Three hours later, Xia You arrived at "Golden Splendor," heeding Mo Xixi’s repeated reminders.
Around eight o’clock in the evening, when the young men and women of Qinyang City who were fond of nightlife had not yet swarmed out, "Golden Splendor" was still filled with the early birds, the Young Masters and Princesses chatting while waiting to start their shift.
Xia You had changed before leaving the house; her earlier outfit of a cute top and hot pants was now replaced by a pair of pencil pants and a translucent, loose blouse. Walking under the dazzling lights of the KTV, she shone brilliantly, drawing many sidelong glances.
Her short hair led people to mistake her for a man. Yet her figure and the delicate curves visible beneath her sheer blouse clearly revealed her gender.
"Not quite man, not quite woman, no idea what the manager was thinking hiring her," remarked some passing Princesses, making sure their words floated to Xia You’s ears.
"Don’t listen to them, they’re just jealous. A youthful face paired with a girl’s figure are all the rage these days," a woman with a cigarette in hand leaned casually outside the manager’s office.
Judging by her age, the woman looked to be in her late twenties, early wrinkles creased the corners of her eyes, and her voice had become hoarse from excessive night life and smoking. This woman had passed her prime, like the last fading firework red dissolving into the skyline after a festival. The stunning view was gone, but the smell of gunpowder lingered.
"The manager asked me to tell you, once you’re here, head straight to the grand hall on the fifth floor, your second round of auditions will be there," the woman said, snuffing out her cigarette.
With the cigarette put out, she also disappeared into the dimly lit corridor.
"Golden Splendor" had six floors; the first four housed hundreds of private rooms, while the fifth floor and above was reserved for hall rentals and night dance parties that could accommodate thousands of people.
Following the elevator upstairs, as soon as Xia You set foot into the grand hall on the fifth floor, she couldn’t help but freeze in place.
In the hall that could fit a thousand people, there were hardly any individuals present—except for two people Xia You recognized. One was the manager she had met in the afternoon, and the other was Yu Xiao Nan, whose smile could melt an iceberg.
Yu Xiao Nan, who had already put on the "Young Master" uniform, also noticed Xia You, but it took a moment before he recognized her.
When he saw Xia You’s face clearly, the corners of his mouth drooped, but as the manager introduced them, he regained his vibrantly trembling smile.
It truly is a small world, Xia You thought, regretting that she had forgotten about the existence of Yu Xiao Nan. Truth be told, his appearance could definitely make the cut at "Golden Splendor." Whether she should report this evening’s encounter with Yu Xiao Nan to Lin Yi was another matter.
The same thought flickered in Yu Xiao Nan’s mind. With other departments getting involved, perhaps he wouldn’t have to "sell his singing" here anymore.
"Listen to him sing a song, and pay attention to his style," the manager’s words left both Xia You and Yu Xiao Nan stunned.
Yu Xiao Nan had arrived around seven and had chosen a much different approach; as soon as he entered, he booked a private room and sang "My Heart is Too Tough" with the door wide open, resonating through the corridor with his emotionally charged performance.
Several intrigued Princesses dragged the manager over, and a contract was settled upon their meeting.
Yet, asking Xia You to emulate Yu Xiao Nan’s singing was an entirely odd request. Having seen women belt out men’s songs was one thing, but to completely imitate a man, that was a challenge.
Yu Xiao Nan had some understanding of Xia You; at "Military Road," she had once wielded a "Poison Gun" against him, exuding a dominance surpassing that of men, but nonetheless, she was wholly woman.
Xia You looked toward Yu Xiao Nan and nodded at him.
Her gesture was probably a signal for him to start singing, alright then, he would sing "Bro is a Legend" to let her know that being a "Young Master" wasn’t easy.
"... " At the end of the song, Xia You appropriately burst into applause. No wonder Mo Xixi had mentioned before that Yu Xiao Nan was the runner-up in Hua Country’s "Good Man" contest; with his looks and voice, even among the many handsome faces of the entertainment industry, he stood out distinctly.
Yu Xiao Nan was still basking in self-admiration when he heard Xia You begin to sing.
At the end of her performance, Yu Xiao Nan struck a pose of unaffected ease. Xia You barely managed to get the melody right, but her voice trembled slightly, the female timbre still prevalent and not quite suited for songs performed by men.
No blame could be placed on Xia You; when she and Mo Xixi had been choosing songs before, they had only selected those sung by female artists, and she had not yet adjusted to this sudden switch.
"I’ll try again," Xia You was not in a rush, as she went ahead and queued up the song to sing it all over again from the beginning.
"Another round," after finishing, Xia You walked back up and hit the replay button, not in a hurry at all, ready to try as many times as necessary without regard to how the other two reacted.
By the third attempt, and really only the third, her rendition of the song began to change.
Her high, clear female voice started to deepen, like a winding stream joining a flat river, or like the scorching sun obscured by a cloud, with residual warmth still present but no longer piercing.
Xia You purposefully lowered her voice, which still retained a touch of feminine softness. The sound was like a cat scratching at one’s ears, strangely itchy all over.
"Enough," the manager waved his hand, interrupting Xia You’s singing.
"You’re hired, but not as a ’Princess’, you’ll be a ’Young Master’ like him," the manager added another sentence. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)