BFILWY CH 32

Chapter 32: Going Out for a Date

Lately, Ye Qinghe could clearly feel that An Yue’s attitude toward him had become more amicable. Not only did An Yue no longer avoid him in daily interactions, but sometimes, he would even take the initiative to invite him out.

And this “going out” wasn’t just a simple stroll around the residential area—An Yue actually took him out to have fun.

“This is… a bar?” Ye Qinghe tilted his head slightly, listening to the lively atmosphere indoors. The scent of alcohol and a faint trace of smoke in the air gave him a familiar sense of dizziness. “Does Teacher An usually enjoy going to clubs?”

“This isn’t exactly a nightclub. There’s no dance floor,” An Yue explained after the waiter led them to their seats. “This place was originally a gastropub, but later, they introduced live performances and transformed it into a music restaurant. That’s why both the drinks and food here are pretty good.”

“What would you like to drink?” An Yue asked Ye Qinghe. “Tell me, and I’ll check the menu for you. But you probably can’t have anything with too high alcohol content, right? How about trying the sweet orange sour?”

“…Alright.”

Ye Qinghe used to drink vodka and whiskey like water for a period of time, so this kind of cocktail felt more like a fruit soda to him. However, he had no attachment to the taste of whiskey, nor did he have any intention of returning to that lifestyle. A sweet orange sour was fine—he liked it.

After calling over the waiter, An Yue ordered the sweet orange sour for Ye Qinghe. Just as he was about to order a lychee sour for himself, Ye Qinghe suddenly asked the waiter, “Do you have Hot Toddy?”

An Yue had been coughing a little these past few days, and Ye Qinghe really didn’t want him drinking something cold.

“Yes, sir,” the waiter replied. “We have caramel apple Hot Toddy and honey lemon Hot Toddy. Which one would you prefer?”

Ye Qinghe thought for a moment and then turned to An Yue. “The caramel apple Hot Toddy has fresh cream in it. It should suit your taste. Want to give it a try?”

An Yue flipped through the menu and finally noticed that the last page featured hot cocktails. There, he saw a picture of the exact drink Ye Qinghe had mentioned. His eyes lit up as he pointed at the image and asked the waiter, “Is this the one? It looks amazing.”

The waiter smiled and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll have a caramel apple one,” An Yue said happily. He also ordered a platter of fried snacks and some potato chips to go with their drinks.

“You come here often?” Ye Qinghe asked.

“I’ve only been here once before, earlier this year with some friends,” An Yue replied. “After 8 p.m. every night, they have live singers perform. I think the atmosphere is really nice. On weekends, some well-known artists even come back to perform. I heard that producers also visit this place to scout talent, and if they find someone really good, they sign them on the spot. Like that singer, Yu Xian, who just released an album recently—he was discovered here. So those singers who made it big are still grateful for this place and often come back to perform when they have time.” 

An Yue rarely spoke so much at once due to his weak voice, so Ye Qinghe felt a bit happy. “You really like listening to music, huh? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you play any songs before. Who was it you just mentioned? Yu Xian? Next time, play one of his songs for me.”

Just then, the waiter arrived with their food and drinks. Overhearing Yu Xian’s name, he smiled and asked, “Are you here for Yu Xian as well? Sorry for the wait. His previous engagement ran a little late, but he’s here now. He’ll be on stage soon.”

“What a coincidence! He’s performing tonight?” An Yue was visibly surprised. “I thought you only scheduled big-name singers on weekends.”

“Well, Yu Xian is in the middle of his album promotion right now, so his weekends are fully booked with events. But he’s so passionate about singing that he begged our boss, Mr. Huang, to let him perform on weekdays too. That’s why he was in such a panic when he got delayed earlier. He didn’t even wait for the traffic light—he just jumped out of the car and ran all the way here,” the waiter chuckled, lowering his voice. “Right now, he’s in the backstage lounge getting scolded by the boss.”

“Hahaha!” Ye Qinghe burst into laughter, while An Yue, on the other hand, seemed a little tense.

Ye Qinghe guessed that An Yue was excited and nervous about seeing his idol in person.

It was clear that the waiter had a good relationship with Yu Xian. Though he playfully teased him, he was actually reassuring the guests that Yu Xian wasn’t being arrogant—he had rushed over as fast as he could and was even getting scolded for it. After joking around, the waiter didn’t forget to encourage them to support the rising star.

After the waiter left, An Yue took out a small bottle of hand sanitizer he had prepared in advance and sprayed some onto Ye Qinghe’s hands. Once the sanitizer had dried, he guided Ye Qinghe’s hands to locate his drink and food. The table was filled with finger foods—fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings—all meant to be eaten by hand for the best experience. After disinfecting his own hands, An Yue grabbed a fry and started eating.

“…?”

Ye Qinghe was puzzled. Just a moment ago, An Yue had been so excited, but now he had suddenly gone quiet, clearly distracted. Did Yu Xian really have that much charm? Was An Yue’s whole heart already flying over to him?

Ye Qinghe wasn’t about to let this night out with Teacher An go to waste. He didn’t want to bring him out only to have him thinking about someone else the whole time.

“An Yue, has your Hot Toddy arrived yet? Drink it while it’s hot. Didn’t you say it was freezing when we left? And you were coughing too,” Ye Qinghe said, trying to draw his attention back.

“Huh? What Toddy?”

An Yue snapped out of his daze and finally noticed his cocktail sitting right in front of him. “Oh, it’s here.”

He picked up the glass and took a sip. The warm liquor carried the rich aroma of whiskey, the slight tartness of apple, and the smooth sweetness of fresh cream. The soothing taste helped ease his slightly restless mood.

“This is really good,” An Yue smiled and turned to Ye Qinghe. “How’s your sour?”

“It’s good too,” Ye Qinghe replied with a smile.

At that moment, the spotlight on the small stage lit up, while the lights in the seating area dimmed to a soft glow. The audience could clearly see the performer on stage—Yu Xian, holding a guitar, had stepped into the spotlight.

An Yue let out a quiet breath. With this kind of lighting, the people on stage probably couldn’t see the audience below.

Yu Xian strummed his guitar and began to sing, performing two songs in a row before pausing to take a sip of water and interact with the audience. He sincerely explained the reason for his delay, playfully apologized, and even cracked a few jokes that had everyone laughing. He showed none of the arrogance that often came with overnight fame. Instead, he even took the initiative to offer an extra half-hour of performance as an apology, earning a round of applause from the entire crowd.

An Yue clapped along with the others, his joy evident in the way he moved. Hearing him so happy, Ye Qinghe couldn’t help but feel good as well. It had been a long time since he’d been in a setting like this.

Although, as An Yue had said, this was just a music restaurant, the lively atmosphere still reminded him of certain places he used to frequent in the past.

After the Ye family’s downfall six years ago, Ye Qinghe had cut off all forms of entertainment that his parents had once deemed unhealthy. Apart from necessary business functions, he had completely stayed away from nightlife and indulgent gatherings.

Now, being back in this kind of atmosphere felt somewhat unfamiliar at first. But he also knew this place was different from those chaotic, reckless nights of the past. This was a music restaurant—a place to simply enjoy a drink and listen to good music with someone he liked. Not a wild, drunken party.

He tried to push away the shadows of the past, to relax, and to enjoy this rare, peaceful date.

After finishing his casual banter with the audience, Yu Xian strummed his guitar again and began his next song.

The moment he sang the first line, Ye Qinghe’s attempt to leave the past behind shattered instantly.

It was a classic Cantonese song—a song from a band Ye Qinghe had always loved.

A long time ago, Little Blind had once stood on stage, feeling shy and hesitant, as he was urged to sing this very song.

That was the first time Ye Qinghe had met Little Blind.

And as it turned out, the song’s lyrics had foretold their fate—leaving behind nothing but “sorrowful memories.”

(To be continued…)