Chapter 87: An Encounter with an Old Acquaintance on the Pedestrian Street

After exiting the subway, he walked uphill.

Chen Qi kept following the girl, maintaining a distance of about ten meters. He didn’t rush forward to greet her or anything; he wanted to learn more about her before making a move. As the Art of War says: “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” If he recklessly approached her to talk about work now, she’d most likely take him for a lunatic or a scam artist. Even if she recognized him as Chen Qi from “Unbelievable,” there was no guarantee she’d agree. What if she was a rich kid like him? Some might say rich kids don’t take the subway—but wasn’t he just on it himself?

He decided to gather more information before making a decision.

Ahead, the girl walked silently, without pause or any unnecessary movements. She seemed to be in low spirits—perhaps still affected by the earlier incident on the train. Seven or eight minutes later, they emerged onto the street. Chen Qi quickly scanned his surroundings; a main road lay not far ahead. He had no idea where this was. Consulting his phone’s navigation, he was surprised to find that it was quite close to the spot he’d chosen to view the nightscape. How could it be such a coincidence? Was the girl also planning to see the night view?

Just then, he saw her sit down by a flower bed outside the subway station. Chen Qi stopped as well, quietly observing from the shadows. The girl sat there in silence, staring dazedly at the traffic in the distance, lost in thought for a long while. Recalling her unusual reaction on the subway, Chen Qi sensed she was trying to calm her emotions. Clearly, the earlier episode had left a deep impression on her.

Time passed slowly.

After more than ten minutes, the girl gradually withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. After sitting for another half minute, she suddenly reached behind her head, removed the elastic band holding her ponytail, and let her jet-black, shoulder-length hair fall naturally. In that moment, she seemed to instantly become more mature. She took out a compact mirror to tidy herself up a bit, then rose with her small suitcase and left.

Perplexed, Chen Qi followed.

For some reason, seeing her back triggered that familiar sense of déjà vu—he felt he’d seen her somewhere before, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall exactly where. He followed her across several intersections, until she finally stopped at a pedestrian street. Chen Qi looked around, his confusion growing. Why did this place also feel oddly familiar?

Then he saw the girl squat down, open her suitcase, and take out a few items: a microphone, a speaker, a telescopic stand…

Chen Qi was stunned!

He froze in place as if struck by a sudden revelation, staring in disbelief. At last, he remembered where he’d seen her! Wasn’t she the singing girl he’d encountered one night? He’d listened to her sing for a long time that evening—and even tipped her a hundred yuan before leaving. So it was her all along!

After half a minute of dumbfounded silence, Chen Qi quickly scanned the area. There, he spotted the stairway where he’d sat to listen to her sing that night.

He couldn’t help but laugh at himself. He’d felt she looked familiar—turns out it was simply a different hairstyle, a ponytail, and he hadn’t recognized her.

Not far away, her singing had already begun. It was as beautiful as ever.

Chen Qi gazed at her with complicated feelings, a strange sense of disappointment welling within him. She was a singer… If singing was just a hobby, it would be fine. But if it was her main profession, inviting her to work at his studio might be impossible. She enjoyed her singing life; who would want to work for him?

This was awkward.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Qi glanced up at the darkening sky and decided to get something to eat first. He surveyed the area, then strode toward a noodle shop nearby.

The pedestrian street was lined with eateries.

He went upstairs, chose a window seat, ordered a bowl of beef noodles that looked particularly appetizing on the poster, along with some other snacks. Then he gazed out the window.

From this vantage point, he could see the girl clearly.

Whether it was her singing skill or a loyal audience she’d built up, he could see from his height that several people were gathered nearby, listening to her performance.

After watching for a while, Chen Qi chuckled and shook his head, withdrawing his gaze.

Since he was already here, he decided to keep observing—at least to understand why she sang here. Was it for money, or some other reason?

He trusted his instincts; she was probably still a student.

That pure, youthful aura she radiated was absent in those who’d left school and entered society. A student singing outside—especially such a pretty girl—must have a reason.

Soon, the beef noodles and snacks arrived.

Unable to resist good food, Chen Qi stopped overthinking and dug in. Although the portions were small, the taste was excellent—the generous chunks of beef and handmade noodles were both smooth and springy.

After finishing his meal, still not quite full, he wandered around and sampled a few other dishes, until nearly nine o’clock, when he leisurely returned to where the girl was singing.

She was still performing, surrounded by a crowd as before.

Chen Qi sat once again on the steps, listening quietly.

This time, his gaze carried purpose; his observations were more detailed than before.

She sang simply, without interaction, never uttering a superfluous word, accepting nothing but tips. Even when someone heckled, she responded only with a polite smile, never engaging further.

The more Chen Qi watched, the more he liked her, the more satisfied he became.

How wonderful it would be if she were just a regular college student.

After nearly half an hour of singing, the girl bowed to thank her audience, then silently began packing up.

As before, some shameless people approached to ask for her contact information.

She politely refused.

Fortunately, they were all well-mannered, leaving after being turned down, without pestering her.

Once everything was packed, the girl wheeled her suitcase toward the subway station.

Chen Qi followed, still debating whether to approach her for a conversation and learn more about her situation. After some thought, he decided to see where she went first—he had plenty of time.

If she returned to a music academy or something similar, he’d leave her alone. If it was another school, perhaps he could have a proper discussion with her.