"Of course, if you choose the science track, he'll lose his first-place title…" Zhou Yang—ever eager to flatter—said. "Your grades in Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, and biology are all excellent. So why insist on choosing the humanities?"
Xia Pengfei glanced around the room. "I just want to study humanities, that's all… Xudong, didn't you invite Ye Zhiqiu?"
"I just called her—she's on the way. Why? Got a thing for her?" Liu Xudong grinned mischievously.
"I want to hear her sing." Something unreadable flickered in Xia Pengfei's eyes.
"Well, well, that's interesting~~ She didn't want to come at first, said it'd be too noisy. But once she heard you were here, she agreed." Liu Xudong pressed on. "Could it be that the two of you share some secret no one knows?"
Xia Pengfei merely shook his head, ignored him, and began scrolling through financial news on his phone.
When the song ended, the room finally quieted down. The boys headed back to drink; the girls swarmed toward Xia Pengfei.
"Xia Pengfei, how about a song?" He Tingting held out a wireless mic.
Pengfei didn't even lift an eyebrow. "Not singing."
"Hello, senior. I'm Sui Jiayuan." Sui Jiayuan introduced herself shyly.
He gave a slight nod—barely a greeting.
"Your little sidekick didn't come?" Jiang Meidan asked out of nowhere. "He's so cute."
"This place isn't suitable for him." Xia Pengfei didn't look up, continuing to scroll.
Just then, the door swung open, and a breathtaking beauty glided in.
The room fell dead silent. Every gaze locked onto her—except Xia Pengfei's.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders; her tall figure was wrapped in a black satin dress with a V-neck top and A-line skirt. Her skin looked dewy, luminous. Soft where she should be soft, full where she should be full—and with a refined, artistic air.
"Ye Zhiqiu, daughter of Professor Ye Qingming from the Vocal Department. The school's acknowledged campus beauty," He Tingting whispered to Sui Jiayuan.
"Ye beauty has graced us at last—should we punish her with a song? Or… punish her with a song?" Liu Xudong joked as he rushed forward. The others—Wang Xiaobao, Xiao Tianhao, Jin Feifan—swarmed like flies smelling meat, offering drinks, microphones, chatter…
"Sorry, something came up at home. That's why I'm late." Ye Zhiqiu smiled—and three boys immediately lost themselves in that devastatingly lovely smile.
"Since the host wants a punishment, I shall obey…" She accepted the mic Jin Feifan offered, her gaze sweeping toward the only person who had not reacted to her arrival—Xia Pengfei, still absorbed in his phone.
It wasn't until Ye Zhiqiu's ethereal voice filled the room that Xia Pengfei finally lifted his eyes, his dark gaze falling on the beauty singing her heart out.
It was a new pop song.
"…The spring wind brushes past the garden wall, scattering fragrance down the southern path. Flowers bloom and fall with reason, life rises and sinks without certainty. Flowers bloom and fall with reason, life rises and sinks without certainty. Life rises and sinks… without certainty…"
When she finished, her voice lingering in the air, the room froze into stillness.
No one moved. No one spoke. No one even breathed—afraid to shatter the shimmering afterglow of her voice.
Then Xia Pengfei led the applause. Thunderous claps filled the room, followed by cheers.
"You guys ordered drinks!" A cold voice appeared out of nowhere. Leng Siyu calmly set down more than twenty bottles.
"There are two more here!" Little Yuan yuan also clutched two bottles.
"Leng Siyu? Little Round? What are you doing here!" Xia Pengfei was genuinely stunned. Without hesitation, he marched straight up to them. "Siyu, take Yuan Yuan and leave. Now."
"This isn't a dragon's cave. If you can be here, why can't I? Trying to practice double standards like some Western big shot?" Leng Siyu snapped.
Ignoring the stares, Xia Pengfei grabbed both sisters and dragged them out.
Out in the corridor, Leng Siyu violently shook off his hand, her expression icy enough to wring water from. "Stop pulling at me! What do you think this looks like? Are we that familiar?"
Xia Pengfei covered Little Yuan Yuan's ears and growled softly, "This is ridiculous! What are you doing working in a place like this?"
"You got a problem with my job? I'm not stealing, not robbing, not selling myself. I'm earning money with honest labor!" Leng Siyu shot back.
"How desperate are you? If you need money, I can give you some! Call it a loan—"
"Who are you to me? Why would I take your money?" She sneered. "So what if you're rich? Listen, Summer Boy, whether the Leng family is warm, cold, hungry, or full has nothing to do with the Xia family! You can burn your money all you like, but don't flaunt it in front of me! And stop meddling in my life!"
"Yes, yes, very noble of you! But even if you don't care about yourself, shouldn't you at least think about Yuan Yuan? She's still so young—bringing her someplace this noisy and chaotic is terrible for her!"
"It's none of your business." She pried his hands off Yuan Yuan's ears, grabbed her bewildered sister, and marched toward the stairs.
Xia Pengfei watched them disappear, standing silent for a long moment before re-entering the room.
Downstairs, Yuan Yuan tugged her sister's hand."Feifei-gege looked really angry. What did he say to you?"
"He thinks having money makes him a hero who can save the world."
"Save us? So he wanted to help, and you refused?"
"No one can help us—except ourselves."
Yuan Yuan stopped walking. Her eyes sparkled seriously. "Jiejie… he meant well. Even if you refuse him, you didn't have to be that harsh."
Siyu tugged her forward. "In your little brain, anyone who gives you candy is kind."
"Isn't giving candy a kind thing?"
"Sometimes candy is really a time bomb… it'll blow you to pieces."
"But if I'm starving, a piece of candy could save my life."
Siyu pulled out a wad of cash, waving it before her."Look. As long as I'm here, you won't starve."
Yuan Yuan's dimples popped out. "Money!"
"Exactly." Siyu flicked her sister's hair, her voice soft yet firm.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they reached the ground floor, Siyu marched up to the HR manager, Zhang Yangshan, and said, "Sorry, I can't take this job. Hire someone else." Then she picked up Yuan Yuan and walked straight out of Oriental Pearl.
"Jiejie, why quit so suddenly?"
"Too noisy. I'm protecting your little ears! You still need them to listen to me!"
"I know! Feifei-gege must have made you quit!"
"He has nothing to do with my job."
"How rude… What a waste of such a pretty face. Your future is worrying!"