Chapter 26: 026 Disposable Family And Friends Group
Coming out of the restroom, Pei Ningle went back to grab her backpack and mobile phone—although the charging time was only a short ten minutes, it was enough for this black-and-white button phone to run for several hours in low-power mode.
But just as she was preparing to say goodbye and leave, Wang Heng suddenly asked: “Did you know Brother Song before?”
Pei Ningle shook her head.
Wang Heng: “You’ve never even met him, just chatted a few sentences online, and you came all the way to Rongdu to join him?”
Pei Ningle: “Because… he said he could reimburse my train ticket!”
Wang Heng: “What about that studio’s aptitude? Did he show you anything to prove his identity?”
The young girl thought for a moment and raised her index finger: “On Q, he sent me photos of the studio, and it looked pretty good!”
However, office photos couldn’t prove anything—Wang Heng originally wanted to say that, but seeing the girl’s expression without the slightest doubt, he felt that even if he said it, she wouldn’t believe him.
Because she couldn’t see any hope of success in the Imperial Capital, and upon encountering an invitation, she rushed straight to Rongdu, this was just like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood; she wouldn’t hesitate over whether it hid a venomous snake. As long as there was no evidence right in front of her eyes proving that Brother Song was unreliable, Pei Ningle definitely wouldn’t back down.
Wang Heng hesitated for a moment, then asked again: “What about your parents? Do they know you’ve come to Rongdu?”
Pei Ningle pursed her lips: “Don’t mention them; it’s impossible to reason with them. No matter what I say, they always give the same lines without changing a word.”
“Okay, then back to Brother Song. For his music studio, what works has it produced?”
“I forgot to ask…”
Wang Heng had already anticipated this answer, so there was nothing surprising about it.
He considered for a moment and said: “Later, I’ll still go with you. If you’re alone and something happens, it’ll be trouble. But when we meet Brother Song, don’t say we’re meeting for the first time.”
Pei Ningle: “Why?”
“Because new friends aren’t good at intervening in your matters, but if it’s family and friends group, it’s convenient to speak up for you.”
————
Brother Song sat in the driver’s seat of his Mazda, looking at the prosperous and lively street view outside the window, feeling particularly comfortable. Because of the special nature of his ‘work’, he really hadn’t strolled much in Rongdu City’s urban area.
“After finishing these few deals, I’ll definitely have a good time living it up.” He stroked the old steering wheel, muttering to himself in a low voice.
Suddenly, he saw a petite girl running over and opening the rear car door. The girl’s clothing was very plain, making him frown slightly; but looking at the girl’s appearance again, he had a sudden idea.
“You’re Pei Ningle, right?” he asked.
The girl hurriedly replied: “Yes, sorry Brother Song, my mobile phone ran out of power and I got lost.”
Brother Song waved: “No problem, these are small matters, you… eh, who are you?”
He saw that behind Pei Ningle, there was also a similarly young, clear-featured boy who sat in the back row, right next to Pei Ningle.
The boy replied: “Hello Brother Song, I’m Xiao Le’s cousin.”
“Wasn’t she coming alone?”
“I’m currently attending university in Rongdu. This girl ran out of phone power and came to my school, found me, and then called you.”
Brother Song frowned slightly, feeling that a huge variable had been added to his originally foolproof plan.
He contemplated for a moment and decided to steady things first. So he asked: “Okay, then what’s your name?”
The clear-featured boy’s face was full of sincerity: “I’m Liu Heng; Brother Song, you can just call me Xiao Liu.”
Pei Ningle glanced at him, wanting to laugh a bit, but managed to hold it in.
Brother Song nodded: “Okay, Xiao Liu. Your younger sister is coming to work for me; what about you? You’re still a university student; what are you here for?”
The boy replied: “Xiao Le’s parents heard she arrived in Rongdu and specifically told me to take good care of her. So I have to check out her work environment, living environment, and such.”
Brother Song gripped the steering wheel and observed the expressions of the two young people in the back through the rearview mirror. Hmm, good, they don’t seem very vigilant; should be easy to handle…
So Brother Song started the car, released the handbrake, and said: “Then come with me to take a look. The place is a bit far, but after seeing it, I’ll drive you back to the urban area.”
“Okay, thank you Brother Song.”
————
In Pei Ningle’s imagination, Brother Song’s music studio should be in Rongdu City’s urban area. However, as the car drove farther and farther, the surrounding roads became increasingly remote and quiet, making her feel a bit uneasy. Fortunately, Wang Heng was right beside her, giving her a slight sense of security.
Clearly, it was their first meeting, and she had at least chatted with Brother Song a few times, while with Wang Heng, she hadn’t known him at all before today. But for some reason, Pei Ningle just felt that Wang Heng was exceptionally reliable.
It was just that at this moment, Wang Heng was also a bit absent-minded, always silently gazing outside the car window. When Brother Song talked to him, he gave simple, perfunctory replies, making it hard to guess what he was really thinking.
Pei Ningle finally felt a bit of heaviness.
After a good while, just as Brother Song was chatting about how livable Rongdu’s environment was, the young girl suddenly asked: “Brother Song, I’ve always not known what style you’re good at… Do you have any completed works I can listen to?”
Brother Song didn’t turn around, but his tone carried a half-smiling meaning: “Oh? You want to test me?”
Pei Ningle didn’t know what to say for a moment, but fortunately, Wang Heng next to her bailed her out.
Wang Heng said: “Xiao Le isn’t testing you; she just thinks chatting about music major things would bring you closer.”
Brother Song laughed heartily: “No need to be so eager. Once we arrive, there’s plenty of work time; we can chat about music however you want. And Xiao Le, you haven’t attended music academy or studied professional knowledge, so if I explain directly to you, it might be hard to get through.”
Pei Ningle immediately felt unconvinced: “I’ve self-studied music theory!”
Brother Song said dismissively: “Self-studied definitely can’t compare to me having professional teachers at the provincial music academy. But no problem, once we’re settled, I can teach you slowly, rest assured.”
Pei Ningle sullenly closed her mouth and fell silent.
After winding around for a long time, the car finally stopped.
Brother Song turned off the engine, got out, and opened the rear car door: “We’ve arrived; let’s go.”
Pei Ningle got out of the car and looked around; the sense of incongruity grew stronger and stronger. This place clearly looked like a residential area, and an old-style residential building from decades ago at that. To say it hid a music studio inside was… really not very convincing.
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