One Less Star in the Night Sky

Chapter 18: The Sound of Spring Music Festival (1)

Chapter 18: The Sound of Spring Music Festival (1) 

29 April 2013 | kaiyang

"Yes, mother. We've just reached Fangshan District and we're driving to the hotel now. Don't worry, Qing is already there waiting for us. I'll get her to speak with you the moment I meet with her, alright?" I said into the phone as I absently observed the suburban landscape through the car window. "Yes—ok, I will. Of course. I'll call you again later. Bye bye."

Hanging up the line, I leaned back against the passenger seat and let out a long sigh. "Sorry, Zixuan. My mother nags a lot."

"Don't be. She's just concerned." Deng Zixuan smiled at me before returning his attention back onto the road. "Count it as a blessing to have a mother who can nag at you."

Not knowing how else to respond, I pursed my lips and nodded silently. From his future interviews, it was a known fact that Deng Zixuan was raised by his grandmother in a small town, and when his grandmother fell ill, he came to the city to look for work after graduating from high school. As he had never brought up his parents before, I speculated that it was a sensitive topic for him.

Quickly changing the subject, I expressed my gratitude for the fifth time today. "Once again, thanks for driving us to the music festival. My cousin was supposed to be my driver, but he had a last minute important event to attend. Do remember to claim for the car rental charges from him later, and don't feel bad, ok?"

Deng Zixuan laughed. "I can't not feel bad. Not only is Sifan-ge letting me off work for the weekend, he is even paying for my hotel room for two nights."

I waved a hand and shook my head. "He was supposed to be staying in the room anyway. And he had already bought the ticket for the music festival. I'm glad that you have an opportunity to go instead. I think it'll be a good experience for you as you can interact with other musicians there."

"Really? We can meet the performers there?" Deng Zixuan glanced at me, hints of delight and disbelief in his tone.

I widened my eyes and flashed him a grin. "Of course!" Those musicians being Blue Stream and Mobius. If he wanted to meet other singers and musicians, he would have to thicken his own sing and reach out to him on his own.

"But how? Do you have backstage tickets or something?"

"You'll see," I laughed, unwilling to reveal any more of my plans.

Two days ago, when I told Tan Qing that instead of my unreliable cousin, Deng Zixuan would be attending the music festival with me, she suddenly suggested that he could perform with her band. If we were conversing in person, she would have seen the incredulous expression on my face; but since we were speaking on the phone, I could only remark that that sounded like a crazy idea and that Deng Zixuan would run away in fright if he knew what she wanted him to do.

Tan Qing must have misunderstood my remark as I received a message from her earlier this morning to confirm that we already on the expressway, to inform me of the timing of their practice session in the hotel and to tell me to keep this a secret from Deng Zixuan.

Glancing at an oblivious Deng Zixuan, I smiled to myself while sighing inwardly. I understood what she was trying to do. Since discovering Deng Zixuan's singing, Tan Qing became a frequent customer at the café. Every single time, she would compliment his voice and how he had great potential to become a professional singer, if only he was given the opportunity. Deng Zixuan had already garnered a small fanbase, and I suspected that Tan Qing was the president of the fan club. His fans had uploaded videos of him singing on the internet, but he was only one of millions of other aspiring singers. If Deng Zixuan had enough guts and confidence and skill, this last minute invitation to perform with Blue Stream would be a good opportunity for him to gain a little more recognition.