"Love yourself well, and someone will love you—with these optimistic lyrics and a blissful tune, it feels so real, I just can’t find the words to describe it..."
Accompanied by a familiar melody, Jiang Zhiyi’s voice slowly filled the private room.
Shen Weiyi had always known that he sang beautifully, but it always took a lot of coaxing to get him to sing for her.
As she listened to the familiar song and looked at the familiar faces around her, Shen Weiyi suddenly felt a bit stifled in the private room.
Sheng Ting glanced at that girl then picked up a drink from the table and handed it to her. Coming back to her senses, Shen Weiyi looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you!"
But after taking only a couple of sips, she set the glass down and said, "I’m going to step out for a moment." She then got up and left the room.
Holding the microphone, Jiang Zhiyi watched her get up and leave, his grip on the mic unwittingly tightening as his gaze followed her. He sang absentmindedly.
Once outside the private room, Shen Weiyi headed towards the sign, pushing open the balcony door. The cool evening breeze greeted her, its chill soothing on her face, slowly dissipating the indescribable emotion weighing on her chest.
After a while, she heard some noise behind her, and turning around, she saw Sheng Ting opening the balcony door.
"Are you okay?" Sheng Ting’s eyes rested on her face.
Shen Weiyi tugged at her lips, smiling at him and said, "I’m quite all right!"
Sheng Ting didn’t pry further, but looked down at her and asked, "Shall we go?"
Shen Weiyi knew that he never really liked places like that, and neither did she. She glanced toward the direction of the private room and said, "Would it be all right to leave?"
After all, it was a group activity, and it seemed a bit rude for them to leave early.
"It’s fine, I’ll let Xie Hongfei and the others know," Sheng Ting said.
Finally, Shen Weiyi nodded, and they both left the KTV together.
Jiang Zhiyi stepped out of the room and saw the two of them leaving side by side.
He stood there as their silhouettes vanished around the corner, his lips pressed into a tight line, the suffocating feeling in his chest surging once again.
Then, a voice called from behind him, "Hello, classmate, I’m Jiang Wu, the newcomer to the club with you. I think you sing really well, and I remember that your last name is Jiang too—what a coincidence. Could I maybe add you on WeChat?"
Jiang Zhiyi lifted his reddened eyes, his voice hoarse as he replied, "Sorry, it’s not convenient." And with that, he walked away quickly.
Jiang Wu stood there, stunned.
She had never seen such eyes on a peer before—filled with resign and despair. Eyes like that didn’t belong on the face of a young man who had just entered Z University, full of youth and vigor.
Stepping out of the KTV, Sheng Ting asked Shen Weiyi, "Want to grab something to eat?"
"Yeah!" Shen Weiyi nodded her head.
They went to a street food market.
At that time, the place was crowded with Z University students.
Shen Weiyi spotted her favorite takoyaki and ran over to buy a serving.
Freshly cooked, the little balls were smothered in a blend of salty and sweet sauce, sprinkled with a shaker of pepper and salt, then drizzled with tangy salad cream and lastly topped with a layer of crispy bonito flakes.
The delicious scent wafted up before she even began to eat.
"These are so good! Do you want to try some?" Shen Weiyi took a bite, her eyes instantly lighting up, and quickly she offered one to Sheng Ting on a bamboo skewer.
But when their eyes met, she couldn’t help but freeze.