Chapter 46: He Has Me Now

At that very moment, Xia Chiyi saw the band on the stage clearly. They were dressed in black tactical attire, with fierce and cold makeup. Accompanied by a rolling sequence of drumbeats drawing closer from afar, a powerful and energetic song ripped open the lazy and tranquil night.

The patrons snapped out of their drowsiness, turning their gazes toward stage C. Even the bartender, who had been surrounded by several guests just moments before, lost his allure as many people stood up right in front of stage C.

It was a song by Nightwish. Xia Chiyi had played video games during his middle school years, and this band's songs were frequently used as game soundtracks. As the battle song rang out, a surge of adrenaline rushed through Xia Chiyi, making him want to throw aside his keyboard and fight side-by-side with his brothers in the gaming world.

Ke Yan asked, "What's the name of this song? It sounds so familiar."

Yang Huaiyu replied, "I Want My Tears Back."

Knowing that Yang Huaiyu's voice was naturally deep and mellow, Xia Chiyi was surprised to find that it had a rather charming cadence when he recited the English title so seriously.

He Zhan tilted his head and translated it word for word, "I want to take back my tears?"

"May the tears of youth be fulfilled," Zhou Zhexiao said.

Everyone present suddenly looked at Zhou Zhexiao with looks of admiration.

Xia Chiyi remarked, "Suddenly, I feel like Zhou Zhexiao is so cultured."

The next second, the top of Xia Chiyi's head was pressed down, but Zhou Zhexiao controlled his strength just right, stopping steadily right before the tip of Xia Chiyi's nose could bump into his glass of mojito.

As the song came to an end, the atmosphere throughout the bar boiled over into excitement.

Yang Huaiyu tapped his finger lightly in front of Xia Chiyi. "Bringing you here was the right choice, wasn't it? Doesn't the live band here have a much better vibe than those third-rate bands online?"

Sipping his mojito, Xia Chiyi nodded, eagerly anticipating what the next song would be.

Just then, a beam of light on stage C illuminated the lead singer—a capable-looking woman with short hair. Her delicate and exquisite facial features carried not a hint of coquetry, and this neutral style only made her all the more charismatic.

"Friends who frequently visit Stranger know the rule of our bar: one song, one game. Now, it's time for the game segment! Will the person caught in the light please share something you possess, or something you have done, that no one else here has done... Na-na-na-na..." The lead singer's gaze swept across the crowd, seemingly pausing at Xia Chiyi's table. "Don't be shy, don't hide your handsome faces. Every traveler who comes to Stranger hopes to become someone else's special one, rather than remaining a stranger forever."

The subtext, in essence, was that patrons came here harboring varying degrees of expectation for a romantic encounter, while the bar provided a mysterious atmosphere. The following segment was their chance to stand out.

This was Xia Chiyi's first time experiencing such an occasion, and he racked his brain trying to think of something he had done that nobody else had.

Meng Ting became visibly nervous. "What do I do? What do I do? Is there anything I have or have done that no one else here has?"

Xia Chiyi leaned over and said, "You do. You're two meters and two centimeters tall; there probably isn't anyone taller than you in this entire bar."

Yang Huaiyu leaned closer to Xia Chiyi and smiled, saying, "Actually, there might be. The bar's bouncer could be two meters and three."

The tips of Xia Chiyi's and Yang Huaiyu's noses were separated only by the glass of mojito—a half-finished mojito at that. Yang Huaiyu's eyes took on a gentle warmth against the backdrop of the ice cubes. Were his eyelashes really this long?

His collar was tugged from behind by something. It was Zhou Zhexiao's knuckles.

A sensation that was both tickling and numb spread at lightning speed through that tiny point of contact all the way to Xia Chiyi's entire body.

Without batting an eye, Xia Chiyi leaned back, putting some distance between himself and Yang Huaiyu, while openly pressing the back of his neck directly against Zhou Zhexiao's knuckles.

"If you're worried about being caught in the light, wouldn't it work just to duck down?" Zhou Zhexiao said indifferently.

"Oh, right! It's cowardly, but it's effective!" Meng Ting nodded in agreement.

At that moment, a white beam of light swept across the interior of the bar like a searchlight, finally coming to rest on a man wearing a casual suit and rimless glasses.

Meng Ting: "Such a polished scoundrel."

He Zhan: "Though I don't understand anything, this guy seems to be flirting with everyone equally."

Ke Yan: "Suddenly, I feel like our team's ace is low-key, handsome, and profound."

Xia Chiyi was amused by them. While all the other bar patrons were intently watching the handsome gentleman, Xia Chiyi was the only one who let out a laugh full of mockery, as if the man chosen by the lead singer were a comical clown.

Realizing he was the only one laughing, Xia Chiyi immediately swallowed all sound, assuming a completely expressionless face.

The man in rimless glasses looked toward Xia Chiyi's direction. Even though there were several tall guys sitting in the booth he occupied, the man was able to identify the source of the laughter at a single glance, because the athletic-looking boy possessed a handsome profile and a clean, refreshing aura.

On any other day, the man would have cracked some random jokes, but this time he pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"I drove a Lamborghini today."

The lead singer smiled and asked, "Is there anyone else here today who drove a Lamborghini?"

Everyone answered in unison, "No—"

Meng Ting felt a sour wave of envy wash over him, muttering softly, "I wronged our team's ace once again. Clearly, this guy is the ultimate show-off."

Xia Chiyi had little interest in cars. He poked at the fruit platter on the table and brought a tiny cherry tomato to his lips.

The man who drove the Lamborghini kept watching Xia Chiyi's reaction, only to discover with deep disappointment that the Lamborghini held no attraction for the boy whatsoever. Meanwhile, his own heart felt as though it had turned into that tiny cherry tomato, wondering when the boy would finally deign to bite down.

The lights began to spin around the room once more, landing on a woman who had come with her boyfriend. She naturally raised her hand, the diamond ring on her ring finger sparkling like a lighthouse spotted during a night voyage.

"I received a two-carat engagement diamond ring today."

Envious noises erupted from the surrounding crowd.

"Is this showing affection, or just flaunting wealth?"

"Both, probably?"

The lead singer smiled and asked, "Is there anyone else here who received a two-carat engagement diamond ring today?"

Everyone answered loudly and enthusiastically, "No—"

They gave the newlyweds plenty of face.

The band even obligingly played a snippet of the "Wedding March."

The topic at Yang Huaiyu's table shifted to what kind of gift would make one's heart flutter the most if someone confessed their feelings to them.

Meng Ting was the most traditional, thinking that something like handmade pastries would feel warm and cozy.

Yang Huaiyu directly ridiculed him, "If someone likes you, that's already a blessing from the heavens, and yet you still expect them to bake pastries for you."

"What about Xia Chiyi?" Ke Yan asked, looking at him with a smile.

"Me?" Xia Chiyi raised his face, wearing an expression reminiscent of the one he wore when thinking of Sheng Xingming at the subway station. "An NBA championship ring, I suppose..."

After saying it, Xia Chiyi felt like he had lost his mind and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. "I'm just joking. Wristbands or ankle guards or something would be great! Every time you step onto the court, wearing something given to you by the other person—isn't that super meaningful?"

Ah, oops, almost forgot—his own wristbands and ankle guards were all bought by Zhou Zhexiao; his entire outfit was overflowing with "meaning."

"Babe, you scared me to death. An NBA championship ring? You're going to end up growing old alone," Meng Ting said, patting his chest.

However, Yang Huaiyu didn't think Xia Chiyi was joking. He remembered Xia Chiyi's expression just then; it wasn't just daydreaming, but rather the tenacity of turning a dream into reality.

Yang Huaiyu had never hoped for Xia Chiyi's dream to come true as much as he did right now, because it meant that the country's men's basketball team would have new hope.

Ke Yan looked curiously at Zhou Zhexiao. "And you? I feel like you're way too cool, Zhou Zhexiao, completely detached from worldly affairs—the kind of guy you can never chase down."

Xia Chiyi looked over curiously as well.

Zhou Zhexiao answered flatly, "If I were the moon, I wouldn't allow that person's heart to hold any other stars."

Xia Chiyi silently lowered his head, struck by a sudden sense of guilt.

Ke Yan burst out laughing. "He's already got you, and she still dares to covet other men? Is this unfaithful woman tired of living?"

Unfaithful woman...

A cold sweat broke out across Xia Chiyi's back.

At that very moment, the white beam of light began circling the room again, and everyone wanted to know who the third person would be.

The light brushed past Xia Chiyi's eyes. In that instant, Zhou Zhexiao's hand reached out, shielding Xia Chiyi's eyes and pressing him downward.

With tacit understanding, Xia Chiyi flattened himself against the table.

The light did not linger on Xia Chiyi, instead falling directly upon Zhou Zhexiao's face.

In an instant, the gaze of the entire room converged upon him.

Then came the cascading whispers and gasps of amazement.

"I never noticed before, that guy is so handsome... His eyes are so deep..."

"Didn't you notice? I noticed the moment he walked in, but he barely spoke and never smiled."

"His shoulders are so broad, and his legs are so long. It looks like everyone at their table are athletes..."

All sorts of suggestive gazes lingered on Zhou Zhexiao, but he acted as though he felt nothing at all.

The lead singer spoke up, "This cool guy, do you have something that no one else possesses?"

The words carried an inexplicable hint of suggestion.

Yang Huaiyu curved his lips into a smile; he was very curious to see how Zhou Zhexiao would handle this.

Xia Chiyi was still lying flat on the table. He was certain the descriptor "cool guy" definitely wasn't referring to him, so he had escaped the danger of being illuminated by the white light.

He patted the back of Zhou Zhexiao's hand, but the other person showed no intention of moving his hand away.

Ke Yan glanced sideways at Yang Huaiyu. "You're still laughing? Hurry up and bail him out!"

Unhurriedly, Zhou Zhexiao withdrew his phone from his pocket and said indifferently, "I use a Nokia 5230."

The entire crowd erupted into a murmur, and even the lead singer was momentarily stunned.

This answer wasn't cool at all, but paired with Zhou Zhexiao's face and aura, it inexplicably became uniquely rebellious.

After a three-second pause, the lead singer immediately announced loudly, "Is there anyone else currently using a Nokia 5230?"

Everyone looked at one another.

"Looks like there isn't. We've played the game with three guests now. Next up is our second song—*Breathe on Me*!"

This song had a completely different style from the gaming battle song just now; it was a track from Britney Spears' album.

When the lead singer's breathy vocals rang out, the entire bar fell deadly silent.

*"Let it out, let it out... Just breathe on me... We don't need to touch, just breathe on me..."*

Ke Yan lowered his head and covered one eye with his hand. "Listening to this is going to make my ears pregnant."

The two towering figures, He Zhan and Meng Ting, could barely sit still, shifting back and forth as if their chairs were lined with thorns.