Chapter 18: Beach Vacation (Final)

Because of the bonfire party, the beach was much livelier than usual that night.

In the middle of the beach, a large bonfire had already been lit.

The dancing flames rose high into the air, as if trying to fill the dark and chilly night with warmth and excitement.

Beside the bonfire were several barbecue grills loaded with all kinds of seafood.

For most people, the best way to enjoy the bonfire party was to eat barbecue while watching the performances.

Of course, anyone who wanted to could also join the crowd dancing and singing around the fire.

However, Li Nuo was not in the mood for that.

With his head hanging low, he slowly walked toward the location Zhou Qikuan had sent him.

The gloomy feeling coming from him stood in sharp contrast to the cheerful atmosphere around him.

But he did not care.

After all, nobody here knew him.

When he arrived at the meeting spot, he discovered that An Ran'er was also attending the party.

Then again, that was only natural.

The four of them had come on this vacation together.

It would have been stranger if she had not come.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so down?"

Noticing that his good friend seemed upset, Zhou Qikuan walked over and asked quietly.

"N-Nothing."

Of course, Li Nuo could not tell him that he was heartbroken. Or more accurately, it was a relationship that had ended before it even began.

"Really?"

Zhou Qikuan looked suspicious.

"I'm in a great mood. Stop imagining things."

To stop Zhou Qikuan from worrying, Li Nuo forced out a smile.

"Good. Come over then. The barbecue is almost ready."

"Okay."

The young men and women gathered around the bonfire enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

Besides the bonfire and barbecue, there were also performances featuring local musical instruments.

Excited by the cheerful mood, Zhou Qikuan tried to drag Li Nuo and the others into the group dancing around the fire.

Li Nuo immediately refused.

He simply was not in the mood for group activities.

An Ran'er felt the same way.

She was not very interested in those kinds of activities either.

In the end, only Zhou Qikuan and Ye Feilu joined the circle dancing around the bonfire.

Once they left, only Li Nuo and An Ran'er remained beside the barbecue grill.

Looking at An Ran'er sitting next to him, Li Nuo had no idea what to say.

To avoid making things awkward, he grabbed several squid skewers that Zhou Qikuan had prepared and placed them on the grill, pretending to focus on cooking.

On the surface, he was grilling squid.

In reality, his thoughts had already drifted far away.

His mind was filled with the image of An Ran'er laughing and chatting with that man at the shopping street earlier that afternoon.

It was not until he heard a shout that he snapped back to reality.

"Hey! What are you doing? You've burned everything!"

"Huh?"

Li Nuo looked down.

Only then did he realize he had turned the squid skewers into black lumps of charcoal.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

He quickly moved the burned squid away from the hot coals.

An Ran'er had noticed from the beginning that something was wrong with him.

Frowning, she asked,

"You've been distracted this whole time. Did something happen?"

Naturally, Li Nuo could not tell her that he had been upset because he thought she had a boyfriend.

So he remained silent.

Seeing him lower his head without answering, An Ran'er refused to let it go.

"What is it? Is there something you can't tell me? Maybe I can help."

Looking at her concerned expression, Li Nuo finally could not hold it in anymore.

In a quiet voice, he asked,

"C-Classmate An... do you already have a boyfriend?"

"Huh?!"

An Ran'er never expected that question. Her expression immediately changed.

"This afternoon... I saw you at the shopping street... with a guy... buying souvenirs."

Li Nuo scratched his cheek while avoiding eye contact.

After hearing his explanation, An Ran'er rolled her eyes and said seriously,

"First, I do not have a boyfriend. Second, the man you saw this afternoon is just my band's manager. He happened to be on vacation here too, and I ran into him by chance. We were only talking about band-related matters."

After saying that, she suddenly found it strange.

Why was she explaining all this to him in such detail?

"So... Classmate An, you don't have a boyfriend right now, right?"

Li Nuo's eyes immediately lit up.

"No."

The moment she denied having a boyfriend, Li Nuo felt his fighting spirit return.

If she did not have a boyfriend, then that meant he still had a chance.

Seeing him suddenly come back to life, combined with everything he had just asked, even An Ran'er understood what he meant.

A sly smile appeared on her face. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered,

"Tell me... do you like me?"

"Yeah..."

Completely caught off guard, Li Nuo instinctively answered honestly.

Then he froze.

"W-Wait... no! I don't!"

He hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands.

"Hehe, I knew you liked me."

"I don't... I really don't..."

"Still, you should give up."

An Ran'er's smile faded slightly.

"To be honest, I don't like boys."

"......"

That single sentence completely crushed the hope Li Nuo had just regained.

She did not like boys?

Did that mean she liked girls?

Was Classmate An actually into girls?

At that moment, Li Nuo knew he had no chance.

Still, he could not stop himself from asking,

"Then... why did you invite me to join your band?"

"I never told you?" An Ran'er looked surprised.

"No."

Back then, Li Nuo had agreed to join the band without really thinking things through.

Even afterward, he never fully understood why she wanted him to join.

Now he finally asked directly. An Ran'er did not try to hide the truth.

"Because of your voice. Your singing voice is the most captivating voice I've ever heard. You know that [The Girls] currently needs a lead vocalist. And you're the most suitable person for that role."

"You invited me because of my singing?"

"Yes."

Li Nuo stood there silently for a long time.

Seeing that, An Ran'er became worried.

"Are you planning to take back your promise and refuse to join the band?"

Her heart was full of anxiety.

If Li Nuo refused, the band would almost certainly disband permanently.

There was simply not enough time to find another lead singer.

She bit her lip.

If necessary, she had even decided that she would agree to become his girlfriend if he asked.

Anything for the sake of the band. But before she could say anything, Li Nuo spoke first.

"If I go back on something I already promised, then what kind of man would that make me? Don't worry, I'll join your band."