Chapter 25

Originally, she had never looked at him so intently. Upon a closer look, she realized that he was indeed quite handsome. Yes, he and Wang Jinglu could truly be considered a golden couple.

Hmm, did he... shave his beard?

His face was still young and tender, with the common features of every seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, but after shaving, he suddenly looked more spirited. Of course, he also looked more handsome.

Amidst his youth, there was a hint of subtle maturity.

This was a man about to grow up!

The key was, the way he played the guitar and sang... was just too cool!

At this moment, Qi Jie suddenly felt a slight sense of suffocation!

Startled back to her senses, she quickly consoled herself, "Beautiful things, everyone finds them beautiful. There's no one in this world who isn't a visual creature. So what if he's handsome?"

As the song ended, Li Qian opened his eyes, just as Qi Jie came back to her senses.

So, she couldn't help but clap immediately, pretending to hear it for the first time, and said, "Wow, Li Qian, you really... really surprised me! The teacher is proud of you! This song is so good! Really, really good!"

Li Qian smiled and said, "Thank you."

At this moment, Qi Jie opened her mouth again, as if she wanted to say something.

Of course, she didn't forget the reason she came to school today.

How could she forget!

Because of that song, she cried until her eyes were swollen yesterday!

But she couldn't bring herself to speak.

As long as she didn't want to admit that she had secretly listened to Li Qian sing many times in the hallway, she would never be able to speak up!

Otherwise, how would you know that Li Qian had sung a song about a little bird?

So, at this moment, she was extremely conflicted.

For the first time, she suddenly wished Li Qian would talk more, even if it was just some idle chatter, or if he would show off like other boys his age... that would be great!

But, no.

Li Qian sat there, just holding his guitar and looking down, completely quiet, as if he had no intention of starting a conversation with her.

At this moment, Qi Jie felt utterly helpless, even a bit resentful.

But what could she do if Li Qian didn't speak?

Ask him to sing another song?

Well, even if he did, what if it wasn't the one she wanted to hear?

At this moment, she could only tentatively say, "Oh, look, it's been so long... did the teacher disturb you while you were practicing?"

She hoped he would be more enthusiastic, more excited, or even speak faster...

But, still, no.

He looked up, smiled slightly, and said, "No, I usually sing like this anyway. It's great that I can sing for Teacher Qi, and you like it so much. I don't feel disturbed at all."

His words were too polite.

But the problem was... too polite.

It was the first time she suddenly realized that, apart from the teacher-student relationship, she and Li Qian were actually quite unfamiliar.

Because of the unfamiliarity, they were polite.

So, despite her unwillingness, Qi Jie stood up, with a very standard smile, and said politely, "That's good! ...It's great, I just came back to get something, but I unexpectedly heard two good songs! Ha, Li Qian, the teacher is serious, I'm proud of you!"

Li Qian also stood up, smiled, and nodded, with a slight blush on his face, saying, "Thank you, Teacher Qi."

"Alright, I won't disturb you anymore. Keep practicing! I'm leaving!"

Qi Jie turned to leave but then stopped.

Then, she turned back and tentatively asked, "Li Qian, do you come to practice singing every weekend? Or at other times too?"

Li Qian was slightly taken aback and replied, "Actually... I don't necessarily come on Saturdays and Sundays. Mainly, I come to practice for a while after school every afternoon."

Qi Jie let out a long "Oh" and quickly said, "Then can the teacher come to listen to you sing more often in the future?"

As she spoke, she looked at him with hope.

But she clearly saw Li Qian hesitate.

"Of course! As long as Teacher Qi doesn't mind the noise, it's great! Having more listeners is a happy thing!"

Qi Jie's eyes dimmed slightly.

But she quickly said, "Alright, then we'll agree on that. If the teacher has time in the future, I'll come to listen to you sing!"

This time, Li Qian nodded readily and said, "Alright! I welcome Teacher Qi to come and inspect and guide my work at any time!"

Yes, that was more like Li Qian!

Idle chatter!

So Qi Jie smiled and pointed at him, saying, "Your mouth... okay, I'm leaving!"

Saying that, she turned and walked downstairs.

Then, once she sat in her car, she finally let out a long breath.

"It's actually Li Qian!" She shook her head, "But, this trip today wasn't in vain, right?"

As she muttered to herself, she quickly turned on the car's air conditioning. The cool breeze made her feel more at ease. Then, she skillfully started the engine, shifted gears, and released the handbrake. But just as her foot left the brake, she stopped and couldn't help but turn her head to take a deep look in the direction of the school's teaching building.

There was only a tall wall, nothing visible.

The wall was covered with ivy, lush and green.

Lush and vibrant.

...

The end of the term was getting closer, which also meant the holiday was getting closer.

At the same time, it meant that Wang Jinglu's departure from Jinan to the capital was getting closer.

In recent days, Wang Jinglu's mood had been consistently low.

Putting aside all other issues, just the thought of leaving the place where she had lived for seventeen years and moving to a new, unfamiliar city was already a very sad thing for a seventeen-year-old girl who had never traveled far.

Moreover, Jinan wasn't just her hometown.

So...

Yes, since the last time she rejected Zhao Yumin and told him she already had a boyfriend, he indeed hadn't contacted her again. No calls, no messages, no visits, to the point where her father even asked about their relationship, wondering why Zhao Yumin hadn't been in touch recently.

And in recent days, she had gradually started to get used to going to Li Qian's house again. She was no longer as shy when she saw his parents, and Li Qian's attitude towards studying had become unusually serious. It seemed he had not only started to understand some things but had also found a direction to move forward.

Yes, studying.

For a student, good grades and getting into a good university naturally gave one the confidence to speak.

Her sister called and said that she had contacted a friend at the school, and everything was set for her to start after the summer break. All she needed to do was go to the school's administrative office in the capital to take a photo for the transfer and enrollment procedures.

Yes, even the summer classes had been arranged by her sister. It was said that a retired professor from the Beijing Film Academy ran a tutoring class, and the old man was quite famous in the industry. His classes were always popular, but due to his age and limited energy, he only took ten students each time. Her sister had to pull many strings to get her into this summer class.

Of course, the high tuition was a given. Once you were in the old man's class, you couldn't complain about the price. If you didn't want to attend, there would be a long line of people waiting to get in.

Oh, right, and one more thing.

Her sister also said that their group's new album was in preparation, and they had received another great song recently, with an incredibly energetic rhythm and a fantastic melody!

These should all be good things, right?

At least Wang Jinglu thought they were good things. They proved that her future was worth looking forward to, and her sister's career seemed to be heading in a bright direction.

But...

She just felt so lost!

She just felt so sad!

So, when they met on the rooftop again, after a moment of silence, she suddenly turned to Li Qian and said, "Can you sing a song for me?"

Li Qian smiled and said, "I was going to say that anyway. I've been practicing about ten songs recently, planning to try out at bars, cafes, or restaurants during the holiday to see if I can become a resident singer. So, I definitely need you, the pianist, to help me listen and give feedback!"

Wang Jinglu was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Do you plan to... develop in music?"

Li Qian, who was about to go downstairs to get his guitar, stopped and nodded matter-of-factly, "Yes? Why not?"

Wang Jinglu hesitated.

Her sister was a singer, and she knew how difficult it was to pursue this path and how slim the chances of success were. Every time she heard her sister talk about the frustrations, the struggles, and the efforts, she couldn't help but want to give up her so-called artistic dream. But at this moment, she couldn't help but think: If he could succeed, no one would say he wasn't good enough for me?

When this thought came to her, she suddenly realized how selfish she was.

Yes, actually, the last time he played the guitar and sang for her in his room, she was really happy and really hoped he would achieve something in music!

Actually, she was already being quite selfish back then!

Looking up at Li Qian, she said, "Music... do you want to be a singer?"

Li Qian nodded and added, "Not necessarily. Being a singer is great, but if I can't make it, being behind the scenes is also good! Writing songs for others, producing albums, it's also a lot of fun, and you can earn a lot of money! You know, I'm determined to have several concubines in the future, so I need to earn more money!"

Wang Jinglu pouted and glared at him.

"But being a singer... is really hard!" she said, "I'm not saying you don't have the ability, but you only started playing the guitar recently... Anyway, my sister told me that becoming a singer and releasing an album is really hard. Even she could only sign with a record company and release an album as part of a singing group. And my sister also said that the songs they sing... she doesn't really like them."

Li Qian pursed his lips and nodded.

"So... you mean I should give up on this idea?"

"No!" Wang Jinglu quickly shook her head and then said, "I just think that... actually... actually... you don't have to make it so hard for yourself."

Li Qian raised an eyebrow, looking at her in confusion.

Wang Jinglu continued, "I know you don't really like music. I know why you started learning the guitar, and I know why you want to pursue a career in music. I also know why you've suddenly become so studious recently..." As she spoke, her voice grew softer and she gradually lowered her head, "But... I don't want you to feel so much pressure, and I don't want you to be so tired!"

Well, what she thought she knew was probably wrong.

But Li Qian clearly didn't intend to argue.

So he could only say, "I want to try it myself."

Wang Jinglu looked at him and asked, "What if it doesn't work out?"

Li Qian thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Keep going."

Wang Jinglu was surprised, then laughed softly.

But soon, her mood sank again, "But, doing music really requires talent."

Li Qian's eyebrows raised, then he laughed softly.

This wasn't surprising.

Anyone who knew Li Qian, who was familiar with him, wouldn't think that a boy who hadn't sung many songs in the past decade could achieve anything in the music industry.

So, before proving his abilities, he didn't intend to waste time defending himself.

"I'll go get my guitar and sing the songs I've been practicing for you," he said.

Wang Jinglu nodded.

So Li Qian went downstairs to get his guitar.

As his figure disappeared at the stairwell, Wang Jinglu suddenly murmured, "I'll try to succeed as soon as possible!"

"My sister said that once I have achievements and the right to speak, I can make my own decisions. So, as long as I succeed, you can put down this burden!"