Tea-flavored Romance

……

Ning Yuan was unaware of the complex thoughts of the girl behind him. At this moment, he was supporting Gu Xihua and talking nonsense as they walked towards the restaurant where they were having dinner. He had to hurry up. He didn't know if Lu Jiujiu, that idiot, had been obedient and hadn't drunk any alcohol.

Gu Guanxue was very talkative at first, but her voice gradually became softer. Master Ning thought the girl had fallen asleep, but when he looked down, he found that she was blinking and waiting to meet his gaze. The peaceful and docile sleeping face he had imagined did not appear before him.

They were still a little tipsy. Gu Guanxue didn't say much, and Ning Yuan didn't make a sound either. The two walked back to the restaurant entrance and saw Lao Wu waving at them from afar.

Gu Xihua immediately perked up, released Ning Yuan's arm, and transformed back into the radiant Gu Guanxue. If it weren't for the strong smell of alcohol still emanating from the girl, Master Ning would have suspected that she was faking it.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed when the beautiful woman left his side, but fortunately, Ning Yuan didn't take it to heart. He muttered a curse about Gu Guanxue to himself before waving goodbye to Lao Wu and the others.

"Why are you all out here?"

"They've finished eating. A few of the really drunk guys have already had their acquaintances take them to taxis... These guys are still waiting at the door."

Ning Yuan hummed in agreement, then asked, "Where's Lu Jiujiu?"

"I'm here," the clueless guy said weakly. "Didn't you see me...?"

"Who can see you sitting there?" Ning Yuan rolled her eyes at her, walked over, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think I've reached my limit..." Lu Jiujiu said with a frustrated look, "I should have eaten less... or drunk some alcohol and I wouldn't be like this."

"..."

"You don't need to hint at it, I'm definitely not going to let you drink in my presence."

"I'm an adult now..."

"what?"

"N-nothing..."

Ning Yuan withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and went over to chat with everyone. The wrap dinner tonight had been a pleasant affair, with everyone enjoying themselves and no one expressing any dissatisfaction. University gatherings usually consist of a combination of food and karaoke, and now that they'd had their meal, it was time to have some fun.

Access control? What's that? What kind of college life is it if you never climb over a wall?!

With this carefree attitude, Master Ning gave the order, and the group headed off in a grand procession to a karaoke bar frequented by college students. A few friends who didn't like singing said goodbye and left on their own; the generous Director Ning even reimbursed their taxi fare.

"Be careful on your way back, guys. Take care and don't bother seeing us off."

The last one to stay behind, intending to continue having fun at the KTV, followed Ning Yuan, chatting and laughing all the way to their destination. Gu Xihua seemed to be in good spirits, and when Ning Yuan asked her if she wanted to go back and rest early, she decisively shook her head.

"I'm actually fine."

"Going to sing with so many people sounds like fun, I've never tried it before... Ning Yuan...?"

As Gu Xihua spoke, she tilted her head slightly, as if she had remembered something interesting.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Wall Street, you have no heart!

"I think I saw it when I was on the bridge just now..."

"Jiang Manyue??!"

"No..." Gu Guanxue chuckled, "If it were really Jiang Manyue, I would have warned you back then, okay? I'm a person of my word, how could I betray you?"

Ning Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and asked in confusion, "Then what did you see?"

"I saw a very interesting person," the girl said with a grin. "I'll tell you more about him another time; it doesn't feel very interesting to talk about him now..."

"..."

Curious kids' thought processes are truly unpredictable; their sense of what's interesting is clearly different from that of ordinary people. Ning Yuan pursed his lips, about to make a few sarcastic remarks, when Gu Xihua changed the subject.

"By the way, can you sing?"

"I...I can...a little bit...What's wrong?"

"Nothing much... Let's sing a duet later~"

What piece of music?

Gu Guanxue blinked.

"Lost Rivers?"

Ning Yuan: ? ? ?

……

To ensure there wouldn't be two constipated patients in the private room, Ning Yuan watched Gu Guanxue almost constantly as she completed the song selection process before handing her the microphone.

What the hell is "Lost Rivers"? If this girl actually sang that song, the karaoke manager would probably be bursting in with an ambulance within seconds to save the patient.

Seeing her favorite songs banned, Gu Guanxue remained calm and cheerful, grabbed the microphone and unleashed her full power, switching seamlessly between Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Japanese. Each song was a classic, and though not the original singer, they were even better than the original, quickly heating up the atmosphere in the karaoke room.

The entertainment after a dinner party really needs someone to liven things up; otherwise, it quickly devolves into a group of people chatting and playing on their phones in their own little circles, making everyone feel quite uncomfortable. Our Gu Xihua was undoubtedly a brilliant person; her title of "Hexagonal War Goddess" wasn't given lightly. She single-handedly won applause and cheers from the entire private room. With one person taking the lead, the others eagerly went up to claim their own songs, performing one after another, some melodious, some off-key.

Hei Sang requested a song after Lao Wu. Right after Lao Wu howled out "Wolf from the North" with all his might, Hei Sang sang "Kokoro-zumi" in a deep and sorrowful tone.

"Hi Auntie Duo, hi Auntie Duo..."

"One generation after another, one generation after another..."

So the entire karaoke room was brainwashed by Hei Sang's hometown dialect from the anime world. Old Wu couldn't help but complain that this song must have been inspired by a tooth extraction, always going on and on like that...

Everyone burst into laughter. Hei Sang, having finished his perfect performance, seemed a little unsatisfied and pulled Lao Wu to sing "Love Circulation" together.

And so the whole KTV was filled with pink bubbles again...

The monkeys were busy taking photos and videos, Gu Xihua was laughing so hard she was doubled over, and Lu Jiujiu sat there watching everyone with envy—she wanted to go up and sing a song, but it seemed that all the talent points that heaven had allocated to her were in painting and art, and not in music at all. Recalling the subtle encouragement she received from her classmates when she graduated from high school, Lu Jiujiu gave up the idea of ​​showing off her singing voice again with great melancholy.

Singing and having a good voice are related, but some people are just naturally off-key, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

"Here it comes! It's time for the love song duet I requested!" Gu Guanxue saw the words appear on the screen and quickly tugged at Master Ning's arm: "I'll sing the male voice, and you sing the female voice."

Ning Yuan stared at the image of the song "The Boatman's Love" displayed on the screen, lost in thought...

What kind of magic potion did I take to make me want to sing a duet with this girl...? This is supposed to be a love song duet?

It's just silly and ridiculous, there's absolutely no pink bubble! Even Xiao Hei's "Love Circulation" would be better than this!

"Little sister, you sit at the bow of the boat, and I'll walk on the shore."

Gu Xihua truly lived up to her reputation as a versatile and versatile goddess of war, singing with great enthusiasm. Master Ning had no choice but to grit his teeth and join the Xihua in taking the silly antics to the extreme.

The people around were already laughing uncontrollably, each pulling out their phones to record short videos, ready to post them on WeChat Moments later. They even had titles in mind: "Shocking! The most beautiful girl and the most handsome guy in the department actually did this in a karaoke bar! It's absolutely disgusting!"

The short video, which was only a dozen seconds long, was quickly recorded and uploaded by everyone, all vying to be the first person in their WeChat Moments to show off Ning Yuan and Gu Guanxue's duet.

Interpersonal relationships in modern society are a complex web; a single move can have far-reaching consequences, let alone when so many people share it together. Many then began leaving various creative and humorous replies in the comments section of their WeChat Moments posts.

Is this the Dragon King and his wife? I love them! I'm totally hooked!

Why did such a perfectly matched couple suddenly become so cheesy...? I suddenly want to switch to the other couple, the perfect couple...

Welcome to the Perfect Couple! The Snowfield Couple is too silly, the Perfect Couple is much better, it's both sweet and sour~

Jiang Xihua, who was far away in her school dormitory, quickly discovered Gu Ning and his companion's shady dealings through her roommates. After watching the video, she laughed contemptuously.

Looks like... progress is going well?

After handing the phone back to her roommate, Jiang Xihua continued flipping through the pages of the book in front of her, seemingly completely uninterested in their celebration of the day, eating, drinking, and singing.

Master Lin discovered this matter a few steps faster than Jiang Xihua. When she saw Gu Guanxue and Ning Yuan gazing at each other affectionately while singing, the smile on her lips seemed to deepen.

Laugh, laugh! The happier you are now, the more painful it will be when you part ways in the future.

This night was destined to be the beginning of a magnificent and turbulent timeline. Everyone in the private room was having a great time, including Master Ning himself. Although his duet with Gu Xihua on "The Boatman's Love" was full of flaws, the show certainly turned out well.

Oh well, as long as you're happy.

Master Ning thought this way, but in a school dormitory not far away, another Master Ning did not think so.

The US stock market opens between 9:00 AM and 4:00 AM Beijing time, and it's already past 11:00 AM. Ning Yiling stared blankly at the screen of her computer, where the red line stretched endlessly, as if she were seeing a blood-red scene from hell.

It's over, it's over...

After so much relentless effort and vigilance... I even gave up monitoring my brother's movie filming! Do you know how many regrets and expectations I had?!

Green... I'm green again... I've turned into a leek again...

The little leek spirit was furious and on the verge of tears. She clenched her little fists, and before her emotions could explode, she quietly shut down her computer, left the dormitory, and ran to a secluded, open area to take a deep breath.

"Wall Street, I'll f*** you!!!"

"Fuck you!!!"

"Damn it, did you hear me?! Damn it!!!"

Chapter 67: Fake Insults and Real Insults

The KTV was a chaotic mix of music and lights, with several boys vying for the microphone to sing "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style," creating a lively atmosphere. After finishing his love song duet with Gu Xihua, Ning Yuan finally had some time to relax, eat some snacks, and watch the silly guy. Lu Jiujiu sat next to him, waving her hands enthusiastically and clapping along to the beat.

If there were glow sticks on the field, she would definitely be the one waving them the most enthusiastically.

He glanced at the girl beside him, wanting to advise her not to get so excited, lest she have trouble sleeping tonight. However, he then thought that the girl probably already couldn't sleep, so he had to give up on the idea.

It was past eleven o'clock, and Ning Yuan estimated the time it would take to get back. He figured that if they ended the event now and went back together, the ladies might still make it to the eleven-thirty curfew. So he clapped his hands and told everyone his idea.

If there were no girls at this dinner party, Ning Yuan could have continued with the men's traditional activity of spending the night at an internet cafe. But since girls were involved, he couldn't just ignore their opinions and make arrangements on his own.

No one objected. For them, tonight's activities had been enjoyable enough. Staying outside for a few more hours would only make them mentally exhausted. It was better to end the event early so that the joy of the dinner and karaoke wouldn't be overshadowed by other emotions.

The KTV was deliberately located not far from the school, which was convenient for most people at the time. After arriving at the school gate, the group split into two groups. One group found their way back to their dormitories, while the other group, led by Master Ning, took several friends from neighboring schools back to their own schools.

Although the two universities are not too far apart, as the organizer of the dinner party, I still have to fulfill this responsibility.

Lu Jiujiu followed Ning Yuan with light steps, skipping along as she walked, looking quite cheerful. Master Ning lazily glanced back, and seeing Lu's innocent little expression, he found it amusing. He slowed his pace and walked to her side, asking, "Did you have fun today?"

"I'm so happy." Lu Jiujiu thought for a moment, then added with a hint of resentment, "But you won't let me drink..."

"..."

Ning Yuan thought to himself that this girl was really stubborn. Perhaps this was the legendary case of "it's better to guide than to block"? Instead of stopping her like this, he might as well call her out one day, get her a couple of drinks, and then film the mess she made while drunk...

Hmm? The tone seems to be gradually shifting towards illegality and crime... Officer, please let me explain... I just wanted to make her realize what she's like when she's drunk! I definitely didn't intend to film anything weird!

Master Ning quickly pinched himself to stop this unfounded digression. He was about to sternly refuse her request to drink when he suddenly met the girl's pitiful, resentful eyes...

His gaze shifted downwards, and soft, fragrant lips came into Ning Yuan's view, giving him a strange urge to take a bite. Ning Yuan's recently calmed, chaotic thoughts seemed to be disrupted again by the girl's expression, and he couldn't help but start to let his mind wander.

Fortunately, the short physical distance between the two schools was not enough to allow Master Ning's thoughts to continue to wander. He arrived at the school gate in the blink of an eye, and several girls waved goodbye to him.