On Saturday morning, Chu Shichen got up early and went in and out of the cloakroom three times but couldn't find any clothes to wear.
Xiang Mingzhang said not to wear formal clothes, but he wore a lot of suits. I looked up on the Internet how to dress for a music festival, and found that those modern clothes were too trendy and didn't look like what normal people would wear.
After hesitating for a while, Chu Shichen took out a shopping bag from the closet. Inside was a new autumn outfit that Mrs. Chu had bought for him. He cut off the label and put it on with determination.
Passing by the bedroom next door, Chu Shihui's eyes lit up: "Brother, where are you going dressed like this?"
Chu Shichen couldn't explain, and said, "I made an appointment with a colleague to do something."
However, Chu Shihui had her own understanding: "Which colleague? Is that the gay guy you mentioned last time? Are you guys dating?"
Chu Shichen said seriously: "Don't say anything nonsense."
Chu Shihui became more and more curious: "I care about you, is that colleague handsome or not?"
Chu Shichen couldn't resist and replied, "Handsome."
Chu Shihui had only seen one of Xiang Yue's men, so she asked, "Can he be as handsome as Xiang Mingzhang?"
Chu Shichen raised his hand and closed the door for her.
The music festival is held in Linhu Wetland Park in the south of the city. Although it is called a park, it is actually a vast natural scenic area. It was developed early and covers a large area. It is one of the most popular scenic spots in the city.
After reaching saturation in passenger flow, the scenic spot has followed the trend in recent years and occasionally hosted large-scale offline activities.
Xiang Mingzhang arrived at the park entrance early. He was tall and calm in the crowded crowd. With headphones on, he talked on the phone to Duan Hao while waiting for someone.
The Chu family's car drove over, and Xiang Mingzhang said, "You're busy, I'm hanging up."
Chu Shichen opened the door and got out of the car. It was the first time in his life that he wore jeans. They were a slightly blue color and the trouser legs were not long enough, revealing a pair of bony ankles when he walked. The thin sweater on his upper body was loose, and the sleeves kept sliding down when he rolled them up to his elbows.
The only thing that was comfortable was his sneakers. Chu Shichen walked towards Xiang Mingzhang and asked, "Am I late?"
Xiang Mingzhang's eyes were burning. Chu Shichen appeared before his eyes every day. He had flat shoulders, broad arms, a thin waist and long legs. He had admired this impeccable figure whether he was tightly wrapped or naked.
But this was the first time I saw Chu Shichen dressed like this. He looked less formal and more youthful.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It's not too late, let's go."
They followed the crowd into the park, and there were signs leading to the festival venue along the way. Before the festival started, the performers were arranged to wait in the leisure center within the scenic area.
The entire Linhu Scenic Area is Baiyi’s property. Xiang Mingzhang greeted Duan Hao and arrived at the leisure center. A staff member took them to Xingyu’s lounge.
After knocking on the door, Chu Shichen showed up first.
Xingyu stood up from the sofa. He had just put on makeup and was wearing a necklace and earrings. There was a tattoo of a lizard crawling on the side of his neck. His hair was light gray and he had blue contact lenses. His eyes were wide open in surprise.
Xiang Mingzhang thought, what husky.
The door slammed shut, and Xingyu came back to his senses: "Chu, Chu brother... why are you here?"
Chu Shichen flipped through the chat history. He was very attentive to Xingyu. Since they wanted to talk about something, it would be easier to talk in a friendly manner. He replied, "I came to see you. Long time no see."
Xingyu fell back onto the sofa, still staring: "Didn't you lose your memory?"
Chu Shichen said: "Yes, I did lose my memory."
Xingyu leaned back on the cushion, as if he relaxed in an instant, and said, "Then why are you looking for me? Do you remember who I am? I have nothing to do with you, and even if I do, we are even now."
Chu Shichen frowned slightly and asked, "Why did your band disband?"
"You don't want to be together anymore. You can get divorced after marriage, and the band can last a lifetime." Xingyu said, "It's no use for you to look for me. I don't have any contact with them. I don't know where they are. We have forgotten each other."
Chu Shichen just asked a question, and the other party's eagerness to distance himself from the issue was a bit excessive.
At this time Xiang Mingzhang said: "The performance fee for the yacht party is over a million, and you are worth quite a lot, don't you think it's a pity to disband it?"
"What do you mean?" Xingyu said to Chu Shichen, "You gave us millions of dollars voluntarily. You said you appreciated our performance, but now you have lost your memory and don't remember it. Do you regret it? I am not responsible!"
Chu Shichen was annoyed by his noise and said, "I don't mean anything else. I really admired you guys at the beginning. Besides you, there was also the bassist, Chang Cheh. Do you know where he went to develop?"
Xingyu answered irrelevantly: "If you don't want to return the performance fee, even if you sue me, the law stipulates that numbers with special meanings are considered gifts and cannot be recovered!"
Xiang Mingzhang only knew about millions, and asked, "What special number?"
Xingyu said: "1314520!"
Xiang Mingzhang didn't expect it to be such a seven-digit number.
Only Chu Shichen didn't understand, so he said bluntly: "The performance fee is so high, but you lied to me. The agreement says it's Chang Cheh, but there was someone else at the party that night. I can sue you for breach of contract."
Xingyu was just in his early twenties and was a little panicked: "Chu Shichen, you turned your face and refused to admit it! The performance fee of more than one million was because you wanted to sleep with me!"
Chu Shichen was caught off guard: "What?"
Xingyu said, "Do you care whether it's Zhang Che or Li Che? Come on! Give them the change of more than one million, the big part is mine, I've spent all the money, go ahead and sue me!"
Xiang Mingzhang understood everything. Chu Shichen's appreciation for the band was just a pretense. He really had a crush on the lead singer, and his real intention at the party was not to attend the party that night.
The bassist Chang Cheh was replaced at the last minute, which meant the band was in breach of contract, but Chu Shichen didn't care at the time.
As a result, the yacht had an accident and Chu Shichen lost his memory.
Xingyu was afraid that the Chu family would pursue him, so he disbanded the band and blocked Chu Shichen's account. He had just kept emphasizing the performance fee, and he was afraid that they were here to claim compensation.
Chu Shichen recovered and said, "I won't take back the more than one million. I want to know where Chang Cheh is and who is the fake one."
Xingyu said, "I forgot."
"Then think about it carefully." Chu Shichen said, "Since you are here to perform, it means you want to continue in this industry. If your breach of contract is exposed, will anyone hire you in the future?"
Xingyu said nervously: "Don't bully others... I didn't let you sleep, you just drank too much!"
Xiang Mingzhang could no longer bear it: "Call the organizers over."
"… Don't!"
Xingyu had no choice but to finally admit that the band's original bassist was named Chang Cheh, who dropped out of music college before graduating to perform with them. A week before the party, Chang Cheh was hit by a motorcycle and broke his arm, so he couldn't even pick up the bass.
There was a man named Alan in the bar where they performed. He played the bass very well and offered to perform for Chang Cheh.
Chu Shichen asked: "What's your name?"
Xingyu said: "I don't know. Many of us use stage names and don't care about our origins. He didn't want money, he just wanted to experience it on the yacht once, so we agreed."
Chu Shichen said: "Have you seen him after the accident?"
"No." Xingyu replied, "Everyone was sent to the hospital that night, and I didn't see him."
The band members thought Alan had died and were afraid that the Chu family would know that they had breached the contract, so no one dared to tell the police. This was also an important reason why the band decided to disband.
Later, Chang Cheh's parents came and took the man back to their hometown. The matter gradually calmed down. They didn't hear about anyone dying at the party, but they never saw Alan again.
Xingyu recalled: "His skin was very tanned, his eye sockets were deep, his muscles were quite strong, and he could speak English, but his Mandarin was not very good."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "What's the accent?"
Xingyu scratched his hair: "I can't hear it."
After meeting Xingyu, Chu Shichen and Xiang Mingzhang left the leisure center. They thought they had found a clue, but it turned out to be even more slim.
Where can I find a person whose name and background are unknown
Chu Shichen crossed his arms and walked a little further, then stopped: "Do you think I am overthinking it? This is just an accident."
Xiang Mingzhang reviewed the whole thing in his mind and said, "I am more certain. The fracture, replacement, accident, and disappearance are all linked together and it is definitely not a coincidence. Besides, isn't there another Zhang Kai?"
Chu Shichen was a little annoyed: "Other people spend money to avoid disasters, but what is the purpose of spending more than one million yuan?"
Xiang Mingzhang snorted coldly: "You are just trying to take advantage of others."
Chu Shichen had enough romantic debts for this identity, so this one wasn't a big deal. In addition, his sensitivity threshold had been greatly increased. He jokingly said, "I wasted my money and didn't get anything."
"Why, do you feel it's a pity?" Xiang Mingzhang stepped in front of him, "Xingyu is worthless, you are not allowed to contact him again."
Chu Shichen moved his lips. Suddenly, deafening music broke out from the lawn not far away. He was startled: "What's going on?"
The music festival started, and Xiang Mingzhang said, "Since we're here anyway, let's go take a look."
Chu Shichen had come into contact with many new things in the 21st century, but had participated in only a handful of modern activities. When he walked to the lawn surrounding the stage, it was crowded with young people shouting and screaming.
Powerful beams of light flashed in a circle and the sound was deafening. Chu Shichen didn't recognize the singer on the stage and didn't understand the meaning of the lyrics, but he walked forward step by step. He hadn't seen such a vibrant scene in many, many years.
Raise your arms and shout, not for appeal or request, just for freedom.
Shouting loudly is not for awakening or excitement, but just for happiness.
Chu Shichen squeezed in the crowd, the music swept over everyone's head like a raging wave, and he briefly forgot all his worries.
The singer on the stage was screaming so loudly that Chu Shichen couldn't hear a word. He patted Xiang Mingzhang's arm and asked, "What song is it?"
Xiang Mingzhang didn't hear the commotion, so he leaned over and whispered in his ear, asking, "Can you sing?"
The stranger next to him was screaming, and Chu Shichen ignored the so-called rules and education and said loudly: "No."
Xiang Mingzhang thought it was funny and asked again, "Don't you like rock music?"
Chu Shichen shouted happily: "Forget it!"
As the lights swept over, the thin layer of sweat on Chu Shichen's forehead shone brightly, and his eyes became even brighter. The audience below the stage were taking pictures frantically, and he took out his cell phone and pointed it at the stage.
There was a squeeze of people around, and half of Xiang Mingzhang's shoulder came into the camera.
Chu Shichen took a half step back, but it was not enough, so he took another step back, his white sneakers stepping on the green grass, until the phone screen framed everything he wanted to record—
A steel platform, a gorgeous screen, a corner of clear sky, and Xiang Mingzhang under the clear sky and among the crowd.
Suddenly, Xiang Mingzhang turned around to look for him, and the silhouette against the light had an unreal shadow.
Chu Shichen pressed the shutter to freeze this moment.
Xiang Mingzhang walked towards him, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and asked casually, "What did you shoot?"
"Stage." Chu Shichen put away his phone and lied inexplicably.
Xiang Mingzhang said, "It's so hot, let's go buy something to drink."
There is a music festival-themed autumn market in the scenic area, which is very lively. In addition to a variety of drinks and snacks, many stalls sell performance souvenirs.
Chu Shichen was not hungry nor greedy, he just bought some food for the sake of novelty. The last time he spent time like this was when he was in his twenties studying abroad, he went shopping in Chinatown in San Francisco with his classmates.
Xiang Mingzhang held two bottles of water and said, "With your small appetite, can you finish it?"
Chu Shichen said: "It's your share."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "You spend millions on others and let me eat at a street stall?"
Chu Shichen learned a phrase in the company, "painting a big pie", which is usually used by superiors to subordinates. He used it flexibly in the opposite direction: "Don't worry, when I sign a big project in the future, I will help you make tens of millions."
Xiang Mingzhang didn't feel a bit relieved. He took the glutinous rice balls, fish balls and osmanthus cake from Chu Shichen's hand, stuffed a bottle of water in it, and said, "Be careful not to drink too much."
The two of them strolled around and found people everywhere. They had to wait for a seat under the parasol, and groups of families were having picnics on the lawn.
The children were running around, and Chu Shichen sighed, "I really envy them for being carefree."
Xiang Mingzhang just thought it was noisy and said, "I'm afraid of children."
Chu Shichen: "... Let's go."
They really couldn't find a suitable place, so they simply went back to the car to rest. The Chu family's driver went back, and Xiang Mingzhang's car was parked in the open-air parking lot in the scenic area.
A group of people gathered under the shade of a tree, queuing up to take photos with the cars parked under the tree.
It was a huge modified jeep, more than two meters high, with a carbon black body. It looked indestructible, with 40-inch dragon claw tires protruding out, and could accommodate an adult.
This huge car is so eye-catching that people keep coming to take pictures.
Xiang Mingzhang stopped two meters away, took out the car key impatiently, pressed it, and the headlights flashed violently, scaring the passers-by nearby and making them scatter.
Xiang Mingzhang walked over, wearing a basic T-shirt and sweatpants, also all in black, and his sleek figure looked particularly neat.
There were people wandering around taking pictures. Xiang Mingzhang glanced over and saw them walking away in disappointment.
When others felt that the owner of the car was more difficult to deal with than the car, Xiang Mingzhang looked at Chu Shichen and casually revealed a little tenderness: "Aren't you tired? Get in the car."
Chu Shichen walked around the domineering front of the car and understood Xiang Mingzhang's disdain for the balance bike. He sat in the passenger seat. The car was spacious and the cabin suddenly became quiet when the doors on both sides were closed.
My cell phone rang and I received a text message from the scenic area management office, reminding tourists to keep their valuables safe.
Chu Shichen took a bite of the osmanthus cake and asked, "By the way, what does 1314520 mean?"
Xiang Mingzhang had forgotten about it and said, "Check it yourself."
Chu Shichen searched and understood. His peripheral vision wandered towards the driver's seat. After a long while of no movement, he took out a burger from the bag and handed it over: "Do you want to eat it?"
Xiang Mingzhang ignored it.
Chu Shichen was about to withdraw his hand.
Suddenly, Xiang Mingzhang asked, "Were you the one above?"
(End of this chapter)