CH 54.2

Once the video finished playing, Ruan Nan reached over and closed the laptop. She looked back to see Qin Juran leaning over above her head. Qin Juran quickly rubbed her nose, sucking in a breath as quietly as she could.

Ruan Nan immediately grabbed Qin Juran’s shirt: “What’s wrong Qin Juran? Is it so horrible that it made you cry?”

Qin Juran was aware that she was poking fun at her, so she quickly cleared her throat and looked away, muttering in response. When she noticed the time was getting late, she stood up and pulled Ruan Nan toward the exit.

The movie was at 8 in the evening, so Qin Juran asked Ruan Nan whether she wanted to rest a bit beforehand, to which she agreed. The two quickly ate dinner, then went back to the apartment complex to retrieve the car. Ruan Nan told Qin Juran to wait downstairs as she went up to her apartment, and when she came back, she had changed into a dress and a large overcoat.

The long pale pink dress was enveloped by a thick wine-red coat, and the soft curls of her smokey grey hair offset her pale face under the light.

Ruan Nan trotted over with two pairs of shiny cat ear headbands in her hands.

Qin Juran leaned against the Porsche, laughing as she received the headband: “Is this a first date tradition of yours?”

Not wanting to reveal the details, Ruan Nan only hummed in reply as she got into the car.

Qin Juran stepped into the car after her. Although she didn’t know where the movie theatre was, she assumed that Ruan Nan knew better than her, so she didn’t bother turning on the navigation system. After around 30 minutes of driving, Qin Juran realized that the surroundings were becoming more and more unfamiliar, and it didn’t look like they were driving toward the downtown area in the center of the commercial district. Instead, they seemed to be in a completely different city. Qin Juran couldn’t help asking: “Ah-Ruan, aren’t we going to watch the movie?”

Ruan Nan didn’t respond. She jutted out her chin, indicating that she knew what she was doing.

Like an alarmed kitten, Qin Juran immediately sat up and looked beyond the window. The roads were becoming wider, the forestry grew lusher, and the expensive-looking streetlights lining the roadside were neatly placed. When the large sports stadium, with its bright searchlights piercing up into the dark sky, appeared before her eyes, Qin Juran finally reacted: “Yiming’s concert?”

Ruan Nan pulled into the more expensive VIP parking lot and steadily slid into a spot. She smirked as she looked at Qin Juran: “That’s right. Didn’t you say at lunchtime that you wanted to see it?”

Qin Juran had only mentioned it in passing this afternoon, thinking that it would’ve made a romantic date. But she didn’t expect Ruan Nan to take it to heart, maybe even using some connections to get the tickets.

Qin Juran had thought that Ruan Nan would be interested in the concert, meanwhile Ruan Nan thought that Qin Juran was interested. And thus, this little pleasant surprise marked the beginning of their first date.

As Ruan Nan looked at her expectantly, Qin Juran couldn’t help smiling. She reached out and firmly fixed the glittering cat ears upon Ruan Nan’s head.

The two of them began to climb out of the car. Usually, Ruan Nan kept a pair of flats in the trunk of her car, so that she could change into them while driving. However, right as she stepped out of the car, a little boy with a quiff haircut and a water gun laughed gleefully as he sprayed a shoot of water right onto her leg, drenching the pair of flats.

Before Ruan Nan could frown in displeasure, Qin Juran grabbed the water gun from him.

The little boy’s parents appeared to be quite young. As they watched their son make such a mess, they made a pretense of scolding him: “Zaizai, look at what you did! You got that lady’s clothes all wet. Get over here.”

However, neither Qin Juran nor the boy was willing to let go of the gun. With a slight tug, Qin Juran was able to wrestle the gun from his hands, causing the boy to bare his teeth and erupt in a howl.

“What are you doing, bullying a child?” The mother screeched in a high-pitched voice as she quickly walked over.

“Apologize.” Qin Juran peered at them icily, her gaze fixing on the little boy.

“Apologize for what? Why are you arguing with a child as a grown woman?”

As the woman approached, Qin Juran naturally stepped in front of Ruan Nan in a protective stance, her hand still gripping the water gun: “I said apologize.”

At this point, the father standing nearby also reacted, shouting in a thick accent as he walked over: “What apology, it’s not that big of a deal! What was it that was dirtied? Here, I’ll pay for it.”

Qin Juran laughed coldly: “Then you’ll pay the full price of what it’s worth?”

Once the woman realized the designer brand coat that Ruan Nan was wearing, she quickly pulled her husband aside and responded in a small voice: “Alright, alright, we were at fault and we’re sorry, okay? I can’t believe someone at your big age is getting so worked up with a little kid.”

Qin Juran looked toward Ruan Nan, who shook her head, indicating that she didn’t want to push the matter further. Finally, she twirled the water gun in her hands and held it out to the little boy, whose throat was hoarse from screaming. She added, “If you continue to show such disrespect to people in the future, then you’ll be crying even more pitifully.”

The woman grabbed the water gun from Qin Juran’s hands. As she led her husband and son away, the man began muttering about how expensive the clothes could possibly be, thinking that he could’ve just paid for them instead.

Qin Juran bent down to inspect Ruan Nan’s clothes: Her coat was long and the dress underneath hung to her ankles. The silk stocking hadn’t gotten wet, but it was just her flats that were soaked. Fortunately, she had a pair of high heels in the car.

Ruan Nan changed into her heels, expressing that it was no big deal, then led Qin Juran towards the entrance. Noticing that Qin Juran didn’t seem fully placated, Ruan Nan took her arm and pouted: “It’s alright, Juju – it’s just a kid. And you already scared him to tears.”

Qin Juran took her hand and smiled, “If you say so.”

The two of them walked together toward the venue entrance. There was already a long line of people waiting to get their tickets checked, and with the colorful stadium lights shining across the venue, not even the cold weather could dim the fervent enthusiasm.

When they reached the door, Ruan Nan made a call on her phone. Soon after, a staff member wearing a badge on his lanyard came out to escort them, handing them each a pair of sunglasses as well. Qin Juran donned the dark shades as she followed Ruan Nan inside. After they went through security, they walked straight through the VIP channel into the front section by the stage. Since the show was about to start soon, the middle seats were already taken, but they still had good seats in the side rows with a good vantage point.

After a while, a woman rushed out from backstage in a hurry. After sweeping a gaze over the front row, her eyes landed upon Ruan Nan and she immediately walked over, smiling.

Ruan Nan stood up and Qin Juran followed suit. Just as she was about to greet her, a deep voice resonated from the “woman:” “Nannan!”

“Brother Xing.”

“…..” Qin Juran swallowed the word ‘Miss’ that was about to come out in her throat, quietly replacing it with ‘Mr.’

Brother Xing smiled charmingly. “When your father called me saying that you wanted tickets for the show, I couldn’t believe my ears! If you ever want to see Yiming’s concert – actually, forget watching. With your drumming skills, you couldn’t even play with the band next time!”

Ruan Nan laughed as she thanked him. She then gestured towards Qin Juran to introduce her: “My good friend. She was interested in the concert, so we wanted to come see it together. Thank you, Brother Xing.”

Brother Xing gave Qin Juran a look up and down: “Yo, Nannan, your friend is quite stunning. Do you also know how to play an instrument? You should play with us.”

Qin Juran shook her head, laughing. The three of them continued to chat for a while, and only when the concert was about to start did Brother Xing go backstage to prepare for work.

Qin Juran didn’t have to ask Ruan Nan who that was. She had already deduced from the conversation just now that Ruan Nan had had to call her father in order to get the tickets.

The throng of people in the stadium increased rapidly. Qin Juran placed the cat ear headband atop her head, and soon, the lights began dimming until the entire stage was dark. As the stage platform slowly rose, a clear female voice resonated from the center of the stage, and the entire venue erupted into shouts and applause.

The singer’s voice was very melodic and emotional. As the spotlight shone down upon her and the blue starlight blanketed every other corner of the stage, the gentle voice resounded like a love poem that had emerged from the depths of her heart. Once she was a few songs in, the crowd became more and more energetic, with many people shaking their light sticks to the beat and singing along. The giant screen upfront also periodically showed live clips of the audience’s faces.

As she sang the song “Thank you, My First,” the screen showed a couple amidst the crowd. The boy kissed his girlfriend, and the crowd around them immediately erupted into cheers.

The camera panned back to Yiming’s face. When the song reached its most heart-rending climax, the delicate and emotional expression on her face was highlighted on the screen, her glittering eye makeup glistening like tears and her deep voice captivating the audience in a trance. The screen once again panned over the crowd and focused on a girl red in the face, head bent down, trying to wipe her tears.

Ruan Nan didn’t say anything, nor did she sing along. When Qin Juran turned to look at her, Ruan Nan leaned by her ear and spoke in a low voice: “Sorry, I didn’t realize the concert would be all heartbreaking love songs.”

Qin Juran broke into a smile. She didn’t care whether anyone around them noticed, or whether the giant screen would capture them, but at that moment, she reached out and pulled Ruan Nan into a tight embrace. The passionate atmosphere made the temperature within the venue seem much warmer, but still not warm enough. Qin Juran held her tightly in her arms, her words coming out in a foggy white breath: “That doesn’t matter. After all, when would we ever experience this kind of feeling again?”

The concert continued. Once the singer belted out a few more lyrical and sentimental love songs, the stage lights suddenly changed into a striking green color and began moving back and forth rapidly, accompanied by several loud drum rolls sounding across the stadium.

The entire audience was stunned for a moment until Yiming’s bright smiling face appeared from the darkness. She clutched the microphone and announced in a vibrant voice: “Now, let’s welcome the mystery guests of this show, as well as some of my closest friends, the band ‘Don’t Say Goodbye!’ Together, we will bid goodbye for tonight!”

“Whoooo——!”

Most of the audience appeared to be surprised by this announcement of a mystery guest, but their mood was immediately brightened by the loud music starting on stage. Ruan Nan also seemed to know this band, as Qin Juran caught the burst of excitement that appeared on her face. The two girls joined in the crowd by pumping their fists in the air in rhythm with the loud music. The sound vibrating through the stadium was almost explosive, and every person was singing along with all their energy. Qin Juran shook Ruan Nan’s hand: “Sing along!”

Seeing that Qin Juran wasn’t singing, Ruan Nan felt too embarrassed to do so herself. She pressed against Qin Juran and asked in a shout: “Why aren’t you singing?”

Qin Juran laughed as she shook her head. She mouthed, “I don’t know it. Will you teach me the song later?”

Ruan Nan nodded vigorously, then tugged at Qin Juran’s sleeve: “Qin Juran, what if I don’t work in the financial industry in the future, and go perform with a band at concerts like this? Do you think that’d be a good idea?”

Her eyes shone with a sense of ambition that Qin Juran had never seen before. Although Qin Juran had never asked her what her goals for the future were, but in this instance, amongst the excitement and lively noise, Qin Juran felt that she heard exactly what Ruan Nan’s inner desires and aspirations were.

Qin Juran’s eyes glistened with even more amusement. She pulled Ruan Nan into her arms and replied loudly: “Then I will be in the front row of every show.”

The beaming smile that broke out upon Ruan Nan’s face seemed to brighten every strand of her silver hair. Under the brilliant stage lights, the two shining crescent-moon eyes that stared back at Qin Juran with a bright smile seemed to make everything else lose focus.

The concert ended with a boisterous and happy bang. When Ruan Nan’s phone vibrated with a message, she pulled it out to read the screen and frowned. Qin Juran asked while wrapping her scarf around her neck: “What is it?”

“Brother Xing says that Yiming wants to meet me. Do you want to meet her?”

Qin Juran could tell from the concert that Ruan Nan wasn’t as much of a fan of Yiming as she was of the last band. She shook her head: “Not really. The reason she wants to meet you, is it because of your father?”

Ruan Nan smiled wryly: “Maybe it’s about an investment. I don’t really want to either.”

Qin Juran raised her head and glanced backward. In the distance, she could see “Brother Xing” scanning the crowd, probably looking for them. Qin Juran grasped Ruan Nan’s hand in her own: “Ah-Ruan, do you think that it’d be inappropriate if we ran away together right now?”

Ruan Nan nodded: “Probably…”

Before Ruan Nan could finish, Qin Juran took her hand and began running through the mass of people, holding the scarf up to cover the back of their heads.

Ruan Nan hardly had any time to react, but she let Qin Juran pull her through the crowd towards the exit, her high heels clicking on the pavement in a quick rhythm. Once they finally made it out of the stadium and double-checked that Brother Xing hadn’t caught up, the two girls stood in the center of the square, panting.

Seeing Qin Juran’s frazzled hair flying all over the place, Ruan Nan couldn’t help doubling over in laughter: “You knew that wasn’t appropriate, so why did you run anyway?”

Qin Juran was still gasping trying to catch her breath, but the corners of her lips lifted in a smile. She felt like a worker who had just left a dumbfounded boss hanging in the conference room mid-meeting. Looking at Ruan Nan, she replied:

“It doesn’t matter what’s appropriate or not – I just know that if we stayed, Ah-Ruan wouldn’t be happy with it. Right now, the most important thing that I’m working toward is a future where we both no longer have to do anything we don’t want to.”

The square soon began to populate with the rest of the audience who were exiting the stadium. Soon, they were surrounded by excited chatter and bright lights overhead. In the middle of this, Ruan Nan stared into Qin Juran’s eyes and looped her arms around her neck. She was at a loss for words, so she could only look up and admire this beautiful fox vixen, and her lips curled into a smile.

Qin Juran stared back at Ruan Nan, lowering her head. She spoke pronouncedly, “Ah-Ruan, this afternoon when we were watching the VCR, I kept thinking that what I most regret is that I didn’t appear when you were at your most vulnerable and needed me the most.”

“We can’t go back in time, and there are no re-dos. But Ah-Ruan, I can promise you now that every day in the future, as long as you need me, I’ll be there.”

I’ll always be there.

Qin Juran’s last few words were too soft to hear. It seemed that she was afraid of her words becoming empty promises, so she spoke very softly, as if she wanted to emphasize them both to Ruan Nan and to herself.

Or perhaps she was merely speaking to the winter wind, allowing the words to be blown away with a cold gust.

Ruan Nan perched on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Qin Juran’s neck. The soft light shining in her eyes made all the colors around her fade into the background.

As Qin Juran stared at her, the corners of her lips raised little by little. She reached out her arms and embraced the person before her tightly into her chest with all her strength.

Ah-Ruan, we are a match made in heaven.

Ah-Ruan, we are decreed by fate.