Bonus update because I want to quickly get to the part I’m excited about!!
Zhu Tong thought that Shao Ming’s throat was in fine condition.
Then why did he say it was his throat, when it’s clearly his lungs that are the issue?
Although this reason might sound a bit melodramatic in other’s eyes.
It’s just singing. If his lungs weren’t good, he could just sing quietly. Why can’t he sing?
His reluctance to join might also be perceived as a party pooper for others.
But now that he didn’t sing, it was Shao Ming who helped him put it forward. Shao Ming was always easygoing, chatting with everyone in the class, and his reputation as a top student was well-established. Even if people know that he genuinely didn’t want to sing, no one said anything.
Zhu Tong suddenly smiled. “Thank you.”
Shao Ming replied, “No need to thank me, I really don’t want to sing.”
Zhu Tong was puzzled. “Why?”
Shao Ming pondered for a moment before answering, “Because I’ll look stupid.”
“?”
At first, Zhu Tong didn’t understand why Shao Ming would think it’s stupid. But then, he heard the song’s chorus performed by his classmates.
If the original singer of the song sounded like a person of united will and perseverance, the choir in Class 3 was more like a screeching mix of people and monsters, a wild dance of demons.
“Tunnel warfare, hey, tunnel warfare. Thousands of soldiers getting ambushed!”
The choir was out of tune, and the solo performances were off-key.
Zhu Tong felt that his eardrums were subjected to inhuman tests every day.
“Do you need this?” Shao Ming suddenly handed him two cotton balls.
Zhu Tong thought that Shao Ming was really well-prepared.
But he refused.
Although his ears were tortured, this lively atmosphere was quite interesting.
However, just as he refused, he whispered in his ear, “Tunnel warfare, hey…”
The “hey” was scorching hot, as if possessing a magical quality, full of lethality.
The pen that Zhu Tong had just picked up was dropped by someone’s “hey”. He turned his head slowly.
Luo Suo said complacently, “Ming-ge, Zhu Tong, it’s really a pity that you two didn’t participate in the choir. I found that this song is not only a total earworm, it’s also very refreshing. Every time I sing it, I feel like I’ve had a massage—refreshed and invigorated!”
Shao Ming smiled and said, “If you come and sing in front of me again, I can help you refresh your mind in another way.”
Luo Suo: “…”
“Ming-ge, this is unreasonable. How can you kill a person’s enthusiasm for music? Am I not good at singing? Isn’t my pursuit of music worthy of admiration? Isn’t it worth encouraging me to practice so hard? Aren’t I right, Zhu Tong?”
Zhu Tong: “…Ah?”
Luo Suo said with a look of seeking agreement: “You think I can sing well, right? Aren’t I very talented in music?”
Zhu Tong raised his hand and rubbed his ear, which was almost deafened by that off-key “hey”. He stood by the painful truth: “I don’t know if you have any talent, but you do have a kind of obsession with music that no one should live.”
Luo Suo: “…”
Shao Ming bursted into laughter. He hugged Zhu Tong and said, “Did you hear that? Get out of here now, and go trouble others instead.”
Luo Suo, a freshly-baked musician, was hit by this deadly two-hit-K.O-combo, interrupting his musical dream, turning him into a salted fish.
After driving away the human-shaped loudspeaker, Shao Ming saw that Zhu Tong was still rubbing his ears from time to time, and became a little worried. “Are your ears uncomfortable?”
“My ears feel a bit ringing. Just a minor tinnitus.” Zhu Tong replied, “No big deal, it’ll be okay after a rest”
Shao Ming said, “Let me see.”
“It’s alright…”
Saying that, Zhu Tong didn’t dodge his outstretched hand, and let him squeeze his ear to check.
However, the problem of tinnitus was generally not a problem of the outward ears – there’s nothing to see without specialized equipment.
On the contrary, their unrestrained intimacy made the class monitor, who turned around to discuss recitation lines with them, to notice something different.
These two really have something going on!
Zhu Tong noticed her gaze and turned to look.
Tang Nuan immediately said, “I saw nothing. Go continue.”
Zhu Tong: “…”
He suddenly realized that the remarks he saw in that group chat might have some merit in it – at the very least, it didn’t come out of nowhere.
Some of his and Shao Ming’s actions seem to be really easy to cause misunderstandings.
Whether it was the princess-carry on the racecourse, or Shao Ming’s skillful “hands-on” with him.
Because Shao Ming was too kind to him.
But with how good Shao Ming treats him… why doesn’t his favorability level progress?
The progress bar has been silent for several days.
The system wouldn’t break, right?
The system suddenly chimed in: ‘Thank you for your concern. So long the host is still alive, the system will run normally.’
Zhu Tong: “…”
–Then the White Moonlight must be the broken one.
He turned his head to look at Shao Ming.
System:”…”
‘If the favorability level continues to rise, you might really break down soon.’
Zhu Tong: “…”
Shao Ming saw him suddenly look over, and was about to ask him what was wrong, when suddenly his phone vibrated.
He lowered his head to unlock it and looked at it, his eyes sank slightly.
His mood changed too suddenly, worrying Zhu Tong. He asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shao Ming raised his head and said, “Nothing.”
He glanced at the phone again, and after locking the screen, he got up and said, “I’ll go out.”
Zhu Tong subconsciously wanted to ask where he went, but he couldn’t utter it out loud.
Because when Shao Ming just spoke to him, his face was still calm. However, after his gaze moved away from him, a hint of coldness suddenly emerged.
Zhu Tong had never seen Shao Ming’s negative emotions this obvious, he couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment.
In his daze, Shao Ming had already walked towards the back door of the classroom.
Zhu Tong watched the direction he headed after leaving the classroom, and it wasn’t towards the restroom. The doubts in his heart grew heavier.
At this time, another person rushed in from the back door of the classroom, it was Luo Suo who was about to go to the restroom.
Before he left the classroom, Luo Suo was still a salted fish that had been beaten too much. When he entered the classroom, he was already full of enthusiasm and resurrected. When he rushed over, he looked at the empty seat and asked Zhu Tong, “Where’s Ming-ge?”
Zhu Tong pointed in the direction of the stairwell. “He said he’s going out for a bit.”
“…”
Luo Suo paused, then turned and left.
Zhu Tong said anxiously. “Wait, did something happen? What’s going on?”
Luo Suodao didn’t hide it from him. He said in a serious tone, “Qiu Shaoping is out of prison… I won’t talk to you about it. I’m going to find Ming-ge. Please get me a leave permission later.”
“…”
Qiu Shaoping?
Zhu Tong was slightly shocked.
Shao Ming’s abusive stepfather who beat his mother?
He got up and was about to follow, when the system reminded him, ‘What can you do now?
Zhu Tong: “…”
Shao Ming walked in such a hurry, something must have happened.
Following after him now would only make things worse.
But if he didn’t go…
“Trust him a little more. The White Moonlight was doing fine even without you, right? Bai Yueguang can live well without you? If you have the time to worry about him, why don’t you think about how to increase your favorability?”
That’s right.
Zhu Tong frowned while sitting in his seat. He glanced in the direction where the two boys disappeared, and suddenly got up and said, “Class monitor, I’ll take a leave of absence, I’ll be back soon.”
Now was the evening self-study session. Shi Wenshu arranged for the whole class to practice songs together in this self-study session. Instead of listening to this “magical” music, it’s better for him to go and have a look.
Mn, he just wants to see.
Thinking like this, before Tang Nuan could respond, Zhu Tong had already followed him out of the classroom.
In the milk tea shop, a man in his fifties was sitting on a high chair in front of the counter. He looked as thin as firewood, but his eyes were as cold as a viper, staring closely at the woman behind the counter.
In the milk tea shop, there were no more customers. Behind the counter, two new girls, hired recently, were hiding behind Shao Yujie. They looked at the people in front of the counter, holding each other’s hands nervously, too scared to speak.
Shao Yujie felt cold sweat dripping from her back, but she did not dare to show her cowardice.
She said sternly, “Qiu Shaoping, what are you trying to do? I’m telling you, I’ve already called the police, you…”
“Call the police?” the thin man said in a hoarse voice. “What did I do? I just got out of jail, and you want me to be sent back? Go ahead, let them come. I’ll wait.”
Shao Yujie: “You…”
“Yujie.” The man’s voice was eerily gentle, “The saying goes, ‘One day as a husband and wife, a hundred days of gratitude.’ You and your son have left me with nothing. I struggled to come out of that situation, and if I don’t come to thank you and your son, wouldn’t it be unjustifiable?”
His eyes dimmed, making people feel chills down their spine.
The two little girls were trembling with fright, and said in a trembling voice, “Boss, this person is…”
“It’s okay, don’t be afraid.” Shao Yujie comforted them, and then said to Qiu Shaoping, “Tell me, what do you want?”
As soon as she said that, Qiu Shaoping’s face became excited, his hands resting on the counter, his eyes gloomy. “What do I want? Don’t you know? Tell me where that wild seed bastard is.”
His voice suddenly changed. “Where is your son! Oh, no, he is not your son at all, is he? He’s—.”
Before he finished speaking, the tightly closed door of the milk tea shop was suddenly pushed open. A hurried sound of footsteps approached. Just as Qiu Shaoping turned his head, without even seeing the person clearly, his neck was forcefully grabbed from behind by his collar.
The collar chafed against his neck, blocking his airway and breathing. The strength was enough to make him suffocate, and his face was blue, but he didn’t show any fear, and even showed an uncontrollable, excited smile.
He grabbed his collar and began to struggle.
However, Shao Ming didn’t give him any chance. Amidst the frightened exclamations behind the counter, he directly dragged Qiu Shaoping out of the milk tea shop.
On the square outside the shop, people were coming and going. Many who had gathered to buy milk tea hesitated due to the suspicious ‘old man’ inside. Suddenly, the said man was dragged out of the milk tea shop, creating a huge commotion that immediately turned the entrance of the milk tea shop into the focal point of the entire square.
Under the horrified eyes of a group of passersby, Shao Ming harshly threw the man, looking particularly cruel.
The man was thrown with a loud “Bam”. His body curled up into a ball in pain.
Shao Ming looked down at him coldly, without the slightest warmth in his eyes. “As you wish, take care and don’t come back.”
