Xue Wen? Why was she here?
Chi Nuan took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Xu Dan rushed over in one stride and pulled her inside: “You’re late! Hurry up. Xue Wen’s taking us out to have fun!—Du Min, move aside!”
Xue Wen sat in Chi Nuan’s chair, smiling warmly at her.
Before Chi Nuan could react, Xu Dan pressed her down to sit. Her mind hadn’t caught up yet: “…What’s going on?”
Xu Dan pointed at her own face, then at Du Min, then at Zhao Jingjing: “Makeup! Xue Wen’s taking us to an entertainment spot!”
Chi Nuan looked up at Xu Dan: “I don’t… I’ll pass. You guys go have fun, I—”
Xue Wen leaned forward with a sly smile: “The midterms just ended, and you’re reviewing again?”
Chi Nuan: “…”
South District’s Hongyu Street was Yuncheng’s infamous den of extravagance. Once night fell, it brimmed with neon lights, wine, and revelry. And SEVEN, located at the street’s center, was so renowned that even an ordinary high schooler like Chi Nuan had heard of it.
It was still early, not even dinnertime yet, and the first-floor bar at SEVEN was dimly lit. Before business hours, there wasn’t a soul in sight.
The three dormmates had dressed up specially, opting for more mature outfits. Chi Nuan went bare-faced in a simple little white dress, squeezed in the middle, feeling utterly out of place.
Xue Wen looked at her, wanting to laugh, and turned her head aside to hide it. Xu Dan noticed Xue Wen holding back laughter and nudged her with her elbow: “Good thing it’s the weekend, or our class monitor would’ve shown up in her school uniform, right?”
Xue Wen: “I bet if it were a regular day, she wouldn’t come.”
Xu Dan: “Yeah, such a goody-two-shoes.”
As they spoke, Xue Wen led the way into the elevator. Chi Nuan and the others followed.
Xue Wen pressed the button for the 4th floor. Xu Dan glanced over—4th floor was KTV. She noticed that buttons for floors 1-6 listed specific services, but 7 and 8 were blank.
Curious, she asked Xue Wen: “What’s on 7 and 8?”
Xue Wen said: “Private floors, not open to the public.”
Xu Dan: “Do you know?”
Xue Wen shook her head.
Xu Dan was surprised: “Even you don’t know? Money can’t buy it?”
Xue Wen smiled and explained: “Money isn’t everything. I hear the top two floors are reserved by SEVEN’s behind-the-scenes big boss for select guests.”
Xu Dan nodded in understanding: “VIP service for the elite!”
Du Min perked up: “What if we went up?”
Xue Wen: “No membership card, no entry.”
Zhao Jingjing tried pressing 7; it didn’t light up. Same for 8.
Du Min stuck out her tongue.
The 4th floor arrived, and they stepped out.
Xue Wen was a regular here. As soon as she appeared on the 4th floor, a manager-like person greeted her: “A-Wen’s here too?”
Xue Wen keenly caught the wording and asked: “Who else is here?”
The manager said: “A-Hui, Da Yue, and a bunch of others.”
Xue Wen paused: “They’re in 13?”
The manager: “Yeah, that room’s always reserved for you all.”
Xue Wen: “Please open another one for me.”
The manager grabbed his walkie-talkie and asked: “What’s up? Don’t you all usually hang out together?”
Xue Wen: “Not convenient.”
The manager led the five into another private room. Fruits, drinks, snacks, and such arrived soon after.
Xu Dan butchered two songs with her off-key voice, then excitedly asked Xue Wen: “We heading to the bar downstairs later?”
Xue Wen nodded.
Xu Dan got even more pumped and went to pick another song, but Du Min and Zhao Jingjing shoved her away: “Please, give it a rest.”
Xu Dan wouldn’t have it; the three crowded around the machine, giggling and shoving.
The music blared noisily. Xue Wen said something to Chi Nuan, but Chi Nuan didn’t catch it and asked: “What?”
Xue Wen leaned to Chi Nuan’s ear: “I said, I’ll sing for you.”
Chi Nuan nodded.
Xue Wen stood to select a song. Xu Dan and the others made way for her. Xue Wen picked quickly, and Chi Nuan saw the screen display the song title If You and Me.
As the prelude played, Xue Wen adjusted the standing microphone stand higher. Xu Dan jumped up, clapping wildly. Xue Wen smiled faintly, a bit shyly, and began to sing:
“Here I am standing close to you, and it’s still so far away…”
She held the mic close, perched on a bar stool, eyes downcast, singing with deep emotion and immersion in the rhythm.
As everyone listened, Zhao Jingjing suddenly said: “Xue Wen’s singing a song about secret love, but in reality, with just a crook of her finger, what guy couldn’t she get? Life’s so unfair—some people have great family backgrounds, are beautiful, have likable personalities, hehe.”
Chi Nuan thought she made sense and nodded.
Xu Dan clutched her face: “Listen to her voice… Oh my god, I’m a voice fetishist! That little nasal tone—I hate that I’m not a guy!”
“Guy?” Du Min shattered her fantasy: “Even if you were a guy, Xue Wen wouldn’t look at you.”
Xu Dan: “Damn… Get lost!”
They erupted into another round of playful scuffle.
The group sang, rested, and chatted in the room, time flying by. Per Xue Wen’s instructions, the manager brought food once. After eating, it wasn’t early anymore, and Xu Dan urged them to head to the bar downstairs.
Du Min and Zhao Jingjing were eager too, but Chi Nuan kept shaking her head: “I’ll pass.”
She was timid and always shrank from chaotic, frenzied atmospheres.
Seeing her firm refusal, Xue Wen didn’t push: “Then wait here for me. I’ll drop them off and come back to keep you company.”
They all left, and Chi Nuan propped her head on her hand, staring blankly at her knees.
Not long after, the room door was pushed open.
The lighting here was really dim. The newcomer seemed drunk, staggering in. Chi Nuan thought he had the wrong room and was about to speak when he lifted his head.
—Cao Pinhui!
