Chapter 159: Chapter 135: Are You Planning to Change Jobs?_2
The good news is that the crush seemed to be very gentle with him, but the bad news was that this person seemed to only love making money at the moment, fearing that he wouldn't be able to continue working if he fell ill.
Angry~~~!!!
The slope was slightly raised, so the red pavilion hidden by the dense trees ahead was not visible, but he could see the opposite mountain top, steep and towering like the gates of heaven. The sky was an indigo hue, vast and distant.
Just then, Xu Qingyan's phone rang; it was a call from Pei Muchan.
He hesitated for a split second but still answered.
"Where are you?"
"At Qianfo Temple in Pucheng District, what's up?"
Pei Muchan's tone, originally anxious, suddenly choked up, and after a long silence, she finally asked.
"Did you go alone?"
Xu Qingyan glanced at Lin Wanzhou, who was very close by—the sound from the phone call couldn't be drowned out. The girl also heard the voice, looked up, and silently stared at him.
"No, Lin Wanzhou is here too."
His breathing was steady; he did not describe subjective desires, only stated the facts. There wasn't a trace of panic as if caught red-handed, and his gaze wandered to the distant bell tower.
"What's the matter?"
Through the phone, Xu Qingyan could clearly hear Pei Muchan's breathing, silent for three seconds.
"There is something, but let's talk about it when you come back tonight."
"No need, I can come back in the afternoon," he said.
"Okay."
Xu Qingyan waited a few seconds, Pei Muchan didn't hang up.
"Cough cough, you...."
Pei Muchan cut him off, asking directly.
"Are you planning to switch jobs?"
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"No..."
Before he could finish, Lin Wanzhou suddenly said.
"Sister Yun said that I could set up a studio after a while."
At this, the calm expression on Xu Qingyan's face finally began to waver. How should he respond to this? He hadn't thought about switching jobs at all, why change jobs when everything was going well?
No, that's wrong! He hadn't formally joined in the first place; it was just a simple collaborative relationship! Even more exaggerated, what does this have to do with job switching? Isn't it all about writing songs?
The scene suddenly fell into silence for a half minute, no one spoke.
Lin Wanzhou held her breath, standing still, trying to seem as calm as possible.
But the fleeting look in her eyes, along with the thin layer of blush on her face, only made her "composure" all the more conspicuous.
"Cough, that's not what I meant, I haven't joined a studio," he gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly, "As for my plans for the future, to tell the truth, I haven't figured it out yet."
"My songwriting is mediocre at best, and I got into the industry thanks to my sister. I have gratitude for being recognized and I certainly wouldn't just run away. Let's discuss the new album first when I return."
Although Master Duan Shui had retired, the quality was still apparent in someone who had come out of retirement.
He had mixed in the workplace enough; he and his colleagues had gossiped about this kind of brazen poaching at work, even if they hadn't eaten pork, hadn't they seen pigs run?
State the facts, play the emotional card, and finally, divert attention.
He usually didn't call Pei Muchan 'sister'. If he felt overwhelmed, calling her that came without pressure. The essence of a working man's bottom line lay in knowing when to drop it.
Pei Muchan's breathing intensified when she heard the first part of his sentence. When she heard the term 'sister' and him mentioning gratitude, she suddenly calmed down.
Right... a collaborative relationship, a collaborative relationship.
She just couldn't bear someone poaching her collaborator right in front of her. The world was so big, why did they have to target someone she had nurtured herself?
But when she thought about what he had said unwittingly yesterday, "the order of seniority is very important," she became irritable again. Lin Wanzhou was ahead by a long shot.
When Lin Wanzhou heard the first part, she was actually quite happy. But hearing him call Pei Muchan 'sister' in front of her, and talking about a new album, suddenly made her emo again.
She was now left with only one song, without even a studio, and she too wanted to do a new album.
For now, they were just acquaintances; even though she knew he had prepared a new song for her match, she had appeared too late.
Pei Muchan had been there much earlier. Does the order of arrival really matter that much?
After several seconds of silence.
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"Okay, we'll talk when I get back," Pei Muchan said, "Have fun."
After that, the call ended.
Xu Qingyan felt a sigh of relief inside. He had been grilled about whether he wanted to go solo. How could he have any fun with such unending probing?
Yet the pragmatic individual that he was, he didn't let a phone call disturb his thoughts.
Since he was here, he couldn't just end things prematurely and without a proper conclusion.
"Hey, we haven't been to that bell tower yet. Shall we go take a look?" He put away his phone very naturally as if the conversation had never happened.
"Sure." Lin Wanzhou managed a smile, although it seemed a bit forced.
The girl, inexperienced in the ways of the world and not used to the tough environment of the workplace, felt somewhat sullen along the way, until Xu Qingyan made a few jokes to lighten the mood.
"When I used to take a shower, I liked to hold the shower head and pretend I was a grand sorcerer. I would summon water and sprinkle it everywhere. Do you ever do that?"
"No!" Lin Wanzhou wanted to laugh but pressed her lips together, trying not to.
"Then you must like to lather up with body wash, make circles with your arms, and create a thin film. Then you blow on it from the side to make a giant bubble."
Her face turned red and she instinctively said.
"Not me!"
"Don't tell me I guessed right?" He stood by the roadside and turned around with a teasing smile, "Why such a big reaction?"
"No!!"
His method wasn't secretive, just moving to a different sight, bringing up light topics. The girl was still easy to please; the conversation didn't have to be sophisticated, just amusing.
Lin Wanzhou's face was burning. As he painted the scene, the only thought in her mind was, my gosh, that's exactly what I do! Does he have a surveillance camera installed?
She liked to blow bubbles while taking a shower, covering herself in body wash and with a gentle spread of her hands, she could create a bubble.
"I don't!!" Lin Wanzhou protested again, her denial only highlighting her self-consciousness.
"Oh, okay, you don't," Xu Qingyan continued to tease her, "Maybe it's a friend of yours who has this habit. Next time you can say, I have a friend."
"I don't either!!" She shook her head vigorously, obviously annoyed.
"Actually, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Boys have even stranger shower habits. My roommate used to stand in front of the shower head and imitate a swordsman, like those who walk with a sword on rainy nights without an umbrella."
Xu Qingyan saw that the place was getting crowded and pulled Lin Wanzhou along, continuing to move forward.
"I had another roommate who liked to hold the shower head as if it were a guitar, or hold his breath under the spray as if he were training. Singing is just for kids, more adventurous ones even imitate Blastoise."
Lin Wanzhou giggled non-stop, laughing after every sentence, slightly out of breath.
"Is it that funny?"
"Yes!"
By the time they reached the bell tower, her gloomy mood had completely vanished.
Actually, Xu Qingyan had been conservative. Most of the things men do in front of a shower are quite crude, playing with body wash like it's a hose is just the beginning.
Some guys even slide naked on the tiles, and others talk to their 'little brother' while washing, asking whether to use body wash or shampoo.
"This bell tower is pretty nice. Want to take a photo?" Xu knew what girls liked—since they were there, why not take a happy photo and go on?
"Oh, sure." Lin Wanzhou nodded, seemingly very pleased.
She had been wondering how to invite him to take a picture, mustering the courage numerous times in her head, and agonizing over it without actually asking. In the end, Xu Qingyan brought it up himself, which was a relief for her.
The heatwave of late summer was overwhelming, and the crowded bell tower felt like a giant steamer.
Xu Qingyan moved close to Lin Wanzhou, leaning slightly back, and they appeared in the camera's frame together. Even without turning on the beauty filter, click—a photo was taken.
"It didn't come out well," she said, her voice trembling.
"Really?" Xu Qingyan glanced at the photo, "I think it's fine. But let's take a few more, just to be sure."
Men have their own ways of being efficient: take several shots and choose later. It's more convenient than going back and forth posing. Lin Wanzhou blinked and didn't object.
He leaned in again and Lin Wanzhou felt a jolt down her spine, her chest felt a fluttering acidity. She tried to focus, but her heartbeat accelerated and the faint feeling of suffocation was addictive.
She was a reserved person, and it wasn't that she hadn't been around boys—they had been in her school and arts class, and many had shown their interest in her, sometimes with letters, sometimes with concern.
But never like today, just being close made her body react in a way it had never before...
This was bad—very bad.
The guy hadn't done anything weird, it was just a photo, yet her body was having a stronger reaction than ever before.
Click—the sound of the camera captured a fluttering heart.
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