Chapter 46: He Has Me Now

At that moment, Xia Chiyi saw the band on stage clearly. They were dressed in black tactical gear with cool, stark makeup. Following a series of drumbeats that rumbled from far to near, a powerful voice rang out, tearing through the previously lazy and peaceful night.

The guests were jolted awake from their reverie, and all eyes turned toward Stage C. Even the bartender, who had been surrounded by patrons earlier, was now ignored; many people stood up to move closer to the stage.

It was a song by Nightwish. Xia Chiyi had played games during his middle school years, and this band’s music was often used as background tracks. As the “battle hymn” began, Xia Chiyi felt a rush of adrenaline, as if he were about to push away his keyboard and hack through thorns with his brothers in a game world.

Ke Yan asked, “What’s this song called? It sounds so familiar.”

Yang Huaiyu replied, “I Want My Tears Back.”

Xia Chiyi knew Yang Huaiyu had a mellow voice, but he didn’t expect that when he spoke English so seriously, it would sound quite charming.

He Zhan tilted his head and translated word for word, “I want to take back my tears?”

“May the tears of youth be repaid,” Zhou Zhexiao spoke up.

Everyone present suddenly looked at Zhou Zhexiao with admiring eyes.

Xia Chiyi remarked, “I suddenly feel like Zhou Zhexiao is very cultured.”

The next second, Xia Chiyi’s head was pressed down. However, Zhou Zhexiao controlled his strength perfectly; he stopped steadily just as Xia Chiyi’s nose was about to bump into his Mojito.

As the song ended, the atmosphere of the entire bar reached a boiling point.

Yang Huaiyu lightly tapped his finger in front of Xia Chiyi. “Was I right to bring you here? Isn’t the vibe of these resident singers much better than those third-rate bands online?”

Xia Chiyi nodded while sipping his Mojito, looking forward to what the next song would be.

At that moment, a beam of light on Stage C hit the lead singer. She was a capable-looking woman with short hair; her features were exquisite but lacked any hint of flirtatiousness. This androgynous style made her even more charismatic.

“Friends who frequent Stranger know that our bar’s rule is: one song, one game. Next up is the game segment! Would the friend illuminated by the light please name one thing you have or something you’ve done that no one else here has… na-na-na-na…” The lead singer’s gaze swept over everyone and seemed to stop at Xia Chiyi’s table. “Don’t be shy, don’t hide your handsome faces. Every traveler who comes to Stranger hopes to become someone else’s ‘special one,’ rather than remaining a ‘stranger’ forever.”

The subtext was essentially that the guests came here more or less expecting a romantic encounter, and the bar provided the mysterious atmosphere; this was the segment to make oneself stand out.

It was Xia Chiyi’s first time in such a situation. He racked his brain: was there anything he had done that others hadn’t?

Meng Ting became visibly nervous. “What do I do? What do I do? Is there anything I have or have done that no one else has?”

Xia Chiyi leaned over and whispered, “You have something. You’re 202cm tall. There probably isn’t anyone taller than you in this whole bar.”

Yang Huaiyu leaned closer to Xia Chiyi and said with a smile, “Actually, there is. The bar’s security guard might be 203cm.”

Xia Chiyi and Yang Huaiyu’s noses were separated only by a Mojito—a half-finished one at that. Yang Huaiyu’s eyes were reflected by the ice cubes, giving them a gentle warmth. Wait, were his eyelashes always this long?

His back collar was hooked by something—it was Zhou Zhexiao’s knuckle.

An itchy, tingling sensation surged through that tiny point of contact, conducting through Xia Chiyi’s entire body at top speed.

Xia Chiyi moved backward imperceptibly to distance himself from Yang Huaiyu, his neck now brazenly pressing against Zhou Zhexiao’s knuckle.

“If you’re worried about the light hitting you, why not just duck down?” Zhou Zhexiao said softly.

“Oh, right! It’s cowardly, but effective!” Meng Ting nodded.

Just then, the white light beam swept through the bar like a searchlight and stopped on a man wearing a casual suit and rimless glasses.

Meng Ting: “A wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

He Zhan: “Even though I don’t know much, that guy seems to be flirting with everyone equally.”

Ke Yan: “Suddenly, I feel like our ace is low-key, handsome, and has depth.”

Xia Chiyi was amused by them. While all the other bar patrons were focused on the handsome man, only Xia Chiyi let out a laugh—one filled with mockery, as if the man chosen by the lead singer was a ridiculous clown.

Realizing he was the only one laughing, Xia Chiyi immediately suppressed all sound and put on a deadpan expression.

The man in the rimless glasses looked toward Xia Chiyi’s direction. Despite several tall boys being at that booth, the man was able to identify the source of the laughter at first glance. It was because the boy in sportswear had a handsome profile and a clean, refreshing aura.

On a typical day, the man would have told a few meaningless jokes, but this time he took his car keys out of his pocket.

“I drove a Lamborghini today.”

The lead singer asked with a smile, “Is there anyone else here today who drove a Lamborghini?”

Everyone answered in unison, “NO—”

Meng Ting felt a bit salty and whispered, “I misjudged our ace again. Clearly, this guy is the real show-off.”

Xia Chiyi had no interest in cars. He poked at the fruit platter on the table and placed a small cherry tomato between his lips.

The man who drove the Lamborghini kept watching Xia Chiyi’s reaction, only to discover with disappointment that the Lamborghini held zero attraction for him. Meanwhile, the man’s own heart felt like that tiny cherry tomato, wondering when the boy would finally bite down.

The light began to rotate through the venue again, landing on a lady. She was there with her boyfriend and naturally raised her hand. The diamond ring on her ring finger shone like a lighthouse in the night.

“I received a 2-carat engagement ring today.”

Envious sounds erupted from the crowd.

“Is this showing off love or showing off wealth?”

“Probably both?”

The lead singer smiled and asked, “Is there anyone else here who received a 2-carat engagement ring?”

Everyone answered loudly and enthusiastically, “NO—”

They gave the newcomers plenty of face. The band even obliged by playing a snippet of the Wedding March.

The topic at Yang Huaiyu’s table shifted to what kind of gift would make them feel most touched if someone confessed to them.

Meng Ting was the most traditional, thinking something like handmade snacks would be heartwarming.

Yang Huaiyu teased him directly, “If someone likes you, it’s already a blessing from heaven, and you still want them to make you snacks?”

“What about Xia Chiyi?” Ke Yan asked with a smile, looking at him.

“Me?” Xia Chiyi lifted his face, wearing the same expression he had in the subway station when thinking of Sheng Xingming. “An NBA championship ring, I guess…”

After saying it, Xia Chiyi felt he had gone mad and quickly tried to smooth it over. “I’m joking! Just wristbands or ankle braces would be fine! Wearing something your partner gave you every time you step onto the court—isn’t that meaningful?”

Oh wait, his wristbands and ankle braces were all bought by Zhou Zhexiao. His whole body was already full of ‘meaning.’

“Baby, you scared me. An NBA championship ring? You’re destined to die alone,” Meng Ting said, patting his chest.

However, Yang Huaiyu didn’t think Xia Chiyi was joking. He remembered Xia Chiyi’s expression from just now—it wasn’t just a dream; it was the grit of someone intending to turn a dream into reality.

Yang Huaiyu had never hoped for Xia Chiyi’s dream to come true as much as he did in this moment; it would mean new hope for the country’s men’s basketball.

Ke Yan looked at Zhou Zhexiao curiously. “What about you? I feel like you’re too cool, Zhou Zhexiao. You seem like the kind of man who’s perpetually unattainable.”

Xia Chiyi also looked over curiously.

Zhou Zhexiao replied calmly, “If I am the moon, I won’t allow other stars to exist in that person’s heart.”

Xia Chiyi silently lowered his head, feeling a bit guilty for some reason.

Ke Yan laughed, “With you already there, who would dare dream of another man… that ‘trash girl’ would have a death wish, wouldn’t she?”

Trash girl…

A cold sweat broke out on Xia Chiyi’s back.

At that moment, the white beam started circling the venue again. Everyone wanted to know who the third person would be.

The light flashed across Xia Chiyi’s eyes. In that instant, Zhou Zhexiao reached out, shielding Xia Chiyi’s eyes and pressing him down.

Xia Chiyi understood the unspoken cue and slumped onto the table.

The light didn’t stay on Xia Chiyi; instead, it landed on Zhou Zhexiao’s face.

In an instant, the focus of the entire room shifted to him. Discussions and gasps broke out one after another.

“I didn’t even notice, but that guy is so handsome… his eyes are so deep…”

“You didn’t notice? I saw him the moment he walked in, but he hasn’t spoken much or smiled.”

“Broad shoulders, long legs… that whole table looks like athletes…”

Various meaningful glances lingered on Zhou Zhexiao, but he acted as if he couldn’t feel them.

The lead singer spoke, “Hey, Mr. Cool. Do you have something that no one else has?”

The question somehow carried a suggestive undertone.

Yang Huaiyu curled his lips into a smirk; he was curious to see how Zhou Zhexiao would handle this.

Xia Chiyi was still face-down on the table. He was certain the term “Mr. Cool” wasn’t referring to him, so he was safe from the light. He patted the back of Zhou Zhexiao’s hand, but the other showed no intention of letting go.

Ke Yan glanced at Yang Huaiyu. “You’re still laughing? Help him out!”

Zhou Zhexiao unhurriedly took his phone out of his pocket and said in a low voice, “I’m using a Nokia 5230.”

The crowd erupted in an uproar, and even the lead singer was stunned.

The answer wasn’t “cool” at all, but paired with Zhou Zhexiao’s face and aura, it became strangely unique.

After a three-second pause, the lead singer immediately shouted, “Is there anyone else here currently using a Nokia 5230?”

People looked at each other.

“It seems not. We’ve played with three guests already. Now, for our second song—Breathe On Me!”

This song was a complete 180-degree turn from the previous “battle hymn.” It was a track from Britney Spears’ album.

When the lead singer’s breathy vocals began, the entire bar became deathly silent.

“Let it out, let it out… Just breathe on me… We don’t need to touch, just breathe on me…“

Ke Yan lowered his head, covering his eyes with one hand. “Listening to this makes me feel like my ears are going to get pregnant.”

He Zhan and Meng Ting, the two big guys, couldn’t sit still, shifting in their seats as if they were sitting on thorns.

For the first time, Xia Chiyi felt his high school English score was too high. He could fully understand all the suggestive metaphors in the lyrics. Luckily, the lighting was dim enough that no one could see his face burning red.

How did the female lead singer, who had such a powerful voice earlier, transition into this midnight seductress?

He finally couldn’t take it anymore. Following He Zhan and Meng Ting’s restless movements, he shifted, and his leg accidentally brushed against Zhou Zhexiao next to him.

As if scalded, Xia Chiyi immediately snapped his legs together.

Currently, the only ones calm at the table were likely Yang Huaiyu and Zhou Zhexiao. One was experienced and world-weary; the other was unflappable even if the sky were falling.

Yang Huaiyu teased, “If any of you can’t hold it in, just go to the restroom.”

“Screw off,” Ke Yan grumbled, kicking him hard under the table.

“Ow!” The one hit was apparently He Zhan. “Why’d you kick me!”

Xia Chiyi felt he had been too naive. He thought a bar band would be like a mini-concert, but he hadn’t expected the “level” here to be so high.

“Need to go to the restroom?” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his voice and whispered.

“Huh? Why would I go to the restroom? It’s just a song; I’m not that lacking in self-control…”

Zhou Zhexiao seemed to let out a sigh. “Do you want to shake the liquid in your brain until it’s evenly mixed?”

“What?”

“You drank a whole glass of Mojito and finished all the watermelon, cherry tomatoes, and sweet melon on the platter.”

Xia Chiyi’s face didn’t change, but in his mind, he was banging his head against the table. So that was why Zhou Zhexiao asked if he needed the restroom.

How embarrassing.

“I’m fine for now.”

The song, which made alcohol run rampant in the brain, finally came to an end. The guests’ throats might have been dry or their hearts burning with fire; either way, the bartenders became busy, and servers constantly delivered iced drinks.

It was time for another “game segment.” Xia Chiyi felt the nervousness of a student being called on by a teacher.

Seeing his teammates racking their brains for answers, Yang Huaiyu leaned against his chair and laughed. “This game is definitely different from the last one. Clear your heads and listen to the rules!”

“Eh? I just thought of an answer,” Xia Chiyi said with a disappointed look.

“What answer?”

“I’m wearing limited-edition sneakers. No one else here would have them.”

Zhou Zhexiao took a deep breath, his voice tinged with a bit of helplessness: “We are wearing the same limited-edition sneakers.”

“Oh?” Ke Yan and the others immediately gave them “your relationship isn’t simple” looks.

Xia Chiyi hurried to explain: “Coach Ling lost a bet and gave them to both of us.”

“I want a coach like that too…”

“Our coach is a demon; he hasn’t even bought us a bottle of mineral water…”

The lead singer’s voice rang out, sounding a bit mischievous.

“From now until the end of the game, no one is allowed to leave under any pretext or hide in the restroom.”

A wave of laughter rippled through the guests. It seemed this round of the game would be quite suggestive.

“The chosen guest, please hold in your mouth a… lemon slice, mint leaf, or ice cube from the glass in front of you, whatever… if no one takes the object from your mouth within ten seconds. I mean ‘take it with their mouth.’ So using hands or chopsticks doesn’t count. If ten seconds pass and no one helps you… aha, you’ll have to come up here and sing a song.”

The suggestive atmosphere intensified. Some people were already secretly shifting seats to sit closer to their person of interest.

The man in the rimless glasses looked toward Xia Chiyi. He knew there was no way he could dash to the boy’s side within ten seconds, especially since the boy was surrounded by so many friends.

He Zhan and Meng Ting had already started huddling up, discussing how they would “save” each other if one of them were chosen.

Yang Huaiyu sighed. “You two are worrying over nothing. I think Zhou Zhexiao is actually the one in danger. If he gets picked…”

Meng Ting said seriously, “There might be a lot of people rushing up. He Zhan and I might not be able to stop them.”

The boys at the table turned their eyes to Zhou Zhexiao. They were all secretly and wickedly hoping he would be chosen, wanting to see if he could maintain his ice-mountain face while waiting for someone to take something from his mouth.

A server passed by them with drinks and happened to tap Yang Huaiyu on the shoulder. “Hey, Liu Suchen didn’t come. If you’re chosen, who’s going to rescue you?”

With that, the server walked away.

Everyone’s eyes widened instantly. This was the biggest news of the day.

“So! You! Have! Been! Picked! Before!”

“Is that the kind of relationship you have with Liu Suchen?”

“No wonder Liu Suchen is so arrogant but somehow loves going to bars with you!”

Liu Suchen of Qing University was last year’s MVP—a player who could calmly reject offers from top-tier CBA clubs.

Yang Huaiyu covered his face with one hand, looking helpless. “Everyone, everyone! Liu Suchen and I are in a relationship where we’d stab each other as long as we have a breath left! Liu Suchen must have tipped that server!”

“Heh. Stabbing each other? I don’t believe you for a second,” Ke Yan said, looking at Yang Huaiyu as if he were a scumbag.

Xia Chiyi mimicked Ye Zhaoying’s tone: “Anyway, Zhang Fei wouldn’t eat something out of Guan Yu’s mouth.”

Everyone laughed even harder.

The first person the light picked was an elegant woman with long hair who was there with her best friend. She calmly picked up a cherry from her glass, bit the stem, and crooked a finger at her friend.

However, the friend just smirked and didn’t move.

The whole venue counted down ten seconds. At the fifth second, the girl stared at her friend with wide eyes, but the friend just kept laughing.

At that moment, someone tapped the girl on the shoulder. It was a somewhat shy guy in black-rimmed glasses. “I… can I…?”

The girl was stunned for a moment, then grabbed the guy’s collar and pulled him down.

So they were already mutually interested.

The whole place erupted.

“This is why this bar is always popular. The servers, the lead singer, and even the bartenders are all great at reading people. They don’t match people up randomly unless it’s a prank,” Yang Huaiyu smiled.

“So, is it a match or a prank between you and Liu Suchen?” Ke Yan still didn’t let the joke go.

“Good grief, Liu Suchen is a stage hog. If he came, he’d dominate the center stage all night, playing the drums until he’s in a trance. If I were actually chosen, would he really jump off the stage to save me? A-Yan, you’re the brain of our team; can’t you figure out such a simple logic?”

“I accept the last sentence you said,” Ke Yan replied, crossing his arms.

Then, the white light began circling again, landing on a guy at the bar. The guy smiled; he seemed to have come alone. He casually bit an ice cube, turned around, and closed his eyes, waiting for the countdown to end.

“Ten—nine—eight—”

The guy was already prepared to go on stage and sing, but unexpectedly, whistles started sounding around him. It was actually the female bartender who reached out and tapped his shoulder. When the man turned around, she flashed a smile and asked, leaning on the bar, “Yes or no?”

The guy nodded blankly. The bartender gripped the back of his head and plucked the ice cube away.

A roar of cheers went up.

“Damn, that guy actually succeeded?”

“He’s liked Jin Ni for a long time, right? He sits in that spot every time she’s on shift… for about half a year now!”

“That is so lucky!”

Xia Chiyi thought to himself that he really believed this bar had “Cupid potential” now.

Then, the light started rotating again.

A flash went before Xia Chiyi’s eyes. He instinctively wanted to duck, but this time was different—the light stayed on him and didn’t move. He blinked and saw the shocked look in Yang Huaiyu’s eyes opposite him.

“Holy… Xia Chiyi, you hit the jackpot.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. There are so many of us who can save you!” Ke Yan patted Xia Chiyi’s shoulder.

“Huh? Saying that doesn’t really comfort me, does it?”

The guests looked over, letting out soft laughs and whispering.

“So handsome. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a clean-cut handsome guy.”

“Ten seconds isn’t enough for me to run over there!”

“He has such beautiful eyes; I really want to protect him.”

…

The lead singer’s voice rang out: “Handsome young man, please pick up the object in front of you. We have a time limit.”

Xia Chiyi looked in front of him. He had treated the Mojito like soda and drank it until only ice remained. Even the lemon slice on the rim of the glass had been eaten by him… the fruit platter was empty, without even a piece of melon rind left.

Xia Chiyi picked up his glass. Well, only ice cubes were left.

“Don’t use ice. Use lemon,” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded.

“What?”

“Do you want to get ‘Frenched’?”

Instantly, the image of the foreign pair’s “guest performance” in the gym elevator flashed through Xia Chiyi’s mind. He couldn’t handle that.

“I don’t have any lemon left…”

“Open your mouth.”

“Huh?”

The next second, Zhou Zhexiao plucked the lemon from his own glass and placed it in Xia Chiyi’s mouth.

A sour, astringent sensation flooded his brain through his taste buds, followed by the fragrance of lemon.

His vision held only Zhou Zhexiao’s deep eyes. Around them were the countdowns of all the guests. His head was buzzing, his heart felt like it had heard the final whistle of a game, and his breath was pulled into a straight line.

Ke Yan, Meng Ting, and He Zhan were still playing rock-paper-scissors to see who would lose and have to save Xia Chiyi.

Yang Huaiyu couldn’t watch any longer and was about to stand up.

But Zhou Zhexiao reached out and cupped the back of Xia Chiyi’s head. Xia Chiyi’s soft hair lightly touched Zhou Zhexiao’s palm, then bent obediently as if it wanted to seep into his lifeline. Zhou Zhexiao looked into Xia Chiyi’s eyes; his “little lion” had no idea about the rules of the world of desire, nor did he know that his own attraction could be dialed up to infinity.

Zhou Zhexiao bit the edge of the lemon slice. Xia Chiyi, however, was so nervous that his teeth were stupidly clenched, not knowing when to let go—until Zhou Zhexiao’s nose lightly brushed against his. Only then did he belatedly release his grip.

Zhou Zhexiao let go, leaning back into his chair. The white light shone on his face. He expressionlessly used his tongue to push the lemon slice, flipping the side Xia Chiyi had bitten toward himself. Then, without a change in expression, he took the whole slice into his mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed.

A collective gasp went up from the crowd.

“Damn, this guy is so cool!”

“So alpha. Was he just helping his friend, or did he actually have that intention? But if he were really moved, could he still have such a cool expression?”

“My logic tells me he’s helping, but my gut tells me he likes him!”

“He’s definitely helping. In that situation, if the friends nearby didn’t act, ten seconds wouldn’t be enough for anyone else to save that little handsome guy!”

…

Yang Huaiyu was stunned. He thought he had been overthinking things, but looking at Zhou Zhexiao’s expression again, he felt there was something interesting going on.

“You Ningchang University guys really have chemistry… unlike us over here, who only know how to expose each other’s flaws!”

Veins popped on Ke Yan’s forehead. “What? Say that again? I dare you to never need a pass from me for the rest of your life!”

He Zhan raised his middle finger. “Did you eat baking powder? One Mojito made you this inflated?”

Meng Ting: “Why did I show mercy and not strangle this guy just now?”

Although Xia Chiyi’s face didn’t show much, his heart was still pounding wildly. All the heart-rate control training Jiao Yingfeng and Fan Qingliang had designed for him was useless right now.

The Zhou Zhexiao next to him remained unfazed, still immune to everything. His ease only served to multiply his attraction. He lowered his eyes to look at Xia Chiyi. “If you had been holding ice, no one would have saved you.”

The sentence seemed to smooth over all of Xia Chiyi’s embarrassment and helplessness. Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was like an ice-blue meteor streaking across a velvet night. Xia Chiyi wanted to use all his senses—whether hearing or touch—to hold onto it.

The band entered another performance slot, this time a campus ballad. The atmosphere in the bar softened.

Xia Chiyi slid out of his seat. As he passed Zhou Zhexiao’s chair, the other leaned back slightly, his head happening to bump against Xia Chiyi.

“Going somewhere?”

“Restroom.”

“I’ll go with you.”

With that, Zhou Zhexiao stood up.

Meng Ting and He Zhan were about to follow to fulfill the “bodyguard” duty assigned by the coach. Zhou Zhexiao made a “stay put” gesture toward them and followed behind Xia Chiyi.

Yang Huaiyu also smiled. “You two don’t be so tense. This place is truly a decent establishment.”

Xia Chiyi entered the restroom. Just as he was about to pull the drawstring of his sweatpants, Zhou Zhexiao gave him a look: “Go into a stall.”

Xia Chiyi thought this was probably the alertness one should have when out, or perhaps experience Zhou Zhexiao had gained in America.

Once inside the stall, Xia Chiyi let out a breath. He touched his nose; it seemed the sensation of Zhou Zhexiao touching him still lingered there. A feeling of heart palpitations came over him; Xia Chiyi felt something was a bit off.

At that moment, in the hallway outside the restroom, the man with rimless glasses was walking quickly toward them. He had been paying attention to the boy’s movements. Seeing him go to the restroom, he immediately followed, hoping to get the boy’s contact information.

However, the man stopped before he even reached the door.

This was because the boy’s companion was standing there watching him, as if he had already anticipated the man’s arrival.

“He doesn’t like Lamborghinis,” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded, like icicles invited by gravity to fall mercilessly.

“Huh?”

“The person he admired most died in a car accident while sitting in a Lamborghini.”

“Oh.” For a moment, the man didn’t know how to respond.

“He won’t give you his WeChat, and he won’t give you his phone number.”

The man’s throat bobbed. He watched the tall young man walk up to him, unable to understand how someone of that age could have such an intimidating aura.

“He might get distracted by the stars, but clearly, you aren’t even a star.”

“Hey, you…”

Zhou Zhexiao looked down at him and said softly, “He has me now.“

It was a final, settling answer to a restless, covetous heart.

“So… sorry…”

The man couldn’t take the pressure. He took two steps back, turned around, and walked faster and faster, almost as if fleeing as he left the bar.

Just then, Xia Chiyi walked out of the restroom, looked around, and found Zhou Zhexiao. “Hey, I thought you needed the restroom too.”

“It’s nothing. Let’s head back.”

Zhou Zhexiao put his hands in his pockets and walked back with Xia Chiyi.

“Thanks for just now! When I saw those three starting to play rock-paper-scissors, I really doubted if they actually wanted to save me!”

“The lemon was very sour,” Zhou Zhexiao said calmly.

“Sorry, I ate all the fruit on the platter.”

When they returned to their seats, Yang Huaiyu smiled. “I thought you two had taken the chance to run off. The challenge round is about to start. They say if you complete the task assigned by the lead singer, the whole table gets the bill waived. We plan to see if we win this round and then leave.”

Even though everyone had been clamoring to fleece Yang Huaiyu, their table’s fruit platters and drinks added up to several hundred yuan. It would be nice if the bill were actually waived.

“If it’s waived, when I go to Ningchang to visit you, you won’t have to bleed money to treat me to something expensive,” Yang Huaiyu joked.

Zhou Zhexiao said calmly, “Don’t worry. Ningchang fried noodles, the ‘Family Feast’ deluxe version, is only eighty-eight yuan.”

Yang Huaiyu shook his head helplessly. “I was tricked so badly by Xia Chiyi and played ball with you guys for so long, and I’m only worth eighty-eight yuan fried noodles?”

At that moment, the white light began circling the room again.

The first table selected had four or five people and had ordered quite a lot of drinks. If their bill were waived, the bar’s revenue for the night would take a hit.

So, the lead singer’s challenge was very difficult: “Well, any one of you is fine, as long as you can pick up another person at your table and complete three squats within one minute, the whole table is free.”

Hearing this requirement, an uproar broke out.

“That table is all guys, right? Even the lightest one must be over 60kg. It’s hard enough just to pick them up, let alone do squats? This is clearly setting a trap!”

When Xia Chiyi heard this, his eyes lit up. He knew how to do this. Most importantly, he had successful experience. He looked around; the one with a build closest to Ye Zhaoying was Ke Yan. He had just leaned over to ask Ke Yan’s weight when Zhou Zhexiao hooked his collar.

“Even if we do this challenge, it won’t be you,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

Only then did Xia Chiyi realize they also had He Zhan and Meng Ting at their table. Meng Ting’s two-meter height wasn’t just for show; if he really had to pick up Ke Yan for squats, it would be effortless.

The guests at that table struggled to try it, eventually declaring failure amidst the crowd’s laughter.

The white light circled the room again, finally stopping at a large booth.

There were men and women at that table. Just as a guy was about to pick up a girl for squats, the lead singer smiled: “For your table, it won’t be that challenge.”

With that, the lead singer gave a signal, and a server brought a tray to them. On the tray was a tissue.

“Please use your lips to pass this tissue around in a circle within thirty seconds. Ladies and gentlemen, be very careful not to let your lips be too wet, or the tissue will tear.”

After saying this, the room erupted in laughter and catcalls.

The people at Xia Chiyi’s table looked at each other, each imagining the scene of passing a tissue between them.

“Uh, I can’t take it… if that’s the condition for our table, I’d rather give up,” Meng Ting said. “It’s Yang Huaiyu’s money anyway.”

“Me too…” He Zhan also surrendered. “Yang Huaiyu shouldn’t care about this bit of money.”

Yang Huaiyu shook his head. “No, no, no. I care. I care a lot.”

Ke Yan also took a deep breath and looked at Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao. “Even though you two have a good relationship, you didn’t actually touch lips when taking that lemon slice just now. That was acceptable. But if that tissue tears or drops… there might be a murder at this table.”

Xia Chiyi nodded vigorously in agreement.

The guests at the large booth were very open-minded; they actually managed to pass the tissue around the circle within thirty seconds, and it ended up back with the lead singer. The lead singer showed the tissue to everyone; it was intact, just with several lipstick marks on it.

“I announce that this table’s bill is waived tonight!”

The crowd cheered.

Next was the final table. The guests waited with bated breath.

“Actually, we might find out our table wasn’t even considered,” Ke Yan said coolly.

Yang Huaiyu leaned lazily against his chair and shook his head. “No, the last table will definitely be us.”

“Why?” everyone couldn’t help but ask.

Yang Huaiyu tilted his chin toward Zhou Zhexiao. “After all, someone here has been targeted by the lead singer.”

But Zhou Zhexiao’s expression still didn’t show a single crack, even when that beam of white light landed on their tabletop.

One could feel the guests’ emotional fluctuations in the bar; right now, it had reached its peak. Countless people were curious and attracted to Zhou Zhexiao. After all, his superior features and physique, plus his distant aura, made him like a black hole, drawing everyone’s attention, regardless of gender.

Yang Huaiyu raised his hand in advance: “Lead singer, our table’s consumption isn’t high—just a few Mojitos and a fruit platter—so please show some mercy.”

The lead singer laughed. “Then I’ll ask the coolest handsome guy at your table to sing a sexy song for us!”

As the words fell, the surrounding guests began to clap, many of them shouting, “Do it! Do it!”

The lead singer didn’t forget to provoke them: “If someone is too afraid to even sing a song, I guess that person won’t dare show their face here again.”

She was likely referring to Yang Huaiyu. It felt like if they gave up in this atmosphere, they would look both cowardly and pathetic.

Meng Ting started wringing his fingers nervously. “What do we do? I only know how to sing the national anthem and the school song…”

“Stay out of it; they want the cool guy at our table,” Ke Yan sighed.

Yang Huaiyu looked at Xia Chiyi with a smile: “What about you? What can you sing? Hurry up and teach Zhou Zhexiao?”

Xia Chiyi gave an embarrassed laugh.

Zhou Zhexiao spoke up calmly: “He only knows how to sing Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.”

“I know others too!” Xia Chiyi glared at him. “I was the ‘Prince of Love Songs’ in KTV back in the day!”

At that moment, the lead singer asked in a half-joking tone, “Is this table giving up on the simplest challenge?”

Yang Huaiyu took a deep breath. “Let’s just give up. Singing is easy, but being sexy is hard. We’re all pure university students after all.”

Just as he was about to raise his hand to forfeit, Zhou Zhexiao stood up unhurriedly. The applause from the crowd grew even louder.

Xia Chiyi grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s wrist, his eyes wide. “You’re actually going? What can you sing?”

Xia Chiyi simply couldn’t imagine Zhou Zhexiao singing; it would probably be a “ghostly” experience.

“I’ll sing whatever I’ve heard.”

With that, Zhou Zhexiao actually walked up to the lead singer.

It’s over. If he’s singing whatever he’s heard… is it really going to be Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf?

The lead singer was stunned when she saw Zhou Zhexiao up close. This university boy had a stunning profile, like the strongest liquor in this place—a deep, semi-transparent hue, exuding a subtle sexual tension.

“Mr. Cool, what do you plan to sing?”

“Gingerbread Man.”

As soon as Zhou Zhexiao spoke, the expectations of the crowd were cranked to the max. His voice, like the man himself, had a mechanical, cold quality. The more it was like this, the more everyone wanted to know how he would be sexy.

Yang Huaiyu was stunned. “Damn, that song is very suggestive. He’s heard it?”