My Landlord is an Idol Singer - Chapter 160

Filming a movie and joining a singing show, Gu Zhinan was suddenly becoming as busy as she was. Would she even see him anymore at the apartment?

A strange sense of loss welled up in Xia An’ge’s chest. “When will your movie be finished?”

Gu Zhinan stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. After a long pause, he smiled. “If all goes well, by the end of December. At the latest, early January. That fat guy said he wants to release it right after the New Year.”

He looked at her with a teasing glint in his eyes. “How about singing the theme song for me?”

Xia An’ge’s peach blossom eyes sparkled with curiosity. “A movie theme song?”

“The theme song? A new one?”

“Yeah, but it’s not written yet.”

“So the script is yours, the investment is yours, and now the theme song too? President Gu?” Xia An’ge rested her chin in her hands and leaned closer to take a good look at his handsome, scholarly face. He looked like a refined intellectual, but acted like a brute. Total contradiction.

“Heh. I can’t afford to pay you, though. How about… I owe you again?”

“One condition.” She held up one finger. “Agree to one condition and I’ll sing it.”

“What condition?”

Xia An’ge pressed her lips together, she hadn’t thought of one yet. “I’ll decide later.”

Gu Zhinan shrugged. “Sure, I’ll owe it. Doesn’t matter. But, will Starlight Entertainment even allow it?”

If they were planning for a post New Year release, then it would probably hit theaters in late February or early March. According to Xiao Ying, Xia An’ge’s contract with Starlight ran until the end of February, meaning she’d be free by early March.

“I’ll handle it myself,” Xia An’ge replied calmly.

Gu Zhinan nodded, though he made a mental note to keep an eye on it. Then he remembered Yue Wen.

“So our mighty landlord has become a corporate drone? Yue Wen from Starlight is the lead actress in a new sci-fi movie. I heard your company invested 25 million into that project. Pretty big deal. And the worst part? The director of that movie… we’ve got some history with him.”

Xia An’ge frowned at the mention of Yue Wen landing a movie role. She already knew about that. But when he mentioned the director having a grudge with them, she tilted her head in confusion. “What kind of grudge?”

So Gu Zhinan explained the beef between Lai Jingming and Lu Gao Chi. Xia An’ge listened with her mouth slightly open, clearly shocked. Once he finished, she suddenly asked, “Wait… are you a scumbag?”

“…???” Gu Zhinan blinked, completely thrown off. How did the topic shift to him? Before he could say anything, she continued. “Are you just a straight guy, or a jerk?”

“I’m…”

“You know what? Whatever.” He was too tired to argue. He just wanted to sleep.

But in her heart, Xia An’ge was gleeful, she’d managed to get Gu Zhinan to flinch twice in one night. Outwardly though, she remained expressionless.

BOOM!!!

A sudden thunderclap outside made both of them jump. Lightning flashed across the balcony windows. Then Gu Zhinan remembered the weather forecast in Hangzhou, which said it would rain today. But this was Lin City. How was it raining here too? 

“It’s going to rain?” Frightened, Xia An’ge instinctively scooted closer to Gu Zhinan on the couch. He nodded, got up, and quickly went to the balcony to bring things inside and shut the sliding glass doors.

Outside, the rain had already started pouring, getting heavier by the minute. Probably the first major autumn rain. 

“Looks pretty intense. Might be even worse than the night I ran out to find you.” As he returned, he said it casually.

Xia An’ge’s ears burned. She looked down at the quiet guitar resting on the couch and her eyes lit up. “What song were you playing this afternoon?”

“Song?” Gu Zhinan thought for a moment, then smiled softly. “Sunny Day.”

Clear skies in the heart, storming outside. A song named Sunny Day… but the whole thing’s about rain. Strangely fitting for tonight’s weather.

“Sunny Day…” Xia Ange repeated under her breath. With a name like that, the song should’ve sounded cheerful, but from what she’d heard, Gu Zhinan’s music always had a different kind of mood. Summer Wind, Love Song, and now Sunny Day…

“It’s not finished yet, is it?” She suddenly wanted to hear it, half a song would do!

“Yeah, it’s not done yet.” Though he already knew it by heart, performing it was another matter entirely. Looking into her peach blossom eyes, he asked gently, “Want to hear it?”

Xia An’ge nodded.

“Alright.” Gu Zhinan sat back down on the floor. Xia An’ge followed and sat beside him, her heart pounding. She had spent so much time with him, but her heartbeat was still uncontrollable.

He picked up his guitar and adjusted the tuning.

Outside, the wind howled, and the rain turned torrential. Lightning occasionally split the sky with blinding light, followed by thunder that rumbled like an explosion.

Gu Zhinan glanced at her and said cautiously, “I’m not saying anything, but… don’t you think every time you come back, something happens? Like… bad feng shui?”

“Shut up!” Xia An’ge grabbed a pillow and smacked him.

He shrank back with a pout, he was just saying it felt weird! Every time she returned, either she got hurt, or something happened. And now, this massive downpour. Wasn’t it a little too much?

Xia An’ge also knew exactly what this annoying brute was implying, he wanted her to go get her feng shui checked! Hadn’t he just said he believed in science? “Men and their lies!”

“Sing!” She gritted her teeth.

“Okay, okay.” He adjusted his posture and grew serious. His fingers gently strummed the strings, and the melody that Xia Ange had heard earlier outside the door floated into the air, even more beautiful now that she could hear it clearly.

“The little yellow flower in the story has drifted since the year it was born. The childhood swing still sways in my memories to this day…”

He sang softly, like a quiet murmur. Though he knew the song well, this was his first time actually performing it.

To Xia An’ge, no matter how many times she saw him sing, it never got old. He was so serious about music and that seriousness made him incredibly attractive. The lyrics were beautiful too. All of Gu Zhinan’s songs had poetic lyrics. Meanwhile, she still hadn’t managed to write even one full song of her own. She’d been trying, she had ideas, but something was always missing.

“With the intro playing and eyes on the sky, I remember the petals trying to fall. The day I skipped class for you, the day flowers fell, in that school yard. Why can’t I see it anymore? The rainy day that disappeared, I really want to feel it again…”

Gu Zhinan smiled slightly. His favorite part was coming up, and Xia An’ge knew the chorus was next, she leaned in closer without realizing it.

“Didn’t think I’d still have the courage I lost! I want to ask again, would you stay, or leave? On that windy day, I tried to hold your hand, but the wind blew and grew, ‘til I couldn’t see you anymore…”

Just as he reached that line, lightning lit up the entire sky. The flash shot through the glass and illuminated the whole room, casting sharp shadows of both of them.

Then… ZAPPP!!! A deafening thunderclap followed, and the power went out.

“Oh no.” Gu Zhinan’s hand froze on the strings. His left arm, the one pressing down the chords, was now gripped tightly by Xia An’ge. “The power’s out,” he said, staring out at the relentless lightning. “This storm is serious,” he thought.

“What do we do?” She asked, clutching his arm in panic. That sudden thunder had really startled her.

“It’s a small issue, probably a circuit problem. This is an old building, power might not come back tonight. But we’ve got candles in the TV cabinet, and our phones have batteries. Nothing to worry about.”

Calm as ever, Gu Zhinan stood up. Xia An’ge let go of his arm. He walked to the balcony and drew the curtains shut. Watching that storm outside was honestly unsettling.

Using his phone flashlight, he rummaged through the TV cabinet and found a pack of candles. Then, with a lighter from the kitchen and three upside-down plates, he lit three candles and set them on the table.

The living room was suddenly bathed in soft candlelight, casting flickering shadows of the two of them on the walls.

In the warm glow, Xia An’ge’s face reappeared before Gu Zhinan’s eyes, lit gently, like an old painting touched by gold.