That night, the rehearsal for the freshman welco party lasted until after 8 PM. As ti passed, fewer and fewer people remained in the auditorium, and the Arts Departnt's opening dance performance was one of the first to hit the stage.
There were nine girls, all tall and slim. The ones at the front were dressed uniformly in pleated skirts and white sneakers, though their socks varied. Zheng Yanyan, who was leading the dance from the center, wore white over-the-knee socks. Her legs were already long, and the socks made her stand out even more. As she danced, she couldn’t resist throwing flirtatious glances at Zhou Yuwen.
As for Zhou Yuwen's class, their performance was arguably the least exciting. The student’s participation wasn’t great either.
Most of them were thinking, "Why do other classes get to sing and dance, while we’re stuck doing a group choir?"
If they were to win an award, third place would be the best they could hope for.
Even though people said that, so class officers insisted that the freshman show was a collective event, ant to include everyone.
Their counselor, You Changjin, took it seriously as well. He even invited a senior who studied vocal music to guide their class on how to sing.
By 8:15, the auditorium was mostly cleared out, except for Zhou Yuwen's class, which was lazily rehearsing their group choir.
These types of collective activities seed to mostly attract the enthusiasm of the class leaders, while the other students found them rather tireso. A few students were grumbling about not having eaten dinner and wondering how long they would have to stay.
Tao Tian stood at the auditorium entrance, giving last-minute instructions to each of the girls about to perform, then told them to go take a shower.
They were to et at the school gate at 9 PM.
After all the students had left, Tao Tian called out to Zhou Yuwen:
"Zhou Yuwen!"
The students on stage turned to look at Zhou Yuwen, surprised.
By this ti, school had been in session for about a week, and as more students joined the Student Council, they began to learn more about so of the school's notable figures.
One such figure was Tao Tian from the Arts Departnt, widely regarded as one of the academy’s goddesses. Her flawless figure was emphasized by her yoga pants, with white socks snugly wrapping her ankles.
She had a tall fra and a cheerful smile, and with her senior charm, it was easy to see why she attracted attention.
Since Zhou Yuwen wasn’t in the Student Council, he hadn’t seen Tao Tian’s cooler, more formal side, so when everyone saw Tao Tian greeting him, they were quite surprised.
Zhou Yuwen asked her what was up.
Tao Tian smiled and said, “I’m heading back. Don’t forget, we’re eting at the school gate at 9.”
“Mm, you go ahead.”
With that, Tao Tian turned and left.
Zhou Yuwen's classmates began to murmur among themselves.
“Brother Zhou, how do you know Tao Tian?” asked Jiang Chao.
Jiang Chao was a Jinling native who often clashed with Chang Hao during military training, which had created tension between their dorms. At first, Jiang Chao had thought Zhou Yuwen was kind of arrogant, but now, seeing how familiar he was with Tao Tian, Jiang Chao was taken aback and decided to approach him.
Zhou Yuwen replied casually, “Who doesn’t know Minister Tao?”
“No, no, Brother Zhou, that’s not what I ant,” Jiang Chao stamred, not sure how to continue.
“All right, everyone, quiet down. Let’s go through this one last ti,” Chang Hao said from the front.
They went through the choir performance a couple more tis, but it still didn’t et expectations.
The vocal coach suggested they have soone with singing experience lead the group.
Chang Hao thought that was a good idea and asked Zhou Yuwen if he wanted to lead.
Zhou Yuwen chuckled and said, "Nah, I don’t actually know how to sing this song."
“You can throw
in to make up the numbers, but leading? No way.”
Hearing Zhou Yuwen say this, no one pressed him further.
By 8:40, the auditorium was completely empty. Su Qing had been hoping to stay behind and have a few words with Zhou Yuwen, and she lingered for a while, watching him.
But Zhou Yuwen didn’t even glance her way.
On top of that, since Tao Tian had already told Zhou Yuwen to join the Arts Departnt gathering, Su Qing figured she’d find another ti to talk things over with him.
Zheng Yanyan quickly returned to her dorm to shower and change into a clean outfit: a small camisole paired with a loose blue shirt, left unbuttoned. The camisole didn’t fully cover her slim waist, and she wore dark blue cropped jeans that flattered her tall figure.
After her shower, it was already 8:50. She went back to the auditorium to wait for Zhou Yuwen to finish rehearsal.
To be blunt, Zheng Yanyan didn’t think much of Zhou Yuwen's class performance.
She had originally wanted to hear Zhou Yuwen sing a bit, but the stage was chaotic, and she couldn’t hear anything clearly, so she busied herself with her phone instead.
“All right, this ti was much better than before. We still have a little ti, so let’s run through it one more ti,” Chang Hao said.
“Bro, are you serious? It’s almost 9 o’clock,” Jiang Chao grumbled.
“Yeah, we haven’t even had dinner yet.”
“His girlfriend is still waiting down there.”
People laughed and teased, causing an uproar.
Chang Hao called for everyone to settle down.
He knew everyone was eager to finish, but he urged them to hold on for just one more run-through, reminding them that this was their class’s first collective event and that Mr. You had high hopes for them. They couldn’t let him down.
Zhou Yuwen said, “If that’s all, I’m going to head out. I have sothing to do later.”
He didn’t an to disrespect Chang Hao, but his girlfriend was waiting for him downstairs. Chang Hao understood that Zhou Yuwen had other commitnts and nodded at him.
After Zhou Yuwen left, Chang Hao asked the group to do the performance one last ti.
Although they groaned in protest, they reluctantly agreed to go through it one more ti.
Zheng Yanyan crossed her legs, tapping her foot as she waited. When she saw Zhou Yuwen co down, she pouted and said, “I thought you were going to rehearse all night.”
“Of course not,” Zhou Yuwen laughed.
He pulled Zheng Yanyan up, and she imdiately clung to his arm, whining, “I’m so hungry~!”
With Zheng Yanyan hanging onto him, Zhou Yuwen left the auditorium.
By the ti they left, it was already past 9 PM. Zhou Yuwen sent a ssage to Tao Tian telling her not to wait for him and Zheng Yanyan.
“We might be a bit late. You guys go ahead and eat first.”
Tao Tian sent an "OK" emoji in response.
The Arts Departnt was having its first group dinner that night. As the departnt head, Tao Tian had a reputation for being a bit of a spender. While other departnts only charged 50 yuan for their group activities, the Arts Departnt charged 80 yuan. Not only did they have dinner plans, but they were also going to a KTV to sing later.
In truth, Zheng Yanyan wasn’t too keen on going. After all, what fun could a bunch of girls have?
Zhou Yuwen asked, “What, would you prefer a group of guys instead?”
“Hehe, of course not. I just want you, hubby~” Zheng Yanyan said, clinging to Zhou Yuwen.
The two of them grabbed a simple al at the school cafeteria since Zhou Yuwen wasn’t fond of buffets. The evening was neither too hot nor too cold, so after dinner, they walked to the KTV.
When they arrived, they found that the others had already been singing for a while in the VIP suite Tao Tian had reserved. She really knew how to spend—besides booking a luxury room, the table was loaded with snacks, fruit platters, and beer. Zhou Yuwen was surprised to see three guys in the room.
One of them was Xiao Yang, the Student Council Vice President, whom Zhou Yuwen recognized.
“Why are you so late?” Tao Tian asked with mild annoyance when she saw Zhou Yuwen.
“We got delayed at rehearsal,” Zhou Yuwen
explained.
“Oh, I thought you weren’t coming. Did you drive?” Tao Tian asked, swirling the beer in her hand.
Tao Tian smiled and handed Zhou Yuwen a beer, helping him open it. As they sat down, Zheng Yanyan went off to join Lu Lin, who was sitting alone. Zhou Yuwen noticed that a guy seed to be lingering around Lu Lin, and it annoyed him.
Tao Tian handed Zhou Yuwen a drink and signaled for a toast.
Under the flashing lights, Tao Tian looked even more stunning, with her long, wavy hair giving off a night-life vibe. Clearly, she was no stranger to these kinds of places.
She smiled and asked, “Did you ask about that favor for ?”
The KTV room was noisy. After clinking glasses and taking a sip, Tao Tian sat down right next to Zhou Yuwen, practically glued to his side.
She must have showered after leaving the auditorium, as she had changed into a beige short dress. Her legs, now bare, glead as if she’d applied lotion, and her dress had a wide neckline, exposing one of her shoulders and a black bra strap.
She wore a light, alluring perfu.
But Zhou Yuwen wasn’t focused on her. His attention kept drifting to Lu Lin, who was being pestered by that guy.
Lu Lin didn’t seem to be paying any attention to him.
She was always quiet and introverted, regardless of whether it was Li Qiang or anyone else trying to talk to her.
She sat silently in the corner.
The room was filled with about a dozen girls, all flaunting their legs, except for Lu Lin, who wore a modest sweater and black jeans.
The guy raised his glass, smiling as he tried to get Lu Lin to drink.
But Lu Lin shook her head, saying she didn’t drink.
“Are you afraid soone’s going to steal your girlfriend?” Tao Tian asked playfully when she noticed Zhou Yuwen was distracted.
At that mont, Zheng Yanyan had joined Lu Lin, teasing the guy, asking if he was trying to court Lu Lin.
Hearing Tao Tian’s teasing, Zhou Yuwen just smiled and joked, “If my girlfriend gets stolen, I’ll just turn around and go after you, Senior.”
Tao Tian rolled her eyes and leaned in closer, whispering in his ear, “So, did you ask about what I needed?”
Because it was noisy, everyone was leaning close to talk. Zhou Yuwen whispered in Tao Tian’s ear, “I did ask.”
“Senior, I’m taking this seriously for you. There’s a car model gig for 400 yuan.”
He held up four fingers.
“Wow, that much?” Tao Tian covered her mouth in disbelief.
“I asked specifically for you. They wanted professional models, but I figured you’d do just fine.”
“Sounds good,” Tao Tian chuckled, raising her glass. “Then let
toast to you.”
“This isn’t just a toast-worthy thing, Senior. Doesn’t this deserve a dinner?”
Tao Tian laughed and said, “Wait until I get paid!”
Zhou Yuwen laughed, then leaned closer and asked in her ear, “Who’s that guy?”
Tao Tian initially thought Zhou Yuwen was trying to get close for sothing else, but it turned out he was just asking about the guy.
She teased, “Are you worried soone will steal your girlfriend?”
Zhou Yuwen smiled and didn’t deny it. With Zheng Yanyan and a few other girls sitting with Lu Lin, the guy was getting a lot of attention.
Tao Tian explained, “His na is Chen Jiaming, a sophomore from the South. His family is in business.”
“He’s not after Yanyan,” she laughed.
Zhou Yuwen nodded.
Then he noticed the guy was trying to get Lu Lin to sing a duet with him. Lu Lin said she didn’t sing, but the guy laughed and said, “There’s no way you don’t know how to sing!”
“How about a Cantonese song?”
Lu Lin clearly wasn’t enjoying herself. She shook her head but then noticed Zhou Yuwen watching her from across the room.
In the dimly lit room, their eyes t, and Lu Lin saw sothing possessive in Zhou Yuwen's gaze.
Was he…jealous?
For so reason, Lu Lin felt a bit happy about that.
“Co on, sing! I’m telling you, Lu Lin has a beautiful voice,” Zheng Yanyan teased with a giggle.
Egged on by Zheng Yanyan, the guy plucked up the courage to select a Cantonese song called “Begging the Gods.”
This song was an insert in Stephen Chow’s movie Flirting Scholar. It tells the story of a young lady going to a temple to pray, only to et a mischievous scholar. The lyrics are humorous, like playful banter between a man and a woman.
It’s a classic Cantonese song, perfect for a duet.
But the guy picked it, hoping to sing it with Lu Lin.
Lu Lin didn’t want to sing and was getting irritated.
But Zheng Yanyan pushed the microphone into her hand, jokingly urging her to try it with the handso guy.
By that ti, the song had already started.
It began with a light instruntal, like the sound of a gong.
The guy held the mic and prepared himself, trying to sing in proper Cantonese.
But before he could start, Zhou Yuwen cut in.
Seeing the guy about to sing, Zhou Yuwen gestured for Tao Tian to pass him the microphone.
At first, Tao Tian didn’t understand what Zhou Yuwen was planning.
It wasn’t until Zhou Yuwen began to sing that she was stunned. Wasn’t Zhou Yuwen from Xu Zhou? How was his Cantonese so good?
Not only Tao Tian, but the others in the room also hadn’t noticed Zhou Yuwen until he started singing. His Cantonese was flawless, but even more impressive was his singing ability.
He was leagues ahead of Chen Jiaming.
Chen Jiaming was a sophomore, and many people had already heard him sing this song before. But with just a few lines, Zhou Yuwen completely outshined him.
“Begging the gods, begging the gods.”
Without caring what others thought, Zhou Yuwen sang the next line directly at Lu Lin: “Begging friends, begging matchmakers, begging Guanyin to play Cupid.”
The song was lighthearted and playful.
When Zheng Yanyan heard her boyfriend sing in such perfect Cantonese, she was stunned.
As Zhou Yuwen finished his verse, the lody shifted to the female part.
Lu Lin, who had been reluctant to sing, couldn’t help but smile at Zhou Yuwen’s gaze.
She was amused because Zhou Yuwen was jealous. Jealous over her.
“Scholar, you’ve gone too far, you’ve offended my gods,” Lu Lin finally began to sing. Being from the South, her Cantonese was effortless and fluid, especially when she sang.
“Are you joking, looking for a fool to match with?”
As Lu Lin sang, Zhou Yuwen playfully responded: “Miss, your scolding is impressive. This scholar isn’t even human. I’m a beast, suddenly feeling dizzy. Recharge , it’s thrilling.”
As Zhou Yuwen delivered his playful lines, he stepped closer to Lu Lin and gestured for her to stand up and sing with him.
It was the first ti Lu Lin had seen Zhou Yuwen act so playful, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
She continued singing, “This fate is truly unfortunate, coming to worship the gods. Colliding with you? Ha, go reincarnate in Ghost Town.”
The song was upbeat and fun, and Zhou Yuwen and Lu Lin both enjoyed themselves, especially since they were interacting throughout the performance.
Zhou Yuwen sang in Cantonese: “Miss, why are you smiling so sweetly? Could it be that you’ve fallen for ?”
To which Lu Lin rolled her eyes: “You’re so dumb and foolish, how could I possibly fall for you?”
Zhou Yuwen replied, “Hey, I was just joking, and you took it seriously?”
Hearing Zhou Yuwen sing those lines, Lu Lin rolled her eyes again, but both of them were having a good ti.
Those who didn’t know Zhou Yuwen asked, “Who’s that guy? He’s so good-looking.”
“Is he from Guangdong too? His Cantonese is really good.”
As for Zheng Yanyan, who had initially been teasing Lu Lin about getting into a relationship, she hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. When she overheard people saying how well-matched Zhou Yuwen and Lu Lin were, her face turned green.
Reviews
All reviews (0)