The Qin Family

On Friday evening on Linqing Street, everyone had originally wanted to go to a party house, but a karaoke place was the most Teacher Cheng could tolerate. He insisted that "singing a few songs" was enough, so they could only give up in disappointment.

After school, everyone went home first to drop off their schoolbags. They had agreed to meet at six that evening.

One class, three private rooms.

With only an hour, there was no need to go home. Song Yu did not call anyone to pick him up. He left his things at the apartment and went to Linqing Street with Xie Sui first.

Ma Xiaoding tagged along, dragging Xi Bowen with him.

The last time they had come here, it had been to beat someone up. Linqing Street was particularly lively on weekends. Every so often, a few motorcycles sped down the road, ridden by students in school uniforms with their girlfriends on the back, wearing sunglasses and whistling. Flashy as hell.

Ma Xiaoding craned his neck, utterly envious. "When will I get to look that cool?"

Xi Bowen adjusted his glasses and asked a very practical question. "So what are we going to do now?"

Song Yu checked the time on his phone. "Five thirty-five. Another half hour."

Time was tight. They might not even have enough time for one game at an internet café.

Ma Xiaoding's eyes darted around, and he suggested enthusiastically, "Let's buy some snacks and beer, hide them in our schoolbags, and sneak them in."

Xi Bowen's delicate face scrunched up. "What if Old Cheng doesn't allow it?"

"Just keep away from him and don't let him find out."

With that, he dragged Xi Bowen off toward the mall.

Standing at the intersection, Song Yu glanced at the fading sunset and said, "Let's go sit down first."

Song Yu was not actually that interested in singing. He just wanted to accompany Xie Sui as he experienced a high school gathering and its lively atmosphere, something to make up for the three years he had spent isolated in middle school.

The karaoke place they had chosen was in a relatively bustling part of Linqing Street. It was called Encounter.

The class group chat was lively, with everyone arguing up a storm.

[Lights as in Years Past: Forty-five people, fifteen to a room. If there's someone you want to be with, remember to arrange it beforehand, hehehe.]

[Sadako Never Forgets the Well Digger: ??? qwq]

[Ninety Years Old and Jungling While Sick: Look at me. Waiting online for an invitation from a female classmate. Youth is reckless, but I won't let you down. King rank stars, starting at five yuan each.]

[Sharp Edge: Ladies, look at me instead. It's been a month. Isn't that enough for you to know me?]

[Rabbit Tail: What the hell? Invite you over to listen to you howl like ghosts?]

[It's Wanwan: Waaaaah, can't I achieve a little more at my young age-like sharing a room with Brother Yu? [Frantic hinting]]

[Lights as in Years Past: Let me answer that.]

[Lights as in Years Past: In your dreams.]

[It's Wanwan: ...Jiang Chunian, are you asking for a beating?!]

Putting down her phone, Jiang Chunian smiled and winked at the mirror, then picked up her notebook and pen to head out. As she went downstairs, her mother happened to be sitting on the sofa chatting with another auntie. Seeing her, she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Where are you going to play this Friday evening?"

Jiang Chunian hid her notebook behind her back and whispered, "Secret."

Her mother's temper flared. "Come home early when you're done running wild. There's a banquet tomorrow. Try on your clothes today."

Changing her shoes, Jiang Chunian answered perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, yes."

The other auntie on the sofa said with a smile, "Chunian is getting prettier and prettier."

Mother Jiang looked pleased, but still spoke modestly. "Not at all. She has a long way to go. Look at that girl from the Bai Family. They're the same age, but she knows how to dress and how to talk. All my daughter does is bury herself in books, and then who knows what she spends all day writing in that notebook."

The auntie shook her head. "That girl from the Bai Family is too calculating, and it's all written on her face. I'm not very fond of her. Speaking of which, the Wang Family has really suffered karmic backlash from their descendants this time. They won't recover anytime soon. I wonder why the Qin Family is sending their fourth young master to Jing City at a time like this."

Mother Shen said, "Who knows?"

Afterward, the numbers of the booked rooms were posted in the class group chat: 303, 304, and 305.

Song Yu paused slightly when he saw 305, then could not help laughing. "What a coincidence. Another 305."

Xie Sui's steps paused too. "Let's go to 305."

The third floor of Encounter.

Room 305 was decorated in cool tones. The space was pitch-black, with only the effects light in the center flashing and changing.

When they first entered, the light was white, cool and quiet, spreading in countless strands, as though they were in a silent universe.

A smile on his lips, Song Yu suddenly asked, "Are you curious why I showed up in 305 that day?"

Xie Sui had long since investigated the whole story himself, but he still said, "A little."

Song Yu explained earnestly, "Because I heard some people talking, and they mentioned your name. It let me know someone needed me to save him."

Xie Sui held back a laugh. "So you came."

"Right, so I came, and taught those scumbags a lesson."

The shifting light fell into Song Yu's eyes, bright and smiling, clear as stars. His voice was light too, with a touch of youthful pride.

"But when I first saw you, I thought you were really good-looking."

Xie Sui turned his head to gaze at him, his eyes deep, and smiled. "What's good-looking about me?"

Song Yu did not hold back when praising his friend. "Everything. You looked especially handsome when you were drinking. Especially your eyes."

"You like my eyes?"

"Yeah!"

Xie Sui chuckled. "Then I'll remember that."

When Ma Xiaoding sneaked in clutching his schoolbag, there were still few people in the room. He put his things in a corner of the sofa, then immediately sat down to block them with his body. Once he had done all that, he let out a long breath.

Xi Bowen opened a bag of chips and spoke indistinctly as he chewed. "Look how nervous you are."

Ma Xiaoding wiped away some sweat. "I'm worried Old Cheng will see."

Xi Bowen asked, "How many bottles of beer did you buy?"

Ma Xiaoding said, "Cans, not many. Oh, right, Brother Yu can't drink. I nearly forgot. We'll have to stay farther away from him later."

Xi Bowen rolled his eyes. "One look at Brother Yu tells you he wouldn't be joining you anyway."

They stopped dwelling on that topic.

Ma Xiaoding began waiting eagerly, his gaze never leaving the door.

Xi Bowen asked curiously, "Is Jiang Chunian coming?"

Ma Xiaoding said, "Hehehehehehehe."

Xi Bowen: "..."

A few more boys trickled in afterward. They froze briefly at the sight of Song Yu and Xie Sui, but did not leave. They greeted them shyly as Brother Yu and God Xie, then sat nearby.

After a month as classmates, they were still somewhat reserved, but no longer quite so ill at ease.

Girls probably all needed more trouble to get ready to go out.

Bored of waiting, Ma Xiaoding suggested playing a game. As it happened, a certain mobile MOBA was very popular at the moment.

He asked Song Yu whether he wanted to play. Naturally, Song Yu refused. Please do not drag him into degeneracy, thanks.

They gathered five people and started a match. Ma Xiaoding sat right beside Song Yu. He was terrible, yet loved playing carry; when someone took ADC, he devoted himself to playing a mage. Song Yu had been using his own phone, but after repeatedly hearing the system announce Ma Xiaoding's deaths, he could not resist leaning over for a look.

It was downright painful to watch.

"Purifying thin air, using stasis to wait for death. Your jungler's about to cry. Stop feeding."

"Full health, full mana. Are you recalling to replenish your courage?"

After being picked off for the umpteenth time, Ma Xiaoding nearly cried and handed Song Yu his phone. "Brother Yu, you do it. You do it."

Song Yu leaned over and took the phone. After a month without any leisure or entertainment, he was practically wilting. He controlled the character and scored a pentakill in the dragon pit. Ma Xiaoding shouted excitedly, "Penta Q?! Holy shit! Brother Yu is fucking awesome! Brother Yu is fucking awesome!"

He leaned closer, looking at him eagerly.

"Brother Yu, teach me how to avoid enemy assassins. I always get picked off in the first second of a team fight."

Song Yu said, "Your mechanics are beyond saving."

Ma Xiaoding said, "Sob."

Song Yu said teasingly, "If your mechanics aren't enough, make up for it by acting cute. Send their jungler a few qwqs. Maybe he'll let you off."

Ma Xiaoding took the phone back, rather embarrassed. "Isn't that pretending to be a girl to deceive people online? People will make fun of that kind of-"

"You have been slain."

[You have been slain by the enemy.]

Ma Xiaoding: "..."

Ma Xiaoding said, "Should I add a couple of words and call him big brother?"

"Like, 'Sob sob sob, big brother, please spare my life qwq'? Is that cute enough?"

Song Yu said, "Plenty cute, little sister Xiaoding."

Ma Xiaoding really did send a pile of qwqs in all chat, addressing the enemy jungler by name and pleading coyly, "Stop killing me, pleeease."

But the enemy jungler was cold and heartless.

While crossing the river, Ma Xiaoding was caught again.

He fumbled in a panic. "Aaaaah, that doesn't work on him! He's even started targeting me! Why is he such a scumbag? What do I do?"

Even colder and more heartless than the enemy jungler, Song Yu scoffed. "Then die right in front of him."

Ma Xiaoding: "???"

The others finally lost it and burst out laughing.

After one match, the atmosphere finally relaxed completely, and the girls arrived at last.

The homeroom teacher first gathered everyone in 305, and the class monitor took a group photo.

Holding the camera, Teacher Cheng coughed. "Have all the fun you want. I'll film you and record everyone's singing performances. After you graduate, you can watch it again and reminisce."

Everyone covered their faces amid a chorus of groans.

The atmosphere in the karaoke room was harmonious. Jiang Chunian had changed into a pale yellow dress and let her long hair down. After singing a few songs, she held the microphone and looked at Song Yu and Xie Sui with sparkling eyes, smiling as she said, "Would God Xie and Brother Yu like to sing something? I'm fifteen this year. Could I have that honor?"

Song Yu: "..."

Song Yu said, "No."

Xie Sui sat beside him, the smile on his face cool and distant, bearing that familiar air of refusal.

Jiang Chunian blinked. As expected. She smiled slyly. "No! If I can't hear you sing at fifteen, then I want to play a game with you!"

Her deskmate covered her face beside her and tugged at her sleeve, feeling that her good friend was digging her own grave.

Jiang Chunian said, "Truth or dare. It's so simple. Want to play?"

Naturally, Ma Xiaoding supported his crush ten thousand percent. He shouted louder than anyone, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

With his animated urging, complete with waving arms and legs, everyone eventually accepted the suggestion.

They sat down around the table.

Secretly delighted, Jiang Chunian coughed. "I happen to have brought some cards. Let's use the red joker as the king card and the black joker as the ghost card. The king decides the truth question or the dare, and the ghost is the person who gets punished."

She sat down, placed fifteen cards on the table, and had everyone draw at random.

Author's note: I'll revise this chapter tomorrow. Good night.

Some of you guessed the plot right yesterday~ Thank you to the little angels who sent me Overlord Tickets or watered me with nutrient solution~

Thanks to the little angel who sent [Deep-water Torpedoes]: How Many Times Our Souls Met in Dreams, 1;

Thanks to the little angels who sent [Rocket Launchers]: How Many Times Our Souls Met in Dreams, 2; Master Hua v5, 1;

Thanks to the little angels who sent [Land Mines]: A Kitten Pinning Down Slippers, Yansheng, 2 each; The Legendary Hero's Demon King, Who Says the Bitter Herb Is Bitter, Lemon Soda, Xuan, Hero of Two Worlds, Mao Qi, Shu Li Pu Kou, 5825428, A Cup of Fragrant Tea, Fat Pear, Bored Minsui Rolling Around Online, Deep Blue, Drunk but Not Cold, Maple Bridge, A-Ci, 1 each;

Thanks to the little angels who watered me with [Nutrient Solution]:

., 180 bottles; harukaya, 20 bottles; Jiqian, 14 bottles; Welcoming National Day, Song Yi, Fluffy Ball, Yayoi March, Spring Crossing the River, Natsume, Biscuit, 10 bottles each; Green Redbud, 7 bottles; Sleepy Every Day, Mo Anying, Frozen, Meow Mew Awoo, 5 bottles each; Jumping Back and Forth, Cute Girl Xinxin, 3 bottles each; Youli, Hates Ginger, Red Pandas Aren't Small Pandas, Silver, alskdwyc, Assistant Zhang's Little Fangirl, Xiaoxuan, Fenglan, Studying Makes Me Happy, Adishka, Yiying, 1 bottle each;

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