Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Surrounded by applause and attention, I ascended the small stage, took the guitar from a band member, and strummed the strings, pondering which song to sing during the sound check.
After much thought, I settled on "Xiang Dui" by the Zi Yue band, as it seemed to voice the emotions I'd been feeling in my recent romantic endeavors.
The lyrics spoke of my shame when facing Mi Cai, feeling unworthy of her beauty, desperately trying to keep pace, only to become more exhausted in the chase.
***
Strumming the guitar, I no longer wished to perform with heart-wrenching intensity. I relaxed, sang calmly, reminisced through the song, and as the memories lightened, my voice began to quiver… It was then I realized I had grievances in this just-ended romance, and subconsciously, I needed the solace of Xitang.
After the song ended, applause filled the room. A Feng, the bar owner, was the first to give me a thumbs-up, acknowledging my performance. Even the woman in the red coat joined the crowd's applause, convincing me of music's magical power to temporarily set aside prejudices between two people.
I put down the guitar, but A Feng approached, urging the crowd to request another song from me. Despite my reluctance, I agreed.
Once again, I picked up the guitar and said to the patrons, "Go ahead, request a song, and I'll sing it for you."
The crowd shouted out more than a dozen song titles all at once. A Feng quickly restored order, "If everyone requests, Zhao Yang can't satisfy all… How about this? I have a deck of cards. I'll deal one to each person, and whoever gets the King of Hearts gets to request a song, okay?"
Everyone agreed to the game.
A Feng signaled for quiet and continued with a smile, "Our bar's theme is 'Waiting for You in Xitang'. You can wait for a breeze, a snowfall, a chance encounter, or perhaps just for someone… Each wait is a story. So, sharing stories is also our theme. The lucky person who draws the King of Hearts, please share with us the story you're waiting for, and let's spend this lonely night together in your tale, shall we?"
With everyone's approval, A Feng began shuffling and dealing the cards to the patrons.
There was only one King of Hearts, and everyone was keen to see who would get the unique chance.
Amidst the murmurs, the woman in the red coat held up her card and announced, "The King of Hearts is here with me."
I looked at her in surprise, marveling at the coincidence, as the odds of getting the King of Hearts were slim.
A Feng took the card from her and whispered to me, "I deliberately gave her the King of Hearts; I'm quite curious about her story!"
I nodded in realization and whispered back, "She's a very special woman!"
"Mm."
After acknowledging me, A Feng turned to the woman, "Miss, you've won the chance to request a song. What would you like to hear? Zhao Yang will surely oblige."
"Love and Promise."
I said, "If I'm not mistaken, that's a duet by Jacky Cheung and Priscilla Chan, right?"
She nodded.
"It's a duet, so I'll need someone to sing with me."
A Feng asked her, "Miss, would you like to sing this song with Zhao Yang?"
She shook her head, indicating her unwillingness.
I felt a bit awkward but didn't mind, understanding that some songs are meant to be sung with only one person, and to her, I wasn't that man.
A Feng turned to the female bassist behind him, "Xing'er, you sing this duet with Zhao Yang."
Xing'er nodded, took the microphone, and stood beside me. After a brief exchange of glances, we began the duet, a love song that could bring tears to those with a story.
Though a bassist, Xing'er had a delicate, gentle voice, while my voice was slightly hoarse from smoking. The blend of our contrasting voices created a unique effect, stirring emotions of longing, sorrow, and desire… so much so that everyone was immersed in our singing, and she began to sob uncontrollably… In that moment, I felt as if the tightly wound string in her heart was mercilessly snapped by our song.
As the music faded, there was no applause, just moved faces. Everyone heard their past dreams and hopes in the song, reopening their present pain and helplessness.
After a while, A Feng was the first to clap loudly, but no one joined him, their hands busy nursing their freshly torn wounds.
A Feng wasn't surprised. He stopped clapping and, with an encouraging smile, said, "I believe everyone was reminded of past vows in 'Love and Promise', and the unhealed wounds were torn open again… But what of it?"
He paused before adding, "This is a music bar, also a place for healing. Over the years, I've seen many heartbroken customers come here for comfort. Often they don't find true solace but instead reopen their wounds… However, that's not to be feared. I firmly believe that only after feeling the pain of being torn apart can one truly understand the essence of life and love, emerge stronger, and continue life's journey… Remember, strength is your last resort, for as long as you live, pain is inevitable, and no one can escape it…"
Finally, the silent crowd applauded for A Feng…
I thought, perhaps the metamorphosis after such pain is the real reason this group of wounded souls comes here.
According to the rules of the King of Hearts game, the woman in red should have shared her story after my performance, but she left early. However, no one pursued the matter, because we all understood, some stories can't be shared, even if it breaks the rules of the game.
***
After the impromptu performance, I returned to my original seat. My young companion was deep in thought, then said to me, "Brother Yang, I think it's better to be a virgin… Love is too frightening!"
I couldn't quite respond to his bizarre sentiment and silently lit a cigarette.
He suddenly burst out angrily, "You know what… I'm really mad now!"
"What happened?"
"Le Yao saw that reply; she blocked my account… You executioner, I hate you! "
I replied without thinking, "Is that all? I'll ask her to unblock you later."