24

 KTV.

Xiang Ran had been sitting for twenty minutes, listening to various out-of-tune versions of classic songs.

From Mayday to Li Ronghao,

none were spared...

Of course, there was also Han Lele next to him, asking questions based on some computing knowledge she’d found who-knows-where.

“Senior, what’s the difference between C and C++?”

“C++ is an extension of C that introduces the concept of object-oriented programming (OOP).”

“So if someone has no background, which language do you recommend?”

“Python.”

“What about Pai—”

“Python's code is usually more readable than other programming languages.”

“And it’s a dynamically typed language, which means you don’t need to explicitly specify its type when declaring variables.”

“Python also has a large number of third-party libraries and frameworks for various applications, like data science (NumPy, Pandas), machine learning (Scikit-Learn, TensorFlow), web development (Django, Flask), etc.”

“...”

This answer clearly went over her head. Han Lele looked confused and tried to think of a new topic, but there was just too much computer knowledge, and having never encountered it before, she didn’t know where to start.

Xiang Ran understood why a fine arts student would want to learn about this, but he still answered honestly—after all, he had to play along.

Besides, he now had a new worry.

Han Lele seemed to be getting warmer, possibly from the drinks or the heat in the room. She was moving restlessly to the music, leaving Xiang Ran with little room to retreat.

“Come on, Senior! I’ll drink to you!”

“I don’t drink, thanks!”

Xiang Ran firmly refused.

His tolerance was low, and seeing Han Lele’s flushed cheeks, he figured it was better to stay sober.

Han Lele took another sip herself, emboldened by the alcohol.

“It's fine~~”

Even though she had been rejected countless times tonight, she still cheered herself up.

Perhaps she had run out of questions from Baidu, or maybe the alcohol was kicking in, but Han Lele was unusually quiet for a minute, just listening to the person on stage sing.

At that moment, the chubby guy seized the microphone and passionately sang Eason Chan’s “Ten Years.”

His performance was so heartfelt that it felt like he might burst into tears at any moment.

“Senior, Yang Pin has a deep, unforgettable first love, right?”

Han Lele could sense the chubby guy's deep feelings.

Hearing this, Xiang Ran finally looked up at the person on stage who was hitting the climax of the song.

“Ten years ago, I didn’t know you, and you didn’t belong to me~”

“We are still the same, accompanying each other around a stranger~”

“Gradually familiar streets~”

“...”

Xiang Ran frowned, thinking:

This has nothing to do with first love; as a single for twenty years, the chubby guy was just trying too hard...

But Han Lele was indeed moved by the song, gripping her cup tightly.

She glanced at the usually aloof guy next to her, hesitating to speak.

Then, as if gathering immense courage,

“Senior, do you not like me?”

“What?”

That abrupt question left Xiang Ran unsure how to respond.

He thought he had been polite tonight, so he didn’t understand why Han Lele would think that.

Though they weren’t close, they were far from being at the level of discussing feelings.

“No, we don’t know each other well enough to talk about like or dislike.”

As he said this, Xiang Ran also felt restless. He glanced at the time,

This half hour felt like a year...

So he couldn’t even pay attention to Han Lele, who looked like she was about to cry, and his expression became even more indifferent.

“It’s getting late, I...”

Before he could finish, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

The school beauty appeared right before everyone’s eyes...

Liu Shuyao had clearly dressed up for the occasion today, wearing a black short dress that hugged her figure. The low neckline, due to the lighting, subtly revealed her curves.

Her long, dark, slightly curled hair fell to her waist, her waist was pinched slim—he had measured it before.

Even from a distance, the skin beneath the black dress, already delicate, looked as white as milk.

In an instant, she captivated everyone's attention.

The chubby guy, holding the microphone, reacted first.

“School beauty!”

“What are you doing here?”

Liu Shuyao was so focused on coming over that she momentarily forgot who the member of the basketball club celebrating their birthday was.

Fortunately, Qi Dong sensed something was off and quickly stepped in to change the subject.

“Why did you just arrive? The chubby guy has already sung three songs.”

“Let me introduce Zhao Xiaogang, tonight’s birthday star!”

“This is Zhao Ying and her roommate, Li Meixun, Liu Shuyao. Zhao Ying is the president of our debate club.”

Although Qi Dong emphasized Zhao Ying’s identity, the school beauty’s influence was just too great...

After all, who hadn’t fantasized about inviting the school beauty to their birthday party?

But the title of “high mountain flower” wasn’t just for show. Throughout her freshman year, Liu Shuyao had turned down several birthday invitations almost every month, whether they were direct or conveyed through others.

But without exception, no one had succeeded.

So when Zhao Xiaogang saw the school beauty now, he became utterly dumbfounded.

Rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, he smiled like a three-and-a-half-year-old child.

“Y-you, hello. I’m Zhao Xiaogang!”

“Happy birthday!”

Liu Shuyao’s simple greeting made it clear that Zhao Xiaogang’s drinking for the night hadn’t been in vain; he seemed to be getting even drunker.

At this moment, everyone’s gaze was fixated on the school beauty. They all eagerly wanted to come over and say hello, hoping to add her on WeChat.

Some of the bolder ones stepped up to invite her.

“I’m Liu Yi from the third-year Physics Department; we met when you just started school.”

“You and your roommate should sit with us; it’s a privilege to sit with such beauties on a birthday.”

“Shuyao, what would you like to drink?”

“I suggest some beer; it’s rare to be out, so let’s have some fun.”

Liu Shuyao sensed the unfriendly attitude from the person in front of her.

“No, thank you.”

She coldly declined Liu Yi’s invitation without even turning her head.

Qi Dong naturally couldn’t let Liu Yi take her away, so he pulled Zhao Ying and the others to find Wang Hao.

From the moment the school beauty entered, his gaze had been locked onto Xiang Ran, his eyes only allowing room for him.

With a clear target, he made his way toward Xiang Ran.

“May I sit here?” Liu Shuyao asked softly.

Though Han Lele was reluctant, Liu Shuyao was indeed her senior, and tonight Xiang Ran was just too aloof, so she shifted slightly to the right to make space.

“Thank you~”

The moment the school beauty sat down, the familiar scent of pine wood lightly wrapped around Xiang Ran, finally diluting the various strange smells of the night.

Then, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding...

However, before they could say anything, as Liu Shuyao leaned forward to grab a drink, Xiang Ran accidentally caught a glimpse of the back of her dress...

He was stunned, immediately holding his breath and swallowing hard!

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