After entering the bar, Robben, CC, and I found a quiet corner to sit down, ordered some beers, and chatted while A Feng was busy organizing the event.
In the midst of our conversation, CC glanced at her watch, interrupting Robben and me, "Mi Cai's flight from Beijing to New York was at nine this morning; she should be almost there by now, right?"
Doing the math, if she caught the nine o'clock flight from the Capital's airport, then Mi Cai might have left in the middle of last night.
Her tight schedule confirmed that Wei Ran hadn't lied to me; Mi Cai really did delay a lot of work to find me.
On the bright side, it proved that Mi Cai cared about me. On the downside, I felt like a burden to her once again.
CC nudged me and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Snapping back to reality, I took a swig of beer before replying, "Nothing much."
CC glared at me, "I just mentioned Mi Cai is about to land in New York, don't you care?"
I nodded, indicating that I did care, but feeling that any words would be awkward, I turned to CC for advice, "Hey, expert in the field of emotional psychology, what should I say?"
"Just skip the nonsense, a simple 'dear' or 'baby' will do!"
"Is that really okay?"
CC nodded in confirmation.
I nudged Robben, who was smoking sullenly, and asked, "Rob, what do you usually call CC?"
Robben glanced at CC and casually replied, "Just CC."
I tapped the table and told CC, "See, even Robben can't do it, so don't push it."
CC, struggling like it was her last breath, said, "Robben is a bad example; he's definitely not one to follow." She then gestured for me to take out my phone.
I pulled out my phone, and without giving me a chance to react, CC snatched it from my hands, quickly typed a message, and sent it. Handing the phone back to me, she took a sip of beer and with a smile said, "Check it yourself."
I looked at the screen and found a new message in the sent box: "Baby, have you landed?"
I pointed at CC and complained, "Can't you let me maintain a little dignity?"
"Maybe Mi Cai likes you just the way you are, without the dignity!" she retorted with a killer smile, adding, "I'm really curious how Mi Cai will respond!"
"You're truly my dear sister!" I said, lighting a cigarette with a hint of emotion and setting the phone aside.
Robben, who had been watching the stage, suddenly leaned in and said, "Let me know when Mi Cai replies, we can analyze it together."
"Get lost, it's none of your business."
***
A Feng's "Bar's Best Voice" competition had already started, and I heard that tonight's winner, besides getting a valuable guitar, would also enjoy a half-price discount at the bar in the future.
I was tempted because I really needed a guitar, and the half-price discount was too enticing, especially since I was going to be a regular in Xitang. I figured the half-price was just a concept A Feng played with; after all, how long could tourists stay and spend in Xitang?
I chuckled to myself, thinking if I really won, A Feng would be so frustrated!
The rules were simple: anyone confident and interested could take the stage and sing. The judges were the customers, each with a vote to cast for their favorite performer. The one with the most votes at the end of the night would be crowned "The Best Voice."
Soon, a girl in extravagant attire took the stage and belted out Dai Ailing's "Super Boom."
The atmosphere erupted with the explosive metal music, likely because A Feng had arranged for her to kick off the event and liven up the mood. The customers were very responsive, cheering her on, which also reflected A Feng's savvy as a bar owner, evident in many details around the bar.
After the performance, the applause was continuous, and the girl had indeed set a great tone, earning many votes from the customers.
I nudged CC, "Wanna give it a go?"
CC shook her head, laughing, "No thanks, I'm too old for this. Did you see how that girl was dancing? She almost broke her waist!"
"We're here, might as well have some fun. No one said you have to sing and dance, right?"
CC eyed me suspiciously, "Zhao Yang, are you a little too enthusiastic about this event?"
Embarrassed, I laughed, "Sis, I want that guitar. It's not top-of-the-line, but it's good enough for everyday use."
"Zhao Yang, how pitiful you are, after all these years in music, you don't even have a guitar!"
I remembered the guitar Jian Wei had thrown into the river and the one I returned to Mi Cai. Although they were great guitars, my ridiculous fate meant I couldn't enjoy them. After a pause, I said to CC, "Help me out, will you? Guitars are quite expensive these days…"
"I'm not sure I can win that guitar for you, unless…"
I quickly asked, "Unless what?"
"Sigh! If Mi Cai were here, the guitar would be as good as ours. Who doesn't love a beautiful woman? And her singing is truly amazing!…"
I cut CC off, "Can we not use our relationship for amusement?"
CC unapologetically replied, "No, it's you I'm teasing. Who told you to act like a sulking child over a relationship and hide away in Xitang?"
Before I could argue, Robben, inappropriately, leaned in and asked, "Has Mi Cai replied to your message?"
Although annoyed, I glanced at the phone lying aside. It was still quiet, but I was more curious than Robben about how Mi Cai would respond to being called "baby" by CC in my name.
Lost in thought, CC patted my shoulder and said, "When Mi Cai replies, I won't answer for you. If you can willingly call her 'baby', I'll help you win that guitar. How about it?"
Imagining myself calling Mi Cai "baby" sent shivers down my spine. I was averse to such cheesy terms, and deep down, I still saw Mi Cai as the untouchable CEO of Zhuomei, making it hard to associate such a term with her.
As I was about to refuse CC's offer, my phone vibrated on the table. Before I could see who it was from, Robben had already grabbed it and nonchalantly said, "It's a reply from Mi Cai."
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan