Trafford's Trading Club

But he didn’t think his love for rock had faded. Cheng Yiran wanted to be liked by the audience as he wished before. The dusk was coming and it was time for dinner. However, Cheng Yiran didn’t return to Zhong Luochen’s house. Zhong Luochen had called him with an indifferent mood... maybe Zhong Luochen needed the information only. So Cheng Yiran couldn’t imagine what he would be like if he knew the magical guitar couldn’t be used anymore.

He heard that the rich men were more ruthless than normal people, hence they could achieve more and go further. Cheng Yiran couldn’t ask Zhong Luochen to give him more time---as he didn’t know when he could make the guitar awaken... maybe it would be never. If so, any ordinary person would choose to... keep this secret? After all, he had enjoyed the substantial treatment which the others didn’t have, so he must hide this from others.

"What am I... doing?"

Beep---a car horned and passed by. He didn’t know where he was when he was looking back. Someone was singing in the distance with the sounds of accompaniment. Many people sang by the roadside... for different reasons. Cheng Yiran would never listen to them as he was a member of them previously.

They made him feel familiar---because he was no different from them. He smiled instinctively... as he wondered if he was lucky or not. Although the tone was not skillful, he still recognized that the voice was familiar... it was Hong Guan. Hong Guan was... in the neighborhood!

...

"Hey, uncle, do you see that singer frequently?"

"Ah? Do you mean that young man with a guitar? Yes, he often comes here this month." The uncle was selling candy-men in the square. He smiled, "His song is pretty good... do you want to buy a candy-man for your kid?"

Cheng Yiran was stunned. He selected one candy-man and paid the money leaving. He watched out for Hong Guan... who was singing in front of a booth selling chargers and mobile accessories.

’I ran into him. He still has no progress in his singing... as time goes by. No audience and... no tips? Whom are you singing for? And who is listening to your songs? ... Didn’t you quit... music? But, why are you so happy now? The song is ’Blue Lotus’. Are you... really empty and weightless?’

Hong Guan slowed down and his finger stopped at the half beat when Cheng Yiran walked close to him. "Yiran, how did you..." Hong Guan was shocked.

"Can we have a talk?" Cheng Yiran sighed.

...

"Have you... eaten dinner?" Hong Guan asked when they were sitting on the bench in this square. Cheng Yiran had tears in his eyes... he recalled the time when they sang in the bar, and led a wandering life together. Cheng Yiran rotated the candy-man slowly with a bitter smile, "We are strangers... now." Hong Guan scratched his head as he didn’t how to answer Cheng Yiran.

"It was Li Zifeng." Cheng Yiran started the topic. Hong Guan was stunned and whispered, "Li Zifeng?" Cheng Yiran looked at his friend, "He cheated us by making us sign two different contracts. The contract signed by you was not my idea. And I have signed a second contract, which was not your intention. But..." Cheng Yiran paused, "but I trusted it... Sorry."

Hong Guan fell in silence and then patted his shoulder, "Ziyao is going to give a birth to a baby in half a month. She is always nagging about why didn’t you come to see her. Just go to the hospital if you are free."

"I am sorry." Cheng Yiran turned around with a husky voice, "I should have called you, then we would understand each other clearly... but I..." He took a deep breath while sniffling, "But, I was thinking that... am I a bad man?"

Hong Guan thought for a while and said, "You were stupid ever since Xiaomeng was alive. Several years passed, you are still stupid... I am accustomed to you, silly donkey."

"Sh*t." Cheng Yiran turned around.

Hong Guan said, "I could have called you too and Li Zifeng would have come to light. So am I also a bad man?"

Cheng Yiran was stunned. They smiled at each other. Cheng Yiran sighed, "We men, are the same." Hong Guan nodded, "Yes, we are the same."

After a while, Cheng Yiran asked, "What’s the baby’s name?" Hong Guan shook his head. It was cold outside, Hong Guan rubbed his hands and asked, "What about your hands?"

Cheng Yiran looked at his fingers and then nodded, "It will need a long time to heal."

Hong Guan said with a pity, "So you are unable to perform on this weekend. What a pity. But will your company blame you?"

"No. But in the future..." Cheng Yiran shook his head, "It’s hard to say."

"Did the car accident affect your reputation?" Hong Guan asked.

"No." Cheng Yiran shook head, "The current situation is more complex... than the time when we sang in the street."

"Oh... I can’t understand the affairs of a big company." Hong Guan nodded without questions. He believed that Cheng Yiran could deal with it on his own.

Cheng Yiran stood up for a stretch.

Hong Guan asked, "Are you going back?"

"It’s time. I need to go now." Cheng Yiran nodded.

"Be careful." Hong Guan smiled at him.

Cheng Yiran turned away. But he stopped without turning his head around, "Oh, can you stop selling the chargers when you are singing? It is not professional at all." Hong Guan smiled and answered, "I need to feed my baby by selling it." Cheng Yiran made a rock and roll gesture without a word... he had another idea in mind.

...

...

Cheng Yiran saw Zhong Luochen cooking a steak himself when he came back to the villa. "Are you eating alone?" Cheng Yiran started the topic first.

"You can have it if you didn’t eat anything yet." Zhong Luochen was cooking the steak without turning around.

"Thank you, I am not hungry now." Cheng Yiran shook his head and saying, "I need your opinion on something."

"Go ahead." Zhong Luochen was flipping the pan to turn over the food.

"Hong Guan can sing instead of me on Sunday evening."

"Hong Guan?" Zhong Luochen paused and then got right again, "Tell me the reason... are you going to compensate him in this way?"

"Maybe." Cheng Yiran said calmly, "In addition, provide this guitar to him."

Zhong Luochen turned back in shock, "Are you willing to give him the guitar?"

Cheng Yiran answered, "You told me that Hong Guan could play the guitar. But the effective range was not known... now that I am injured and am unable to perform, we can do a test. Don’t tell Hong Guan about the magic of this guitar... I want to see what happens if others play it... any problems?"

"No." Zhong Luochen shook his head, "It sounds good. We are going to discover the secret of the guitar ourselves. It is better than benefiting that club owner."

Cheng Yiran shrugged and went upstairs in a relief... He needed to keep calm to protect himself from that man’s sharp observation.

’What is the song of heart... Hong Guan, could you tell me? I can only do this for you... I know, you will never give up music.’