"Geez, this guy should've been a movie star, what a waste," Yang Yi thought internally, though he had to admit Xu Ming was quite outgoing, better suited for socializing. Thinking this, Yang Yi found himself smiling with a hidden meaning.

Xu Ming looked around at the group and said with a smile, "Tonight we celebrate the end of our exams. To kick things off, your little brother here will give us a 'good start'!"

"Uh, excuse me... Classmate Xu, what exactly is a 'good start'?" Liu Qingqing seemed completely unable to decipher what Xu Ming meant by kāiménhóng.

"Yeah, yeah," the twins, Lei Siyin and Lei Lanyin, seemed to share an unspoken understanding as always, even starting their sentences at the exact same moment.

Seeing the atmosphere finally taking shape, Yang Yi couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You rascal, just sing if you're going to sing, why make such a fuss about a 'good start'?"

"Uh, well, hehe, alright, I'll immediately treat everyone to my refreshingly cool vocal talents, comparable to Xiao Shenyang, comparable to..." Xu Ming rambled on endlessly. But catching the look of mild disdain from Yang Yi and the other two, he quickly cleared his throat and launched into his attempt to conquer them with song.

The girls immediately started applauding, but after a moment, they seemed a bit stunned. Indeed, Xu Ming's voice was no joke. His well-prepared song and mental preparation undoubtedly paved the way for his success. Thanks to Xu Ming’s performance, the party officially began: some drank, some ate, others chatted. The previously somewhat distant atmosphere instantly grew warm and familiar.

However, perhaps only Yang Yi among those present had his mind occupied elsewhere; as for Xia Shiyun and Li Qian, it was hard to say. After Xu Ming finished, the turn passed to Liu Qingqing, then to the sisters Lei Siyin and Lei Lanyin, followed by Ye Xiaohou, continuing in rotation. The group cared less about whether the singing was beautiful and more about having fun; today was a chance to truly relax. Yet, they all knew the true purpose of this gathering tonight.

There was no questioning it—it was a mixer, an event traditionally reserved for Imperial Academy students, now having become a trendy staple of high school life. One couldn't deny that this made the inherently high-tension high school life much lighter. Gathering more often with friends was undoubtedly a happy and joyous occasion.

"Uh, who hasn't sung yet?" Lin Pangzi put down his mic and asked the group.

"Looks like Yang Yi hasn't," Liu Qingqing pointed out.

"Swish—!" Everyone’s eyes suddenly snapped onto Yang Yi, making him feel quite self-conscious. He muttered inwardly, Damn it, I really haven't sung before, remember last time at the Space Bar, I didn't sing then either.

"Boss, it's your turn," Xu Ming said, grinning at Yang Yi.

Jeez, this kid is always trying to oppose me! Yang Yi thought helplessly. How did he end up with such a mischievous underling? He noticed that Xu Ming and Liu Qingqing seemed to be hitting it off slightly; while he was happy his brother might find his own romantic prospects, he also felt Xu Ming needed to be careful and confirm things first, otherwise, it would be Xu Ming who ended up heartbroken. Seeing the expectant faces of the group, Yang Yi knew he couldn't escape.

"Haha, Hooligan Campus Heartthrob, I'm really looking forward to your singing. Hurry up!" Leng Yue's face flushed red; she had clearly had quite a bit to drink, but she wasn't drunk. Given her family owned a listed company, she often helped manage their affairs. Thus, she was quite capable of handling social drinking.

"Ugh—!" Yang Yi let out a sound of awkward frustration. Though he might be a hooligan, adding "Campus Heartthrob" to it felt distinctly odd. What the hell, sink or swim, he grumbled inwardly, taking the microphone from Li Qian's hand and stepping onto the small stage.

"Ahem, cough cough, well, I sincerely thank everyone for their kindness in letting me sing. However, I must give a preliminary warning: my singing voice is like the straining sound of a nearly broken string. If you can bear the unpleasantness, I shall offer my humble performance." Yang Yi said this with a specific purpose in mind, but what happened next left him utterly speechless, as that purpose seemed to have dissolved instantly.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone began applauding enthusiastically, completely unconcerned by Yang Yi's astonished expression.

"Oh well, nothing to be done about it," Yang Yi sighed internally. Regarding music, Yang Yi favored songs that were compact, trendy, contemporary, and had harmonious rhythms because he felt such music easily cultivated a person's disposition, so he liked them very much. He selected a recent release by Hu Yanbin called 'The Ink Brush Appears' (Bǐ Mò Dēng Chǎng).

One had to admit, Hu Yanbin's songs were of a national style (Guófēng), and this particular song carried a profound flavor. Yang Yi glanced over the lyrics and seemed to have memorized them quickly. He pressed the song selection button, and the melody of 'The Ink Brush Appears' began to spread....

Outside the Drum Tower’s small courtyard gate stands a threshold stone, I spend my days sitting atop it, licking a red fruit ice pop, Grandpa said, seeing you have nothing to do, why don’t you come to my home and I’ll teach you calligraphy, The moment I step into the courtyard, I smell the ink from the Yide Pavilion. (This is excerpted from a Hu Yanbin song; friends, you can check it out. To avoid accusations of padding the word count, I’ll just write these few lines. Go for it!)

His voice sounded slightly weathered, yet it was quite similar to Hu Yanbin's. However, whatever Yang Yi did, he seemed to become completely immersed in it, just like in the song right now. With his eyes gently closed, he recalled his grandfather, feeling an unexplainable wave of ease. He felt his grandfather was truly his second parent; without him, he probably wouldn't be standing here singing so freely.

The singing might not have been exquisitely beautiful, but everyone present seemed to sense the depth of Yang Yi's longing. Their faces showed looks of yearning, as if they all desperately wanted to know who Yang Yi was missing so deeply. Yet, Lin Pangzi, sitting beside the Lei sisters and who wanted to become the heir of Wei Xiaobao, understood clearly. He thought to himself how he too missed that old man.

The song ended after three, four, or five minutes. Just as Yang Yi was about to set down the mic, the door to the private room suddenly burst open, and a stumbling drunk staggered in, shouting, "Come on, brothers, let's drink some more!"

A wave of shock went through everyone in the room. Could this person have the wrong room?

Yang Yi only frowned slightly, setting down the mic, about to tell him to leave. But the drunk seemed to realize he was in the wrong place. "Sorry, I... uh, wrong room." While retching, he mumbled incoherently. He rubbed his eyes, glanced inside, and suddenly a strange, almost luminous glint flashed in his eyes, giving him a momentary sense of clarity. Yet, he boldly walked right in without restraint.

Among the girls, except for the Lei sisters and Xia Shiyun, the others, including Liu Qingqing, looked somewhat frightened. The rest frowned deeply. Xu Ming, seeing the drunk dare to enter so brazenly, especially since Liu Qingqing, sitting beside him, was scared, felt a strong surge of annoyance. He had put in a lot of effort tonight to cultivate a slight spark with Liu Qingqing; he wouldn't tolerate someone disrupting things. He immediately stood up and yelled at the middle-aged man, "Hey, you're drunk, don't cause trouble here!"

"Damn... your mother, I want to talk to the beautiful ladies, don't you block my way!" The drunk seemed to completely disregard Xu Ming, speaking with obvious disdain. This guy appeared to have reached an apex of arrogance, unlike someone who had simply wandered into the wrong room.

"Clang!" Upon hearing this, not only did Xu Ming's face turn icy, but Ye Xiaohou and Lin Pangzi looked exactly the same.

A cold aura flashed across Yang Yi’s body, and a trace of mockery played on the corner of his mouth. He thought internally, Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. Someone dares to cause trouble on my turf?

"Hmph—you are so rude and unreasonable, get out!" Xu Ming finished speaking and immediately shoved the drunk.

"What—what are you doing!" The drunk deftly dodged Xu Ming’s move. It seemed incredibly easy for him.

Xu Ming frowned, staring at him. He hadn't even realized how the man had evaded him just now, and a sense of wariness began to rise in his heart. He knew, just as Yang Yi had once said, that the world was too crazy; all sorts of people existed now. Even a petty thug could have fighting skills. "Get out."

"Oh, I won't leave. What are you going to do? Try to fight?" The drunk shook his muddled head, looking at Xu Ming with utter contempt.

"And if we fight, so what?" Lin Pangzi stared at the drunk with chilling intensity.

"Hmph, you guys, uh... ugh!" The drunk spoke but then let out a retch, completely ignoring Lin Pangzi's rising anger. He then continued, "Damn it, I'm telling you, my brothers are in the room next door. If you're smart, you'll let those beauties entertain us, otherwise—hehe!"

"Otherwise what?" Yang Yi narrowed his eyes, a playful glint in his tone.

"Otherwise, I..."

"You? No one has ever dared call themselves 'I' in front of me. Fatty, throw him out!" Before the drunk could finish his sentence, Yang Yi's voice suddenly turned bone-chillingly cold.

"Yes, Brother Yi!" Lin Pangzi didn't even spare the petty thug a second glance. He walked up to the drunk and said, "Either you scram right now, or I’ll send you out. But let me warn you, the consequences of me sending you out are very severe."