Chapter 41 - Er Ya!

The guy had a head full of long, yellowish-blonde hair and an ear covered with stud earrings. Dressed only in a white singlet, the tattoos on his arms were clearly visible, but she could not really figure out what they meant. His style was made worse by pairing denim jeans with a pair of slippers. Who was this guy?

He had a handsome face, though, with big eyes, thick eyebrows, and a tall nose. He stood with both hands in his back pockets and a big smile on his face. He was studying her, and judging from her appearance, these last few years in the city must have been good to her. She had transformed from an introverted village girl into a woman who looked almost like a celebrity.

"Hey, Er Ya! Don't you recognize me anymore?" The guy greeted her with a hopeful smile.

Meanwhile, Ye Qiao realized that this unconventional style would only become popular ten years from now, and she was certain that the guy in front of her was undeniably one of its earliest originators. She knew that he must be one of her childhood friends, but the change in his appearance and voice made it difficult for her to recall.

Seconds later, he raised his head to reveal a scar on his chin, and Ye Qiao finally knew who he was, right there and then.

"Sun… Sun Jian!" She excitedly called out. As her childhood friend, he was someone she regularly played along and joked with. He was one year older than her and had the nickname - Maruko. That was because he used to look like the cartoon character - Chibi Maruko-chan.

Another important piece of information was that Ye Qiao was the very reason he had the scar on his chin.

"That's me. I've become more handsome, right? That's why you can't recognize me! Hahaha!" Sun Jian was obviously in a state of boastful elation.

Handsome?

"Hmm, yes, so handsome!" Ye Qiao simply dismissed it as a joke. In fact, she was never a fan of this unconventional fashion style.

The main memory she recalled from her past life was that Sun Jian eventually moved to T City and worked in a bar as a full-time DJ. He had a keen interest in singing, but not even his good voice could bring him any fame. After all, he was just a boy from the village, so he ended up working in the bar all his life without any accomplishment.

In the present, her earlier compliment had brought about great delight to Sun Jian. Highly flattered, he flipped his bangs to the side to show off more of his face.

Ye Qiao had to admit that the guy had a handsome face. Unfortunately, his fashion sense was truly disappointing. It was so bad that she refused to comment any further.

"If you're not going to school anymore, what do you plan to do next?" The encounter resolved itself into a pleasant chat by the pole.

"I'm moving to the city. I want to be a singer!" Sun Jian confidently said.

"Not bad. That's very ambitious of you!" Admittedly, he was so much better than the rest of her friends, who only dreamed of having a family and making babies.

While the villagers thought of him as a very odd person, he was glad that she regarded him as ambitious. It was the first time he received such a compliment. He was thrilled to finally have a friend who actually understood his ambitions.

"Do you know how to compose music?" Ye Qiao added.

"Not really."

An awkward silence followed.

"Well, why don't you sing something for me?"

All of a sudden, he stopped fooling around and got down to some serious work. He held his hand up as if holding a microphone and began singing the song entitled 'The Love Of Boat Tracker'.

"You'll be in the boat, while I keep you afloat. I'll keep you close, for as long as the towline goes."

Ye Qiao was rendered speechless by his choice of song, which made him sound more like a comedian than a singer.

Sun Jian stopped singing as soon as he noticed the look of rejection on Ye Qiao's face.

"I'll sing another song for you. 'The Potion Of Forgotten Love by Andy Lau'. My friends think that I sound like him!"

Ye Qiao did not know what else to expect.

"Ah, please give me a glass of love potion, so I'll stop crying in pain."

"Just like a hurricane."

"All of my love is now in vain."

"Please give me a glass of love potion, just to keep me sane."

"No matter how heartbroken, in love, I'd remain."

Not long later, Ye Qiao was convinced. He did sound like Andy Lau!

"How is it? It's good, isn't it?" Sun Jian started fishing for her compliment.

"Not bad," Ye Qiao commented. He displayed a talent for singing, but there were not many opportunities for him, so she began wondering if she could be of any help to him.

"You should give J City a try. Keep my number and call me when you're there!" She kindly offered.

Her words had indeed encouraged Sun Jian to a great degree. Nevertheless, as darkness approached, it was time for them to go home. On her way home, she bumped into her neighbor, who had just suffered a setback in his examination. It was his second time flunking an examination for his college admission.

He was going to fail for the third time, too, as far as Ye Qiao could remember. He was short of one point for the enrolment. Ye Qiao felt sorry for him for he was an excellent student, but his choice of college was not all that brilliant. Frankly, he was just unlucky.

She began commending him upon his diligence in his studies.

"This is my phone number. I have a relative who works in the education department. Call me if you'd like to know more about the admission. Don't be defeated. You can always try again next year!" In a year, she would be taking the admission examination just like everyone else. She still remembered the required points necessary for admission to every college. Back then, all students were required to choose their desired colleges before the examination, and the results would determine if they were eligible.

It was a shame that she had long forgotten everything that was tested in the examination. Therefore, she had no choice but to work hard again.

As for her neighbor, her sincere compliment managed to boost his morale.

At the end of the day, she could not help but feel like a savior after the series of well-doings that she had conducted.