Two spotlights shone on Jiang Cheng and Wang Xu, bright enough that they couldn't see anything around them. Jiang Cheng could even feel the burning heat from the light beams.  

Walking from the edge of the stage to the center, about five or six steps, sweat began beading on Jiang Cheng's temples.

It was cold sweat.

The applause and screaming from below made Wang Xu very excited. In the dizzying brightness, Jiang Cheng saw Wang Xu walking lightly.  

With his back to the audience, he didn't have the courage to look back again. In that one second, his mind was a chaotic mess of thoughts about heaven and earth, journeys to the center of the earth, ice and fire, heaven and hell. He had no idea what he was thinking anymore.

His fingers were icy cold, somewhat numb. But it wasn't just his fingers, his whole arm felt somewhat numb and weak. Sitting down on the piano bench, he could barely lift the cover.

His peripheral vision was forcibly shut off now, surrounded only by the piercing bright lights, as if cutting off all sound and images.  

Couldn't hear, couldn't see.

The only thing in his mind was that empty seat he had seen earlier.

Gu Fei wasn't in his seat anymore.

He wasn't seeing things. Even though there were still many people standing and moving around in the aisles, for him, even just the corner of Gu Fei's clothing, he would have noticed, would have recognized.

Gu Fei wasn't in the auditorium anymore.  

He didn't know what kind of mood he was in right now, too muddled to guess or judge, also unable to think at all.

Staring blankly at the black and white piano keys, everything around him was thrown into chaos by that empty seat.

"Jiang Cheng," he heard Wang Xu's voice, "Jiang Cheng! Damn! Jiang Cheng what's wrong? You okay?"

He looked up and saw Wang Xu's slightly anxious and nervous face above the piano: "Not feeling well?"

"No," Jiang Cheng took a breath, and his surroundings slowly came into focus, outlines appearing, the sounds in his ears suddenly louder.  

The applause had stopped, the screaming was more sporadic, only the occasional whistle sounding out.

"If you're not feeling well we can switch to another program," Wang Xu said worriedly in a low voice, "You don't look so good, too nervous?"

"I'm fine," Jiang Cheng smiled, "Ready."  

"Okay," Wang Xu adjusted his guitar, lightly strumming the strings.  

With these notes, the atmosphere below was stirred up again.

Gu Fei wasn't there anymore, reason unknown, also not knowing where he was, not knowing if he could hear this, or if he even wanted to hear it anymore.  

Jiang Cheng took a breath. Don't think about it for now. He was the one who chose to participate in this program, he chose Gu Fei's song, he chose to let Old Xu know.

Whether the host heard when Old Xu was quietly bragging to other teachers, and why she took it upon herself to announce it during the intro, was no longer important.  

All of this had already happened. Being upset, panicked, confused now was meaningless.

He was still sitting here, facing this song he knew by heart. He wanted Gu Fei to hear it, but also wanted to hear it himself.  

He rarely thought about "what ifs" and "maybes", but when they were right in front of him, he still went to meet them head on without thinking much.

Jiang Cheng rubbed his hands, shook them out. Laughter sounded from below.  

He glanced towards the audience, the corners of his lips turning up in a faint smile. His hands lifted and landed on the piano keys. The first note rang out from his fingertips, and the area below suddenly quieted.

Until Wang Xu's guitar joined in after three bars, he kept his eyes on the audience, listening as their applause and screams erupted the instant the guitar chords sounded.

During the guitar interlude, he turned back, watching his own fingers, no other sounds left in his ears, only the guitar melody.  

Wang Xu was really beyond expectations huh. He glanced over and saw Yi Jing already on stage, camera in hand taking photos of them. Wang Xu turned and walked a few steps towards her, guitar still in his arms. His expression was probably as cool as the silver dragon on his clothes.  

After a nice slide, Jiang Cheng's piano sounded again.  

Applause and screams once again erupted below.

Jiang Cheng smiled. If his mom knew such elegant piano music was drowned out by such clamor, who knows what she'd feel.

But right now his mood was fairly cheerful.  

In this moment, hearing his favorite person's song that he really liked from the piano's unappealing timbre that usually brought him nothing but pent up frustration and boredom, gave him a pleasant experience for the first time.

If only.  

Where did you run off to, you bastard.

You've never heard me play piano before.  

I hadn't played piano in a long time and thought I'd never play again.

I played this song for you, yet you ran off.

As the duet came to a quiet end over Wang Xu's gentle guitar strums, Jiang Cheng gently closed the piano cover and stood up, bowing to the audience below.

"Jiang Cheng I love you--!" A girl screamed from below.

Jiang Cheng turned and walked off stage into the indistinguishable din.

The teachers and students backstage were also clapping.

"Great! Simply amazing! The best program in our school's history!" Old Lu shouted loudly while clapping.

Old Xu didn't speak. When Jiang Cheng looked at him, he only nodded forcefully. Jiang Cheng saw tears shimmering in his eyes.

Jiang Cheng sighed helplessly, "I'm going...to the bathroom."

"How was it?" Wang Xu asked Yi Jing excitedly as she followed them off stage, "What did you think just now listening?"

"It was really amazing," Yi Jing said with a smile.

When Jiang Cheng emerged from the backstage door, the students near the exit immediately stirred, several phones raised up.  

He lowered his head and strode quickly out the auditorium door.

His exit also drew attention from students still waiting outside.

"Jiang Cheng," someone called his name, "The song really was written by Gu Fei? That's so awesome!"

Jiang Cheng didn't respond, also didn't look that way. He followed along the auditorium wall, quickly turning the corner, leaving the exclamations and discussions behind.  

His previously calmed mood was violently stirred up again by that one sentence.

All that turmoil and unease that had temporarily settled, the subtle puzzlement and suppressed annoyance now churning with traces of anger, slowly unfurled and rose up again.

Jiang Cheng didn't actually need to use the bathroom, but still went.

The whole way his hands were in his pockets, phone clasped, but he didn't take it out, not even seeing any students on the sports field. By the time he reached the bathroom, he only saw an auntie mopping, carrying a bucket coming from the edge of the field.

Taking his hands out of his pockets upon entering the bathroom, he realized his palms were slick with sweat.

He stood in front of the urinal for a bit, seriously sensing if he needed to go.

He didn't.  

Other than anger slowly transforming from the turmoil and unease.

He turned and walked back out of the bathroom, taking out his phone to check.

As he had anticipated, no messages from Gu Fei, no texts, no missed calls, nothing that he thought he might have missed from the earlier din.

In that instant, all his emotions towards Gu Fei turned to rage.

He sat on the nearby stone bench, taking out his phone to call Gu Fei.

Damnit!

If you've got something to say, say it, fight if you want, but what's with this disappearing act?

Just as he pulled up Gu Fei's number, he saw someone approaching out of the recovered periphery of his vision. Jiang Cheng's fingers about to hit dial lightly trembled, stopping.  

It was Gu Fei.

He had been fully prepared to confront Gu Fei head on, whatever he did wrong, whatever Gu Fei was unhappy about, say it face to face. If it came down to it they could fight it out.

But with Gu Fei suddenly appearing like this, he was filled with nerves again.

What to say? How to start?

What was up with Gu Fei after all?

The shredded tangle of questions that anger and annoyance had created instantly snapped back into place, blocking his throat. He almost wanted to cough and clear his throat.