Chapter 7 Revealing One's Edge (Part 2)

During the conversation, Zhao Tan and Zhang Tianyao came back, holding a case of beer they'd picked up from the convenience store nearby. Zhang Tianyao plopped down next to Xu Xunsheng and handed her a bottle of juice from the box, "I got this especially for you."

Xu Xunsheng glanced at the juice, which was obviously not freshly squeezed—a bunch of additives. She reached out for a beer instead, saying, "I'll stick to this." The men suddenly burst into cheers, while Zhang Tianyao looked at her with surprise, and said leisurely, "I underestimated you, didn't I?"

As the food started to arrive, Xu Xunsheng felt a bit hungry too but didn't have a habit of late-night snacking, luckily they had ordered some vegetables. She picked up a few greens to eat and quickly put her chopsticks down. Zhang Tianyao noticed and said, "Is that all you're eating?" His voice was quite loud. Xu Xunsheng replied perfunctorily, "I'm still eating."

As a result, Zhang Tianyao grabbed a handful of skewered meat and placed it in her plate. Xu Xunsheng's eyebrows twitched slightly; she didn't say anything, picked up a skewer, ate one piece, and put it down as if she had done her duty.

Suddenly feeling someone watching her with amusement, she looked up and saw Cen Ye across from her, clearly looking elsewhere, holding a skewer of wings, eating unhurriedly, as if muttering to himself, "Leave some skewers for me, damn it, I'm not full yet..."

Before he finished speaking, a handful of skewers had reached him. Cen Ye looked up at Xu Xunsheng, and the girl next to him, along with Zhang Tianyao, also turned their gazes to her.

"The capable should bear more responsibilities," Xu Xunsheng said generously, "I haven't touched these yet."

Zhang Tianyao: "Damn, why are you feeding him!"

Amidst the laughter of everyone, Xu Xunsheng heard Cen Ye say softly, "Alright, put it in my bowl." The table wasn't big; with a slight rise, Xu Xunsheng put down the skewers. He kept his nonchalant demeanor, didn't look at her, and after a while, picked up the skewers and quickly finished them.

This was a very minor interlude which nobody paid much attention to. Everyone drank and chatted, and Zhang Tianyao occasionally spoke to Xu Xunsheng, who responded in half-hearted conversations. Members of the band also toasted Xu Xunsheng, but she just sipped lightly. She was too literary, too elegant and delicate in every gesture, not resembling the women they were used to seeing, so they didn't dare force her to drink. Zhang Tianyao actually wanted to get her drunk but somehow didn't dare. He felt that Xu Xunsheng had a tranquil and calming aura that could ward off all restlessness. And if you weren't devout enough, you simply didn't dare to get too close.

Zhang Hai's girlfriend and the girl with Cen Ye had drunk quite a lot, both with delicately made-up faces now flushed red.

Xu Xunsheng was thinking that it was about time to wrap up; it was past midnight, and there was still a stretch of night road to walk back home. Suddenly, a bottle of beer was placed on the table in front of her. She looked up to see the girl next to Cen Ye, who seemed to be called Shu Yan, her smile ambiguous, saying, "Sister, let's drink together." Then, without waiting for Xu Xunsheng to respond, she raised her glass full of beer and said, "I'll down mine, you do as you please!" and downed it in one gulp.

Everyone was taken aback, unsure of why this rich girl suddenly had a beef with Xu Xunsheng at this moment. Zhang Hai squinted his eyes and started to applaud, "Shu Yan, that's pretty badass!" Everyone applauded, and Zhang Tianyao frowned, then gave Cen Ye a glaring look, but the latter was busy eating Yaozi and didn't even see it. Zhang Tianyao whispered to Xu Xunsheng, "Just take a sip, that'll do."

Xu Xunsheng pinched her own glass; in fact, she had only had a few sips all night and wasn't fond of alcohol. The night deepened, the road behind was quiet, and the heat steamed in the snack shop. The liquor, pale yellow and transparent, shimmered in the glass under the lamplight. She also saw her own fingers, ones that had played the piano for many years. Despite the paleness of her hands, the fingertips were all calloused. The girl opposite her had an arrogant face, with invincible youthfulness. But did youth also mean the same as naivety or blindness? Throwing herself at him, the boy—or rather, the man—beside her, who hadn't even given her a proper look all night. Did she really think flaunting him like this was bragging, amusement, or just a joke?

Xu Xunsheng sighed softly in her heart, picked up the bottle of beer that girl had left as a challenge, and filled her glass.

"Oh..." Several boys cried out. Cen Ye also abruptly looked up at her.

"Young lady, that's not how you drink alcohol," Xu Xunsheng said calmly, "Even if I drink your beer, what could it possibly change?" She raised her glass and drank it down slowly, her expression serene, her eyes bright, as if what she drank was no different from the Longjing tea at her home.

All the boys watched her, clapping and cheering. Huizi suddenly whispered to Cen Ye, "Damn, didn't expect Xu Xunsheng to have such a sharp tongue..." Cen Ye suddenly laughed. But Shu Yan couldn't take it anymore; she stood up abruptly, tears in her eyes looking at Cen Ye, only to realize he wasn't looking at her at all. Almost in agony, she cried out, "Cen Ye!" and turned to run, pulling open the door of the snack store and running into the snow outside.

Everyone was taken aback by her sudden outburst and looked at each other in consternation. Xu Xunsheng didn't feel the incident was necessarily related to her and watched the instigator, Cen Ye, like everyone else. Huizi nudged his shoulder, "Aren't you going to chase after her?" Cen Ye replied coldly, "Why would I chase her, she's not with me, it was you guys who insisted on bringing her. She's gone, now I can have some peace."

Zhang Hai shrugged, "Xiaoye is right, women, eh, if she runs off that's that. This circle, the one thing it doesn't lack is women throwing themselves at you." His girlfriend pretended to be angry and hit him, but Zhang Hai just laughed. Xu Xunsheng frowned slightly, seeing that no one else spoke up, a strange thought flashed through her mind—did they all think this way? Including Cen Ye?

Shu Yan ran off, and indeed, the atmosphere among the men didn't suffer much impact; Cen Ye even seemed to relax a bit more. After eating for a while, they finally broke up the party.

As they left the late-night snack joint, Xu Xunsheng was about to say goodbye when Zhang Tianyao said, "We'll walk you home, it's on the way. Don't refuse, otherwise, we won't feel at ease."

So Xu Xunsheng didn't say anything else.

The others all went their separate ways home, with Zhang Hai and Huizi living in different directions. Only Zhang Tianyao, Cen Ye, and Zhao Tan were headed the same way as her. She walked ahead while the three boys trailed behind. Xu Xunsheng's pace was always steady and leisurely, even in the deep snow of midnight, she walked with an erect posture and her skirt fluttering gently. The three of them were quite restless, kicking cans on the road, scaring away a stray dog, cracking jokes, and giggling softly.

"Xu Xunsheng, were you involved in music before?" Zhang Tianyao asked.

Xu Xunsheng: "I studied composition in university."

"Where did you go to college?" Cen Ye asked.

Xu Xunsheng: "Beijing." But he didn't ask any further.

"Have you been playing the guqin for a long time?" This time it was Zhao Tan.

"Since about 6 years old."

"Oh wooooo—" the boys exclaimed in unison, then burst into laughter together. Xu Xunsheng, walking ahead, ended up laughing too as she walked.

"We're thinking of coming for practice tomorrow afternoon." When they got to the outside of the studio, Zhao Tan said.

Xu Xunsheng: "No problem, I'll be here."

The night was as achingly boundless and black as sorrow, enveloping the earth deeply. Snow was scattered on the steps and in the courtyard; Xu Xunsheng stepped on it, light and silent, leaving only shallow traces.

She turned around and saw the boys standing at the gate of the yard, not coming in.

She said, "Thank you for today, good night." She paused and then added, "See you tomorrow."

They all smiled.

Cen Ye was the first to turn and leave, and all of a sudden, he shouted with all his might, "Xu Xunsheng, see you tomorrow—" Instantly, the voice-activated lights in the nearby building flared on. Xu Xunsheng thought to herself, this can't be good, sure enough, after a moment of surprise, Zhang Tianyao and Zhao Tan both started laughing, following suit and shouting while walking away: "Bye, Xu Xunsheng!" "Goodnight, Xu Xunsheng—"

Xu Xunsheng quickly shut the door, listening to their howls fading into the distance. Great, after tonight, who knows how many neighbors will be cursing the name Xu Xunsheng in their hearts. She shook her head, unable to hold back a laugh.

Thinking about it, she found it quite magical; she had lived here alone for so long. How did she manage to get close to their circle in just a few days?