Chapter Forty-Five: The Design is Complete

After seeing Sister Shi Yu off into the taxi, my body still felt somewhat weak, with occasional waves of mild nausea. I decided not to hail a cab just yet, but to walk for a while, to loosen up my slightly stiff limbs and, at the same time, soothe my mood.

Once Shi Yu departed, a sense of gloom settled over me. Perhaps it was because I hadn't cared for her as attentively as I should have today, or perhaps it was the lingering attachment and reluctance to let her go. As I walked along the sidewalk toward home, her sweat-dappled, charming face and those beautiful, resolute eyes kept surfacing in my mind.

It was a long walk before I finally reached my apartment. Without even removing my shoes, I collapsed onto the bed.

Memories of my moments with Sister Shi Yu replayed endlessly in my mind—the mature allure she exuded, her playful, radiant smiles, but most of all, the way she would quietly gaze at me...

"Am I... actually in love with Shi Yu?" The sudden thought startled me. After graduation, Sister Shi Yu had been the person I spent the most time with. Her words and laughter were so vivid in my memory. Yet she always treated me more like a little brother, offering care and help. She simply regarded me as her younger sibling, while I was suddenly entertaining these feelings—how shameful!

I cursed myself inwardly, burying my head deep in the quilt. Was it simply because I'd been alone for so long that these unrealistic fantasies arose?

I wanted to change my train of thought immediately, not daring to dwell on these things any longer. They would only lead me further astray in confusion. I sternly warned myself never to tread the same path I had before, never to endure the wounds I once suffered. Now, the most important thing was to prove my own worth at work and climb upwards with all my strength. Perhaps, one day on that journey, a girl willing to stay with me for life would appear. Whether she was beautiful or ordinary, exceptional or plain, she would become my one and only.

My relationship with Zhang Jiaxin had taught me that an outstanding girl would always seek a better life. We grew up together, matured side by side, loved each other in a haze, but in the end, I was merely preparing her bridal gown for another future. Pursuing a girl far superior to oneself only brought wounds and left one lost in this world with a fragile heart.

What does unforgettable truly mean? It's not about loving completely or madly. Instead, when the future brushes against your past, it hurts!

Tossing aside the quilt, I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, repeatedly reminding myself—not all beautiful things are meant to be chased after. After the storm, there may not be blue skies and white clouds, but only a ground covered in wilted petals.

Rather than indulge in fantasy, it was better to take action. I shook my head vigorously to clear my mind and prepared to rethink the theme concept I had yet to crack.

The key to the theme's success lay in whether the emotional groundwork at the opening was strong enough and whether the ending delivered a striking finish. Based on last night's brainstorming, I decided to be bold—to stage a grand performance, breaking the traditional constraints of music bars, presenting a romantic yet melancholic musical love story in the form of a song and dance drama.

The narrative would follow a timeline, charting a couple’s journey from first love to passionate romance and finally to separation, expressed through a musical drama. Within the overarching motif of farewell, I would weave in subtler emotional struggles to lend more depth and immersion to the feelings conveyed through song and dance.

Though this approach might seem a bit opportunistic compared to other bars, everyone who comes to drink and chat is looking to relax or even indulge themselves. As long as the performance can stir their emotions, it should count as a successful operation... I wasn't entirely confident, but since I was committed, I had to give it my all. Without innovation, there could be no miracle!

At this point, I could only pin my hopes on Zhao Ke Wen, trusting she could find some expressive dancers by whatever means possible. Their abilities would directly determine the early impact of the themed event—there could be no room for carelessness!

As for the first singer to take the stage, I already had someone in mind—An Ye’s confidante, Tao Yue Ran. Back in university, she was a member of our little group, wild and playful, with a superb singing voice. She had won the campus top ten singers award three years in a row—her talent was unquestionable. Tao Yue Ran’s voice brimmed with youthful passion and power, especially excelling in the high notes.

Without further delay, I grabbed my phone and called Sister Shi Yu, obtaining An Ye’s number.

“Yezi, are you awake yet?” I dialed An Ye directly.

“What’s going on, disturbing me in broad daylight?” An Ye’s voice was groggy, as if my call had interrupted a pleasant nap.

“Have you been in touch with Tao Yue Ran lately? I need you to ask her for a favor.”

“Damn, you only remember me when you need a favor—how come you never call when we’re out drinking?” An Ye’s habitual teasing came through the line.

“Come on, I’ve got a lot going on lately. I’ll explain when I have time. Listen, if you help me pull this off, I’ll treat you to midnight snacks for half a month!” I ignored his sarcasm—time was tight, the bar’s opening was imminent, and the plan needed to be put in writing soon. Every second wasted pained me.

“Don’t tell me you can’t handle loneliness and want to make a move on Little Tao? I’m telling you, bro, I can’t help with that. She knows all about your college antics. Don’t be fooled by her hanging out with us—she’s got talent. If she turns you down, you might not even stay friends, so think it over!” An Ye’s rapid-fire words gave me a headache. This brat—can we talk about something other than romance?

“Yezi, are you subtly insulting me? You praise your Little Tao to the skies, but when she pursued you back then, you refused her. Now you’re talking about her rejecting me, rejecting your sister. Are you implying I’m not as good as you?” The more I thought about it, the more his words seemed loaded.

“I’m just not her type, and the two of us are like siblings—never felt anything romantic!” An Ye retorted. “Besides, Chen, you’re handsome and suave—I can’t compare. But Little Tao does have high standards, you have to admit.”

I rolled my eyes. He was just bragging. So much for saving time—he hadn’t said a single word about the actual matter after all that.

“Alright, enough nonsense. I really need your help with something,” I said, lowering my voice to make it sound more formal. “My sister’s bar is opening soon, and she asked me to design a theme. The first song should have a campus vibe, and I can’t think of anyone better than Little Tao. Plus, after all these years together, I trust her abilities.”

Only then did An Ye finally catch on. “That’s all?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, leave it to me. I’ll promise you on Little Tao’s behalf—she won’t let you down.” An Ye was full of confidence. I didn’t know where it came from, but with him handling it, I was sure there wouldn’t be any problems. Tao Yue Ran always listened to An Ye; if he spoke up, it would be settled.

“Great, make it happen soon. I’m in a hurry here,” I emphasized deliberately.

“Don’t worry.”

After the call with An Ye, my mood soared. As long as the opening was done right, the rest would be much easier. The second part—a free theme—would simply require a decent rock band to pull off, and the only challenge lay in seamlessly transitioning between the two thematic styles in the middle. My idea was to use narration as a bridge, making everything flow naturally so the audience clearly understood why the theme changed.

For the third and final stage, I’d keep it simple—moving from splendor to serenity, from agitation to calm, ending with a tune from Xiang River that would tug at the heartstrings.

Excited, I rolled around on the bed, then jumped up and walked to the bathroom wall, tapping it three times with my fist.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

The wall responded with three knocks in return. This was the simplest way I’d just thought of to contact Zhao Ke Wen, and it made me recall the first time she barged into my room to complain about the poor soundproofing.

I hurriedly opened the door and rushed to Zhao Ke Wen’s room, knocking.

She opened the door quickly, grinning at my anxious appearance. “Well, you know how to do your reconnaissance before sneaking around, huh?”

My face flushed. Zhao Ke Wen’s words were too bold—most people couldn’t handle her; she could make your nose bleed with just a couple of sentences.

“Sis, I’ve basically worked out the entire process. I want to use your computer to type up an electronic version, then have you check and revise it. At most, I’ll have the written theme ready by tomorrow night.” I squeezed into her room, speaking as I looked for her computer.

“I knew you could do it,” Zhao Ke Wen said, following me into the bedroom with a leisurely smile.

“Don’t praise me just yet, Sis. It’s hard to say how good it’ll turn out. The process is there, but lots of details still need to be discussed,” I finally spotted her pink laptop by the bedside.

She unlocked it for me, and I quickly set up a new document, starting to turn my ideas into words.

On the surface, I stayed calm, but inside, I was already thrilled... I was finally about to face the first real challenge since graduation. No matter what happened, this was the best I could do.