The bar is located on the tenth floor of a five-star hotel. Outside the window is the Huancheng River. The luxurious and dazzling cruise ships pass by from time to time, and the high-rise lights on both sides of the strait form a good urban landscape.
Shang Muxiao didn't lie to me, it's really quiet here, it's not a place for young people to play, it's more like a business meeting place.
The waiter learned that I was looking for someone and immediately led me to the outside terrace.
The outside is no better than the inside, there is nothing to block, and the cold air is surrounded by all directions.
Fortunately, the bar has placed a powerful vertical heater next to each booth, and the marble coffee table has repeatedly bonfires from the gap in the middle, so as to provide more warmth for each customer as much as possible.
There is a four-piece band not far away, and a foreign female singer in an evening dress is singing lazy blues with a strong and melodious voice.
The table that Shang Muxiao was sitting on was facing the river. When I went over, he was standing in front of the guardrail with his elbows on the railing, his head lowered slightly, and he was bored watching the scenery.
He was young, and the night was so cold that he was only wearing a thin black sweater, and the coat was casually thrown on the back of the chair beside him.
The waiter asked me if I was here, and I was about to nod when Shang Muxiao heard the movement and turned around, and then I saw clearly that he still had something in his hand, a whiskey glass, and a cigarette that had just been lit.
"You're finally here." He leaned lazily against the guardrail, looking like he had already drank a lot.
The waiter moved me a chair so I could sit in a wheelchair, then gave me the drink list and asked me what I would like to drink.
"Bring him a glass of orange juice." There was only a huge ice ball left in the whiskey glass, and Shang Muxiao handed it to the waiter, then took a seat beside me, and flicked a piece of ashes against the ashtray, "Or say you are more Like apple juice?"
There was no problem with his questioning, and he had a non-disgusting smile on his face, but I always felt that his tone was wrong. This tone was not aimed at an adult older than him, but more like at a child younger than him, showing a little connivance and a little helpless pampering.
"No, bring me a cup of oolong tea, hot." I returned the drink list to the waiter, who nodded and turned to leave.
Shang Muxiao smiled: "Teacher, you are quite healthy."
If you don't call me out, I'm drowsiness brewing in bed now.
"Why are you here alone?" I asked.
"I have nothing to do at night, I'm a little bored, and I don't want to mess around with Zhou Yanyi and the others, so I came here." Shang Muxiao looked at the dark and peaceful river, and slowly exhaled a thin puff of smoke, "This place is very suitable for drinking alone."
I was keenly aware of the strangeness in his tone, and couldn't help frowning: "Have you and your family quarreled again?"
His body froze, as if he was stabbed by me, and he looked a little annoyed when he looked back.
I hurriedly said: "I see, don't mention this."
His expression softened a little, glanced at my legs, and suddenly pulled his jacket and threw it on me.
"Cover up, it's cold outside."
Again, that kind of tone as if treating a child. I think these words are very familiar. It seems that every time I take Yang Youling out to play, I am afraid that she will catch a cold.
Thinking like this in my heart, I still thanked him on the surface and calmly accepted his coat.
The waiter quickly brought a tray of hot tea and another glass of whisky.
The two of them were silent for a short while. I took a sip of tea from the cup, and my attention was attracted by the female singer who was singing.
The other party wore a shiny pink sequined tight skirt with a large V-neck and high slits, revealing a splendid figure. While pleasing to the eye, I inevitably felt cold for her. Especially after I saw that her hands were freezing red, I really wanted her to go into the house and change into warmer clothes.
"Does it look good?"
I was stunned for a moment, then looked back at Shang Muxiao.
He was also looking at the female singer, and when he noticed that I was looking at him, he retracted his gaze and looked at me.
"She's good-looking or I'm good-looking?" He leaned into the soft sofa with a cigarette between his fingertips, his tone was light, and his chin was raised in the direction of the female singer.
what is the problem...
I looked away and looked back at the female singer, without answering his question: "I just think she sings really well."
The voice fell, and there was a slight noise behind him, Shang Muxiao walked over to the female singer.
I grabbed him subconsciously, afraid that he would mess up.
"what are you doing?"
It may be because of drinking, his hands are very hot, like a blazing flame. In just a few seconds, I felt as if I was about to get burned, and hurriedly let go. However, the moment the fingertips were detached, Shang Muxiao caught up and held my hand even tighter, completely preventing me from pulling it back.
"What do you think I'm going to do? Smash the field?" He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb and warmed my cold fingers, "I told you to sing for you, wait." Open my hand and walk slowly towards the four-piece band in the middle of the terrace.
I don't know how he communicated, the female singer nodded again and again, but did not leave the venue, but the pianist on the side got up and gave way.
Shang Muxiao sat down on the piano bench, adjusted the position of the microphone, played a few notes to feel the pitch, and when he was almost ready, he nodded to the others and pressed the first note.
The world-renowned "Little Star Variations" sounded quietly on the terrace, and the brisk tune was full of childlike innocence. But after two paragraphs, the style of the song suddenly changed, and he repeated the beginning again, and the tonality had changed from brisk and short to melodious and lazy.
The guitar and drums are slowly combined to form a unique, blues-inspired ... "Little Star".
Shang Muxiao's voice has a slight smokey voice, which is not obvious when he speaks everyday, but can be heard clearly when he sings.
"Little Star", which he adapted beyond recognition, is melancholy not like an innocent nursery rhyme at all, but more like a sad love song for adults.
“twinkle, twinkle, little star… like a diaond in the sky… ”
The female singer added the harmony at the right time, not overbearing, and perfectly matched Shang Muxiao's voice.
The customers on the terrace stopped talking and looked curiously at the singer in the center because of the familiar and unfamiliar tune, and they never looked away.
“then the traveller in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark…”
Many people took pictures of Shang Muxiao's video, but he was not affected at all, just focused on the keys in his palm.
The song "Little Star" is not long at all, and it is only three minutes long before and after it is adapted into blues. When Shang Muxiao hit the last note to end singing, the female singer also slowly dropped the final note.
At this moment, the discordant sound of glass shattering suddenly sounded, and a table of lovers near the stage quarreled.
"What did I do wrong, can you tell me? I don't want to break up, you don't leave... " The girl struggled to keep her, but the man just left her indifferently.
"Don't bother me anymore, we're done." He vibrated his suit, shoved the two banknotes into the arms of the waiter who rushed over, and left without looking back.
The girl covered her face and burst into tears, ignoring the whispers of those around her.
The waiter stepped forward to ask her if she needed help. The girl sobbed and shook her head. Looking in the direction the man was leaving, she picked up her bag and ran after him.
Shang Muxiao returned to his seat after singing the song, and his face was full of displeasure.
This should be his home court, but was stole the limelight.
"I'm tired of these crying and crying. It's better to find another one. There's nothing to give up." Xu Shi sang a little dry.
"Maybe it's because... they're in a relationship, not a one-night stand." Although I hope everyone puts reason first, I know that this ideal state does not exist. Human beings are emotional creatures after all, and they are easily affected by emotions. about.
Shang Muxiao didn't understand: "Does every love have to run for a lifetime?"
"What are you running for?"
"Of course it's good to be happy, but if you're not happy, then you will decide to leave. If the connection is broken, it will only cause pain if you keep breaking it."
I opened my mouth, and found that I rarely agreed with his point of view.
The waiter came soon, Shang Muxiao was about to speak, I grabbed before him and said, "Have a glass of orange juice."
Shang Muxiao raised his eyebrows when he heard the words, and the waiter was a little hesitant.
The stalemate lasted for a moment, but I still insisted: "Orange juice."
I don't know how many glasses he had drank before I came, but the whisky has a high degree of stamina and is always suitable for fine tasting. It is not normal to drink glass after glass.
Shang Muxiao returned the whiskey glass to the waiter, and finally compromised.
"Forget it, orange juice is just orange juice." Lighting a new cigarette, he slowly exhaled white mist and said, "I clearly told you to come out for a drink, but you only drink tea and you force me to order juice, then let's do it. What's the point of a bar?"
do not know.
It doesn't make sense.
I feel so weird.
Seeing that the ashtray was full of cigarette butts, I couldn't help but say, "You're only twenty years old. Smoking less is bad for your lungs."
He looked at me, and suddenly pressed out the long smoke.
"You don't like me smoking? I thought you liked it. Every time I smoke, you look at me more often."
I coughed unnaturally and closed my eyes.
"Your illusion."
After the juice came up, Shang Muxiao took a sip and disliked it for being too sour, so he didn't touch it again.
No cigarettes, no alcohol, he seemed uninterested and started trying to make fun of me.
"Teacher, have you ever been in love?"
I took the teacup with my hand involuntarily, and then continued as if nothing had happened: "I'm thirty-two years old, and I'm not a monk, so of course I'm in love."
In the early years, I actually had no shortage of suitors.
Those people, without exception, were confused by my appearance, ignored my disabled status, and pursued passionately. However, after just a few dates, they suddenly wake up to who I am, apologize to me embarrassingly, and leave my world one by one.
They just want to try, try something new that they haven't tried. Once they realize that this thing is just an appearance, not only is it not fun at all, it requires a lot of care, and it is very troublesome to take care of, all kinds of inconveniences will quickly make them tired of the relationship.
When I was in my twenties, I still had the energy to give opportunities to others and to myself, and now I just want to live in peace and quiet for the rest of my life.
So, if you count these brief dates, yes, of course I've been in a relationship.
"Male or female?" Shang Muxiao asked again.
I stopped answering, but he didn't stop there.
"How far?"
"Have you brought them back to your house?"
"Have they seen the stars with you too?"
These questions became more and more strange, and I couldn't help but glance at him and motioned him to shut up.
He pouted, raised his hands, leaned back, and raised his waist, but didn't say anything that shouldn't be said.
After listening to two more songs, Shang Muxiao invited the waiter to pay the bill.
"Teacher, is there any wine in your house?" Shang Muxiao asked.
I didn't understand his intention for a while, so I replied honestly: "Yes, but it's all wine."
"Then let's go, go to your house for a drink." He frowned, as if surprised that he had come up with such a brilliant idea, "I knew I would go directly to your house."
I felt the veins on my forehead twitch, and my head started to hurt.
"...It's so late, it's inconvenient."
"Is there anyone else in your family?"
"… No."
"What's the inconvenience of that?"
I was silent for longer, not sure if I should tell the truth—it would be inconvenient for you to go there, inconvenient at all.
After paying the bill, we walked to the elevator entrance. He leaned against the wall and asked me again, "I want to go to your house to see the stars. Can I use that telescope?"
"… "
I suspect that he has already figured out my temperament, and he sees that I am soft and not hard, so every time I try to be hard, I always change my tone.
Declarative sentences are offensive, but when replaced with soft questions, they are hard to say no to.
"Are you okay? Teacher."
The elevator just arrived at this time, I entered the car first, turned around and threw the clothes over my body back to Shang Muxiao.
"Go outside and get dressed."
He chuckled "Oh", got dressed, and followed me out of the parking lot.
Although I didn't promise anything, I didn't say anything, but he already knew my answer.
He sat in the co-pilot with a victorious attitude and muttered as he buckled his seatbelt.
"Only I can sit in this position in the future."
I glanced at him, suspecting that I had heard it wrong: "What?"
"What?" He buckled his seat belt and snapped his fingers. "Ready, let's go."