Chapter 105: The Concert

In the following week, Qiao Brothers Restaurant officially opened. Located near a high school, its business flourished beyond words. The wishing wall, in particular, was covered with paper notes of various colors and handwriting within just three days. When Qi Xiaoyue wanted to post a note herself, she couldn’t find a suitable spot and eventually gave up on the idea.

Seeing Qi Yue's disappointed expression, Yang Zhilin smiled gracefully, her refined demeanor evident, while their mother’s face beamed with joy and satisfaction.

Lin Yu’s lips curved upward gradually, thinking to himself, “The rise begins today.”

However, since the store had just opened, others were unaware of the franchise plans, necessitating advertising to spread the word. Yet financial constraints forced them to put the advertisement on hold for the time being.

When one commits seriously to a task, time passes as fiercely and swiftly as a waterfall.

Unconsciously immersed daily in a strong atmosphere of study, Lin Yu realized a week had slipped by—an unprecedented sense of speed for him.

On Saturday, Lin Ran said he had something to do and didn’t come. So Lin Yu and Qi Yue visited Elder Sun Jin at the Baishan Cadre Sanatorium.

The Sunset Club had already raised over three million yuan, and as the club’s second-in-command among the elderly, Sun Jin was in high spirits.

He happily told Lin Yu and Qi Yue that the Sunset Club was now seeking profitable projects for investment.

Seeing her grandfather enjoying his old age and Elder Wang having companions lifted Qi Yue’s mood considerably.

Without lingering too long, Lin Yu and Qi Yue left the sanatorium and strolled by the seaside, whispering softly, savoring the feeling of facing the sea with spring blossoms blossoming.

Back at the Wealth Center, Lin Yu dove into intense studying, while Qi Yue served tea and did small acts of attentive care.

Around ten in the evening, Qi Yue unexpectedly received a phone call from Qi Dazhu.

At first, she was upset with him for not calling her often. But then Qi Dazhu’s voice grew serious, “I have two VIP tickets for the Splendid Trio concert. Do you want them or not? It’s tomorrow at the Bincheng Arena, something like that.”

The Splendid Trio was a popular domestic three-member girl group, consisting of the youthful beauties Jasmine, Qingfeng, and Bingyu, specializing in Chinese-style songs. In just three years since their debut, they had become an idol group adored by tens of thousands.

They were the only idols Qi Yue admired. At karaoke, she only sang their Chinese-style songs like “Slow Voice,” “Sleeping in Jiangnan,” and “Fishing Boat at Dusk.”

Hearing that her seemingly indifferent father had gotten her VIP tickets for her favorite group touched her deeply. She hadn’t expected him to know her tastes at all.

Suddenly, her eyes grew a little moist as she feigned toughness, “Why wouldn’t I want them? Hurry up and bring them to me.”

“I’m too busy. How about I have Xiao Xu deliver them to you?” Qi Dazhu laughed.

“I don’t care if it’s Xiao Xu or Old Xu. I want those tickets! They have to be here in half an hour!” Qi Yue snapped fiercely.

“Okay, mission accepted,” Qi Dazhu said, then hung up.

To Qi Yue’s surprise, just two minutes later, Qi Dazhu’s male secretary, Xu Chu, appeared at her doorstep.

“So Dad’s just downstairs!”

Grasping the VIP concert tickets, Qi Yue felt a bittersweet ache, partly annoyed that her father hadn’t come up to see her, yet also somewhat moved.

Blood ties run the deepest.

“What tickets are making you so happy?” Lin Yu, who was busy studying how to solve algebra and geometry combination problems, curiously asked, noticing the proud smile that had unconsciously crept across Qi Xiaoyue’s face.

“Of course, they’re tickets to the Splendid Trio concert. Otherwise, why would I be this happy?” Qi Yue smiled, waving the tickets in her hand.

Then she sighed, “Too bad there are only two tickets! Should I go with you or with Zhilin? Zhilin really loves their lyrics.”

“You two should go. Honestly, I’m not very familiar with them. I prefer F4 myself,” Lin Yu said with a chuckle, recalling how chaotic concerts could give him a headache.

“Tch, no taste,” Qi Yue scoffed disdainfully and then called Yang Zhilin.

That day, for the first time, Yang Zhilin’s parents were home, so she didn’t come over that evening. But from her joyful tone, it was clear she was eagerly anticipating the concert.

Lin Yu shook his head in confusion over why the two girls were so enamored with the Splendid Trio. He had never idolized any celebrity.

Even if he admired anyone, it was the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Keanu Reeves, or Jean-Claude Van Damme—tough, rugged characters.

The next evening, as the sun began to dip and its dark red light caressed the visitors, Lin Yu accompanied the two girls to Bincheng Stadium. Upon arrival, he discovered that the VIP area had a special entrance, completely uncrowded—very different from his expectation of being squeezed among thousands.

Once the girls entered, Lin Yu headed to a nearby arcade, bought some tokens, and started playing “The King of Fighters ’97,” a game he hadn’t touched in years, to pass the time while waiting for the concert to end.

But soon after passing two levels, a young man with dyed golden hair sat beside him, inserted tokens, and challenged him to a match.

Having not played for a long time, Lin Yu was soon overwhelmed by the golden-haired player’s triple assault with Iori Yagami.

Although he lost, Lin Yu found battling a real player far more entertaining than the computer. After losing, he inserted more tokens and continued playing with the young man for fun.

Since one yuan bought five tokens, Lin Yu didn’t mind losing some. However, due to skill disparity, he lost six or seven rounds in a row.

When his tokens ran out, Lin Yu took out ten yuan and bought fifty more tokens, continuing the game. It felt good to revisit this pastime after so long.

But the young man’s gaze gradually changed—from serious at first to later disdainful.

After Lin Yu lost his tokens again, the golden-haired youth sneered, “Idiot.”

“Idiot? You calling me that?” Lin Yu asked with a cold laugh, noticing the insult but continuing to play.

“Yeah, what of it? Don’t distract me from practicing infinite combos. Get lost,” the youth said, chewing gum and turning away without looking back.

“Oh? Infinite combos? What’s that?” Lin Yu replied, amused rather than angry.

“Idiot, you don’t even know that and you’re playing the damn game? Infinite combos mean locking the computer down so it can’t move. Now scram, don’t ruin my fun,” the youth said arrogantly. This place was their hangout, so he felt confident.

The game continued amid the clatter of tokens and joysticks, the night unfolding with youthful rivalry and quiet determination.