Volume Two: Shadows of the Past, Chapter Thirty-Five: Not Going Back? Then Let's Go for a Drink... Shall We!

It was evening, and for once, the film set wrapped up on time. With no overtime filming for a change, Chen Jing finally found the opportunity to treat Ling Ruohan and the others to a meal.

Naturally, it wasn’t just Ling Ruohan; Liu Manqiang and Wang Li were there too. Liu Manqiang had originally been reluctant to come—presumably not wanting to intrude on Chen Jing and Ling Ruohan’s private time—but after Chen Jing added that Wang Li would be joining, he felt compelled to accept the invitation and was dragged along.

Ling Ruohan and Liu Manqiang weren't close, and Wang Li was even less inclined to start a conversation, so the entire meal was carried by Chen Jing and Liu Manqiang. To be more precise, Chen Jing was the one actively drawing Liu Manqiang into conversation.

This hadn't just been the case tonight; for the past few days, whenever they were on set and had a spare moment, Chen Jing would strike up conversations with Liu Manqiang about the film industry.

Through these chats, Chen Jing discovered that Liu Manqiang was truly a man of great talent. Whether it concerned filmmaking or the logistics of crew preparation, he seemed remarkably knowledgeable about everything related to movies. He answered all of Chen Jing’s questions without reservation, sharing everything he knew, which left Chen Jing more than happy to learn from his experience.

After the dinner, Chen Jing felt quite satisfied.

Liu Manqiang had intended to pay the bill, but Chen Jing stopped him with a remark: "With ladies present, let me have the spotlight this time. You can treat next time." That settled the matter. Afterward, Liu Manqiang decided to leave first, saying he would hail a cab rather than have Chen Jing drive him. Chen Jing had driven him there, while Ling Ruohan and Wang Li had driven themselves.

Chen Jing didn't insist, so he let Liu Manqiang head off on his own.

Once Liu Manqiang was gone, Wang Li spoke up: "A friend just messaged me saying she’s out shopping nearby. I think I’ll go meet her for a bit, so I won't head back just yet. Ruohan, you drive home first; I’ll catch a ride later."

Upon hearing this, Ling Ruohan immediately waved her hand. "No need, Sister Li. You take your car. It’s inconvenient and unsafe to catch a ride at night. I’ll just let Ah Jing take me home."

Chen Jing had no objections to Ling Ruohan’s proposal, and seeing that he had tacitly agreed, Wang Li went along with it.

And so, after Wang Li left, only Chen Jing and Ling Ruohan remained.

Chen Jing went to settle the bill and, upon returning, asked, "Shall I take you home now?"

Ling Ruohan shook her head quickly. "No, it’s still early. If I go back to the apartment now, I won't know what to do with myself. I want to find somewhere to hang out. Maybe we could go shopping instead?"

Chen Jing rolled his eyes. "Where can we go? If we show up at any public place with our status, we'll be recognized by the paparazzi in minutes, especially you."

Ling Ruohan continued to shake her head, acting coquettish. "I don't care, I just want to have some fun. We can just disguise ourselves well, like I did when I came to find you today. Won't that be fine?"

Chen Jing felt helpless. After a moment of thought, he suddenly realized there might be a place he could take her.

"Alright, but make sure you bundle up properly. I don't want a scandal with you breaking tomorrow," Chen Jing teased.

Ling Ruohan was instantly indignant, pinching Chen Jing’s arm. "Hmph! Is being linked to me in a scandal so embarrassing for you? Other people wouldn't even get the chance."

"Ouch! That hurts. It's not embarrassing; it's an honor. I'm just afraid I'll be torn apart by your fans," Chen Jing said, rubbing the spot where she had pinched him.

"Heh, at least you know how to talk."

The two left the restaurant, and Chen Jing drove Ling Ruohan to Fengxi Bar. That’s right—the bar owned by Wang Menglan.

Having not visited for a long time, Chen Jing was feeling a bit nostalgic.

"Where are we going?" Ling Ruohan asked from the passenger seat, looking quite excited.

"Fengxi Bar. It’s a bar owned by a friend of mine. The atmosphere is quite nice; I’ll take you to see it."

"Ooh, a bar! That’s great. I haven't been to one in ages." Hearing that Chen Jing was taking her to a bar, Ling Ruohan became even more animated. As a public figure and a star, she rarely frequented such chaotic places; it was simply too easy for trouble to arise.

If she were alone, she wouldn't dare go, but with Chen Jing by her side, she felt fearless.

When they arrived at Fengxi Bar, it was only around nine o'clock. It wasn't quite ten yet, but the place was already bustling, though not completely packed.

It seemed that Sister Menglan was right about business picking up. Chen Jing led Ling Ruohan to an inconspicuous booth and ordered two drinks.

From the moment she stepped inside, Ling Ruohan was looking around, wide-eyed, like a country bumpkin visiting the big city for the first time, curious about everything.

Listening to the lyrical music playing in the bar, Ling Ruohan felt exceptionally relaxed. "Ah Jing, this place your friend opened is lovely. The atmosphere is great. It’s not as noisy as the bars I’ve been to before; I really dislike those chaotic places."

"This bar doesn't focus on clubbing; it’s more about creating a certain mood and lyrical vibe. That’s why it’s quite popular with girls like you."

"It’s wonderful. A lot of us girls really like this vibe."

Chen Jing pointed to the DJ console on the central stage and smiled. "Sister Ruohan, did you know that when I first came here—before I joined 'Voice of China' and before I signed with Jingrun—my first job was working here as a resident singer and DJ?"

Hearing this, Ling Ruohan gasped in surprise. "Wow! No way! I didn't know you were a resident singer and a DJ. Then this bar really has some prestige, hee hee." To have a 'Voice of China' champion and a musical talent as a former resident singer—that was certainly a badge of honor.

Chen Jing shrugged and continued, "I was broke when I first arrived in Xiang City. It was fortunate that the owner here hired me."

Ling Ruohan dropped the pretense and said with a grin, "The owner here is Sister Menglan, right?"

Chen Jing looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?" He didn't recall mentioning that Sister Menglan owned a bar to her.

"Haha, you're so silly. I chatted with Youxuan before and asked how she knew you, and she mentioned you used to be a resident singer at the bar her mother owned. Actually, the moment you said you were taking me to a friend’s bar, I guessed it must be the one owned by Sister Menglan."

"Fair enough." Chen Jing shook his head with a wry smile; he really hadn't considered that.

Just then, a beautiful girl walked onto the central stage and immediately captured the attention of everyone in the bar.

"Friends here tonight, thank you all for supporting Fengxi Bar. Next, let me, Xiaoxi, perform a song left to us by Boss Jing: 'Midnight Serenade.' Don't blame me if I don't sing it as well as Boss Jing, after all, I'm just a girl, hee hee." With that, she stuck out her tongue playfully, drawing a chorus of howls from the men in the bar.

"Midnight Serenade?" Ling Ruohan looked at Chen Jing in surprise.

Chen Jing explained, "It’s a song I sang when I was a resident singer here. Later, when I signed my contract and had to leave, I just left the songs with the bar. It seems Sister Menglan has made them the signature tracks for the place. Including this one, I left three songs in total."

As the music began, the girl on stage started to sing softly: "Still leaning against the sleepless night..."

It was a Cantonese song, and with that moving melody, Ling Ruohan was surprised all over again. "You were willing to leave this song at a bar? You’re not planning to release it as a single yourself? This is a classic!" As a diva-level singer, Ling Ruohan knew instantly that "Midnight Serenade" was a rare Cantonese masterpiece. She had expected the songs he left behind to be casual tunes, but to find a classic among them made her feel it was a pity. She felt it was a waste of such a song.

Chen Jing said calmly, "Is there a problem? Songs are created for sentiment and memory. I think leaving this song here is more meaningful than me releasing it as a single. This is where it was born."

"Uh..." This statement left Ling Ruohan speechless.

After a long moment of contemplation, she shook her head and gave a wry smile. "Alright, I finally understand why you are a musical talent, Ah Jing." Perhaps it was this kind of artistic philosophy—not viewing songs as mere tools for fame and fortune—that allowed him to create so many classic tracks.

Once the girl on stage finished "Midnight Serenade," she naturally won the cheers of the patrons. Some shouted for an encore, but she just teased them and moved on, clearly having no intention of singing another.

As time passed, the bar began to fill up.

"Ah Jing, you know how to use that DJ console, right?" Ling Ruohan suddenly asked, pointing toward the stage.

Chen Jing nodded. "I do. Why? Do you want to learn?"

"Yes! Let me tell you, I'm not particularly fond of the DJ style because I feel like once a song is mixed, it loses its original feeling. But I think being a DJ is so cool, especially a female DJ—it’s just incredibly stylish," Ling Ruohan said with longing.

Chen Jing hadn't expected a diva like Ling Ruohan to aspire to be a DJ.

He looked at her and smiled. "DJs are indeed cool, especially female ones. That’s why bars hire female DJs these days to attract customers." After a moment, he added, "The company has a DJ console, too. If you want to learn, I can teach you when we have time."

Ling Ruohan beamed. "It's a deal then."

Just as she was about to continue talking to Chen Jing, a voice interrupted their conversation.

"Miss, excuse me, may I ask if we could share this booth with you?"