She was full and looking at me, her eyes filled with satisfaction. I guessed she thought I was trying to find an excuse to sneak back to class.
"Hey, Allen." Gwen suddenly spoke, her voice a little lazy. She held a cigarette between her fingers, pulling it from the pack.
Her fingertips skillfully flicked the lighter, lit it, and she took a deep drag.
White smoke dispersed in front of her, like a blurry circle.
"Music class is over, then it's that old-fashioned history class, just thinking about it is annoying." Her tone was quite carefree, as if she was talking about an irrelevant trifle. "You should hurry back, don't delay your 'important business'."
She emphasized the words "important business" very clearly, with an indescribable hint of teasing, and a deeper, hidden trace of disappointment.
I came back to my senses and looked at Gwen. Her expression was natural, as if she had truly just said it casually. My mouth twitched, and I smiled. Gwen was giving me an out, and also masking her own feelings.
Before, I would always ignore such hints, or directly use studying as an excuse to leave. Thinking about it now, it seemed Gwen was always the one to initiate contact with me. This time... I wanted to spend more time with her.
"It's common for me to buy you alcohol, but accompanying you to skip class, that hasn't happened many times." My tone was steady, but carried a seriousness I myself detected. "Today, I'll accompany you to a... free class."
Gwen froze, an unbelievable light flashing in her eyes.
I knew she had seen my ruthlessness when I fought, and she also knew that deep down, I was a rule-abiding, friendly guy who never misused his fists.
The last time we "sparred," she struck with brutal force in every move, even using a headbutt.
But I never hit her head, and at that time, I didn't even know she was disguised as a handsome guy.
Now, I was actually offering to skip class with her? It would be strange if she wasn't surprised.
I could feel her surprise, and a little... delight? This change seemed to suit her more.
"Then come listen to my work. It's the one we worked on together before, the music and lyrics, it's almost finished now." Gwen's lips curved, her smile irrepressible.
She saw the expectation in my eyes and nodded more definitively: "I originally planned to let you hear the final version. Consider yourself lucky today."
"Let me see how amazing you are, Miss Angel!" I said with a smile.
The sunlight streamed down, warm and not harsh.
Gwen took out her small wooden guitar from her backpack and her fingers naturally strummed the strings.
*When the sunlight hits my face, it won't be long*
*When the sunlight hits my face, it won't be long.*
Gwen sang softly, her fingertips caressing the strings. The flowing sound of the guitar poured out, like a clear spring in the mountains, cleansing the restlessness in the air.
*'Till the time I can forget when I felt strong.*
Her voice was ethereal, with a touch of innocence, yet it had a special quality.
Gwen was focused, truly like an angel who had fallen to the mortal world.
*But until the night I'm in your arms again.*
*I don't wanna get my hopes up in the end…*
I listened quietly. Memories surged like a tide.
Before, I accepted my uncle's conditions, gave up my inheritance, gave up my friends, gave up everything, and fled back to Huaxia.
I trapped myself in a cage of self-abandonment and self-isolation, living like a walking corpse.
I could never escape that shadow. When I was twenty-five, my body suddenly gave out, organs failing, life nearing its end.
I could only lie in a hospital bed, waiting for God to send this kind of scum, this person who had wasted so much love from those who cared about him, to hell. I... I didn't deserve to live in this world.
When I was close to death, I found a song Gwen wrote online, this very song, which she wrote on the school rooftop.
That song was heartbreaking, sad like crying, completely different from the heavenly sound it was now.
At the time, I cried as I listened, tears streaming down. An unspeakable sadness pierced my soul. Regret, self-reproach, apology, gnawed at my heart.
Thank goodness, I was given a chance to live again.
Now, to be able to sit beside Gwen, listening to her angelic voice, feeling her naturally expressed joy, it's truly wonderful... truly so good.
This song, it should have been sung this way. Full of hope and love, not despair and sadness.
Gwen finished singing, her eyes closed, as if waiting for something.
Where was the applause? Where was my applause?
I hadn't reacted at all. Gwen couldn't help it, she opened her eyes, wanting to see how this dork, who had just shown a little improvement, could be so clueless... about fun...
My expression almost stopped her heart.
Gwen saw that my clear eyes were full of tears, and my gaze was mixed with too many things and memories.
Heartbreak... struggle, and longing.
I didn't know what my eyes looked like, or what Gwen saw. But I truly forgot to applaud her.
Her song was amazing, and she sang it wonderfully. It was amazing to be back!!
Just as I was about to say something, Gwen had already embraced me.
"I don't know what happened to you. Don't be sad anymore, I'm always here. It's just one song..." She kept comforting me.
I was speechless for a moment, not knowing what expression was on my face, only busy wiping away the dirt from my face with my fingers.
"I've let go of the exchange student program. And I don't need your applause anymore. Don't be sad anymore, the girl who skips stones is still waiting for you in Clayton City. Now... just accompanying me to sing is enough.
Gwen's voice was warm and magnificent. Why did I not cherish it before, why did I have to wait until I lost it to regret it?
I wiped away the lingering dirt from my face, the scent of her hair still on my nose, mixed with a faint tobacco smell, not unpleasant, but rather reassuring.
"You're so good at business administration and finance, Clayton University... such a good school, you could totally try for it. And..." I paused, my fingertips gently touching the guitar strings, "For this song, I thought of a choral harmony version, do you want to try it with me?"
I took the wooden guitar Gwen handed me, placed it horizontally on my lap, and gently strummed.
The familiar melody slowly flowed on the rooftop, like a small stream, passing through the valley of memories.
I motioned for Gwen to start singing. Her clear voice, like a mountain spring, immediately drew me into the music.
As Gwen sang the first line, I joined in with a deep voice for the harmony. The two voices intertwined and collided, like two lonely stars meeting in the universe, attracting and circling each other.
Gwen's singing remained ethereal, like an angel untouched by the mortal world. My singing, however, was like a traveler who had walked many paths, carrying memories of the past and aspirations for the future.
Our voices echoed on the rooftop, blending with the breeze and sunlight, creating a beautiful scene.
I could feel Gwen's surprise and joy, her eyes shining as if she had discovered a new continent. Her body leaned slightly forward, as if she wanted to hear more clearly.
...
"When the sunlight hits my face, it won't be long." Gwen sang, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.
"I don't wanna get my hopes up in the end." I sang in a deep voice, the end of the phrase rising slightly, like resignation to fate, yet also like anticipation for the future.
As the last note fell, only Gwen's and my soft breathing, and the rustling of leaves in the wind, remained on the rooftop.
Neither of us spoke, we just quietly looked at each other. There was emotion, reluctance, and a subtle, indescribable feeling flowing quietly in the air.
"Allen..." Gwen broke the silence first, her voice a little hoarse, as if still immersed in the music. "This song... this choral harmony version... it's amazing."
She seemed unable to find the right words to describe it, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"It depends on who you sing it with." I smiled, handing the wooden guitar back to Gwen. "This song has great music, great lyrics, and an even better original singer."
"Cut the flattery!" Gwen took the guitar, rolled her eyes at me, but couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up. "Flattery won't work, don't think you can get money from me. But..." She changed the subject, a hint of slyness flashing in her eyes. "I want to hear this choral harmony version again."
"No problem, you can listen as many times as you want." I shrugged, looking relaxed. "Anyway, this 'free class' is still long."
Gwen burst out laughing. She put the wooden guitar aside, pulled out a bag of mayonnaise-flavored potato chips from her pocket, tore open the package, and offered me one.
"Hey, I say, have you changed today? You used to not be this... hmm... this good with words." Gwen asked indistinctly while chewing on a chip.
I took the chip, bit into it, and it was satisfyingly crunchy. "People change, you know."
Gwen remarked, "You're two years younger than me... but it's good that you've changed, you've matured so much overnight."
"But seriously, Allen, how did you come up with this choral harmony? It's simply... like the soul harmony version of this song. Don't call it choral harmony, it should be called the soul harmony version. I love it!!" Gwen put away her joking demeanor and asked seriously.
I looked into the distance, my thoughts drifting back to my previous life. At that time, I was in a hospital bed, listening to Gwen's song, tears streaming down my face. The song was full of despair and sadness, completely different from the joyful one now.
"Perhaps... it's empathy." I said softly, "This song isn't just your song, it also has inspiration that I helped provide. It sings about the combination of our ideas."
Gwen nodded thoughtfully, as if she understood something, yet also as if she understood nothing at all.
"Indeed, this song is precisely because of you... Alright! Let's do it again, I'll record the soul harmony version of this song on my phone."
"Hmm, does this one have a title yet?"
Gwen instantly became a little shy: "Uh... actually, I have a concept, but it's not finalized yet..."
I couldn't help but say: "In Your Arms Again..."
Gwen listened to the title I gave, paused for a few seconds, then smiled brightly: "Mm-hmm... let's use that name."
After saying that, she hugged me tightly again, as if not wanting me to see her expression.