ECG -Chapter 74 A Short Haircut, A Change of Mood

Bai Zhitao stood on the stage, somewhat at a loss. She had never expected her classmates to love the song so much.

Dean Li Bohan was the first of the ten judges to rise to his feet. Seeing the dean stand up, the other judges followed suit and began applauding.

Bai Zhitao bowed repeatedly toward the audience.

She practically fled backstage amid the thunderous applause, only to be greeted there by another round of clapping, along with a mix of envious, jealous, and complicated gazes.

Ding Lanlan was applauding as well, but her expression was gloomy. She had never imagined that someone with a light, delicate voice like Bai Zhitao’s could perform so brilliantly.

Although Han Youdong joined in the applause for a few moments, his eyes were filled with burning jealousy and resentment.

When Bai Zhitao’s score was announced, it was 99 points.

Later, people heard that Dean Li Bohan had deliberately deducted one point to keep her from becoming overly proud.

The competition continued.

Neither Lin Hao nor Wu Xiaozhou had expected that a male student from the amateur solo division would walk onstage carrying a guitar and perform Lin Hao’s song “Blue Lotus.” His score was surprisingly high, and he ultimately finished in second place, earning a spot in the selection as well.

Lin Hao knew that although the internet was not yet particularly developed, gold would shine sooner or later. The songs he had performed were already beginning to spread in popularity.

The next day, someone anonymously posted a poem on the school’s bulletin board:

The mountain village is no longer what it once was,
The little river has run dry and no longer flows;
Time flies by as the years pass away,
Things remain while people change, leaving only loneliness;
The beauty in dreams is like colored glass,
How can it withstand wind and frost?
Better to keep the memories in one’s heart,
And revisit them in dreams again and again.

What caused a sensation was not the poem—which read more like a doggerel verse—but the final sentence:

“Bai Zhitao, I love you!”

When someone told Bai Zhitao about it, she merely smiled faintly. Treating it as a joke, she told Wu Xiaozhou about it.

Wu Xiaozhou burst out laughing. A moment later, however, he put on an indignant expression and declared that he was going to teach this lovestruck admirer a lesson. Bai Zhitao giggled nonstop and made no effort to stop him.

Wu Xiaozhou wasn’t actually that petty. After his little performance, he wrapped an arm around her and planted a huge kiss directly on her lips, leaving Bai Zhitao breathless…

Two days later, the competition concluded.

As expected, Bai Zhitao’s score was far ahead of everyone else’s.

The top three in the Professional Solo Division were:

1. Bai Zhitao
2. Han Youdong
3. Ding Lanlan

In the Professional Duet Division, the White Feather duo took first place.

None of the other selected singers or groups attracted Lin Hao’s attention. Although they sang well, he felt they lacked long-term potential.

When the provincial elimination round arrived, Lin Hao did not have Bai Zhitao change songs. She performed “Love of a Small Village” once again.

The final result was that Bai Zhitao placed second in the province among professional vocalists.

First place went to a talented singer from the Music Department of the Teachers’ University.

Han Youdong finished third.

Ding Lanlan failed to advance.

That very evening, Lin Hao went to Ferry Crossing Bar, but Fourth Sister was nowhere to be seen.

Several days passed, and he still didn’t see her.

He finally understood.

She was avoiding him.

All he could do was smile bitterly. He called her twice, but she never answered.

It seemed that even resigning from the job had become a problem, so he could only keep working there for the time being.

At first, Fourth Sister really had been avoiding Lin Hao. After all, finding such an outstanding singer-guitarist wasn’t easy.

A few days later, however, she no longer had time to worry about the bar.

She became busy once more with Chen Yu’s case.

Northwest China

A certain prison.

An old, dust-covered coach bus pulled over by the roadside, kicking up clouds of dirt behind it.

Five people got off the bus.

Fourth Sister’s face was weathered from travel, and a layer of dust covered her clothes. Carrying a backpack on her back and a large leather bag in her hand, she struggled to climb down from the vehicle.

The sunlight was blinding.

The prison walls towered overhead.

The electrified fencing atop the walls looked intimidating, while armed prison guards stood rigidly in the watchtowers.

Since Chen Yu had been imprisoned a year ago, this was already her third visit.

Before her first trip, she had used her connections to obtain documentation from her neighborhood office certifying that she was a relative of Chen Yu. After arriving here, she had also secured a visitation permit from the prison administration, making subsequent visits much easier.

Familiar with the process by now, she entered through a side gate beside the main entrance.

After registering, she stored her backpack and the miscellaneous items in her pockets.

She then registered the food she had brought in her leather bag.

If even half of those items eventually reached Chen Yu, it would be considered fortunate.

While waiting, she also deposited 10,000 yuan into Chen Yu’s prison account.

A somewhat sleazy-looking middle-aged man had been observing Fourth Sister for quite a while. Seeing that the guard on duty was busy, he scooted closer to her.

“Miss, are you here to visit someone too?” he asked. The moment he opened his mouth, the stench nearly knocked Fourth Sister over. The yellow teeth between his lips emitted a sour, foul odor reeking of cigarettes and alcohol.

She turned her head away in disgust. She had seen this man before—they had arrived on the same bus.

“Miss, how about we keep each other company and head back together later?” the man continued shamelessly.

Fourth Sister said nothing. If they hadn’t been in a place like this, she would have slapped him long ago.

“He Jingyun!” a guard shouted. “Visitation Room Number Two!”

Fourth Sister immediately stood up, finally escaping the man’s harassment.

A prison guard led the way down a long corridor and up a flight of stairs to the second floor.

Visitation Room Two was on the left. Room One was on the right. The first time she had come here, she had been assigned to Room One.

Chen Yu, his head shaved bald, sat calmly behind the glass wearing a blue prison uniform.

Fourth Sister quickly grabbed the telephone on the table, and tears began streaming down her face.

“Sis, why are you crying?” Chen Yu’s voice was just as she remembered—deep and magnetic.

She hurriedly wiped away her tears and forced a smile.

“I’m not crying. The northwest winds kick up too much sand.”

Chen Yu said nothing.

“Why have you gotten thinner again? Are they not feeding you properly?”

Chen Yu shook his head.

“It’s fine. I work every day. Naturally, I’m not going to gain any weight.”

Fourth Sister knew he was lying. The food inside had to be terrible; otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost so much weight. His complexion was obviously unhealthy.

“How’s Brother Qing been lately?” Chen Yu asked.

“The same as always. Every day it’s either mahjong or dinner parties.”

Chen Yu curled his lips into a faint smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

He dropped the topic and asked instead, “How’s business at the bar?”

“It’s doing great!”

The two chatted about this and that for quite a while. Then Chen Yu glanced at the clock on the wall and lowered his voice.

“Sis, when spring comes next year, cut your hair short. Change your mood.”

Fourth Sister froze, not understanding what he meant.

“3527, time’s up!” a guard called out.

Chen Yu smiled at her and said nothing more. He set down the phone.

In a daze, Fourth Sister walked out, turning his words over and over in her mind.

Spring?

Short hair?

She retrieved her stored belongings from the duty room, packed them into her backpack, and left the prison.

Standing outside the prison gates, she lit a cigarette, still pondering his words.

She had worn her hair long for years.

Cut it short and change your mood?

Cut it short and change your mood?

Was he talking about changing her mood… or changing her appearance?

Spring?

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

Oh no! Chen Yu is planning to escape!

A chill ran through her heart.

“Miss! Let’s go together!” the annoying voice called from behind her once again.

Fourth Sister turned around and flashed a dazzling smile. Her voice became soft and flirtatious.

“Sure, big brother. I’m unfamiliar with this place, and I was just worrying about what to do.”

Yellow Teeth beamed with delight.

“Good, good! I only approached because I saw you were all alone. I was worried you might run into some danger.”

“Alright then, big brother. Let’s go wait for the bus first.”

“Little sister, there aren’t many buses to the county town at this hour. There’s an inn not far ahead. How about we spend the night there and leave tomorrow?”