The karaoke rooms in this KTV are divided into large, medium, and small rooms.
Since they weren't a large group, they chose a medium room.
The medium room was still spacious, with a long sofa that could seat over ten people and two single sofas.
At this moment, Xu Xiuwen was sitting on the sofa, with Jiang Yin and Xu Mingxue on his left, and Qian Yan and Zhong Zhu on his right.
As soon as they sat down, Qian Yan exclaimed, "Xu Xiuwen, it's been so long since we heard you sing. Can you sing a song for us?"
Xu Xiuwen politely declined, "No, thanks. I'm not good at singing."
Knowing his singing ability, the four girls didn't believe him at all.
But the three boys who came along believed him immediately.
One of the boys spoke up, "In that case, I'll go first. Don't blame me if I sing badly."
With that, he went to select a song.
The others waited on the sofa.
He chose a popular love song from recent years.
As the intro played, the boy started singing along.
This boy was tall and not particularly handsome, but not unattractive either.
His girlfriend was one of the senior girls, but since Xu Xiuwen arrived, her attention had been entirely on Xu Xiuwen, which made him very unhappy.
Hearing Xu Xiuwen say he wasn't good at singing, the boy took it seriously.
So, as he sang, he occasionally glanced at Xu Xiuwen with a provocative look.
The boy's singing was naturally good; his voice was steady and strong throughout the song, making it seem effortless.
His girlfriend looked at him with admiration.
After finishing the song, the boy returned to the sofa and deliberately asked loudly, "How was my singing?"
His girlfriend immediately responded, "It was great."
The boy laughed heartily, "Of course. Nowadays, who dares to come to KTV if they can't sing?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Xiuwen, but the latter showed no reaction.
Neither did Jiang Yin or Xu Mingxue.
He was very disappointed.
Xu Xiuwen turned to the senior girls and said, "Aren't you here to sing? Don't mind me; you should sing."
The girls felt a bit disappointed at his words.
Jiang Yin was the first to respond, "Then I'll sing a song."
Qian Yan also got up to select a song.
Soon, the room was filled with singing.
As they sang, they gradually forgot about Xu Xiuwen.
Xu Xiuwen noticed that Jiang Yin had a tendency to hog the microphone and particularly liked singing love songs.
While everyone was singing, Xu Xiuwen noticed that Xu Mingxue was quietly sitting in her place.
Everyone else had sung at least one song, except for her and Xu Xiuwen.
Curious, Xu Xiuwen moved closer and asked, "Senior Mingxue, why aren't you selecting a song?"
Xu Mingxue turned to look at him and asked, "Why aren't you singing?"
Xu Xiuwen explained, "My throat is a bit sore."
Xu Mingxue smiled slightly, "Do you think I'll believe that?"
Xu Xiuwen stared at Xu Mingxue for a few seconds and suddenly asked, "Senior Mingxue, you don't seem very happy."
Xu Mingxue's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and she asked, "It's my birthday today. Why do you think I'm unhappy?"
Xu Xiuwen replied, "It's just a feeling. Let me guess why you're unhappy. Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?"
Xu Mingxue gave him a sideways glance, "No."
Xu Xiuwen asked, "No fight? Then is it because your boyfriend didn't come to celebrate your birthday?"
Xu Mingxue shook her head, "I don't have a boyfriend."
Xu Xiuwen's eyes widened in surprise, "Senior Mingxue, someone as beautiful as you doesn't have a boyfriend? I don't believe it."
Although Xu Mingxue knew he was deliberately saying nice things, she was still happy.
She laughed softly and asked, "Who told you I have a boyfriend?"
Xu Xiuwen said, "I guessed. Don't the boys around you have any taste? How could they not pursue such a beauty?"
Finding it amusing, Xu Mingxue asked, "What about you? If it were you, would you pursue me?"
As soon as she asked, she realized her question sounded a bit ambiguous.
However, Xu Xiuwen didn't seem to notice and nodded without hesitation, "Of course. I only have one hobby: I like beautiful girls."
Xu Mingxue was in a good mood and playfully scolded, "I don't believe you. You must be saying nice things to make me happy."
Her tone gave off a girlfriend-like teasing vibe.
Xu Mingxue didn't even notice it herself.
At this moment, Jiang Yin returned.
Seeing Xu Xiuwen and Xu Mingxue talking closely, Jiang Yin asked, "What are you two talking about?"
Xu Xiuwen chuckled, "I was just marveling at how someone as beautiful as Senior Mingxue doesn't have a boyfriend. It's unbelievable."
Jiang Yin smiled lightly, "That's quite normal. Even though Mingxue seems approachable, she's actually very proud. Her standards for a boyfriend are high, and she won't settle for someone who doesn't meet them, so she's single."
Xu Xiuwen laughed heartily, "Having high standards is fair. One shouldn't settle."
Jiang Yin suddenly glanced at Xu Xiuwen and said, "You seem to meet Mingxue's standards quite well. What do you think, Mingxue?"
Xu Mingxue's heart skipped a beat, "Stop talking nonsense."
Xu Xiuwen waved his hand, "Senior Jiang Yin, don't joke about this. I'm not worthy."
Jiang Yin smirked, "Are you saying Mingxue isn't good enough for you?"
Xu Mingxue also looked over, her expression not too pleased.
Xu Xiuwen quickly explained, "No, no, I already have someone I like."
Hearing this, Xu Mingxue's expression relaxed.
Jiang Yin asked, "You still like Cheng Lu? I have to remind you, she seems to have a boyfriend now. I don't know who he is, but he must be outstanding to catch her eye. You probably don't stand a chance."
Xu Mingxue asked in surprise, "Xu Xiuwen, you like Cheng Lu?"
Xu Xiuwen didn't feel embarrassed to admit it. He nodded, "Yes, I like Cheng Lu."
He hesitated for a moment but didn't reveal that he was actually Cheng Lu's boyfriend since she hadn't said anything.
"Even if Cheng Lu has a boyfriend, I still like her."
Hearing this, Xu Mingxue's face showed a hint of pity.
Jiang Yin commented, "I didn't realize you were so devoted."
Xu Xiuwen waved his hand, not wanting to discuss it further.
On the side, Zhao Hai watched Xu Xiuwen chatting closely with the two girls, their intimate appearance making him quite jealous.
Zhao Hai couldn't help but say, "Big star, everyone else has sung, won't you sing a song? Or are you afraid your singing is too bad? If that's the case, just forget I asked."
Xu Xiuwen looked up at him, puzzled.
He thought he hadn't offended Zhao Hai, so why was he being targeted?
Xu Mingxue said, "Zhao Hai, I haven't sung either. Are you saying my singing is bad too? It's a personal choice. Why are you forcing him?"
Zhao Hai explained, "Mingxue, I'm not forcing him, but we're here at KTV. If he doesn't sing, what's he doing here?"
Xu Mingxue gave him a cold look, feeling he was being excessive.
Jiang Yin suddenly whispered, "Do you know why Zhao Hai is targeting you?"
Xu Xiuwen shook his head, "How would I know?"
Jiang Yin chuckled, "Zhao Hai used to pursue Mingxue but got rejected. Seeing you so close to her, he's upset."
Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but say, "What's that got to do with me? Isn't that girl beside him his girlfriend?"
Jiang Yin nodded, "Yes, he got together with Tao Fen after failing to woo Mingxue. Tao Fen doesn't know about this, so don't mention it."
Xu Xiuwen nodded.
Zhao Hai said, "Coming to KTV is all about singing. If you don't sing, what's the point? Wu Xian, Gao Liang, don't you agree?"
Wu Xian and Gao Liang were the other two boys.
They already didn't like Xu Xiuwen much because, since he arrived, he had captured all the girls' attention.
Hearing Zhao Hai's words, they immediately chimed in, "Yeah, Zhao Hai is right. What's the point of coming to KTV if you don't sing?"
Xu Mingxue was annoyed to see the three of them on the same side.
The others in the room also noticed the tension.
Qian Yan and Zhong Zhu quickly stood up and said, "Zhao Hai, what's your problem? If Xu Xiuwen doesn't want to sing, so what? Who are you to say anything?"
The other girls, especially the three girlfriends, didn't know whose side to take and remained silent.
Xu Xiuwen thought: I didn't want to show off, but you guys are forcing me.
Well, I have no choice now.
Xu Xiuwen suddenly said, "Fine, I'll sing a song."
He stood up and walked toward the song selection station.
Everyone in the room was watching Xu Xiuwen.
Among the girls, Qian Yan and Zhong Zhu were visibly excited and thrilled.
Jiang Yin, knowing Xu Xiuwen's singing skills, was also looking forward to it.
Xu Mingxue felt the same anticipation.
The three boys, however, were ready to see a spectacle.
In their view, Xu Xiuwen's initial reluctance to sing meant he lacked confidence in his singing abilities.
Anyone confident in their singing would have shown off a bit, especially when singing with girls.
Xu Xiuwen stood in front of the song selection station, browsing the song list.
Many popular KTV songs from his previous life were not available now.
He glanced through the list and suddenly spotted "Fairy Tale."
Without hesitation, he chose it.
"Fairy Tale" was a song released by Michael Wong in 2005 and was quite popular that year.
As the intro began, Xu Xiuwen started singing softly:
"I forgot how long it's been since I last heard you tell me your favorite story
I've been thinking for a long time, and I'm starting to get scared
Did I do something wrong again?
You cried and told me that fairy tales are all lies..."
As Xu Xiuwen's voice resonated, the three boys' faces instantly showed disbelief.
The girls were entranced by his singing.
When the song ended, Xu Xiuwen turned and glanced at the three boys, smiled, shook his head, but said nothing.
The three boys then realized Xu Xiuwen wasn't hiding his lack of skill but was actually quite talented.
They felt a wave of embarrassment.
However, Xu Xiuwen didn't mock them verbally, which made them breathe a sigh of relief, though they were somewhat surprised.
Xu Xiuwen hadn't given them much thought.
Returning to his seat, Xu Xiuwen asked with a smile, "How was it?"
Qian Yan and Zhong Zhu looked at him with admiration, "It was amazing."
Jiang Yin also smiled, "It was really good."
Xu Xiuwen laughed heartily, "Great, now it's your turn to sing. I'll take a break."
Jiang Yin then went to select another song.
Suddenly, Xu Mingxue stood up.
Xu Xiuwen thought she was going to choose a song, but instead, she said, "I'm going to the bathroom, let Jiang Yin know for me."
With that, Xu Mingxue walked out of the room.
This KTV only had private bathrooms in the large rooms; the small and medium rooms did not have them.
When Xu Mingxue mentioned going to the bathroom, Xu Xiuwen stood up, "I'll go with you."
The two of them left the room together and headed to the bathroom.
Xu Xiuwen quickly finished and came out.
He stood in the hallway outside, waiting for Xu Mingxue.
But after waiting for a while, Xu Mingxue still hadn't come out.
Instead, he saw a man and a woman coming out of the women's bathroom, holding each other.
Xu Xiuwen was taken aback.
Instinctively, he looked at the gender signs above.
He wasn't mistaken—it was definitely the women's bathroom.
So why did a man come out of it? Suddenly, Xu Xiuwen thought of a possibility!
He took a closer look.
The woman coming out had a rosy face, and her hair was stuck to her cheeks.
She was slightly panting, with a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.
Xu Xiuwen instantly guessed what they had been doing in the women's bathroom.
He could only marvel at their boldness.
After waiting another two minutes, Xu Mingxue finally came out, her face flushed, her head lowered.
Seeing Xu Mingxue's flushed face, Xu Xiuwen naturally guessed that she must have heard or seen something just now.
He pretended to know nothing and asked, "I think I just saw a guy coming out of the women's bathroom. Did you see them?"
Xu Mingxue blushed even more at the thought of the startling scene she had witnessed.
She shook her head, "I don't know."
Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen laughed heartily, making Xu Mingxue feel even more embarrassed.
She couldn't help but say, "Xu Xiuwen, stop laughing!"
Xu Xiuwen stopped laughing and said, "Okay, I won't laugh anymore. Let's go back."
They started walking back to the private room.
After just a few steps, as they passed by another private room, the door suddenly opened, and a man came out.
The man had thick arms, was quite tall, and wore a gold necklace around his neck.
He had clearly drunk a lot, as his face was very red.
When the man looked up, he immediately saw Xu Mingxue walking by.
Her beautiful face instantly excited him.
He quickly reached out to block her path.
Xu Mingxue tried to step aside, but the man blocked her again.
With a grin, the man said, "Hey beautiful, you here to sing too?"
Xu Mingxue ignored him and tried to walk around him again.
Seeing her avoiding him and not responding, the man reached out to grab her arm.
Just as he was about to grab her arm, another hand suddenly grasped his arm.
It was Xu Xiuwen's hand.
The man, now restrained, shouted, "Who the hell are you? Let go of my arm right now!"
Xu Xiuwen calmly said, "Please stop harassing her."
The man grew even angrier, "Bullshit! It's her luck that I fancy her! Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"
Xu Xiuwen could tolerate being insulted himself, but not Xu Mingxue.
He didn't hesitate and immediately kicked the man hard, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The man, furious, scrambled to his feet and charged at Xu Xiuwen, ready to throw a punch.
Xu Mingxue, worried, couldn't help but say, "Don't fight! Let's talk this out."
Xu Xiuwen, seeing the man's aggressive approach, remained unfazed.
The man's movements seemed like mere posturing to him.
He dodged the punch by ducking, then delivered a solid uppercut to the man's face.
The man staggered and fell to the ground again, clutching his face.