At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

The menacing aura around him gradually dissipated.

The air fryer's countdown reached zero, and the beeping sound rang out, but neither of them moved an inch.

"An Qing, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

"Ok?"

The girl blinked, looking innocently at his perpetually expressionless face.

"Your behavior doesn't mean you 'don't have much energy'."

Su Che stared intently at her true face beneath the makeup.

A razor-sharp gaze pierced through the outer shell inch by inch, defining it as follows:

"Sometimes, positive emotions are more effective than the medicine prescribed by Dr. Yan. And the simple companionship you can give me is already a rare form of therapy."

"Huh...?"

"after--"

-

"At home, it's okay not to wear makeup."

Su Che cupped her small face in his hands and said calmly.

……

……

Chapter 76 Severely Darkened Girl - Sakura Girl with Level 10 Chinese Proficiency

night.

Sacred Heart International Women's College, Clubs and Activities Department.

At 8 p.m., a time when students should be resting at home and going to bed early to prepare for Monday morning classes, the lights were still on in the "Water Color" music room.

Inside the tightly closed door, soundproofing cotton covers the entire interior, with only double-glazed windows remaining, sealed shut with tape and unable to be opened.

An eerie atmosphere permeated the rehearsal room.

Four people, four positions.

Holding different musical instruments, they gazed at each other in silence.

"that……"

The tall girl spoke first:

“Aya, don’t worry too much. We had no choice but to make this decision. Besides, the new Bass is coming for an interview later. If you leave, we’ll be completely falling apart, and we won’t be able to continue playing together…”

Team leader Wang Meng is quite skilled at rhetoric, employing two techniques—"moral blackmail."

They successfully stopped Ling Yao from leaving the team.

It's very simple—

After Su Che's performance that day, Ling Yao felt a distinct sense of unease and uncertainty. A certain flutter stirred within her, a desire to get closer but an inability to know how to do it...

Until, he saw the pick he had left behind.

I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make a move, but when I called out to him at the school gate for the first time, I was met with a rebuff.

She was clearly not bad looking, and her figure was of the pure and innocent type, so she should never be ignored... but he didn't even look at her for a second, and left her standing there after only saying one sentence.

Although the pick was given to himself, this "gift" was truly just that—a gift.

Ling Yao clenched the Fender landscape painting in her palm, and a triangle of water seeped through the gaps between her fingers from the tip of the water droplet.

I remember that after I got home that day, I frantically asked around about everything related to him.

Why is this so?

Ling Yao herself couldn't explain it.

All I know is that on stage, standing behind him, enveloped by his voice, even when I played a wrong note due to excessive nervousness—

Even so, she would still be uplifted by his smooth and flowing performance.

Whether you go left or right,

In that instant, one's own weakness, stage fright, worry, and panic would be gently corrupted by the light emanating from him.

At that moment, my heart seemed to stop, and my hands produced an embarrassing 8-beat rest...

His solo performance, like the shimmering sunlight, perfectly orchestrated the rhythm of the entire venue at the perfect moment.

He glanced back at himself.

That encouraging look,

It is something I can never forget to this day.

There's no way I can continue playing in a team like this.

If only I could experience it again.

Ling Yao's gaze froze as he looked at the carpet diagonally below.

The carpet fibers, worn down by long-term foot traffic, are covered in dust and dents.

I don't want this to be just a short stay.

He was muttering something to himself.

I don't want to just be a passerby in the future.

Lingyao's heart is as clear as a mirror:

"Selfish people always want more."

Without that sense of security, if the other side of the stage is empty in the future, can I still recreate the level of performance I had that day?

Ling Yao was filled with mixed emotions, feeling as if a part of her heart had been hollowed out.

The word "jealousy" kept echoing deep within my mind:

"Who is really enjoying his affection?"

"Who exactly can be subjected to that kind of gaze for so long?"

How can I be embraced by someone like that?

"Is this something that's inherently forbidden from the moment we're born?"

My heart has been broken.

-

……

dong dong dong.

The knocking interrupted my thoughts.

Mengjie glanced at the keyboard beside her and pouted.

Wang Lu, the keyboard user, exclaimed "Ah!" and tactfully went to open the door.

Hello~

"Hello everyone, I am Tsukishima Yui. You can call me Yui. Nice to meet you."

Standing at the door was a short, black-haired girl with no makeup, who looked like the girl next door. She was carrying a violin case that was taller than herself, and judging from the length of the violin neck, it was clearly a bass.

"Hello."

Ling Yao finally spoke.

Looking towards the "new teammates" in front of the door.

In fact, I already know from the investigation that before I joined the team, there was a guitarist who was kicked out by Sister Meng.

The child's name is Yuan Xiao. She wasn't at Tianlai Livehouse that night, and I haven't had a chance to find her or apologize to her.

Ling Yao is never a person lacking in manners when it comes to music.

She believes that every team has an order of arrival.

You must never "drive away" a teammate just because you've joined.

Moreover, a band can easily have two guitarists at the same time.

Even if I leave the team, I shouldn't let Xiao Yuanxiao be squeezed out by these women.

【bother.】

The wickedness within is the opposite of the expression on one's face.

Either I find her and bring her back, or I'll back out myself.

I never want to experience being bullied again. Never again. And bullying others is equally wrong.

Ling Yao put down the brand-new, beautiful SchecterSD, walked forward gracefully, and shook the new teammate's cool little hand—

"I am Ayaki, the lead vocalist. Nice to meet you."

"Ah~ Okay, Aya, you're so cute."

On Tsukishima's slightly numb, pink face, a grateful expression appeared.

Looking around the room, only Ling Yao seemed genuinely welcoming to the newcomer.

The other three, apart from the keyboardist who said something, the lead singer and drummer just glanced at us, quite coldly, and didn't seem to care much at all.

"Um... Shall we start the audition now?"

She hunched over and asked hesitantly.

Since the list was expanded upon after seeing the post on the musicians' band formation forum "Qinjia", Tsukishima was not necessarily chosen by the team leader.

Rather, they are "backup options" that will be immediately replaced if things don't work out.

Given such a fragile relationship, it's understandable that the others wouldn't bother to treat him well.