inexhaustible

Chapter 21 Have You Ever Been in Love

The bar is on the tenth floor of a five-star hotel. Outside the window is the river around the city. Luxuriously decorated cruise ships pass by from time to time. Coupled with the lights of high-rise buildings on both sides, it forms a nice urban landscape.

Shang Muxiao didn't lie to me, it's really quiet here, it's not a place for young people to have fun, it's more like a place for business meetings.

The waiter learned that I was looking for someone, and immediately led me to the outside terrace.

The outside is no better than the inside, there is nothing to cover it, and the cold air surrounds it from all directions.

Fortunately, the bar has placed a powerful vertical heater next to each booth, and the marble coffee table also has bonfires emerging from the gap in the middle, trying its best to provide more warmth for each customer.

Not far away, there is a four-piece band, and foreign female singers in evening dresses are singing lazy blues with their thick and melodious voices.

The table where Shang Muxiao was sitting was facing the river. When I passed by, he was standing in front of the guardrail, with his elbows propped on the railing, his head slightly lowered, and he was bored watching the scenery.

After all, he was young, and it was so cold in the night. He was actually only wearing a thin black sweater, and the coat was casually thrown on the back of the chair beside him.

The waiter asked me if I was here, and I was about to nod when Shang Muxiao heard the movement and turned around, and then I saw clearly that he still had something in his hand, a whiskey glass, and a cigarette that had just been lit.

"You're finally here." He leaned lazily on the guardrail, and he looked like he had drunk a lot.

The waiter moved me a chair so I could fit my wheelchair, then gave me the drink list and asked me what I wanted to drink.

"Give him a glass of orange juice." There was only a huge icing ball left in the whiskey glass, Shang Muxiao handed it to the waiter, then sat down beside me, and flicked a piece of ash into the ashtray, "Or would you rather Like apple juice?"

There was no problem with his questioning, and there was an unobtrusive smile on his face, but I always felt that his tone was wrong.The tone didn't seem to be directed at an older adult, but more like that directed at a child younger than him, revealing a little connivance and a little helpless pampering.

"No, give me a cup of oolong tea, it's hot." I returned the drink order to the waiter, who nodded and turned to leave.

Shang Muxiao smiled: "Teacher, you are quite healthy."

If you don't call me out, I'm already sleepy in bed.

"Why are you here alone?" I asked.

"I don't have anything to do at night, I'm a little bored, and I don't want to mess around with Zhou Yanyi and the others, so I came here." Shang Muxiao looked at the dark and quiet river, and slowly exhaled a thin puff of smoke, "This place is very suitable for drinking alone."

I was keenly aware of the strangeness in his tone, and couldn't help frowning: "Are you and your family quarreling again?"

His body froze, as if he had been stabbed in his mind, and when he looked back, his expression was a little annoyed.

I hurriedly said: "Understood, don't mention this."

He looked slightly calm, glanced at my legs, and suddenly pulled off his coat and threw it on me.

"Cover it, it's cold outside."

Here it is again, that tone of voice that seems to be treating a child.I think these words are very familiar, it seems that every time I take Yang Youling out to play, I am afraid that she will catch a cold, and I say the same.

Thinking this way in my heart, I still thanked him on the surface, and calmly accepted his coat.

The waiter quickly brought hot tea and another glass of whiskey on a tray.

The two fell silent for a short while, I picked up the cup and took a sip of tea, my attention was attracted by the female singer who was singing.

The other party was wearing a shiny pink sequined tight skirt with a big v-neck and high slits, which undoubtedly showed off a good figure with unevenness.While pleasing to the eye, I inevitably feel cold for her.Especially after I saw that her hands were red from the cold, I really wanted her to go into the house and change into warmer clothes.

"Does it look good?"

I was startled, and turned to look at Shang Muxiao.

He was also looking at the female singer, but when he noticed that I was looking at him, he turned his gaze back to meet mine.

"Is she prettier or am I prettier?" Holding a cigarette between his fingertips, he leaned into the soft sofa, his tone was very light, and while speaking, he lifted his chin in the direction of the female singer.

What kind of problem is this...

I looked away and looked back at the female singer, without answering his question: "I just think she sings very well."

As soon as the voice fell, there was a slight sound behind me, and Shang Muxiao passed me and walked towards the female singer.

I subconsciously grabbed him, fearing that he would mess around.

"what are you doing?"

Probably because of the alcohol, his hands were very hot, like a blazing flame.In just a few seconds, I felt like I was going to be burned, so I let go of my hand in a hurry.However, the moment the fingertips left, Shang Muxiao caught up and held my hand even tighter, not letting me pull it back at all.

"What do you think I'm going to do? Make trouble?" He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, warming my cold fingers, "I told you to sing, wait." After speaking, he relaxed Open my hand and walk slowly towards the four-piece band in the middle of the terrace.

I don't know how he communicated, the female singer nodded repeatedly, but did not leave the stage, and the pianist on the side got up and made way.

Shang Muxiao sat down on the piano bench, adjusted the position of the microphone, and played a few notes to feel the pitch. When he was almost ready, he nodded to the others and pressed the first note.

The world-renowned "Little Star Variations" sounded faintly on the terrace, and the brisk tune was full of childlike innocence.But after two paragraphs, the style of the song changed suddenly, and he repeated the beginning again, and the tone has changed from brisk and short to melodious and lazy.

The guitar and drums slowly come together to form a unique, bluesy..."Little Star".

Shang Muxiao's voice has a slightly smoky voice, which is not obvious when he speaks in daily life, but he can hear it clearly when he sings.

"Little Star", which he adapted beyond recognition, is melancholy not like an innocent nursery rhyme at all, but more like a sad love song for adults.

"twinkle, twinkle, little star... like adiao in the sky..."

The female singer joined the harmony at the right time, and did not overwhelm the guests, which perfectly fit Shang Muxiao's voice.

The customers on the terrace stopped talking one after another, and looked curiously at the singer in the center because of the familiar yet unfamiliar tune, and never looked away after seeing it.

"then the traveler in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark..."

Many people took pictures of Shang Muxiao's video, but he was not affected at all, and just focused on the keys under his palm.

The song "Little Star" is not long at all, it was only 3 minutes long before and after it was adapted into blues.When Shang Muxiao knocked the last note to end the singing, the female singer also slowly fell to the end.

And at this moment, the disharmonious sound of glass shattering suddenly sounded, and a table of lovers near the stage started arguing.

"What did I do wrong, can you tell me? I don't want to break up, you don't go..." The girl tried hard to keep her, but the man just left her indifferently.

"Don't bother me anymore, we're done." He shook his suit, stuffed the two banknotes into the arms of the waiter who had heard the sound, and left without looking back.

The girl covered her face and wailed loudly, not caring about the whispers of the people around her.

The waiter came up to ask if she needed help, the girl sobbed and shook her head, looked in the direction where the man was leaving, picked up her bag and chased after him.

After Shang Muxiao sang the song and returned to his seat, his face was full of displeasure.

This was supposed to be his home game, but someone stole the limelight.

"I'm tired of these crying people, just find another one, there's nothing to be reluctant about." Xu Shi sang a little dry, he drank his glass of whiskey in one gulp, and raised his hand to call the waiter again.

"Maybe it's because...they're in a relationship, not a one-night stand." Although I hope that everyone puts rationality first, I know that this ideal state does not exist. Humans are emotional creatures after all, and it is easy to be attracted Emotions left and right.

Shang Muxiao didn't understand: "Does every love have to run for a lifetime?"

"What are you running for?"

"Of course it's good to be happy. If you're not happy, you should withdraw decisively and leave. If the root is broken, it will only cause pain when it is broken."

I opened my mouth, and found that I was in agreement with his point of view.

The waiter came soon, Shang Muxiao was about to speak, I rushed before him and said, "Have a glass of orange juice."

Shang Muxiao raised his eyebrows when he heard the words, and the waiter also hesitated.

After a moment of stalemate, I still insisted: "Orange juice."

I don't know how many glasses he drank before I came, but whiskey has a high alcohol content and has a lot of stamina, which is always suitable for fine tasting, so it is not normal to drink one after another.

Shang Muxiao returned the whiskey glass to the waiter, but finally compromised.

"Forget it, orange juice is orange juice." Lighting a new cigarette, he slowly exhaled white mist and said, "I obviously asked you to come out for a drink, but you just drank tea and forced me to order juice, so let's go What's the point of a bar?"

do not know.

It doesn't make sense.

I feel so weird.

Seeing that the ashtray was full of cigarette butts, I couldn't help but say, "You're only 20 years old, smoke less, it's not good for your lungs."

He looked at me and suddenly extinguished the long cigarette.

"You don't like me smoking? I thought you liked it. Every time I smoke, you always spend more time watching me."

I coughed unnaturally and turned my eyes away.

"Your illusion."

After the juice came up, Shang Muxiao took a sip, disliked it for being too sour, and never touched it again.

No smoking, no alcohol, he seemed uninterested and started trying to have fun with me.

"Teacher, have you ever been in love?"

The hand I picked up the teacup paused unconsciously, and then continued as if nothing had happened: "32 years old, I'm not a monk, of course I can fall in love."

In the early years, I actually had no shortage of suitors.

Without exception, those people were confused by my appearance, ignored my status as a disabled person, and launched a passionate pursuit.However, after just a few dates, they would suddenly wake up to who I was, apologize to me awkwardly, and leave my world one by one.

They just want to experiment, to try something new and untried.Once they realize that this thing is just a show, not only is it not fun at all, but it also requires a lot of care and trouble to take care of, and all these inconveniences will quickly make them tired of this relationship.

When I was in my 20s, I still had the energy to give opportunities to others and to myself. Now I just want to live in peace for the rest of my life.

So, if you count those brief dates, yes, of course I was in a relationship.

"Male or female?" Shang Muxiao asked again.

I stopped answering, but he didn't stop there.

"Which step has it developed?"

"Did you take them back to your house?"

"Have they seen the stars with you, too?"

These questions became more and more strange the more I heard them, I couldn't help but give him a sideways glance, motioning him to shut up.

He curled his lips, raised his hands and leaned back, stretched his waist, but didn't say anything that shouldn't be said.

After listening to two more songs, Shang Muxiao called the waiter to pay the bill.

"Teacher, do you have wine at home?" Shang Muxiao asked.

I didn't understand his intention for a while, so I replied honestly: "Yes, but it's all wine."

"Then let's go, go to your house for a drink." He frowned, as if he was surprised that he came up with such a wonderful idea, "I knew I would go directly to your house."

I felt the veins on my forehead twitching, and my head started to hurt.

"...It's so late, it's inconvenient."

"Is there anyone else in your family?"

"……No."

"What's the inconvenience?"

I remained silent for a longer period of time, wondering if I should tell the truth—it would be inconvenient for you to go, and it would be inconvenient anyway.

After paying the bill, we walked to the elevator. He leaned against the wall and asked me again: "I want to go to your house to look at the stars, and use that telescope, can't I?"

"..."

I suspect that he has figured out my temper, and he has seen that I am soft rather than hard, so every time I try hard and fail, I will always change my tone.

Declarative sentences are off-putting, but soft questions can be hard to say no to.

"Are you okay? Teacher."

The elevator just arrived at this time, I entered the car first, turned around and threw the clothes covering my body back to Shang Muxiao.

"Go outside and get dressed."

He gave an "oh" with a low smile, got dressed, and followed me out of the parking lot.

Although I didn't say anything, I didn't say anything, but he already knew my answer.

He sat in the co-pilot with a victorious posture, and whispered something while buckling up the seat belt.

"In the future, only I can sit in this position."

I looked at him and suspected that I had heard wrong: "What?"

"What?" He fastened his seat belt and snapped his fingers, "Get ready, let's go."