You're my wife, don't doubt it!

Xiao Xiong and Daiyu both thought it was because Shen Jie had lost interest in him, but Xiao Yao just laughed it off and didn't take it seriously.

On October 14th, the day they had agreed upon, after school, Xiao Yao took Yu Luying to the orchestra's activity room and then said goodbye to her.

"Drink less alcohol," Yu Luying reached out to straighten Xiao Yao's collar and reminded him, "Don't come home too late, and keep in touch whether there's anything to discuss."

"Mmm." Xiao Yao nodded vigorously.

Yu Luying seemed to have something else to tell him, but after hesitating, she said nothing, just waved her hand, lowered her head, and carried her cello into the activity room.

Tens of minutes later.

Tony, the hairstylist, finished applying hair wax to Xiao Yao and pushed him in front of a mirror: "How is it? Are you satisfied?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Yao touched his 3/7 parted bangs and slightly wavy hair, squinted his eyes, and nodded coolly at himself in the mirror: "It's okay."

He's already handsome, and with this makeover, he looks a bit like Chow Yun-fat.

Oh my god, why am I so handsome?

"How much?" Xiao Yao stood up, walked to the counter, and deliberately put his hands into his pockets.

……

As he reached the store entrance, Xiao Yao waved casually to the shop assistant, leaving behind only a sturdy silhouette.

It's really not my usual habit not to wear glasses; at least I'm unlikely to bump into a telephone pole. Based on the information sent to his phone, Xiao Yao found the nearby "Little South China" restaurant.

When I entered the private room, a young man was already there.

Despite being called a teenager, Xiao Yao almost mistook him for a cute girl at first glance.

Because this little boy is just too...beautiful.

Yes, this is a look that cannot be described as "handsome," but can only be described as "pretty" or "cute."

The child was short, looked like a middle school student, and was wearing a pure white, court-style high-collar shirt with a large, flamboyant red rose pinned to his chest.

Her collar was buttoned only up to her chest, revealing the beautiful curve of her collarbone and her fair skin. Her black trousers were impeccably tailored, and her leather shoes were gleaming.

"Hello," the young man said warmly as he put down his phone upon seeing Xiao Yao, "Are you here for Zhou Xiaoying's birthday party?"

Zhou Xiaoying? Shen Jie seems to have mentioned this name before.

"Yes."

"Hello, my name is Zhang Zhengkai. Nice to meet you." The handsome young man stood up, only reaching Xiao Yao's chest.

"Hello, I'm Xiao Yao." Xiao Yao shook his outstretched hand and returned a bright smile.

“I know you, you’re Fang Zhong’s literary society president, right?” Zhang Zhengkai said.

“Poetry club, poetry club,” Xiao Yao corrected.

……

People gradually arrived and filled two large tables.

Judging from their appearance, most of them should be high school students, with a few junior high school students and a few college students.

Regardless of gender, they all possessed an extraordinary "style".

There was also a very noticeable fat man among them.

Finally, Shen Jie arrived late and officially announced the start of the birthday party.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm late."

Shen Jie wore a light-colored long dress, barefoot in low-heeled sandals, with a necklace around her neck, carrying a small bag, and seemingly wearing light makeup.

“I’ve read ‘The Knight of Armand’,” Zhang Zhengkai said casually. “Also a work by Alexandre Dumas, I think it’s better than ‘The Three Musketeers’.”

"I prefer Henryk Sienkiewicz's The Knights of the Cross."

……

Why does this scene seem so familiar?

This feeling of familiarity, this sense of déjà vu, it's off the charts!!!

The conspicuous fat man stood up—it turned out he was Zhou Xiaoying's current boyfriend, the birthday girl at the party—and announced the official start of the luncheon.

Cold dishes, hot dishes, soups, and desserts—everything proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

During the meal, toasts were exchanged, but Xiao Yao didn't understand most of the topics discussed. Fortunately, no one asked for his opinion. He pretended to listen with great interest, laughing along when others laughed, feeling that he hadn't made a fool of himself.

"Have you all had enough dessert?" The chubby guy who looked like a homebody stood up, put his arm around Zhou Xiaoying with one arm and carried a huge cake with the other, and invited everyone to go to "Qian Gui" KTV to continue the second half of the party.

Zhang Zhengkai stood up, walked over to Shen Jie, and extended his bent arm to her.

Xiao Yao's smile froze.

"Let me introduce you," Shen Jie said confidently, glancing around at her friends. "This is Zhang Zhengkai, Mr. Zhang."

Friends exclaimed and chattered, some offering congratulations, some complimenting the district chief's son on his "good manners," and others gossiping and asking questions.

“Your son, the district chief, I’ve long admired your name; it’s legendary,” Zhou Xiaoying’s boyfriend said, giving a thumbs up. “Meeting you today, you truly are a dragon among men!”

"I've heard that Young Master Zhang is a contemporary poetry master," said a thin boy with a somewhat effeminate voice. "He won first prize in the district's essay competition."

"Not at all, not at all," Zhang Zhengkai said politely, albeit perfunctorily.

"Everyone says that Young Master Zhang has a great voice that can sing tenor. Does Qian Gui have any classical operas?" Another tall girl nudged Xiao Yao next to her with her elbow.

Xiao Yao dodged the question, thinking to himself, "How would I know?"

He crossed his arms and walked to the very edge of the crowd.

Although in his heart, Shen Jie was always just a "good friend".

Although he was aware that Shen Jie had a "fiancé" who was in junior high school.

but……

When I finally saw him, it was as if a layer of glass covering my heart shattered instantly, leaving shards everywhere.

What's wrong with you?

Xiao Yao wanted to excuse himself because he was feeling unwell, and Shen Jie was fine with it, but Zhang Zhengkai insisted on dragging him along.

Unable to refuse their hospitality, Xiao Yao followed them to the "Qian Gui" KTV.

Xiao Yao had been to KTVs when he was a child. Back then, they were called "Karaoke," but later, he didn't know when, they gradually became "KTVs."

Xiao Yao never understood why, if you can't sing anywhere, you have to spend a lot of money to have a group of people sing around the TV.

Stepping into the "Qian Gui" is like stepping into another world.

The air here seems to be blue, as if the whole world has been filtered through a deep blue lens.

Although the surrounding area was full of smooth, shiny mirrors, the visibility was still not high, which took Xiao Yao's eyes a while to adjust to.

The polite waiter led them through a maze-like corridor, from which came various heart-wrenching, ghostly howls, and terrifying sounds.

Xiao Yao stood on tiptoe and peered through the glass panel of the door, wanting to see what kind of people were so lacking in self-awareness.

"We've arrived. Watch out for the glass." The waiter reached out to push the door open.

A dozen or so teenagers rushed in. Some sat down and started playing on their phones, some rushed over to request songs, and others unscrewed the caps of soda bottles.

"This is the VIP party room reserved by Ms. Shen, a 12-hour luxury package for karaoke. Fruit platters, drinks and snacks will be served shortly."

"Did you order Qingniao Pure Draft Beer? Bring me a pitcher." A boy with a somewhat roguish and rebellious air called out.

"I'm sorry, according to regulations we cannot serve alcoholic beverages to minors..." the waiter explained.

"Tch, Lao Shen, what kind of lousy place did you pick? You might as well go to my dad's place..." Afei leaned back strategically and crossed his legs.

The prelude to "Jiangbei" begins at this moment.

“This is a legitimate KTV. If we go to your dad’s place, will he give everyone a… singing companion?” Shen Jie tapped his head, making a “thump” sound.

“Sure,” Afei said with a smile, leaning back on the sofa. “It’s all on me.”

"Do any of us girls have any boys to keep us company?" a tall girl with heavy makeup and a boss-like demeanor asked with a smile.

Shen Jie frowned, a flash of disdain crossing her face: "Shut up, sing your songs. Come on, the first one is yours—"

As he spoke, he shoved the microphone into the girl's hand.

"The wind becomes sticky here, clinging to the thoughts of passersby; the rain weaves into threads here..."

Xiao Yao sat upright, his hands on his thighs, while Zhang Zhengkai sat next to Shen Jie, playing his handheld game console.

"Relax!" Shen Jie shouted into Xiao Yao's ear, "What do you want to sing? I'll pick one for you!"

"Thank you, I can do it myself." Xiao Yao smiled shyly.

Soon, one familiar song after another began to play: first "Jiangbei," then "Our Love" and "Lydia," followed by "Prague Square," "Later," "Courage," and so on—all popular songs that were often heard on the streets and in schools.

Xiao Yao requested a song for himself, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" by Shui Mu Nian Hua.

While Shen Jie was busy entertaining her friends, he had no choice but to drink his expensive Gatorade alone, one glass after another.

"Are you home yet?" Yu Luying texted: "I just got home."

"Why are you so late?" Xiao Yao replied, "I just sat down at Qian Gui. Do you want to come?"

"I'm not coming, I'm too tired," Yu Luying said. "Today's rehearsal didn't go well and went on until very late."