Chapter 382: The Couple Sitting at the Alley Entrance (4k)

The clinking of one soda can against another sparked a woman's hearty laughter.

The beef and lamb skewers sprinkled with cumin sizzled as oil dripped down. Fan Xiaopang, having indulged a rare moment of excess, had a huge appetite; her speed in applying chili powder surpassed even Zhou Yi's.

"Did you reincarnate as a starving ghost? You can eat so much? Did Empress Dowager Chen starve you?"

Zhou Yi watched Fan Xiaopang devouring the food with an amused look. The latter, perhaps choked by the chili powder, coughed repeatedly and hurriedly gulped down several mouthfuls of beer to suppress that damned stinging sensation.

"I don't have your habit and time for fitness training. I haven't touched this stuff in three months. Even when I came for late-night snacks before, I wouldn't dare order these; I'd only eat some seafood at most."

Regarding Zhou Yi's behavior of a full man not understanding a hungry man's plight, Fan Xiaopang, unable to wipe her mouth, let out a long "Haaah," her red lips opening and closing to exhale under the soft, non-glaring light at the shop entrance—spicy.

"Then shouldn't you thank me?" Zhou Yi, his attention somewhat distracted by those red lips, chewed the lamb chops slowly and deliberately.

Feeling as if a piece of meat was stuck between her teeth, Fan Xiaopang kept picking at her teeth with her tongue: "Thank you, how could I not thank you."

"Gratitude requires sincerity. Where is your sincerity?"

"..."

Fan Xiaopang was momentarily stunned, then, after realizing, looked around left and right, playing with words: "Are you sure you want to talk about sincerity here?"

As she spoke, she adjusted the oversized hoodie she was wearing.

It made her look even more puffy.

"If you dare, I have no objection."

Zhou Yi had never feared such a thing; he rested his right elbow on the table, flicked his fingers twice against the beer can, making two "Bang bang" sounds: "At worst, we'll be on the headlines together tomorrow. I don't care."

"Forget it. I don't want to become the heroine of another dark alley scandal."

"I'm not that kind of person. Watch less paparazzi footage."

"Right, right, right, everything you say is correct."

Fan Xiaopang nodded perfunctorily, and only after finishing the last skewer did she grab a tissue to wipe her mouth: "Still eating? If you are, I'll order a bit more from the boss?"

"No need. I'm as full as I can possibly be."

As if to prove it, Zhou Yi opened his mouth and let out a burp: "No need to sleep tonight either. You're fully responsible."

"Hong Kong Park isn't far. If you need to stretch, you can take a walk and digest."

"Strolling through a park in the middle of the night? You certainly have leisure and taste. Those who know say I'm digesting; those who don't might think I'm going to commit a theft."

Zhou Yi pouted: "Then I might as well go back to the hotel and lie down to rest."

"Strange, don't you like this outdoor vibe?"

"..."

Seeing the speechless expression on Zhou Yi's face, Fan Xiaopang finally smiled, stood up, and walked toward the shop: "Boss, check, please."

Obviously, this girl was set against Cai Zuoyan.

After all, the photos were indeed very clear; Yinghuang's public announcement could only fool Cai Zuoyan's fans.

"Let's go. Since you don't want to digest, let's head back to the hotel."

Soon, after paying, Fan Xiaopang returned, picked up her unfinished bottle of beer from the table, and pulled her hood over her head with her left hand.

"Wanting to digest isn't hard. Just walk back to the hotel from here."

Zhou Yi chuckled lightly, swung his black jacket with one hand, draped it over his shoulder, picked up his own half-full bottle of beer with the other, and followed closely: "It depends on whether you're willing to walk."

"Are you inviting me?"

"You can understand this as me warming up the dish."

"Is that so? But what if I don't want to get on the table right now?"

"What to do? That's simple. Add some vinegar to change the flavor?"

Strolling down the empty street, Zhou Yi, whose left pinky kept tapping the side of the beer can, joked with a smile.

"I don't have—okay, I admit there is a bit."

Fan Xiaopang smiled self-deprecatingly: "I know my reason is unreasonable and acting up. After all, I'm not your girlfriend, but just thinking about that scheming woman named Cai makes me very unhappy."

"Do you two have a conflict?"

"No."

Reaching the end of the alley, feeling a bit tired, Fan Xiaopang didn't care if the ground was cold or dirty; she simply sat down on the curb, legs spread apart, one hand resting on her knee, and took a sip of beer looking up.

Zhou Yi looked down at her, smiled, and sat down on the curb as well. He raised his eyes to examine the dim streetlights, as if counting the invisible patterns in the light, focused intently, saying nothing.

The two sat in silence, taking turns drinking, until the beer was finished.

The streetlights nearby seemed unable to bear it; after flickering and persisting for a few rounds, a few of them finally extinguished their light.

"Burp~"

"How to put it? Actually, I still want to fight for myself."

Having let out a burp, Fan Xiaopang hid her face under her hood, crushing the empty beer can over and over again.

Zhou Yi, with his left index finger pressing against the bottom of the can and constantly rotating it, remained noncommittal.

"Do you know? Since I followed Empress Dowager Chen, I have seen and heard many dark sides of the entertainment industry in Hong Kong."

Rubbing her face with her hand, Fan Xiaopang couldn't help but chuckle lightly as she spoke: "I suddenly realized that all the things I refused at that old woman's company, top female stars in Hong Kong have done—maybe not 100%, but at least over 80%."

"Because of you, that old woman chose to settle out of court with me. Also because of you, Yinghuang here in Hong Kong has taken good care of me. I know exactly what my worth is. If not for your face, I wouldn't be living so comfortably in Hong Kong or on the mainland."

"You know Huayi Brothers on the mainland, right? At first, they also wanted to use that old woman's power to suppress me and wanted to sign me away. But after I got out of that situation by leveraging your fame, they suddenly became very polite to me."

"It was a small favor. No need to be polite."

"Zhou Yi."

Fan Xiaopang turned her head; her hood covered half her face, and with one eye, she looked at the man sitting beside her: "I'm curious, why didn't you approach me directly to make a deal back then? I was even prepared."

"Of course, because I have a loving heart. I said a long time ago that no one in this world has more love than me." Eye to eye, Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow and spread his hands: "Absolutely not."

"..."

The fragility of being without makeup eventually faded along with the lowering of the hood. Teased by the man's strange remark, Fan Xiaopang tried several times to suppress her rising smile but failed, finally breaking down and laughing out loud: "Limited to love for women, right?"

"That's just my preference for women. You can't expect me to prefer men; I'm perfectly normal."

Zhou Yi shrugged, casually tossing the can in his hand into the trash bin not far across—the can clattered as it hit the bottom.

"There's some truth to that, but I'm still not happy about it."

"So, do you want to break up?"

"No."

Fan Xiaopang reached out, grabbed Zhou Yi's long sleeve collar, and pulled him closer: "If, I mean if, one day you end up with me, would you be able to suppress that heart of yours?"

With his collar grabbed, Zhou Yi thought for a second: "It's not impossible; after all, when you're under someone's eaves, you have to bow your head. But do you really think you'll have that chance? I thought you were joking."

"Doesn't matter."

Only after receiving a definite answer did Fan Xiaopang release the collar: "Then it's settled. As long as I'm still struggling for one more day, our bet remains valid."

"You'll be desperate later on."

"What's there to fear? At worst, I'll just be your mistress. I don't lose out. If I lose, I'm the mistress; if I win, I'm the wife. I win big either way."

"?"

Zhou Yi laughed: "Is it possible that you might not even keep that mistress position?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Fan Xiaopang rubbed her hands together, spirits high: "Just because of that Cai? What does she have to compare with me?"

"Uh, maybe she sings better than you?"

"..."

Fan Xiaopang, who had just been fired up, now felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her head: "Just like you said, is it possible that I'm actually a once-in-a-ten-thousand singing genius?"

Having seen many film, television, and singing triple-threat celebrities in Hong Kong, Fan Xiaopang pinched her throat, coughed once, and tried to make her voice sound a bit higher-pitched.

Zhou Yi blinked, without the slightest hesitation: "Rest assured, there is absolutely no such possibility."

"I do have musical talent; I'm a flute specialist, and I can play some other instruments too, like the drum kit and the guzheng."

The more she spoke, the more convinced she became, almost believing herself, and Fan Xiaopang even listed in detail the awards she had won as a flute specialist: "My dad is a singer too, from a literary and art troupe. Logically, I should have that talent as well."

"Give it a rest."

Zhou Yi rolled his eyes so hard they nearly flipped to the sky: "Do you really think no one has heard you sing? To be fair, when you sang 'Rain Butterfly' with that Zhao Wei before, it was terrible."

When 'My Fair Princess' was broadcast, the two of them had sung the ending theme 'Rain Butterfly' on a mainland program. Judging purely by vocal texture, Fan Xiaopang was completely outclassed; she was basically at the level of a KTV enthusiast, nowhere near a karaoke king.

"That's because I didn't practice; I only know instruments."

Fan Xiaopang, who considered herself from an artistic family, immediately said: "Let's go back to the hotel now, to your room. I'll let you see my instrument skills."

"Why do we have to go to my room?"

"Because your room has instruments. I'm an actor now; I don't carry instruments around."

"My room only has a guitar and a piano, nothing else."

"Oh, then I can't play those."

"..."

You're actually quite honest.

Zhou Yi, who had expected her to say "It's fine, I can do anything," also stood up and slapped his own butt: "Not knowing doesn't matter. You can just call me teacher; I'll teach you for free..."

Under the dim streetlights, the two of them got into a heated argument over the tuition fee—

Fan Xiaopang thought one session would be enough.

Zhou Yi sharply commented, "Are you trying to practice health preservation here?"

"Health preservation it is; I have to outlive all my competitors."

After laying her cards on the table, Fan Xiaopang was full of ambition.

To be honest, ever since the industry confirmed the rumors about Zhou Yi and Cai Zuoyan in Hong Kong, she had vaguely formed an idea in her mind—she had to do something to grab onto Zhou Yi as tightly as possible.

Otherwise, as Zhou Yi's status grew higher and higher in the future, it would be hard to say whether she could still reach him and... whether she could eventually rise to the top.

Someone as smart as Zhou Yi; she knew that pretending to be stupid and clueless wouldn't win her the end, and trying to be as scheming as Cai Zuoyan would definitely be a stretch.

After thinking it over, she felt the only thing she could do was to be honest with him about her feelings—since Zhou Yi had already seen countless tricks, going against the grain and exposing her true feelings directly would actually seem more sincere.

Thus, the agreement was born.

As for letting go.

Don't be ridiculous. She had known him since he had only released one album; in any case, they met in his "humble beginnings." Not to mention Zhou Yi also had the "savior" buff; how could she possibly be willing to let go?

Back in the hotel room, Fan Xiaopang, who bathed first, scrubbed for nearly half an hour before coming out of the bathroom.

Walking out of the master bedroom and preparing to call Zhou Yi to the living room to wash up, she found that he seemed to be trying something by the piano—his fingertips were playing some strange notes.

Fan Xiaopang felt a bit strange.

It was already past four in the morning; was he really going to teach her to play the piano?

"You're—"

Before Fan Xiaopang could finish her sentence, a strangely cheerful piano sound rang out.

"La, la la la la, la la la la..."

When Zhou Yi, whose voice was exceptionally pleasant when singing, began to chant this opening, Fan Xiaopang's eyes lit up—she had never heard this intro before.

Was this "la la la la" because he hadn't thought of the lyrics yet, so he was just using "la la la" as a placeholder?

After two consecutive repetitions of "la la la la," in Fan Xiaopang's eyes, Zhou Yi seemed as if he had just thought of the lyrics; the moment he opened his mouth, she stood frozen in place—

"That pair of men and women sitting at the alley entrance, holding each other tightly

"Motionless, just staring there, as if the world has nothing to do with them~

"What kind of mood, what kind of mood

"Could this be love~~"

Is this...?

Fan Xiaopang slowly typed out a question mark, but the words she instinctively wanted to ask were stifled the moment she met Zhou Yi's eyes, which were full of amusement.

The man and woman sitting at the alley entrance?

Is it me and him?

It must be me and him.

Did he write a song specifically for me?

"La, la la la la, la la la la..."

Another section of "la la la" as if the lyrics hadn't been thought out yet, yet the simple, catchy melody had already made Fan Xiaopang hum along softly.

"The man and woman sitting at the alley entrance, faces expressionless

"Streetlights extinguish one by one, they never spoke a single word

"What kind of emotion, what kind of emotion~"

His ten fingers suddenly halted on the piano keys; the next second, he pressed down hard—

"Could this be love~~~"

The broken rhythm made Fan Xiaopang, who had already been moving with the beat, unconsciously reveal a brilliant smile on her face.

The scene of the pair on the curb at the alley entrance, going from silence to opening their hearts, cycled and flashed before the woman's eyes along with Zhou Yi's extremely simple singing, like a movie rerun.

"La, la la la la, la la la la~"

Another repetitive "la la la"; this time Fan Xiaopang was already singing along loudly. Singing, making eye contact, and smiling, she said: "The man and woman sitting at the alley entrance, their laughter never stops~"

As the piano sound abruptly ceased, Fan Xiaopang remained as happy as a child who had received a beloved gift, her mouth still endlessly repeating the few simple lyrics Zhou Yi had just sung.

"What is the name of this song?"

"I don't know."

Zhou Yi, who had stopped playing, smiled, tilting his head slightly as they made eye contact: "How about we just call it 'The Man and Woman Sitting at the Alley Entrance', what do you think?"

"... Is it for me?"

Fan Xiaopang didn't even notice that when she asked this question, her voice held a hint of anxiety and a hint of hope.

From childhood to adulthood, she had received many gifts, but never one so special.

"Yes, if you ask it that way, at this moment..."

Facing Fan Xiaopang's expectant eyes, Zhou Yi feigned distress and dragged out the tone.

"I don't care! This song is mine! It was given to me!"

Fan Xiaopang, wrapped only in a towel, pounced like a hungry tiger, rushing forward and using her mouth to block the words Zhou Yi had not yet spoken—

"Except for you and me, no one else can sing this song."

Breathless from lack of oxygen, Fan Xiaopang sat cross-legged, her whole body practically hanging on him, holding his face close enough to touch, her expression extremely serious.

"Do you know you only have a towel on? Are you challenging my self-control?"

Zhou Yi's answer had already explained everything.

Fan Xiaopang beamed with joy, then leaned close to the man's ear, biting his earlobe and whispering: "Don't you want to pin me down on the piano?"

(End of this chapter)