BFILWY CH 33

Chapter 33: Melancholic Memories

At twenty-four, Ye Qinghe sat in the audience, coldly watching the guy on stage. His features were decent, but he wore oversized sunglasses, dressed unfashionably, and moved awkwardly due to his impaired vision. Ye Qinghe shot a glare at his friends beside him, silently protesting—Him? Seriously? Isn’t this too much?

His group of friends stifled their laughter, covering their mouths as they snickered. But after their amusement, they immediately followed the plan and began stirring up trouble.

As soon as Qin Sian stepped onto the stage, even before he could find his footing, the crowd began to stir. Standing there in confusion, he felt utterly lost. He had only been performing at this restaurant for a month, and unexpected situations like this were still beyond his ability to handle.

For instance:
—The guests who had booked the entire venue deliberately causing a scene by requesting a song he didn’t know.
—Or how, even after he apologized, the guests continued to jeer and boo, demanding that he get off the stage.

Qin Sian was too young—only seventeen. He was also far too anxious. He desperately needed this job. He needed money for his eye treatment.

At this moment, all he could see was a vast blur of darkness. Vague patches of light flickered before him, and chaotic noise filled his ears. The musicians accompanying him on stage initially tried to apologize on his behalf, but this only provoked the drunken guests further. Someone even smashed a glass and ordered the musicians to shut up. After that, no one dared to speak up for him again, leaving Qin Sian standing there, frozen and helpless.

“Alright, enough already. Don’t scare the kid,” a man’s voice, laced with laughter, called out toward the stage. “Hey, don’t be scared. You really don’t know Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies? It’s a song by Beyond! How could you not know such a famous band?”

As he spoke, he even started singing a few lines, and soon, the others joined in, shouting along with him.

Ye Qinghe grinned mischievously, leading his gang in a drunken chorus. His tone sounded almost expectant as he said, “I really love their music. And today’s Christmas Eve—it’s also my birthday. Can’t you sing it for me?”

It seemed like a gentle request, but in reality, it was a trap meant to embarrass the blind boy on stage.

Young and inexperienced, Qin Sian failed to sense the malice hidden beneath the seemingly kind words. Hearing the man’s laughter, he simply thought this was a kind-hearted guest trying to ease the tension for him. His nerves gradually settled, and after taking a few deep breaths, he mustered a hesitant smile. His face flushed as he turned toward the source of the voice and said earnestly,

“I’m sorry, sir. I really don’t know how to sing Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies. But I do know Beyond’s band, and I’ve heard another one of their songs. May I sing that one for you instead?”

Forcing himself to smile through his discomfort, Qin Sian added, “I’ve never sung this song in public before. My pronunciation might not be perfect, but I hope you all don’t mind. I’ll practice all their songs when I get home—I really will. I’ll start practicing tonight,” Qin Sian said anxiously, standing on stage, waiting for the guests’ response. His entire body radiated unease and nervousness.

Ye Qinghe found it amusing. He had deliberately picked a Cantonese song for him, not only because he genuinely liked the band but also because he wanted to mess with him. Throwing a so-called classic song in front of such a young boy—one in a language he wasn’t familiar with—was nothing more than a calculated act of bullying. Their plan was simple: use the song request to stir up trouble and push him into a corner. Ideally, they wanted him to lose his temper so that Ye Qinghe could then play the generous role, telling him he didn’t need to sing it after all. This way, Ye Qinghe could act the part of a gracious hero, ensuring that the blind kid would be filled with gratitude toward him.

But unexpectedly, despite being humiliated for so long, Qin Sian didn’t get angry. He didn’t show the impulsive aggression typical of teenage boys. Instead, he just seemed a little flustered, continuously apologizing in a soft and gentle manner. And in the end, he even offered an alternative solution himself.

Could he really sing in Cantonese?

“Alright then, but it has to be a Cantonese song from Beyond,” Ye Qinghe reminded him teasingly.

Hearing that the guest had agreed, Qin Sian’s face lit up with joy. “Yes, of course! It will definitely be a Cantonese song by Beyond!” He turned toward the musicians, and one of them quickly stepped forward. After listening to Qin Sian’s request, the musician patted his arm in understanding before returning to his seat and beginning to play.

As the melody started, Ye Qinghe raised an eyebrow in surprise. He listened as Qin Sian announced the song title over the familiar intro:

“Beyond’s Like You, dedicated to everyone.”

This blind kid was only seventeen. The song Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies was actually two years older than him. But the song he chose was even older—Like You, released in 1988—the same age as Ye Qinghe himself.

And coincidentally, it was also Ye Qinghe’s favorite song.

When Qin Sian’s clear, crisp voice rang out, Ye Qinghe wasn’t just surprised—he was impressed.

He had never actually heard this person sing before. The reason he came to this unremarkable little restaurant today wasn’t for the music, but for the fact that the singer was blind. Ye Qinghe and his friends had come specifically to meet him, as part of a bet—the so-called “Save the Disabled” wager. Qin Sian was the first target, the opening act, and Ye Qinghe had hoped he would be an easy one.

To set things up, they had booked the entire venue in advance. The moment the blind kid stepped on stage, before he even had the chance to sing, they had already started causing trouble, leaving him with no choice but to stand there awkwardly, apologizing over and over. Ye Qinghe had to admit, the blind kid’s speaking voice was already pleasant to hear, but he hadn’t expected his singing voice to be so bright and clear.

Apparently, his friends hadn’t expected it either. None of them thought the blind kid would actually be able to sing in Cantonese.

Their group had grown up in the era when Hong Kong’s cultural wave was at its peak, but by the time they matured, that craze had already begun to die down. If not for their older siblings and family members who were still nostalgic about those stars, dramas, films, and songs, they wouldn’t have been as familiar with them. So for this blind kid to be forced into singing a Cantonese song on the spot—even if his pronunciation wasn’t perfect—was already impressive.

Ye Qinghe exchanged glances with his friend, his eyes filled with amused admiration. Leaning closer to the one who had set this up, he whispered in his ear, “Didn’t expect this country bumpkin to actually have a nice voice. With a voice like that… imagine how good he’d sound moaning in bed…”

The two of them burst into laughter at the same time. Ye Qinghe’s gaze remained fixed on his “prey” on stage, listening with interest as Qin Sian continued singing with slightly imperfect pronunciation.

However, by the time he reached the chorus, his pronunciation was spot on. Ye Qinghe swept his gaze across the room, noticing that some of his rowdy friends, who had been singing along just moments ago, had suddenly quieted down.

The restaurant fell silent, leaving only Qin Sian’s devoted singing filling the space.

Ye Qinghe stood up and took a few steps forward, raising his voice to join in the song.

After finishing the song, Qin Sian was already smiling softly, his cheeks slightly flushed with excitement. From the initial chaos and commotion to the final joyful chorus with the guests, he had successfully defused a potential crisis. He let out a quiet breath of relief.

Qin Sian knew that his singing just now wasn’t perfect. “Like You” was his mother’s favorite song—she often played it repeatedly while working at her sewing machine, altering customers’ clothes. Having listened to it since childhood, he had memorized most of the melody. However, he had never deliberately memorized the lyrics, which led to some stumbles and missing lines earlier. Because of that, he felt rather guilty toward the birthday celebrant tonight.

He reached for the water bottle placed at the edge of the stage, took a sip to moisten his throat, then subtly signaled the musician behind him. As the piano began playing again, he spoke up,

“Next, I’d like to dedicate this song—Wu Sikai’s <em>Happy Birthday</em>^[1]—to tonight’s birthday celebrant.” He smiled shyly toward the audience. “Sir, happy birthday.”

Ye Qinghe was momentarily stunned. The casual lie he had thrown out earlier was now being taken seriously, with someone sincerely offering him birthday wishes. For a fleeting moment, warmth bloomed in his chest. But the raucous laughter around him quickly pulled him back, and he joined in, chuckling along with the others.

It was pretty amusing—his so-called “prey,” whom he had almost completely lured into his grasp, was now earnestly wishing him happiness.

“If you behave and lie down obediently, I will be happy.” Ye Qinghe muttered in a low, teasing voice.

The person on stage didn’t hear him, but his friends certainly did. The moment the words left his mouth, the entire group erupted into another round of jeering and whistles.

Standing on stage, Qin Sian suddenly felt uneasy. He could hear the bursts of laughter below but had no idea what was going on. After finishing Happy Birthday, he hesitantly asked in a small voice, “What… what happened?”

Ye Qinghe smirked. Taking a few steps forward, he moved even closer to the blind youth. The stage Qin Sian stood on wasn’t very high—barely thirty centimeters off the ground. Given his thin and slightly malnourished appearance, he wasn’t very tall either. At 183 cm, Ye Qinghe still stood half a head taller than him, even with Qin Sian elevated on stage.

Reaching out, he patted Qin Sian’s shoulder, motioning for him to lean down. When Qin Sian tilted his head slightly, Ye Qinghe leaned in and asked,

“You just sang Like You while looking right at me and even sang, ‘My love for you is hidden deep in my heart.’ So… do you like me?”

Although he spoke close to Qin Sian’s ear, his voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear. The moment he finished speaking, the crowd burst into laughter again.

Qin Si’an was completely caught off guard. “N-No, that’s not it! Those were just the lyrics! I—I don’t like you!”

He furrowed his brows in confusion. They were both guys—what kind of nonsense was this person spouting?

“But I like you.”

Qin Sian’s eyes widened in shock. He instinctively took a step back. Ye Qinghe watched as the blind youth flinched away, a mocking smirk tugging at his lips.

If not for the bet, he wouldn’t have wasted even a single word on such a country bumpkin. But now, with everyone watching and egging him on, he had to put on a show—pretending to be deeply enamored, confessing his “feelings” to this naive fool.

Oh well.

Ye Qinghe knew himself well—his “I like you” had never carried much weight. He could say those three words to eight different people in a single day. Tossing a few to this blind bumpkin? No big deal.

Meanwhile, Qin Sian’s face grew redder and redder, his frown deepening. But more than anger, he looked completely bewildered.

“You—you’re talking nonsense,” he stammered. “We’re both guys… how could you possibly like me?”

Ye Qinghe burst into laughter.

After barely making it through the night’s performance, Qin Sian was suddenly pulled off the stage by a rather forward guest who insisted on introducing him to someone. Qin Sian already had a hunch about who it would be.

The entire night had practically been monopolized by this group—so even if it wasn’t that strange birthday celebrant, it would still be one of those obnoxious guys. And honestly, Qin Sian had no interest in meeting any of them.

But he was just a blind man. His cane had been taken away, and his wrist was held so tightly that he couldn’t break free. With no choice, he was dragged along and shoved into the seat right beside Ye Qinghe.

Cold sweat beaded on Qin Sian’s forehead. He had a vague sense that these were not people he could afford to offend, but he had no idea what they wanted from him. His small face had turned pale with fear.

Ye Qinghe shot a look at his friends, and they immediately took the hint, dispersing without a word. Once the two of them were alone, he spoke to the blind youth in a gentle voice.

“Don’t be scared. Did they frighten you?” he asked. “I made them leave. I just wanted to offer you a cup of tea—to thank you for the song you sang for me.”

“T-There’s no need. It was… it was just my job,” Qin Sian said, forcing himself not to tremble.

“What’s your name?” Ye Qinghe asked, eyeing him curiously. “You look so young. Are you even of legal age?”

“I—I’ll turn eighteen next May,” Qin Si’an stammered. “My mom already agreed to let me work. It’s not illegal!” He rushed to clarify, afraid that this man would misunderstand and report him or the restaurant.

May, huh? That meant he still had almost half a year to go.

But that was fine. Watching prey willingly walk into his trap would be much more entertaining.

Ye Qinghe chuckled. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said smoothly. “It just makes me feel bad seeing someone so young already having to work. You still haven’t told me your name.”

“…Qin Sian.”

Reluctantly, he gave his name.

“Sian? I’ll just call you Xiao An, then,” Ye Qinghe said lazily. “And you can call me… Ye Shao^[2].”

He couldn’t be bothered to remember the kid’s full name, nor did he want to reveal his own real name. Seeing Qin Sian’s unwilling and troubled expression only made him want to tease him even more.

He reached out and took the boy’s hand, coaxing him with a playful smirk. “Come on, say it. I want to hear you call me that.”

Qin Sian had no idea what was wrong with this guy. Why was he so fixated on hearing him say his name?

“…Ye Shao?” he said hesitantly, testing the name.

Ye Qinghe laughed in satisfaction.

“Next time you’re here, I want to hear you sing Like You for me again. How about it?”

He leaned in close, whispering into Qin Sian’s ear. The scent of whiskey lingered on his breath, his warm words brushing against the boy’s ear.

Qin Sian was still so young—far too inexperienced to handle this kind of flirtation. His ears, unable to withstand the intoxicating effect of Ye Qinghe’s teasing, turned a deep, embarrassed red.

(To be continued…)