Chapter 7

As they turned back, Zhang Yang and the others burst into laughter, recalling the torment Yang Jingxing had endured back then. For example, every girl Wang Ying knew had heard that Yang Jingxing watched adult videos, and he loved to stand at the stairwell to peek under girls' skirts, wrote sappy love letters to this and that person, cheated on exams, bullied honest classmates, and fought like a thug...

Lu Lin sighed, "I knew back then how terrifying a woman's grudge could be."

Du Ling, displeased, said, "If you know, be more careful with your words!"

Zhang Yang said, "That's why we're all so good to you, you should thank Brother Xing."

After sitting down at the restaurant, the young friends didn't have much old times to reminisce about, just a lively gathering. They were still at the age for beer, each having a bottle to warm up. The boss of Pinwei Hall knew Zhang Yang's father and wouldn't let the kids drink hard liquor.

They were about to be in their final year of high school. Although they all loved to play and joke around, they didn't neglect their studies and felt some pressure. They had once agreed to go to the same city for college, but now it seemed unlikely.

Zhang Yang complained that his family would cut off the internet next semester. Coincidentally, Lu Lin and Xu Wei also heard the same from their parents.

Lu Lin, indignant, said, "This must be Zhang Xuguo's idea!" Zhang Xuguo was Zhang Yang's father, the county's investment promotion bureau chief.

Zhang Yang retorted, "Nonsense, Lu Fengren must have come up with this idea!" Lu Fengren was Lu Lin's father, the county's agriculture bureau chief.

Xu Wei chuckled, "Send you off to college."

Yang Jingxing chimed in, "You think you can escape?"

Du Ling sarcastically said, "You two bureau chiefs, one chairman, one richest man, this town is yours, why go to college!" Xu Wei's father was the county's CPPCC chairman. As for Yang Chengyi being the richest, that was an exaggeration.

The friends then inquired about each other's academic performance. Lu Lin was slightly behind, but the others were expected to get into top universities.

Du Ling brought up the incident of a first-year girl giving Xu Wei a love letter, but Xu Wei was very sensitive about it and sternly forbade further discussion.

Lu Lin pointed at Zhang Yang and laughed, "He found an online friend, from Nankai University! Amazing!"

Online friends were definitely girls, and Xu Wei laughed, "I saw the photo, Lu Lin told me to hold on, but I couldn't!"

Zhang Yang, self-deprecating, said, "I couldn't sleep for days, I was scared to death... Now she looks like a celestial being!" pointing at Du Ling.

Du Ling threw the half-empty disposable beer cup directly at Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang pretended to be angry, but the others quickly intervened as usual. In fact, Du Ling was quite pretty, known to all the boys in the school. Even with different aesthetic standards, she had the qualifications to compete for the title of school beauty.

As they chatted about these trivial matters, the meal lasted over an hour. Lu Lin, who had had two beers, kicked Zhang Yang's chair, "Go pay the bill!"

Zhang Yang refused, "Why don't you go?" and stopped Yang Jingxing from paying, threatening Lu Lin, "You pay for the singing?"

Lu Lin quickly called the waiter.

They then went to sing, the KTV was run by Zhang Yang's uncle, so he had this in mind. They called a taxi, and Du Ling, feeling awkward, squeezed in with the boys, "Yang Xing, I'll sit on your lap."

Zhang Yang pushed her away, "You can leave." and closed the car door.

At the KTV entrance, Zhang Yang drove away Du Ling, who was in a separate taxi, "Why did you come? We're going to call for girls!"

Du Ling, angry, "I've never seen a girl before!"

Zhang Yang, serious, "But I never let you see one!"

Du Ling, even angrier, "See your watermelon!"

Zhang Yang, smug, "You see a watermelon, a watermelon!" The common terms "watermelon" and "nonsense" among friends had a backstory. In the past, they often played with girls, especially with Xia Xue and Liu Miao, Yang Jingxing, to maintain his image as "Brother Xing," couldn't swear, but to keep the atmosphere, he replaced certain offensive words, which were smoothly promoted.

Yang Jingxing said, "Your feelings are so good, even the girls are embarrassed to join in."

Lu Lin felt Yang Jingxing was back in form and happily said, "I thought you really became a noble!"

Of course, they wouldn't really call for girls, and even if they did, the security wouldn't allow it, and they would threaten Zhang Yang, "Be careful, Director Zhang will discipline you!"

Every time they came to the KTV, the opening act was a group performance of "True Hero" or singing BEYOND's songs in fake Cantonese, as they all insisted they were part of the post-80s generation.

This time they chose "Silent Years," Lu Lin's favorite. He turned up the volume and immediately got into it, starting with a couple of ah-ah shouts.

Zhang Yang called to Du Ling, "Aren't you going to dance?"

Du Ling beautifully twirled around the edge of the sofa and sat down.

Lu Lin and Yang Jingxing shared a microphone, while Xu Wei and Zhang Yang fought over one. Before the lyrics appeared, Du Ling covered her ears, frowning and fearfully watching the four demons warm up.

The four friends stared at the screen, shouting together, "A thousand cups of wine have been drunk..."

The server setting up the drinks and fruits was clearly unprepared and almost fell to the ground. This was pure self-torture, not singing, but the four friends were enjoying it.

During the interlude, Zhang Yang complained to Yang Jingxing, "Please be quieter, you're overshadowing me!"

Du Ling also laughed, "Brother Xing is so passionate."

Yang Jingxing realized his voice was too loud, and he wasn't usually a match for Zhang Yang, the microphone hog.

After the opening song, Lu Lin and the others were out of breath from laughing, but Yang Jingxing was still relaxed. Du Ling had already chosen her song and eagerly grabbed the microphone.

Zhang Yang seized every opportunity to tease Du Ling, "Don't ruin the atmosphere, okay?"

Du Ling ignored him and sang "Later" in a much sweeter voice than usual.

The four demons drank beer and gave Du Ling applause or boos. After she finished, Zhang Yang immediately went up to sing the recently popular "Love Until Death."

Zhang Yang wasn't a great singer, but he loved to shout and belt out songs, so his voice was well-exercised. Although his face turned red and his ears flushed during the climax, he managed to get through it. However, he received boos, but he still said, "Thank you, everyone."

Lu Lin threw a watermelon peel at Zhang Yang, urging him off the stage. Zhang Yang jumped over to retaliate, and Yang Jingxing took over the microphone.

"Enjoy the present, don't be afraid of being hurt when you're happy, many miracles exist only if we believe in them..." Yang Jingxing was quite serious, and at this point, his friends were all looking at him.

"Love until death, not fully satisfied, not happy, the depth of emotion can only be expressed this way..." Yang Jingxing quickly got into the zone.

Zhang Yang and Lu Lin stopped fighting, surprised at their friend. The waiter bringing in the dice also stood at the door, unprofessionally staring at Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing hadn't learned vocal techniques or practiced singing, but his strong vocal cords showed extraordinary power at this moment. His voice was loud and high, beyond imagination. The raw vibrations from his vocal cords produced a different sensation from the artificial sounds, purely physiological stimulation!

The speakers, possibly unable to handle the load, emitted an unpleasant noise, but Zhang Yang and the others could faintly hear Yang Jingxing's original voice, which was even more penetrating, piercing through the eardrums.

Yang Jingxing himself was still amazed, and under the gaze of several people, he repeated the chorus, even changing the pitch and extending the notes. With a clatter, the waiter's tray fell to the ground.

After Yang Jingxing put down the microphone, Zhang Yang came to his senses first, scolding him, "Don't scare people, okay?" and did a good deed, helping the waiter pick up the scattered dice and cups.

Du Ling asked Yang Jingxing, "Do you still have music class?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm just upset, always watching Zhang Yang perform!"

Lu Lin chuckled, "I don't like him either, is it so great because your uncle runs it?"

Zhang Yang looked down on Lu Lin, "You don't have the chance, watch me!" He then challenged a difficult song but, as expected, found he was no match for Yang Jingxing.

After Du Ling sang her girly songs, Zhang Yang replaced the already hoarse Lu Lin and continued to challenge him in dice games.

In the past, Yang Jingxing was always an outsider in this area, but now, after shaking the dice cup, he could remember his situation in a split second. Even when he quickly opened and closed the cup, Zhang Yang couldn't see clearly.

Zhang Yang, of course, thought Yang Jingxing was ignoring him, wanting to retaliate but not being a match. After drinking three cups, he insisted on Yang Jingxing drinking as a penalty to maintain brotherhood.

Du Ling invited Yang Jingxing to sing a duet, and they sang two songs, getting pelted with watermelon peels. Du Ling, as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time, praised Yang Jingxing, "Xing, you really sing much better than before."

Lu Lin, a bit drunk, joined in, "Sis Ling, let's drink!"

Du Ling cheerfully picked up the dice cup, "Let's go."

Among friends, Du Ling was also quite formidable, matching Lu Lin, each finishing a bottle.

Zhang Yang teased, "You two will go to the riverbank to cause trouble." In the summer after junior high graduation, they got drunk for the first time, and Du Ling lay on the riverbank, refusing to move, while Lu Lin smashed a snack shop.

Du Ling, with her drunken eyes, glanced at Yang Jingxing, pulling at her collar, "Look or not?" This was a habit from junior high, every time she got drunk, Yang Jingxing had the privilege to glance at her bra.

Yang Jingxing immediately got excited, picking up a beer bottle, "Blow it!"

Du Ling rolled her eyes at Yang Jingxing and continued playing dice with Lu Lin, challenging Yang Jingxing after winning a round. Yang Jingxing, more graceful than before, made it a fifty-fifty game.

They continued singing and drinking, and around four o'clock, Yang Jingxing received a call from his mother, persuading him to come home for dinner. He had arranged it earlier, so he asked his mother to prepare more food, and he would eat a bit more when he got home.

After singing enough and finishing the fifteen bottles of beer without waste, Zhang Yang went to settle the bill. Then they went for a walk along the Qingshui River embankment. They were all a bit tipsy but walked steadily, just a bit boisterous.

Stopping at a staircase leading down to the riverbank, Lu Lin half-jokingly asked Yang Jingxing, "You've become deep."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "It's better if you say I've matured!"

Zhang Yang chuckled, "You're not as mature as Xu Wei."

Xu Wei, helpless, "You're all mature!"

They went to play pool, Zhang Yang and Xu Wei loved it, while Lu Lin and Yang Jingxing were just practicing, at least in the past. But after two rounds today, they found Yang Jingxing had made significant progress.

Lu Lin sarcastically said, "You're really all-round developed."

"Morality aside," Yang Jingxing's gaze swept around, randomly picking a girl and shouting, "Beauty!"

Zhang Yang chuckled, teasing Du Ling, "You have morality, women without talent are virtuous."

"Better than you being immoral," Du Ling mostly didn't back down.

Some acquaintances came to play, a group of four or five young men and women. They exchanged brief greetings and left, as Du Ling had an unpleasant history with one of the boys.

Yang Jingxing heard it was in the second semester of her first year of high school, the boy seemed to be interested in Du Ling and was bullied and humiliated by Du Ling's father's subordinate's subordinate. There was even physical contact. Du Ling only found out later and went to apologize symbolically, but it wasn't accepted.

Talking about this, Du Ling was still upset, complaining to Yang Jingxing, "We only had breakfast together twice... Liu Huazi and the others really had it in for him, what's it to them! I scolded them in front of my father, told them not to let me see him... I wish I could beat him up!"

Yang Jingxing comforted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea."

Du Ling, serious, "The key is the lack of connection, it's annoying!"

Lu Lin laughed, "Do you think we don't feel the pressure playing with you?"

Du Ling threw the balls on the table in protest.

They continued drinking at dinner. Talking about the next day's plans, Yang Jingxing frankly admitted he would take Xia Xue and Liu Miao to the reservoir.

Zhang Yang and the others were too lazy to look down on him, but Du Ling scolded, "Boring, favoring girls over friends!"

Lu Lin, leaning back in his chair, sighed, "I think there's no pure friendship between men and women."

Zhang Yang chuckled, "What are you hinting at? There's only one girl here."

Yang Jingxing raised his glass to Du Ling, "Brother Ling, let's have a drink." Xu Wei also chuckled and followed suit.

Lu Lin continued seriously, "We're still young now, but it will change later."

"Still young, last check-up my chest was 78!" Zhang Yang laughed.

Du Ling finished her drink and declared, "I won't change, always a brother!"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "Heartbroken, no hope." The other three followed suit.

Du Ling laughed smugly, "Stop pretending, disgusting!"

They didn't drink much, and after Xu Wei settled the bill, the friends prepared to leave Du Ling behind. The boys were going to the internet cafe to play games, recalling their junior high school days.

Du Ling refused, "I'm going, going home now is asking for a scolding!" Indeed, her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes were a bit hazy.

Leaving the restaurant, Du Ling called Yang Jingxing to the back, blocking her collar, "Guess." She had seen him four or five times before, and today was the first time she initiated it.

Yang Jingxing stared and thought, "White."

Du Ling chuckled, turned to Yang Jingxing, quickly pulled down her collar, and then closed it. A light blue bra. Lu Lin, noticing the scene, shook his head in disappointment.

Yang Jingxing chuckled, "Looks good, a lot of improvement."

Du Ling triumphantly went to Lu Lin to discuss the number of players for the game.

They played Warcraft RPG, no internal strife, five-on-five online. Zhang Yang was impatient with Du Ling, "It's because of you, the extra burden, that they're a bit better than us."

His worry was unnecessary, as Yang Jingxing performed exceptionally, almost winning one-on-five.

Lu Lin angrily questioned Yang Jingxing, "Didn't you say you're not allowed to play computers?"

Yang Jingxing laughed. In the past, he struggled to control two heroes, but today he handled five or six with ease.

By the time he got home, it was already eleven. Yang Jingxing promised his mother he would visit his grandparents the next morning and his maternal grandparents the day after. Xiao Shuxia was more concerned, "Did you see Xia Xue's parents?"

Yang Jingxing said no, and his mother asked, "Just the two of you at home? How is her foot?"

Yang Jingxing said, "There's also Liu Miao, her foot is fine, almost healed."

Xiao Shuxia said, "Spend less time with them, Liu Miaomiao has the same character as her mother!"

Yang Jingxing went to bed late, listening to music and practicing the guitar. Just like his hands felt new to the strings, he found his ears and brain had a different perception of music.

Yang Jingxing wasn't completely musically illiterate. Even without formal training, the music classes at Shangpu High School broadened his understanding and appreciation of music. Although he had basically given up on learning instruments, he enjoyed listening.

He listened because it was pleasant, but "pleasant" was a broad and vague concept. However, what Yang Jingxing now found pleasant was different from before. He noticed his auditory nerves had become more discerning and sensitive, as if certain parts of a song were pleasant, while others were flat.

In the past, Yang Jingxing didn't analyze music in terms of scales and modes, and he didn't understand these terms. Although he still didn't understand them, he listened more deeply, and his likes and dislikes became more intense. Especially when he closed his eyes, thinking of nothing yet everything.