Chapter 1458 - 1455: I Like Women

Chapter 1458: Chapter 1455: I Like Women

"NO, I’m not, I’m perfectly normal, I like women." Han Wenxi immediately straightened himself out.

When he said he liked women, his eyes burned as he looked at the girl in front of him with that alternative getup, and his heart gave a tiny thump. Then he realized that just saying it like that wasn’t enough to make the point, so he quickly added, "Everyone in our band is straight. None of them are gay. You can relax about that."

"Oh!" Zi Ruoxi answered casually, then stopped talking.

Han Wenxi gave a small smile and went ahead to lead the way. Zi Ruoxi followed behind him, turned past a foyer, then went through a long corridor lined with glass; the walls on both sides and even the ceiling were glass, so when you looked up it was like you were walking up above, the view felt really open. Spotlights dropped down every now and then onto the floor tiles with white rock veining, throwing out little flecks of colored light and adding an extra layer of dreamlike flair.

......

The bar really was a trendy, stylish spot, just right for some young, fashionable guys to come play around. Zi Ruoxi relaxed her brows and the corners of her lips lifted in a faint smile. This really was a very special place.

When they reached the backstage area above the bar’s main hall, the things set up on the platform instantly made Zi Ruoxi’s eyes light up. This was a truly perfect drum kit: a foot-pedal bass drum (also called the "kick"), a snare, two or more tom-toms, two ride cymbals and a hi-hat with a pedal, all together. Everything matched up beautifully, and that bright metallic sheen swayed in front of her eyes, almost knocking her vision out.

"Pearl drums?" Zi Ruoxi said, her face full of surprise and delight. Her gaze never left the kit.

"Hehe, yeah! Looks like you really do know your stuff! I had a friend airfreight this in from Country R." Han Wenxi said, watching that especially bright Xi-like sparkle in Zi Ruoxi’s eyes, full of anticipation, wondering if she’d look especially cool when she started playing.

Zi Ruoxi didn’t notice the amazed look in Han Wenxi’s eyes, she was busy admiring the treasure in front of her.

"This kind of jazz kit is one of the indispensable unpitched percussion instruments in bands these days. If you match it right, the rock feel it creates will be even more intense." Zi Ruoxi sounded a bit excited; once she started talking she didn’t stop.

"Yi Bing, get up there and give it a try! What are you waiting for? Haha." Han Wenxi urged her with a grin. Getting An Yibing to join their band hadn’t been easy; he’d really spent a lot of breath persuading her. But more importantly, she had that vibe—she hadn’t even touched the drums yet and he could already feel her Queen aura. Once she started playing she’d definitely look insanely badass!

"Mm." Zi Ruoxi answered firmly, itching to get started.

Zi Ruoxi immediately stepped forward, sat down on the barstool placed at the center of the kit, held her breath and focused, lifting her head and squaring her shoulders. Both feet pressed on the pedals of the kick and hi-hat, both hands gripped the sticks with a totally pro posture: right thumb and index finger holding the handle of the stick, the other fingers naturally gathered, slightly curved toward the palm, keeping a certain gap with the handle to control the sticks.

As she played, her chest, shoulders, and arms all moved with an elegant sense of rhythm.

"Dong dong dong, dong dong dong dong, qiang! Dong dong qiang! tong tong tong......." A string of light, lively beats rang out, filling the backstage.

Zi Ruoxi’s arms were full of motion; her hands flashed the sticks up and down with great spring, and her feet bounced on the hi-hat pedal from time to time. Her body moved with the drums, bursting with energy.

Every so often she ran a string of hits from left to right, then capped it with a single "qiang" crash. The speed was lightning fast, a move almost completed in an instant, dazzling to the eye.

Every stroke and every movement was loaded with flavor, charisma spilling out everywhere. The tone was elastic and resonant. The sound effect was unexpectedly brilliant, making the full-bodied music feel even more colorful; plus, with the power she put into lifting her arms now and then, it looked full of tension, and the tone was more focused—solid, full, bright. It was an incomparable performance.

Her technique left people’s eyes spinning; she used so many different playing methods that Han Wenxi’s horizons were blown wide open—drum rolls with rimshots, alternating rim strokes, dirty mixed hits... damn! It was just too perfect!

Han Wenxi couldn’t help bouncing on his toes at the side, beating time. Then he simply walked over, picked up a gold-and-black patterned guitar, and started playing along.

Because she was completely absorbed in playing, Zi Ruoxi was lost in her own music. Then she suddenly heard another kind of sound; this was clearly not coming from her drums. Instinctively her hands froze midair, she raised her head slightly, and met a pair of bright, intent eyes. It was Handsome Xi! Uh, he was actually playing guitar, jamming with her!

Zi Ruoxi cut off her sound, but Han Wenxi’s guitar kept going; he strummed twice, as if calling for her response, and his eyes sent her a signal to keep going.

Zi Ruoxi smiled, getting it completely. Right now, there was no need for more words—inside the world of music, they’d just dance and resonate with music.

The two of them started interacting and playing together backstage. In an instant, strong, powerful, richly contoured drum beats filled the bar’s space, stirring hearts and souls, and immediately drew more people to gather around.

Everyone crowded together, watching the two performers on stage playing with total ease, unable not to turn their heads and focus in.

Especially Zi Ruoxi’s posture: every lift of her head, every flick of her hand was impossibly perfect. Coupled with her stunning, delicate looks, that black short hair swinging around as she played added another layer of alternative visual impact. While she played, she pressed her lips together; her eyelids were slightly lowered, half smile, half not, insanely cool, overflowing with swagger, radiating endless charm and pouring out endless passion.

The crowd couldn’t help dancing along, and quite a few people broke into cha-cha and rumba. The scene instantly turned into a sea of joy.

The music soared and rolled like clouds, quickly driving up everyone’s excitement, radiating infinite charm in this sleepless night.

Just then, in an unobtrusive corner, a handsome, sharply cut face appeared. After seeing Zi Ruoxi’s performance, a meaningful, knowing smile curled up on Fei Ge’s cheeks.

......

From that night on, Zi Ruoxi officially joined the band. After midnight, everything had quieted down. The drunk and the lost had all found a sense of belonging. Han Wenxi and Zi Ruoxi walked out of the girl.friends (Girlfriends) gay bar together.

"Yi Bing, where do you live? I’ll take you home!" Han Wenxi said. He was really happy tonight; with An Yibing joining, it felt like everything had changed, like fresh blood had been injected into the band, making it so much more alive.

"Sure. Perfect Hotel at Baixi Sando." Zi Ruoxi answered heartily. The excitement still surged visibly across her face, as if she hadn’t yet come down from the high-energy vibe just now.