Chapter 102: Li Luo, Stop Right There!

On Saturday, school dismissed at noon.

But students in the competition club had to stay on campus and go to designated classrooms for training.

Ying Chanxi had to attend afternoon classes, while Li Luo, bored with nothing to do, was invited by Yan Zhusheng to visit the rock club.

"So your rock club has activities every week?" Li Luo walked beside Yan Zhusheng toward the school gymnasium.

Because the rock club needed instruments, holding practices in the classroom building might disturb students in other rooms.

So the school assigned the rock club to an activity room on the second floor of the gymnasium.

"We're practicing as a group recently," Yan Zhusheng said. "At the end of the month is the school sports meet—we'll perform at the opening and closing ceremonies."

"No way, you're serious?" Li Luo was surprised; he'd assumed school clubs were just for students to mess around, not actually perform.

In his past life, his high school didn't even have a band, let alone live performances.

The sports meet opening was just each class marching past the field, then listening to the principal's long speech while students baked in the sun.

But at Fu No. 1 High, they actually gave the school band a chance to perform.

"Oh, you're here?"

On the second floor of the gymnasium, the short-haired girl tinkering with the drum kit in the corner smiled and greeted them both. "Everyone else hasn't arrived yet—we'll have to wait a bit."

"Mm, alright," Yan Zhusheng nodded and walked to a nearby cabinet to retrieve her guitar.

"Zhusheng, Qian Siliang is absent today—you'll handle keyboards," said Niu Qingling by the drum kit. "Li Luo, wanna play guitar for a bit?"

"Me?" Li Luo hesitated. "You said you're rehearsing for the sports meet song, right? I'm an outsider—I don't want to intrude."

"Xie Shuchen will be here soon, but he'll be late—could you fill in for now?" Niu Qingling said.

"Fine."

The rock club had very few members.

After three Gao San seniors quit following National Day, only eight people remained.

Among them, Niu Qingling was the drummer and the newly appointed club president.

Besides her, there were four freshmen from Gao Yi and three students from Gao Er.

Of these seven, besides Yan Zhusheng, there was one bassist, two guitarists, one keyboardist, and two vocalists.

One guitarist and one vocalist, due to competition training obligations in Gao Er, hadn't officially quit but rarely showed up—practically as good as having quit.

So now they barely held together a band: each position had one person, and Yan Zhusheng was the flexible one, moving wherever needed.

Soon after, Wei Duo, the lead vocalist, and Shao Youpeng, the bassist, arrived.

With nothing else to do and Xie Shuchen not yet here, Li Luo temporarily took the guitarist's spot and joined Yan Zhusheng and the others to rehearse "Brave Heart," the song planned for the opening ceremony.

Li Luo enjoyed himself—he was an outsider, after all.

When it was past three in the afternoon, Xie Shuchen arrived, and Li Luo stepped aside to quietly watch the band perform.

But at four in the afternoon, during the band's mid-rehearsal break, lead vocalist Wei Duo privately called Niu Qingling outside.

No one knew what was said, but when they returned, both looked grim.

"Let's stop for today—you can all go home and rest," Niu Qingling announced upon returning.

But the others weren't fools—they clearly sensed something was wrong.

After Wei Duo left first, Li Luo asked curiously, "What happened?"

"Hmm…" Niu Qingling forced a strained smile. "I might need to tell the teacher—the sports meet performance probably won't happen."

"What do you mean 'won't happen'?" Xie Shuchen blurted out. "I've been practicing since National Day—why can't we perform? What did Wei Duo say?"

"She's not coming back anymore, right?" Shao Youpeng snorted. "I remember she's joining the chemistry competition—probably doesn't want to waste time."

"Yeah, that's basically it," Niu Qingling groaned, rubbing her forehead. "We can't gather enough people for the sports meet—we'll have to wait for the New Year's Eve gala. Everyone should be free then."

"Tch." Xie Shuchen was annoyed—he'd been looking forward to showing off at the sports meet for ages; just before coming today, he'd even told Ying Chanxi about it. Now it was gone. "Can't we do it ourselves? Maybe I can sing?"

"Uh…" Niu Qingling glanced at Xie Shuchen, paused, then said, "Maybe we should try?"

The group regrouped—this time, Xie Shuchen was both guitarist and vocalist.

The moment he gripped the microphone, he felt excited, imagining himself passionately performing on the sports meet stage—he was floating with anticipation.

But reality quickly slammed him down.

If it were just strumming simple chords and singing a folk song with his guitar, Xie Shuchen could manage fine.

But when it came to singing "Brave Heart," a rock song, his already weak vocal skills became utterly inadequate.

He couldn't hit the high notes; forcing them during the chorus turned his voice into a cracked, shrill racket.

Once off-key, his guitar playing became unstable, full of mistakes.

Midway through the song, Niu Qingling called a halt and sighed, "Maybe we should just give up—it's not like the sports meet won't happen again next year."

"But next year it won't be us anymore, president," Shao Youpeng rolled his eyes. "If this really won't work, I'll just focus on the physics competition—I only came here in my spare time anyway."

If it weren't for wanting to impress Xu Youyu and because Yan Zhusheng was pretty to look at, Shao Youpeng would've left long ago.

At this point, Li Luo, who'd been watching quietly, couldn't help asking, "Senior, why not let Zhusheng sing?"

"Huh?" Niu Qingling blinked. "Can she sing?"

"Wait… you didn't know?" Li Luo was stunned, turning to Yan Zhusheng. "You never told us?"

"Hmm?" Yan Zhusheng tilted her head. "I did—I said I can handle any position."

"But…" Niu Qingling opened her mouth.

In her mind, Yan Zhusheng had demonstrated every instrument during her audition—even drumming like a pro—so she'd clearly been trained.

Niu Qingling had never considered Yan Zhusheng could sing; she'd automatically assigned her elsewhere.

"Here, sing a couple lines," Li Luo handed the microphone to Yan Zhusheng. "Just the chorus of 'Brave Heart'—'This is the feeling of flying~'"

"This is the feeling of flying~"

"This is the feeling of freedom~"

Yan Zhusheng picked up the microphone, closed his eyes, and sang two lines a cappella, instantly slipping into character—the explosive power and intensity of his high notes left Niu Qingling stunned.

"See? She can do it," Li Luo said with a smile.

"But," Niu Qingling's surprise flickered briefly, then she frowned, "if she sings lead, the keyboardist position is left empty."

"What about Qian Siliang?"

"He says he's on leave, but he's taken leave so many times already—it's just his way of saying he won't come back…"

"Uh… how about I try?" Xie Shuchen volunteered, "My piano skills are better than my guitar, but I don't know how different keyboards are."

"Give it a shot," Niu Qingling's eyes lit up. "The difference isn't big—just knowing how to read sheet music is enough."

"Then Xie Shuchen handles keyboards, Shao Youpeng on bass, Zhusheng you're lead vocalist, and then—"

Niu Qingling's gaze landed on Li Luo: "Li Luo, wanna join in?"

"... Yan Zhusheng can play and sing at the same time," Li Luo pulled at his lips, wondering why this had suddenly turned to him.

But Yan Zhusheng, microphone in hand, stepped back and said: "I can't."

Li Luo: "?"

"Come on, just do it!" Niu Qingling shoved the guitar into his hands. "Do you have a competition to prepare for?"

"... No."

"Any other club activities to attend to?"

"I'm in the basketball club…"

"Did you try out for the school team?"

"... No, but I'm still in the literature club."

"The literature club only requires one essay per month," Yan Zhusheng added.

Li Luo: "... You're surprisingly sharp right now."

"I'm not stupid to begin with," Yan Zhusheng said seriously, a hint of delight in his eyes.

Like a kitten that had just gotten away with its first mischief.

…

At five-thirty in the evening, they walked out of the rock club.

Li Luo stared at the club application form in his hand and sighed: "I've somehow boarded a pirate ship."

"Your guitar skills aren't good enough," Yan Zhusheng reminded him. "I can teach you—for free."

"I really appreciate it."

The two returned to the classroom and packed their bags.

Soon after, Ying Chanxi came down from upstairs.

"Li Luo, come help me upstairs."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Li Luo finished packing and followed Ying Chanxi up to the fourth floor, where she pulled out five or six fluffy plush toys and shoved them into his arms.

Li Luo looked down: there were dolls, little crocodiles, cats, and dogs.

Did Liu Shaowen buy all these plushies?

Li Luo was startled inside and couldn't help asking: "Who gave you all these?"

"I don't even know how it happened," Ying Chanxi rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Several boys gave me gifts today—all these plush toys. I can't carry them all."

"If you don't want them, just refuse them outright."

"The problem is I don't know who gave them," Ying Chanxi's face darkened. "When I came back from tutoring, these toys were already on my desk. The classmates who were in the room said several boys left them, but no one knows who."

Li Luo: "..."

Looking at the plushies in his arms, Li Luo felt inexplicably guilty.

But he'd only told Liu Shaowen about it…

Just then, Yan Zhusheng came upstairs too, pulled a cute plush toy from his bag, and handed it to Ying Chanxi: "For you."

Ying Chanxi blinked, confused: "Zhusheng, why are you giving me this?"

"A gift between friends," Yan Zhusheng said. "Mom told me to be kind to my friends."

"But why is it also a plushie…?"

"Li Luo said you like plushies."

Ying Chanxi: "?"

"Li Luo! Don't run!"

"I don't know anything!"

"Stop right there! If you're not guilty, why are you running?"