Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 357: Isn't It Just Singing a Few Songs?

Liu Shuo was a terrible singer; at best, he had just tagged along for the fun. Feeling bored sitting in the private room earlier, he had hollered in the group chat, snapped a few photos of the karaoke club, and asked if anyone was nearby.To his surprise, there actually were a few acquaintances singing at the karaoke club.

After all, the small county town was only so big, and the university students only came back for a few days during the holidays.

It wasn't that they were all members of the Xuhuai Association, but there were definitely four or five of them studying in Jinling. Naturally, when they returned home and chatted with their friends, they would bring up the Xuhuai Association, bragging about how badass it was.

Tales of them punching school bullies and kicking shady agencies to the curb had been repeated ad nauseam.

However, the tangible results achieved by the Xuhuai Association were completely real.

For example, while university students in other cities were still making eleven or twelve yuan doing part-time jobs, the Xuhuai Association had already secured an hourly wage of around twenty yuan.

While others were making do with cheap Daqianmen cigarettes.

The members of the Xuhuai Association were all smoking premium Liqun cigarettes.

In society, most young people were actually broke. After graduating from high school, they scattered across the country. On the rare occasions they returned home for a few days to gather, sing, and drink, they would suddenly notice a good friend looking unusually flush with cash. Curious, they would wonder, 'Hey, where did you strike it rich?'

Then, the good friend, puffing on a Liqun, would grin and say, "Strike it rich? Nah, I just did some part-time work on the side."

Upon comparing their situations, the others would immediately feel indignant. "Damn it, how is that fair?! We work ourselves to the bone for eleven yuan an hour, and you get twenty!"

"Why doesn't our area have a Xuhuai Association?"

"Is the Xuhuai Association really as badass as you say?!"

"Of course! Do you know who our boss is? Our boss is the author who wrote that book, I Really Don't Want to Be Reborn. You know him, right? A genius writer!"

"Him? Yeah, I know him!"

In a certain private room, seven or eight boys were gathered around, bragging about their university lives.

It wasn't just them; other university students who had returned home would definitely mention the Xuhuai Association to those around them. It wasn't only the boys who developed a sense of admiration for Zhou Yuwen.

Even the girls, upon hearing their classmates talk about Zhou Yuwen, would develop a strong interest. Dedicated to helping impoverished university students? Starting a food delivery company? A labor company?

It all sounded so full of legendary flair!

The school beauties and class beauties of the small county town lived rather refined lives. They always felt they were gorgeous and that none of the boys around were worthy of them. But after hearing everyone talk about Zhou Yuwen's exploits, they could not help but harbor fantasies about him in their hearts.

They thought to themselves, 'Perhaps only a boy like Zhou Yuwen is worthy of me.'

Liu Shuo wove through the various private rooms, greeting people. Not everyone inside was from the Xuhuai Association; sometimes, there were only one or two friends affiliated with the group.

However, after hearing about the Xuhuai Association, the friends of those members looked at Liu Shuo with profound respect.

Although they did not study in Jinling, they figured that an extra friend meant an extra path in life. Who knew, maybe they would need help in Jinling one day. So, they eagerly offered toasts and handed over cigarettes.

Truth be told, while many students joined the Xuhuai Association, the strongest sense of belonging actually came from those in vocational schools and junior colleges. For other students, joining the Xuhuai Association was perhaps genuinely just about finding a decent part-time job.

But the students with slightly lower academic backgrounds had a different perspective. They truly viewed Liu Shuo as a formidable big shot, and they would even believe the wild rumors circulating outside about Zhou Yuwen.

As a result, they fawned over Liu Shuo even more, calling him "Brother Shuo" with every breath.

They even flattered him by saying it was a pity that Suzhou, where they studied, did not have a Xuhuai Association.

"Brother Shuo, it would be amazing if you guys expanded the Xuhuai Association to Suzhou!"

"Exactly!"

This group of boys held their beers in the private room, shooting the breeze with Liu Shuo.

Liu Shuo laughed and said it was easy!

"Next year, I plan to open a branch for Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou. When that happens, you guys can all be branch leaders!"

"Really?!"

Hearing Liu Shuo say this, these guys were thrilled.

If anyone else had overheard the conversation in this private room, they might have found it childish or even cringeworthy.

But the truth was, such a group of people really existed. After just a few words, their blood boiled with excitement. One by one, they clutched their beer bottles, eager to down a drink in Liu Shuo's honor, declaring, "Brother Shuo, from now on, you're my own flesh and blood brother! I'll do whatever you say! Brother Shuo, can I join the Xuhuai Association right now!?"

Many of the people here didn't actually study in Jinling.

But they simply couldn't resist their long-standing fascination with the Xuhuai Association.

Liu Shuo replied, "That's easy. We're all brothers now that we've met."

"Come on! Let's drink!"

"Cheers!"

In just one afternoon of running between private rooms, Liu Shuo actually managed to recruit a few underlings for the Xuhuai Association.

Zhou Yuwen paid no attention to such matters; he was in another private room singing with Su Qing and Lu Wanting.

Although Su Qing claimed to be tone-deaf, she could still sing some simple songs. She was just a bit shy. If Zhou Yuwen led her, she could manage a few lines.

Lu Wanting, on the other hand, genuinely knew how to sing, and she really loved the karaoke atmosphere.

Zhou Yuwen had earlier selected the song Dao Xiang, which prompted her to chat with him about Jay Chou. Then, as the intro began to play, Lu Wanting enthusiastically clapped out the beat for Zhou Yuwen.

The intro to Dao Xiang was cheerful, truly evoking the feeling of summer, open fields, and a group of childhood friends running around playing.

Lu Wanting held the microphone and danced to the rhythm.

She even gestured for Peng Xiaoyong to get up and join in the fun.

But Peng Xiaoyong was more reserved. He simply pushed up his glasses and remained seated.

Seeing how much Lu Wanting liked the song, Zhou Yuwen asked if she knew how to sing it.

Lu Wanting nodded, indicating that she certainly did.

"Then why don't you start?"

"Me? Really? Is that okay?" Lu Wanting looked a little flattered.

Zhou Yuwen smiled and nodded, saying of course it was.

And so, Lu Wanting opened her vocals and sang the first couple of lines, before Zhou Yuwen joined in, singing all the way to the lyric, cherish everything even if you don't own it. Zhou Yuwen possessed good singing technique, so the moment he opened his mouth, it was a pleasant surprise. Peng Xiaoyong and Su Qing might not have been able to tell, but someone like Lu Wanting, who loved singing, recognized it instantly.

'Not bad at all!'

Lu Wanting gave Zhou Yuwen a big thumbs-up.

Zhou Yuwen simply offered a faint smile.

Then the two of them sang together:

"Do you still remember saying home is the only castle..."

A line like this was actually quite difficult to sing, and most people would go off-key. But because Zhou Yuwen was leading her, Lu Wanting miraculously stayed on pitch. This only made her admire Zhou Yuwen even more, and she kept giving him thumbs-ups.

Zhou Yuwen merely smiled in return, finishing the song alongside her.

"That sounded amazing!"

Before the music even stopped, Lu Wanting was already clapping. "Hey, did you take vocal lessons? You sing incredibly well!"

Zhou Yuwen replied that he had learned a bit.

"So when Su Qing said you write songs, it's true?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, what else can you sing? Let's do another duet, okay?" Lu Wanting said, blinking her eyes eagerly.

Honestly, for a girl far away in a foreign land, it was quite lonely. It was rare to meet a boy who shared her hobbies, so naturally, she was delighted.

Zhou Yuwen, however, was mindful of boundaries. He said, "Uh, you might not like the songs I listen to. Why don't you sing with my cousin?"

He offered the microphone to Peng Xiaoyong.

But Lu Wanting blocked it, pouting her lips. "He's terrible at singing. Just sing with me. Tell me what you like. Hey, do you listen to Mayday?"

"They're alright."

"Then let's sing Mayday, okay?" Lu Wanting asked.

Zhou Yuwen looked over at Peng Xiaoyong.

Peng Xiaoyong pushed up his glasses. "If she wants to sing, just sing with her."

Seeing Lu Wanting getting close to his cousin definitely made Peng Xiaoyong unhappy. He wasn't exactly a generous person by nature, but there was nothing he could do.

Even though it was Lu Wanting herself who had said she wanted to come to China for the holidays to experience the New Year's atmosphere.

Still, as a man, Peng Xiaoyong felt an obligation to ensure she enjoyed herself.

In the few days since returning to the country, he could sense that she hadn't been genuinely happy.

It wasn't that she was miserable.

It was mainly that Peng Xiaoyong felt his hometown was too dull to bring her joy, and he felt rather ashamed of that.

Today, it was rare to see such a bright smile on her face.

If singing a few songs made her happy, then so be it.

Besides, it was only his own cousin.

Since Peng Xiaoyong had given his blessing, Zhou Yuwen accompanied Lu Wanting for a few more songs, from Contentment to Eloping to the Moon.

And then to Soda Green.

Lu Wanting grew happier and happier, remarking that it felt like Zhou Yuwen knew every song she knew how to sing.

Zhou Yuwen said, "My taste in music is just a bit eclectic."

"Then what's your favorite song?"

Lu Wanting had already shifted to sit right beside him, asking with a smile.

Zhou Yuwen said he didn't have a particular favorite.

Seeing Lu Wanting happy naturally made Peng Xiaoyong happy as well.

But to say he didn't feel a twinge of jealousy in his heart would be a lie.

He didn't really like the environment of karaoke clubs, being more of a traditional STEM guy.

Just as he was wondering what to do with himself, a phone call came in regarding a job he had previously contacted.

So, Peng Xiaoyong stepped out of the private room to find a quiet place to answer the call.

The other party was highly impressed with his resume and offered him a position with a salary of 8,000 to 10,000 yuan.

However, Peng Xiaoyong was hoping for a salary of over 10,000 yuan.

The caller explained that with various bonuses and dividends, it could reach 10,000.

But Peng Xiaoyong insisted that he wanted a base salary of at least 10,000.

"Uh, Mr. Peng, your resume is excellent, but we can't possibly offer you a high salary right off the bat. Honestly, it'll be the same no matter which company you go to in Jinling."

The HR representative on the other end sounded very sincere.

Peng Xiaoyong was about to continue the discussion when, walking past a deep corridor, he noticed several girls with dyed blonde hair cornering a tall high school student against the wall.

He hadn't intended to meddle in other people's business, but it suddenly dawned on him—wasn't the girl being cornered his younger cousin?

Peng Xiaoyong turned around.

He heard one of the blonde-haired brats snapping at Liu Yilin, "Isn't it just singing a few songs? It's not like we're asking you to sell your body! Stop acting so high and mighty!"