A band, or a battleground?

[Oh, I'm here. I didn't finish earlier. Qi Yuan was invited out by Teacher Zhou Taishan, probably for drinks.]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [...]

Yi Yi Yi: [...]

At this moment, Qi Yuan noticed the strange smile on the girl's face beside him and casually asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Ning Qianyu smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just saw the clown's performance."

At this time, Liu Weiting had already led the two into the hotel, completed the formalities, and handed the room key to them.

She added, "We're on TV tomorrow. Although I know neither of you are unreliable people, don't stay up too late. Go to bed early so you'll be in good shape tomorrow."

Qi Yuan: "No problem, but I need to go out for a bit later to talk to Teacher Zhou."

Liu Weiting blinked in surprise: "He's in Shanghai too?"

Qi Yuan: "Hmm, I don't know what he wants to talk to me about."

Liu Weiting thought for a moment, glanced at the girl beside him, and asked, "Can we add one more person?"

"Add one more?" Qi Yuan quickly realized, "You mean Qian Yu?"

Ning Qianyu asked in confusion, "Why did you ask him to bring me along?"

Liu Weiting sighed: "The entertainment industry is unpredictable. Although Teacher Zhou is a very good person, who knows what might happen to him. Qi Yuan, you are now the pillar of the band, so you have to take good care of yourself."

Qi Yuan: "Why should I bring her along if I'm protecting myself?"

Liu Weiting glanced around and whispered, "What if Teacher Zhou wants to take you to some inappropriate entertainment venue, or bring a few obscure female celebrities... With Qianyu around, you'll have a shield."

Qi Yuan was both amused and exasperated: "Sister Liu, you really think too highly of Teacher Zhou."

However, Ning Qianyu laughed and said, "No problem, I'll go with him!"

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.

As expected, the place Zhou Taishan arranged to meet was another barbecue restaurant.

The shop was located by the roadside, emitting a strong smoky aroma that was enough to tempt anyone just passing by. Zhou Taishan was sitting in a corner seat inside the shop, with several bottles of beer already on the table, but no barbecue had been served yet.

When he saw Qi Yuan arrive, he called out loudly, "Waiter, please serve now!"

However, just after Zhou Taishan finished speaking, he was surprised to find that there was a slightly petite figure next to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan and Ning Qianyu sat down opposite him.

Zhou Taishan couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this your band's drummer? How come..."

Ning Qianyu smiled and said, "Doesn't Teacher Zhou welcome me?"

Zhou Taishan smiled and shook his head: "How could I not welcome you? I just didn't expect it. Now that you're here, where are the other two teammates?"

Qi Yuan explained, "We were both invited to the show, but the other two didn't come."

Zhou Taishan quickly understood: "Oh, I heard the drummer girl performed very well on that show, so they invited the two of you?"

Ning Qianyu immediately perked up: "Teacher Zhou, you watch that program too?"

Zhou Taishan waved his hand: "I don't watch it. That's a show for you young people. I've only heard about it from friends in the industry. They even said that since you signed with Tianhua Entertainment, you might be going to be on all sorts of variety shows and take the idol route."

Qi Yuan: "I have limited time and can't do too many variety shows. Qian Yu, on the other hand, is relaxed when recording albums and is also suitable for variety shows, so she can do more of what she can."

Zhou Taishan laughed and said, "Drummers have it easier to record than lead singers. But your band's keyboardist and bassist can both be lead singers, young lady, haven't you ever thought about singing?"

Ning Qianyu pondered for a moment and said, "Qi Yuan, why don't you write me a rap? If Sister Yihan can rap it, there's no reason why I can't."

Qi Yuan sighed: "How about I write you another nursery rhyme?"

Ning Qianyu said with a grin, "Sure, since it's a children's song with lyrics and music attributed to you, I can go on stage and sing it while playing the drums. That sounds pretty fun."

Qi Yuan stopped teasing Qian Yu and looked at the senior across from him, asking, "Teacher Zhou, what did you want to tell me today? You said you had something important to discuss on the phone."

Zhou Taishan gave him a look: "It is indeed important. My new single is about to be released. I came to Shanghai this time to appear on some variety shows and promote it a bit."

Qi Yuan immediately understood.

What else could Zhou Taishan's new song be? It's "Hill" of course!

As for the lyricist and composer of the hill, the real person behind the pseudonym Zuowangdao is currently only known to herself and Zhou Taishan; Ning Qianyu is unaware of it.

Zhou Taishan's eyes clearly conveyed the message: "Should I tell the truth to the little girl next to you?"

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.

181 Early morning oh ho ho

Should Ning Qianyu keep the fact that Qi Yuan is actually the composer of Zhou Taishan's new song a secret?

Qi Yuan immediately said, "Teacher Zhou, you're really quick. Last time we were drinking, you said you wanted to release a new song, and it's already out. Did you write this song yourself?"

Zhou Taishan immediately understood his meaning and smiled, "The author is not me, but a close friend of mine."

This piqued Ning Qianyu's interest: "A close friendship? How close?"

Zhou Taishan said meaningfully, "I would say it's quite profound."

Ning Qianyu asked with a gossipy expression, "Is it some kind of talented female musician?"

Just then, Qi Yuan picked up his water glass and took a small sip. Upon hearing this, he almost spat out his water.

Zhou Taishan: "...It's a man."

"Cough cough cough," Qi Yuan caught his breath, turned his head and glared at her, "You really have no manners!"

Zhou Taishan waved his hand: "It's okay, I like young people to be more lively. When you're young, you should dare to have fun and speak your mind. Otherwise, what's the point if teenagers and twenties are as cautious as people who are about to retire?"

Qi Yuan steered the conversation back on track: "Teacher Zhou, when is your new song coming out? We'd love to help you promote it."

Zhou Taishan laughed and said, "Great! The album will be released next Monday. You can listen to it then."

Qi Yuan said in a serious tone, "After such a long time, suddenly releasing a single, this song is bound to be very good."

Zhou Taishan nodded in agreement: "I think so too. In recent years, I've been getting a bit too caught up in things, focusing too much on artistic exploration and neglecting the tastes of the audience. But this song might be able to take both into consideration."

Ning Qianyu: "Then next year's Golden Melody Award for Best Single will be yours for the taking, won't it?"

Zhou Taishan laughed and said, "Don't just talk about me, what about your album? The Golden Melody Awards results are announced every June. If you do a good job with your album, you can definitely compete. Maybe I'll even have to compete with you guys then."

His own band versus his own pseudonym? Just imagining that scene made Qi Yuan want to laugh.

The waiter brought over the barbecue.

The rest of the time was spent with the two young men eating skewers and watching Zhou Taishan drink one glass after another.

After drinking three bottles of beer, the old man had to go to the toilet.

Taking advantage of this moment, Ning Qianyu whispered, "Teacher Zhou has a good alcohol tolerance."

Qi Yuan chuckled: "I thought so too before, but I changed my mind later. Don't forget, he almost got drunk at the celebration banquet after the finals."

Ning Qianyu: "But I saw him drink so much just now!"

Qi Yuan: "It's just beer, it's not baijiu."

Ning Qianyu nodded, then suddenly blurted out, "Tell me, what does wine taste like? Is it delicious?"

Qi Yuan immediately became wary: "You want to try? Don't forget, you're a minor."

Ning Qianyu smiled and said, "I'm just a little curious, it's not like I'm going to try it right now."

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 next morning, Qi Yuan was awakened by a knock on the door.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up, about to open the door, when he heard the knocking stop.

The next second, the phone rang again.

Qi Yuan picked up his phone: "Hello!"

On the other end of the phone was Ning Qianyu's voice: "Lazybones, wake up!"

Qi Yuan said helplessly, "What time is it now, and you're already pretending to be an alarm clock?"

Ning Qianyu: "7:30, let's get ready and leave, then we'll have breakfast around 8:00!"

Qi Yuan sighed: "Breakfast is served at the hotel, why go out yourself?"

Ning Qianyu said, "Because I know a really good steamed bun shop, and it's not far from where we're filming. We can eat there, take a walk, and then head to work!"

Qi Yuan got up from the bed, went to the door, and pulled it open.

Ning Qianyu was indeed standing at the door, a mischievous smile on her face.

Qi Yuan sighed, "I'm really impressed by you. You won't even let people sleep in a little longer on Sundays."

The girl burst into his room, sat on the edge of the bed, and swung her legs: "Getting up early is good for your health! Look, young man, the morning light is so beautiful outside. Don't you think it's a waste to spend it in your sleep?"

Qi Yuan shook his head and went to the bathroom.

While brushing his teeth, he heard a girl whistling outside.

In a daze, he had a strange feeling, as if he had gained a naughty little sister.

Speaking of which, barging into the house to wake up the younger brother seems to be the younger sister's job in many fantasy works, right?

Qi Yuan shook his head, dismissing the inexplicable fantasy. After brushing his teeth and wiping his face, he returned to the bedside.

"You, go to the bathroom."

Hearing him say that, Ning Qianyu turned her head in surprise: "I don't need to go to the toilet."

Qi Yuan said irritably, "I'm going to change my clothes. Are you going to watch me?"

Ning Qianyu blinked: "Is it okay?"

Qi Yuan pointed to the bathroom: "Get in!"

"Just go in, why are you being so mean..." the girl muttered, slowly entering the bathroom.

Qi Yuan took off the vest he wore to bed and picked up the short-sleeved shirt he was going to wear today.

Just then, Ning Qianyu suddenly opened the door, her eyes lighting up: "Wow, you have six-pack abs!"

Qi Yuan gritted his teeth: "Now I understand how Yi Yi feels, I really want to tickle you."

Ning Qianyu stuck out her little tongue and quickly closed the door again.

The bathroom door wasn't soundproof, and the girl's voice still seeped out from under the door: "I said you have abs, that was clearly a compliment, why don't you appreciate it..."

Qi Yuan quickly changed his pants and put on his shoes and socks, walked to the bathroom door, and pulled it open.

Ning Qianyu was using her phone at that moment and had just sent a message.

Qi Yuan had no idea that she had sent a message in a group chat containing only three girls.

He's thinking about something else right now.

Ning Qianyu's face was full of tension: "What... are you going to do?"

Qi Yuan suddenly stretched out his hands.

Ning Qianyu thought he was trying to steal her phone. And of course, she couldn't let him see what was on the phone!

So the girl put her hands behind her back to prevent her phone from being snatched. But this left her waist exposed.

Qi Yuan grabbed the soft flesh of her waist with both hands and began to scratch it mercilessly!

"Waaaaah...no...oh oh oh soo soo soo..."

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.

Early in the morning, Jiang Yi picked up her phone as usual as soon as she got up and saw a new message in the group chat.

Higgs boson: [To avoid being asked to breakfast by S, I'll take him to eat first, how about that?]

Jiang Yi immediately replied: 【Well done!】

Then she put down her phone and went to brush her teeth and wash her face.

But while brushing her teeth, Jiang Yi gradually noticed something was wrong.

Flying to Shanghai with Qi Yuan to film a show together is one thing, but having breakfast with him is another? Such a great thing falling into Ning Qianyu's lap—it's one thing to be envious and jealous, but why would I feel gratified? I even posted "Well done!"

After brushing her teeth and rinsing her mouth, Jiang Yi shook her head and muttered to herself, "You're overthinking it. Someone like Qian Yu, what could she possibly do..."