After dinner, everyone went to sing karaoke, a popular activity lately. They chose a place catering specifically to students, with reasonable prices and a comprehensive song list. Xiang Yu didn't want to go and preferred to return to her dorm, but there were only two girls in the club. Fang Yi, the other girl who studied advertising, insisted Xiang Yu accompany her. With the others also persuading her, Xiang Yu finally agreed to go.
The private room had dim lighting, and the table was filled with drinks, including beer and green tea, along with fruit plates and some nuts. Someone was already singing, while Xiang Yu sat quietly in a corner, hugging a cushion and listening without selecting a song. She gradually felt a slightly intoxicating happiness, humming softly along with the rhythm. However, her solitude was short-lived as the seat beside her sank, indicating someone had joined her. They handed her a microphone, "Xiang Yu, let's sing a song together." Xiang Yu felt a slight headache returning and was about to decline when the prelude began to play. It was an old Cantonese song, "Lovers in the Rain." When she was younger, Cantonese songs were at their peak, and most of the songs she knew were in Cantonese, many of which had grown more timeless over the years. Holding the microphone, her voice, rich and lingering, was entirely different from her usual self. Although her Cantonese wasn't perfect, it was quite passable, and she conveyed the emotions of the songs very well. Xue Min, of course, was even more skilled, with a deep, steady voice and precise, pleasing Cantonese pronunciation. After the song, everyone applauded, teasing them to team up for the school's singing competition. Wang Yang from the English department, with his big mouth, exclaimed, "You two are really a perfect match, like a couple made in heaven. Are you secretly dating and just hiding it from us?"
"How could that be?" Xiang Yu's response was very straightforward, "I have a boyfriend. We were classmates in junior high and high school, and tablemates. Me.Xue was our schoolmate too, so he knows him." She said this with a smile, looking at Xue Min. "Yes, Xiang Yu was my junior in middle school," Xue Min replied with a calm expression. Hearing this, everyone felt a bit awkward until the next song started playing. Xiang Yu reached for a beer bottle on the coffee table but Xue Min took it away, "Don't drink. You can't handle alcohol and it'll get to your head." Xiang Yu nodded and picked up a bottle of green tea instead, taking a few sips. Watching Xue Min drink the beer, she decided to keep her distance and went to the song selection stand to choose a song, then stayed there. After singing the song she picked, she checked her watch. It was already past nine, so she stood up and said she should head back to the dorm before it got too late.
As Xiang Yu was about to leave, Xue Min stopped her, offering to walk her back. He turned to Wang Yang, asking him to handle the bill and get the receipt for him later. Wang Yang made a gesture with two fingers in a pose reminiscent of Yosuke Eguchi in "Tokyo Love Story," indicating no problem. Xiang Yu insisted it wasn't necessary but headed out the door anyway.
She walked briskly outside. It was already autumn, and the night wind was chilly. Coming from the warm indoors, she shivered, feeling slightly dizzy from the alcohol. Although she was clear-headed, her steps were unsteady, and she stumbled slightly. A hand caught her arm, and she fell into someone's embrace, hitting her nose, which brought tears to her eyes. She quickly covered her nose with her hand. The person remained silent, just holding her arm and looking down at her. Xiang Yu knew who it was but her nose still hurt. After a moment, she thanked him, "Thank you, Mr.Xue." Xue Min's voice was slightly hoarse, "Xiang Yu, do you dislike me so much that you can't even treat me like a friend? Or are you afraid that spending more time with me will make you realize I'm actually more suitable, so you won't even give me that chance?" Xiang Yu sighed softly and replied, "Mr.Xue, you don't really know me. I don't understand why you like me, but I know I don't have special feelings for you. I don't want to give you false hope or have you stuck on me. You're excellent, everyone likes you, and you deserve their admiration. But, Mr.Xue, in life, there are always things and people that, even if they appear in your life, may not be as you wish, right?" Except for her grandmother and a few close friends, Xiang Yu rarely spoke so much to anyone. The wind blew her hair, strands sticking to her cheeks. Her eyes, affected by the alcohol, were not as clear as usual but held a charming allure. Xue Min's heart ached, seeing her beauty and knowing it belonged to someone else. Swallowing his resentment, he said, "Let's go. I'll walk you back to the dorm. I understand what you said. I'll be mindful of my boundaries, but can you at least treat me as a friend?" Xiang Yu knew someone as proud as Xue Min wouldn't resort to inappropriate actions. She agreed, and they walked silently to the dormitory, where they said their goodbyes.