Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 10

Inevitably, we ended up staying a bit late when leaving. We took a ride with Tao Yian’s friend. I have to thank Yiting for this, as she quickly befriended the handsome guy and asked him to drive us to Plato, which he happily agreed to.

The car was new, and the seats were very comfortable, but my agitated state prevented me from truly enjoying the rare experience.

‘She is my sister.’

Chu is his sister? A girl? This completely, utterly overturned my image of Chu.

However, what concerned me even more was his disappointment in Chu.

Irresponsible, abandoning the family business and his paralyzed younger brother, completely immersed in her own small world, only caring about photography, travel, and playing with a camera?

This wasn’t my impression of Chu; I always felt… it shouldn’t be like this. Could Chu have a special reason? For instance, a romantic and profound reason such as letting Tao Yian see the beautiful world outside through the camera lens?

‘The person who is nearest yet farthest from my heart’. Was this also referring to Tao Yian? If Chu was indeed referring to him, it meant… she never forgot her younger brother, right?

I never expected to gain so many “insights” from attending a birthday party; I was confessed to again, and then unexpectedly learned Chu’s identity… That’s odd. Since they are siblings, Chu should also be surnamed Tao. Why did she name her fan page Chu…

“Xiaoning, it’s raining so hard outside! Even if Brother Xie drives us to Plato later, it will still be a hassle for us to get back on our own after the concert!” Yiting complained in a low voice close to my ear. Besides the soft music in the car, I finally noticed the drumming of rain outside the window.

“Xiaoning, what’s wrong?”

Yiting squeezed my hand, and I jumped when I snapped back to reality. “Ah… um, nothing, I’m fine.” I lowered my head, taking a deep breath of the leather scent filling the car.

Brother Xie, who was driving, stopped by the roadside about fifty meters from Plato. “Can I drop you off here? I’ve been to Plato, and it’s really hard to squeeze in.” He offered an apologetic and helpless smile.

This was more than enough! We both thanked him. I opened the umbrella and got out first. Yiting ran around the front of the car after getting out and blew a kiss to Brother Xie, who immediately collapsed onto the steering wheel, laughing!

“What was that move?”

Yiting proudly swayed her hips, “That’s the ‘Charm of a Young Maiden!'” If I had a recording or a camera, I would definitely record it as a piece of embarrassing history!

We rushed towards Plato, playfully jostling each other; Brother Xie’s look of difficulty before getting out of the car seemed vividly before my eyes—it was Friday night, and the crowd listening to the live music at Plato was simply immense. We barely managed to squeeze into a corner where we could see the stage.

The band performing on stage was indeed Mianrenyu (Mermaid/Merman)! Saya-xuejie’s (Senior Saya’s) soaring vocals drew cheers from many listeners. Just as a song ended, almost the entire audience raised their hands or wine glasses, shouting “Encore!”

Xuejie immediately followed with an a cappella segment of “Wings in the Wind,” which was an impromptu addition! It was also intended to give the other musicians on stage a brief rest. From my angle, I could only barely see Jack-xuezhang (Senior Jack) and Hanjun. Rooster and Monk-xuezhang were blocked by the crowd…

After this impromptu performance, facing a barrage of applause and cheers, Saya-xuejie raised her right hand like a superstar and bowed deeply to her fans.

“Thank you, everyone! Thank you all for always being so supportive of us every time we perform…” The Xuejie, who always sang with passion and joy, spoke while catching her breath. She raised her hand again and continued into the microphone: “All this time, Mianrenyu has only ever wanted to bring you one thing… and that is pure music. This has not changed since the beginning of the band, from when we were unknown to now, finally starting to gain your support.”

“In the future, we will continue to stand on stage… No, even if it’s just by the roadside, on the grass in a small park, or the school’s assembly ground, we will continue to move forward with our singing and our music!” Her moving speech also drew enthusiastic applause. I raised my hands and clapped until they hurt!

But Xuejie wasn’t finished… “No matter, no matter what changes Mianrenyu faces in the future, I hope everyone remembers… the emotion we brought to you.”

The moment these words were spoken, the audience was instantly in an uproar. Many people began shouting “I love Mianrenyu,” “Mianrenyu, don’t go,” and similar phrases. The previously lively and joyous scene suddenly felt a little melancholic.

I couldn’t clearly see Saya-xuejie’s expression, but Hanjun was expressionless throughout, holding his red guitar by his waist; what exactly happened to Mianrenyu? Xuejie’s words could be interpreted in two ways: one, Mianrenyu might have lost the opportunity to continue performing at Plato, and the other…

Hanjun finally made his “decision,” didn’t he?

“Our last song tonight!” Saya-xuejie shouted with her high-pitched voice, pointing towards the sky. Then, holding a hand to her ear, she softly asked the audience, “What is it? What do you want to hear?”

“GLAMOROUS SKY!”

As if in response, Hanjun’s guitar began to play the intro. Saya-xuejie’s voice, low but incredibly charismatic, began to sing—”開け放した窓に廻る乱舞のDEEP SKY AH 仰いで… (From the open window, I look up at the spiraling, wildly dancing DEEP SKY AH…)”

This song… could be said to be Mianrenyu’s signature piece.

Saya-xuejie’s voice, sometimes explosive, sometimes gentle, and Hanjun’s masterful guitar perfectly complemented each other; this was also one of the songs that best showcased Hanjun’s guitar skills.

Because it was extremely popular, they often performed it. I had heard them play it live many, many times, but this time…

Why did I only feel a deep sadness?

All the listeners were once again carried away by the melody—”あの虹を渡って あの朝に帰りたい (I want to cross that rainbow and return to that morning).”

Was I the only one who knew the predicament Mianrenyu was facing behind this song?

Everyone was jumping, even singing along, while Saya-xuejie and Hanjun on stage interacted as usual, earning a round of applause.

“Mn… GLAMOROUS DAYS 眠れないよ！ (Don’t fall asleep!)”

My heart pounded fast, rising and falling with the music, along with everyone else and them on stage.

I don’t believe it’s going to end just like this… Mianrenyu, it can’t just end!

“あの夢を並べて 二人歩いた GLAMOROUS DAYS (Laying out those dreams, two people walked together GLAMOROUS DAYS)”

“GLAMOROUS SKY…”

As the music ended, the audience immediately erupted in applause that lingered for a long time.

Dedicated to Mianrenyu, dedicated to their brilliant performance.

I sincerely hoped that the situation I feared most would not happen.

“It’s just as wonderful no matter how many times I hear it! Xiaoning… Are you crying? Are you that moved?” I dodged Yiting’s teasing, hastily wiping away the tears on my cheeks.

It’s a pity… they didn’t seem to hear the wish in my heart.

This song, “GLAMOROUS SKY,” was the last time I heard Mianrenyu’s original lineup perform.

We stayed at Plato for another thirty minutes. Most of the people in the pub had left, and the rain outside had stopped.

“Are you going to let me go home alone?” Yiting didn’t seem too happy to hear that I was going backstage.

“I’m sorry… I have an appointment with Hanjun.”

“Ugh! Really… Fine, I’ll take a taxi home. You have to buy me a strawberry sundae tomorrow to make up for it!”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “Okay, okay! See you tomorrow…” The words came out too easily, and I realized after saying goodbye that tomorrow was Saturday!

Walking to the parking lot, I called Hanjun to say I had arrived. He quickly came out through the back door—he was alone.

My smile froze on my lips, and the ominous feeling in my heart deepened. “Where are the others?”

His expression was quite relaxed. “They took the shuttle van and left.” He held his guitar and stroked my head. “What’s wrong? You look a little strange… Did you hear us perform?”

“Yes, the last song was really great…”

“It was.” He led me to where he parked. A brand-new, bright green heavy motorcycle sat in the parking spot, still covered in water droplets. “Huh? This bike…” I hadn’t seen it before.

“I bought it!” he announced proudly, gently wiping the water droplets off the body of the bike. “My old scooter has been with me for over ten years, so I decided to replace it…”

“After I got the signing bonus.”

“What… signing bonus?”

“A new performance contract; right after I signed with the agency.” His tone was very calm, as if talking about something trivial. “I split with Mianrenyu.” He didn’t even show a hint of regret.

My knees suddenly went weak. He quickly pulled me up, preventing me from falling to the ground!

We had just spent an intimate night together last night… he told me he “hadn’t decided yet,” but tonight, he immediately told me he had split up with the band, signed a different management contract, and… bought a new motorcycle?

“Didn’t you say yesterday… that you hadn’t decided yet?” I was lost. He instantly became blurry in my vision. I grabbed his jacket, and he remained expressionless. “You clearly said yesterday that you hadn’t… hadn’t decided! Then why did you sign the contract in the blink of an eye? You took the money and even bought a bike!”

He lied to me again, didn’t he?

He frowned. To my eyes, it was without apology, even a little bit of impatience… “I’m sorry, Xiaoxiao, I seriously weighed my options and felt that this was the best path for my future development. I signed that contract on Monday.”

It was true!

So that’s why he reacted so strongly on Wednesday? Because Jack-xuezhang was going to sign with others, and his name would inevitably be on the contract! His actions would mean breaching the previous contract. If things went wrong, not only would he have to return the money, but he might also have to pay a penalty for breach of contract!

“Monday? You didn’t even tell me?” I was dumbfounded. How was I supposed to face Jack-xuezhang and Saya-xuejie! Could I still show my face in front of the other members of Mianrenyu?

Since I started dating him… no, since I met him! I had never, ever been this angry at him!

“You told me to decide for myself.”

“Me?” I trembled, pointing at myself. Somehow, I found it very funny! “Ha… I told you to decide for yourself?”

“When you stayed over at my place for the first time.”

“I was almost asleep! Why didn’t you tell me a second time about something so important? Why didn’t you think about it more? Do they know?” Biting my lip, I wiped away my tears and shouted at him at the top of my lungs! “I’m asking you if the Xue-zhangs know!”

His face became very stiff. After taking two deep breaths, he said, “Didn’t I leave a bunch of messages in the group chat on Wednesday?”

“Yes! And you backed down as soon as Xuejie spoke.”

“I told them that night.” His voice was flat and mechanical, sounding particularly harsh. “I only told Jack-xuezhang, and he said he understood.”

It was clearly irreversible! What else could Xue-zhang do? The contract was signed!

“So…” I stared at him in despair, “What Saya-xuejie said on stage today was because of you, right? Mianrenyu is breaking up! The name ‘Ah-Jun the guitarist’ will no longer exist! He betrayed the other members, betrayed Mianrenyu, and betrayed the fans who supported him!”

“Yu Xiaoning! Take back your accusation!” He grabbed my shoulders and roared, like a dog whose sore spot had been stepped on; his grip was very strong, and for a moment, I thought my shoulders would be crushed. “Do you know what kind of contract Chen Xiaoyi signed with those people! He completely treated Mianrenyu as his own asset! Just wait and see! Lu Jinzhe, Wang Wenwei, and Feng Zhifang will definitely jump ship from Mianrenyu one by one. That band is finished! F-I-N-I-S-H-E-D!”

I was so unaccustomed to hearing so many unfamiliar names all at once; thanks to him, I finally knew the real names of the other three.

“You’re hurting my feelings too much! Didn’t we agree? You said you would support me!” He looked at me with a hurt expression, then tightly embraced me. “Xiaoxiao… I know you weren’t mentally prepared for this decision… but please believe me! This contract is the key to my true success. I will have a bigger stage, new band members, and many, many more fans who support me… Honestly, this decision is good for us too!”

“Us?” I repeated, feeling only a chill in my heart.

“Yes! Us. You are my girlfriend, doesn’t my future represent our future?” He wiped the tears from my cheeks, trying to raise his voice, “Xiaoxiao, cheer up, okay? Look, I can afford this bike, and later I might rent a separate apartment. I can invite you to move in with me, and I’ll cover the rent! We can be together every day, happily together… Are you happy? Smile for me?”

I pulled at the corners of my mouth. Even though he painted such a beautiful, illusory future, I couldn’t bring myself to be happy… Whether the contract Jack-xuezhang signed was really that bad, or whether his contract was truly a shortcut to success, remained to be seen.

But I was certain of one thing.

Lu Hanjun’s expression had changed from the simple shine of pure love for music to a face… consumed by greed.

I desperately wished I was wrong.