Chapter 52

"Turns out her name is Qiao Keli," Liu Jingtong recalled the panicked girl on the plane, muttering to himself, "Qiao Keli, chocolate, what a nice name."

Thinking back to the girl's terror, completely immersed in her own world, he contrasted it with the lively mice in the drawing, a strange feeling swept through his heart. Of course, it wasn't the cliché of the world being too small, but rather the joy of "the world is so big, yet I met her again," or perhaps the novel impression left by the thrilling moment they shared.

At that time, Liu Jingtong was the one telling stories to comfort the little girl, and he was also the one being comforted by others. The reason Liu Jingtong could connect the two was that he had seen similar drawings while telling the girl stories, but at the time, there were too many things happening, and he didn't pay much attention.

In "Your Youth" by Lo Ta-yu, he sang deeply, "Lonely child, you are the blessing of creation." Looking at the drawing, Liu Jingtong couldn't stop the lyrics from repeating in his mind.

Liu Jingtong carefully put the drawing away, organized the other gifts, and then wrote a serious email to Editor Yao, firmly making a request: if "Shuke and Beta" were ever adapted into a comic, the chief illustrator must be the girl named "Qiao Keli."

This was one of the few times Liu Jingtong had made a request halfway through, and the more such a request, the more it would be taken seriously by the other party.

Editor Yao quickly replied to the email, agreeing to Liu Jingtong's suggestion and stating that he would contact the girl soon.

...

At the end of August, the heat of late summer, commonly known as the "autumn tiger," Liu Jingtong, wearing a red sun hat and a blue backpack, stood in the spacious airport, quietly watching the entrance.

Soon, a girl in a red dress appeared in his line of sight. Liu Jingtong took off his hat and waved a few times, and the girl joyfully ran over.

This was the second time Liu Jingtong and Mi Hu were flying together. Liu Jingtong joked, "Ten years to share a boat, a hundred years to share a pillow, one hundred and one years to share a plane."

Mi Hu countered, "We haven't even reached the hundred-year level, how can it be one hundred and one years?"

The two laughed and went to board the plane. As Mi Hu walked in front, a subtle curve was inadvertently revealed, which Liu Jingtong, with his two lifetimes of experience, suddenly felt an unprecedented impact.

A strange current ran through his body, and Liu Jingtong was momentarily stunned, slightly bending over to awkwardly hide a subtle change.

This was the first time in their long acquaintance that Liu Jingtong had such a clear impulse. For a boy just beginning to experience love, it was a primitive awakening, but for Liu Jingtong, who had lived two lifetimes, it carried a different sentiment.

Because of this sudden change, Liu Jingtong felt somewhat uneasy when facing Mi Hu, as if he had done something shameful. Fortunately, he concealed it well, and Mi Hu didn't notice.

While waiting for the plane, Liu Jingtong silently struggled with his thoughts, carefully analyzing the root of this change. In the end, he concluded that it was because a man and a woman were going to a strange place together, which triggered some primal and evil nerve deep inside him.

However, at this moment, every move Mi Hu made took on a different meaning, which frustrated him, as if he was gradually losing the upper hand in this interaction.

Mi Hu was eating a piece of cake, and a bit of cream stuck to the corner of her mouth. She cutely licked it off, and this ordinary action, in Liu Jingtong's eyes, was like a blatant provocation.

"OK, I have to be honest with you," Liu Jingtong didn't want this trip to become a torment, so he decided to be upfront, "When we were going through security, I was behind you, and I saw you in that dress. I... I had some strange feelings."

Mi Hu had just finished a piece of cake and was about to offer one to Liu Jingtong. Hearing this, she was puzzled and asked, "Strange feelings, what do you mean?"

Despite his usual eloquence in front of countless girls, Liu Jingtong became somewhat tongue-tied when facing Mi Hu. His face, which was usually calm, was now tense. He hesitated for a moment and said softly, "I saw... you in that dress, and for some reason, I thought it was very attractive."

Mi Hu seemed to understand something and smiled at Liu Jingtong, saying, "You mean, you..."

Liu Jingtong, seeing Mi Hu's expression, knew she had figured it out and quickly interrupted, "Yes, I had some shameful feelings, but isn't that normal?"

Mi Hu suddenly bent over laughing, and Liu Jingtong became even more displeased. He whispered, "There's nothing to laugh about. I'm fifteen years old, and these feelings are very normal, scientifically speaking."

Mi Hu laughed even harder, her left hand on the table in front of her, her right hand on her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

"Yes, I, Liu Jingtong, am despicable, and you are so pure. I had a reaction to you." After saying this, Liu Jingtong quickly added, "Actually, you are partly responsible. People just say to wear a red dress, not to wear such a... such a fancy one."

Mi Hu, who had already lost her hearing and sight from laughing, couldn't hear Liu Jingtong's complaints.

Liu Jingtong looked at Mi Hu and then out the window, smiling bitterly and not saying anything more. This strange situation continued until the plane landed. They got off the plane and walked out of the airport in silence. Mi Hu, who had been laughing all the way, had mostly returned to normal, but she would still laugh when she glanced at Liu Jingtong. While waiting in line for a taxi, Liu Jingtong stubbornly said, "Actually, I'm fine now."

"Uh-huh." Mi Hu lowered her head and responded. After a while, she turned and asked Liu Jingtong, "Why?"

Liu Jingtong, who had been sulking all the way, said in a low voice, "HIP (Note: buttocks)!"

Mi Hu was stunned and then kicked Liu Jingtong's calf, saying, "If you're going to be so low, at least have the courage to admit it openly. Why hide behind English letters?"

"Isn't that how everyone covers up their embarrassment?"

Mi Hu rolled her eyes and turned forward, then realized something and reached out to pull Liu Jingtong forward, saying, "You stand in front."

This simple gesture made Liu Jingtong feel a sudden relief, and the problem that had been bothering him suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Liu Jingtong turned and smiled brightly, saying, "Hu Xiaomi, I'm completely fine now, thank you."

...

Jianghai 95 Square is located in the commercial center of Chengpu New District, connecting four pedestrian streets, covering a vast area, and is very bustling. It is the preferred location for companies to hold large promotional events.

At this moment, the stage on the north side of the square had already been set up, with a large electronic screen hanging above it, displaying four bright red characters: "Dahua Band."

The stage was already filled with spectators, and Liu Jingtong and Mi Hu finally found their destination by following the signs.

"The last time I came to Shanghai was for a book signing. I guess you'll be coming here often," Mi Hu said, looking around.

"Dahua Band!" Liu Jingtong saw the four characters on the screen and thought of the virtual, lewd, and inexplicable "dahua."

"Do you know this band?" Mi Hu asked curiously.

Liu Jingtong shook his head and then nodded, saying, "The screenwriter who admires me and calls you 'aunt' is named Dahua."

"You're the one who's an uncle."

As they were talking, the crowd suddenly stirred, and both of them looked up at the stage. A girl in a black T-shirt, holding a microphone, coolly walked to the center of the stage. The T-shirt read, "The end of the world is bullshit, today hasn't been fully lived yet."

"Welcome to our Dahua concert. I am the lead singer, Dahua No. 1," the girl's voice was very clear, but surprisingly, it carried a lazy tone that didn't match her age.

"Dahua No. 1? Are the other band members going to be called Dahua No. 2, Dahua No. 3, and so on, such uncreative names?" Liu Jingtong commented casually, but his heart was already racing. Could that Dahua be this one?

"Look at the big screen," Mi Hu pointed to the electronic screen.

Liu Jingtong looked up and saw an ugly kitchen knife cutting into a blood-red peony, looking both terrifying and profound.

"Next, please welcome our drummer—Dahua Dalang!" Dahua No. 1 began introducing the other band members one by one.

"See, they're not as uncreative as you," Mi Hu teased.

The keyboardist was called Dahua Dashao, the bassist Dahua Shouxiang, and the guitarist Dahua Yizhi.

Liu Jingtong smiled without a word, watching Dahua No. 1 with interest. Mi Hu, seeing his expression, looked somewhat displeased and kicked him, saying, "Being so bold in front of me, that's really impolite, isn't it?"

Liu Jingtong said, "I don't care about my shadow being straight or not. This Dahua No. 1 impersonated a lewd old man, and it turns out she really is like this."

"So you're curious?"

"Yes."

Mi Hu huffed, and Liu Jingtong said, "Don't be jealous. She has a boyfriend, and even if she didn't, it wouldn't be my business. I just want to know how a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl can have so many strange thoughts in her head."

"You're just a fifteen-year-old boy yourself. Are your thoughts any cleaner?" Mi Hu said sarcastically.

Liu Jingtong looked at Mi Hu and laughed, "You're not imagining my dirty thoughts, are you?"

After saying this, he was kicked again.

"Have you heard of Dahua before?"

Just as Liu Jingtong and Mi Hu were talking, a fashionable, handsome boy asked politely.

Liu Jingtong and Mi Hu were taken aback and honestly shook their heads.

"Oh, you're not here as fans but just passing by?" the handsome boy continued.

"You could say we were invited," Mi Hu replied, and Liu Jingtong glanced at her, smiling meaningfully.

The handsome boy's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "I'm a loyal fan of Dahua. They're very famous online. Have you heard 'The Chosen One'?"

"'The Chosen One' is their song?" Mi Hu was surprised.

The boy said proudly, "It's their signature song, now in the top ten of the online music charts. It should enter the top five by the end of the week."

"I've heard this song. It's very good, especially the lyrics, which are beautifully written," Mi Hu praised.

"Right, the lyrics were written by Dahua No. 1."

"Our concert is about to start. Please close your eyes and count down with us!"

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six... three, two, one!"

"Thump thump thump thump... bang!" With a smooth and rhythmic drumbeat, the concert officially began.

"When she was just a little girl, she dreamed of this world..."

Amid the heavy drumbeats and high bass, a clear and ethereal voice cut through like a sharp sword, transforming into a colorful butterfly, flying above the square and into the ears of the audience.

"Hello, black night sky, the girl closes her eyes in despair, using her imagination to escape this world, the waves break the shells, the clouds cover the stars..."

"She is the chosen child, destined to be lonely, the devil waves his arms, heaven is only in dreams..."

The song was filled with deep sorrow, but the girl singer sang with such resilience and anger, as if narrating her own story, as if condemning the world.

The handsome boy beside Liu Jingtong listened intently, singing along accurately with the singer. Mi Hu, surprisingly, could also follow the rhythm, gently nodding her head and softly singing.

Even though Liu Jingtong was a strict lover of words, in his mind, the quality of a song was still more about the melody than the lyrics. Of course, the best songs are those where the lyrics and melody complement each other perfectly.

In this regard, "The Chosen One" could stand alongside many famous musicians' signature works without any shame.

By the time the song reached its second verse, Liu Jingtong could already sing along with the chorus, which was his second criterion for judging a song's quality—how much it left an impression after one listen.

Dahua No. 1 stood motionless in the center of the stage, holding the microphone on the stand, her head slightly lowered, exuding a diva-like presence, lonely, stubborn