This hotel really does have great food.
But while Zhou Li had already eaten his fill, some classmates' graduation dinner was just getting started.
The table next to them began to play 'Seven Pass,' a game where losers had to drink a forfeit. It didn't matter if it was spirits, beer, or soft drinks; the amounts just varied.
Zhou Li watched for a while before he figured out the rules of the game.
Some sociable classmates carried their wine glasses from table to table, toasting teachers and other students. They talked heart-to-heart with classmates they usually got along with, drinking in small sips as they talked, sometimes with others cheering them on.
In another corner, two boys stood up and started chugging from their bottles, apparently competing to see who could finish fastest.
Yet another table was chatting and seemed to be having a lot of fun, with a few people from the surrounding tables turning around to join in the conversation.
Most people at Zhou Li's table were playing with their phones.
Brother Nan had it the worst, being lectured by Mother Zhao.
With teachers around, Zhou Li figured Wu Yuanliang probably wouldn't make a move until they got to the KTV.
Huai Xu's voice suddenly popped up from behind him, "Why don't you go play with them? Look how much fun they're having!"
Zhou Li didn't even bother to turn around.
Wu Yuanliang came over to their table with a cup in hand. He said a few words—probably wishing the students satisfying results on their college entrance exams and reminding them not to lose touch after graduation—and then clinked cups with everyone.
From behind Zhou Li, Huai Xu muttered, "Is that the guy who sees you as a love rival? So strange, why hasn't he made a scene with you?"
With a tilt of his head, Wu Yuanliang downed half a glass of spirits, not even blinking an eye, then bid everyone farewell and left.
Zhou Li licked the Vitae at the corner of his mouth.
By this time, the teachers had also eaten their fill, and Mother Zhao took the lead in bidding farewell to everyone.
The hall quieted down, and everyone looked at the five teachers who had come. Mother Zhao spoke briefly, but her words moved many of the students, made more sensitive by the alcohol and the atmosphere, to tears.
"...In any case, I hope everyone has a bright future and lives the life you desire, whether in poverty or in wealth; be happy throughout this lifetime!"
"Mother Zhao, come sing with us!" Kang Xue'er's eyes were red.
"No, I need to go home and take care of my child. You all have fun, but be safe, okay? Don't drink too much. We teachers will be going first," said Mother Zhao, standing up from the table.
"Teacher Chang, are you coming to sing?"
"Teacher Chen, you should go!"
"Brother Zhu..."
The teachers all graciously declined.
This seemed like a turning point in the evening's mood. Everyone had been at the height of excitement, but suddenly, they all turned melancholic. There were even tears; Chen Guohua and Zhang Xiuhua, beside Zhou Li, were hugging each other's shoulders and sobbing. The sorrow of parting, or perhaps the uncertainty about the future, settled in. Even Zhou Li felt a slight heaviness in his heart.
But this bit of heaviness was instantly shattered by Huai Xu's voice, "Zhou Li, why aren't you sad at all? Look, so many people are about to cry. Some of the guys are even holding it in, it's so funny!"
Zhou Li: ...
Seeing the mood go downhill, Brother Nan stood up reluctantly, nudging everyone to move on to the next venue.
So, the crowd left the hotel in a grand procession.
Brother Nan walked with the Two Golden Flowers. Wu Yuanliang, already a bit unsteady, still followed them. He and Brother Nan exchanged words as they comforted the Two Golden Flowers.
Brother Nan was wearing light blue denim overalls that day, a casually donned T-shirt, and a pair of retro sneakers. She was tall with a well-proportioned figure, and her taut, long legs reflected light under the street lamps.
The overall straps hung loosely, one even dangling by her elbow, making the otherwise youthful and sweet outfit seem somewhat rakishly carefree.
Zhou Li walked a little behind, and Huai Xu kept chattering in his ear about Brother Nan's looks. He had coveted Brother Nan's physical form for a long time. Unfortunately, Brother Nan was one of Zhou Li's closest classmates. Still... if he were to possess Brother Nan's form and modify it, Zhou Li probably wouldn't recognize it, right?
After thinking it over for a while, Huai Xu still abandoned the idea.
A few minutes later, everyone arrived at the KTV.
Zhou Li looked up and murmured, "Hi-Ledi KTV..."
As people gathered in the lobby, Kang Xue'er announced to the group, "We've booked three large rooms. Everyone can choose..."
Before she could finish, Brother Nan wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "It's not good to divide up like this. Let's mix it up! We'll go by student ID number. IDs ending in 1, 2, or 3 in one room; 4, 5, or 6 in another; and the rest in the last one. The numbers should work out!"
She didn't give anyone a chance to argue and waved her hand, "That's how it's going to be. Let's go!"
Brother Nan felt that if everyone chose their own rooms, a predictable imbalance would occur. One room would be bustling with fun while another was cold and quiet. In one, microphones would be fought over, while in another, no one would pick songs. This was because the extroverts would all cluster together, leaving the introverts out. Furthermore, since both her and Zhou Li's student ID numbers ended in 9, she was determined to bring him along. Conveniently, everyone in the class vividly remembered Wu Yuanliang's student number, as he was always the first to be called during roll call.
Wu Yuanliang's expression indeed stiffened.
By this time, Brother Nan had already taken the lead and walked forward. After entering the room, she grinned, turned back to find Zhou Li, and pointed to the prime seat on the sofa, "You sit there and wait for me! I'm going to pick some songs; I guarantee you'll know how to sing them!"
Zhou Li headed straight for the corner.
Brother Nan didn't say anything upon seeing this.
After picking the songs, she took her seat at the prime spot. Since she was the first to pick, her song came up first—
Wang Bingyang's "Dance."
It was a very retro song. Zhou Li had no impression of the name at first, but as Brother Nan and Kang Xue'er sang a few lines, he surprisingly found that he could sing it too!
"This thing is so fun!" Huai Xu couldn't stop talking.
"So much fun!"
"I really want to play!"
"Hey, Zhou Li, can you sing? No? Impossible, I see you listening to music often. You're always listening while reading or doing problems. Listening a lot, you should at least be able to sing a few..."
"Okay, okay, I got it..."
"Ah, if I'd known, I should've come here in your place. My singing is really nice," Huai Xu said with a hint of regret.
"Your deskmate sings..."
Huai Xu's face expressed a complexity that was hard to articulate.
A faint smile crept across Zhou Li's face.
Actually, Brother Nan's singing wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either—about average. Kang Xue'er, singing with her, was genuinely talented. The contrast made Brother Nan seem a bit amateurish.
But Brother Nan had one advantage—
She could belt it out. Really belt it out.
So what if I'm not a great singer? No matter how well Kang Xue'er sings, everyone's going to hear *my* voice!
After singing several songs in a row like "QQ Love," "Dad and Mom," "We Are All Good Kids," "Ends of the Earth," and "Till the Next Dawn"... Zhou Li suddenly discovered that he could sing so many songs!
It also highlighted Brother Nan's experience and savvy.
These old songs were popular and easy to sing along to. When everyone first came in, many were still reserved. But after unknowingly joining in for a few lines, the atmosphere in the room had already become quite lively.
Many people went up to pick songs voluntarily.
Then Brother Nan began to push her limits with a series of demanding songs: "Live to Love," "The Leaving Song," "Childlike Dreamers"...
By the time her throat was practically raw, the atmosphere had peaked.
To rest her voice, Brother Nan then led the way in picking a few catchy tunes popular when Zhou Li was in elementary school—the kind everyone knew by heart.
She took a sip of water, munched on a couple of watermelon slices to soothe her throat, then launched into "A Hero's Song," followed by "Love of the Boat Tracker" to lift everyone's spirits—
"HAI-ER YO!"
"YI-ER YO!"
"EI-HEI EI-HEI YI-ER YO!"
"When injustice arises..."
Brother Nan was singing her heart out when the door to the room was suddenly flung open. The three girls singing with her instantly clammed up, leaving only Brother Nan's voice echoing in the space.
Her recently tortured voice sounded excruciatingly off-key.
Wu Yuanliang stood at the door, holding a bouquet, his face flushed. Behind him trailed a large group of curious onlookers.
Kang Xue'er nudged Brother Nan with her elbow.