A band, or a battleground?

As I passed a car parked on the side of the road, I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a man walking close to the wall about 20 or 30 meters behind me.

The figure in the convex surface was somewhat distorted, but he could tell that it was Qiu Fengfan.

Compared to just a few hours ago when he was loitering at his ex-wife's doorstep, Qiu Fengfan now carries a backpack.

Qi Yuan smiled slightly, turned into the alley, walked to a bench, looked around to make sure the camera couldn't capture this area, and then sat down.

At the same time, he took out his phone, started recording, and then placed the phone on the bench.

Qiu Fengfan walked over.

As he drew closer, he pulled a baseball bat from his bag and taunted, "You still dare to sit down and rest? Why don't you run?"

Qi Yuan sneered, "Why would I run away when I run into a piece of trash like you?"

"Useless?" Qiu Fengfan's gaze sharpened.

Qi Yuan said leisurely, "You were dumped by a woman, begged to get back together but were slapped in the face, and almost got called the police. And you still don't dare to go back to her door, only daring to cause trouble for others. If you're not a loser, who is?"

“You!” Qiu Fengfan pointed at him with a baseball bat.

However, Qi Yuan showed no fear whatsoever, and even leisurely picked his ear, continuing to mock, "What good will it do you to cause trouble for me here? Will it make those mother and daughter look up to you? Seriously, if you have this much free time, you might as well kneel down at their door and beg for forgiveness. Maybe they'll even talk to you a bit more."

Qiu Fengfan retorted angrily, "Their idea to call the police was all yours!"

Qi Yuan chuckled. The laughter sounded particularly jarring in the deep alley, causing Qiu Fengfan to tighten his grip on the baseball bat.

"What are you laughing at? You think it's funny, huh?" Qiu Fengfan took two steps closer with a gloomy face.

Qi Yuan leaned back on the bench, leisurely sizing up the other person: "I'm laughing. You're not only petty, but also not very bright."

Qiu Fengfan suddenly swung his baseball bat, creating a whooshing sound: "I'll ask you one more time, who exactly are you? Su Wan, that woman, always pretends to be aloof, but she's hiding a student your age at home?"

Qi Yuan was slightly taken aback: "You actually suspect this?"

Qiu Fengfan's eyes were practically spitting fire with jealousy: "Don't give me that teacher-student nonsense. I've been squatting outside that house for a week, and all I've seen is you, a guy, going in and out, and you've been there for most of the day!"

Qi Yuan's gaze gradually turned cold.

Ex-husband, stalking, violent tendencies... all these combined seem quite dangerous for that mother and daughter.

Qiu Fengfan continued to roar: "Anyway, you're not leaving here today! There are no security cameras here, and no one passes by. You'd better think it through. Now, honestly explain your relationship with them and swear that you'll stay away from them in the future. Maybe I can save you from breaking a couple of ribs."

As he spoke, a sinister smile spread across his face. In his view, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old high school student, even if he was tall, should be terrified and run away in fear of the thugs' sticks.

“No surveillance cameras, no outsiders, the police can’t save us…” Qi Yuan repeated Qiu Fengfan’s words, then suddenly stood up.

Thanks to the muscle memory left by years of fighting in this body, his movements as he got up were smooth and swift, like a black panther suddenly awakened.

Qiu Fengfan only felt a blur before his eyes, and had no time to react.

In the blink of an eye, Qi Yuan took a step forward and threw a punch almost instinctively.

A hook punch landed squarely on Qiu Fengfan's abdomen.

Qiu Fengfan's face went from ferocious to deathly pale, then to a purplish-brown. His eyes bulged out, and his mouth opened wide, but he couldn't utter a sound.

The power contained in that punch made him feel as if his internal organs had been instantly displaced, and the acid in his stomach, mixed with his undigested lunch, surged up wildly.

The middle-aged man, who had previously seemed somewhat intimidating, now cowered on the ground like a boiled shrimp. The baseball bat slipped from his hand, falling onto the cobblestone path and rolling to the side.

Qi Yuan didn't continue hitting him. He simply withdrew his fist, looking calmly at Qiu Fengfan lying on the ground, clutching his stomach and violently retching and convulsing.

"Cough...cough cough...you..." Qiu Fengfan groaned intermittently, large beads of cold sweat dripping down his forehead. That punch not only interrupted his words but also shattered all his arrogance.

Qi Yuan kicked the baseball bat away with a loud "clang".

He crouched down and pressed his right hand against Qiu Fengfan's neck like an iron clamp.

Due to lack of oxygen and pain, Qiu Fengfan's face turned purplish-red. He desperately tried to pry Qi Yuan's fingers open, but found that the hand was as steady as a mountain and did not move at all.

"Now I'll ask, and you'll answer."

"Let...let go...help...help me..." Qiu Fengfan squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, his eyes finally revealing extreme fear. He finally realized that the boy in front of him was truly capable of killing; the coldness in his eyes was definitely not something an ordinary high school student should have.

Qi Yuan loosened his grip slightly to let him catch his breath, but still did not release his control over him.

"Huff... huff..." Qiu Fengfan greedily inhaled the fresh air, his face covered in snot and tears.

Qi Yuan said succinctly: "What exactly is your purpose? Tell me honestly."

"I...I just want to go back to my family...Am I wrong!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

021 I'll make you fly

“I’m Mengxue’s biological father! I’ve made money and I want to give them a good life. I want to make it up to them. Why won’t Su Wan give me a chance? Why should an outsider like you be allowed in?”

"You know to shake your snot off when it gets in your mouth?" Qi Yuan chuckled. "That's enough. And I'll tell you one last time, Su Wan is just my teacher, and Qiu Mengxue is just my classmate. Coming to me won't do you any good, understand?"

Qiu Fengfan nodded blankly.

Qi Yuan continued, "To put it politely, I suggest you stay away from them in the future. To put it less politely, if I ever see you again, I'll beat you up every time!"

Qiu Fengfan trembled. But beyond fear, his greater reaction was astonishment.

"Something's not right, you don't seem like a good student..."

Qi Yuan: "Who told you I was a good student?"

Qiu Fengfan: "But Mengxue has always been a good student at school, so how could someone who associates with her..."

Qi Yuan: "I didn't go to her house to study; we're in a band."

"A band?" Qiu Fengfan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Su Wan actually agreed to you guys forming a band? Do you know that we met because of our band activities!"

Qi Yuan: "Of course I know, they all told me, it's obviously all your fault, you good-for-nothing."

Qiu Fengfan's laughter abruptly stopped: "Huh?"

Qi Yuan scoffed, "If a band becomes famous, the lead singer gets the most attention. Similarly, if they don't, it just means the lead singer isn't good enough. After your band broke up, you tried to make it on your own for a long time, and what was the result?"

Qiu Fengfan was speechless for a moment.

Clearly, Qiu Fengfan's music career has shown no signs of improvement since his divorce from Su Wan. His current boast of his monthly income doesn't come from music.

While Qi Yuan was quite confident in his band, he had no interest in proving himself to this guy at this moment. Compared to music, another kind of discourse was undoubtedly more useful.

So he said, "Of course, we're just high school students right now, and being in a band is just for fun. Qiu Mengxue's focus is still on her studies, while my focus, hehe..."

When Qi Yuan smiled, his eyes narrowed slightly, filled with murderous intent, which made Qiu Fengfan's heart skip a beat.

Qiu Fengfan became even more certain that this kid was not only not a good student, but definitely a delinquent!

"If I see you hanging around Teacher Su and Qiu Mengxue again, I'll make you fly!"

After saying that, Qi Yuan picked up his phone and casually turned off the recording.

I initially thought we might need to record audio, but now it seems we won't need to at all.

Qi Yuan walked away with his phone in his hand.

Qiu Fengfan lay on the ground, enduring the cramping pain in his abdomen, and couldn't help but ponder Qi Yuan's last words...

Fly? How?

Then Qiu Fengfan suddenly realized. When he was punched in the stomach, his feet had left the ground!

If the target is to fly, where will the next strike be, and how much force will it be?

Thinking of this, Qiu Fengfan couldn't help but shudder.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The setting sun cast a long shadow of Qi Yuan.

He walked calmly down the bustling street, but his mind was searching for a song from his memories.

Just now, when Qiu Fengfan was shouting, "I just want to go back to my family," he remembered a song that seemed to fit the situation perfectly. However, he hadn't listened to that song many times; it wasn't a frequently played track on his playlist in his previous life.

The song was rather complicated, and he couldn't recall the complete lyrics for a moment. Moreover, compared to the lyrics and music, the arrangement of the song was also quite important; otherwise, it would be difficult to convey that heavy and dark feeling.

Qi Yuan took out his phone from his pocket, glanced at the time, and saw it was 5:30.

First, take a peek at the backend of the cool site, then click on the four-person group called "Spring Shadow".

Q: [The initial feedback after the video was released is so-so; there are already a few comments on Cool Sites.]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [Really? I haven't seen it today. What did they say?]

Higgs Boson: [Hey Stick Bro, quickly send me a screenshot!]

YiYiYi: [I saw it too. Someone asked if we're a professional band.]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [My mom has already registered us, and the production team should get back to us next week. The performance video they need for registration is the link to the video Qi Yuan uploaded to Kuaishou.com.]

Qi Yuan looked at the words flashing on the screen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Q: [I won't take screenshots; see for yourself if you want. By the way, Mengxue, I have some inspiration for a song; let's chat privately.]

Higgs Boson: [Wait! You've got a new idea, why are you messaging Mengxue privately?]

Q: [Because it was Mengxue who inspired me.]

Higgs Boson: [Wait, isn't there something going on between you two? Did something happen that Yi Yi and I don't know about?]

YiYiYi: [Could it be a love song?]

Q: [It has absolutely nothing to do with love songs.]

As soon as I sent that message, Qiu Mengxue called.

As soon as he answered the call, he heard the girl's question: "You said I gave you inspiration, what do you mean?"

Qi Yuan: "Strictly speaking, it's not just you, but also your dad."

"Qiu Fengfan?"

"Yes, I've thought of a song lyric and a matching melody. Let me sing it for you."

As he spoke, Qi Yuan stood on the sidewalk, took a moment to catch his breath, and then began to sing:

"The swirling snowflakes bypassed the convoy, and the roar of engines broke through the darkness outside the door."

"Then there was another person in the house, swaying and dragging his recently broken leg..."

The girl on the other end of the phone instinctively let out a questioning "Huh?"

Clearly, the first two lines of lyrics had nothing to do with her.

But the next few sentences made her hold her breath.

"A pile of glass bottles appeared under the bed, but my mother's bruises never faded."

"The cuffs of the school uniform and the soles of the shoes were stained with indelible cigarette ash."

I changed into new clothes and fell asleep listening to the arguing.

"He's full of talk about opportunities, and he's rummaging through drawers and cabinets preparing."

I fantasize that tomorrow dawns, and I'll take him away, never to return.

"I carried the fireplace on my back, wiping away my cowardly tears."

"The snow melts with a ticking sound, it can't be taken away or left behind."

"Are you alright now? Stop crying. Goodnight, Balalaika."

After this part was sung, both ends of the phone fell silent.

Finally, Qiu Mengxue asked, "Is the Balalaika an instrument from the Kingdom of Ross?"

Qi Yuan laughed and said, "Yes, but is that all you care about?"

“It’s not about that, it’s just…” The girl’s voice trembled slightly, “I don’t know how to say anything else. No, why can you sing such a song so easily, you…”

Qi Yuan: "What do you think of this song?"

Qiu Mengxue took a few deep breaths, composed herself after being stirred, and asked as calmly as possible, "What about the rest of the song? What will the 'I' in the song do?"

Qi Yuan: "Of course, I'd take down my abusive father with one punch."

Qiu Mengxue: "But I remember he didn't hit me much before, and I can't beat him either."

Qi Yuan: "I know, but I called it for you."