After a Western-style dinner of individual steak or lamb chops at Earl’s Clubhouse, a client manager nad Yuanyuan enthusiastically led Wang Chuan, Yan Feifan, and the others to a karaoke room.
According to Yuanyuan, it was a professional-grade karaoke room.
But the mont Yan Ziruo picked up the microphone and started to sing, a pained expression twisted Yuanyuan’s delicate features. She looked like she’d been constipated for a week and still hadn’t found relief.
Halfway through Yan Ziruo’s rendition of "Youth," Yuanyuan made an excuse about needing to greet an old friend and quickly slipped away.
Wang Chuan, however, found it quite amusing.
Yan Ziruo was a terrible singer, but she looked completely absorbed, body and soul, and was clearly enjoying herself.
Wang Chuan glanced at Yan Feifan and saw him swaying his body to so unknown beat, softly singing along with his sister.
"Is Feifan always this uninhibited when he sings, just enjoying himself?"
Yu Suye, whom Wang Chuan had asked, giggled and said, "When it cos to singing, those two are cut from the sa cloth."
After a brief pause, Yu Suye explained, "Feifan said that whenever he and his sister are in a bad mood, they co to a KTV to sing."
Wang Chuan looked at the two siblings, his voice tinged with sympathy. "I know a little about their past."
"It certainly hasn’t been easy for them to get to where they are now, step by step. Especially Feifan, who’s managed to keep such a pure heart."
"As for Ziruo..."
Wang Chuan thought for a mont, then chuckled. "She’s a bit worldly and lacks ambition, but she’s kind-hearted and has that unique resilience won possess. She’s taken very good care of Feifan and protected him well."
Yu Suye humd in agreent and also laughed. "I bet Ruoruo beat Feifan up quite a bit when they were kids. He’s still a little scared of her even now."
Wang Chuan stifled a laugh. "Ziruo is only two or three years older than Feifan. Given how smart Feifan has been since he was little, she probably couldn’t win an argunt with him, so she had to resort to force..."
Just then, Yan Ziruo finished her song.
Wang Chuan quickly stood up. "My turn, my turn! Feifan, you’ll have to wait. You need to give us so ti to catch our breath."
Wang Chuan took the microphone from Yan Ziruo, composed himself for a mont, and sang a song called "Spring in the North Country."
You could tell he was a pro the mont he opened his mouth.
Wang Chuan’s voice, with the quality of a professional baritone, completely captivated the Yan siblings and Yu Suye.
Yan Ziruo exclaid, "I just rembered! I have to go singing with that guy another day."
"If he can’t stand my singing, that’s a deal-breaker. And if he can’t sing well himself, that’s also a deal-breaker."
Yu Suye gently nudged her with her shoulder, then glanced toward the passionately singing Wang Chuan.
"Don’t you think this older guy is pretty charming too?"
"Him? What’s so charming about him?" As soon as Yan Ziruo said this, she realized the hidden aning in Yu Suye’s words.
She sized up Wang Chuan and said dismissively, "He’s too old. He looks young, but he’s got to be almost fifty, right?"
"Forty-five at the most!"
Yu Suye guessed, then turned her head and asked, "Feifan, how old is Mr. Wang, exactly?"
"Forty-two," Yan Feifan replied casually.
"Only forty-two? But Yanyan is already seventeen." Yan Ziruo looked skeptical.
Yan Feifan replied, "From what I know, Mr. Wang and his wife were childhood sweethearts. They had Yanyan first, then got married."
Yan Ziruo let out a soft "Oh," sizing up Wang Chuan again. She whispered, "Only forty-two? He looks at least forty-five."
"He’s an old man. I just wonder if he’s still... got it?"
Yan Ziruo’s face suddenly flushed red. She shot a glare at the smirking Yu Suye and lowered her voice again. "As a famous plastic surgeon, he must be surrounded by beautiful won."
"That Yuanyuan from earlier was giving him the eye quite a bit."
"I couldn’t handle a guy like that."
Yu Suye chuckled softly. "Mr. Wang has a pretty good reputation at the hospital. There aren’t any ssy rumors about him."
"Well, that’s sothing you’ll have to decide for yourself."
She then added a reminder, "Co next year, once Yanyan’s appearance is restored, Mr. Wang’s biggest worry will be gone. He might start to... get back out there."
"This is a rare opportunity to deepen your connection..."
Just then, Wang Chuan finished his song. Yan Ziruo and Yu Suye imdiately applauded enthusiastically.
Wang Chuan handed the microphone to Yan Feifan and sat down on the sofa.
He took the glass of water Yan Ziruo handed him, took a few sips, and sighed, "I haven’t sung in a long ti. I’m pretty rusty."
Yan Ziruo resisted the urge to roll her eyes and complinted him, "Mr. Wang, you can’t get any better than that. You have to leave so room for the professional singers to make a living!"
Wang Chuan let out a self-satisfied laugh...
After they had each sung about three rounds of songs, Yuanyuan returned, her face pale with panic, and interrupted them.
"Chuan! Chuan! Sothing’s wrong! Sothing’s happened! Soone’s dead! You have to co quick and see."
Hearing this, Wang Chuan, Yan Feifan, Yu Suye, and Yan Ziruo imdiately followed Yuanyuan out of the karaoke room.
The group followed the fast-trotting, unsteady Yuanyuan up two flights of stairs. She pushed open a heavy, solid wood door, and they entered a large, lavishly decorated private room.
There were quite a few people inside.
Four or five beautiful, scantily-clad won with model-like figures were huddled together on a long sofa.
A young man who looked like a waiter was being held down on the ground in a squatting position by two burly n, who had his arms pinned behind him.
Beside a long coffee table piled with liquor, red wine, and beer, a greasy-looking, middle-aged man with a beer belly was lying on his back.
What made Yan Feifan’s gaze sharpen was the ice pick sticking out of the middle-aged man’s left chest.
Blood was slowly seeping from the entry point, soaking a bowl-sized patch on his light-colored T-shirt.
Standing next to this middle-aged man was a man in his forties with a square face, a buzz cut, and a grim expression.
Yan Feifan took a few steps to the fallen man, knelt down, and began to examine him.
The man with the buzz cut looked at Wang Chuan and asked quietly, "Mr. Wang, who is this?"
"Dr. Yan Feifan from the Affiliated Hospital. He’s my student."
As Wang Chuan made the introduction, he saw Yan Feifan press his right ear against the middle-aged man’s left chest.
At the sa ti, he flicked the man’s chest a few tis with his fingers.
After a mont, Yan Feifan stood up and said in a low, serious voice, "His heart is still beating strongly. The chest cavity isn’t filling with blood, and it hasn’t ruptured yet."
"He probably fainted from shock."
"He can be saved?" the buzz-cut man asked, pleasantly surprised.
Yan Feifan nodded. "He can be, but we have to be fast. If his heart ruptures and he starts bleeding out, not even a god could save him."
The buzz-cut man said hurriedly, "We’ve already called for an ambulance and the police."
Yan Feifan shook his head. "His condition isn’t suitable for an ambulance ride. Any jostling could easily lead to disaster."
"The best way is for him to walk to the hospital himself..."
"Walk to the hospital himself?" The buzz-cut man looked at Wang Chuan doubtfully.
Wang Chuan grunted in agreent. "If the wound on his heart ruptures, the powerful contractions of the heart will pump all the blood out of his body in less than a minute."
"Right now, he’s like a porcelain doll covered in cracks. An ambulance can’t guarantee a ride without a single bump..."
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