Chapter 427: Anniversary gift

"It's our first anniversary today. I have a gift for you."

Zhang Ninglang and his junior, Ning Xia, had been together for a year.

Those of Room 602 came to this sudden realisation as they exchanged looks and all started smiling. Right, a year had already passed. Their little bro's university relationship had quietly unfolded like a little stream in a clearing, calm and without incident as everyone had thereby unconsciously overlooked the passing of time.

Simple yet stable happiness-how many people had once wished for this?

He was holding no roses, much less some ring or necklace or whatnot…

Were those empty words? However heartfelt, that just couldn't cut it!

"Where's the gift?" Someone called out good-naturedly.

"Let it also serve as compensation for me spoiling Rebirth's performance earlier," Having sung that song, after that initial booing and nervousness, Zhang Ninglang was unusually composed that night as he smiled calmly.

And so, the appetites of the audience were all hooked.

An emcee walked over rather hastily in ascending the stage, looking both excited and flustered. Zhang Ninglang handed her the microphone and descended the stage, going over to sit beside Ning Xia.

This couple had given the most powerful answer after their initial peace in staying by each other's side had been broken.

This couple-on hindsight, how were they not made for each other?

The female emcee was clearly insufficiently prepared, her mood being unstable too. After finishing what she had written down on the paper, she did not stop as she stammered on. Anyone could tell that she was delaying and trying to buy time.

Still, the anticipation was evidently too great this time as a portion of the audience was already starting to grow impatient, with low boos beginning to resound.

……

There was no way Xu Tingsheng did not know what was going on.

Just earlier, right after <Uglie> had ended, Fu Cheng had returned backstage as Zhang Ninglang had been speaking. Xu Tingsheng had received such a text from him then: Come backstage. The clothes and mask are ready for you. Apple is here. <I Want To Sing Me To You>.

Apple was here. With her current status, for her to appear at a freshman welcoming ceremony in university was already very much overkill. It was no wonder that Zhang Ninglang and Fu Cheng had previously said that they had a trump card. It could not have been any more terrifying, really.

Of course, this actually made sense if one thought about it. Apple was virtually under no contractual restrictions at all in Tianyi. Having a freer personality too, she had gone to hide in Libei after releasing that album, also having participated in marathons in various countries worldwide. As a popular first-tier singer, she was living wilfully and in a relaxed manner.

Also, Zhang Ninglang and Apple knew each other from before. He had been a spy for her as a sort of brother-sister relationship had hence formed between them. Even without Xu Tingsheng, the two of them had always been in contact.

Now that her younger brother had been bullied, this bigwig big sister had come to help vanquish his foes.

Maybe she had initially intended to lend him some crucial aid, but as it had turned out, Zhang Ninglang himself performed so well tonight. With that, lending crucial aid had become adding icing to the cake. And so, the low-key Zhang Ninglang's anniversary gift had become so high profile it was scary.

Xu Tingsheng had not expected that he would be included in their plan too, whereas they had probably not expected that Little Xiang Ning would be here.

"You sing with Apple. I won't be coming," Xu Tingsheng texted Fu Cheng back.

"What's the situation?" Fu Cheng replied rather urgently.

Xu Tingsheng considered it before replying as calmly as he could, "My little wifey's here."

A reply came from Fu Cheng after a momentary lull, "It's fine, actually. It's just one song, and it's also for Zhang Ninglang…she shouldn't mind, right? I remember that her relationship with Apple is pretty good."

"She won't mind it. Still, I really don't want to sing," Xu Tingsheng no longer said anything after that.

This was the reason behind the emcee evidently trying to delay things and buy time on stage.

Little Xiang Ning really wouldn't mind this, in truth. Xu Tingsheng knew that she might even be very happy about it. Still, he himself knew that he really could not do it, had no way of doing so.

Ever since that concert in Xihu City when she had brought along a shirt for him and rolled and buttoned up his sleeves, with him shaking her off and raising his hands for Apple instead…he had already been wracked by guilt.

Even if it was unfair, if he really had no choice but to see one of them hurt again, that person could only be Apple.

Just as he was feeling troubled, Tan Yao leaned over.

"Xu Sheng's lot has left. Huang Yaming arranged for some people from the bar to be waiting outside tonight. Should they make a move now?"

Xu Tingsheng looked astonishedly at him, asking, "No need, right? Isn't this an overreaction?"

"Didn't you take a few blows from them when we were fighting that day?" Tan Yao explained.

"But still, it's just a fight between university students! It's perfectly natural to take a few blows. Don't needlessly complicate things," Xu Tingsheng said.

"We're letting that bastard go just like that?"

"Right. Help me apologise to him and then step aside," Xu Tingsheng said, "He isn't that awful a person, actually. He's pretty interesting and he has the capabilities to back up him loving to play around like that."

Tan Yao could only helplessly make the call to convey Xu Tingsheng's instructions.

There were actually words that Xu Tingsheng had left unsaid. If Xu Sheng who had simply flirted with several girls in university and engaged in a few fights could be considered a scumbag, what about those truly ruthless and black-hearted people in society like Ding Sen, who would even go after someone else's life?

In reality, how many of those who possessed wealth were harmonious, rule-abiding people?

Xu Sheng was rich, drove a high-end car and had a decent appearance too. Him liking to play the domineering CEO was actually a very normal thing. Moreover, in having spent over a year on this, he had never sneakily acted to harm Lil' Bro or used underhanded means on Ning Xia.

The messy fight that day had been started by Xu Tingsheng, in truth.

Therefore, Xu Sheng could actually be considered decent. Compared to Ding Sen's selfishness and Chen Yulun's shameless, disgusting manner, he was really much, much better than them. Of course, Xu Tingsheng could not be considered in the wrong too. This had simply been a perfectly normal conflict.

Xu Tingsheng really did not wish for something which was perfectly normal for students to be mixed in with too much societal-level stuff, hence becoming overly complicated.

Xu Sheng was actually a rather interesting guy too. This playboy never forced himself on girls like Ning Xia who could resist his glamour, and as for all those vain girls flocking for his money, they were ultimately still willing parties.

Some women in this world accept their 'weaker status' much too readily. While chastising men for being scumbags, they never reflect on whether their benchmarks for evaluating men are so justified in the first place.

Some men are also becoming more and more servile.

There are surely many good women in this world. Still, in reality, there are many more faithless women than men. While extending a hand and requesting for money, for cars, for flats, they are making comparisons between a few men and hesitating while scolding all these bastards for not being devoted enough-there are actually quite a few women like that.

Moreover, Xu Sheng's romantic deeds were really pretty interesting and effective. That tactic from his first year of university when he had made a long rope with several hundred photos secretly taken of a girl, extending from the first to fourth storey-how could the average girl possibly resist this dedication, the romantic nature of it?

Also, he was willing to part with the money to form a band to attract girls. He was perfectly free to do so as it was just a matter of the willing fish biting the hook.

Perhaps things outside had already been settled as Xu Tingsheng next unexpectedly received a text from Xu Sheng.

"I'm Xu Sheng. I just got your number. I didn't know that you are so aboveboard in your actions. I guarantee that I will not harass them in the future. It's not like I lack girls anyway, just that this time was really quite tragic. Still, thinking about it, this pitiful image should also be pretty useful in helping me to get girls in the future."

Xu Tingsheng replied with ellipses. This fella was really a rare, ultimate breed.

"Still, you really went a bit too crazy here. I just heard that you may have invited Apple too?"

"I really didn't invite her. They themselves are acquainted."

"…This is no fun. You people are really playing it too high-level."

……

After a very long wait, the female emcee finally descended the stage.

The lights dimmed and spotlights swept intensely about to raise the hype.

Finally, the lights came on again as Zhang Ninglang's heavyweight 'anniversary gift' finally ascended the stage.