Gao Yuyue took the tablet. "An’an, what song do you want to sing?"
Shen You’an shook her head. "You sing instead."
Liu Runxi glanced at her, then indifferently lowered his head.
Gao Yuyue felt a bit bored. "Then I’ll just pick one randomly."
Huang Xi walked over and was about to sit next to Liu Runxi when Yan Lu shot him a sharp look. Huang Xi rubbed his nose awkwardly and sat quietly to the side.
"Where’s Jiarong? I called her, but she didn’t pick up."
Huang Xi curled his lips. "Isn’t it because of her stepmother? That one’s impossible to deal with. Her little sister accidentally fell down the stairs, and that woman insisted it was Jiarong who pushed her. Now she’s locked up at home by her dad to ’reflect on her behavior.’"
Yan Lu clicked her tongue. "So tragic? She didn’t say that on the phone."
"You know her personality. Always hiding the bad and sharing only the good."
A waiter brought in a towering nine-layered fruit cake. Another waiter placed several pitchers of beer on the table.
Yan Lu glanced at Huang Xi. "What are you doing?"
Huang Xi glared at the waiter. "What’s wrong with you? We’re all good students who don’t drink alcohol. Replace these with soft drinks right away. Ladies, would juice be fine?"
Gao Yuyue found him rather amusing and smiled pleasantly. "Sure."
"The ladies are both beautiful and kind. I like them."
"Stop right there. My mom only gave birth to me; don’t go casually adopting siblings."
Huang Xi turned his gaze to Shen You’an. He’d been paying attention only to Liu Runxi earlier, but this girl had been quiet the whole time, with very little presence.
Yet strangely, when your gaze landed on her, it became difficult to look away.
Her frame was slender, her skin porcelain white, and her demeanor silent and calm—like one of those top students who excel at school and are adored by teachers.
There was an added sense of composure and calmness radiating from her, giving her an extraordinary temperament that stood out among the relatively immature group of students.
Liu Runxi frowned imperceptibly. Read complete version only at novelꞁire.net
Yan Lu, playing it cool, patted Huang Xi on the shoulder. "Where’s the person? Making us wait around ?"
Huang Xi snapped out of his trance. "Almost here...."
Just then, there was a knock on the private room’s door from outside. Huang Xi immediately stood up. "Speak of the devil."
The door opened, and a portly middle-aged man entered with a grin. When he saw the room full of young people, he hesitated for a moment, then quickly adjusted his smile to make it even warmer.
"Young Master Huang, the person you requested is here."
After speaking, he turned his head and called out toward the door, "Hurry up and come in."
Soon, a line of teenagers filed into the room.
"Young Master Huang, these are the most popular contestants among the young idols. Come introduce yourselves to Young Master Huang!"
Zhu Shou said sternly.
Among the teens, some looked nervous, others were slick, and a few were visibly cautious.
One of them stepped forward with a smile and spoke up. "Hello, Young Master Huang. My name is Xu Si. My specialty is singing. Shall I sing something for you?"
His voice was indeed pretty decent, but it was a bit too oily-smooth.
Huang Xi’s gaze skipped over him and landed on another boy toward the back. "What about you?"
Xu Si’s expression darkened slightly, and he lowered his head, clearly dissatisfied.
The teen who’d been singled out shrank back timidly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I... My name is Feng Cheng...."
"Did you not eat today? Why so quiet?" Huang Xi mockingly dug at his ear.
Feng Cheng looked like he was about to burst into tears. He desperately glanced toward Zhu Shou, thinking, this wasn’t the deal I signed up for!
Zhu Shou shot him a vicious glare and whispered a threat. "If you make Young Master Huang unhappy, you’ll all be out of luck—not just you, but your entire team."
Feng Cheng shrank even further.
Huang Xi grew impatient. "We’re here to see Rong Xianning; where is he?"
Zhu Shou chuckled sycophantically. "Young Master Huang, he’ll be here shortly."
Saying this, he cast a meaningful glance at Feng Cheng.
Although Rong Xianning was hard to manipulate, he had a close relationship with this kid. Feng Cheng was naïve and clueless; if they could trick him into coming here, a little clever maneuvering would surely ensnare Rong Xianning.
Feng Cheng stood there dumbly, looking at the young gentlemen and ladies seated on the plush sofas, dressed impeccably and exuding cultivated grace. For the first time, he felt the weight of social hierarchy pressing down on him.
He came from a poor family. Both parents were sick, requiring long-term medication, and he had a younger sister in elementary school. His family bore heavy burdens. During a chance encounter, Feng Cheng was discovered by a talent scout from Eternal Century, and even the promise of basic provisions was enough to make him accept without hesitation.
He didn’t understand music, couldn’t dance, and had no innate singing talent. Serving as a foil to Rong Xianning was something that others in their group begrudged to varying extents, but he had always been willing.