Chapter 325

Chapter 325 – Actually, There Was No Breakup

Mei Fang came back with a glass of Alexander for Peng Xue, only to find that Xia Yuan had stopped crying and was now intently listening to Peng Xue recount her experiences over the past six months.

Chengdu, known as the folk music capital, was home to many renowned folk singers who later became famous across the country. One song in particular, named after the city itself, sparked a nationwide craze, with people singing it on every street corner.

Although this popular song wouldn’t be released for another couple of years, the folk music culture had already taken root in this western provincial capital. Peng Xue and her band were just one of the many groups that had traveled to Chengdu to pursue their dreams.

Peng Xue told Xia Yuan and Mei Fang about her experiences in Chengdu, sharing the sweetest voice telling the saddest stories. She spoke of the Southern girl she once longed for, the Northern boy, and the middle-aged man still wandering with his guitar after the band broke up.

Under the city’s neon lights, Peng Xue witnessed many small stories of people chasing their dreams. She also created many of her own folk songs during her travels, with help from her cousin Yanzi.

“You’re really amazing… You could travel alone at your age, while I still need Fang to accompany me whenever I go out.”

“Wow, do you have to show off in front of me? It’s really hurtful.”

Xia Yuan scratched her nose uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to show off. I just think you’re amazing… I definitely couldn’t do it.”

“This is my choice, and I enjoy it.”

Peng Xue took a sip of the Alexander Mei Fang had ordered for her, smiling. “But this wonderful journey in Chengdu is coming to an end.”

“What are your plans now? Your cousin’s band must be quite popular by now, right?”

Peng Xue shook her head. “While that may be true, everyone is moving on to new chapters in their lives. My cousin is tired of traveling and has saved enough money to open a bar with friends in Jiangcheng.”

“Your cousin sings so well. Why stop now? That’s such a shame.”

Peng Xue glanced at her cousin Yanzi, who was chatting with friends nearby, then continued, “Actually, the member I replaced was my cousin’s boyfriend. They were very close, but last year he was pulled back home for arranged marriage. At that point, my cousin decided she no longer wanted to continue.”

Xia Yuan was furious. “How could they do that?”

Mei Fang was also interested. “So, she stuck around for half a year for you?”

“Not exactly… Before, my cousin always talked about going to Chengdu. So we went there together, to clear all our regrets before our youth ended.”

Peng Xue raised her glass to Mei Fang. “Though I don’t like being helped too much, C Station really brought us a lot of young fans. Thank you, Boss Mei! And Yiyuan, let’s raise a glass together.”

Mei Fang and Xia Yuan followed suit. “Wishing you happiness every day, Xiao Xue.”

They all took a sip. Then Peng Xue laughed and shook her head. “Happiness isn’t good for inspiration.”

Peng Xue patted Xia Yuan’s shoulder. “Speaking of you and Boss Mei, what happened? I was shocked when I heard you two had broken up. I even considered coming here to beat him up.”

“Why didn’t you come?” Xia Yuan asked curiously.

“Well…”

Peng Xue looked at Xia Yuan’s cocktail. “What are you drinking? It looks like juice.”

“I forgot the name… It’s non-alcoholic, though, and quite tasty.”

“Why not drink some wine in a bar? You act like a child sometimes, which is why You Xi left you.”

Mei Fang’s apology letter had become a treasure on C Station. Though it happened months ago, many people still brought it up. Thus, Peng Xue knew about Lin You Xi and Mei Fang being together even without asking.

“It wasn’t like that!”

Xia Yuan mumbled. “We’re great together; otherwise, Fang wouldn’t have accompanied me…”

“Alright, alright… It’s rare to see each other, so it’s fine to have a little.”

“Who are you to talk? You’re drinking cocoa!”

“Haha, Yiyuan, calling cocoa ‘cocoa’—want to try it yourself?”

“Fine.”

Xia Yuan took the cocktail from Peng Xue. Mei Fang gently advised, “Just a little, you haven’t had alcohol before.”

At this moment, Peng Xue also put her hand under her chin and looked at Mei Fang’s glass. “Boss Mei isn’t drinking either?”

“I’m not eighteen yet, so I can’t drink.”

Mei Fang said teasingly, “I’m a public figure now. I can’t lead children astray. Yiyuan, who’s an adult, can.”

“Alright, alright… You really like pretending to be younger. You look more like twenty-eight.”

Peng Xue showed no interest in Mei Fang, then turned to Xia Yuan, who had taken a small sip and looked slightly tipsy. Peng Xue quickly took the glass from Xia Yuan, who let out a shameful burp and drank her non-alcoholic beverage.

“Can you handle it, little sister?” Peng Xue smiled and shook her head. “You’re not doing well.”

“It looks like a dessert drink, but it’s stronger than it seems.”

“It’s a dessert drink because it has coffee liqueur and fresh cream. The taste is okay, right?”

“It’s okay… But—burp!”

Xia Yuan covered her face and mumbled, “My drink is better…”

“Peng Xue, what about your own plans? You’ve been talking about the others’ plans, but you haven’t mentioned yours.”

Mei Fang softly asked, “Since we started talking, you haven’t said much about yourself.”

“I…”

Peng Xue smiled and shook her head. “I’m not sure. I don’t dislike this half-year life, but I haven’t decided whether to continue. I’ve listened to many people, including my cousin, and thought about it. Maybe I should go back to school and study music theory properly. But saying this now feels like regret…”

She sighed, “But since I’ve already dropped out, it’s a bit late…”

“Go back to school, Xiao Xue!”

Xia Yuan, blushing, grabbed Peng Xue’s hand. “We got you on leave, not dropout. If you return or start studying now, you’ll definitely get into college!”

“Leave? When did this happen?”

Peng Xue was surprised. “Why… I didn’t know myself?”

“Then you should thank Fang! He reminded your parents and contacted the school. There’s still time to reconsider!”

“Yiyuan, you idiot… Really, a big idiot!”

Peng Xue suddenly hugged Xia Yuan and pinched her cheek. Xia Yuan was annoyed. “Why pinch me all of a sudden?”

She admired Xia Yuan’s blushing, angry expression, then swirled her glass.

“Clearly, I could have handled things differently, but you did so much behind my back…”

She took a sip of her drink. “After traveling for half a year, I’ll have to face my family and school. After all, it was my choice.”

“If you’re unhappy at home, you can come to Jiangcheng! I’ll help you find a place to study.”

“We’ll see… Though my mom is biased…”

They drank a little more. Peng Xue then said softly, “Now that we’ve talked about my stuff, it’s your turn. What’s going on between you two? Why are you still hanging out together after breaking up? Isn’t You Xi saying anything?”

“Well… I intended to tell you first, but I worried you might be busy, since you rarely reply to my messages.”

Xia Yuan rubbed her face and stood up, sitting next to Mei Fang and holding onto his arm, looking like a bird perched on a branch.

“In fact, we never broke up.”

(End of Chapter)