ECG -Chapter 67 So That Was It

After glancing at Lin Hao, Fourth Sister saw him grin.

“Come in!” she called.

The office door opened, and Zheng Lao Liu walked in with his ponytail swaying behind him. Trailing after him was Zhao Xiaoyi, his head hanging low.

Only then did Wu Xiaozhou realize what was going on—they had been waiting for this guy to come and apologize!

Zheng Lao Liu forced an awkward smile onto his face and said stiffly, “Fourth Sister, we’re here.”

“Mm.” Fourth Sister grunted through her nose before turning to Zhao Xiaoyi. “Explain yourself. What exactly were you trying to do today?”

Zhao Xiaoyi raised his head, forcing a look of shame onto his face. He bowed slightly toward Lin Hao and said softly, “I’m sorry, Lin Hao. This whole thing today was my fault.”

Lin Hao remained expressionless and said nothing.

Unable to read what Lin Hao was thinking, Zhao Xiaoyi grew increasingly uncomfortable. The atmosphere became awkward, and he turned to look at Fourth Sister.

Sighing helplessly, she figured there must be something wrong with the guy’s brain, so she asked on Lin Hao’s behalf, “Tell us the reason.”

“Oh…” Zhao Xiaoyi muttered, “Erbao is my cousin.”

Lin Hao froze for a moment, not understanding what he meant.

Wu Xiaozhou cried out in surprise, “Erbao from my class?”

Zhao Xiaoyi glanced at him. “You’re from the Arts Academy too?”

Wu Xiaozhou nodded. “Zhao Xiaojie?”

Zhao Xiaoyi nodded quickly.

“Damn!” Wu Xiaozhou blurted out. “Now I get it!”

Lin Hao honestly didn’t get it. He had no idea what Wu Xiaozhou had figured out.

“Zhao Xiaojie—my classmate Zhao Erbao—the bass player. We study under the same instructor!”

Lin Hao still didn’t understand what that had to do with any of this.

Wu Xiaozhou continued, “Remember last year when we came to the provincial capital for school? On the train, when we saw Wan Yong, there was a chubby pale guy sitting across from him?”

Lin Hao nodded, then immediately understood.

“He was Erbao?”

Wu Xiaozhou nodded, looking like a teacher pleased with a student who had finally caught on.

Lin Hao couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

So that was what this was all about.

He had become enemies with Wan Yong. Zhao Erbao—whose real name was Zhao Xiaojie—was good friends with Wan Yong. And Zhao Xiaojie just happened to be Zhao Xiaoyi’s cousin.

Fourth Sister had pieced it together as well. Looking at Zhao Xiaoyi, she asked, “Because of the conflict between Lin Hao and Wan Yong, your cousin filled your head with bad things about Lin Hao. Is that right?”

Zhao Xiaoyi nodded.

Fourth Sister’s face darkened even more.

“Are you a damn idiot? Their conflict has absolutely nothing to do with you! And what does it have to do with your cousin? Are you all so bored that you have nothing better to do?”

“Fourth Sister, I already chewed him out downstairs…” Zheng Lao Liu said with a nervous smile, trying to put in a good word for Zhao Xiaoyi.

“I can’t say anything just because you already did?”

Zheng Lao Liu opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but thought better of it and shut up.

Fourth Sister’s brows shot up.

“After tonight’s performance, settle your account and get the hell out!”

“Please don’t!” Zhao Xiaoyi panicked. If he got kicked out over something this trivial, the rest of the band would never let him live it down.

He suddenly remembered what Zheng Lao Liu had told him downstairs earlier:

“Xiaoyi, are you stupid or what? Do you not know who Fourth Sister He is? Or who her brother He Qing is?”

“You do know? Then why the hell would you stir up trouble in her bar? If you offend Fourth Sister, all He Qing has to do is say one word, and not a single bar in the provincial capital will dare hire your band again. Believe it or not?”

“What, you don’t want to make a living in the provincial capital anymore? Planning to head to Beijing instead?”

“You couldn’t tell that Fourth Sister and that pretty-boy were making eyes at each other? Did a door slam on your head or something?”

“…”

Zhao Xiaoyi squeezed his eyes shut several times before two streams of hot tears finally rolled down his cheeks.

His voice quivered as he cried, “Fourth Sister, I was wrong! I really was wrong!”

Fourth Sister lit a cigarette and didn’t even look at him.

His knees seemed weak, as if he might collapse to the floor at any moment.

Zhao Xiaoyi turned to Lin Hao again.

“Lin Hao, I was in the wrong today. Say something for me. We haven’t had it easy either. I’m begging you!”

Wu Xiaozhou curled his lip and turned his head away, unwilling to watch someone so spineless.

Lin Hao looked at Fourth Sister. His expression remained calm.

“Let’s leave it at that. Fourth Sister, we’re heading out.”

After speaking, he grabbed Wu Xiaozhou by the arm and headed for the door.

Truth be told, he was worried that Zhao Xiaoyi’s legs would suddenly give out and that the guy would actually kneel down.

Zheng Laoliu grew anxious.

What was this kid trying to do?

He hadn’t said whether he forgave Zhao Xiaoyi or not, nor had he pleaded with Fourth Sister on his behalf. That wasn’t how things were done!

As the saying goes, even when killing someone, you don’t keep beating the corpse after it’s down. Xiaoyi had already humbled himself this much. Why was this kid still keeping such a cold face?

But Zheng Laoliu didn’t know Lin Hao well enough to stop him, so he could only watch helplessly as the two walked out.

Lin Hao first collected his wages from the bar counter, then left the bar with Wu Xiaozhou.

Standing outside, they lit cigarettes and started walking back toward the university.

Wu Xiaozhou asked, “You didn’t say a word. Did you forgive him or not? I can’t figure it out.”

“Why would I forgive him?” Lin Hao replied. “What relationship does he have with me?”

“But Fourth Sister is going to fire them!”

“The bar belongs to Fourth Sister. Whatever decision she makes has nothing to do with me,” Lin Hao said calmly.

“But if you’d said a few words, they could’ve stayed!”

Lin Hao stopped walking and patted him on the shoulder.

“Xiaowu, remember this well: not everyone deserves reconciliation. Zhao Xiaoyi is weak-willed and has no real bottom line. That’s why I won’t forgive him. As for whether he stays or goes, that’s Fourth Sister’s decision.”

Wu Xiaozhou pondered those words and remained silent for quite a while.

Lin Hao wasn’t the type to hold grudges over every slight.

What had happened today was honestly nothing.

If Zhao Xiaoyi had shown even a little backbone, Lin Hao would have forgiven him.

But seeing him act so cowardly filled Lin Hao with disgust.

So he simply tossed the difficult choice back to Fourth Sister.

The following evening, Wu Xiaozhou tagged along with Lin Hao again.

He was curious and wanted to know whether Zhao Xiaoyi and the others had left.

Lin Hao glanced at the stage from below and immediately knew Fourth Sister had indeed replaced them.

All the instruments on stage were different.

While singing his second song, he noticed several people entering the bar.

One look was enough to tell they were band musicians.

Business wasn’t particularly busy that night.

Perhaps it was because of the weather.

The sky outside was overcast, and the wind carried a damp, sticky moisture.

After Lin Hao finished his four-song set and stepped offstage, a waiter came over and removed the twelve flower baskets that had been displayed there.

Several members of the new band approached him.

One sturdy-looking young man extended his hand.

“Brother Hao, my name’s Han Wei. I’m the bassist and bandleader of Black Rainstorm.”

Lin Hao was startled by the greeting.

He was only twenty years old, while the man in front of him looked at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Why was he calling him Brother Hao?

Still, he smiled and shook hands.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lin Hao.”

A short-haired, round-faced girl giggled.

“We’ve all heard about you. They say you’re incredibly talented—not just a great singer, but an amazing songwriter too!”

Lin Hao quickly waved his hands modestly.

The band members introduced themselves one by one.

Then two female singers and a male singer joined them.

There were too many people.

In the end, Lin Hao only remembered Han Wei, the bassist, and the round-faced girl with short hair, Zhuang Lanlan.

When the band took the stage, Lin Hao was surprised to discover that Zhuang Lanlan was actually the drummer.

That immediately sparked his curiosity.

He glanced around and spotted Wu Xiaozhou sitting alone at an empty table in the corner, leisurely drinking his complimentary tea.

Lin Hao walked over.