My skill tree increases every day.

Chapter 127 Ruan Yunxian Also Wants to Learn to Sing

"I won't sing," Ruan Yunxian said softly, but her tone was firm.

"Just listen for a bit," Su Wanqing chimed in from the side. "I'm tired after practicing for so long, it'll be good to listen to Yun Xian's singing to clear my head."

"Wanqing, how did you get so badly influenced by your senior!" Ruan Yunxian puffed out her cheeks. "You guys are just making fun of me!"

Lin Yu laughed: "It's just a short part, you can sing anything."

"If all else fails, I can teach you!"

Ruan Yunxian glanced at Lin Yu, then at Su Wanqing, and noticed that both of them were staring at her intently.

"Well—" Ruan Yunxian hesitated for a moment, "If I sing it, you're not allowed to laugh, okay?"

"I won't laugh. I promise I won't laugh." Lin Yu quickly raised his hand to show his determination.

Ruan Yunxian put down the milk tea, sat up straight, and cleared her throat.

"Here I come."

She opened her mouth softly and sang a short verse.

Her voice was very soft, as if she dared not let it out. Lin Yu listened carefully and found that she was singing completely off-key, the rhythm was wrong, and there was no melody. It didn't feel like singing at all; it sounded like she was reciting poetry in a low voice.

"————" Lin Yu paused for a second.

Su Wanqing also fell silent.

Ruan Yunxian's face gradually turned red, from her cheeks to her ears, and then to her neck.

"We clearly agreed not to laugh!" she said, her voice trembling with impatience. "What kind of expressions are those?!"

"Ahem!" Lin Yu coughed. "I wasn't laughing."

"That expression of yours was even worse than a smile!"

Lin Yu's expression of trying hard to suppress laughter was even more unacceptable than direct mockery. Ruan Yunxian pretended to reach out and grab Lin Yu's face.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Lin Yu grabbed Ruan Yunxian's wrist, stopping her from making any trouble.

Su Wanqing quickly smoothed things over: "It's fine, it's fine, it's just that—maybe I was a little nervous."

"Sister Wanqing, don't try to comfort me." Ruan Yunxian sat back down in her chair, burying her face in her hands. "I told you I'm not good at singing, but you guys still insisted I sing."

Looking at her like this, Lin Yu suddenly remembered something: "Have you never sung in front of anyone before?"

Everything else was fine, but Ruan Yunxian's reluctance to let her voice out was a clear sign that she was afraid to sing.

Ruan Yunxian peeked half her face out from between her fingers: "—When I was little, I always lip-synced to choir activities."

Su Wanqing couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ruan Yunxian let out a wail, covered her face, and collapsed onto the table.

"Alright, alright. I'll teach you another time."

"Really?"

"Of course, but you can't be afraid to sing then like you are now."

"But didn't you say I have no talent?"

"Then you need to practice even more; diligence can make up for lack of talent."

Su Wanqing watched the two of them from the side, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Yunxian, if you really want to learn, you can practice with me these next few days. Anyway, it's pretty boring for me to practice alone."

"Really?" Ruan Yunxian's eyes lit up. "Won't it bother you?"

"No." Su Wanqing glanced at Lin Yu. "Anyway, someone's just sitting there listening. It'll only get hotter with another person."

"Making a scene."

"Don't expect me to do all this on my own."

Lin Yu shrugged: "I have no objection."

"Then it's settled!" Ruan Yunxian immediately agreed. "How about this, from now on, when you practice singing, I'll bring you drinks and snacks as tuition, okay?"

Lin Yu glanced at Su Wanqing and said with a smile, "She's a promising young woman."

Su Wanqing ignored Lin Yu's slightly meaningful gaze. "Didn't I give you payment?"

"Alright, that's enough for today. We'll talk again tomorrow." Lin Yu checked the time and it was almost time, so he ended today's training.

The three locked the door and walked out. The corridor was dimly lit. Ruan Yunxian walked in the middle, with Su Wanqing on her left and occasionally touching Lin Yu's arm on her right.

The three people had different destinations, so they parted ways at the entrance of the activity center.

Watching the two people walk away in different directions, Ruan Yunxian revealed a sly smile.

We've basically achieved all our goals for today.

When Lin Yu returned to the rented room, Liu Zhiyuan, unusually, wasn't playing games but was lying on the bed, grinning foolishly at his phone.

"What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing," Liu Zhiyuan said, placing his phone face down on the bed. "We just...chatted."

Lin Yu glanced at him: "The girl who asked for your WeChat a few days ago?"

Liu Zhiyuan didn't answer, but his expression said it all.

"How far has it progressed?" Lin Yu changed into slippers and sat on the sofa.

"Just...let's chat." Liu Zhiyuan flipped his phone over and then flipped it back over. "She's also from our school, a freshman."

"Junior sister," Lin Yu nodded, "Have you met her in person?"

"Not yet." Liu Zhiyuan scratched his head. "She said it's exam week soon, and she doesn't have time."

"You're quite composed," Lin Yu commented. "We haven't even met in person, have we?"

"Online dating won't work!"

"So what are you grinning about here for?" Lin Yu couldn't help but pour cold water on Liu Zhiyuan's expression. "What if he's some burly man?"

"Go away!" Liu Zhiyuan glared at him. "They have photos on their WeChat Moments, okay?"

"Photos can lie too," Lin Yu said. "Haven't you seen those news reports? That's why nude chat scams target people like you."

Liu Zhiyuan seemed a little guilty after hearing what he said: "We've already had a voice call."

"Hehe! You used to play with that voice-changing software that Li Si bought a lot back then, didn't you?"

"That's enough!" Liu Zhiyuan threw a pillow at me. "Can't you wish me well for once?"

Lin Yu was a little confused. Liu Zhiyuan was not inexperienced, so this shouldn't be the case.

Lin Yu caught the pillow and threw it back with a laugh: "Alright, alright, I wish you find a partner soon. But remember to invite me when you meet someone, I'll give you my opinion."

"What do you want?" Liu Zhiyuan looked at him warily. "To steal my thunder?"

"Am I that kind of person?" Lin Yu asked innocently.

"Who are you."

Liu Zhiyuan didn't know whether Lin Yu had this idea subjectively, but since the guy insisted on going, it would have an objective impact.

Lin Yu shrugged, didn't refute, and got up to take a shower.

When Lin Yu came out of the shower, he saw Liu Zhiyuan looking smug and self-satisfied.

"Hey! You traitor, how dare you disrupt our morale!" Liu Zhiyuan, phone in hand, beamed. "Stop barking! I've already arranged to meet her! Next Wednesday!"

"Next Wednesday?" Lin Yu draped a towel over his shoulder. "Didn't we say we'd finish exam week? How can exams end this early?"

"What's so important about a mere final exam compared to me?"

"Okay, congratulations!"

"No? Is this your reaction?"

"What else? Should we give you an award?"