were a bit nostalgic but mostly positive.

From Yang Jingxing's perspective, the song's structure was simple, and the melody was ordinary, but the performers on stage seemed to be enjoying it immensely. Especially Gan Kaicheng, who had produced albums for many stars, now had a great stage presence and was very engaged. The audience watched like a play, very quiet and focused.

At the end of the song, the applause was enthusiastic, and Qing Qino even whistled. The four performers, at the audience's request, performed another song, and then Qing Dawei said, "Next, Qing Qino will perform a song she wrote, welcome."

Hey, Qing Qino had a lot of fans, and the applause was even more enthusiastic. Qing Qino went on stage, looking lively, "All old friends, no need to be formal... Ah, many people have heard that song, it's already old. Today, I'll introduce two new friends, welcome Yu Xinting..."

Yu Xinting's smile disappeared, and she didn't move, but was pushed to stand by Yang Jingxing. Her shy and blushing appearance was a stark contrast to Qing Qino. However, the audience still gave encouraging applause.

Qing Qino continued, "And Yang Jingxing!"

Yang Jingxing stood and nodded.

Qing Qino introduced, "This is a song composed by Yang Jingxing, arranged by the three of us, and named by Yu Xinting. It's called 'Sun in the Rain,' thank you... come on up."

Yu Xinting was anxious, "I'm nervous..."

Yang Jingxing pushed, "I'm here."

The keyboard at the bar was a bit different from Yang Jingxing's double-manual, a workstation released two years ago, with functions and sounds that might not be as good as his double-manual.

Yang Jingxing, with Qing Qino's help, adjusted for a while and said it was fine. Qing Qino then asked Yu Xinting, comforting her, "Don't worry, I won't kiss you here, how embarrassing."

Yu Xinting laughed, looking at Yang Jingxing, who gave her a thumbs up.

After Qing Qino hung her guitar, the two exchanged a glance and started. "Sun in the Rain" had a strong theme, and the brass introduction immediately caught the audience's attention. The powerful sound and melody could quickly attract those who liked it.

Of course, if critics were to analyze the flaws, they might say the song lacked depth, with the arrangement and composition being a bit exaggerated, and the melody being superficial and not worth deep analysis.

But no matter what, it couldn't be denied that it was catchy. Just like the poor Tchaikovsky, who was criticized for his musical structure but was still the king of melodies. If it sounds good, why be so rigid and demanding?

The loud and magnificent brass ensemble immediately focused the audience's attention, and even Gan Kaicheng and Qing Dawei, who were talking, stopped to look at Yang Jingxing. Even Qing Qino's mother, who seemed uninterested in music, looked over from the bar.

Hey, this was the benefit of popular music.

Qing Qino was clearly more familiar with the entire piece than before, and her guitar playing was very smooth, with good transitions in rhythm and melody, and a passionate and powerful stage presence. Yu Xinting wasn't overly nervous, hitting the right points.

As the music entered the final climax, everyone was captivated by the stage. In terms of performance, Qing Qino was the most expressive, like her father in his youth, whether it was spontaneous or deliberate. Did one have to squat or twist to play with feeling? Yang Jingxing remained serious and calm, with no expression. Yu Xinting was nervous and focused, like she was practicing hard.

At the end of the song, Qing Dawei led the applause, and the others followed, with cheers and applause. Yang Jingxing pulled Yu Xinting, holding her shoulders and pushing her to the front to accept the cheers. The girl was still shy, trying to hide behind Yang Jingxing, but was blocked by Qing Qino.

Qing Qino smiled brightly, showing her white front teeth, and said to Yang Jingxing, "Congratulations, successful debut!" Her breath still had the smell of beer.