Chapter 18. Singing: How many more surprises do you have in store for me...?

Chen Zhoudu glanced at Xia Chan again and immediately explained, "This house... isn't actually as nice as it looks. It's been uninhabited for so long that many of the internal facilities are broken. Like the main water pipe in the laundry room, it's completely broken. Repairing it would be a major undertaking, so..."

Xia Chan calmly ate her hotpot without looking at him, but upon hearing his words, she subtly curled the corners of her lips.

"What's wrong?" To everyone's surprise, Huang Mao suddenly put down his chopsticks, rolled up his sleeves, and got up, determined to go and take a look.

Spicy Fatty Tiger and the others had been told about the water pipes in the laundry room before they arrived, so they quickly gave him directions.

Huang Mao really did rush over in three steps at a time, muttering that there was no house in the world that he couldn't fix... Seeing this, Chen Zhoudu quickly chased after him.

Xia Chan ate her food, trying hard to suppress a smile.

After a quick inspection, Huang Mao was certain that the repairs were possible. He took out his phone, called someone to bring over the tools, and got to work.

"This is so easy to fix! Give me less than two hours and I can fix it for you! Even my sister Chan can fix it. Just wait for them to arrive and I'll fix it for you right away!"

"..."

"No..." Chen Zhoudu quickly stopped him. He tried to persuade him that repairing the water pipe would require prying up the floorboards, and that the homeowner needed to inform the property management in advance.

However, the house is not registered under his name.

"Only those with insufficient skills have to pry up the floor! A truly skilled person can replace your pipes right away. Just you wait and see! Watch my technique—after I'm done, there won't be a single trace; it'll look brand new! Go back to your food!"

"..." Chen Zhoudu was speechless. He could only say that in this community, no matter what repairs were needed, the homeowners and property management had to be informed beforehand, and any repairs were prohibited at this time, otherwise, complaints would likely be filed.

When he sat back down in the restaurant, the blond-haired man couldn't stop complaining.

"What a lousy neighborhood! Even fixing a water pipe requires the homeowner to contact the property management first, otherwise they'll get a complaint. This so-called high-end neighborhood is just full of problems! I used to really like the apartments in Tianhewan, but looking at them now... they're really not good! I'm not buying!"

Siyi Lala Panghu immediately chimed in with a grin.

"If you're not going to buy it, then I won't buy it either."

"If none of you are buying, then I'm not buying either!"

"Then I won't buy any!"

The group burst into laughter, while Xia Chan glanced at Chenzhoudu with a half-smile.

When Chen Zhoudu met her gaze, he felt inexplicably guilty and lowered his head to take a sip of his drink.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group tidied up the kitchen and dining area, then slumped onto the large European-style sofa in the living room to discuss what to do next.

Lala suggested, "How about... we go sing karaoke?"

Xia Chan, holding a half-finished can of cola, leaned lazily against the side cabinet and said casually, "If you're not afraid of getting caught by Lao Niu, then go ahead."

Qingshui Town is small, so there are relatively few entertainment facilities. There is a street that connects to Tianhe Street, which is full of karaoke bars, internet cafes and game arcades, and is jokingly called "Wolf Howling Street" by the locals.

It is also almost the best entertainment destination for the people of Qingshui Town.

However, it's not necessarily a good thing for entertainment venues to be clustered together. To prevent students from skipping classes, the school leaders of Experimental Middle School would "patrol" that street from time to time, which often resulted in chaotic scenes of arrests taking place on the streets.

Many shop owners on Wolf Howl Street now know the Dean of Students at Shishi Middle School, and they refuse to serve any students from Shishi Middle School they see.

Spicy was deflated. Yellow Hair, stuffed and sprawled on the sofa, burping, said listlessly, "If you want to sing, just sing here. Isn't this huge place enough for you to sing in? Even those karaoke bars aren't necessarily as luxurious as this. Why waste money on that..."

Spicy kicked him, clearly annoyed. Fat Tiger had already silently fumbled for a song on his phone, found an instrumental track, and quietly started singing along:

"Give me wings so I can fly..."

"Oh no, no, no!" Lala interrupted him, getting into the swing of things. She cleared her throat and gestured with her hands to correct him, "It's 'Give me wings, so I can soar!'"

"Your wings must have been broken!" The blond guy laughed heartily as she teased him.

Lala kicked him again, "Then sing!"

After cleaning up the last of the trash, Chen Zhoudu entered the living room and saw Huang Mao standing up, clutching his full stomach, clearing his throat as if he was about to unleash his singing talent.

Huang Mao usually has a somewhat carefree and irresponsible personality. He is also lean and tall, and when he strikes a pose with his blond hair, he really does have a bit of a rock and roll vibe.

Using his hand as a microphone, he closed his eyes and sang, "Give me wings! Let me soar!"

Everyone: "..."

Xia Chan silently pressed her ear. She glanced at him coolly, "Are those invisible wings that Tengger lent you?"

"..."

Each of them tried singing it once. When it was Siyi's turn, Siyi's laughter was usually clear and melodious, but when she sang, she seemed restrained, speaking softly and gently, which made Huang Mao deliberately widen his ears and exaggeratedly get closer to her.

"What? What did you say? Oh, wings! Those are mosquito wings?"

Siyi grabbed a cushion and threw it at him with all her might.

The group laughed and turned their gazes to Xia Chan, who remained smiling as she watched them joke and tease her while holding her cola.

Meeting their gazes, he resolutely shook his head and refused, "I can't sing."

She was telling the truth. The group of them had grown up together since childhood, but in Lala and Panghu's memory, Xia Chan had never sung a song.

Xia Chan is skilled in boxing and fighting; she is both literate and athletic.

She's skilled in accounting and selling goods, and in martial arts, she can repair home appliances and ride motorcycles... but she seems completely clueless when it comes to elegant things like singing and dancing, which makes Lala regret that it's such a waste to have such a beautiful face.

None of them dared to force Xia Chan, and instead turned their expectant gazes to Chen Zhoudu. Chen Zhoudu shook his head immediately after meeting ten eyes in a row.

"I don't……"

"Hey, Chenzhoudu, sing a song!" Lala might let Xia Chan go, but how could she let Chenzhoudu go?

After all, they had known Xia Chan for many years and understood her very well, but Chen Zhoudu was a completely new and interesting person to them.

Even if he sings terribly, they still insist on letting him show off.

"Yes, Brother Zhoudu, you're the host today, so why don't you show us something!"

"Yes, the sunken boat crossing..."

"You sunken boat ferries us across the river! Are you even a man?! We've all sung it, what can't you sing? Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually! If you don't sing it today, we won't acknowledge you as one of the 'ferries'!"

Siyi, Panghu, Huangmao, and the others joined in the laughter and cheering, eventually clapping and encouraging each other, making such a commotion that it seemed like they were about to lift the roof off.

"Sunken boat crossing! Sunken boat crossing!"

"Sunken boat crossing! Sunken boat crossing!"

"..." Chen Zhoudu was helpless, but he couldn't help but glance at Xia Chan first.

Xia Chan was looking at him with a half-smile, her eyes filled with a hint of curiosity.

Chen Zhoudu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then smiled and shook his head, saying, "Alright."

"Wow!" Lala and Siyi burst into enthusiastic applause, "Chenzhoudu is singing!"

"The school heartthrob is going to sing for us!"

"I have to record this! I'll sell it to all the fangirls at my school later..."

Lala pretended to take out her phone to record a video. Chenzhoudu chuckled.

He stood in the center of the group in front of the sofa in the living room, took a deep breath, lowered his eyes slightly, as if he had calmed his breath and was about to open his mouth slightly.

Give me wings

"Let me soar..."

After singing only the first line, Lala and Siyi couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.

Then they exchanged a surprised glance.

Even the blond-haired man was taken aback.

Xia Chan also raised an eyebrow silently, as if slightly surprised.

His voice was deep and clear, echoing in the house as if it carried a clean, resonant tone. For a moment, everyone held their breath, all sounds fell silent, and only his voice reverberated.

Give me strength

You made me stronger

Not afraid of getting hurt

Because you are by my side

Your laughter, your tears…

After he finished singing a few lines, Siyi, Lala, and the others were still staring at him in a daze, as if they were still immersed in the afterglow. Chen Zhoudu lowered his eyes slightly and smiled modestly, "That's all I know."

Wow—!

Lala and Siyi were completely excited, bursting into applause and surrounding him. Huangmao and Panghu couldn't help but clap along, their faces showing amazement.

"Brother Zhoudu, have you studied singing? You sound so good!"

"The Sunken Boat Crossing" is a really beautiful song!

"Sing one more song! Sing one more song!"

"Yes, Brother Zhoudu, sing us another song!"

"Encore! Encore!"

The two of them started clapping and urging him to sing again, one after the other. This time, Chen Zhoudu really shook his head to refuse. He looked up and saw Xia Chan still leaning lazily against the wall not far away, watching him with slightly deep eyes.

"Hey, that's right!" Siyi, with her sharp eyes, noticed something, turned around, and pulled out an old guitar from the old box that Huang Mao had brought over, asking, "Brother Zhoudu, do you know how to play a guitar?"

The sunken boat ferryman was slightly taken aback.

"You're kidding me! This guitar is so broken, how could it still be usable? And just because someone can sing doesn't mean they can use a guitar. Put it back now, don't break it..." Yellow Hair thought it was unreliable and stepped forward to put the guitar back.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Zhoudu took the guitar and examined it carefully.

He first gently brushed his fingertips across the guitar strings, which were quite old and had slight rust.

His gaze also deepened slightly, his emotions unclear.

Xia Chan silently watched him, her eyes subtly probing, and saw him try to hold the guitar in his arms and then try to press two chords.

With his other hand, he gently plucked the strings.

A series of melodies then flowed out.

Perhaps the guitar had been left out for a long time, and the tone was a little off, but it still sounded beautiful. The group looked at him with even more surprise.

"The pitch is a bit off."

He raised his head and smiled apologetically at them, then gently turned the tuner a few times and plucked the strings repeatedly to confirm.

Finally, as if confirming everything was correct, they started plucking the chords again.

Although it's just a few extremely minor changes, the melody sounds as if it's been crafted by a master craftsman.

The group exchanged surprised glances, and when they looked back at him, their gazes were filled with astonishment and delight.

Xia Chan remained expressionless as she gazed at him, but her eyes grew increasingly intense.

The zither was tuned, and Siyi and Lala excitedly encouraged him to sing. This time, Chen Zhoudu didn't refuse and asked with a gentle smile, "What do you want to hear?"

"Anything is fine! Sing what you're good at! Sing what you like!"

He paused slightly, then looked down at the guitar in his hands as if pondering something, and unconsciously leaned against the TV cabinet behind him.

He seemed to relax completely, his slightly lowered eyelashes casting a thin shadow on the beauty mark under his eye.

The fingers holding the strings are clean and slender, gently singing a quiet song.

That laughter reminded me of my flowers.

Quietly blooming for me in every corner of my life

I once thought I would stay by her side forever.

Today we have departed into the vast sea of ​​people.

They must be getting old.

Where are they?

That's it.

Each went their own way...

-

On the way back, Siyi and the others were completely excited, singing and laughing all the way under the frost and moonlight.

That laughter reminds me of my flowers!

"Hey!"

"Quietly blooming for me in every corner of my life!"

"ha!"

The blond-haired man quietly stood guard beside Siyi to prevent her from running too fast, occasionally interjecting, "Is that a foxtail grass?"

“You’re a dog’s tail flower! You’re a dog!” Siyi retorted.

Yellow Hair paused. Lala and Fatty Tiger burst into laughter beside him. Yellow Hair glanced at Lala with a hint of resentment and said mockingly, "What are you laughing at? Ru Hua."

Spicy's smiling face instantly turned gloomy as she stepped forward and kicked him, "I'll show you the power of the 'Queen of the Night'!"

Fat Tiger and Siyi cheered them on from the sidelines.

Fat Tiger proudly tossed his head and said, "I want to be rich!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the blond-haired guy made a sarcastic remark, "I think you're a big turtle~"

The three men stepped forward and launched a complete encirclement and annihilation of the blond-haired man.

Xia Chan and Shen Zhoudu walked silently side by side behind the four of them, watching them laugh and joke with light smiles. Xia Chan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shen Zhoudu with a playful expression, "I never expected you could sing and play the guitar."

The moonlight cast their long shadows on the ground, occasionally overlapping. Her eyes, filled with a subtle smile, shone brighter than the moonlight. "Shenzhoudu, what other surprises do you have that I don't know about?"

-----------------------

The author says: "You give me strength, you make me strong..." — lyrics from Zhang Jie's "The Most Beautiful Sun" (released in 2007)

"That laughter reminds me of my flowers..." — From Pu Shu's "Those Flowers" (published in 1999)

Thank you so much, fairy "Xia Luo Yi De," for the nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers]

-

Red envelopes will be given out today too~ The next chapter will be updated on Tuesday night at 11 PM, so don't come back empty-handed, everyone~

From now on, I'll be posting daily at 9 AM sharp! See you all then! [Let me see...]

-

My next novel, "If Time Doesn't Remember," please add it to your favorites!

Everyone in Beijiang City's social circles knows that Shi Sheng, the young lady of the Shi family, is infatuated with Lu Huaiyu, so much so that she is willing to be a substitute for him.

Lu Huaiyu, the second young master of the Lu family in Beijiang, is a promising young man with a cool and aloof demeanor. As the most promising young talent in the industry, his only regret is that there is always a white moonlight in his heart.

It is said that Miss Yao, his beloved, was his benefactor in his youth, and had nearly risked her life to save him many years ago. Lu Huaiyu had been devoted to her for many years, and was content even when she eventually became engaged to someone else.

During the years Shi Sheng stayed by Lu Huaiyu's side, she never competed or fought for anything, remaining content and obedient. She gave him all her passion and love, but in the end, she couldn't warm Lu Huaiyu's heart.

On the day she decided to leave, Lu Huaiyu asked her, "Where do you plan to go from here?"

Shi Sheng said, "I'm going to forget about you."

The man remained silent for a long time, then left with a blank expression, as indifferent as ever. "That's for the best, as you wish."

...

After Shi Sheng left, Lu Huaiyu learned that Shi Sheng suffered from neurogenic retrograde amnesia.

She would gradually forget this illness unless she deliberately tried to recall it. Every now and then, she would forget her previous memories.

She had forgotten the color of the parrot her family had when she was seven years old;

She had forgotten the name of the puppy that had been with her when she was ten years old;

She had also forgotten that when she was twelve, she had almost risked her life to save a boy named Lu Huaiyu.

...

On the day Lu Huaiyu learned the truth, he came to the Shi family's door alone.

That day, the sun shone brightly and the wind was warm. The girl stood in the breeze and smiled at him, just like when they first met.

Who are you?

-

The female lead was the one who saved the male lead, but she forgot because of her illness, so she also thought that the person who saved the male lead was the female supporting character.

The male lead loves the female lead. Don't worry about whether he loves the female lead or the person who saved him; the synopsis can only provide so much information. You'll find out when you read the story!