A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Pitter-Patter of a Heart

◎Heartbeat◎

Fireworks would occasionally shoot up into the sky, enveloping the entire beach in a dazzling and festive atmosphere. The lead singer, Linda, had a thick, slightly raspy voice. Her wolf-tail mullet was dyed pink, and her fingers, adorned with metal jewelry, strummed the guitar with a casual and free-spirited flair. She was a very charismatic female singer.

After a series of songs, Linda raised her hand high at the end of a rhythm and brought it down, immediately eliciting a wave of cheers and applause from the audience. The sound of the crowd rose and fell with the waves. When the cheers died down, she picked up her microphone, made a few self-deprecating jokes, expressed her gratitude to the organizers and the audience, and then started interacting. “Are there any friends in the audience who want to come up and perform the next song with us? Let’s sing together and become the brightest stars of the night, shall we?”

A chorus of “yes” followed, but no one immediately came on stage. Linda didn’t let the momentum die down. She started an impromptu rap, showing off her skills while jumping off the stage and scanning the audience for a target. Her eyes were quickly drawn to two girls on the side of the stage. The first thing that caught her eye was their beauty, an eye-catching kind of beauty. One of them was even wearing a school uniform, which made her look even more youthful.

She showed off a short dance move in place, and after a spin, she picked up the microphone again. This time, her direction was toward Bai Tan and Gu Zhu.

Seeing her coming their way, Gu Zhu instinctively tried to back away, but Bai Tan held her in place. Gu Zhu looked up at her and saw a mischievous look on her face, like a cat lightly wagging its tail, ready to cause some trouble.

In that moment of hesitation, the lead singer had already walked over. Surrounded by the crowd, they had no way to retreat. They could only stand there and accept the microphone she offered. “So, my two lovely little friends, may I have the honor of inviting you to join us?”

Bai Tan smiled and made an “OK” sign on her cheek. With a “come on” from Linda, she grabbed Gu Zhu’s wrist and followed her onto the stage.

The stage lights converged, making it impossible for Gu Zhu to hide in the crowd. She instinctively reached for her glasses but found nothing there. For a moment, she almost froze. As she stumbled back half a step, she bumped into someone’s shoulder.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar school uniform. She looked up slightly, and the person was looking down at her. “Don’t be afraid. Look at me.”

Gu Zhu read the words on her lips. At some point, the space between her fingers had been filled by the other person. Their fingers were interlaced on the stage, in a place where the lights couldn’t reach, and a dampness surged, just like her heart, which seemed to be swept up in the heat, beating out of control again and again.

Bai Tan chose the song “Red Sun” (《紅日》), a song she was very familiar with and had heard in Gu Zhu’s earphones before. After confirming with the lead singer, she carefully let go of the hand she was holding, took the guitar, but was stopped by a hand just as she was about to put it on her back.

She was stunned and looked up along the hand, meeting Gu Zhu’s eyes, which were shimmering with the stage lights. Those usually cool eyes seemed to be overflowing with light at that moment, a little watery, a little brilliant, and for some reason, a little pitiful.

“I’ll do it.”

Bai Tan was dazed as she handed the guitar to her, and watched her put it on her back expertly, her fingertips strumming and sliding to test the sound. For a moment, she was a little confused. Are academic aces not only good at studying, but also proficient in everything?

Her classmate, Gu Zhu, could always give her so many unexpected surprises.

Gu Zhu checked that the guitar was in tune and then looked up to see Bai Tan staring at her blankly. She paused and explained, “It’s better if you sing the Cantonese song. I’ll harmonize for you. Is that okay?”

“Okay, of course, it is!” She came to her senses and immediately smiled again. She was incredibly excited about their first performance on stage. She held up her hand. “Let’s do our best together!”

“Mhm!” Gu Zhu put her fingers together and clapped her palm against hers. The moment their hands met, fireworks exploded overhead, illuminating their beautiful profiles and causing another round of cheering.

The lights went out, and a smooth, powerful electric guitar sound poured out. Then the drums and bass joined in, opening the prelude to another music show. When the lights came back on, the girl’s clear and emotional voice echoed:

—How many chances does fate give people? Fate leaves people speechless. Fate always gives irrelevant answers and makes people cry. …

Her voice was delicate and the rhythm was clear. The unique sentimentality of the Cantonese song struck a chord with the audience. When she got excited, she would hold the microphone and jump and sing on stage.

This well-known song was something that even people who didn’t understand Cantonese could hum a few lines of. The audience couldn’t help but sway and sing along to her rhythm. The sound spread from there, extending to the entire beach. The excitement seemed to have reached its peak at that moment. Even those on the outskirts, holding their barbecued food, couldn’t help but sway their hips. The clinking beer bottles overflowed with white foam.

Gu Zhu couldn’t help but sway her body slightly. Her eyes were fixed on Bai Tan, as if she were looking at a carefree and free soul. As Bai Tan had said, her panic had long since disappeared. As long as she was looking at her, she didn’t have to be afraid.

Even in the crowded space, even with the blinding lights, her eyes had long been occupied by that one slender figure.

As she looked at her, the person in front of her suddenly turned and sang to her. Her eyes also held her. It was as if no matter how lively and brilliant the world was, it was not as important as the moment she looked down and strummed the strings.

—Even if fate threatens you with a boring life, Don’t shed tears, don’t be sad, and you shouldn’t give up. I wish I could be with you forever for the rest of my life.

“Oh—” Bai Tan sang around her, and at the last note, she raised the microphone and, with Gu Zhu, who had stopped strumming, ended the song. They smiled at each other and bowed to the audience in front. “Thank you!”

Cheers, whistles, and applause all came their way. The pure passion of the youthful, beautiful girls made people feel a sense of nostalgia, emotion, envy, and a hint of fondness. Even the lead singer, Linda, couldn’t help but sigh about her wild and reckless youth. After the final interaction ended, people watched the two girls leave. After the commotion of that moment, it was as if they were saying goodbye to their teenage selves once again.

They jogged away from the center of the noise. The sea breeze blew gently, creating a different kind of quiet.

Gu Zhu’s hands swung gently as she walked. At some point, her hand was taken by someone. She was stunned and stiffened her hand, not moving for a moment.

As if afraid of being rejected, Bai Tan pretended to look at the road ahead, her neck slightly stiff, and her words even a little stuttered. “It’s, it’s normal for good friends to hold hands, right?”

Yes, if it were Luo Minmin, she would probably even hang onto me. But to say it so specifically, it felt strange, and it made her own emotions feel strange, too.

Gu Zhu pursed her lips. She didn’t pull her hand away or look at her. The two of them walked with their backs straight, holding hands that were tense, slowly walking back to Chang Yuehua’s small stall.

As they got closer, they both let go. Gu Zhu curled her fingers, watching the other person shove her hands into her pockets. The unsold bracelets were still on her wrist, creating a comical look of forced composure.

She pursed her lips and, following the shadow behind her, secretly curved her lips into a smile under the moonlight.

When Chang Yuehua saw them return, she couldn’t help but praise them repeatedly. Chang Xiling, in particular, clung to Gu Zhu, asking her to teach her how to play the guitar.

Chang Yuehua couldn’t help but complain, “I spent thousands of dollars sending you to lessons, and all you learned was how to scrape my ears. Your sister only listened a few times and learned it. It’s really maddening how some people are just better.”

Chang Xiling stuck out her tongue. “It’s not a waste of money if sister learned it. She can just teach me again, right, sister?”

Gu Zhu patted her little head and nodded. “Mhm, I’ll teach you.”

So Chang Xiling, in Chang Yuehua’s eye-roll, happily wrapped her arms around Gu Zhu again.

Bai Tan looked at her indulgence toward the little girl and, for some reason, felt a little envious. She thought, Gu Zhu is indeed a top student. Her learning ability is so good. Can she learn a little faster and become my most adorable, most thoughtful, and best, best, best, best friend?

That way, maybe she could get closer to her without any reservations.

It was getting late. Chang Yuehua packed up her stall and took them home. Her earnings were good today, and Bai Tan had helped her sell quite a bit. Tomorrow, they could take a day off and treat them to a big seafood feast.

When they got home, they said goodbye to each other and went back to their rooms to get ready for bed.

To avoid any trouble, Gu Zhu didn’t let Chang Yuehua set up another room for them. Instead, she had Bai Tan sleep in her room. The large bed was spacious enough for the two of them.

However, neither of them had ever shared a bed with anyone, so they both suppressed the awkwardness they unconsciously felt.

Gu Zhu told Bai Tan to get ready for bed first. She only left a nightlight on the nightstand and then went to get ready herself.

The bathroom was next to the bed, separated by a white wall. Bai Tan could only hear the sound of running water inside. She quietly watched in the dim light, waiting for the person to come out.

Maybe they could have a long, endless night of chatting, just like the good friends she knew about. She thought aimlessly until she heard the slight sound of a door opening and instinctively looked up.

The bathroom light was turned off, and the room was dark. Only the nightlight on the nightstand illuminated the immediate area. Bai Tan was lying on her side. She had already adjusted to the environment, so she easily caught sight of the figure.

Gu Zhu was wearing a thin summer pajama top and carefully stepped down from the bathroom ledge. The parts that were exposed seemed to glow in the dim night. The darkness outlined her slender figure, along with her slightly swaying nipples.

Her silhouette was outlined, and Bai Tan was unconsciously drawn to it. She stared at the two raised nipples, swaying gently, as if inviting her to touch them.

But she also felt a sense of defiance and unconsciously touched her own. Why should I covet what someone else has when I have it myself?

But she couldn’t tear her eyes away, staring, feeling as if she were in a rippling dream.

She suddenly closed her eyes the moment Gu Zhu pulled back the covers, carefully controlling her breathing. The late-night chats she had imagined were replaced by the sound of a violent and prolonged heartbeat.

She gripped the corner of the blanket, praying that Gu Zhu wouldn’t hear it.

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