Fate Trading System – Chapter 218

Plan A

Heavenly Voice 9

Bar

Su Xin planned to head there early today to talk with the boss first.

Before that, she was lying in bed chatting with the new host, discussing their bright future together.

Judging by the voice, she sounded like a lively, very soft girl, but if she were really that kind of person, she couldn’t possibly have become the System’s host.

A white tangyuan with black sesame filling.¹

After the brief call ended, Su Xin got up to change her clothes.

“Lord Fourteen, how did that girl die?”

Even the smartest people have moments of carelessness. Take Su Xin, for example; she never thought she’d die in a car crash. She originally assumed she might die at the hands of rivals, or perhaps be killed by a target in retaliation. But the reality was, she died helping others for the joy of it, killed by a car.

【Quite coincidentally, she also died in a car crash.】

“Was she helping others for the joy of it like me, or was it revenge killing?”

【She died saving her ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.】

“Wow, impressive. That’s way more hardcore than me.”

At six o’clock, Su Xin grabbed a quick bite for dinner and hurried to the bar.

Su Xin had already called Ming Ge before coming, so he was already waiting for her there.

“You’re finally here! Finished with all your stuff?”

“Mhm.”

“Go get your makeup done first. I’ll schedule more time for you, let Liang Liang rest a bit more. While you were gone, I found a girl to fill in for a while, but the results weren’t great. Now that you’re back, I let her go. Are you definitely staying put for now?”

“Yeah, definitely for the rest of this year. Ming Ge, I plan to resign around the New Year.”

The original owner had another wish: to stand on a bigger stage, singing her own songs, letting many, many people hear them.

Su Xin considered several paths and settled on a domestic music variety show that didn’t seem to have too much filler². Su Xin had Fourteen investigate for a while; it should be feasible.

But Su Xin needed time to practice. Fourteen gave her compiled summaries of experience, which she roughly digested, but she still needed some time to convert it into practical knowledge.

That variety show started its open auditions³ in February, finishing fifteen days later. Then came rounds of eliminations, ending in March. The show would air in early April, pre-recorded, of course.

“The year’s only got a few months left, why are you quitting already? What are you planning to do?”

“I want to participate in a show, fulfill a little wish of my own.”

“…Wow, but those kinds of shows probably have specific routines⁴, right? I don’t think it’s very reliable…”

Ming Ge frowned, looking unconvinced.

“It’ll be fine.”

“Since you insist, go for it. But if you run into any trouble, you have to tell us. Don’t carry it all by yourself. It’s not easy for a young girl like you out there alone. If you face difficulties, I’ll definitely help if I can.”

“Mhm.”

Lin Tang was quite lucky. Coming here all alone, everyone she met was a good person. She only encountered one bad person, but that one bad person was enough to ruin her whole life.

Who doesn’t encounter a few scumbags in their life? Some scam for money, some scam for feelings, some deceive for sex⁵. At best, you lose money and learn to see clearly; at worst, you end up deeply hurt⁶, losing both the person and your wealth⁷.

Su Xin first went backstage to do her makeup. It wasn’t heavy and glamorous; this bar wasn’t very noisy or chaotic. The customers were mostly working professionals⁸ in their twenties and thirties. You could call it a quiet bar⁹, but with a slight difference.

She wore light makeup. There was a piano on the stage, something Ming Ge treasured. It was left behind by his deceased fiancée. His fiancée had been beautiful and kind-hearted, and loved playing the piano very much. So Ming Ge, who wasn’t particularly wealthy at the time, poured everything he had into buying a piano for his fiancée, placing it in their home. They hadn’t even married yet when his fiancée passed away from illness.

Some things in this world can only be described as fate playing tricks on people. After that, Ming Ge shut himself away. He might seem lively and cheerful, acting like nothing happened, and his explosive temper would flare up when agitated, but only those close and familiar knew his heart had died along with his fiancée’s departure.

Ming Ge always showed extra care towards young girls, especially those who could play the piano. That care held no other meaning; it was like a protective older brother, very heartwarming.

“Airo¹⁰, you’re finally back! What have you been up to for the better part of this month?”

The bartender, doing prep work, greeted Su Xin.

“Had some family matters, that’s why I haven’t been here for so long.”

Su Xin smiled and walked onto the stage to get a feel for the piano.

As it neared opening time, Su Xin stepped off stage, took a sip of water, rubbed her fingers, and checked her phone.

Zhao Yunhan had sent her a message; she had given him the address earlier.

【Zhao Yunhan: I came to this bar last time but didn’t see you, hey. But the atmosphere is nice. Are you here today? If not, I won’t go.】

【Su Xin: Mhm, I’m here today.】

【Zhao Yunhan: Then I’ll come find you!】

Zhao Yunhan, who was in his dorm, shot up from his bed with a whoosh. He had originally decided that if Su Xin wasn’t at the bar, he’d go to the internet cafe for an all-nighter.

For some reason, Su Xin sent a message to her neighbor lady.

【Su Xin: Are you out of the lab? Have you had dinner?】

【Yan Shuang: Mhm, I’m out already, and I’ve eaten. Why the sudden message? Is something wrong?】

Yan Shuang was sitting in her study writing a report. Hearing her phone chime, she picked it up to reply.

【Su Xin: Nothing’s wrong. I’m back at work today. If you’re free, you could come listen to me sing? Give some feedback, maybe? The bar isn’t the noisy kind, it’s pretty comfortable.】

Yan Shuang stopped typing her report. She typed out words of refusal on her phone, but hesitated, never pressing the send key.

Yan Shuang thought for a moment, deleted those words, and replied with a simple ‘Okay’.

Yan Shuang saved the document and shut down her computer.

She walked to the bathroom, took off the glasses from her face, and splashed cold water on it.

This isn’t right.

Yan Shuang said to her reflection in the mirror.

This really isn’t right. Yan Shuang realized with some dismay that she seemed unable to refuse this little neighbor.

Yan Shuang had never been one to leave tasks half-done, but today she had.

Anyway, that report isn’t urgent, Yan Shuang told herself inwardly. But how regrettable would it be to miss the chance to hear her little neighbor sing, to turn down her little neighbor’s invitation?

Hearing the song was secondary; the invitation itself was the most important thing.

Yan Shuang got ready and headed to the destination according to the location Su Xin had provided.

The bar had already started operating. The interior was decorated with a lot of atmosphere. What attracted Yan Shuang the most wasn’t the bartender’s technique, nor the decor, but the girl’s singing voice.

Light, ethereal, and clean, her low humming resonated through the bar, making one unable to resist listening to the wind and nature along with her. It felt like a gentle stream gliding through the heart, instantly calming everything down.

Yan Shuang found a spot where she could observe the girl on stage well and sat down. When the girl sang, her appearance was very captivating.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Just a glass of fruit juice.”

Yan Shuang didn’t like drinking alcohol. In fact, she intensely disliked alcohol because it could muddle her mind, leading to unclear thinking, which was the one thing she couldn’t tolerate. No matter when, she had to maintain a clear head.

“Okay.”

There were low murmurs of conversation in the bar, but it didn’t feel noisy. The overall environment felt very comfortable. The lighting was relatively dim, making it hard to clearly see the faces of people nearby, which offered a sense of security.

Su Xin sang while playing the piano, the lights hitting her, illuminating her beautiful profile, giving off a special feeling.

Like an elf inadvertently drawn into the darkness, radiating her own light, using tranquility to color this bustling world.

Yan Shuang couldn’t say she had much appreciation for music; she was just a rather unrefined science-focused student, demanding of herself and others, though it depended on the person. Music was something Yan Shuang had always respected, because it was someone else’s passion; one couldn’t criticize it as unpleasant or low-brow. Yan Shuang had no intention of delving into these things, so she had never paused her steps for them.

But today, she seemed to understand a little what it meant for music to express a person’s inner heart.

After the girl sang several songs in a row, it seemed like someone else took over. It would be impossible to have her sing alone like this for hours; her voice would give out. So basically, two people took turns, and the customers were all very supportive.

Su Xin gave a bow and walked down from the side of the stage. Aided by the dim light, she spotted Yan Shuang watching her in the crowd at a glance and walked straight towards her.

“A glass of lemonade for me.”

Su Xin nodded at the bartender and plopped down next to Yan Shuang.

“How was it? Any feedback for me?”

Su Xin was beaming; she felt that the woman before her was very pleasing to her eyes.

This really was a truly good person. They were complete strangers, yet she was willing to spend so much time helping her. Plus, her manner was very straightforward and efficient; she never beat around the bush when speaking, which perfectly suited Su Xin’s temperament.

“No feedback, honestly. I don’t know much about this area, but I think you sang very beautifully.”

“Actually, there are still many shortcomings. I plan to find a teacher to learn some techniques, but I don’t have the money right now, so it’ll have to wait. I’m planning to enter the open auditions for a variety show, try my luck, see if I can make it. If I can, then maybe I’ll have the chance to be coached by a teacher? To be honest, I’m not really sure. Still short on cash. Money makes everything so much easier.”

Su Xin’s expression drooped slightly as she picked up the lemonade beside her and took a sip.

“But things will always get better, right? I hope I can make it.”

“When are those open auditions?”

“February next year. Before then… can my body be healed?”

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The author has something to say:

Qing-jie is a protagonist, and Xin-jie is of course a protagonist too!

Xin-jie: Me and my wifey don’t distinguish between us~

The variety show will reference [Redacted] New Voices¹¹, but it won’t have a lot of screen time. The focus is still on scattering sugar¹²!

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