CH 42

That strange and subtle emotion softened Zhou Qingbo entirely. His brows and eyes relaxed, and his smile subtly carried a gentle and tender aura.

He took advantage of the situation and didn’t let go of Pei You’s shirt sleeve after receiving the answer. Instead, he hooked his finger and tightly held the small gap around his cuff.

Pei You felt a tightness around his cuff, and he lowered his head to see Zhou Qingbo’s action. He felt the slightly cool fingertips brushing against his wrist, leaving a slightly wet and itchy sensation.

“You…” Pei You vaguely sensed that somewhat subtle atmosphere. He subconsciously wanted to say something but hadn’t figured out how to start.

Thankfully, before he could rack his brain to come up with the following words, the music from the speakers suddenly interrupted and emitted a faint electric sound.

That abrupt noise interrupted both of their thoughts. Zhou Qingbo and Pei You shifted their attention at the same time, turning their heads to look at the source of the sound.

The size of that small bar couldn’t be compared to places like Black Bar. It had a modest-sized hall of tens of square meters, and as soon as you entered, there was a simple space. The bar had a small platform several square meters in size, barely resembling a stage.

The sound system was placed next to the stage. When Zhou Qingbo had first entered, he only saw an upright microphone on the stage, but no one was performing. Probably, people only came to sing on weekends.

Now, a bartender from the bar stood on the small stage, he clapped the microphone in his hand and cleared his throat.

“Everyone—” the young man on stage said with a smile, “The timing is just right. How about we play a game tonight?”

He paused, exchanged glances with a table of people in the corner of the bar and then said with a smile, “The bar has an impromptu lottery event tonight. We’ll draw the winners based on the order of tonight’s orders. The lucky ones will get their bills paid for tonight. However, there’s a condition; the winners need to perform on stage, and everyone needs to be satisfied before the bills are waived.”

“Then what if the performance is not satisfactory?” someone from the crowd chimed in.

“That’s when we play ‘Truth or Dare’ as a punishment,” the bartender said with a smile. “What do you think?”

With a knowing look, Zhou Qingbo raised an eyebrow and glanced towards a corner.

Coincidentally, the man who had hit on Pei You was sitting at that table. People in the small town knew each other, and it seemed like the bartender had agreed with them on which games to play.

However, that game was harmless. It didn’t seem like an angry reaction from the guy to being rejected, but more like a playful test between peers.

Zhou Qingbo didn’t say anything but picked up his glass and silently took a sip of his drink.

The bartender’s gaze swept over the two of them, fearing that they might refuse and spoil the fun. So, he quickly clapped his hands, and a waiter brought a fake lottery box to the scene.

The small box was sealed on all sides, with only a small slot for drawing. The bartender reached inside and quickly pulled out a piece of paper.

“The number for tonight is… 32!” he announced.

Pei You was slightly taken aback.

As expected, the outcome of that rigged lottery had landed on Pei You. Zhou Qingbo, who saw through everything, suppressed a smile and took another sip of his drink.

The bar burst into cheers as the music from the speakers resumed, reigniting the atmosphere. Everyone turned their heads to look at the bar counter, eager for some entertainment.

Pei You probably hadn’t anticipated the slim chance of being selected. He hesitated for a moment, wearing a slightly troubled expression.

“Do you want to play?” Zhou Qingbo, without looking at the others, stared into Pei You’s eyes and asked him.

Pei You could tell from Zhou Qingbo’s eyes that he was already intrigued. However, Pei You had no outstanding talents or skills, especially not for performing in front of strangers in an unfamiliar environment.

Subconsciously, he shook his head. “No. It’s also not a big deal to miss out on the free drinks—”

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qingbo reached out and pinched his chin, stopping his head-shaking motion.

He was quick, too quick for Pei You to react. Zhou Qingbo discreetly took the piece of paper from under the glass.

“Do you want to see a little performance?” Zhou Qingbo asked with a grin.

Pei You: “…”

As he spoke, Zhou Qingbo walked towards the small stage. The bartender, who didn’t want to hear the choice between “performance” or “truth or dare,” wisely backed away from the stage, giving him a significant look.

Zhou Qingbo didn’t look at the others, using the tip of his toe to pull a high stool next to the stage. He sat down gracefully, reaching for an acoustic guitar near the speakers.

Pei You suddenly recognized the song Zhou Qingbo was about to sing; it was the theme song from a classic movie he had watched a long time ago. The movie told a pure love story, unrelated to the mundane world and only connected by the word “love.”

Pei You didn’t know if Zhou Qingbo chose that song on a whim or if there was a different reason. But as he listened to Zhou Qingbo’s voice, he felt that he had added a unique flavor to the song.

As Zhou Qingbo sang, his expression appeared focused and dedicated. He held the guitar, gently changing chords, and hummed with a soft tone.

That classic English love song had many covers, but Pei You had never heard anyone sing it so tenderly.

What surprised Pei You even more was that Zhou Qingbo’s English sounded pleasing to the ear. When singing in English, he elongated the tail of each note slightly, creating a somewhat sticky feeling.

The stage lights changed slowly and softly, casting a gentle spotlight on Zhou Qingbo’s side, making him look mysterious and alluring.

The lights in the audience area were already turned off, leaving Pei You sitting in the dark, his eyes fixed on Zhou Qingbo’s figure. It felt like he had returned to the day when he first saw Zhou Qingbo at the Black Bar.

Whether it was the alcohol or for some other reason, Zhou Qingbo’s ears and neck had a slight blush, adding a thin layer of powder to his skin. He lowered his head, focused on plucking the guitar strings, exuding an inexplicable charm.

Pei You couldn’t help but be attracted by that mysterious and unknown feeling. The person in front of him felt both familiar and unfamiliar, as if they were close and yet distant.

The tone of the wooden guitar was off, and that rough and slightly dissonant sound added a touch of raw reality to Zhou Qingbo’s voice. Pei You couldn’t take his eyes off him, feeling his heart pounding, as if something was about to burst out.

The song happened to be in the bar’s playlist, and midway through the performance, the sound system suddenly played that retro and gentle tune, perfectly syncing with Zhou Qingbo’s final notes.

The original singer’s voice intertwined with Zhou Qingbo’s, evoking two completely different emotions.

As the song was nearing its end, Zhou Qingbo suddenly looked up, his gaze penetrating through the darkness and landing precisely on Pei You.

Pei You’s gaze met his gaze in midair. Even though Zhou Qingbo couldn’t see anything in the darkness, he seemed to sense something and unconsciously curved his lips, showing a faint smile.

Pei You absorbed that smile completely, smiling back, and couldn’t help but turn his wine glass in his hand.

Perhaps because his attention was diverted, Zhou Qingbo’s hand slipped for a moment, causing a brief discordant note.

That note was particularly noticeable against the backdrop of the original melody. Zhou Qingbo paused for a moment, then simply put down the guitar and sang the last two lines acapella.

As the final note fell, someone in the audience called out, praising his performance.

Immediately after, a man’s voice came from the corner with a hint of ambiguous meaning, “You chose this song? So, if it were you, would you choose to conform to the conventional view or choose freedom?”

In the dim light, Zhou Qingbo couldn’t see anyone clearly and didn’t know who asked the question. However, he instinctively related the question to the “Truth or Dare” segment that followed the unsatisfactory performance, so he smiled lightly and answered, “I choose freedom.”