Chapter Thirteen

  The reason for the termination is nominally due to so-called private shooting advertisements, but in fact it's very simple.

  Lu Fei brandishing a knife to threaten the boss is one thing, but Li Jin daring to openly escape from Mr. Li's bed is what the boss cannot tolerate the most. Who knows how Mr. Li will react, if he gets angry and wants to make a scene because of this matter, wouldn't that be getting more than they bargained for? Therefore, it's better to kick these two troublemakers out as soon as possible.

  As for the penalty... Lai Jianxin knew it in his heart, the other party didn't intend to want it, and he himself had no money to give.

  Losing this contract, Li Jin was not heartbroken. He had never planned to be a star, and now that he has regained his freedom, he can re-select an entertainment company and start over. Luo Fei became very depressed, from the day he returned, he had been in low spirits, didn't eat, and worked himself to death.

  Li Jin had advised him several times, but he turned a deaf ear, and Li Jin was too lazy to waste his breath again.

  That night, Li Jin slept early, and as he gradually woke up from his dream, he vaguely heard the sound of a guitar being played in a simple and clean tone. He opened his eyes drowsily, and on the balcony, the moonlight was pouring down like silver-white satin, the night breeze blowing gently against the curtains, creating soft and beautiful notes that were as delicate as the folds of fabric, winding and twisting.

  "What are you doing?" Li Jin propped himself up.

  "Disturb you?" In the moonlight, Lu Fei turned his head back, smiled apologetically and said "Sorry."

  The two had saved up almost nothing, and didn't even have the money to pay for electricity. They spent several days in darkness. Tonight, the moonlight was pouring down like a city, making it just right as an excellent white light bulb. Li Jin's sleepiness disappeared, so she sat on the edge of the bed, her feet stepping on a patch of moonlight that extended to the headboard, shaking her head and saying: "No, I woke up myself."

  Luo Fei responded with a "hmm", his fingers brushing against the guitar strings, producing a clear "ting" sound. He turned around and looked at Li Jin: "Do you know why I consider you my best friend?"

  Li Jin shook his head.

  "For so many years, except for my sister, you are the first person who is willing to seriously listen to me sing." Luo Fei smiled wryly, this smile was not much better than crying, "Xiao Jin, let me sing another one for you, okay?"

  "Good." Li Jin smiled, "Then sing that song you sang for me back then."

  She sat on the windowsill writing

  She wore a white skirt

  Her swaying foot was so beautiful it seemed unreal

  I fell in love with her hair

  I am infatuated with her pearly teeth

  I wander every day and night on her balcony reciting those Shakespearean sonnets for her.

  Oh my beloved girl, would you mind lowering your head and take a look at the love that's overflowing from my palms?

  Oh my beloved girl, don't be surprised

  Just like flying fish rely on the ocean I will fall in love with you how natural...

  After a brief guitar prelude, Luo Fei gently nodded his head and sang out this song he wrote himself to the accompaniment of a simple yet lively melody. Under the moonlight, his profile was sometimes bright and sometimes dark, as if it were coated with a layer of silver light.

  Li Jin's body leaned forward, sitting quietly on the bed. He had forgotten how long it had been since he last heard such a moving melody, and after Shu Mu finished one high note after another as if using a formula, his heart was no longer moved by anyone's singing.

  And it was in this small, old, and dark room that had lost all its light due to the power outage that he once again encountered this heart-pounding feeling.

  This heartbeat is like when you pass through that piece of fallen leaves forest after junior high school, and see that long-haired girl with black straight hair, it's naturally beautiful. Your heart was shot by Cupid's golden arrow in an instant, this feeling makes your throat tight and dry, sour, sweet, bitter and spicy mixed together into a peculiar taste.

  You will carefully and expectantly guess whether this is the taste of love.

  Li Jin felt that he had tasted the flavor of love in this song.

  He savored the taste with an unspoken implication, until Luo Fei stopped playing his guitar for a long time and looked at him with a hint of puzzlement.

  "What's wrong?" Kong Fei laughed, "Were you stunned into stupidity?"

  "No." Li Jin came back to himself and tried to save face, "You should find a professional songwriter."

  "You said the same thing last time." Luo Fei smiled lightly, strumming a chord on his guitar. "That's why I especially want to become famous. I think that as long as I become famous, maybe I can find an even better songwriter to write lyrics for me, learn from more powerful people how to compose and arrange music, and then stand on the stage illuminated by countless lights, singing the songs I wrote for the people below."

  Li Jin hung his head and smiled.

  "I know, I'm too naive." Luo Fei lowered his head, as if the guitar was his most intimate lover, and gazed at it with a doting and gentle gaze. "Xiao Jin, sorry, I couldn't hold on anymore, I... want to be a deserter."

  Li Jin suddenly lifted his head.

  "I went out this afternoon and bought a ticket back home, the 9:30 train tomorrow morning. Sorry, I have to leave you alone to work hard for your dreams." Luo Fei's eyes sparkled with crystal light under the moonlight, Li Jin thought he should be crying, but didn't want his tears to fall, "What a pity, I've never stood on stage before, I've never enjoyed being in the spotlight, I've never held a microphone and shouted my name to the audience below, telling them to listen carefully as I sing this song..."

  Then, his reluctant and unwilling tears suddenly fell heavily.

  He was only nineteen, and in his simple nineteen years of life, singing was everything to him. He felt that as long as he worked hard, there was nothing that couldn't be done in this world, and as long as he kept chasing his dreams, he would eventually reach the end where his dreams came true.

  So——

  "Is it enough just standing on stage, being illuminated by the lights and being listened to?" Li Jin suddenly stood up and asked.

  "What?" Kong Fei raised his head, with tears still hanging on his face.

  "Is that enough?" Li Jin raised one corner of his mouth, seemingly sneering with a faint smile.

  How can such a simple requirement possibly not be met?

  Even if reality gives you the cruelest lesson, at least in the last second, let you leave with a smile.

  "Come with me." Li Jin tightly grasped Luo Fei's hand and ran out of the door without looking back.

  The moon was in the middle of the sky, and the wide streets were quiet and soundless. The air seemed to have been sucked out, and only the echoes of Lí Jǐn and Luò Fēi's footsteps could be heard between the low-rise buildings that stood opposite each other. Those continuous, powerful footsteps sounded like a kind of exclusive drumbeat. Lí Jǐn held tightly onto Luò Fēi's hand as they ran across the road under the flashing streetlights.

  "Where are you going in the middle of the night?" Luo Fei thought Li Jin was crazy.

  "I'll find you a stage," said Li Jin.

  "What did you say?" Luo Fei's mouth was wide open, and he swallowed a bellyful of air, "You..."

  "Shut up! I'm not running around on the highway in the middle of the night for my own sake, but for yours. You should be thanking me instead of asking a bunch of questions that you'll know the answers to later." Li Jin stretched out his hand and waved it up and down, "Damn it, why won't any of these taxis stop!"

  As they spoke, another taxi carrying passengers whizzed by in front of them.

  Luo Fei stood there for three minutes, during which several taxis whizzed by, before shouting loudly: "Wait for me!", then turned around and ran back.

  Tonight, if nothing unexpected happens, I will update another chapter at 8 o'clock.