Chapter 120: The Incident of Falling into His Arms

On the large, glowing coffee table, the birthday cake brought by the group was surrounded by a sea of beer cans.

By dinnertime, everyone had had a bit to drink. While the alcohol hadn't yet clouded their judgment, it acted like a stimulant, stripping away the usual sense of restraint and caution. The guys, who never swore in front of the girls, began punctuating their drinking with loud curses to liven the mood. The girls, too, became more relaxed; their conversation flowed freely, and they no longer minded the light physical contact that occurred during their playful banter.

Everyone urged Zhao Ziqiu, the birthday girl, to sing the first song. Unable to refuse, she picked up the microphone and said, "Since you’re all making me go first, I have a condition!"

"Name it!"

Zhao Ziqiu pointed at Li Mu and stamped her foot with a playful, coquettish air. "I want Li Mu to sing 'Hiroshima Love' with me!"

Before Li Mu could answer, the crowd began egging him on. Sun Jian shoved the microphone into Li Mu’s arms. "Come on, Third Brother, don’t embarrass our dorm!"

"Alright, I’ll give it a try."

Since Zhao Ziqiu had asked, Li Mu couldn't really refuse. It was just a duet, and it was her birthday; even if she had asked for three songs, he wouldn't have said no. To hem and haw now would only seem pretentious.

Karen Mok’s song was a classic from the previous century, yet even a decade or so later, it remained a staple in karaoke bars.

As the intro faded, Li Mu began to sing:

"You should have rejected me long ago,
You shouldn't have let me pursue you..."

From the very first line, Li Mu’s voice captured everyone’s attention. He truly had a great voice. There was a world-weary quality to his tone that felt completely at odds with his age, coupled with an extraordinary power that made an immediate impression the moment he started.

Zhao Ziqiu looked at Li Mu in surprise. This eighteen-year-old boy sang with more world-weariness than the original singer. Did he really have such a deep history, or was he just using a specific vocal technique? Especially when he sang, with his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes half-closed—he looked incredibly masculine and utterly charming.

It wasn't just Zhao Ziqiu who was surprised. Everyone else was drawn in by his voice. Even Li Yawei, who had been busy flirting with his girlfriend, looked at Li Mu in awe and whispered to Han Xiaoxiao, "Li Mu has a great voice!"

Han Xiaoxiao nodded. "Li Mu looks so handsome when he sings! You should learn from him. Stop just fooling around all day; you have no depth at all."

Li Yawei pouted. "When you were in high school, so many people were chasing you. I wasn't the most handsome, nor the richest. But I was the funniest. Didn't you like me for my wit?"

Han Xiaoxiao looked at him helplessly. "I like your persistence and sincerity, okay?"

By then, Li Mu had finished his verse, and Zhao Ziqiu was so immersed that she almost missed her cue. She started singing with a slight, flustered hurry.

"Time is hard to turn back,
Space is easily shattered..."

Zhao Ziqiu’s voice was quite nice, but by comparison, it lacked that certain depth of feeling.

When the song ended, Zhao Ziqiu felt a pang of regret. She had been so focused on listening to Li Mu that she hardly remembered singing her own part. It felt as if she had just muddled through the song.

However, to everyone else, their duet was perfect. Li Mu, in particular, had given everyone goosebumps—he was a singer who truly sang from the heart.

Li Yawei, who had been huddled in the corner with his girlfriend, shouted, "Alright, alright, it’s our turn! Boss, help me queue up 'Iron Blood, Dan Heart'—I’m going to sing a duet with my girl!"

While Li Yawei and Han Xiaoxiao were wailing into the microphones, Zhao Ziqiu sat down next to Li Mu with a can of beer and said, "Thank you for the gift today. I really like it."

Li Mu smiled faintly. "It was from all of us."

Zhao Ziqiu pouted, slightly embarrassed. "Then thank you to everyone."

After a moment, she asked Li Mu, "Since you sing so well, will you sing another one with me?"

"What would you like to sing?"

Zhao Ziqiu hesitated, then whispered, "Kindred Lovers..."

Li Mu gave an awkward smile. "Let's not. That song is too sappy."

Suddenly craving a cigarette, Li Mu remembered that usually only Sun Jian and Xue Jianfeng carried them. He rarely bought his own, and it didn't feel right to keep mooching off others. "I’m going out to buy a pack of cigarettes," he told Zhao Ziqiu.

Zhao Ziqiu felt a flicker of disappointment, but kept it to herself. She hadn't known Li Mu long, and she already felt she had been less than demure; she was afraid of being looked down upon if she kept pushing.

Li Mu went out to a nearby shop and bought a carton of soft-pack Yuxi cigarettes. For a college student, this was quite a luxury. Even Xue Jianfeng, who came from a decent family, usually smoked soft-pack Ashimas, only upgrading to Liqun for special occasions. As for Sun Jian, he usually stuck with Hongmei.

Seeing Li Mu return with a carton of Yuxi, Sun Jian exclaimed in surprise, "Li Mu, did you find money on the street?"

"No." Li Mu tore open the carton, pulled out a pack, shook out a few cigarettes for Sun Jian and Xue Jianfeng, and lit one for himself. "Since we’re the only three who smoke, let’s just use these as our group supply."

Xue Jianfeng praised, "Generous."

Sun Jian looked pained. "Smoking these feels like burning money." He pulled out his own pack of yellow Hongmei: "Look at mine, a 'mini-Yuxi.' The taste is decent and the value is high."

"Give it a rest," Xue Jianfeng laughed. "That’s like calling a cheap cigarette a 'mini-Chunghwa.' It’s not the same thing!"

Zhao Ziqiu watched from the side as Li Mu went to chat with the guys from his dorm, feeling a sense of loss. She didn't approach him again, instead picking a few songs to sing alone to pass the time.

Li Mu didn't sing again that night. He smoked a few cigarettes and drank a few beers, but once he felt the buzz, he stopped drinking entirely. Since his rebirth, he hadn't wanted to set too many constraints on himself—after all, one should seize the joy in life—but when it came to alcohol, it was best to keep control, lest he say something he shouldn't.

By the early hours of the morning, most people were exhausted. Even the few who had been singing non-stop were running out of steam. Some were already dozing off on the sofas. Someone had randomly selected a movie from the karaoke system called *Mountain Village Old Corpse 2: The Evil Spirit*. Li Mu didn't pay much attention, dozing on the sofa, until a shrill, piercing scream echoed from the TV: "Hua Yuemei, Hua Yuemei..."

Li Mu thought to himself that the cheesy dubbing was actually quite creepy. Suddenly, there was some movement beside him. He opened his eyes and saw Chen Jiao, the short-haired girl Sun Jian had been interested in, quietly snuggling into Xue Jianfeng’s arms, whispering, "I’m scared..."

Xue Jianfeng hesitated for a moment, glanced into the dark corners of the room, and seeing that Li Mu and Sun Jian seemed to be asleep, he pulled Chen Jiao into his embrace.

...

The indulgence on the eve before classes began left the boys of Dorm 606 with some repercussions. They said goodbye to the girls from the Yan University dorm, listless and stumbling their way back to school.

Most of them had drunk too much the night before; only Li Mu and Xue Jianfeng, who had better physical stamina, looked relatively unaffected.

Back at school, Li Mu suggested they go to the cafeteria for breakfast, but only Xue Jianfeng responded. The others were too tired and sleepy, wanting to go back and catch up on rest.

Li Mu and Xue Jianfeng parted ways with the others and headed to the cafeteria. Li Mu was still thinking about Xue Jianfeng and Chen Jiao from the night before. In a half-daze, he had seen Xue Jianfeng reach under Chen Jiao’s hem, and Chen Jiao hadn't shown any sign of refusal—in fact, she had been wriggling like a snake in his arms for a long time.

As someone who had been reborn, Li Mu felt this wasn't a good situation. Even if it was consensual, Sun Jian was their roommate for the next four years. Sun Jian’s failed pursuit of Chen Jiao was no one's fault, but if Xue Jianfeng got involved with her without saying anything, it would definitely be a hidden rift for the future.

At the cafeteria table, Li Mu wanted to probe Xue Jianfeng indirectly, but to his surprise, as soon as they sat down, Xue Jianfeng said, "That girl Chen Jiao from Yan University... she seems interested in me."

Li Mu raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Xue Jianfeng nodded. "Last night, someone put on that horror movie. I was half-asleep and not really watching, and she just suddenly crawled into my arms."

Li Mu feigned surprise. "Damn, why was she so proactive?"

Xue Jianfeng shrugged. "I don't know. Isn't she supposed to like your type?"

Li Mu asked him, "So, what do you think?"

Xue Jianfeng said, "I haven't thought it through. She snuggled up to me last night, so I just hugged her back."

Li Mu asked, "And what do you think now?"

Xue Jianfeng thought for a moment. "I think Chen Jiao is actually pretty decent. I could try dating her. The main problem is Sun Jian—I don't know how to explain it to him. You're an outsider looking in; what should I say to Sun Jian if I end up with her?"

Li Mu said, "Since you think she's decent, you shouldn't give up on a girl you like just because of Sun Jian. But it wouldn't be right to create bad blood between you two over a girl, especially since we have to live under the same roof for four years. Be cautious. Maybe ask him first how he feels about her now and see what he says."

"Yeah," Xue Jianfeng nodded. "If it comes to that, I’ll just hurry up and introduce someone else to him."

Li Mu smiled faintly. "Don't be in too much of a hurry with Chen Jiao. Classes start tomorrow. Pace yourself—there’s plenty of time."

Xue Jianfeng understood the meaning behind Li Mu’s words and nodded. "Li Mu, you’re a wise man. Don't worry, I’ll handle it."