Lian didn't go to karaoke bars often, but he knew the usual habits. People who wanted to go full-on rave mode always booked the huge VIP rooms with actual dance floors and space to jump around.
But from the gossip he overheard between two passing waiters, that room was just a tiny one, barely ten square meters, exactly the same size as theirs.
Ten square meters, minus the sofa, coffee table, and karaoke equipment, left maybe four or five square meters of empty space. Trying to "rock out" to disco in a closet? Completely illogical.
Right then, a big noisy group of office workers showed up for what looked like a company party, and all the corridor staff rushed off to serve them.
Perfect opportunity.
Lian went closer to the suspicious room.
It was sealed tight: no little window, no gap under the door, nothing.
He was trying to figure out a plan when he heard footsteps approaching from inside.
Lightning fast, Lian ducked into the emergency stairs, leaned casually against the wall, bowed his head, pulled out his phone, and started fake-scrolling like he had escaped the loud music on purpose to text in peace.
Exactly as expected, the door opened.
The handsome man in the coat stepped out.
Lian's heart raced, but he kept his cool and sneaked a glance from the corner of his eye.
Up close, the man was even more striking: sharp eyebrows, high nose bridge, bright piercing eyes, firm lips, perfect proportions. If he walked onto a movie set, directors would fight over him to play the male lead, no audition needed.
The man glanced at Lian without interest, then stepped into the stair too and answered a phone call just a few steps away.
The moment he spoke, Lian felt a surge of pure envy, his voice was deep, rich, and ridiculously sexy.
From the conversation, he seemed to be some kind of professional outdoor instructor, discussing details for a company wilderness adventure and camping trip.
Call ended. The man turned back toward the room.
And for one heart-stopping split second as the door opened, Lian saw inside:
On the sofa three naked bodies tangled together, moving in unmistakable rhythm.
At least two of them were clearly men.
The door slammed shut again.
Lian's entire body started shaking uncontrollably.
He couldn't see faces. He couldn't be one-hundred-percent sure.
But every fiber of his being screamed that his mother was in that room.
In that single instant, a tidal wave of ice-cold despair, burning pain, raw anger, and bitter betrayal crashed over him all at once.
He had thought he was already used to his mother's secret, very active love life.
He had thought he could accept Uncle Jun, the guy in the car tonight, all the others.
But the idea of his own mother naked in a tiny karaoke room, high on drugs, having chaotic group sex with several men at the same time.
He felt like the world was collapsing.
His knees nearly gave out.
"No… no… calm down… breathe…"
Rushing in was suicide. He was thirteen years old. 13! The coat guy alone could crush him like a bug, and there were at least three more adult men inside.
He needed Auntie. Right now.
Even though the karaoke bar's fancy central air-conditioning kept everything at perfect temperature, Lian was drenched in cold sweat and shaking like a leaf as he stumbled back toward their room.
He pushed open the door.
Auntie was dragging Maisie over to the song-selection screen, laughing and trying to convince her to sing a super embarrassing love duet.
One look at Lian's ghost-white face and both women froze in place.
Auntie dropped the remote. "Baby, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
Lian grabbed her wrist and pulled her out into the hallway.
In a trembling, broken voice he spilled everything, his suspicions, the glimpse through the door, the naked bodies, the drugs scattered on the table, the horrible gut feeling that Mom was inside.
Auntie's eyes went huge.
Then, to Lian's complete astonishment, a cold, excited, almost predatory smile spread across her face.
"Who cares if your mom is actually in there or not!" she whispered fiercely. "As long as there are naked people doing illegal things and drugs, that's more than enough!"
She took out her phone with lightning speed.
The phone barely rang once.
Ring…
"Public Security, Criminal Investigation Department James Carter speaking."
Auntie's voice instantly snapped into full professional mode.
"Captain Carter, this is Ana Wen from the Cultural Bureau. I'm at Starlight Karaoke on Seaside Avenue, third floor, right now. I just witnessed group sex and obvious drug use in one of the private rooms… Yes, right now… Hurry!"
Click.
Auntie lowered the phone, took one steadying breath, and locked eyes with Lian, fierce and ready.
"Six minutes. Let's move."
After hanging up, Lian panicked again. "Auntie, what if Mom really is inside?!"
Auntie instantly turned deadly serious.
"Listen carefully. Karaoke bars are classified as cultural and entertainment venues. Group sex and drugs are strictly prohibited. This entire area falls under government supervision. If I'm here and I witness it, I have no choice, I must report it. That's the rule."
She gripped his shoulders hard. "When the police arrive, you and I will go in first. I'll flash my official enforcement badge and pretend it's a routine inspection. If your mom isn't there, no problem at all. If she is… your aunt will handle everything perfectly. Just stay right behind me and follow my lead, okay? Promise me."
Lian nodded, still trembling.
"Why are you shaking like a leaf? Act like a man!"
"I… I am a man!"
"Exactly! You've already slept with women, you stopped being a little kid a long time ago!"
Auntie pressed both hands on his shoulders and massaged firmly several times until the worst of the shaking stopped.
Then she marched back into the room, told Maisie to pick whatever song she wanted and sing her heart out, grabbed Lian, and dragged him down to the parking lot to wait.