CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 148: HIDDEN DEPTHS

This scene, of course, was also witnessed by Xia Liang and his two companions. He and Tong Dongnuan understood the situation perfectly. They had already achieved their purpose for coming today, and if not for the fact that leaving right away would seem too odd, they would have already departed. Uninterested in the drama, they simply continued chatting amongst themselves. Jin Xinqiao, however, was dead set on uncovering Xia Liang’s true circumstances. If she could develop some sort of relationship with him in the process, that would be even better.

Just then, Luoyang suddenly shouted, "Hey, Su Xuan!" His tone was condescending, as if he were calling a subordinate.

"Is there a problem?" Xia Liang, who had been in the middle of a conversation, looked up and asked blandly.

Luoyang took a drag from his cigarette and raised an eyebrow at Xia Liang. "I hear you’re a delivery driver now? Making what, a point a month? Braving the wind and rain, it’s back-breaking work. Why don’t you come work for my dad’s company? I can set you up with a desk job. You won’t have to work yourself to death, and the salary is way higher than what you make doing deliveries."

The words were incredibly direct, framed as an offer to help Xia Liang. In reality, it was pure mockery of his job. Everyone’s gaze fell on Xia Liang, ready for a show, waiting to see how he would respond.

Just as Xia Liang was about to speak, Tong Dongnuan shot to her feet. "Bah! Yang, you dog, don’t act so high and mighty just because you have a bit of dirty money! Without your dad, you’re nothing! You want Xia Liang to work for you? Are you even worthy?"

Watching Tong Dongnuan explode, everyone instinctively recoiled. They hadn’t expected her to be just as fiery as she was years ago. This was, after all, the girl who used to fight thugs alongside Xia Liang outside of school. For a moment, Luoyang was too stunned to retort.

But it wasn’t over. Jin Xinqiao, knowing she couldn’t be left behind, also stood up and spoke coldly. "Luoyang, that was out of line. We’re all former classmates here. What’s wrong with being a delivery driver? He’s earning money through his own hard work. I don’t look down on delivery drivers at all. On the contrary, I believe that those who endure the greatest hardships become the most successful."

Everyone drew a sharp breath. Even Xia Liang’s expression changed as he looked at her.

Damn. If I hadn’t seen you notice my car when I arrived, I might have actually believed you.

Like Jin Xinqiao, he trusted his own judgment and wouldn’t be swayed by Luoyang’s words into thinking Xia Liang had just rented the car to show off. Xia Liang was no fool, either. He knew that she was fawning over him and speaking up on his behalf mostly because of his money.

Seeing two beautiful women defending Xia Liang, the jealousy in Luoyang’s eyes burned even brighter.

Why him! Why!

The more Luoyang stewed, the angrier he became. Thankfully, Lin Ye quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Brother Yang was just trying to help Xia Liang. If he’s not interested, let’s just drop it."

"Hmph." Tong Dongnuan snorted coldly before sitting back down. Jin Xinqiao followed suit.

Seeing Xia Liang’s completely unfazed expression, Tong Dongnuan was surprised. "What’s with you, Xia Liang? I honestly thought you were about to punch him. I was all set to jump in and help." After all, Xia Liang’s temper was usually as short as hers.

Xia Liang merely glanced at Luoyang. "He’s just a dancing clown. Not worth my time."

Nearby, Jin Xinqiao, though considering Tong Dongnuan a rival, knew her own relationship with Xia Liang wasn’t as close. Seizing the opportunity, she took the initiative to show goodwill. "Why would an elephant care about an ant’s provocations? There’s more to Xia Liang now than meets the eye." She gave Xia Liang a meaningful look as she spoke.

Hearing this, Tong Dongnuan was intrigued.

Looks like my boy is doing quite well for himself. No wonder Jin Xinqiao would speak up for him.

Since everyone had just arrived and Luoyang had already announced he was treating, he couldn’t very well cause a scene, despite his foul mood. He stepped out to call for a waiter and order drinks. Shortly after he left, a petite waitress began to fiddle with the KTV equipment. She was too short to reach the projector mounted on the ceiling and was starting to get flustered, turning in anxious circles.

Xia Liang happened to be sitting closest to her. The waitress had no choice but to sneakily tug on his sleeve and whisper, "Could you help me adjust the projector up there?"

"No problem," Xia Liang agreed at once. He stood up, got on his tiptoes, and after a few adjustments, the projection on the screen straightened out. He then sat back down.

"Thank you!" the waitress said sweetly, then scurried out of the room.

With the equipment on, several people rushed to pick songs. A woman selected a love song, and a man picked up the other microphone to join her. They sang a passable duet of a popular breakup song, which nonetheless earned a round of whoops and hollers from the crowd. After the song finished, Luoyang and Lin Ye returned, followed by several waiters pushing a cart laden with drinks, snacks, and a large selection of beer and wine. The waiters arranged everything on the table before quietly retreating.

Now that they were all adults, they were far less restrained than in their high school days. They quickly formed small groups to play drinking games. A few more people snatched up the microphones, and though their singing abilities were debatable, they sang with gusto.

As the host for the evening, Luoyang strode back in, grabbed the microphone right out of a classmate’s hand, and immediately launched into a song. It had to be said, he was actually a very good singer. When he finished, several female classmates gushed with praise.

"Luoyang, you sing so well!"

"Another one, Luoyang!"

"You sound just like the original artist!"

The wave of compliments went straight to his head. He clutched the microphone and refused to let go, insisting on singing nearly every song. Coincidentally, the playlist at any KTV is largely the same few dozen hits, and he seemed to know every single one. This quickly began to annoy the others. If he was going to sing all night, what was the point of them being there?

After hogging the mic for a while, Luoyang seemed to notice the crowd’s waning enthusiasm. Not wanting to become the target of everyone’s ire, he finally passed the microphone on. He then rounded up several of the guys to play dice and do drinking forfeits. A few of the more boisterous female classmates even joined in, drinking just as much as the men and handling the dice with practiced skill.

Seeing everyone else either drinking, chatting, or singing—some of whom were terribly off-key—the more tone-deaf members of the group felt emboldened. They tentatively picked up the microphone and gave it a try. Once they started, there was no stopping them. Whether their singing was good or bad, they now clung to the microphones for dear life.

Xia Liang and Tong Dongnuan continued their quiet conversation. Noticing Jin Xinqiao sitting beside them looking bored, and remembering that she had spoken up for him, Xia Liang made a rare effort to be sociable. "Why don’t you go sing?"

Upon hearing him, Jin Xinqiao feigned modesty.