Chapter 95

To some extent, Li Qian felt a sense of estrangement from the entire world of this time and space. Although, from the heart, due to the memories left by the body he now inhabited, he genuinely felt close to his parents, and he truly cared for Wang Jinglu. However, there was always another voice in his mind, clearly reminding him: You are an outsider!

Yes, he knew he was an outsider.

He knew that he had only replaced the original Li Qian. Although his arrival seemed to bring more beautiful things to this body and this name, such as achievements, fame, and glory, the things he inherited, like his parents' love and the innocent relationship with Wang Jinglu, were all undeserved.

Therefore, even though he knew his parents loved him very much, after becoming a bit more independent, he insisted on moving out to live on his own. Also, although he and Wang Jinglu didn't need to say "I love you" to each other, the mutual understanding between them was always there, and they both knew it. However, for this simple girl and this pure love, he always felt at a loss.

He naturally tended to get closer to Wang Jinglu, but the existence of another consciousness always made him hesitant and uncertain, almost taking one step forward and then stepping back. He knew that for such a pure girl, for her worldview, he, this "old man," was not a good man at all.

He was very afraid that the closer they got, the deeper he would hurt Wang Jinglu in the future.

However, many times, he couldn't help but subconsciously choose to get closer to her and be intimate with her.

Therefore, after the initial days of tension and excitement when he first arrived in this time and space, Li Qian became somewhat more silent and more introverted.

However, for the new friends he made after coming to this time and space, such as Cao Zhan, Yu Bojun, Wang Huaiyu, Xie Bing, Qi Jie, and Liao Liao, Li Qian didn't need to think too much or be too cautious, making it easier for them to feel like friends.

When Li Qian opened the door, Liao Liao followed him inside, looking around the room with curiosity, scanning everything before returning to Li Qian and saying, "Not bad, it doesn't look much like a boy's dorm room. It's quite clean!"

Li Qian ignored her, picked up the hot water bottle, and found it was still half full. He took a clean cup, poured her a glass of hot water, and said, "Freezing, huh? Don't look around, I hide it every day, you won't find it. Come, have a drink to warm up!"

Liao Liao took the cup, a bit surprised, "Wow, not bad, high schooler, you can even make jokes like that!"

Li Qian moved a small stool over, sat down, and pointed to the sofa, "Sit down!"

Liao Liao, who had taken off her down jacket and was wearing only a thin sweater, sat down with the cup in her hands. Seeing Li Qian's tall figure sitting on the small stool, she couldn't help but pout and say, "Can't you get a single-seat sofa? Is this comfortable?"

Li Qian smiled, "I rarely have guests here!"

Liao Liao pouted, "If you have the guts, let me publish your address in the circle?"

Li Qian smiled but didn't say anything.

After a moment, he asked, "By the way, have you had dinner?"

Liao Liao took a sip of water, put down the cup, and looked pitiful, "I only had a yolk pie on the plane. Domestic flights are getting more and more stingy! Do you have anything good to eat here?"

Li Qian was taken aback, stood up, and walked to the kitchen. Liao Liao followed him to the kitchen door, watching Li Qian open the cabinet and rummage around. Then, Li Qian took out half a pack of noodles and said, "I rarely cook here. At home, I only have two green onions, two garlic cloves, a few eggs, and these noodles..."

Liao Liao sniffed, subconsciously looked at her watch, and said helplessly, "It's already 10:30. I guess the restaurants outside are closed by now."

After a pause, before Li Qian could react, she suddenly brightened up, pointed to the door, and asked, "You two... don't have any conflicts anymore?"

Li Qian looked in the direction she pointed and instantly understood. He smiled and said, "We never really had any conflicts. Once we talked it out, everything was fine. We're neighbors now! But..."

Liao Liao asked, "But what?"

Li Qian smiled and said, "But I don't think you should count on Teacher Qi. The other day, when I got home from school, I smelled a strong smell of smoke coming from her place. I almost thought she had set the house on fire. When I knocked on the door, I found out she was learning to cook!"

"Got it!" Liao Liao nodded vigorously, "She's back to her old ways! During college, she almost burned down our dorm room with a small electric pot!"

But after sitting back on the sofa and taking a sip of water, Liao Liao thought for a moment and stood up, saying, "I'll go check next door. If she's in a bad mood today and didn't finish her takeout, it would be better than eating your noodles, right?"

Li Qian smiled helplessly, and Liao Liao, without putting on her coat, wearing the slippers Li Qian gave her, opened the door and went out, leaving it open, and knocked on the neighbor's door.

After a while, Qi Jie opened the door.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Both of them exclaimed at the same time.

"How did you end up here?" Qi Jie asked.

"What happened to your hair? What happened to your long hair?" Liao Liao asked.

The two stood there in silence.

Li Qian walked over, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, watching them.

The two blocked the doorway. After a moment, Liao Liao asked, "Do you have anything good to eat? I'm hungry!"

Qi Jie looked up at Li Qian, slightly more composed, but couldn't help saying, "Every time we meet, the first thing you ask is about food. Don't you think you're too vulgar?"

Liao Liao didn't want to argue with her anymore, pushed her way in, and started searching.

Qi Jie stood at the door, looking at Li Qian, and asked, "Did you bring her here?"

Li Qian nodded. "But I didn't expect she hadn't had dinner. I should have taken her out to eat first."

As they were talking, Liao Liao came out with two items, waved them at the two, and said, "Got it! She has more supplies than you. A pack of frozen dumplings and two bowls of instant noodles!"

Qi Jie snatched the frozen dumplings from her hand and said, "These are for my dinner!"

Li Qian's mouth twitched, and then he watched the two of them fight over the food.

It turned out that Qi Jie had gone home to have dinner with her parents for New Year's Day, but before the meal started, a few words led to a big argument, and her father kicked her out. She then bought a pack of frozen dumplings, but after a busy day, she was too lazy to cook, so she had been holding out until now.

In the end, Liao Liao took two packs of instant noodles, and Qi Jie took a bag of frozen dumplings, and they both came to Li Qian's place.

Li Qian cooked for them, boiling water to cook the dumplings and preparing to cook the noodles, even chopping green onions and mixing oil and salt to make them each a poached egg. But when the water boiled, both of them insisted on eating the instant noodles... Li Qian found this quite amusing, as he would never eat instant noodles if there were other options, but since they wanted to, he didn't persuade them and just poured the boiling water into the bowls for them.

In the end, a large plate of dumplings, two bowls of instant noodles, and two small dishes of vinegar were placed on the small dining table.

The two girls ate with great enjoyment.

Perhaps because Liao Liao was there, Qi Jie also seemed more relaxed, as if they had returned to the state of their first meeting. The two of them were using their chopsticks in a very unrefined manner, completely disregarding any sense of propriety or respect.

Li Qian sat to the side, arms crossed, watching them eat with a sense of happiness and a hint of melancholy.

He remembered in his previous life, he often went out to shoot movies for months at a time, and his girlfriend would move from one production to another. In a year, they could only spend a month or so together. Whenever he was at home and she came back, or she was at home and he came back, the one at home would cook a bowl of noodles, and the other would eat it with great enjoyment, even more so than Liao Liao and Qi Jie now.

After they finished eating, Li Qian put the dishes in the kitchen to soak. When he came out, he heard Liao Liao whispering to Qi Jie, "Didn't you feel that Li Qian was looking at us strangely while we were eating?"

Qi Jie said, "Are you overthinking it? Come on, are you used to being a big star? Always on guard against being watched?"

"Tch, you don't understand. I felt that Li Qian was looking at me the same way my dad looks at me! Oh, he's so much younger than me. Why do I have this feeling?"

Qi Jie touched her forehead and asked, "Are you running a fever?"

"No!"

"Did you lack fatherly love when you were young?"

"No."

"Do you have a thing for younger men?"

"You have a thing for younger men, and you have a thing for your teacher!"

Qi Jie turned and saw Li Qian standing at the kitchen door, looking at them helplessly. She pointed at him, and when Liao Liao looked over, she asked, "Do you still think Li Qian looks like your dad?"

Liao Liao "tch"ed.

After eating and drinking, Qi Jie helped wipe the table with a cloth, then looked at Liao Liao curiously, "Hey, Liao, tell me, how does it feel to be famous? Is it great?"

Liao Liao thought for a moment, turned to Li Qian, and said, "I should ask Li Qian first. Hey, great teacher, how does it feel to make someone famous? Is it great?"

Li Qian laughed, shrugged, and said, "It's pretty good. I earn money cleanly, and it's enough. My works are heard by many people, and they appreciate them. People often praise me on the radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines, which gives me a sense of achievement. I don't have to rush to appointments, activities, interviews, or shoot music videos, so I'm not too tired. And the most important thing is that I don't have to wear sunglasses or cover my face with a scarf because no one recognizes me..."

The more Li Qian talked, the worse Liao Liao's expression became. Finally, she couldn't stand it and interrupted him, "Hey, are you doing this on purpose? Bringing up the things that bother me?"

Li Qian laughed, and Qi Jie joined in.

Yes, that's how it is.

Is being famous good? Of course, it is!

For singers, fame means profit! When you're famous, your albums sell well, and you earn more. When you're famous, you get endorsement deals and earn even more. Then, for commercial performances and events, as long as you show up, you get paid!

And to be honest, those who choose to become singers are all chasing their music dreams, but in the end, how many don't want to be famous? If you're in this field, you're aiming for widespread recognition.

But on the other hand, when you're famous, everyone knows you and recognizes you, the troubles are also inevitable!

In recent days, since the album "Liao Liao" started selling well and Liao Liao was surrounded by reporters at Jin Guan City Airport, almost every time she called, whether to Qi Jie or Li Qian, she would complain about various kinds of fatigue, busyness, and the hardships of hiding and avoiding people.

But in the end?

Actually, a dozen or so dumplings and a bowl of instant noodles, with a little vinegar, were enough to fill her up!

So, is being famous really a good thing?

That's a matter of personal opinion!

But for some reason, after everyone laughed, they all fell silent.

After a while, Liao Liao suddenly said, "When I was in Songjiang, I participated in the New Year's Eve concert rehearsal for Oriental Star. I heard the song 'Farewell' then. Later, Juanzi bought me the CD, and I listened to it every day during the rehearsal and recording. Hey, that song... it was in your two big notebooks, right?"

Li Qian thought for a moment and nodded.

"Why didn't you give it to me then?"

Li Qian was taken aback, then laughed and asked, "Do you like singing that kind of song?"

Liao Liao was also taken aback, pointed at Qi Jie, and said with a pained expression, "Here it comes again! I'm afraid of this attitude of his. It's like he thinks he can handle any type of song, no matter how high the requirements, as if it's nothing to him! This is... really discouraging, you know!"

Turning to Li Qian, she clasped her hands together and said, "Please, don't take out those two big notebooks for now, okay? Let's have an equal conversation first, then you can be my teacher, okay?" (To be continued...)