Never Change One's Nature

Hard! So damn hard.

How could this guy's shoulders be so rigid?

Lin Mo immediately pressed the service button by the door.

A staff member from the hallway promptly approached.

"How may I assist you?"

Without hesitation, Lin Mo pointed at the man.

"This guy tried to force his way into our room and even threatened us. Please handle him."

With that, Lin Mo shut the door, leaving the man outside.

The staff member outside addressed the man sternly, "Sir, please refrain from harassing other guests, or we will have to ask you to leave."

Honestly, bar fights aren’t as common as people think. If there’s trouble, just call the staff—or the police if needed.

This wasn’t some "Dragon King’s Return" fantasy.

Forget the guy’s threats—just the fact that they were underage meant reporting him for harassment would land him in serious trouble.

Still, Lin Mo left a spiritual mark on the man.

He wasn’t in the mood for extreme measures, but teaching a lesson to a troublemaker? That was doable.

[Task triggered: Monitor this demonic cultivator. Deliver righteous judgment at the appropriate time and elevate your standing within the sect.]

"System, can you speak like a normal person?"

[...]

Lin Mo was getting used to the system’s random appearances and sudden silences.

Not that he cared. A task was a task—complete it, and see what rewards came his way.

The incident killed the mood for games, so they stuck to singing.

Jiang Yunlu took a turn, her voice pleasant, though not as captivating as Xie Yuling’s.

Still, everyone clapped politely.

After what happened, the girls insisted on having the boys accompany them whenever they went out to grab snacks.

The man never showed up again, though.

Mai Chuwen had An Yuexin with her, while Lin Mo kept watch over the other three girls.

Not that he minded—he had a big appetite and always came back with plenty of food.

The singing continued in high spirits.

Lin Mo lounged on the sofa, munching on curry fish balls and humming along.

The music was loud, drowning out almost everything else.

Then Jiang Yunlu sat down beside him.

She seemed to steel herself before leaning in and whispering, "Want to sing a duet with me?"

Lin Mo heard her but still asked, "Which song?"

"Stubborn Love."

Solid choice.

"Sure, just don’t pick the wrong version."

Jiang Yunlu dashed to the karaoke machine and queued it up next—the Twins/Boy'z collab version of Stubborn Love.

She grabbed one mic, while Fang Jun, ever the wingman, handed the other to Lin Mo.

...

"My friends call me foolish for loving pain, letting rivals wound me again and again."

"By nature, no one can love just one—yet you’re the one who thrills me, who challenges me in all things."

...

"Love is fraught with obstacles, but I refuse to change. Without your love, I can’t survive."

"A lover’s role was always my ambition—how could I ever surrender you?"

......

Intense!

Before Lin Mo could even set down the mic, he felt everyone’s eyes on him.

Luckily, the group was small. A song that laid bare one’s heart like this? Jiang Yunlu sure knew how to pick 'em.

Jiang Yunlu might have wanted an answer. If she had asked, Lin Mo would have replied bluntly, "I don’t plan on dating in high school. If you want to know why, check the paragraph comments."

So Lin Mo went straight to picking songs.

"Fireworks Cool Quickly"

"Lying"

"Blue and White Porcelain"

"Sunny Day"

"Fool"

"Longing for Freedom"

...

The three hours of eating, drinking, and singing passed quickly, and no further incidents occurred afterward.

They might not have sung to their heart's content, but at least everyone ate their fill.

"Alright! Bye, it was great hanging out with everyone today. Let’s do it again next time!"

Mai Chuwen waved goodbye and then left with An Yuexin in the opposite direction.

Since they needed to escort Chu Miaomiao home, Lin Mo and Xie Yuling decided to take a taxi.

Fang Jun thought for a moment, said a quick goodbye, and left on his own.

Remembering how he had sat in the passenger seat earlier, Fang Jun felt nothing but torment.

So he decisively made his escape.

In an instant, only Lin Mo and the three girls were left standing at the KTV entrance.

None of them spoke, as if maintaining some delicate balance.

It wasn’t until Jiang Yunlu’s family driver, Uncle Zhao, pulled up in front of them that Jiang Yunlu finally spoke.

"Get in. I’ll have Uncle Zhao take everyone home—it’ll be much more convenient."

Chu Miaomiao and Xie Yuling both looked at Lin Mo.

After a brief consideration, Lin Mo said, "Sure, let’s go. It’s not far anyway."

Chu Miaomiao’s home was very close by.

Lin Mo took the front passenger seat, greeted Uncle Zhao politely, and gave the name of the neighborhood.

Uncle Zhao drove smoothly and didn’t engage in small talk.

They arrived at Chu Miaomiao’s residential area in just a few minutes.

"Alright, we’re getting off. Jiang Yunlu, thanks for the ride. We’ll see you Sunday evening for self-study. Have a great weekend."

Jiang Yunlu’s lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something more, but she simply nodded and replied, "Okay, you too. See you Sunday. Bye."

Lin Mo didn’t want trouble, nor did he want Jiang Yunlu’s parents to take notice of him.

Who knew if some old geezer might suddenly show up one day and say, "Here’s a million—stay away from my daughter," then scheme to trap him?

In that case, Lin Mo wasn’t sure he could hold back from acting out.

So he deliberately added "classmate" to keep things distant.

After the three of them got out of the car, Lin Mo and Xie Yuling walked Chu Miaomiao to her door.

Once they reached her home, Chu Miaomiao called out, "Wait!" as they stood by the elevator.

She dashed inside and returned with a handful of candies, handing them to Xie Yuling.

"Here, for you two. Be safe on your way back."

Her eyes shone with sincerity as she looked at Xie Yuling.

Xie Yuling met her gaze and saw that sincerity.

"Okay, thank you."

Her heart, which had already begun to open slightly because of Lin Mo, softened a little more.

Lin Mo stood by silently, not interrupting.

When the elevator dinged, he finally waved.

"Alright, go inside and get some rest. Everyone’s tired today."

Chu Miaomiao nodded vigorously before slowly closing the door.

Once inside the elevator, Xie Yuling kept her eyes fixed on the chocolate candies in her hand.

Lin Mo casually took one, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.

"So, you’ve decided to be friends with Chu Miaomiao?"

When it was just the two of them, Xie Yuling’s usual aloofness completely melted away.

"She... is a good girl. I think it's fine."

"Give her a chance, and give yourself one too. They all told me you didn’t have many friends in middle school."

Hearing this, Xie Yuling pressed her lips together. "Did they also tell you why I stopped making friends?"

Seeing Xie Yuling's expression, Lin Mo simply replied, "I’d rather hear it from you. The version of you from others’ mouths isn’t the real you."

Those words caught Xie Yuling off guard. She had prepared countless sharp retorts in her heart, but at that moment, the thorns in her words melted away.

She bit her lower lip. "I’ll tell you why... someday."