(5)

  Liu Qing told her to hurry up and take a taxi to Shenqu. She hailed a taxi that was turning around at the school gate, and as soon as she said "Shenqu", the driver happily said: "Great! I'm a taxi from Jiangbei, I just dropped off someone in Jiangnan, and you're going to this university, which is perfect, I didn't want to go back empty. Don't worry, miss, I know Shenqu very well, I won't delay your business."

  The driver really did as he said, the red taxi darted through the traffic like a fish. She was frightened enough to say several times: "Master, slow down, I'm not in a hurry."

  Divine Melody is a well-known bar in Jiangbei that young people who love to have fun can't ignore. The deepest impression she had from her previous visit was the exterior of the bar. In the central area of Jiangbei City, before liberation, it was a colonial district with many European-style buildings left behind. Divine Melody's predecessor was a church, and she has always been amazed by the white angel sculpture hanging from the vaulted ceiling of the hall. It should be made of plaster, but it doesn't feel cumbersome at all. Such exquisite craftsmanship gives people a light and beautiful feeling.

  Liu Qing was fond of the live band performances at the bar, sometimes there would be bands from Beijing and whenever that happened, the large hall would be packed to the brim. However, no matter what time it was, Liu Qing always managed to get the best spot because she knew Ai Qing, who was not only the boss of the bar but also her boyfriend of five years. She had never met Ai Qing before, all she knew about him was from Liu Qing's descriptions of him as a handsome and excellent person. At that time, she would tease Liu Qing for using "handsome" to describe a man, to which Liu Qing would smile knowingly and say: "You'll understand when you see him."

  She knew that Ai Qing was not a man's real name, but a nickname given to him by Liu Qing, asking him to "love green" forever. When she first heard the origin of this name, she smiled and hugged her shoulders, saying it was cheesy. In her heart, she was secretly curious about what kind of person could make Liu Qing, who usually seemed capable and carefree, so infatuated.

  As soon as she stepped into the hall, she heard a warm applause. She knew that this applause was not for her, but for the band on stage. The lighting in the hall was soft and dim, like the end of dusk. Liu Qing's long white arm rose high above the crowd in the hall, like a lone sail on a yellow evening sea. She smiled as she walked over, and beside Liu Qing sat a man in white clothes. Liu Qing introduced him with a smile: "This is my best friend, Wei Ruxue...Ruxue, this is Ai Qing." When mentioning Ai Qing, Liu Qing made a cute face at Ruxue.

  The man didn't move his body, just lifted his head and gave a lukewarm smile. She also smiled and nodded, considering the greeting over. Handshakes are no longer in fashion now. Occasionally when new employees join the company, they would shake hands with their seniors and say things like "please take care of me". She always found it a bit ridiculous and awkward. The only Korean drama she had watched was "Winter Sonata", which Liu Qing forced her to watch on the company computer - Liu Qing said that every time she watched it, she would think of her own first love in middle school, and it was just like the show, making her cry every time.

  Unfortunately, she didn't have much feeling after reading it. She admired the screenwriter's ingenuity and honestly told Liu Qing her feelings. Liu Qing first said "you're too obedient" and then concluded: "You've had everything arranged by your parents since you were young, isn't that kind of life a bit too boring?"

  There is a line in that play that she very much agrees with, which is said by the heroine: "My hand can only be held by my loved one." Because she agrees with it, she remembers it deeply.

  When she sat down, she noticed that there was still an empty chair next to her. At this time, someone asked, "Is the chair taken?" Ai Qing, who had not spoken until then, said, "Yes." The pleasant sound of his voice made her unable to help but turn her gaze over to take a look at the owner of the voice.

  Her slender face, neat and tidy head and chin, and the curved line of her mouth made him think of the golden divisions on a snail shell. In the shadows, he couldn't see her eyes clearly, but immediately understood why Liu Qing described this man as pretty - he was gentle, delicate, and lacked yang energy.

  In the evening, Liu Qing was also dressed in a simple outfit. The fabric of both their clothes was light and thin, made of hemp. They looked so elegant, like frost. She couldn't help but secretly admire them as a perfect couple. For a moment, she forgot about the anxiety she felt earlier when she heard that someone else was coming. She was so afraid of socializing, just like a vampire is afraid of sunlight.

  She had a belly full of questions, but when she saw Ai Qing, it seemed inconvenient. Fortunately, Ai Qing didn't make her search for words, and Liu Qing was absorbed in the band's performance, so she could only helplessly hold the glass cup filled with ice water.

  Another song ended, and suddenly she saw Liu Qing's arm raised again. She followed Liu Qing's gaze to see the person walking down from the stage getting closer and closer, and couldn't help but widen her eyes. This was already their second meeting today: Ye Xuanran.