Chapter 164: KTV Princess?

Good books and good stories accompany you every day.

early morning.

Wenjing washed up early and returned to the bedside, bending down to gently pat Zhao Yanxi, who was still lingering in the man's arms.

"Yan hope, it's time to get up. Didn't we agree to help Hua Yue this morning?"

"Hmm... just five more minutes of sleep..."

Zhao Yanxi snuggled closer to the man and let out a muffled protest.

Wenjing reached out and pulled at Zhao Yanxi's blanket: "Get up quickly, three five-minute intervals have already passed!"

Zhao Yanxi clung tightly to the corner of the blanket, like a snail hiding in its shell, with only a messy head of light blue hair showing.

Wenjing had no choice but to resort to her trump card: "If you don't get up, your allowance next month will be..."

"No, no, no!"

Zhao Yanxi sprang up from under the covers, her hair a mess, her eyes not fully open, and mumbled, "I'm getting up right now!"

She yawned as she got out of bed, her bare feet sinking into the carpet as she staggered toward the bathroom.

Wenjing followed behind, picking up the clothes, stockings, and other items that the two of them had scattered last night and throwing them into the laundry basket, sighing softly.

Although it's happened more than once, I still find it absurd every time afterward...

"Brother Ding Heng, let's go!"

The two spent almost half an hour getting ready to leave.

"Drive slowly."

Ding Heng was still lying in bed taking a nap, and responded lazily.

"Okay."

The door closed gently, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Ding Heng turned over, buried his face in the pillow that still held the warmth of the young girl, and quickly fell into a deep sleep again.

He slept very soundly, and when Ding Heng opened his eyes again, it was already noon.

The phone screen was lit up, with several unread messages piled up on the lock screen.

He squinted and reached for his phone, but before he could even see it clearly, a voice request popped up—Hua Qing.

Ding Heng pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear.

"Hey, senior?"

"Not up yet?"

"Just woke up."

Ding Heng rolled out of bed and put on his headphones as he walked toward the bathroom.

"It's only been a day since we parted, and you already miss me?"

"Who misses you?"

Hua Qing's voice sounded stiff: "I was just bored on my way home, so I made a random call to ask."

"go home?"

Ding Heng turned on the tap, squeezed on some toothpaste, and mumbled, "Senior, is rehearsal over?"

"Um."

A whooshing sound came through the receiver, mixed with the soft whirring of a bicycle chain turning.

"How was rehearsal today?"

Ding Heng spat out the foam in his mouth and softened his tone.

"Not very good."

The sense of loss is palpable in those three simple words.

"Fan Chenxi is in better shape today than yesterday, her progress is obvious. The others are also adjusting, as for me..."

The wind died down on the other end of the phone, probably because they had turned into a sheltered alley.

Hua Qing didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already very clear.

A talented dancer who has always been incredibly confident is now about to fall to last place...

"Senior, take it easy. This is just the beginning. The roles won't be decided tomorrow."

"I know."

Hua Qing's voice was muffled: "But..."

"But what 'but'?"

Ding Heng comforted her gently, saying, "Senior, you need to understand that what you lack is not ability, but adaptation... Once you adapt to the rhythm, you will definitely be no worse than anyone else."

Although Ding Heng didn't understand dance, he could roughly guess the reason.

Although Hua Qing's talent is absolutely top-notch, others are not far behind her. They have all received professional guidance from renowned teachers at prestigious institutions such as the Beijing Dance Academy and the Shanghai Opera Academy, and have many opportunities to broaden their horizons.

Hua Qing, on the other hand, at Hunan Normal University, basically had to rely on herself... Four years is indeed enough to create a significant gap in professional skills.

"You make it sound so easy."

Hua Qing was still defiant, but her tone was noticeably gentler than before.

"So, what does my senior want to hear me say? Stop training, come back to Xingcheng, I'll support you?"

"Ding Heng!"

"Okay, okay, I'm not kidding you."

Ding Heng chuckled softly, picked up the face wash next to him, squeezed some out and applied it to his face.

"Relax, take it slow, and don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Hua Qing gave a soft "hmm," and the sound of the receiver picked up again. She turned out of the alley and rode back onto the main road.

After a while, Hua Qing suddenly spoke.

"Ding Heng".

"Um?"

"Were you with Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi last night?"

"How did you know, senior?"

"Check your WeChat Moments."

Ding Heng put down the lotion bottle in his hand, picked up his phone, exited the call interface, and opened Zhao Yanxi's WeChat Moments.

[Lucky Zhao]: [My sister is suffering while I'm picking up her car... Waaaaah (╥╯﹏╰╥)]

[picture]

In the photo, Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing stand side by side in front of the bathroom mirror, both wearing matching pink JK uniforms.

Zhao Yanxi tilted her head, one hand on her hip, the other making a V sign, her smile bright and radiant.

Wenjing stood next to her, her cheeks flushed slightly, her hands hanging neatly at her sides, like a shy little follower who had been pulled in for a photo.

Ding Heng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Is the senior student jealous?"

"No, I didn't."

Hua Qing denied it quickly, almost deliberately.

Ding Heng could tell that Hua Qing's jealousy was stronger than ever before.

In the past, when Hua Qing was jealous, it was an awkward feeling of "I know I shouldn't be jealous, but I just feel uncomfortable."

Today, she was like a little girl whose dessert had been stolen, holding back her anger.

Ding Heng guessed that it was probably because he hadn't touched Hua Qing at all during his several days in the capital. Then, upon returning, he immediately sought out Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing, which inevitably caused Hua Qing to feel a sense of loss.

In short—Hua Qing is vying for favor.

But the tone and questioning in her voice during that phone call were unmistakable.

Some genes in women are almost ingrained in their very bones.

Even the most aloof and proud fairy is not immune to worldly concerns.

Ding Heng snapped out of his thoughts, his tone becoming even gentler.

"Senior."

"Um?"

"I miss you."

The wind suddenly stopped, probably because Hua Qing had stopped at some intersection.

"You, you're kidding me..."

A rustling sound came through the earphones, and then the voice call turned into a video request.

Ding Heng pressed the answer button.

The screen lit up, and the image shook before stabilizing.

Hua Qing's face appeared in the camera's view, her hair slightly disheveled by the wind.

She was riding a shared bicycle with a canvas bag in the basket, and a water bottle and the strap of her dance costume were sticking out of the bag.

Ding Heng jokingly asked, "Senior, is it really necessary to be so frugal?"

"It's not about saving money."

Hua Qing parked her bike and picked up the canvas bag from the basket: "Fan Chenxi also lives nearby. I rode with her for a while and we chatted about rehearsals."

"Looks like you've made some friends, senior?"

"It was just on the way."

"Okay, okay, it's on my way."

Ding Heng walked back to the bedroom from the bathroom and began to get dressed, his upper body muscles on full display in front of the camera...

Hua Qing pretended not to care, but she kept glancing at the screen out of the corner of her eye.

"Ding Heng".

"Um?

"What exactly is the gift you mentioned for April?"

Ding Heng was buttoning his shirt when he heard this and paused.

"Are you looking forward to it, senior?"

"No, I'm just afraid you'll torment me again."

With a "ding," the elevator doors in front of us opened.

Hua Qing walked in carrying her bag, pressed the floor button, and faced the camera again.

His eyes were cold and tired, yet held a hint of warm expectation.

"Bye-Bye."

"Bye-bye, senior, get some rest."

The image freezes, the call ends.

Ding Heng put down his phone and slowly buttoned the last button.

Judging from Hua Qing's reaction, her strategy of "ignoring" him was effective.

When she returns to Xingcheng in April, the intensity of their romantic entanglements will definitely surge dramatically.

Back at school, Ding Heng drove his beat-up Chang'an back to the men's dormitory and slowly climbed to the fourth floor.

Before even reaching the entrance of 412,

Then, a ghostly wailing sound came from the crack in the half-open door.

"If I had been more accomplished in my youth, I would have known what was truly precious—those beautiful dreams."

The tune was way off track, and the accompanying buzzing of a beat-up acoustic guitar made it as devastating as a pile driver on a construction site.

Ding Heng pushed open the door and went in. He saw Qian Pu sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a guitar in his arms, passionately shouting at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window.

Liu Chiwang lay slumped on the table, his head buried in his arms, looking utterly hopeless.

Chen Mo wore headphones, pretending not to hear anything, and focused on flipping through the professional book in his hand.

Ding Heng tossed the keys onto the table and gestured with his chin towards Qian Pu: "What's going on here?"

Liu Chiwang lifted his head from his arms, looking weak and listless: "I just broke up with my boyfriend."

"Heartbroken? With Wang Xinran?"

"Who else could it be?"

Liu Chiwang said helplessly, "They confronted him yesterday, saying they felt it was better to remain friends. And now, he's been yelling since yesterday morning, his voice is hoarse."

Ding Heng glanced at Qian Pu and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"The sooner you break up, the sooner you'll be free."

Qian Pu looked up at him, then continued her heart-wrenching sobs.

"Those beautiful dreams... I feel guilty for not giving them to you. If I had been more sensible and knew when to advance and retreat when I was young, you wouldn't have suffered for me."

Ding Heng: "…………"

Liu Chiwang covered his face, letting out a painful groan: "Qian Pu, I beg you, please stop singing. If you keep singing, the neighbors will be knocking on the door. How about we go to a karaoke bar?"

"Alright, tonight you're drinking with your bros until you drop!"

Qian Pu finally stopped plucking the strings and looked longingly at Liu Chiwang.

Liu Chiwang joked, "Then you're treating?"

"I have no money!"

Qian Pu said righteously, "I've spent all my money on women."

Liu Chiwang's lips twitched, and he turned to look at Ding Heng and Chen Mo with a simple and clear look in his eyes—"Look at this idiot."

"Eh..."

Liu Chiwang sighed, "Alright, alright, it's on me today. But it's a deal: no more depressing songs at the karaoke bar, sing something cheerful."

Qian Pu immediately put down his guitar: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Liu Chiwang then turned to Ding Heng and Chen Mo: "Are you two going or not?"

Chen Mo was about to refuse when Ding Heng spoke first: "Old Liu, today is your birthday, right?"

Liu Chiwang chuckled and stepped forward to hug Ding Heng, saying affectionately, "Look at that! Old Ding is a true brother. I told him my birthday once when school started, and he was the only one who remembered!"

Qian Pu and Chen Mo exchanged a glance before belatedly realizing what had happened.

Happy birthday, Lao Liu!

"Happy birthday!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Liu Chiwang waved his hand and said in a thick Northeastern accent, "Stop with the formalities, let's have a couple more drinks later!"

The four of them went out laughing and joking, and got into Ding Heng's old Chang'an car.

The car turned out of the school gate and arrived at a KTV in the city center more than 20 minutes later.

Wow~

Ding Heng turned off the engine, opened the door, got out of the car, looked up at the sign "Brilliant Planet," and let out a cryptic sigh.

Liu Chiwang curiously leaned closer: "Old Ding, what are you yelling about?"

"Old Liu, you actually have money to spend here?"

"What's wrong? It's just a regular KTV. I booked a large private room online for only 200 yuan. With drinks included, it'll probably only cost around 1,000 yuan."

"Is there only two hundred Brilliant Planets now?"

Ding Heng looked incredulous.

Seeing that there was some gossip going on, Liu Chiwang quickly asked, "Old Ding, are you very familiar with this place?"

Ding Heng looked incredulous.

Seeing that there was some gossip going on, Liu Chiwang quickly asked, "Old Ding, are you very familiar with this place?"

"We're not really close."

Ding Heng, hands in his pockets, slowly walked inside: "I've just heard some things."

Chen Mo's curiosity was piqued: "What is it? Tell me."

As a native of Xingcheng, Ding Heng began to speak slowly.

"Don't be fooled by how cheap Brilliant Planet is now. A decade or so ago, it was the number one KTV in Star City."

"Number one? How awesome is that?"

"When I was in kindergarten, around 2012, there was a rumor that a campus beauty from the teachers' college next door was working part-time here. Not counting her salary, the overnight fees and tips alone amounted to nearly 300,000 yuan a month."

"Three hundred thousand?!"

Qian Pu's eyes widened in surprise.

That was 12 years ago.

As Ding Heng walked, he said, "Back then, the price of apartments in the city center of Xingcheng was only five or six thousand yuan per square meter. People could earn half a house a month."

Liu Chiwang gasped, and the four of them followed him into the elevator.

"Really?"

"I was just a kid then, and I only listened to the adults' nonsense."

Ding Heng shrugged: "But in those years, the construction industry was growing wildly. The bosses had lots of money in their hands. They laughed at poverty but not prostitution. Many college students flocked here."

Chen Mo rarely chimed in, "This place must be pretty chaotic, right?"

"Whether it's chaotic or not, we don't need any more people."

Ding Heng continued, "They're very selective; everyone has to be top-notch in looks and figure, and they have to undergo professional service training before starting work. They might not even hire the average person."

Qian Pu listened intently, his eyes shining: "And now? Are there any left?"

"Smack."

Liu Chiwang slapped Qian Pu on the back of the head: "It's my birthday, and people are coming later. Can't you be serious for once?"

Qian Pu pouted, looking aggrieved, "I was just asking..."

Liu Chiwang ignored him and continued to ask Ding Heng, "Old Ding, how did this place become like this later? You can book a large private room for two hundred yuan now?"

The elevator doors opened, and Ding Heng was the first to step out.

"Around 18 or 19, the police launched a major investigation, which caused quite a stir in the news and became a household name in the city. I heard that the boss behind it was a woman, and quite pretty. In the end, she was sentenced to several decades in prison."

At this point, Ding Heng suddenly stopped.

I recalled a photo of the boss I saw on TV when I was a child, and he suddenly seemed strangely familiar.

The group then entered the private room, where Liu Chiwang handed them an opened bottle of beer.

"Come on, let's have a drink first."

Ding Heng took the beer, tilted his head back and took a swig, temporarily putting aside his thoughts.

More and more people joined later.

Liu Chiwang has excellent interpersonal skills; before even finishing his freshman year, he had already built up a considerable network of connections on campus.

Several student council members, members of various clubs, and some faces that Ding Heng couldn't recall all walked in in twos and threes and found seats.

Bai Zhiya was among them, and together with other student council members, she handed over a beautifully packaged little gift box.

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Liu Chiwang accepted the gift and greeted her with a smile, inviting her to sit down.

Bai Zhiya didn't take the initiative to talk to Ding Heng like before. She just nodded to him, then went to sit down in a corner and quietly picked up a glass of juice.

Ding Heng didn't pay any attention, leaning back on the sofa and sipping his beer casually.

Although it was Liu Chiwang's birthday, Qian Pu was the real star of the night.

He dominated the song request stage, singing one song after another, from "Young and Promising" to "What Kind of Man," from "Cultivating Love" to "Suddenly Missing You."

Every song was out of tune, every song was heartbreaking.

Everyone was amused by him and laughed heartily, creating a lively atmosphere.

Only Liu Chiwang sighed as he drank, "That old Qian, it's my birthday, and he keeps singing me sad love songs."

Ding Heng smiled but didn't reply.

After several more rounds, Qian Pu finally got tired of singing, threw the microphone on the sofa, and got up to leave.

Where are you going?

Liu Chiwang shouted.

"Release the water!"

Qian Pu opened the door without looking back and strolled out of the private room.

Ding Heng continued drinking and chatting casually with Liu Chiwang.

About seven or eight minutes later, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

Qian Pu rushed in, his eyes wide open, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"

He lowered his voice, grabbed Liu Chiwang's arm, and then called Ding Heng and Chen Mo over.

The four of them huddled together.

"What's wrong with you?"

Liu Chiwang was completely baffled by Qian Pu's actions.

Qian Pu swallowed hard, his voice extremely low: "This KTV really does have hostesses; I just saw them starting work one after another."

Liu Chiwang rolled his eyes: "So what if you have one? Why are you so excited? If you want to find a princess, go book a private room yourself. Don't cause trouble on my birthday."

"no!"

Qian Pu said excitedly, "That's not the point! Guess who I just saw?"

Who is it?

She's also the most beautiful girl at the teachers' college next door.

Qian Pu took a deep breath and said, slowly and deliberately, "Lin Man!"