Chapter 13: So What

A single song had so enchanted these two unfamiliar college students to such a degree that Huang Guolun felt a profound sense of joy and satisfaction arise within him. Perhaps this was exactly the feeling he sought—playing music in a small café, captivating strangers.

Seeing how much Jiang Lili and Wang Peng adored Huang Guolun, Zhao Jing could not conceal her delight. Leaning on her injured foot, she hobbled forward and told the two students, “Follow SalomeCAFE’s official account and Weibo. My sister will post updates about the café’s events there. Once we set a date for Mr. Huang’s performance, we’ll announce it on the account. Bring your friends to support us—drinks will be twenty percent off for you all.”

“Thank you, beautiful!” Wang Peng exclaimed happily.

“We’ll definitely be there!” Jiang Lili replied excitedly.

“Ahem, you really know how to do business,” Huang Guolun remarked in a low voice to Zhao Jing, using a cough as a cover.

“Of course I do—much better than my sister,” Zhao Jing replied smugly.

Huang Guolun smiled but said nothing. This girl bloomed with a little sunshine, utterly unaware of the virtues of humility and modesty.

Still, he thought, she certainly has the makings of a future shrew; anyone daring to date her must be a glutton for punishment.

Just then, Zhao Yan returned, having made a phone call. She approached their table, worry etched on her face, and sat down. “Mr. Huang, I’m really sorry. Something’s happened with my friend. I need to go to her place right away. I won’t be able to host you tonight.”

“Who’s in trouble? What happened?” Zhao Jing asked, concerned.

“It’s Huanzi. She’s had another breakup and is threatening suicide.”

“Suicide?” Huang Guolun was startled.

“It’s nothing, really. She just says it—she wants us girls to go comfort her,” Zhao Yan said, briefly savoring the memory of Huang Guolun’s recent performance. “Mr. Huang, your rendition of ‘Anhe Bridge’ was just—so—beautiful! I wish I could talk with you more, but today... sigh!” Pressed by circumstances, Zhao Yan could only sigh in regret.

“It’s all right, we’ll have plenty of chances to meet again. Go take care of your friend,” Huang Guolun said. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, “Are you driving? If you’re in a hurry, I can drive you over.”

“No, no, I have my car. I’ll manage. You stay and enjoy yourself,” Zhao Yan said, turning to Zhao Jing. “Make sure to take good care of Mr. Huang for me. When Lili and the others leave, turn off the lights and lock up before you go home.”

“I know, you go ahead. I’ll take a cab home later.”

“All right, then I’ll leave you to it. I’m off to see Huanzi now. Mr. Huang, please come by the café whenever you have time,” Zhao Yan said, keenly wishing to get to know Huang Guolun better after being so impressed by his musical talent.

Huang Guolun could sense the friendliness Zhao Yan conveyed and promised, “I’ll stop by whenever I can. Next time, I’ll introduce my son to you.”

“That would be wonderful.”

With that, Zhao Yan left the café, her heart light, accompanied to the door by Huang Guolun and Zhao Jing.

Her Oxford-green Mini Cooper was parked right at the entrance to the alley. Getting in, she called out to them, “Hurry home, it’s cold outside. Mr. Huang, go back inside and sit down.”

Huang Guolun politely waved. “Drive safely. See you next time.”

With his smile lingering in her mind, Zhao Yan drove away, her heart pounding.

Turning back, Huang Guolun noticed Zhao Jing walking awkwardly. “Did you twist your ankle?”

“It’s your fault for insisting on playing ‘Summer’ with a cup. You startled me.”

“If I remember correctly, you asked me to use a cup for ‘Summer,’ didn’t you?”

“Well, I’m still blaming you,” Zhao Jing pouted, a hint of coquettishness in her tone.

Huang Guolun didn’t argue. “Come on, let’s go back inside. It’s cold out here.”

He led the way back into the café.

Zhao Jing hobbled after him into the warm interior. She went over to the sound booth and put the music back on—still Joanna Wang, singing “Beloved.”

... Tonight, the wind still blows, I remember how gentle you were,
Days with you are so easy and carefree,
You haven’t vanished without a trace, it’s just that I miss you so much,
How could I not dream of you every moment...

As the lazy, tender voice filled the room, the atmosphere turned instantly romantic.

Wang Peng and Jiang Lili listened, nestled together, whispering sweet nothings—their happiness palpable.

How wonderful it is to be young, Huang Guolun thought to himself, watching the young couple, a sigh rising in his heart.

Zhao Jing returned, limping, carrying two freshly made cups of coffee.

“Try my black coffee—it’s so bitter you’ll forget your own name.”

“I’m not a big fan of bitter coffee, but thank you anyway.” Seeing how much effort it took her to walk, Huang Guolun asked, “Is your foot very badly hurt?”

“No, it’s just a slight sprain. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

“Are you still living at your school? If you want, I can drive you home later. It’s hard to get a cab around here at night.”

Earlier, he’d learned that Zhao Jing had just graduated from the School of Economics and Management at the Communication University in June. She’d hoped to enter graduate school there for industrial economics, but didn’t make it. She planned to try again next spring.

Her university was outside the Fifth Ring Road, far from Houhai. At night, cab drivers were reluctant to go out that far—getting a ride home would be tough. It would be easier if he drove her.

When Zhao Jing heard he wanted to give her a ride, she smiled with affected pride. “What, aren’t you in a hurry to get home to your son?”

“His grandmother’s watching him tonight. If I go home too early, my mom will bombard me with questions about matchmaking. So, I can’t go back too soon. If you don’t need a ride, I’ll sit a few more minutes and then head out to meet a friend who’s been wanting to catch up.”

Zhao Jing quickly said, “Then you’d better take me. It really is hard to get a cab out here at night. I don’t live at the school anymore—I moved out of the dorms long ago. I live with my sister now, at Pearl River Imperial View. Is it convenient for you to drive me?”

“Of course. But I’ll have to go get my car first,” Huang Guolun said, getting up and putting on his jacket.

“Where did you park?”

“Over by Di’anmen. I walked over just now.”

“Wow, why so far?”

“It was early, and I wanted to stroll around,” Huang Guolun replied, finishing his latte and wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Wait here, I’ll be back soon.”

He stepped out, heading east along Houhai, retracing his steps to Di’anmen Avenue.

It was already past nine. The night wind near Houhai was biting, making Huang Guolun hunch his shoulders and silently scold himself for dressing so lightly—what a fool, and now he was paying for it.

The bars around Houhai were growing lively at this hour. Passing through the bar street, he could hear all kinds of music blaring from within.

With his exceptional ear, Huang Guolun didn’t need to enter the bars to catch the music—he absorbed it all as he strolled along.

Suddenly, he heard a uniquely recognizable raspy female voice, covering P!nk’s “So What” with explosive energy.

The mature, husky timbre carried a rebellious resilience, perfectly matched to P!nk’s song.

Just a snippet was enough to stun Huang Guolun, rooting him to the spot like a nail.

A strange feeling welled up within him: This voice... it sounds just like Bai Yao!

Though many people speak and sing in different tones, and he’d never actually heard Bai Yao sing, this low, raspy voice was so distinctive he couldn’t help but think of her.

He glanced toward the bar from which the voice emanated.

It was a boathouse-style bar built over the water, simply named “Boat Bar.” Two stories, quite spacious—one of the most famous large bars in Houhai, bustling with patrons.

He couldn’t see inside from the street, but the singing was clearly coming from the second floor.

Paying fifty yuan for a Friday night music ticket, Huang Guolun followed the electrifying sound into the vibrant bar.

He made his way through the first-floor booths and dance floor, heading upstairs to investigate.

On the second floor, he saw over a hundred stylishly dressed young people clustered before the stage, cheering and shouting to the music. The atmosphere was even more charged than below.

Looking toward the stage, he saw a young punk visual kei band performing.

The lead singer, a girl, wore an exaggerated short crop of bright silver hair—striking and sharp.

She sported a pair of silver, industrial-metal sunglasses painted with streaks, partly obscuring her face.

She wore a tight black sports tank top, her ample chest bouncing to the pounding metal rhythm, the flashing lights giving an almost nosebleed-inducing intensity. Below, low-rise black jeans revealed her slender waist and navel, and even a hint of black underwear.

Her outfit matched her commanding voice—utterly wild and free.

She was singing “So What,” P!nk’s fierce anthem after her divorce.

In the girl’s broken, world-weary, powerful delivery, the song took on an even more ferocious energy.

As soon as Huang Guolun reached the second floor, he was swept up by the tidal wave of the chorus, unable to tear his eyes from the girl pouring her soul into the performance—

“So so what!
After all that crap, I’m still a rock star!
I’ve got rock ‘n’ roll running through my veins!
I sure as hell don’t need a loser like you!
And guess what—
I’m happier now than ever before!
Let me tell you, you and I are done!
I’m going to show you—tonight!
I feel amazing!
I really am the shit!
And you? You’re just a tool!
So what!
I’ll always be a rock star!
Rock ‘n’ roll’s all over me!
Tonight, I’m kicking you clear out of the galaxy!”

The eruption of metal ignited the bar’s atmosphere completely!

Explosive waves of sound set everyone’s blood ablaze; excitement coursed through the crowd.

The young people threw themselves into a frenzy of pogo dancing, jumping and crashing into each other—pure chaos, so wild that even Huang Guolun felt his old blood rushing to his head.

The lead singer used little body language or theatrics, but her commanding voice alone was enough to reignite everyone’s dormant passion.

Huang Guolun had seen performances in bars before, but never a female singer with such power.

He studied the girl’s face and figure—every detail reminded him of Bai Yao.

At school, Bai Yao, like the other girls, wore only a uniform—he’d never seen her dressed like this. Yet her build matched: about 1.65 meters, neither fat nor thin, full and graceful, just like the passionate girl on stage.

Even more telling, Bai Yao had worn her hair cropped shorter than most boys since middle school—a well-known legend at Experimental Middle School.

The lead singer’s hairstyle, apart from the color, was identical, and her face and voice matched as well...

It was Bai Yao!

A wave of shock surged through Huang Guolun.

He could hardly reconcile the super-scholarly, silent girl from music class with the wild, electrifying rock singer before him.

To confirm her identity, Huang Guolun went to the bar, chose a high stool, and ordered a drink. He didn’t touch it, but struck up a conversation with the bartender. “What’s the name of the band performing tonight?”

“They’re White Night Walkers, a young new band opening for the headliners. If you like their music, come by on Fridays and Saturdays—they play here from nine to ten.”

“What’s the singer’s name?”

“That’s Little Bai—a veteran newcomer in our circle,” the bartender said with a smile. “You don’t come to Houhai bars often, do you?”

“Only occasionally.”

“No wonder you don’t know Little Bai. Her voice is unforgettable. She’s been singing around Houhai for over a year now, in all the major bars. If I’m not mistaken, White Night Walkers is her third band.”

“Is she a professional singer?”

“Don’t think so—if she were, she’d be famous by now. I think she’s a student, but I’m not sure. She’s pretty mysterious. Not many people know much about her.”

With the bartender’s confirmation, Huang Guolun was certain—this “Little Bai” was indeed Bai Yao!

How had she ended up singing in a bar?

It was utterly baffling.