Chapter 40: A Girlfriend Who Isn’t Clingy At All

Han Man was taken aback: “…..What did you say?”

“Isn’t the point to make those people who want to see you make a fool of yourself disappointed?”

“I admit your voice is nice, but everyone who can join the competition isn’t a salted fish. Why should you be able to turn things around just by covering a song? If it were that easy, there wouldn’t be any need for ‘public relations’ in this industry…..”

Out of respect for the girl in front of him, Xu Huo felt he had to do this.

She couldn’t say anything more.

She really planned to rely on her own ability to seek justice.

“Wait! Wait! Do you have any other songs?”

Han Xiao looked surprised.

Once she realized that Luzhou Moon wasn’t some miracle that could bring the dead back to life, her first and only reaction was: just forget it.

It’s not easy for Xu Huo to write a song, either.

If it could help her get through this, then it’d be understandable for her to be a little selfish, a little utilitarian, to beg Xu Huo to let her bask in his glory.

But if it can’t, then there’s no need to put on airs.

When Xu Huo wants to debut in the industry, taking out the song then will bring him far more benefit than lending it to her now.

She really never thought to say, “Luzhou Moon doesn’t have enough star power, could you write me another pop song, and it has to be a smash hit, too.”

If she really did say that, never mind whether Xu Huo could do it, just the compensation alone—if she didn’t strip naked and throw herself onto Xu Huo’s bed tonight, she’d feel she was being unreasonable…

But Xu Huo actually brought it up himself?!

“I was originally going to wait until you couldn’t get through, but I didn’t expect the opening to be hell mode.”

He really has another one?!

“You, you wait—”

Han Xiao kept saying she didn’t need help, but when someone actually offered, she still felt a rush of gratitude inside.

She hurried to fetch paper and pen from the study, unable to resist asking: “How does it compare to that one?”

“Pop and ancient style are two different tracks… I can’t guarantee anything else, but in the preliminaries, it’s the difference between a zero and a full score.”

Xu Huo started scribbling lyrics on the blank paper, even composing the melody on the spot, drawing the staff, marking the notes, leaving Han Man stunned and dumbfounded.

Zero or full score?

Luzhou Moon could be a zero?

“Are you serious?”

“Do you remember the first time we met?”

Han Xiao nodded.

“I never lie to girls. You just need to pair it with an opening monologue. I’ll write out the general idea for you, and you can improvise when the time comes.”

She was a sensitive girl, and at this moment couldn’t help but sneak a glance at his profile.

She suddenly realized that although he usually looked delicate and effeminate, his profile was actually well-defined, with a certain manly air…

After that, Xu Huo wrote while Han Xiao quietly hummed along.

But soon, Han Xiao couldn’t sing anymore.

First, because the emotion in the chorus couldn’t be perfectly conveyed just by humming.

Second, because of the lyrics…

Even a poor student has the ability to appreciate beauty.

She kept taking deep breaths, forcing herself to suppress her excitement, but her voice still trembled uncontrollably: “……You wrote this too?!”

“Hahaha! Xu Huo! You really are a genius!”

Han Xiao’s confidence instantly soared, her face full of mockery, coldly sneering as she said, “Qin Yimo likes to exaggerate and kick people when they’re down, right? Then I’ll let her know—the oil she pours is our drink, the fire she stokes is our incense.”

Such boldness and magnanimity were truly impressive, making even a guy like Xu Huo feel inferior.

But seeing Xu Huo looking at her in surprise, Han Xiao realized she’d lost her composure, scratched her head awkwardly, quickly reined in her smile, and asked reservedly, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No. You said it very well, but there’s just one detail you got wrong.”

2 727

Han Man was completely confused.

Xu Huo pushed the sheet full of lyrics and music in front of her: “It’s not ‘us’. It’s ‘you’.”

“Happy?”

Han Xiao bit her lip, not quite getting what Xu Huo meant.

“Original work hits harder, doesn’t it?” Xu Huo explained.

“Do you know what you’re saying?!”

Han Xiao believed in her own judgment.

This song’s value definitely surpassed Luzhou Moon, and he actually wanted to give it to her?!

“Just think of it as repaying Granny Qin’s favor.”

“There you go again! I helped her without expecting anything in return, so stop talking about favors… We’ve long since settled up.”

Han Yang thumped her chest, warily saying, “Are you planning to cast a long line to catch a big fish, not really interested in the wine but in something else?”

If Xu Huo rushed to explain, she could justifiably ask him to take back what he’d just said.

If you’re not interested in me, why be so enthusiastic?

But unexpectedly, Xu Huo just raised an eyebrow and smiled: “You figured it out?”

Wei Yuan Song

Han Man was shocked, not believing Xu Huo would say something like that.

She silently turned her face toward the window, her ears tinged with a blush like rouge.

She thought, am I a fool? He’s obviously joking, so what am I nervous about?

So she turned to glare at Xu Huo, angrily pointing at him: “You pervert! Wolf in sheep’s clothing!”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

What’s wrong with being a pervert?

Perverts have five virtues!

Benevolence!

Righteousness!

Sincerity!

Perseverance!

Wisdom!

If you like young beauties, pity the weak and lonely, and harbor secret desires, that’s benevolence.

If you like youthful beauties, beauties just blooming, and think ‘if not me, then who’, that’s righteousness.

If you like charming young wives, and don’t pretend to be virtuous just because they’re married, that’s sincerity.

If you like mature, graceful women, and don’t abandon them just because they’re getting older, that’s perseverance.

If you like exotic beauties, and don’t reject beauty just because they’re not of your own kind, that’s wisdom.

“Xu Huo! You really are shameless!”

“All right, enough joking… The Welfare Institute is about to be demolished, and I can’t help. Ranran has deep feelings for that place, and I can’t help them right away. Even if I put this song out now, it can’t be instantly converted into cash. But you’re different. Your starting point is higher than mine… I’ll give this song to you, and you can say you wrote it. I won’t take any of the income, you won’t take any either, we’ll donate it all to the Welfare Institute. The time and effort you spend will be your fee… How about it?”

As Xu Huo spoke, he shot Ranran a [Leave] look.

“So what’s the song called?”

Xu Huo thought for a moment: “Today the wind is quite boisterous…”

He picked up the pen and wrote three words on the paper.

Casual and wild.

Seeing Han Xiao still wanting to say something, he raised his index finger to his lips: “If I were you, I’d hurry up and get some sleep, rest your voice, then get up early to practice tomorrow… Don’t you want to strike back? It’s humiliating to lose face in front of so many people, and you have to force a smile, isn’t it tough?”

Xu Huo’s words hit Han Xiao’s soft spot, and she suddenly wiped her tears away.

But she failed.

Ever since things had gone sour at the Lu Family, she hadn’t cried in front of others again.

The toughness she pretended to have was, at this moment, as soft as water, turning into tears.

All the pent-up grievances of the past few days surged up, her nose stung, and tears [Yo] welled up, big as beans, rolling down as she buried her face on her knees, crying helplessly.

Xu Huo didn’t know how to comfort her for a moment.

When a pretty girl cries, it’s hard not to feel bad, but he also felt that crying was a good thing.

It was Jiang Ran who panicked instead.

Feeling as if her heart had been scratched, she grabbed a few tissues and handed them over: “Don’t cry…”

“I’m not crying.”

She wasn’t upset because of Xu Huo; she was upset at herself.

If she could, who would want to hold it in?

Jiang Ran could throw herself into Xu Huo’s arms—because she was Xu Huo’s little sister.

Where could she go?

But Xu Huo, instead of comforting her, exposed her: “Tears are streaming down, and you say you’re not crying. Dare you look me in the eye?”

Of course Han Man didn’t dare look him in the eye, and she was absolutely fed up with him.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, crying silently until her throat felt blocked by a huge stone, even breathing was difficult.

Sure enough, women are made of water.

Those big tears just kept spilling out of her eyes, and after a while, they finally stopped.

Face flushed, she turned away, refusing to let them see her in such a sorry state.

“Go away! Go away!”

Tear stains still on her face, she used the fiercest tone to say the gentlest words.

Xu Huo raised his voice: “Use me and then throw me away, what a heartless woman you are…”

Wei Yuan Song

“We’re leaving.”

Xu Huo left decisively, and Han Xiao actually felt that he understood her.

Outside the door.

Jiang Ran still looked worried: “Brother, we’re just leaving? Not staying with her a bit longer?”

Xu Huo pressed the elevator button: “You think she’s like you? People act differently depending on who they’re with, it’s simple logic.”

Han Yang wasn’t the [standard] little woman in a guy’s eyes.

She didn’t want to act cute, wouldn’t sell her charm, and even if she was wronged, she wouldn’t cry and whine.

If not for the fact that “independent woman” has almost become a derogatory term in recent years, it would still be barely appropriate to use it to describe Han Xiao.

Take relationships, for example.

Xu Huo could easily picture Ranran clinging to her boyfriend, acting cute and sweet, since she does it to him every day anyway.

But can you imagine Han Xiao doing the same?

If one day Han Xiao gets a boyfriend, she’ll definitely be the type who isn’t clingy at all…

I really [feel for] her boyfriend.

“So what kind of song did you prepare for her? I can’t understand it anyway, sing it for me?”

“It’s a secret…”

“Not even your own sister?”

Jiang Ran sounded a bit unhappy.

Xu Huo tapped her nose gently: “Wait for the show, there’ll be a surprise.”

“How could that be? No matter how nice it is, it can’t be better than you singing, where’s the surprise?”

“No problem with that statement.”

“Sweet talker.”

Jiang Ran, acting spoiled, hugged his arm lightly.

The soft feeling through his sleeve made even the tense muscles in Xu Huo’s face relax under her gentle touch.

On their way downstairs, Qin Yimo was still there, her sports car parked at the building entrance.

Jiang Ran lowered her voice and asked: “Brother… why is she still here?”

“She probably thinks Han Xiao will definitely come chasing after her.”

“Then she’s waiting for nothing…”

The three of them exchanged glances from afar, Qin Yimo frowning slightly.

It seemed… a thought flashed through her mind.

This guy looked familiar, like she’d seen him somewhere, and that girl… ah!

Right!

The guy was the one from Han Xiao’s clarification video!

Before she could think more, the boy and girl each rented a bike and leisurely rode away.

Since they weren’t eighteen yet, they couldn’t rent e-bikes.

After riding for a while, Jiang Ran couldn’t help complaining: “…..Why don’t shared bikes have back seats?!”

“Are you dragging me?”

“You’re dragging me!”

“Then we need a tricycle. Never heard of carrying pigs on a bicycle…”

“Aaaaah(!”

“Brother! Don’t run! You’re dead when I catch up!”

“Hahahahaha…”