18. Rehearsal II

Xu Bin walked over and patted her shoulder. "Did you like it?"

"I did!" Tang Yiyi nodded. "It sounded so much better than I imagined."

The prison guard said, "Is it really that good?"

"Mm!"

"You should've come earlier to hear us sing. I get scolded by Xiaoxiao all the time, and I’ve lost all my confidence."

"I think it’s wonderful," Tang Yiyi replied.

Wen Tao chuckled, "Our song isn’t finished yet. We still haven’t practiced the harmonies at the end—you didn’t notice?"

"She’s a doctor of Chinese medicine," Xu Bin interjected. "If you had any problems with your pulse, she’d spot them right away."

Then he put his arm around Tang Yiyi’s shoulder and led her to a table behind the counter. "We’re only halfway through the song, so whenever we have time, we practice as much as we can. Xiaoxiao’s time is limited too. Make yourself comfortable here—I’ll get you a bottle of water."

Tang Yiyi set her bag on the table and looked up, taking in the rice paper shop.

The shop was small. At the entrance, a glass wall divided the space; the door took up half, and the other half was fitted with a traditional Chinese display shelf stocked with brushes, inkstones, calligraphy sheets, and similar items.

Once inside, the counter split the shop in two, left and right—left was behind the counter, right was in front. From behind the counter, she watched the others outside, discussing and pointing at their sheet music.

Xu Bin placed the water before her. "Don’t mind us, just pretend you’re reading at home."

"Okay, I understand." She nodded. "You have a beautiful singing voice."

Xu Bin flashed a dazzling white grin. "Once we’ve practiced, it’ll sound even better."

"Keep it up!" Tang Yiyi cheered him on, waving her tiny fist.

About half an hour later, Xiaoxiao entered, pushing the door open. She wore a dark blue long dress with subtle white patterns that reached her ankles, paired with simple white flats, making her appear slim, delicate, and ethereal.

She took a large beige canvas bag off her shoulder and set it on the counter. Her gaze drifted lightly over Tang Yiyi, chin dipping in a brief nod. Before Tang Yiyi’s smile could reach her, Xiaoxiao’s eyes had already moved on.

"So? Did you get the previous parts down?" Xiaoxiao’s voice naturally carried a hint of sweetness—just from her tone, one might think she was a gentle girl.

Xu Bin replied, "No problem at all. Even Yiyi was moved by our singing just now."

Xiaoxiao curled her lips ambiguously, then turned to the prison guard. "Is your low part still steady? Did you end up following someone else?"

"Hehe." The prison guard scratched his head, laughing sheepishly.

"Proclamation, your tenor section is the best part—have you practiced it enough?" Xiaoxiao, a head shorter than Proclamation, craned her slender neck to look up at him; though petite, her presence outshone his.

Proclamation puffed out his chest, right hand clenched in a fist over his heart, exuding confidence.

"Only Wen Tao never gives me cause for worry." She smiled at Wen Tao, her lips curling upward.

Wen Tao covered his mouth in delight and launched into a beatboxing riff. Xiaoxiao nodded along to the rhythm, and when he finished, they exchanged satisfied smiles and high-fived.

"I’ve finished composing the last section, but it’s only a rough draft. Take a look—it’s quite crude, so we’ll refine it as we practice." She pulled a stack of papers from her canvas bag and handed one to each of them.

She began explaining, and after another half hour, she said, "Let’s try singing together."

They had barely sung two lines when she clapped her hands to stop them.

"Prison guard, your rhythm was right, but your pitch drifted again. Sing your part alone."

The prison guard pursed his lips and hummed his melody.

"That sounds fine—so why does it go off when you join in? Remember, even if your voice is so soft it’s barely heard, you must always hear it yourself. Your heart must always hear it, understand?"

"I understand."

"Again."

With repeated attempts, their coordination improved from awkward and stumbling to gradually synchronized. Xiaoxiao listened and made adjustments, and the sheet music was soon covered in revisions.

She let them rest, then took a clean sheet and copied out the new arrangement.

Xu Bin twisted open a bottle of water and handed it to her. She took a few sips from his hand, and then he drank from the same bottle. No one found it odd; Xiaoxiao was focused on her transcription.

Tang Yiyi noticed Xu Bin’s gaze toward Xiaoxiao for the first time: indulgent, blissful.

Time approached ten o’clock. The stationery shop was neither very near nor very far from the medical clinic—about a twenty-minute walk.

Tang Yiyi stood, packed her things, and went outside the counter. She poked Xu Bin’s arm, pointing toward the door to indicate she was leaving.

Xu Bin checked the time. "I’ll call a cab for you."

"No need, I’ll walk."

"It’s too late—come on, let me call one for you."

Tang Yiyi didn’t insist further. After saying goodbye to everyone, she got into the taxi. Xu Bin slipped ten yuan into her hand and waved her off.

The melody of "Xiaoxiao" lingered in her ears. The collaboration of several male voices had rendered the song so full of feeling and emotion—no instruments, just voices blending seamlessly. So this was vocal harmony.

She’d spent the whole evening listening to music, and her studies had suffered; though she’d managed to finish her comparison, her lack of focus had diminished the results.

Clearly, she needed a new plan—how could she let her master believe she was studying with Xu Bin, and at the same time help Xu Bin fulfill his dream?

She got out at the entrance to Magnolia Lane, closed the car door, and turned just in time to see Xu Mingjie closing the supermarket’s rolling gate.