Chapter Forty-Seven: Trouble Comes Knocking

Wei Feng was a sophomore in the Chemistry Department at Fudan University. The night Guilty Crown performed for the first time at Lantern Forest happened to be his birthday, so he invited a few close classmates to have a drink there. Their table was the one closest to the stage.

Wei Feng was a typical science student, not much of a fan of pop music, which he considered childish. He grew up listening to Peking opera with his father and believed that was true art. For his birthday, his father gave him some spending money to treat his friends to dinner, and afterward, they searched the bar street for a place to drink. One of his friends spotted a poster featuring Xia Shanmo and exclaimed, "Isn't she the Fudan Affiliated High School junior who stunned everyone at the New Year’s Gala—cool, wild, and absolutely dazzling?"

His roommate, also a Fudan student and member of the Student Union, had managed to sneak into the New Year’s Four-University Arts Gala. Returning to their dorm, he raved about the band and its breathtaking lead singer, urging everyone to listen. He was so absorbed he forgot to record it. Determined, his roommate scoured the internet for videos, but only found distant, blurry recordings.

Later, he searched the three most famous music websites in China for songs. He remembered the titles: "Sword Unsheathed" couldn't be found, and there were plenty of "Huangpu River," but none matched the one performed at the gala. Disappointed, he could only let it go, though he never forgot.

Tonight, unexpectedly, he saw the poster on bar street and insisted they change plans to Lantern Forest. They originally intended to go to Wind Whisper, whose resident singer was Liu Huaming, the literature department’s beauty, popular at both Fudan and Jiaotong universities. Wind Whisper was the busiest bar on the street.

At his roommate’s urging, Wei Feng entered Lantern Forest. The male singer before the main act disappointed him, so he had little hope for Guilty Crown, thinking, "How impressive can a high school band be?" But the picture of the lead singer was indeed striking; he wondered what she would be like in person.

When nine o’clock arrived and Xia Shanmo took the stage, Wei Feng felt his spirits forcibly lifted. Lacking the words to describe it, he saw Xia Shanmo gripping the microphone stand, smoky-eyed, her aura like a peerless swordswoman—dangerous, cold, and beautiful in a way that repelled mere mortals. He instantly felt that just seeing such a beauty made the night worthwhile.

But when Xia Shanmo began to sing, everything changed. Her voice, pure as a mountain spring and gentle as snow falling through a forest, blended with vibrant drums and icy guitar chords, painting a vast wintry landscape with a hot spring quietly bubbling amid the cold.

He was utterly lost in her exquisite melody.

When Xia Shanmo reached the "la la la" refrain at the end, goosebumps erupted over his skin, every pore opening, and the simple phrase sent his soul soaring. In that moment, he embarked on the long path of being a "Sole One," as Guilty Crown’s fans would someday call themselves, meaning the band was unique and their one and only. But that would come later; Wei Feng didn’t yet know these songs would accompany him through so much of life.

When the fourth song, "Summer Light Years," began, Wei Feng couldn't help but recall his high school days. He was the only student from his county to get into Fudan, and he had a crush on his class president. His grades were average until he learned she wanted to attend Fudan, and then he threw himself into his studies. Looking back, it was a wild, youthful time. He succeeded, but she did not.

Wei Feng borrowed money from his roommates and sent 299 roses to Guilty Crown.

He vaguely remembered, after graduating high school, the scorching summer, waiting beneath his class president's apartment to confess with those 299 roses. The setting sun stretched his shadow long, sweat soaking his hands as he clutched the flowers. He wore his father’s dress pants and shirt, foolishly watching her walk home hand-in-hand with someone else. Silly as it was, he never regretted it; he still liked her, and nothing had changed.

Back in the dorm, the first thing his roommate did was upload the video they recorded at the bar to Fudan’s forum. Their proximity to the stage meant the quality was decent. It was later reposted to Miaopu Forum, the most popular campus forum at the time.

The post was titled "The Most Awesome Band in History—if the singer isn’t beautiful and the music isn’t good, flame me." It broke click records on Miaopu and was pinned for a month by countless props. Eventually it faded as more Guilty Crown videos appeared.

Lantern Forest became the hottest spot on bar street; by eight o’clock, there were no seats, and the reservation line was constantly busy. Many came specifically to hear Guilty Crown after seeing the videos.

The bar’s business boomed, making Chen Jinglong grin from ear to ear. Cheng Xiaoyu and the others felt little change; their performances were the same, though they’d rehearsed a few new songs, all composed by Cheng Xiaoyu.

It was a weekend, and even though Fudan, Jiaotong, and other universities were on break, Lantern Forest remained packed.

Before eight, Xia Shanmo hadn't arrived yet, and Cheng Xiaoyu was teaching Wang Ou guitar in the basement.

Suddenly, he received a text from Tang Wenqian.

"Sis, I’m coming today. On the way now."

Only then did Cheng Xiaoyu remember her bet with Tang Wenqian. The bar was now full every night, and she wasn’t sure there would be seats. She replied, "Sis, you should’ve told me earlier! I don’t know if there are any seats now!"

"Seriously? I brought a friend, you’re not going to back out, are you?"

"Come on, I may be soft-hearted, but I keep my word. Besides, if I arrange a table for you, that’s like admitting defeat, right?"

"True! No worries, I’ll figure out the table myself. I’ll text you when I arrive. There’s a time limit—you have to give a rose to the girl you think is me within an hour and a half after I text you. If I don’t see you give the rose, you lose and owe two favors!"

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled wryly, surprised the girl actually came and took it so seriously. With the bar always full, identifying someone you don’t know was nearly impossible. But she never broke her word, and besides, it was just a girl; she doubted Tang Wenqian would ask anything unreasonable.

She replied, "Okay, but if you can’t find a seat, you lose."

Tang Wenqian answered, "Okay."

Meanwhile, Xu Qinning was gearing up in her family’s Rolls-Royce, dragging Su Yuxi out with her, and was headed to pick up the real Tang Wenqian and another friend, Li Ling’er.

When Xu Qinning had gathered Tang Wenqian and Li Ling’er on Fudan’s bar street, Cheng Xiaoyu’s band had half an hour before their show. Since it was a weekend, they’d perform two extra songs. By eight-thirty, Lantern Forest was packed, and Cheng Xiaoyu wondered how Tang Wenqian would find a seat, secretly hoping she wouldn’t, so she’d concede.

Xu Qinning arrived at Lantern Forest and sent Li Ling’er inside to check. Li Ling’er was Tang Wenqian’s classmate and got along well with Xu Qinning. Tang Wenqian and Xu Qinning were distantly related; Tang Wenqian called her "Sister Ning." Her father was Xu Jiacheng’s business partner, though on a much smaller scale—one could say he relied on the Xu family. Thus, Tang Wenqian never refused Xu Qinning’s requests, and Xu Qinning treated her well, though not as well as Su Yuxi, but Tang Wenqian’s genuine, obedient nature was very likable, making them good friends.

Li Ling’er circled the bar and came out saying, "How does this shabby place do such good business?" Li Ling’er was brash; her father was a high-ranking official, their family wealthy, and she shared Xu Qinning’s eccentric tastes.

Xu Qinning frowned, "I’m not familiar with this area, don’t go to bars much. Ling’er, you’ve been to bars more—any friends who know this place?"

Li Ling’er shoved her hands in the pockets of her yellow down jacket, black jeans below, her hair mid-length and somewhat wild—she wasn’t conventionally beautiful, but had a certain untamed charm. She pulled out her phone, flipping through contacts. "I’ll ask around, but the rich kids I know probably don’t come to this tiny bar."

Xu Qinning wasn’t worried. Today she wore deep blue jeans with riding boots, a cropped leather jacket, and topped it off with a baseball cap. Afraid Cheng Xiaoyu would recognize her, she even wore sunglasses at night.

At this hour, bar street was crowded. Su Yuxi, Xu Qinning, Tang Wenqian, and Li Ling’er, each with her own distinct beauty, drew countless glances as they stood by the roadside.

Especially Su Yuxi, in an army green, fur-hooded long down coat, a black sequined dress underneath, black wool tights with saddle-brown knee boots, a black knit hat, her long hair falling to either side. Even without seeing her face, people sensed she was a beauty. Of every ten passersby, nine would turn for another look. Su Yuxi’s beauty transcended age and gender, universally admired.

Xu Qinning clung to Su Yuxi with a shameless grin. "Yuxi, why don’t you use your charms, go in and bluff us a table?"

The two strikingly different faces together caused even more of a stir. Xu Qinning was the classic model type—tall, statuesque, queenly. Su Yuxi was slightly shorter, but still tall and proportionate, pure yet cold, her presence matching Xu Qinning’s. One was a queen, the other a goddess—hard to say who was superior. Normally, Tang Wenqian was considered pretty, but now, standing beside them, she seemed much less remarkable.

Su Yuxi ignored Xu Qinning, face cold. "You dragged me out here, just to stand around and freeze? I’d rather be home practicing piano."

Xu Qinning laughed, "Come on, Miss Su, don’t you want to see your brother perform at the bar? Didn’t you tell me his music surprised you?"

Su Yuxi clearly wasn’t buying it. "Then just take me inside. If the two of us go in, won’t he be suspicious?"

Xu Qinning replied, "Don’t worry, your brother’s easy to spot. We’ll avoid him and just watch."

"You’re always messing with my brother. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t care anymore?" Su Yuxi frowned.

Xu Qinning chuckled, "Your brother’s interesting—I like his personality. What, are you jealous, Su Yuxi?"

Su Yuxi shook off Xu Qinning’s arm. "The Su family must owe you from a past life."

At that moment, Li Ling’er pulled Tang Wenqian over. "What luck! Huang Xiaoqi and the others are here. Apparently, this bar’s band is really famous online. Now it’s impossible to get a seat. I called Huang Xiaoqi to let us in." Li Ling’er hadn’t attended the New Year’s gala; she and her friends went to Nirvana, Shanghai’s best bar, so she knew nothing about Guilty Crown.

Xu Qinning asked, "Oh, Huang Xiaoqi—isn’t he the short kid from the Huang Donghai family who used to follow Su Yuxi around with a runny nose?"

Li Ling’er laughed, "That’s him! Sister Ning, you remember? He’s tall and handsome now—not the scruffy kid from elementary school. I remember you bullied him so much he didn’t dare go to the same middle school as you."

"Pfft, who wanted to bully him? If he hadn’t shared a desk with Yuxi, drawing lines and pulling her braids every day, I’d have ignored him," Xu Qinning said, arching her eyebrow dismissively.

Li Ling’er grinned slyly. "Huang Xiaoqi likes Yuxi—it’s no secret. I hear he’s even snuck over to Fudan Affiliated High to spy on her this semester. Wonder if Yuxi ever noticed."

Before Su Yuxi could reply, a tall, slender, fair-skinned, and strikingly handsome boy pushed open the door and stepped outside.