Chapter 82: KTV
"Ruan Yu, why are you just standing there?" Xiao Qing waved at her from inside.
Teng Yi had his back turned to her, but upon hearing Xiao Qing call her name, he turned around to look.
"Come in," he said, stepping out to take her hand.
The difference between inside and outside was stark.
Ruan Yu wore a high-neck sweater, while the boys in the practice room were all in short-sleeved T-shirts, their foreheads and temples glistening with sweat despite the light clothing.
"You guys are that hot?"
"Yeah, we got carried away dancing," Zhou Xihe replied, executing a few smooth slides and swaying from side to side.
"Looks like you're determined to impress Teacher Jiang."
"Of course. Who do you think is leading this?" Zhou Xihe slung an arm around Teng Yi with admiration. "Seriously, this is next-level. I never imagined street dance could be done like this."
Ruan Yu couldn’t help but wonder—how exactly were they doing it?
Teng Yi seemed to read her mind. He pointed to a soft mat by the mirror and said, "Go sit. I’ll let you judge in a bit."
"Judge? How could an amateur like me possibly judge?"
"Because the inspiration came from you."
Ruan Yu obediently sat on the mat.
The weather had turned cold, and sitting directly on the floor chilled her legs. She had casually complained about it a while ago, and Teng Yi had immediately arranged for soft mats to be placed in every practice room.
When Teng Yi paid attention to details, even the girls couldn’t keep up.
A moment later, Fang Wan returned from the restroom. As soon as she entered and saw Ruan Yu, she flashed a smile, as warm and friendly as when they first met.
If she wanted to pretend, Ruan Yu wouldn’t refuse to play along.
So she returned the smile.
"Let’s run it again," Teng Yi clapped his hands, signaling the resting team members to regroup. "We’ll take a break after this round."
The boys quickly fell into formation.
Fang Wan stood by, waiting.
The practice room fell silent for a few seconds before the sound of jinghu, yueqin, diangu, and yaban filled the air, accompanied by the clear, melodious singing of Peking opera master Mei Lanfang. Led by Teng Yi, the four boys began popping to the rhythm. Despite the slow tempo of the opera, their movements were precise and fluid, as if time had been slowed down—yet it didn’t feel out of place.
Midway, Fang Wan made her entrance, performing a street dance duet with Teng Yi to depict the tragic scene of Yu Ji’s suicide and the heartbreak of the Conqueror.
As the heroine collapsed and exited, the music transitioned seamlessly from Peking opera to a pop song, and the four resumed their synchronized routine.
The track had been edited by Teng Yi himself, with rearranged transitions to ensure a natural flow. At the end, he incorporated breaking elements as usual.
Though their group choreography still lacked polish, the overall professionalism of the dance was undeniable. Combined with the Peking opera influence, it was a masterpiece in the making. With a couple more days of practice, they were sure to leave Teacher Jiang Weiguo impressed.
"Wait, no, no!"
Before the music ended, Fang Wan suddenly called out.
"What’s wrong?" The boys stopped.
"I don’t think the separation scene is striking enough," she said, leaning slightly against Teng Yi. "Before Yu Ji’s suicide, shouldn’t it be more poignant? Like this? Or maybe a fake hug?"
As she spoke, Fang Wan spread her arms and moved to embrace Teng Yi.
Just as Teng Yi was about to step back, Xiao Qing grabbed the back of her collar from behind."Hey! Miss! His girlfriend is right here. At least have some restraint—keep it verbal, not physical," Xiao Qing blinked, putting on a righteous front. "If you really must get physical, then come at me instead!"
"What the—? Get lost!" Fang Wan shoved Xiao Qing aside and shrugged at Ruan Yu. "Sis-in-law, you're not that petty, are you? Everyone in this room is like a brother to me. We roughhouse all the time. If you're going to get jealous over this, then I’m seriously impressed."
With one sentence, Fang Wan had called her "Sis-in-law," referred to herself as "one of the guys," and preemptively shut down any accusations of being "petty" or "jealous"—a flawless maneuver.
This was Ruan Yu’s first encounter with a romantic rival, and such a formidable one at that. She was momentarily at a loss.
Say she didn’t mind?
No, she did mind, and she wasn’t about to indulge Fang Wan and fuel her arrogance.
Say she did mind?
Fang Wan had played her cards so well on the surface—how could Ruan Yu afford to lose face?
"My general policy is the 'Three No's': not petty, not jealous, not bothered."
"Sis-in-law is so magnanimous," Xiao Qing praised.
"Yeah, very magnanimous. But whether it’s genuine or not, only he would know." Ruan Yu shot a sidelong glance at Teng Yi.
"Looks like I’ll be kneeling on the remote control tonight," Teng Yi said, spreading his hands.
Everyone laughed.
Ruan Yu had handled it well—her playful tone had asserted her stance while showcasing the grace of the official girlfriend. Of course, the most crucial factor was that she held Teng Yi as her trump card, and he was always ready to back her up.
The guys didn’t quite grasp the subtleties of female rivalry, thinking the laughter had cleared the air. But that wasn’t the case. Fang Wan was deeply resentful of Ruan Yu, and Ruan Yu, in turn, was wary of Fang Wan’s presence. Yet she didn’t want to show these emotions in front of Teng Yi, lest he think she was being overly sensitive.
Out of sight, out of mind.
After that, Ruan Yu never went to the practice room to watch their rehearsals again. But as if to spite her, Fang Wan loved stirring up trouble in front of her.
On Friday evening, Fang Wan cornered Ruan Yu in the hallway.
"Sis-in-law, why haven’t you come to watch our rehearsals these past few days?"
The term "Sis-in-law" sounded like a friendly joke when others said it, but from Fang Wan’s lips, it dripped with sarcastic disdain.
"I’m here to work part-time. I don’t have time to watch your rehearsals every day."
"Oh, right. Sis-in-law is so busy." Fang Wan rubbed her chin. "It’s Yi’s birthday today. We’re all going to celebrate later. Surely you’re not too busy for that?"
Teng Yi’s birthday?
Ruan Yu froze. Teng Yi had never mentioned his birthday to her—she had no idea.
Fang Wan caught something in her expression.
"What? You didn’t know?"
Before Ruan Yu could answer, Fang Wan seemed to have confirmed it herself. With a smirk, she tossed out, "How amusing," and walked away.
Music drifted from the practice rooms—Chinese pop, English songs, Peking opera… a chaotic mix. Ruan Yu stood dumbly in the hallway, her thoughts as jumbled as the melodies.
When Teng Hao noticed her prolonged absence, he came looking for her.
"What’s up?" he asked.
Ruan Yu pulled him into the office and whispered, "Is today your brother’s birthday?"
"Yeah, the group chat’s been blowing up all day. Didn’t you see?"
"Group chat?" Ruan Yu quickly pulled out her phone. She’d been studying all day and hadn’t checked the messages.
Sure enough, since morning, people had been flooding the chat with birthday wishes for Teng Yi.Only she hadn't sent any blessings.
"Thought you sent it privately, turns out you didn't even know." Teng Hao clicked his tongue. "Top Scholar, are you a fake girlfriend or something?"
"..."
Ruan Yu was already feeling upset, and Teng Hao's words made her feel even worse.
Indeed, other than being a fake girlfriend, she couldn't think of any other reasonable explanation.
What should she do now? Where could she prepare a gift at such short notice?
As Ruan Yu was pondering, Teng Yi knocked and entered.
"Bro."
"Yeah, wrap up early today. We're all going to ktv later," Teng Yi said.
"Okay, I'm bringing a friend."
"Who?"
"Yun Shen."
"You're taking Yun Shen to ktv?" Teng Yi was surprised. Everyone knew Yun Shen had difficulty speaking—taking her to sing karaoke seemed like a thoughtless decision.
"Yeah, she said she wanted to go, so I agreed."
"Fine, make sure you take care of her there."
"Got it."
Teng Yi's gaze shifted to Ruan Yu. "Top Scholar, why so quiet? Something wrong?"
Ruan Yu shook her head.
"Alright then, hurry up." With that, he turned and left.
Distractedly, Ruan Yu went through a few example problems with Teng Hao. Before long, someone outside called for everyone to gather.
Teng Hao couldn't sit still any longer and quickly packed up before rushing out.
Downstairs, many people had arrived—aside from the usual familiar faces, there were plenty Ruan Yu didn't recognize. To her surprise, Jian Xiangxiang was also there.
"Ruan Ruan!" Upon seeing her, Jian Xiangxiang immediately let go of Zhou Xihe's arm and ran over.
"Xiangxiang." Ruan Yu greeted her weakly.
"What's wrong? Not feeling well?"
"No."
"Then what is it? It's your boyfriend's birthday today—why the long face?"
Before Ruan Yu could answer, Teng Yi and the others came downstairs.
Teng Yi was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and was slipping on a jacket. His long arms stretched out, blocking the crowd behind him.
As usual, they took a headcount first. Once everyone was present, they set off together.
Ruan Yu rode in Teng Yi's car. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but with Teng Hao and Ren Yun Shen also in the car—two glaring third wheels—many things couldn't be voiced.
Yun Shen had never been to a ktv in her life. It was clear she was excited, typing lines on her phone screen from time to time to show Teng Hao, making him laugh.
Since middle school, Teng Hao had frequented ktvs all over Liaocheng with his friends. Faced with a newbie like Yun Shen, he acted like a seasoned veteran.
"Later, I'll sing my signature song for you," Teng Hao said.
Yun Shen asked what song it was.
"Jacky Cheung's—you must've heard it." Without waiting, he started singing a cappella: "I kiss you goodbye, on this deserted street, letting the wind mock my inability to refuse. I kiss you goodbye, in this wild night..."
Teng Hao's voice resembled Teng Yi's—deep and smooth, like the chime of a bell in the midnight hour, lingering with a distant mystery.
Yun Shen truly hadn't heard this song before. Having learned piano since childhood, her household had always played Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven to create the right environment, rarely exposing her to pop music.
Swaying her head to Teng Hao's singing, she looked every bit the adoring fan.
Seeing this, Teng Hao sang even more passionately.The young man feigned deep affection, but his attempt to mimic a tiger only made him resemble a dog. Yet this scene, half-hidden in the night, became one of the few vivid images etched in Yun Shen's memory.
Like a blinding rainbow in a monochrome world.
Like the vibrant green of a lone blade of grass in an endless desert.
"So this is the kind of song you usually sing at karaoke with your classmates," Teng Yi remarked, suddenly enlightened.
"Yeah, what else did you think we sang? This kind?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Teng Yi: "..."
The karaoke venue had been booked by Teng Yi—an all-you-can-eat karaoke place where people could sing, eat, and play simultaneously. He reserved the largest private room, spacious enough to accommodate everyone comfortably.
As the guest of honor, Teng Yi was immediately surrounded the moment he stepped into the room. The group pushed him toward the song selection screen, urging him to kick off the night with the first song.
Ruan Yu had already heard from Jian Xiangxiang that Teng Yi wasn’t just an exceptional dancer—he was also a great singer. On the way here, she’d been thoroughly impressed by Teng Hao, and now, she was equally eager to hear Teng Yi perform.
In the end, Teng Yi chose an unfamiliar English song. Dressed in a black knit sweater, he leaned casually against the armrest of the sofa, one hand in his pocket and the other gripping the microphone. That touch of black became the gentlest backdrop, drawing in the colorful lights that lingered, danced, and then fled.
He was so magnetic.
Fluid English, a deep and resonant voice—truly breathtaking from the very first note.
Ruan Yu sat diagonally across from Teng Yi, gazing at his near-perfect profile. Even now, she could hardly believe this boy belonged to her.
At the song’s climax, Teng Yi’s gaze shifted from the lyrics to Ruan Yu—just a fleeting glance, nothing prolonged. Confirming she was listening intently, he sang with even greater focus.
That mix of wanting to impress someone you like while also feeling shy about it—utterly adorable and captivating.
The room fell unusually quiet, as if the rowdy atmosphere had momentarily paused. Everyone was immersed in Teng Yi’s voice.
Ren Yun Shen discreetly typed "handsome" on her phone screen and showed it to Ruan Yu. A moment later, she added another line: "Even more than Teng Hao."
Ruan Yu smiled.
She knew that in Yun Shen’s mind, being "more handsome than Teng Hao" meant the absolute best—the pinnacle, the peak, unrivaled by anyone.
As the song ended, the room erupted in applause.
Teng Yi encouraged everyone to enjoy themselves freely, then handed the microphone to Xiao Qing beside him and made his way toward Ruan Yu.
"Yi!" Fang Wan suddenly dashed over, looping her arm through Xiao Qing’s and shouting into the microphone, "Remember this song?"
The speakers blared an infectious pop anthem.
Before Teng Yi could respond, Zhou Xihe, Cai Hong, and the others had already jumped to their feet, dancing along to the music. Though it seemed spontaneous, the boys’ movements were oddly synchronized.
Clearly, this song held shared dance memories for them.
"We danced to this last year when we battled against V and his crew!" Fang Wan shouted into the mic again, as if deliberately explaining—or bragging—to someone.
With that, she pulled Xiao Qing into the dance.
The guys and girls swayed rhythmically, gradually closing in on Teng Yi. Surrounded, Teng Yi found Cai Hong and the others tugging at his arms, urging him to join.
Teng Yi chuckled, rubbing his forehead in resignation before giving in to the lively dance. The moment he joined, the group seemed to find its center, instantly becoming whole."Like a seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed / Drifting with the waves / Seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed / Dancing in the spray..."
Everyone in the private room, whether sitting or standing, joined in the dance led by the members of the Xiyou Street Dance Club. Even Ren Yun Shen, pushed along by Teng Hao, shed her usual quiet and ladylike demeanor, swaying along with the rest.
Music and dance are infectious—and that infectiousness is precisely where their charm lies.
OpenNovel