Lin Mo had just picked up the microphone.
Xie Yuling and Chu Miaomiao simultaneously set down the snacks they were eating and looked up at him.
"Hello, everyone! Let me kick things off with a hype song—'Heavy Taste'!"
"Every time it doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you, it heals you~ Remember to fight for your pride, fight for your pride, don’t you die."
As he sang, Lin Mo broke into a playful "chopping" dance.
A devoted fan of the artist Fatty Chen, Lin Mo knew the moves like the back of his hand.
Even those who weren’t fans couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him, usually so composed, now cutting loose with such enthusiasm.
Just as Lin Mo was in the thick of his performance, the door swung open.
It was Jiang Yunlu, arriving fashionably late.
The moment she stepped in, her eyes landed on Lin Mo mid-"chopping."
She burst into laughter and turned to Fang Jun beside her. "What’s going on here?"
"Can’t you tell? Old Mo’s putting on a show!"
The upbeat song had successfully heated up the room.
"Love is a battlefield too, hardships forge a general—today, with half-spread wings, you’re the idol!"
Noticing Jiang Yunlu in her green spaghetti-strap dress, Lin Mo mused that this girl really had a thing for green.
After a moment’s thought, he queued up 'Green Light' for her.
Love is a radiant beam!
Mai Chuwen had a decent impression of Jiang Yunlu, so she tugged her over to sit down.
"Have some food first."
"Thanks," Jiang Yunlu replied politely, though her gaze kept drifting back to Lin Mo, still singing and dancing on stage.
Having been his desk mate for over a month, she knew Lin Mo as someone with a calm, almost detached demeanor—rarely stirred by much, though occasionally witty. To see him suddenly dancing like this was... oddly endearing?
After finishing his song, Lin Mo handed the mic to Fang Jun, the resident mic hog.
He picked up a bowl of soup and took a sip.
The peppery pork stomach broth warmed him from the inside—comfort in a bowl.
Next, he nibbled on some fries and helped himself to a piece of chilled cucumber salad Chu Miaomiao had brought.
Dig in like there’s no tomorrow~
Between bites, Lin Mo glanced at Xie Yuling quietly peeling shrimp and Chu Miaomiao, who was busy hyping up the room.
"Aren’t you two going to sing?"
Chu Miaomiao shook her head vigorously.
Xie Yuling hesitated, then also shook her head. "I’m not really into singing."
"Xie Yufei told me you’re a mini mic dominator," Lin Mo called her out without hesitation.
Caught in the lie, Xie Yuling’s face flushed instantly.
"That was in the past."
"Come on, let’s hear the mini dominator’s voice. Xie Yufei said you sing beautifully."
Chu Miaomiao, now curious, also turned to look at her.
Xie Yuling’s face burned even redder.
She did love singing—but only around close friends.
With so many people here, she felt too shy.
Fang Jun sauntered over at that moment. "Hey, no need to be shy. Listening to someone who can actually sing is a treat."
With that, he shoved the mic into her hands.
"How about a song by [artist name redacted]?"
He quickly queued it up, bumping it to the top—'Wild Child.'
As the violin intro played, Lin Mo watched Xie Yuling grip the mic, her expression tense with indecision.
Taking a deep breath as the lyrics lit up, she began:
"Even if it’s just one romance, the rest are all vanity."
The moment Xie Yuling began to sing, all eyes turned toward her.
Her voice was clear and gentle, pure like a mountain stream, carrying the soft sweetness of flower nectar.
Judging by her singing, she was a sweetheart.
Too sweet.
As the song ended, the crowd snapped out of their daze—those three minutes had completely captivated them.
No one had even touched the food on the table.
"That was amazing~" Chu Miaomiao couldn’t help but clap.
The others followed suit, applauding enthusiastically.
They were thoroughly impressed by Xie Yuling’s singing.
Even Jiang Yunlu couldn’t resist praising her.
Lin Mo, munching on fries, grinned and said, "See? You sing just fine."
Seeing everyone’s reaction, Xie Yuling seemed to relax a little.
She knew she had a good voice, but after certain incidents in the past, she only sang among close friends.
Lin Mo gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. "Go pick another song. Sing your heart out. I’ll grab more snacks."
Encouraged, Xie Yuling stood up and headed to the karaoke machine.
Meanwhile, Chu Miaomiao happily munched on cold cucumber salad, swaying her head to others’ singing.
Though she didn’t sing, the buffet kept her engaged—she was the perfect hype girl.
Lin Mo got up to fetch some grilled skewers.
As soon as he stepped out of the room, footsteps followed.
With a quick sweep of his senses, he recognized the girl in the green spaghetti-strap dress trailing behind him.
"I’ve never been to a buffet-style KTV before. You’ll have to show me around."
The girl fell into step beside Lin Mo.
Given her rich-girl background, this wasn’t surprising.
So Lin Mo led Jiang Yunlu to the buffet area.
It was basically a spread of assorted snacks—curry fish balls, spicy clams, grilled chicken wings, skewers, sushi, cakes.
Plenty of variety.
There were also sizzling plates of grilled chicken being prepared.
Jiang Yunlu’s eyes sparkled at the sight.
Lin Mo shook his head inwardly. Strict upbringing did this—ordinary snacks felt like a novelty.
Sure enough, Jiang Yunlu zeroed in on unfamiliar dishes, especially the spicy ones.
Lin Mo, meanwhile, grabbed a few more bamboo steamers of chicken feet and spare ribs, along with some beef offal.
Jiang Yunlu kept glancing around, torn between choices.
Soon, her tray was piled high.
Lin Mo walked over. "You really need to take everything at once, huh?"
As he spoke, he transferred some items from her tray to his.
"I’ve never tried these before! What if they’re delicious? Like that egg burger you bought me last time—so good."
Lin Mo nodded. "Yeah, that was legit."
Carrying their trays back, they passed other karaoke-goers.
Jiang Yunlu’s outfit drew plenty of stares.
Near the smoking area, a group of men watched as Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu disappeared into their private room.
They exchanged glances, flicking cigarette ash.
"Kids these days know how to have fun. Where’d that guy even find such a looker?"
"Pfft. They don’t know real fun. We’d show those girls a wild time. I checked earlier—there’s a whole bunch of hotties in there. Even spotted a bombshell."
He puffed out his chest, and the others instantly caught his meaning.
"Heh, then we’ll make sure they remember us. What do schoolboys know compared to us?"
However, they were all just talking big.
If they happened to cross paths, a casual chat would be fine.