Chapter 6: Encounter 2

Chapter 6: Encounter 2

The sunlight outside the window fell upon the boy's guitar, then reflected off its surface and cast a dappled pattern on his face. Among the shadows, Yun He noticed the boy's straight nose, his tightly pursed lips, and finally, their eyes met. In the depths of his black irises, a few sparks danced.

The boy rose from his chair and approached them, his legs long and straight.

"Teacher Huang," the boy said as he pulled open the glass door, his voice a bit low.

"Little Gu, did we disturb your lesson?" Teacher Huang asked with a smile.

"No, it's already over."

"Oh, perfect then. I have a student here, the one I mentioned earlier who wants to learn the guitar. Do you have time to take him under your wing?" Teacher Huang patted Lin Yong on the shoulder.

The boy glanced over Lin Yong before fixing his gaze on Yun He. Their eyes connected for a brief moment, and then the boy nodded expressionlessly. "Sure, come in."

"Alright then, go ahead. I won't join you. I have another student arriving soon. Though young, Teacher Little Gu is an exceptional guitarist. In less than a month, he's become our star instructor here," Teacher Huang chuckled. "Little Lin, learn well from Teacher Little Gu. Little He, I'll be going now. Call me if there's anything."

"Okay, got it. Bye, Old Huang." Yun He waved at Teacher Huang with a smile.

Teacher Huang left with a contented smile.

Yun He and Lin Yong followed Teacher Little Gu into the classroom, where two girls inside observed them curiously.

"Hi there," Yun He greeted the girls warmly, to which they smiled and waved back.

"Take a seat," Little Gu said, picking up his guitar and resuming his seat in the center of the room.

"Oh, okay..." Lin Yong felt a bit awkward but managed to pull over two chairs, placing them opposite Teacher Little Gu, and sat down beside the girls.

Yun He wasn't there to learn guitar. After some thought, he pulled his chair back a few steps and sat behind the trio.

Teacher Little Gu cast a glance at Yun He but didn't utter a word.

"Mr. Gu Shuai, I'm still not quite proficient with the piece you played just now. Could you please play it again for me?" one of the girls asked, her cheeks resting in the palm of her hands, a look of admiration adorning her face as she gazed at Teacher Little Gu.

"You should have ended your class ten minutes ago. If you're not proficient with the piece, you should be practicing more instead of sitting here listening to me play," Gu Shuai said, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Yun He thought to himself, barely concealing a slight curl of his lips.

"Oh..." The little girl seemed displeased but still remained seated, unwilling to leave.

"Mr. Huang mentioned that you only want to learn one song?" Little Gu asked Lin Yong.

"Mm-hmm, just one. Is that possible... Can I learn it... I have no background in music at all...", Lin Yong replied nervously.

"What song do you want to learn?" Little Gu didn't directly answer his question.

"I Want It That Way!" Lin Yong declared.

Yun He watched in astonishment from behind as Lin Yong's back, Wow... This guy... 'I Want It That Way' indeed...

"I Want It That Way! Handsome Gu Shuai, please sing 'I Want It That Way' for us!" The same girl perked up again.

Another girl chimed in promptly, "Yes, that's right! Sing for us, Handsome Gu Shuai. We've never seen you sing while playing before."

Teacher Little Gu looked helplessly at the two enthusiastic girls before him.

"Well, um..." Lin Yong raised his hand to get their attention.

All eyes were on him, and Lin Yong cleared his throat. "Um, Teacher Gu... Teacher Gu, could you sing it? I'd also like to experience how it feels to play and sing this song."

"Yeah, sing! Sing!" the two girls cheered eagerly.

Gu Shuai hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone to search for the song. "I'll listen to it once first."

"Oh, fantastic! We're really lucky today!" the girls squealed.

Yun He wondered if these girls were being a bit too dramatic. They were already so excited before the singing even started? Yun He couldn't help but examine the handsome Gu Shuai from head to toe, curious to see just how extraordinary he would be.

Gu Shuai listened to the song on his phone with a slight frown, then gently plucked the strings with his slender fingers, letting a smooth melody flow out.

"I can't forget the first time I saw you, your captivating eyes that linger in my mind. Your figure refuses to fade away, and holding your hands, I feel your tenderness, leaving me breathless."

"Your innocence, I want to cherish, seeing you upset would break my heart."

"I'm afraid I might fall in love with you, hesitant to draw too near. Afraid I have nothing to give, loving you takes great courage."

His deep yet gentle voice sang along with the melody, slow and soothing. The youth's clear voice resonated throughout the classroom, as if a spotlight illuminated the one playing the guitar, his lowered head bathed in sunlight. His long eyelashes cast a small shadow in the sunshine, swaying gently, conveying tender emotions. There was no deliberate showmanship in his performance, but the atmosphere in the room stirred something indescribable in everyone's hearts. The air seemed infused with a warm, affectionate ambiance that made one long to fall in love.

"I'm afraid I might fall in love with you, perhaps someday I'll uncontrollably yearn for you. Missing you would only torment myself. Loving you is beyond my control."

As the final notes reverberated, the room fell into a brief silence, only to be shattered by enthusiastic applause.

"Oh oh oh~~~ Wow wow wow~~~" The three people in front of Yun He had already descended into a frenzy of cheering.

Yun He fixated on the person before him, observing the cold contours of his jawline and those exquisite, well-defined hands.

"Astonishing! So captivating!" a girl exclaimed.

"How handsome! Big Brother!" another girl exclaimed.

"Damn it, Teacher! Handsome guy! What's your name? I want to become your disciple! I want to learn from you too!" Lin Yong exclaimed, his initial bashfulness vanishing entirely as the song came to an end.

Yun He couldn't help but smile.

"Gu Jiabei," Gu Jiabei introduced himself with a composed expression, his gaze casually sweeping across Yun He's face, who was seated in the last row.

"Gu Shuai! Gu Shuai! From now on, you're the 'Captain Gu' in my heart!" Lin Yong exclaimed excitedly, "Aside from my Brother Yun, you're my ultimate male god—how incredibly charming can you get!"

"Cough, cough... Yongzi, calm down a bit..." Yun He whispered as a reminder.

The two girls giggled discreetly nearby.

Gu Jiabei nonchalantly strummed the guitar strings, not showing any sign of embarrassment from the praise. He looked up at Lin Yong and said, "Shall we begin the lesson then?"

"Uh-huh, yes, let's start!" Lin Yong perked up completely.

"Do you know how many strings a guitar has?" Gu Jiabei plucked at the strings, asking casually.

"Uh-huh! Five!" Lin Yong answered promptly.

Thud... Yun He nearly choked on his saliva. He really wanted to slap Lin Yong on the back of his head to get him to pay more attention.

"Bwahaha..." The two girls couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter.

Gu Jiabei was momentarily taken aback, perhaps not expecting this question to become an issue.

He held the guitar in front of Lin Yong, suggesting, "Why don't you count them to reinforce your memory?"

"Oh... Right... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... 6! There are 6 strings... It's not quite what I imagined... Hehehe..." Lin Yong scratched his head and glanced back at Yun He.

"Ah, it's alright. I still don't know how many keys a piano has even now," Yun He blinked at Lin Yong with a grin.

"Aren't you able to play the piano?" A girl turned to ask Yun He.

"No, I can't," Yun He replied without hesitation.

Feeling the conversation was at a standstill, the girl turned back to watch Gu Jiabei.

"This song involves strumming and five chord progressions. I'll teach you the basics first, then we'll focus on practicing the techniques needed for this song. Do you have a guitar?" Gu Jiabei said.

"No, I don't know how to choose one. Could you help me pick one, Gu Shuai?" Lin Yong suggested.

"Sure, there are some nice guitars here. You can try them out outside. Just choose one that feels comfortable in your hands and easy to press the strings," Gu Jiabei replied.

"Alright, let's choose one here then. Let's go right now!" Lin Yong eagerly rubbed his palms together, looking like he couldn't wait to dash out.