Su Mo was to meet up with her classmates in a KTV, a karaoke bar.
Su Chen had already gotten his driving license and grabbed the spare key of the family's car before going out. He then drove his sister right away to the KTV.
Her friends had booked a karaoke room and were waiting for her inside. The two of them went upstairs and found the place according to the message one of her friends had sent.
"Happy birthday to you…" Her friends started singing the birthday song just as they opened the door and stepped into the room. There was a cake, fruits, and all kinds of snacks on a coffee table.
The girl was such a people person in school that quite a few people attended the birthday party. There were more than ten people in a large karaoke room, mostly girls and only three boys.
"Thank you—thanks, guys," said Su Mo with joy written all over her face.
"Hi, I'm Su Mo's brother, Su Chen." Su Chen introduced himself with a smile on his face.
"So handsome!"
"Oh, dear! "
"Even more good-looking than in the photo."
"Momo, you're not a good friend. How could you not tell us that you have a brother so gorgeous?"
A few of the energetic girls surrounded them and started chattering like birds.
"Can you girls stop being so crazy!" Su Mo rolled her eyes snappily and introduced her BFFs to Su Chen. The girls all lived in the same dorm room.
Her high school was not far from home—40 minutes away from home by public transport—but she insisted on staying on campus. She still spent some nights at home, however.
"Hi, Su Chen!" the girls greeted him gleefully.
"Hi! Thank you, girls, for celebrating Su Mo's birthday with her." Su Chen's bright, confident smile and outstanding looks quickly made the girls fall hard for him. Their hearts raced, and their eyes blinked with shyness.
After the warm-hearted girls brought Su Mo to her seat, her classmates gave her presents one by one.
Su Mo accepted the gifts happily. She was on cloud nine.
A handsome boy whose hair was slightly curled walked toward her, smiling. He first nodded to Su Chen as a greeting but then locked completely onto Su Mo afterward.
He handed her a delicate gift box with both hands, "Momo, happy birthday. This is especially for you."
Su Mo shot her friends an angry look. She had not invited this guy to the party and particularly warned them not to spread the word about her birthday.
Without a doubt, one of her BFFs must have let it slip. The girls, feeling a twinge of guilt, instantly avoided eye contact with her.
Although she was a little annoyed, Su Mo still accepted the gift and thanked him with a straight face. She considered that since they were classmates, it was not polite to embarrass him, and, as the saying goes, "Don't slap a man with a smiling face."
Su Chen silently sat at the side and observed. He smiled and said nothing.
He knew his sister too well. He could already guess what had happened from Su Mo's facial expression.
Su Chen was not worried about Su Mo falling in puppy love because since she was born, their parents had followed the educational policy that girls should be raised the way the rich raise their kids. They gave her the best of everything, nurtured all kinds of talents and interests in her, and widened her horizons.
That was why she would not settle for ordinary boys.
Xu Yang saw that Su Mo accepted his gift; he was ecstatic. He wanted to sit beside her and continue his pursuit, but Su Chen sat at her left-hand side, and a girlfriend sat at her right and clung to her arms. He could only go back to his seat.
"Momo, come on! Make a wish, blow out the candles, and cut the cake!" Meng Sisi, one of Su Mo's BFFs and roommate, smiled and said.
"Let's eat the cake!" the girls cheered.
Su Mo closed her eyes and made a wish. Then, she blew out the candles and began cutting the cake.
The room soon livened up. Some were singing, and some were playing games. Everyone was having fun together, laughing and joking.
Su Chen sat at a corner, crunching nuts and looking at them with a smile playing on his lips.
Unlike his sister, he did not have many friends. His performance in high school was unnoteworthy; he muddled along, a typical dawdler.
Only very few high school classmates remained in contact with him. Also, he was close with only some people from the same dormitory and the same classes he was taking.
Previously on his birthday, he'd had a barbecue and drank together with a few friends, and that was considered a celebration. He had never had such a big gathering.
The boy, Xu Yang, was singing a love song affectionately. He peeked at Su Mo once in a while, but she was in a joyous conversation with her BFFs and did not meet his eyes at all.
"Su Chen, don't just sit there. Come and have fun with us!" Meng Sisi tried to persuade Su Chen.
"Nah, you guys have fun. I'm good." Su Chen shook his head and refused politely.
Even though they were only a few years apart, he did not feel that he would enjoy being a part of what those energetic girls were doing.
"You should sing a song!" Meng Sisi's eyes sparkled.
"Yeah, sing a song!"
"Sing a song, sing a song..."
The girls just loved seeing others embarrassed. They clapped their hands and kicked up a fuss.
"Fine, I'll sing one, just one." Su Chen nodded with a wry smile.
"Su Chen, which song are you gonna sing? I'll reserve it for you," a girl who was sitting in front of the karaoke player yelled while holding her hand up.
The song Su Chen chose was a famous folk ballad. His singing skill was not tip-top, but he had a husky, deep voice, a mature temperament, and gorgeous features. The girls turned into his fans. They looked at him with lovey-dovey eyes.
"Why is he so full of himself? He's just a little good-looking but is singing is so-so." Deep down, the three boys loathed Su Chen, although they did not show it on their faces. They thought that Su Chen had stolen their thunder.
[Singing proficiency +2]
[Singing proficiency +2]
Points were added continuously to his singing proficiency. When he finished the whole song, he had already obtained 200 points for his singing talents. Then, a notification popped up in his mind.
[Singing proficiency reached 10,000, skill level boosted up to Advanced level]
Lots of information appeared in Su Chen's mind, along with the notification, including how to compose a song, how to manipulate the melody, and the like. A few songs he had never heard before distinctly emerged in his mind.
He was confused and curious at the same time, "Is this some sort of reward?"
"Su Chen, you sang really well."
"Sing one more."
"Yeah, sing another one…"
The girls were fired up. They shouted and cheered.
It did not feel right to refuse them. Besides, Su Chen wanted to try out one of the new songs in his mind, so he smiled and nodded. "Today is my sister's birthday, I'll sing a song that's written for sisters."
The girls envied Su Mo for having a brother like that. They wanted him too!
"Su Chen, what's the song called?" asked the girl who was controlling the karaoke player.
"It's called 'The Song for My Sister,'" replied Su Chen.
"This song…I don't think I've heard it before!"
"Me too, who's the singer?"
"Su Chen, I can't find this song in the karaoke player!" Baffled, the girl looked at Su Chen.
Stunned, Su Chen asked himself, The reward from the system is an original song, isn't it?
"I'll sing without the background music then!"
He gave them a stunning smile and closed his eyes to feel the melody in his mind. After a short while of preparing himself, Su Chen's buoyant voice filled the room:
"You said, you said, growing up brought you a huge basket of worries
"Just like the bubble gum that filled your pockets
"I like the adorable way you frowned
"And secretly, I'll buy you a popsicle..."