Qin Baobao suddenly sat upright, listening intently to his singing and silently memorizing the lyrics. Qin Ze had stunned her. It really was a new song?
My little brother is incredible. You can mass-produce them too?
The song Qin Ze sang was called "Borrow Another Five Hundred Years from Heaven." He had heard it in the system's playlist store, where the system said it had collected songs from parallel worlds. Redeeming the song required thirty points, but previews were free. The reason was simple: how could you know whether a song was good if you didn't listen to it first?
Li Zemin had provoked him into singing "Unrivaled Under Heaven," and Qin Ze had laughed inwardly. So what if it was an emperor's song? So what if you sang it well? I happen to have one here. Let's use it to compete with you.
Qin Ze's voice gradually rose. "To live with courage in one's heart, to live without fearing hardship."
"Heroic spirit unchanged through the passing years."
"To live through bitterness and sweetness, with good and evil on separate sides."
"All for the tomorrow of our dreams."
"Watch iron hooves thunder across rivers and mountains for ten thousand miles."
Qin Ze turned around and stretched out his right palm as though gripping something. His voice soared again as he sang passionately, "I stand atop the cresting waves, tightly grasping the turning sun and moon..."
Qin Baobao shuddered all over.
Wang Zijing got goosebumps.
An unnatural flush spread across Zhang Ya's face, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
Li Zemin stared at Qin Ze as though he had seen a ghost.
This song never deliberately flaunted dominance, yet in its lyrics, in Qin Ze's singing, its grandeur was everywhere: I stand atop the cresting waves, tightly grasping the turning sun and moon...
But was dominance alone truly enough for an emperor?
Li Zemin had the grandeur, but he had not truly captured the essence of "Unrivaled Under Heaven."
"Blood floods the human world; how can peace and happiness be found?"
"I truly still wish to live another five hundred years."
"To live with courage in one's heart, to live without fearing hardship."
"Heroic spirit unchanged through the passing years."
"To live through bitterness and sweetness, with good and evil on separate sides."
"All for the tomorrow of our dreams."
There was tragedy in it, pain in it, tenderness in it... not merely dominance.
I truly still wish to live another five hundred years?
Qin Baobao sprang to her feet in excitement, breathing rapidly as her blood boiled.
Qin Ze had been facing the screen, but at that moment, he suddenly turned around to face everyone, gripping the microphone tightly:
"Watch iron hooves thunder across rivers and mountains for ten thousand miles
I stand atop the cresting waves, tightly grasping the turning sun and moon
May fireworks among mankind find peace and happiness
I truly still wish to live another five hundred years."
He paused and drew a deep breath, letting out a deep, powerful roar as though addressing the heavens. "I truly still wish to live another five hundred years..."
Just then, the music ended.
The spacious private room fell silent.
Only Qin Ze's panting could be heard.
Zhang Ya screamed.
Qin Baobao screamed too. She felt like she was about to become her little brother's fangirl.
Wang Zijing clapped desperately.
Chen Qinghong's face was full of amazement.
After a long while, Li Zemin recovered from his shock. Like a great hero in a wuxia novel who had been struck by a palm and vomited blood, he asked, "What kind of martial art was that?"
"Y-you, what did you sing?"
Qin Ze smiled. "It's called 'Borrow Another Five Hundred Years from Heaven.' I wrote the song and composed the melody myself. Not bad, right?"
It was far more than not bad. It was absolutely explosive.
Though that was what Li Zemin thought, he said, "It was all right... pretty novel."
As soon as he said it, he saw Qin Baobao glance at him with a smile. That look clearly held disdain and mockery.
It immediately felt as though a knife had stabbed him in the heart.
At ten that night, the singing ended, and the groups said goodbye outside the KTV.
The way Zhang Ya looked at Qin Ze was a little off, like a curious cat spotting a teaser wand. Fortunately, her boyfriend was there. Otherwise, who knew how that woman might have tried to seduce Qin Ze.
Qin Baobao had been drinking and did not dare drive, so Wang Zijing drove for her.
The siblings sat in the back seat. Qin Baobao's cheeks were flushed red, and she rested her head on Qin Ze's shoulder, barely conscious. Qin Ze closed his eyes to rest, reliving the emotionally charged moments in the private room. The charm of music lay in its ability to stir emotions, making people excited, melancholy, or fired up. Even someone as gentle and reserved as Wang Zijing had gotten a little hyped later on, pulling Qin Ze into singing several duets.
The task completion notification had arrived. The reward was not much, seventy points, the same as the points he had received for writing "Legend" that afternoon.
The conditions for triggering tasks came from the host's inner desires. Qin Ze suddenly remembered that the system had said it had once visited a world of immortals and martial arts. Everyone had a heart that wanted to suddenly belt out a song, and opportunities to show off and slap faces kept appearing. That was a world of glittering swords and flashing knives, where the strong preyed on the weak. Some second-generation immortal with a powerful background would get slapped in the face by the protagonist... The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
Fortunately, I was born in New China and raised beneath the red flag, a flower of the motherland.
If I were in a world of immortals and martial arts, would I spend every day either slapping faces or being hunted down, then hunting people down in return?
While Qin Ze's thoughts wandered, Qin Baobao raised her pretty face and slurred, "Borrow... another five hundred... years."
"All right, all right. I'll teach you this song too."
Qin Baobao said happily, "You were so handsome today."
Qin Ze tilted his head slightly, his eyes flickering. His sister's flower-like face was close at hand, and her breath carried a heavy scent of alcohol.
How did that saying go again?
Brows dark without paint, lips red without rouge.
His heart stirred, and he lowered his voice without thinking. "Then should I get a kiss as a reward?"
Qin Baobao giggled and puckered her lips.
Her lips were bright and glossy.
He had drunk a little, and his emotions were somewhat heightened. In a rush of heat, he was about to lower his head and capture those fragrant lips when Qin Baobao's stomach suddenly churned, air surged upward, and her throat moved.
"Bleurgh."
She threw up.
Qin Ze reacted swiftly and pulled away from his sister's lips, turning his head aside. Fortunately, she had not vomited into his mouth, but it all splashed onto his pant leg.
"Oh no, why did she throw up?"
Wang Zijing, who had been concentrating on driving, was startled. She checked the back seat through the rearview mirror and asked, "Should I pull over and let her throw up for a while?"
She had been focused on the navigation and had not noticed Qin Ze's ridiculous move.
Qin Ze could not bear to look at the filth on his thigh. Half-hugging Qin Baobao, the corners of his mouth twitched. "No, we're almost home. We'll clean up when we get back."
Meanwhile, Chen Qinghong drove Director Xu and Li Zemin home. Her boyfriend, Chu Feng, sat in the front passenger seat.
Director Xu had come in Li Zemin's car, and Li Zemin had drunk too much to drive. A new traffic law had been enacted a few years ago; drunk driving meant detention, while driving while heavily intoxicated carried criminal liability.
Soothing music played in the car. Li Zemin took out a cigarette and lit it, the flame illuminating his sharply defined handsome face.
Chen Qinghong frowned. Most women disliked men smoking. She was no exception, so she opened the rear window.
Li Zemin slowly exhaled a stream of smoke. He was in a bad mood, and anyone would have been. Today, he had been slapped in the face by some young kid. Being slapped in the face was nothing; he was only in his early thirties and had already become a senior company executive. His emotional intelligence and abilities were both solid. His will was not so weak. But getting slapped in the face in front of the goddess in his heart was different. Qin Baobao had not thought much of him to begin with. Now, his hopes were even slimmer.
Without comparison, there was no harm.
Chu Feng studied his superior's expression through the rearview mirror. He was skilled at reading people's hearts, so he comforted him. "President Li, Qin Baobao doesn't have a boyfriend yet. Society is so practical these days. So what if he can write songs and compose music? Can that put food on the table?"
Li Zemin snorted. "It actually can."
"Talent is the sort of thing that gets used up sooner or later, and it's unstable too, isn't it? A man as outstanding as you—if Qin Baobao doesn't choose you, she must be blind."
Li Zemin gave a bitter smile. Beautiful women were not easy to pursue, especially a great beauty like Qin Baobao. She had plenty of admirers around her. The quick got there first, and the slow got nothing.
Chu Feng's eyes shifted as he said, "The weekend is coming up in a couple of days. How about this? Have Qinghong invite her out for dinner again."
Director Xu clapped his hands and said excitedly, "This weekend. Have Wang Zijing come too. My treat, my treat."
After a pause, he said with a cheerful smile, "No problem, right, Qinghong?"
What could Chen Qinghong say? Director Xu was a major client of the company, and she happened to be responsible for him. If she said no, the deal that was practically hers might fly away.
A faint smile was forced onto her delicate face. "I'll try."
Li Zemin added, "That Qin Ze, right? Don't invite him."
"Why?" Chen Qinghong froze. As soon as she spoke, her boyfriend shot her a fierce glare. "Why would he come? So he can disrupt President Li and Qin Baobao getting to know each other again, like today?"
Chen Qinghong stared at her boyfriend in astonishment. "Qin Ze is her little brother. I can't stop him from coming."
Li Zemin froze, flicked his cigarette butt out the window, shut the window, and asked eagerly, "The wind was too loud. What did you just say?"
"Qin Ze is Qin Baobao's little brother."
Li Zemin asked again, "Her biological little brother?"
"Of course. They both have the surname Qin. If he's not her biological little brother, what is he?"
Li Zemin felt the gloom in his chest vanish, replaced by joy and relief. His fighting spirit was reignited.
"I have to criticize you, Qinghong. You never introduced Bao Bao's little brother. We drank for half the night, and I didn't even know who he was." Li Zemin was visibly delighted.
Chen Qinghong said curiously, "Chu Feng, why didn't you introduce him to President Li?"
Chu Feng was dumbfounded. "Qin Ze is Qin Baobao's little brother? I didn't know that."
"I thought you knew."
"What would I know? Back when you were in school, whenever you girls got together for meals, you never brought men along."
"How was I supposed to know you didn't know?"
Li Zemin waved his hand with a beaming smile. "All right, it's no big deal. Not worth arguing over. Ha, hahaha, hahahaha..."
A few minutes later, Little Red Horse drove into the residential complex. In the underground garage, Qin Ze got out while supporting his sister. Wang Zijing ran down from the driver's seat, locked the car, and said, "I'll do it, I'll do it." She took Qin Baobao from him, then glanced at Qin Ze's filthy lower half and kept her distance.
At eleven that night, Qin Ze took a shower and came out of the bathroom in his pajamas. Wang Zijing went in holding her own pajamas. Qin Baobao was practically half-dead, so she definitely could not take a shower.
While Wang Zijing showered, Qin Ze pushed open the bedroom door to check on his sister. She lay on the bed beneath a thin blanket, and Wang Zijing had changed her into pajamas.
"It hurts, my head hurts..." Qin Baobao's delicate brows were tightly furrowed. It was unclear whether she was sleep-talking or awake.
Qin Ze sat down beside the bed. He pressed his thumbs against her head and gently massaged her temples with his middle fingers. Before long, Qin Baobao's furrowed brows relaxed, and her breathing evened out.
He had redeemed intermediate Proficient in Traditional Chinese Medicine, so massaging acupoints was something he could manage.
"Every time you go to a KTV, you drink yourself half to death, even though you can't hold your liquor." Qin Ze complained softly, then lowered his head and kissed his sister.
Qin Ze got up and left, gently closing the door behind him.
Qin Baobao opened her eyes, spat lightly, and muttered, "Shameless bastard."
Before you continue