Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

The deep hum of the engine echoed softly in the garage.

Jiang Yanbai, with one hand on the steering wheel, turned his head to look at He Xu: "How exactly is your ear?"

He Xu was fastening his seatbelt when he heard the question. He paused for a moment, then continued to fasten the buckle: "Much better."

"How much better is that?"

"My high-frequency hearing is recovering. The doctor said that with some more rest, it should return to normal."

Jiang Yanbai listened quietly, then stepped on the gas and slowly slid the car out of the garage and into the night street.

The silence in the car lasted for about thirty seconds.

Jiang Yanbai spoke first: "What about your voice?"

He Xu leaned back in the passenger seat, turning his head to look out the window at the streetlights and roadside trees rushing past: "...Still the same."

What does "still the same" mean?

"Just what you've heard."

Jiang Yanbai's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.

The air inside the car became quiet again.

He Xu waited two seconds before speaking first: "And you? How have you been these past few years in America?"

"good."

"How 'okay' is 'okay'?"

"I've released three albums, acted in two movies, won an award, and sat in the third row at the Grammy Awards." Jiang Yanbai said these things in a calm tone, but the content was ridiculously impressive.

He Xu turned his head and glanced at him: "...The third row, isn't that pretty impressive?"

"It's alright." Jiang Yanbai tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "It just feels like something's missing without you yelling at me."

He Xu was silent for a moment, then said, "Don't give me that."

"I've been here quite a few times." Jiang Yanbai's voice suddenly became more serious, and even the car slowed down a beat. "Xiao Xu, I'm serious. Without you by my side, I really feel like something's missing."

"Although some of the things I said were really rude, after leaving you, no one around me dared to talk to me like that."

He Xu didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside the car window.

The city at night flowed slowly outside the window, the neon lights reflecting in his pupils through the glass, flickering uncertainly.

Jiang Yanbai waited a moment, then spoke again, his voice softer than before: "How have you been these past few years?"

He Xu was silent for a few seconds, then said, "It's alright."

"How good is 'not bad'?"

"I can still dance, I can still teach, I can still eat and sleep," He Xu said. "Besides appearing on this lousy show, there's nothing else—can you please stop asking so many questions?"

Jiang Yanbai didn't speak, but his fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

As the car merged into the main road, the city lights flowed past on both sides, casting flickering light inside the car.

"I ask so many questions because I 'love' you, don't you know that?" Jiang Yanbai suddenly said with a smile during the silence.

He Xu stiffened abruptly, turned his head to look out the window, and said in a muffled voice, "...Idiot...can you stop talking so slickly?"

"Where's my talk being slick?" Jiang Yanbai's tone was perfectly innocent. "I'm just stating the facts, aren't I? Why can't you accept the truth?"

"That's not telling the truth, that's being greasy."

"Then tell me, which part of what I said was wrong?"

He Xu simply ignored him and pretended to close his eyes and rest.

Jiang Yanbai's lips curved slightly, but he didn't ask any further questions.

-

Jiang Yanbai chose a restaurant by the river, with a floor-to-ceiling window facing the water in the night.

There were only the two of them in the private room. The tablecloth was dark gray, the tableware was set out meticulously, and the flames in the candlesticks flickered quietly.

He Xu leaned back in his chair, glanced around the private room's decor, and then looked at Jiang Yanbai, who was flipping through the menu opposite him: "You booked such an expensive place because you think the paparazzi won't be able to take pictures of you?"

"This place is very private, and the owner is a friend of mine." Jiang Yanbai didn't even look up, tapping the menu twice with his finger. "Besides, I haven't seen you in three years, what's wrong with treating you to a nice meal?"

"You haven't seen me for three years because you're doing incredibly well in America, not because I'm too busy."

Jiang Yanbai finally looked up from the menu and glanced at He Xu.

There was a hint of seriousness in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by a lazy smile: "Xiao Xu, you're making it sound like I'm heartless."

"You have no conscience to begin with."

"Then tell me, how have I been heartless?"

He Xu didn't reply. He picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and looked at the river view, as if he was organizing his thoughts.

The silence in the private room was briefly broken when the waiter came in to serve the food.

Jiang Yanbai did indeed order a table full of dishes, none of which were cheap.

He Xu looked at the sashimi plate arranged like an art piece, and then at the stew steaming with dry ice.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the unassuming bowl of porridge in front of him.

"You said you'd treat me to something nice—and all you got me was a bowl of porridge?"

"Your throat isn't better yet, you can't eat anything too spicy." Jiang Yanbai said matter-of-factly, picking up a piece of Wagyu beef and putting it in his mouth. "I ordered this for myself, you can just drink your porridge."

He Xu looked down at the bowl of porridge, remained silent for about three seconds, then picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

The flavor was mild, but it was cooked until very thick, and the rice grains were cooked until they dissolved, sliding down the throat with a gentle warmth.

"...You do remember."

"What do I not remember about you?" Jiang Yanbai put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, and stared straight at He Xu.

"When your voice wasn't damaged, you loved spicy food, the spicier the better. Later, after you got injured, you couldn't eat it anymore. You said you were fine, but every time you saw others eating, your eyes would water with envy."

He Xu paused for a moment while scooping porridge: "...You're quite observant."

"Of course." Jiang Yanbai's tone carried a hint of smugness. "I may not be good at much else, but I have an exceptionally good memory. Especially when it comes to things about you."

He Xu didn't reply and continued drinking his porridge.

The private room was quiet for a while, with only the soft clinking of chopsticks and bowls and the faint sound of the river outside the window.

He Xu finished the last mouthful of porridge, put down the spoon, and looked up at Jiang Yanbai: "Alright, we've eaten and caught up—so tell me, what exactly did you come here for?"

Jiang Yanbai was picking up a piece of lobster with his chopsticks. He paused for a moment, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air, before continuing to put the lobster into his own bowl and slowly peeling the shell: "I came to see you."

"Don't give me that." He Xu leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "I know exactly who you are, Jiang Yanbai. If you really care about me, you can call me or video chat. There's no need to fly all the way back from the US for over ten hours."

Jiang Yanbai continued peeling the shrimp, but He Xu noticed that his fingers paused on the shell for a moment.

"I told you, I saw the news." Jiang Yanbai finally finished peeling the shrimp, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it. "On that lousy show, your earpiece malfunctioned, you injured your ear, and you ended up in the hospital—do you think I can just pretend I didn't see it?"

"Do you really think I'm that heartless?"