Goose-step into Karaoke and Sing a Red Song for the Party

Lu Xiaoxiao was annoyed. So annoyed that she snatched the glass back, poured most of the wine back into the bottle, leaving only a shallow layer at the bottom, then shoved it back into Ji Yunhuai's hand.

Ji Yunhuai: "?"

Seeing his confusion, Lu Xiaoxiao explained with a smile, "Young Master Ji, you get the service you pay for. What you gave me only covers this much. Sorry!"

Lu Xiaoxiao had never been one to meekly accept mistreatment. The only reason she didn't confront Ji Yunhuai head-on was that she couldn't beat him yet, so she chose to lie low.

But even if she couldn't openly fall out with him, that didn't mean she couldn't get under his skin!

The redhead beside them nearly died of fright at what Lu Xiaoxiao had done. He hurriedly picked up a bottle himself and refilled Ji Yunhuai's glass, soothing him as he poured. "Easy, Yun Huai, easy. We're here to have fun, not get upset!"

Good heavens! Was this woman insane? She actually dared take back wine she'd already poured for Ji Yunhuai? Wasn't she afraid he'd skin her alive?

The redhead broke out in a cold sweat, only to find that Ji Yunhuai showed no sign of anger. He even smiled.

"It's fine. I'm having a great time." He glanced at Lu Xiaoxiao, who had already lowered her head and was pretending nothing had happened. His tone remained perfectly normal.

The redhead was surprised. As he relaxed, he also began wondering just who this woman was. She had openly defied Ji Yunhuai without making him angry. Unbelievable!

Seeing that the mood hadn't soured, Young Master Lei raised his glass with a grin and toasted Ji Yunhuai from across the room before asking, "Yun Huai, do you really want me to compete with your father for that plot of land in the south of the city?"

Ji Yunhuai swirled his glass, his eyes never leaving the clear, rich red liquid inside. The wine was excellent. With just a gentle swirl, it flowed evenly over the glass, forming "legs."

Lu Xiaoxiao had noticed how expensive the wine was while pouring it. She knew nothing about wine, but even she could appreciate how exquisite and thoughtfully designed the bottles and labels were.

Whenever she thought about domineering CEOs in angst novels splashing such expensive wine on the heroine, she couldn't help lamenting the sheer waste.

They should throw cash instead. At least that would stimulate the real economy and get money circulating.

"Go for it," Ji Yunhuai said. His tone was casual, but there wasn't a hint of a joke in it.

"You know me. As long as Ji Cheng's unhappy, I'm happy."

With Ji Yunhuai's approval secured, Young Master Lei was clearly delighted too. He couldn't suppress the upward curl of his lips. "Then I'll gladly take you up on that. With your word, I can rest easy."

Lu Xiaoxiao kept her head lowered, ostensibly trying to make herself inconspicuous, but she was listening intently the whole time.

She silently asked the system who Ji Cheng was, and it answered that he was Ji Yunhuai's father.

Oh-ho. What a hilariously filial son.

She wondered why Ji Yunhuai wanted his friend to compete with his own father for land. Did father and son have a bad relationship?

Rich families really did come with plenty of drama.

Lu Xiaoxiao was thoroughly enjoying her eavesdropping when Ji Yunhuai called to her.

"Hey, can you sing?"

"Huh?" Lu Xiaoxiao was stunned at first, then instinctively tried to decline. "Young Master Ji, the songs I know might not really suit the mood..."

That only piqued Ji Yunhuai's interest. "How badly could they clash? Sing one for us."

Lu Xiaoxiao looked hesitant, but the redhead had already offered her a microphone.

"Come on, pretty girl, sing us something. Do it for Young Master Ji. It's fine even if you're no good!"

With everyone putting her on the spot like this, Lu Xiaoxiao saw no way to refuse. She could only steel herself and take the microphone.

Then she launched into an impassioned rendition of "My Motherland and I."

"My motherland and I can never be parted, wherever I may go, a song of praise flows forth..."

"I sing of every mountain, I sing of every river, curling cooking smoke, tiny villages, a wheel rut along the road..."

Lu Xiaoxiao sang with even more feeling than Young Master Lei had earlier, her voice heartfelt and ringing. She swept away the room's decadent atmosphere of indulgence and excess, turning the entire space revolutionary red.

So red. So very, very red!

Goose-step into karaoke and sing a red song for the Party!

The beauty feeding grapes was so dumbfounded that she nearly shoved a grape into the diamond-stud guy's nostril. Only when she realized it wouldn't fit did she hurriedly change course and bring it back to his mouth.

When the song ended, even the atmosphere seemed to freeze.

Lu Xiaoxiao's singing was actually mediocre, but nobody dared say she had sung badly.

After a long silence, Ji Yunhuai lazily applauded.

"Not bad," he commented, his brows faintly furrowed. "Don't sing again."

Lu Xiaoxiao: "..."

Lu Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and put down the microphone.

She thought Ji Yunhuai was incredibly hard to please. When she didn't want to sing, he forced her to, but once she actually sang, he wasn't happy either.

Men's minds were truly impossible to fathom.

Lu Xiaoxiao stepped down from the singing platform and was about to walk toward Ji Yunhuai when, somehow, one of her stilettos slipped beneath her. She pitched forward.

It took everything she had to stop herself from grabbing Ji Yunhuai's legs, so she landed on her knees before him with a thud instead.

At this sudden grand gesture, Ji Yunhuai's smile faltered. "What happened?" he asked.

Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't spare a thought for how humiliating her position was. She grimaced in pain, her features scrunching together.

She didn't even need to look to know her knees were bruised!

"N-no... ow... nothing."

Lu Xiaoxiao put on a brave front and tried to push herself upright, but her foot wouldn't support her. After struggling for ages, she was still sitting on the floor.

"Tsk. Watching you is triggering my intolerance for stupidity."

Ji Yunhuai's brows drew tightly together. Unable to watch any longer, he stood and turned to the others. "That's it for me tonight. I'm taking her out of here."

The redhead's smile turned knowing. "Sure thing. Take care, Yunhuai!"

Ji Yunhuai walked over to Lu Xiaoxiao and looked down at her for several seconds, as though considering where to grab her.

Lu Xiaoxiao felt embarrassed, but she also harbored a secret little flicker of anticipation.

Everything else aside, Ji Yunhuai really was handsome, and tall too. His personality was rather nasty, but his exceptional looks more than made up for it. When he kept his mouth shut, he could easily make a girl's heart flutter.

Hmm... I suppose I could accept being carried bridal-style by him.

Before her imagination could run any further, Lu Xiaoxiao felt the world spin. A moment later, he had scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder.

Lu Xiaoxiao: "??!?!"

What happened to the bridal carry?!

She instinctively tried to struggle. Ji Yunhuai pressed down harder on her lower back and threatened evenly, "Keep squirming if you want to fall again."

Lu Xiaoxiao immediately behaved herself.

She had no doubt Ji Yunhuai was capable of tossing her back onto the floor. This guy had never been one to treat women tenderly.

"Carry on." Ji Yunhuai waved at the others with his free hand, then strode out with Lu Xiaoxiao over his shoulder.

The people behind him exchanged glances, falling silent.

After a long while, the man wearing diamond studs gave a low chuckle. "Has Yunhuai finally discovered romance? That girl last time chased after him and tumbled down the stairs, and he didn't show a shred of concern."

Young Master Lei rubbed his chin. "Hmm... who is this girl, anyway? She's not a hostess, is she?"

"No chance. Those heels she's wearing cost nearly six figures. You didn't look closely, did you?" the redhead said confidently.

"Oh. But if even you noticed, there's no way Yunhuai didn't. Why was he so good-natured about playing along?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's their idea of fun. We'll ask him next time."

"If she really is his little lover, it won't be long before Miss Cui sets her sights on her."

"She might get targeted even if she isn't. You all know how much trouble that Cui woman can stir up."

"Forget it. Let's not discuss this too much. It involves Yunhuai's mother, after all. Come on, don't let it spoil the mood. Let's keep going."

By the time Ji Yunhuai finally carried Lu Xiaoxiao into the lounge, she felt as though all that jolting had nearly made her throw up last night's dinner.

Lu Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa, dizzy and disoriented. Before she could recover, Ji Yunhuai tossed a first-aid kit into her lap.

"You know how to apply medicine yourself, right?" Ji Yunhuai looked down at her with his arms folded across his chest, showing no intention of helping.

Lu Xiaoxiao didn't want his help either. She slowly opened the first-aid kit and rummaged through it.

She had just found the bottle of iodine when Ji Yunhuai spoke again.

"Why did you bring the Lu family's daughter into Gu Sipei's private lounge? Aren't you afraid she'll come after you once Gu Sipei throws her out?"