Shen Huai watched as the two argued until their faces turned red and their necks thickened, and it looked like they were about to come to blows.
Shen Huai: "..."
Chapter 70
After dinner, Nick and Ye Cang went back to being best buddies.
The two hit it off immediately. Shen Huai had no idea how they communicated using only "yes" and "no" despite their language barrier. It just goes to show how unpredictable the friendships of artists can be.
Nick knew that Ye Cang and Shen Huai would stay in the US for another day, so he suggested going to a bar the next night.
According to Nick, the owner of the bar is a veteran rock music fan, and many bands performed there before they became famous.
Hearing him say that, Ye Cang readily agreed.
The next day, the two met up with Nick at the bar at the agreed time.
Nick showed no superstar airs at all, casually wearing a hat and a scarf, as if he wasn't worried about being recognized.
When we entered the bar, it was rather quiet since we still had some time.
The bar owner, knowing Nick was coming, immediately came over and gave him a hug.
Nick pointed to the boss and introduced, "Ye, Shen, this is Joseph. He's the one who introduced your album to me."
Joseph was a tall, red-haired man who looked very enthusiastic. When he slapped Ye Cang, Ye Cang felt like his lungs were about to burst. Seeing that Joseph was about to slap Shen Huai again, he immediately grabbed the other man's hand and shook it.
Joseph: "???"
Shen Huai had no choice but to help him out: "This is our Chinese etiquette."
Joseph: "Oh, oh."
Nick stroked his chin, lost in thought as he recalled what his wife had said the night before.
Joseph didn't take these things to heart, and after a while he got excited again: "There's a band tonight, and the lead singer happens to be a Chinese student studying abroad. He's a fan of Ye's songs, and he brought the album 'Rebirth' from China to give to me."
Ye Cang was somewhat surprised; this was quite a coincidence.
Just as Joseph finished speaking, a bar employee came to him with something. He smiled apologetically at the group and then went to take care of his business.
The three of them didn't mind and sat down at the bar while chatting. Nick greeted the bartender cheerfully and ordered a whiskey. Ye Cang was about to order a drink when he was met with Shen Huai's cold gaze and withdrew his hand.
Shen Huai hadn't forgotten the time he got drunk and acted crazy; it was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.
Nick's gaze swept over the two of them, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Woo~"
Shen Huai: "..."
Before long, Joseph brought over a tall, burly young man with a somewhat fierce look. When he saw Ye Cang, his eyes lit up, but he stammered and couldn't say a word. His shy appearance was completely inconsistent with his looks.
Joseph patted the other man hard on the back: "Don't be nervous, Philip, say hello to your idol."
Ye Cang felt a sharp pain from the slap, but the young Chinese man named Philip didn't budge. He scratched his head shyly and spoke in fluent Mandarin: "Hello Ye Cang, my name is Luo Zhengkai. My friends and I are all your fans."
Ye Cang greeted him with a smile.
Luo Zhengkai greeted Shen Huai again, but when he saw Shen Huai's face, he seemed to be stunned for a moment.
Shen Huai seemed to sense something: "What's wrong?"
Luo Zhengkai quickly shook his head: "No...it's nothing, maybe I mistook you for someone else."
According to Luo Zhengkai, he came to the United States in high school and has now graduated from university. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in finance. Because he has always loved singing, he formed a band with his classmates.
Once the topic of music came up, Luo Zhengkai's shyness vanished, and he immediately began to discuss it at length with Ye Cang and the others.
He reluctantly left only after his companions came over to remind him that it was time to go on stage.
By this time, the bar was starting to get lively. Two beautiful and sexy Latin women walked up to the bar. One of them asked the bartender to order a drink for Shen Huai, then winked at him and blew him a kiss before leaving with her friends, all smiles.
Shen Huai: "..."
Joseph laughed heartily: "Shen, it seems you had a good romantic encounter tonight."
Ye Cang's expression had been grim ever since that Latina beauty brought wine to Shen Huai. Nick seemed to realize something and gave Joseph a wink: "Well, actually..."
Joseph suddenly realized and said to Ye Cang, "Ye, don't worry, I'll introduce you to the prettiest girl in our bar later."
Nick pressed his forehead: "No, Joseph, I'm trying to tell you that they're a couple, don't do anything rash..."
Shen Huai: "We are not..."
Ye Cang overheard them talking in a string of gibberish, only able to understand a few words. He asked Shen Huai in confusion, "What are they saying? Couple? Who's a couple with whom?"
Shen Huai: "..."
Joseph had completely understood, and as expected, he stopped mentioning introducing the pretty girl and said earnestly, "May your love last forever."
Upon hearing "you" and "love," Ye Cang, regardless of what the other person had actually said, smiled and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, thank you."
The three of them were talking at cross purposes, but their thought processes miraculously clicked.
Shen Huai pressed his forehead, feeling utterly exhausted, and decided to give up on translating.
Fortunately, Nick and Joseph weren't too enthusiastic about gossip, and the band came on stage soon after, so they changed the subject.
The first to take the stage was a local punk band. It was their first time performing at this bar, and there seemed to be quite a few of their fans in attendance, who were very enthusiastic.