Chapter Eighty-Five: I Am a Wolf from the North!
Chapter Eighty-Five: I Am a Wolf from the North!
“I can sing,” Hua Ming declared, flipping his hair in a manner both nonchalant and rather foolish.
“Sing us something first,” Tang Zhong said as he entered the dorm room, pulling over a wooden chair and sitting down. “We’ll all turn our backs to you. If you sing well, we’ll turn around. If not, you’ll go buy us meat buns.”
“That’s right. If all three of us turn around, you’ll have the right to represent our class in the school competition,” Liang Tao echoed, dragging a chair next to Tang Zhong. “But if even one of us doesn’t turn, you’re out.”
Li Yu hesitated for a moment, then scooted his own chair over to Tang Zhong’s left.
Hua Ming was indignant. “What is this, ‘The Voice of Huaxia’? You think you’re dream mentors now? Turning your backs on me—”
“Are you singing or not? If you’re not, just go get the buns. I’ll find someone else for this chance to shine,” Tang Zhong said. “I’m sure plenty of guys want to perform—Jiao Nanxin sings pretty well, for example.”
Tang Zhong knew Hua Ming wanted to perform mostly for the attention, hoping to cause a sensation at Southern University and become the campus idol—though his face was indeed rather ordinary.
“I’ll sing,” Hua Ming said, stifling his frustration. “I’ll perform ‘I Am a Wolf from the North’ for you all—”
“Wait,” Tang Zhong interrupted. “If your level is anything like that night you got drunk and howled it, don’t bother. Just go buy the buns.”
Tang Zhong had heard his rendition before—the way he roared could make your body shudder and your mouth foam. If you were alive, you’d want to leap up and thrash this wild wolf.
“No way. That was the drunken version. This time, I’ll give you a melancholic one.” Hua Ming picked up a book from Tang Zhong’s desk, rolled it into a makeshift microphone, and began to get into character.
I am a wolf from the north,
Walking the endless wilderness.
The piercing north wind blows,
Endless yellow sand drifts by...
Tang Zhong and Liang Tao exchanged glances, both surprised at what they heard.
Hua Ming intentionally imitated Qi Qin’s husky voice, and from the first note, he was unexpectedly impressive.
What’s more, his tone carried a unique sense of world-weariness and emotion, easily transporting listeners to a boundless steppe. The wind howled at your ears, yellow sand swirled, and a solitary wolf wandered with melancholy eyes—
Some say, only those with stories can sing this song well.
Tang Zhong thought Hua Ming’s inner world might not be as carefree and playful as he appeared.
I am a wolf from the north,
Walking the endless wilderness.
The piercing north wind blows,
Endless yellow sand drifts by.
I can only clench my cold teeth,
And answer with two long howls...
Hua Ming’s voice rose, emotion swelling and passion mounting, pulling the others into resonance.
Tang Zhong couldn’t hold back any longer; he slapped Liang Tao’s thigh, and as Liang Tao winced, Tang Zhong turned his chair around.
And then he was stunned.
Hua Ming’s eyes were moist, and tears streamed down his dark, broad face.
Seeing Tang Zhong turn around, Hua Ming quickly waved his hand, saying, “Turn back! Quick, turn back.”
“Even if I turned a bit late, you don’t have to be so aggrieved you cry, right?” Tang Zhong teased, knowing full well Hua Ming’s strong pride. He had poured his emotions into the song and couldn’t help but cry, but he certainly didn’t want anyone to see.
Liang Tao turned as well, equally surprised at Hua Ming’s expression. “Boss, no need to be like this. To be honest, when we’re not looking at your face, your singing really is immersive.”
Li Yu turned and looked at Hua Ming thoughtfully. He seemed about to speak, but in the end just shook his head gently.
“I sing so damn well,” Hua Ming muttered, rubbing his eyes. “I moved myself to tears.”
---
Pearl City Train Station.
Tang Zhong sat on a bench reading the latest edition of Pearl News. Li Yu, as usual, had one earbud in and was engrossed in a novel.
Hua Ming and Liang Tao waited at the foot of the steps, constantly glancing toward the distant bus stop.
“Weird. Why aren’t they here yet?” Liang Tao asked anxiously.
“Women putting on makeup is one of the world’s most time-consuming activities,” Hua Ming consoled him. “What’s more, knowing they’ll see me today, they’ll want to dress up even more carefully.”
“It’s already time. Maybe they’re not coming?” Liang Tao worried. “Something might’ve come up, or maybe they just want to stand us up?”
“No way,” Hua Ming replied with an expert’s tone. “If something had come up, they’d call ahead. And if they wanted to stand us up—why agree in the first place? Women may be inexperienced, but that doesn’t mean they’re stupid.”
Just then, Liang Tao exclaimed with delight, “They’re here, they’re here!” and hurried off.
A taxi pulled up to the square. Luo Huan, the sturdier one, got out from the passenger seat first, while Qiu Yihan, He Na, and Cheng Pei, all slimmer, squeezed out of the back.
“You finally made it. We’ve been waiting half an hour,” Liang Tao greeted Qiu Yihan, smiling. “Here, let me carry your bag.”
“No need. I’ll carry it myself.” Qiu Yihan had only a small panda-shaped plush backpack, looking casual as if just out for a stroll rather than a trip.
Hua Ming tried to carry He Na’s bag, but she declined, though her gaze flickered meaningfully toward Liang Tao.
Hua Ming didn’t mind; instead, he picked up Luo Huan and Cheng Pei’s travel bags and led them to join Tang Zhong and Li Yu.
When Tang Zhong saw Qiu Yihan, his eyes lit up. She wore faded, bleached jeans, a tank top, and over it a white rolled-sleeve shirt with no buttons, its hem tied into a bow above her navel. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, a black baseball cap on her head, her eyes bright and clear as obsidian. She looked like a casual little princess.
He Na had also dressed with care, but her makeup was a bit too heavy, losing some of that student purity and gaining a touch of sophistication.
Cheng Pei and Luo Huan were less attractive, and seemed to have given up trying. Both wore baggy tracksuits and sneakers that completely hid their figures.
“The announcement’s just been made. Let’s get on the train,” Tang Zhong said with a smile, thinking to himself how lucky it was he’d gotten their ID numbers and bought tickets in advance—otherwise, they’d have to wait until tomorrow.
There was only one train from Pearl City to Jade Maiden Mountain each day—miss it, and you’d lose another day.
“Alright,” Qiu Yihan nodded, then walked at Tang Zhong’s side, whispering, “We were late because of a traffic jam.”
“No worries. Beautiful ladies have the right to be late,” Tang Zhong chuckled.
They were the last group to board, and found their seats according to their tickets.
Tang Zhong and Li Yu sat together, opposite Cheng Pei and Luo Huan. Liang Tao and Hua Ming sat together, opposite Qiu Yihan and He Na—they chivalrously let the girls sit first, then plopped down across from them and made no move to get up.
So Luo Huan and Cheng Pei had to take the seats in front of Tang Zhong. They could tell these two were interested in their roommates and seemed willing to play matchmaker.
Luo Huan nudged Tang Zhong and whispered, “Not joining the competition? Yihan’s our college’s new beauty queen, and He Na’s got plenty of admirers too—if you miss this chance, it’ll be a shame.”
Tang Zhong shook his head, teasing, “I’m not that lucky. They won’t fall for me.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Cheng Pei said. “I think Yihan treats you differently.”
Tang Zhong smiled, thinking to himself that Qiu Yihan’s “difference” was because of their unique connection, not because she had feelings for him.
In fact, Tang Zhong even suspected the girl didn’t really understand what love was—her innocence also meant a certain dullness.
“If so, I’ll wait until those two fail, then make my move,” Tang Zhong laughed.
“Strike while the iron is hot,” Cheng Pei advised. “Be sharp, act fast. If you wait for someone else to snatch her away, it’ll be too late for regrets.”
“How much do you two hate me, pushing me onto someone like this?” Tang Zhong said, feigning misery.
The two girls burst into laughter.
Luo Huan said, “If you don’t mind, why not pursue me?”
“Exactly. I actually think you’re pretty nice,” Cheng Pei chimed in.
“You’re both so outstanding—how could I possibly choose?” Tang Zhong replied, feigning distress.
The three of them laughed merrily.
There are more girls in the world than just beauties. Beauties are flowers; ordinary girls are flowers too. Every flower needs the nourishment of rain.
It’s just that some are watering the flowers of beauty, while Tang Zhong was watering the ordinary ones.
“Qiu Yihan—He Na—” a delighted male voice called out. “Are you heading to Jade Maiden Mountain too?”
A few boys in tracksuits were making their way down the aisle when they saw Qiu Yihan and He Na by the window and greeted them warmly.
“Yes,” He Na replied with a smile. “You’re going too?”
“Yeah. Everyone says Jade Maiden Mountain’s scenery is great and still undeveloped, so we figured we’d visit during the holiday. Once the government starts developing it, it won’t be as fun,” said a tall, handsome guy, his gaze burning toward Qiu Yihan. “Yihan, why didn’t you mention you were going to Jade Maiden Mountain when we were planning the trip? If I’d known, I’d have booked your ticket too.”
“I came with friends,” Qiu Yihan replied.
“Friends?” His gaze swept over to Hua Ming and Liang Tao sitting opposite. When he saw that Liang Tao was a bit of a pretty boy, his look turned cold, sensing a threat. “You’re not from our department, are you?”
(P.S. The Mid-Autumn Festival has ended. Maybe you can spare a little love for Old Liu now.)