Chapter 37: Karaoke King

Chapter 37: Karaoke Champion

Zhao Gangteng stood up from the sofa, utterly unsettled. “Are we eating dragon liver and phoenix marrow here? 3988? This isn’t just foie gras, it’s...”

Fan Xiaoyao asked softly, “It’s what, exactly?”

Clutching his chest, Zhao Gang complained, “It’s eating till my liver aches, alright!”

“What? Three glasses of soda cost 1080?”

“What? That drunken shrimp dish is 2280?”

He’d seen extravagance before, but never anything so outrageous. This sky-high meal left Zhao Gang feeling a strange mixture of admiration and distance for Fan Xiaoyao.

When it was time to pay, Zhao Gang felt as though his feet were weighed down with lead. Although Wang Guocheng said he would settle the bill, the meal cost 8988 yuan, and Zhao Gang trembled with anxiety as the money was spent.

After the meal, walking out of the Shangri-La, Zhao Gang felt that his own woman was the best in the world.

Just as he stepped out of the hotel, Zhao Gang pulled Wang Guocheng aside and whispered, “Brother, your girlfriend is incredible—she’s eloquent, quick-witted, her fists are not weak, and she spends money like water. Today, I’ve truly experienced it. I was going to invite you to sing at KTV, but now...”

Before he could finish his sentence, Fan Xiaoyao interrupted. She stepped forward and said to Wang Guocheng, “Guocheng, since someone is so thoughtful and wants to invite us to KTV, it would be rude not to go. Let’s go now.”

Seeing Fan Xiaoyao take advantage of the situation, Zhao Gang was annoyed. He grabbed Wang Guocheng’s arm, wearing a bitter expression. “Guocheng, are you sure about this?”

Wang Guocheng looked apologetically at Zhao Gang and whispered in his ear, “Ah Gang, I’ll have someone transfer the money for the meal at Shangri-La to you later. Just give me your account number. As for the KTV bill, you can pay for that yourself.”

Zhao Gang gazed gratefully at Wang Guocheng and hugged him, moved. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t waste it like this.”

Wang Guocheng glanced at Fan Xiaoyao across the room and murmured softly in Zhao Gang’s ear, “To make Xiaoyao smile, I’d give up a whole city.”

Hearing this, Zhao Gang could only stand speechless nearby. Wang Guocheng at that moment resembled King You of Zhou, and Fan Xiaoyao was like Lady Bao Si.

The three took a taxi to Yunya KTV on Hongxing Road. This KTV was one of the rare “clean” venues in Tongcheng, frequented mostly by white-collar professionals and refined guests, lacking the usual crowd of socialites. Yet Yunya KTV boasted Tongcheng’s unique singing machine scoring system, attracting both professional and amateur karaoke champions to challenge themselves.

Of course, Yunya KTV was Zhao Gang’s own choice. He was confident that this time Fan Xiaoyao wouldn’t cause trouble or make things difficult for him, but reality proved to be rather cruel...

“No cheating. The singing machine here can score, so let’s have a fair competition. The opposing side chooses the song, scores above 90 are passing, below 90 means three shots, below 65 means a whole bottle,” Fan Xiaoyao said, holding the microphone, raising her brow at Zhao Gang as she explained the karaoke rules.

Zhao Gang, full of confidence, replied, “Bring it on, girl. No song can stump me!”

“Is that so?” Fan Xiaoyao then selected a song on the machine. When the melody played, Zhao Gang regretted it. “New Drunken Concubine...?”

Fan Xiaoyao nodded. “Mm. Are you regretting it now?”

Stuck with no way out, Zhao Gang picked up the microphone and began to sing along. “Love and hate happen in an instant...”

But as he hit the key change, his voice cracked and he missed the pitch. When the song ended, the screen displayed a bold 65. Zhao Gang hung his head and, without a word, downed the alcohol Fan Xiaoyao handed him.

Next, it was Zhao Gang’s turn to choose a song for Fan Xiaoyao. Seeking revenge, he picked Jane Zhang’s “Painted Heart.” “Not only do you need to score above 90, you have to hit the dolphin notes... If you really manage it, I’ll drink all five bottles on this table.”

Blinded by his desire for revenge, Zhao Gang forgot to assess his opponent’s abilities. He glanced anxiously at Wang Guocheng, “Brother, you’re the judge this round, no favoritism.”

In truth, Wang Guocheng wasn’t very familiar with Fan Xiaoyao’s singing skills. He nodded to Zhao Gang, “Don’t worry, I’m just an audience member.”

“Unable to see through is your lost soul, unable to guess is the color of your pupils, a gust of wind, a dream...” Fan Xiaoyao sang the opening of “Painted Heart” with ease, and both Zhao Gang and Wang Guocheng listened intently.

As she approached the eight dolphin notes, “Ah...ah...ah...ah...,” Zhao Gang watched her with a look of anticipation. But to his dismay, Fan Xiaoyao’s voice was so pure that, when she reached the dolphin notes, they were even more melodious and moving; not only did she complete them flawlessly, she sang an octave higher than Jane Zhang’s original.

Seeing three SSS and a gold diamond appear on the screen, Zhao Gang realized how thoroughly he’d lost. This wasn’t just above 90—it was beyond the original performance.

Fan Xiaoyao set down the microphone, looking at the despairing Zhao Gang with amusement. “Well, do you admit defeat?”

She picked up a cold cola from the table, about to drink, when Wang Guocheng gently placed her icy drink back on the table and handed her a cup of hot honey grapefruit tea.

“Xiaoyao, you just used your voice. Don’t drink something cold. Here, I ordered this hot honey grapefruit tea for you, drink it while it’s warm.”

“Ahem... Guocheng, you’re so biased, favoring your girlfriend over your friends...”

Zhao Gang coughed deliberately beside Wang Guocheng, protesting that he hadn’t received the same care.

While Zhao Gang was still grumbling about Wang Guocheng’s partiality, Wang Guocheng handed him a cup of chrysanthemum tea. “Come on, you’re my best brother, how could I forget you? This hot chrysanthemum tea is your favorite.”

Zhao Gang stepped forward to hug Wang Guocheng, pretending to cry, “Boohoo...brother, you really know me, brother... boohoo... Today I’ve lost all my dignity. Boohoo...”

Fan Xiaoyao, seeing Zhao Gang’s melodramatic embrace, scoffed at them.

“Hey, Zhao Gang, you’re a thirty-year-old man, yet you’re always clinging to Guocheng. Someone who doesn’t know might think you two are dating...”

Wang Guocheng, embarrassed by Fan Xiaoyao’s remark, pushed Zhao Gang away. “Ah Gang, don’t do that, you see Xiaoyao’s misunderstanding us...”

Zhao Gang, annoyed by Fan Xiaoyao’s distortion of their relationship, retorted, “Fan Xiaoyao, haven’t you noticed you have a problem? You have a princess complex, you have a snake spirit syndrome... Forget it, I’m not talking to you two anymore...”

With that, Zhao Gang quickly paid the bill and left Yunya KTV in a hurry, ignoring Wang Guocheng and Fan Xiaoyao.