Chapter 77

Li Qian came to Qi Jie's house across the hall for the second time. ←

A few days had passed since then, and now the room was spotlessly clean, with everything neatly arranged.

This time, Li Qian was treated to a cup of coffee.

However, the awkwardness between them still lingered.

"The room is so clean," Li Qian complimented.

Qi Jie smiled, "Just now... thank you."

"Hey!" Li Qian shook his head, "I didn't really help much, just stood there to make up the numbers."

Qi Jie looked up at him and said, "I remember when I taught you, you were much more lively than you are now, especially your mouth. I remember you could talk a lot. Why have you become so reserved now?"

"Uh..." Li Qian was slightly taken aback. Upon reflection, he realized she was right. When he first came to this world, he was particularly talkative. Of course, in front of Wang Jinglu, his parents, he still tended to be talkative, but with others, he had become increasingly reserved.

After some thought, he said, "Maybe I think... being talkative doesn't win the favor of girls?" As he said this, he laughed and explained, "Just kidding, you're my teacher!"

Qi Jie smiled, took a sip of coffee, and found it too hot. She glanced at Li Qian, with some words on the tip of her tongue, but hesitated to say them. Finally, she just smiled and said, "A boy like you, whether reserved or talkative, will always have girls who like you. You're handsome. No one can resist you!"

Li Qian looked at her in surprise, shrugged, smiled, and then lowered his head.

After two months, it seemed that something had changed about Teacher Qi Jie.

This change wasn't about her cutting her ponytail and replacing it with a more spirited and mature Shag hairdo, nor was it about her speaking less formally as a teacher. It was... her overall demeanor, her aura and presence, which seemed to have changed significantly.

She seemed... more efficient?

In short, more outgoing, more direct, and indeed, her words had become sharper.

After a moment, she took the initiative to ask, "Are you... still writing songs?"

Li Qian smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm writing, planning to make a living from it in the future!"

Qi Jie nodded and said, "The songs you gave Liao Liao are really popular now. They're all very good. I've heard many of your songs, hehe, in secret when you didn't know. They're all very good, you're very talented!"

Li Qian smiled, nodded, and said, "Thank you."

Then, he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but after a moment, he just pointed to the room and said, "Here... are you comfortable?"

Qi Jie looked around her house, smiled, and said, "Living alone is great. Before, living with my parents, I didn't have to cook or clean. Everything was ready. Now that I've moved out... it's a bit tiring, but everything else is better, more free, more relaxed, and... well, it's great. You moved out for the same reason, right?"

Li Qian smiled, wanted to explain, but finally nodded, "More or less, as a young person, everyone wants to be free."

Qi Jie smiled and nodded.

Then, she took a sip of coffee, looked down for a moment, and said, "So..."

Li Qian was taken aback, then put down his coffee cup, stood up, and smiled apologetically, "Oh, right... sorry for keeping you so long. I'll go back, we can chat another time."

Qi Jie also put down her coffee cup, stood up, smiled, and said, "Okay, see you."

"See you."

Li Qian got up and walked out.

However, after just a few steps, Qi Jie suddenly said, "I know, you must have a lot of questions, right?"

Li Qian turned around and looked at her.

She smiled, sat back down, pointed to the sofa, and laughed self-deprecatingly, "Alright, just ask what you want to know. I know Liao Liao has been curious too... do you want to ask why I was angry?"

Li Qian thought for a moment, went back and sat down, and said, "I am a bit curious. But if it's inconvenient for you to talk about it, it's okay..."

"There's nothing inconvenient," Qi Jie said, "I just... just..."

She laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "Do you remember a song you wrote?" She waved her arm unconsciously and shouted in a low voice, "Because we, are born free!"

Of course, not a single word was in tune.

Li Qian nodded, "That song is called 'Little Bird.' Have you heard it?"

Qi Jie nodded and smiled, "Do you know? Ever since I found out you were the one singing on the rooftop, I always felt you weren't you. I always felt... uh, I don't know how to describe it, it's like... it's like there's another person living in your head, a... a wise old man who's scary! In short, your every word and action, your songs, your person, all give me a sense of maturity that's unbelievable! I remember clearly how you screamed that line that day. I remember how I felt at the time..."

She smiled, frowned, and said, "I remember I cried so much after hearing that line!"

Li Qian listened calmly and interjected, "So, what happened next?"

Qi Jie said, "Then... then I kept thinking, thinking, born free? What does it mean to be born free? How can one be free? I never understood... no, I did understand, but I was hesitant, I couldn't bring myself to let go of some things. Then Liao Liao came, and then I introduced you two. I felt, ah, dealing with you guys is such a fun thing. Look, whether it's you or Liao Liao, you can pick up a guitar and play music effortlessly. I felt your lives must be full of joy! You're so free! You can write songs, Liao Liao can release albums, you're all doing what you love, and you can earn enough to continue doing what you love... At that time, I felt, being friends with you guys is so lucky..."

Hearing this, Li Qian nodded, seemingly understanding something.

Qi Jie saw his expression and smiled, nodding, "Exactly, so... hehe, at that time, I really felt sad, like... being separated from you guys, these geniuses!"

Li Qian nodded and said, "Although it's a bit late, but... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"I know, I know, I understand..." She quickly interrupted with a smile. "I understood at the time. Later, Liao Liao told me it's an unwritten rule in your industry, and I understood even more. I just couldn't control myself, I couldn't control my sadness and disappointment... hehe! But now, it's all good..."

She smiled, her face glowing with an indescribable light, then she looked around her room, her expression filled with pride, "I quit my job. I lived according to the path my parents designed for me for over twenty years, but now, I'm free! Then, I sold my car, which was only a year and a half old and still 90% new. Although I lost some money, with the savings I had over the past two years, I managed to save up the original price of the car. Then I returned the dowry, and my marriage is free too, hehe, although I'm a bit poor now, but... it feels great!"

Li Qian looked at her and nodded solemnly, "Congratulations!"

Qi Jie smiled, nodded, and said, "Thank you."

After a moment of hesitation, Li Qian asked, "So, now you are..."

"Exactly, selling cosmetics," she smiled, "a three-month internship, 300 yuan a month, with commission. They don't care about your education, as long as you can talk and sell. It's best if you look good, like me, to be a living advertisement. So... I finished my internship in just one and a half months. Now my basic salary is 800 yuan a month, plus commission, my income is pretty good. Before moving, I was just promoted to the team leader of our counter, hehe... I plan to work for a few more months and then try to become an agent for a brand..."

Li Qian held his coffee cup, sipping occasionally, listening to her talk about her achievements, and seeing the natural excitement on her face, he couldn't help but feel happy for her.

Forget about the more respectable and stable life of a teacher, forget about the security and future benefits. Of course, there are people who are willing to live that way, but it's clear that Qi Jie doesn't like it. Now, she has freed herself from that stability and respectability and is living the life she loves... Is there anything better in the world?

"Congratulations!" Li Qian said sincerely.

Qi Jie smiled, put down her coffee cup, and even joked, "So, if you want to give Wang Jinglu a gift in the future, please consider the cosmetics I represent! Don't worry, I'll give you the VIP discount of 70% off!"

Li Qian smiled and nodded, "No problem!"

To be honest, after clearing up the misunderstanding between them, Li Qian found Qi Jie to be a pretty cute girl.

Like the girls he met in his previous life, simple, sincere, ambitious, and a bit idealistic, but willing to take big steps toward their goals... Honestly, after living to his thirties, facing such a vibrant young girl, Li Qian couldn't help but feel a bit envious and a bit ashamed.

After coming to this time, he said he wanted to relive his youth, but in his heart, Li Qian knew very well that it was just a fantasy... A man in his thirties, no matter how he tries to imitate or recapture that youthful spirit, how could it be possible?

Just as Qi Jie said, the illusion: although he was only seventeen, his mindset was already as old as a middle-aged man.

So he lowered his head, and his mood suddenly sank.

At this moment, Qi Jie seemed to notice Li Qian's change. She stopped talking and, when Li Qian looked over, she smiled and asked, "So... another cup of coffee?"

"Oh, no thanks!" Li Qian put down his cup and explained with a smile, "I don't dare to drink too much, I'm afraid it will make me too excited!"

Qi Jie nodded, hesitated for a moment, and said, "So... I'm not your teacher anymore, but I still hope we can be friends... is that okay?"

Li Qian smiled and nodded seriously, "Of course!"

After a pause, he said self-deprecatingly, "As long as you don't think I'm still a little kid, or... that there's an old man living in my head..."

Qi Jie laughed, "That's it! That's your style!"

Li Qian smiled.

Then, Qi Jie suddenly stopped, and after a moment, she looked up at Li Qian with hope, "So... can you sing that song... 'Little Bird' again for me?"

Li Qian nodded, "Of course! Now?"

Qi Jie said, "Now!"

Li Qian smiled, stood up, and said, "Wait for me, I'll go get my guitar!"

After saying that, he went home to get his guitar and quickly returned. But just as he sat down on the sofa, he suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the ceiling, "Want to go upstairs?"

Qi Jie's eyes lit up, "Sure! Let's go upstairs!"

So, the two of them went out and climbed to the rooftop. Although one was a school building and the other a residential building, the feeling of hiding in the hallway to listen to Li Qian sing suddenly came back.

Li Qian gently strummed the guitar, and the music quickly became intense as he began to sing, "Ideals always fly around, intangible; reality is still solid, impossible to hide. ..."

Suddenly, Qi Jie felt her heart being gripped. The familiar chords, the familiar scream, made her instantly recall the events of that day. In a moment, her nose became sore...

Li Qian sang with deep emotion... 'Little Bird' was a song he personally liked very much.

As he sang, he closed his eyes without realizing it, and his body swayed with the rhythm.

Qi Jie looked at him in a daze, even though she was trying hard to control herself, trying hard to control...

...

After a series of rough and repetitive strums, the guitar sound stopped.

After playing the last note, Li Qian slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.

Qi Jie looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears, her expression listless and weary.

Then, she raised her hands, buried her face in her palms, and sobbed.

Combined with his two lifetimes, Li Qian had never heard anyone cry so bitterly, so heart-wrenchingly, as if they had accumulated decades or even a lifetime of grievances, all released at that moment.

He didn't say anything, nor did he plan to go over to comfort her.

Sighing, he moved the guitar to his side, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, looked at Qi Jie, hesitated for a moment, and finally took out a cigarette, lit it with a snap, and took a deep drag.

For Qi Jie, this should have been a good release, but for himself, wasn't it the same?

He was already starting to have a sense of success in the music industry, at least he was on the path to success, and if nothing went wrong, the road ahead should be smooth.

But from time to time, he would feel lonely and isolated.

...

The smoke from his mouth and nose was quickly dispersed by the cool September breeze.

He took another deep drag and exhaled...

For example, as a musician and a singer, he knew very well that smoking was bad for his voice, and in fact, smoking had no benefits at all. When he first came to this world, his body didn't have a smoking habit, but was a smoking habit really a physical issue?

Whenever he was happy, whenever he was sad, whenever he was lonely, whenever he was isolated... he would always want to take out a cigarette.

...

Qi Jie sobbed