Chapter 33: That Chance Encounter
The night had grown deep, but in a big city, that didn’t mean things would become quiet.
On the contrary, for many people, night was when life really became active.
The lights were bright, voices filled the air, and on the streets you could see people everywhere. Some in a hurry, some taking their time.
All kinds of shops were open, showing no sign of slowing down just because it was night.
However, when standing in front of a large KTV, Mu Le still felt a bit stunned.
As a well-behaved kid, she rarely went to places like KTVs or bars.
Also, because of her personality, she actually preferred quiet environments over noisy and lively ones.
Of course, that wasn’t the most important reason.
The real reason was…
She couldn’t sing at all.
That’s right. Even though her current voice sounded clear and pleasant, sounding nice and being able to sing well were two completely different things.
After all, singing requires a certain level of skill.
And Mu Le was naturally bad at handling those subtle details. Simply put, she had no sense of pitch.
When she was invited out earlier, she didn’t think much about it. Only after arriving did she remember that she couldn’t sing.
Even if she followed the lyrics, without being able to keep the rhythm or the pitch, what she sang would probably only serve as a joke to lighten the mood.
With these new friends she had just gotten to know, Mu Le didn’t want to show that embarrassing side of herself.
But now that they had already arrived, it seemed too late to back out.
Mu Le swallowed nervously, feeling troubled.
It wasn’t easy for her to come out and have fun. If she directly said she wouldn’t sing, it would ruin the mood. But if she really sang… it might be even worse!
“Lele, what’s wrong?” After entering the KTV elevator, Xiao Han asked when she saw the girl lost in thought again.
Mu Le looked up at her, then shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
“Really? You don’t seem like yourself.” Xiao Han touched her chin, looking a bit doubtful.
Since it was only the second floor, the elevator doors opened while they were still talking.
Although Xiao Han wanted to ask more, her attention was quickly drawn to the interior decoration.
This was a relatively large and new KTV, so the design and decoration were quite nice.
Like Mu Le, Xiao Han seemed to be here for the first time. But Bai Xin and Luo Xinyan looked very familiar with the place.
“Xinyan and I have been here many times. But you two, no matter how many times we invited you before, you never came,” Bai Xin said, crossing her arms and huffing as Luo Xinyan walked toward the front desk.
Xiao Han withdrew her gaze from the surroundings and smiled softly. “I’ve never really liked this kind of thing. You know that.”
“Hehe, don’t tell me you can’t sing and you’re just shy?” Bai Xin looked at Xiao Han with a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t laugh at you~”
Hearing this, Xiao Han only raised her eyebrows, looking innocent.
But Mu Le couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.
Looking at this elegant, literature-loving girl, how could she not be able to sing? The one who really couldn’t sing was me!
Of course, after Bai Xin said that, Mu Le felt even more troubled.
But thinking about it, it wasn’t like she couldn’t sing anything at all…
At least there was one song she felt a bit confident about.
Just then, Luo Xinyan walked back. But she wasn’t alone, there were three or four people with her, and… they were all men.
“Huh?” Bai Xin blinked and looked them over with curiosity. “Sister Xinyan, who are they?”
“Hey, hello. I’m Yan Fan, a friend of your Sister Xinyan. Hmm, I think we’ve met before, but you probably don’t remember me at all.”
The first one to speak was not Luo Xinyan, but a tall man with a bright and cheerful look.
Although interrupting others could be a bit rude, his tone and attitude were just right, and didn’t make people feel uncomfortable.
After he spoke, Luo Xinyan glanced at him expressionlessly. “His name is Yan Fan. The two behind him are his friends. This guy insisted on joining us to sing and even paid first.”
“Hey, hey, what do you mean ‘insisted’? Meeting each other is fate! And it’s more fun with more people. Also, Xinyan, we’re childhood friends, okay? Don’t look so cold every time you see me. Come on, smile a little.”
As he spoke, Yan Fan reached out, trying to pinch Luo Xinyan’s cheek.
But the next moment, his hand was slapped away.
Taking a small breath, Luo Xinyan looked a bit helpless. “I’m serious. Can you behave a little? These are my friends. If you keep this up, I’ll have to call Uncle Yan.”
“Alright, alright, my bad.”
Yan Fan laughed and raised his hands as if surrendering.
Then he looked at Mu Le and Xiao Han and smiled. “Hello, just call me Yan Fan. You don’t mind having a few more people join, right? After all, we’re all good-looking guys.”
Xiao Han covered her mouth and laughed softly, then shook her head. “It’s fine. We’re all classmates and friends, and you seem close to Sister Xinyan, so it’s okay to hang out together.”
After getting her approval, Yan Fan turned to Luo Xinyan and winked. “See? Even Xiao Han said it’s fine.”
“Hm? You know my name?”
“Of course. I know all your names. Didn’t I just say? We’ve met before, you just don’t remember me.” Yan Fan shrugged, not seeming to lie.
“Is that so?” Bai Xin raised an eyebrow. “Well, let me introduce us anyway. I’m Bai Xin, just call me by my name. This one here is Mu Le, she’s our mascot.”
“Hey!” Mu Le puffed her cheeks immediately, about to protest.
“Pfft… as expected of a mascot. Looks like you all are really close.” Yan Fan laughed again, then gestured to the two men behind him. “The girls have introduced themselves, now it’s your turn.”
The man on the left slightly raised his head and said calmly, “Zhuang Yue.”
His flat, emotionless voice gave off a strangely cold feeling.
“…Hey, you blockhead, don’t be so cold in front of a group of girls.” The man on the right couldn’t help but rub his forehead. Then he looked at Mu Le and the others with a smile. “Hello, I’m An Xi, Yan Fan’s friend. Sorry for interrupting your time.”
“It’s okay. More people do make it livelier. Alright, let’s not stand here, let’s go sing!” Bai Xin said.
After the quick introductions, Bai Xin led the group forward into the hallway.
Meanwhile, Mu Le slowed down on purpose and ended up walking at the back, together with someone else.
“Hey, senior, why are you here?” Mu Le asked curiously, looking at Zhuang Yue beside her.
His personality didn’t seem like someone who would enjoy a place like this.
Zhuang Yue glanced at her. His usually cold expression softened a little.
“I was dragged here.”
“Alright then.”