Chapter 422: The party's uninvited guest

Xu Tingsheng exaggeratedly cupped his hands towards Lu Zhixin in praise, sighing in admiration, "Wah, amazing! Lu Zhixin, the one and only. You're really a genius, Zhixin."

"Shouldn't you treasure me better then?" Lu Zhixin replied jokingly before immediately switching to an earnest expression lest things got awkward, "If you lack funds, you can consider deploying some away from Hucheng first. We're making a profit in several of our operations now, including investments. The funds which can presently be drawn away from Hucheng at any time exceeds thirty million."

While tempted by this, Xu Tingsheng said rather hesitantly, "I still owe Hucheng some money. I think…"

"Only the two of us know about this anyway. Tianyi usually just looks at our reports. It's not like they would come to do an audit. And it's even more impossible for the others," Lu Zhixin said while averting her gaze from Xu Tingsheng, "This is a golden opportunity. Just return it later, alright?"

Xu Tingsheng thought about it, "I'll call you about this later."

"Yep," Lu Zhixin said, "Right, I heard you've backed up your roommate and made a bet with someone for the upcoming freshman welcoming party?"

"Weren't you there? I even fought with them!" Xu Tingsheng bragged without the least bit of embarrassment.

"Rebirth? Will you be performing? If you are, I'll go watch the performance," Lu Zhixin smiled.

"Not me. Fu Cheng will be performing, and my roommate himself too," Xu Tingsheng told her.

"I won't attend then. I'll go back to my dorm and eat some fruits. Bye."

"Bye."

……

Yanzhou University's freshman welcoming party was held on the night before National Day as per usual.

Since this was a freshman welcoming party, it truthfully had not so much to do with the seniors. There were four kinds of second to fourth year students who would attend. The first kind would be taking to the stage and performing to welcome their juniors. The second kind either adored these artistic performances or loved the buzz and excitement and were always to be found at events such as these. The third kind was just plain bored…

The fourth kind were a rather unique case. They would be attending not for the performances but for their juniors in the audience, whether male or female. They would be attending to 'hunt'.

Those of Room 602 would be collectively attending with their 'households' for another reason, however. They had a 'war' to fight and would be bolstering Zhang NInglang's base of support.

The freshman welcoming party would begin at 7pm.

5pm, Room 602.

"Bro Xu, have you really managed to invite Rebirth?" Li Xingming asked.

"I got one of them," Xu Tingsheng replied.

"The heck! Xu Sheng is really a freaking fool. Doesn't he know that you know Rebirth? They even perform in the bar that's run by Tan Yao and your friend…" Lu Xu exclaimed in wonder.

Actually, the likelihood of Rebirth's true identity remaining a secret was already really very low. Right now, Xu Tingsheng simply had the mindset of 'what will be will be'. While he would neither reveal nor admit it, it would not matter to him even if others saw through it. It was all the same to him anyway as he could simply feign ignorance.

Actually, most of these people close to him had already more or less realised something. It was just that respecting Xu Tingsheng's desire for privacy, they had not voiced it out loud.

"What time do we leave? How about we go now?" Old Wai got up and asked.

"Now? It isn't even 5 yet," Xu Tingsheng said.

"We won't have anywhere to sit if we're late."

"It isn't to that extent, right?" Xu Tingsheng asked disbelievingly.

"Why would you think that?" Old Wai asked, "It's already spread throughout the entire school now that a timeslot has been left for you in tonight's party and that you will most likely invite Rebirth. Along with the bet between you and Xu Sheng and also Lil Bro's 'marriage battle', basically everyone from the first to fourth years is waiting to see what will happen. There probably won't even be enough space left to stand later."

Xu Tingsheng was taken aback by this. It seemed like he had accidentally caused something big without even realising it.

"If they want to listen to Rebirth, they should just go and wait in the bar! Really," Tan Yao said resentfully.

"Do you think just anyone can go into that bar of yours? You think everyone can afford it?" Li Xingming exclaimed exasperatedly, "The last time I went, I was just slightly late, and wasn't I already stopped by your security then? I literally had to call you in the end to get inside."

It was a fact that it was not easy to enter Bright Brilliance, and it was also a fact that it was expensive. Pressured by their resentful friends and classmates, Huang Yaming and Tan Yao were already working out a day on which they would be exclusively hosting all their friends and classmates.

Even this was not so easy to work out, however, since the reservation dates were already so far-reaching.

"There's actually another reason," Old Wai said, "After recently learning that you may really have invited Rebirth, Xu Sheng has been going around saying that they will be singing an original. Even if Rebirth comes, it'd be unfair if they sing an old song…because of that, a lot of people are going in the hopes of hearing a new song from Rebirth. After all, Apple aside, Rebirth hasn't had any new songs for a pretty long time."

"A new song, huh?" Xu Tingsheng was actually unclear on this, not having been involved in the planning process.

Still, he had indeed given Fu Cheng some new songs previously that had just been lying around randomly. Had Fu Cheng chosen one for the occasion?

Looking at Zhang Ninglang, Xu Tingsheng asked, "New song?"

Zhang Ninglang nodded, stuffing Rebirth's signature mask in his bag.

"Even Lil' Bro will be wearing a mask?"

Even Xu Tingsheng was unclear on how Fu Cheng was planning to go about it here.

The six roommates, along with their 'household members' that consisted of Li Linlin, Chick Bao and Ning Xia, had an early dinner at the second floor canteen before walking towards Yanzhou University's big music hall together.

Li Xingming scooted over and asked Xu Tingsheng, "Bro Xu, can Yangyang come along too?"

Xu Tingsheng refused him outright, "Of course not! How am I supposed to answer if she asks me about that management position directly in front of you? Right, why are you Yangyang-ing again? You can't bear to break up with her?"

"No. I, I bought a condom," Li Xingming said rather awkwardly, "It looks like she's willing. She's really rather good to me now. I think that she may really have changed for the better."

He was clearly back to being unwilling to break off his ties with her for good despite his previous experience.

There were some things that Xu Tingsheng had no way of saying to Li Xingming. For instance, it actually meant nothing even if Yu Yayang was really willing to let him have his way with her. That too was a calculated move, being more like an trade which she had decided upon unilaterally.

She was already a popular candidate for the succeeding PR head for both the university's student council and the faculty's student association. As soon as the year four senior retired, she was basically already assured of that position.

It was just the start of her second year of university and she was already presiding loftily over a batch of seniors who had been waiting for two years.

As for the reason, it was rumoured that she shared a special relationship with the two chairmans of the student associations, both the school student council's and the faculty's too…Tan Yao had investigated this and heard both of them bragging about it. He had no way of breaking the news to Li Xingming, though.

"Has she returned you the money then?" Xu Tingsheng could only try another route.

"She's really spent it all. She didn't tell me before, but because her family member fell sick, she wired all the money that she was planning to open the store with back home," Li Xingming said, "Anyway, I can tell that she actually feels very guilty about this. She told me that she'll definitely think of a way to return me the money. I…"

Xu Tingsheng could only force a smile, shaking his head.

"How about I be honest with her and tell her the truth, let her make her own decision?" Li Xingming wondered.

"Do as you please."

Xu Tingsheng walked away, deciding that he would just let things run their natural course.

He went over and put an arm around Zhang Ninglang's shoulder, asking, "Feeling nervous?"

Zhang Ninglang smiled and nodded.

"Whatever the case, we're winning for sure, right? However badly you sing, it's fine as long as junior finds you good and chooses you. Moreover, there's even Fu Cheng supporting you. Right, what's the plan later? You're wearing a mask too?" Xu Tingsheng enquired.

"Yes, this I know. But as for that, they said that I can't tell you about it first," Zhang Ninglang said haltingly.

"They? There's someone else besides Fu Cheng?"

"…There's someone you wouldn't guess. Still, I can't tell you about it now," Zhang Ninglang said, "Please don't ask me about it anymore, Bro Xu. Don't make things difficult for me right now. I'm practising singing…"

Zhang Ninglang broke free of Xu Tingsheng and walked to the side, humming indistinctly in a low tone.

Xu Tingsheng's handphone rang.

"Why aren't you at home?" Little Xiang Ning asked.

She had a set of Xu Tingsheng's house keys that he had previously given to her.

"It's today and you're already here?" Xu Tingsheng asked.

"Yeah. It's the holidays! There was a mock test yesterday and today. I handed in my test paper early and then came over. But you're actually not here…"

"You're not planning to go home for even just one day?"

"Are you shooing me…" Came the aggrieved voice.

"No! I just think that you should at least go back to see your parents, right?"

"I'll go help out at their restaurant in the daytime!" Little Xiang Ning said, "What about you? Are you still in school?"

"Yeah."

"What're you doing?"

"We've got a freshman welcoming party."

"Are you going to perform?"

"Not me. Fu Cheng and my roommate will be performing, though."

"I wanna come watch. Will I take a public bus over myself or will you pick me up?"

"Huh?"

"Can't I?"

"…"

So it was just having a younger girl beside him anyway, and it was also not like Little Xiang Ning had never come to Yanzhou University before.

"Okay. I'll come pick you up."

"Help save me a seat, guys! Two seats! I'm going to pick someone up!" Xu Tingsheng called out to his roommates before dashing towards the carpark.

"So zealous…who is Bro Xu going to pick up?"

The trio of Lu Xu, Li Xingming and Zhang Ninglang who did not know about Little Xiang Ning all felt rather curious.

Tan Yao and Old Wai exchanged glances, "It couldn't be…little wifey, right?"