We sped through the night’s prison and the city’s shackles, racing along a road of freedom…

The wind roared in my ears, but the warmth of Mi Cai radiated from behind me. This warmth seemed to be melting me, and I couldn’t remember when I last felt this way, except for the night Jian Wei gave herself to me…

As we neared the music store, I had an illusion that this journey had taken me through the desolation and prosperity of life. Even if I were to grow old now, I would have no regrets!

The roar of the engine gradually subsided. I took off my helmet and turned off the motorcycle, then turned to look at Mi Cai. Like me, she had also removed her helmet. Perhaps due to being confined in the helmet, her face was slightly flushed and her hair was a bit messy, but this made her look even more beautiful, a kind of unadorned beauty!

I smiled at her and asked, “How was it? Exciting enough?”

“Very exciting, full of surprises!”

Mi Cai finished speaking and put her hand to her mouth, exhaling warm breath. She should have added, “And cold enough!” But she didn’t mention it, perhaps not wanting to spoil the pleasure of this reckless indulgence.

“Let’s hurry to the store, it won’t be so cold inside!”

Mi Cai nodded, and we walked towards the store, which had already opened its doors.

The owner of this music store was familiar with Robben and Little Wu, but I only heard them call him “A Ji” and didn’t know his real name. But that didn’t matter, most musicians were like this, their names were often just nicknames or pet names.

I pushed open the glass door and walked into the store. A Ji greeted me with a smile, “Zhao Yang, long time no see!” Then he looked surprised at Mi Cai behind me and asked, “Who is this lady?”

I complained, “This lady is a troublemaker, she’s the one who wants to buy a guitar!”

Mi Cai’s attention was all on the various guitars, and she didn’t mind me calling her a “troublemaker”. A Ji laughed and said, “You don’t need to explain, I understand. If such a beautiful lady asked me for something, I would pluck the moon from the sky for her!”

I smiled and then went to Mi Cai’s side to accompany her in looking at the guitars. She seemed to have no difficulty in choosing, her gaze quickly settled on a wooden guitar, and then she said to me, “Zhao Yang, I want this one!”

I looked at it, the guitar was a Taylor brand, the back and sides were made of expensive East Indian rosewood, and the fingerboard and bridge were made of ebony. Even though there was no price tag, I estimated that this guitar was worth no less than 20,000.

A Ji came to Mi Cai’s side and laughed, “You have a good eye, this guitar was purchased by a friend from the United States, and it’s the only one in all the music stores in Suzhou.”

With A Ji’s words, I had a better idea. I said to Mi Cai, “This guitar is a bit hard to play, not very suitable for girls, why don’t you look at others?”

“I like this one, you don’t want to give it to me, do you?”

I felt wronged in my heart. I wanted to give it to her, but I also needed to have the means. Even the red envelope she gave me, plus the ones from Jian Wei and Yan Yan, didn’t add up to 15,000, which was not enough to buy this guitar.

Mi Cai still looked at me with a nonchalant expression, but I could always feel a hint of disappointment that was not easy to detect.

Finally, I made up my mind and said, “Buy it, if you like it, I’ll give it to you!”

Mi Cai’s face softened a bit. I took down the guitar and handed it to her, saying, “You try the sound of the guitar first.” Then I turned to A Ji and asked, “Do you have a bathroom here? Can you show me? I need to pee!”

“Right by the road will do!”

“Together, together…” I said, not caring whether A Ji needed to pee or not, and walked out with him.

…

On the deserted roadside, I was peeing and asked A Ji, “How much for this guitar?”

A Ji, a straightforward person, didn’t say anything pretentious like giving me a discount because we’re friends, and directly quoted a number: “26,000!”

I suddenly lost the urge to pee, stopped, and said, “Damn, is it made of gold?”

A Ji laughed and said, “Zhao Yang, you’re a knowledgeable person, don’t you have an idea of the price of this guitar?”

I remained silent, feeling a bit embarrassed.

A Ji still smiled and said, “Little Wu told me very clearly when he called me, you’re not short of money! He said you wouldn’t even mention anything about discounts. At first, I didn’t believe it, but when I saw you brought such a beautiful lady, I believed it… You wouldn’t be worthy of this lady without some wealth.” He thought for a moment and added, “Even with wealth, you might not be worthy.”I was instantly annoyed, pulling out my unbuckled belt and making a motion as if to hit A Ji. He flinched instinctively, his decade-old braid swinging behind him. He quickly said, “Zhao Yang, let’s talk this out, no need for violence… we’re all civilized people!”

“You, who ruins the city’s appearance every time you step out, dare to talk about being civilized? Your braid makes you look like an old woman!”

A Ji was startled by my sudden change of mood, and after a while, he said, “No wonder you and Robben get along so well, you both have terrifying tempers!”

I buckled my belt again, half-joking, half-serious just now. But his words, that even if I were rich, I wouldn’t be good enough for Mi Cai, truly upset me. But it made me realize, it’s not that I’m too ordinary, it’s that she’s too extraordinary!

A Ji then said to me, “Zhao Yang, if you’re really tight on money, I have a suggestion…”

“Go ahead.”

“I really like your guitar. How about you trade it with me? I don’t mind taking a loss…” A Ji said, looking at me expectantly.

In fact, when Jian Wei had this guitar made for me, it only cost 20,000 yuan. If I were to trade it for A Ji’s Taylor, he would indeed lose several thousand. But to a musician, a beloved guitar is priceless. A Ji proposed this deal for that very reason.

But I was torn. This guitar had been with me for years, and it was a reminder of the past. Was I really ready to let it go?

After taking a deep breath, I smiled and thought to myself: Why should I let these wounds torment me forever, etched into a guitar? Finally, I said to A Ji, “Alright, let’s trade… I don’t want to take advantage of you, I’ll give you an extra 6,000 yuan!”

A Ji was overjoyed, “As long as I can have the guitar, forget about the 6,000 yuan. I really love the craftsmanship of your guitar, it’s so artistic!”

I didn’t say anything, just took out the money from my pocket, counted 6,000 yuan, and handed it to A Ji. Then I gestured for him to accept it without saying anything.

A Ji refused.

I forcefully stuffed the money into his hand and said, “Let’s keep things fair and square… ” After a while, I added, “This guitar will have a good home with you.”

A Ji finally didn’t refuse. He put the money in his pocket and said to me, “A gentleman shouldn’t covet what others love, but I really can’t help it. Don’t worry, I’ll treasure this guitar!”

I forced a smile and said, “It’s not like you’re taking something I love. Maybe this guitar was never meant to be mine.”

…

Back in the store, Mi Cai was still strumming the guitar, looking very attached. I asked her, “Are you sure you want to buy this guitar?”

“Yes, it feels great to play and the sound quality is good!”

I said to A Ji, “Can you help pack it up?”

Mi Cai handed the guitar to A Ji, who quickly packed it into its case and handed it to me.

I smiled and handed the guitar back to Mi Cai, saying, “From now on, this guitar is yours!”

“Thank you, Zhao Yang!”

I patted her shoulder to indicate it was no big deal, then said goodbye to A Ji and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Mi Cai seemed to remember something and asked, “Zhao Yang, have you paid for the guitar?”

A Ji patted his bulging pocket and said, “Just did!”

“Oh.” Mi Cai responded, not realizing that the bulging pocket only contained 6,000 yuan. A Ji’s action was due to my instruction. Before entering the store, I had told him not to tell Mi Cai that I had traded my guitar for hers.

Mi Cai might not know the real value of this guitar, so this matter was easily dealt with.

…

The night was deep, very deep. I said to Mi Cai, “It’s very late now, I’ll take you home. Your car will be fine in the bar’s parking lot.”

Mi Cai shook her head and said, “I want to go to the bar.”

I asked in confusion, “Why go to the bar? It’s closed!”

“I want to play this guitar in the bar and experience the mood of the fifth season!”

I looked at Mi Cai, her anticipation was genuine, like a child who had just received a beloved toy and couldn’t wait to show off.

After thinking for a while, since tomorrow was the weekend, I decided to indulge her again and said, “Alright, but only for a while. It’s not good for a woman to stay up late!”

“Okay… By the way, your guitar is at the bar, right?”I was taken aback, but then I nodded.

“I want you to sing with me, we’ll play the guitar and sing together! Is that okay?”

This was the first time Mi Cai had given me the opportunity to sing a duet with her. But with only us as the audience, it felt more like a comforting farewell…

Perhaps saying goodbye to the guitar that brought me such joy and heartache in this way was a fitting end!

—————————-

The request for an extra update yesterday fell a bit short. After all, everyone tried their best, so let’s compromise and update a big chapter of 3000 words… For a first-person novel, 3000 words is a proper big chapter, so some readers shouldn’t make a fuss about it! Actually, you didn’t complete it, and neither did I… Three chapters are quite a challenge for me.. Let’s work hard together next time.