Times of Our Lives - Chapter 46

When Ji Qinyang woke up, he saw Xie Meng sleeping in his arms. He watched for a while, not wanting to move, and gently kissed Xie Meng’s forehead.

 

Xie Meng, who was a light sleeper, opened his eyes groggily and looked at Ji Qinyang.

 

“Sleep a bit longer,” Ji Qinyang said, holding him close.

 

Xie Meng reached out to touch his face and suddenly said softly, “I got the headphones back.”

 

“…” Ji Qinyang froze for a second, quickly jumping out of bed without even putting on his pants. When he returned, he was holding not the headphones but the gift he had previously given to Xie Meng.

 

Xie Meng: “?”

 

Ji Qinyang asked, “Did you open it?”

 

Xie Meng didn’t answer, and Ji Qinyang mumbled, “Forget it, it’s fine even if you didn’t open it.”

 

He opened the box and took out a ring, placing it on Xie Meng’s hand.

 

“…” Xie Meng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. “You’re squeezing too hard.”

 

Ji Qinyang focused intently as he put the ring on Xie Meng’s finger, “Because I need to hold on to you tightly.”

 

Xie Meng didn’t respond, watching as Ji Qinyang slipped the ring onto his finger and gently pressed a kiss on it.

 

“Happy 10th anniversary,” Ji Qinyang said, his eyes a bit red as he looked intently at Xie Meng’s face.

 

“No matter how many more decades pass,” he smiled, “I’ll always love you.”

 

Since the band disbanded, Ji Qinyang had essentially taken a long break. Xie Meng was busy with work, recently promoted to a director, and was almost always home past eight or nine at night. 

 

Unnoticed by Xie Meng, Ji Qinyang started preparing late-night snacks for him. Having not cooked in a long time, Ji Qinyang’s cooking skills were quite average, but Xie Meng never complained and ate everything clean.

 

“Where are the clothes from yesterday?” Xie Meng found the washing machine empty after coming out of the shower.

 

Ji Qinyang, making the bed, said nonchalantly, “I washed them during the day.”

 

Xie Meng frowned and went to the bathroom to get hand cream, applying it to Ji Qinyang’s hands.

 

“…” Ji Qinyang found it amusing and stopped him. “It’s fine, I have nothing to do at home anyway. Doing some housework is okay.”

 

Xie Meng remained silent. Ji Qinyang hadn’t been to the music room as long as Xie Meng was around. Although he was abstaining from alcohol, he hadn’t touched the piano for several days.

 

“I haven’t had any inspiration lately,” Ji Qinyang said, knowing what Xie Meng was thinking. He joked with a pitiful tone, “I might not be able to write songs, so you’ll have to support me.”

 

Xie Meng glanced at him and said nonchalantly, “You supported me during college.”

 

Ji Qinyang was speechless for a moment, “That’s not the right line. You should ask, ‘So how will you repay me?'”

 

Xie Meng followed his cue, “So how will you repay me?”

 

Ji Qinyang picked Xie Meng up and carried him to the bed, raising an eyebrow from above, “I have nothing else to offer, so I can only repay with my body.”

 

Xie Meng: “…”

 

In the middle of the night, after Xie Meng fell asleep, Ji Qinyang got up and went to the music room. He put on headphones and worked on composing, but after several revisions, he was still unsatisfied. He instinctively reached for alcohol before remembering he was abstaining.

 

After sitting with no inspiration for most of the night, Ji Qinyang dejectedly stood up and went outside. There, Xie Meng was waiting.

 

Ji Qinyang opened his mouth, trying to sound casual, “It’s only a bit late, why are you up?”

 

Xie Meng didn’t answer or ask any questions. He took a blanket and draped it over Ji Qinyang, “It’s almost autumn. Aren’t you afraid of getting cold?”

 

Ji Qinyang didn’t know what to say. He sniffed, pulling Xie Meng into a hug.

 

Xie Meng gently patted his shoulder, “Recharge a bit.”

 

Ji Qinyang smiled, “Yeah, I’ll recharge too.”

 

After the long holiday, Qi Fei suddenly called. Ji Qinyang didn’t hear it at first because his phone was set aside. He hadn’t written a complete song in months and was in a terrible state.

 

It wasn’t until the phone rang five or six times that he noticed.

 

“Still writing lyrics and composing, huh, big artist?” Qi Fei’s voice was as loud and boisterous as ever.

 

Ji Qinyang’s previously gloomy mood lightened a bit from Qi Fei’s disturbance.

 

“Looks like you’re finally going to hold a banquet?” Ji Qinyang joked, “Are you here to ask for a red envelope?”

 

Qi Fei: “A red envelope alone isn’t enough. Big shot Yi Mei, you need to come in person to hold a concert. I remember you promised.”

 

Ji Qinyang smiled bitterly, “I have no fame now, what concert?”

 

Qi Fei sighed, “What are you talking about? When did you become so timid? No inspiration?”

 

Ji Qinyang twirled the pen in his hand without speaking.

 

Qi Fei laughed on the other end of the phone, “This isn’t like you. Scared of lack of inspiration? How about coming back to Suzhou?”

 

Ji Qinyang: “Why go back to Suzhou?”

 

Qi Fei: “When you stay in one city too long, you lose passion. Your profession doesn’t really depend on where you work. Besides, there’s no place like home. Changing the environment might spark some inspiration.”

 

Ji Qinyang was silent for a while, took a deep breath, and said seriously, “Have you forgotten that I have Xie Meng? He has a better future and career in Beijing. How could he just give it up for me?”

 

“…” Qi Fei didn’t seem to have anticipated this. He muttered something Ji Qinyang didn’t catch.

 

“Anyway, think about it,” Qi Fei said finally. “Iron Man returned earlier this year, and Zhang Ganggang and Han Dong plan to return this year too. Besides, you’re not Xie Meng. How would you know what he thinks if you don’t ask?”

 

Ji Qinyang: “…”

 

Qi Fei sighed, “Yang Ge, we all know what happened to you in Beijing, but it’s okay. You not only have Xie Meng but also us.”

 

“No problem if you need money or sponsorship,” Qi Fei said cheerfully. “I might just not get married.”

 

Ji Qinyang covered his eyes with his hand and, after a long time, pretended to be calm, “Then I’ve really committed a grave sin. The beautiful Gu must hate me.”

 

Qi Fei, on the other end of the phone, laughed heartily for a while, “That’s not what I said. My sister thinks the same as I do.”

 

When Xie Meng came home that night, it was rare to see Ji Qinyang playing the piano in the music room. Ji Qinyang only noticed Xie Meng’s arrival when he heard the door close, and he smiled at him, “You’re back.”

 

“Back,” Xie Meng said as he took off his coat. He walked over to Ji Qinyang, brushed his bangs aside, and kissed his forehead, “No late-night snack tonight?”

 

Ji Qinyang pushed him towards the kitchen, “How could there be no late-night snack?”

 

Seeing a large table full of dishes, Xie Meng was a bit helpless, “Are you feeding pigs or what?”

 

“Then wouldn’t I be at a loss?” Ji Qinyang pinched his face and laughed, “Which pig is as hard to fatten as you?”

 

Ji Qinyang brought two wine glasses and gestured to Xie Meng, “Have a little.”

 

Xie Meng smiled, “Just a little.”

 

Ji Qinyang sat across from Xie Meng, drinking slowly. He didn’t have a habit of eating late-night snacks and focused on watching Xie Meng eat, occasionally adding food to his bowl, which was never empty.

 

Halfway through, Xie Meng stopped eating, “Did Qi Fei call you today?”

 

Ji Qinyang raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?”

 

Xie Meng, holding his chopsticks, replied, “Don’t worry about how I know. What do you think?”

 

“What do I think?” Ji Qinyang calmly served him a bowl of soup, “You’re quitting your banking job? You’ve worked so hard to get here; you can’t just leave. I’m just in a bad state right now. I’ll be back in a few days.”

 

Xie Meng didn’t speak. He ate a few more bites, then suddenly put down his bowl and started rolling up his sleeves.

 

“Here’s the deal,” Xie Meng said, holding up his arm, “Old rule, let’s arm wrestle.”

 

Ji Qinyang was stunned, frowning, “What for?”

 

Xie Meng looked at him with determination, “Just like we used to, when we had disagreements, we arm wrestled.” He grabbed Ji Qinyang’s hand and held it tightly with his own, “If I win, we stay in Beijing. If you win, we go back to Suzhou.”

 

Xie Meng smiled at Ji Qinyang and said seriously, “No holding back. No regrets.”

 

When Xiong Baobao found out that Xie Meng and the others were going back to Suzhou, it felt like a bolt from the blue…

 

“I still want Ji Qinyang to compose for my next film!” Xiong Baobao was heartbroken, “Are you abandoning me?!”

 

Xie Meng was stunned by the phrase “are you abandoning me” and took a while to comfort him, “It doesn’t matter where you compose, just like you can shoot a film in Suzhou.”

 

Xiong Baobao lamented, “If you go back to Suzhou, it’ll be hard to find someone to eat with.”

 

Xie Meng: “When you have money later, you can fly to Suzhou to eat. I’ll take you to taste Suzhou’s food for a whole day.”

 

“One day is not enough,” Xiong Baobao grumbled, “I’m a long-lasting battery.”

 

“…” Xie Meng realized that when it came to food, Xiong Baobao’s focus completely shifted.

 

“Forget about me,” Xie Meng sighed, “How are things with Zheng Ming? Did you invite him to act in your film?”

 

“Speaking of that!” Xiong Baobao slapped his thigh and said excitedly, “I finally have a reason to invite him to act!”

 

Xie Meng got excited too, “Really? What’s the reason?”

 

Xiong Baobao sneakily took out his phone, opened a video that was somewhat shaky. Xie Meng saw that it was a hidden camera shot in a dance studio.

 

“…” Xie Meng asked, “Is this… the movie emperor?”

 

Xiong Baobao nodded seriously, “He was once dancing the Yangko in the dance studio, and I secretly filmed it.”

 

Xie Meng: “…”

 

Xiong Baobao: “I told him if he didn’t want ‘Movie Emperor Dancing Yangko, Skill Comparable to Square Dance’ to trend, he should come act in my new film.”

 

Xie Meng’s mouth dropped open, “… Did he agree?”

 

Xiong Baobao glared, “Of course he did!” He held up five fingers and shook them vigorously, “I’m a big V on Weibo! 52,000 followers!”

 

“…” Xie Meng felt it necessary to remind him that Zheng Ming probably had over 40 million followers…