Chapter 33 An Open Conspiracy?
Seeing them laughing like this, the people at the surrounding tables were naturally curious. They came over to find out what had happened, and after learning everything, the other tables also burst into laughter.
After a long time, Jiang Ruolin and the others recovered.
A girl at the table, laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes, gave Liu Shang another look. "Liu Shang, are you trying to make us all laugh to death so you can monopolize the food and drink on this table?"
On the other side, Zhou Liang, Tan Feng, and the others couldn't help but frown as they watched the chaotic situation.
What was supposed to be a successful opening gambit had turned into this.
The effect they wanted to create—of Tan Feng being bold, generous, and a real man—was naturally greatly diminished.
At this time, Tan Feng rubbed his forehead vigorously. "Zhou Liang, where did you find those two guys?"
Zhou Liang couldn't help but sigh. "That table is full of Jiang Ruolin's best friends. Ordinary people can't just get in there."
"It was hard enough just to get those two to join them. Who knew the two good-for-nothings would make their performance so exaggerated!"
At this time, the food was already being served. Everyone began to sit down, and the tables were filled with lively talk and laughter.
Not surprisingly, Jiang Ruolin, who always had a small appetite, started putting food on the plate of Liu Shang, who was beside her. This scene also drew good-natured laughter from everyone.
"Hey, Ruolin is really considerate. I'm envious!"
"For our Miss Ruolin to personally serve food to someone, especially a boy... this is the first time we've ever seen it!"
"Ruolin, I bet if it were anyone else you were serving, you'd already be blushing with embarrassment."
"And this boyfriend of yours is just enjoying it so calmly. He's really got some nerve!"
Just as the girl finished speaking, Liu Shang raised his head and glanced at her. Then, in his usual deadpan manner, he said, "While we're all eating, could we please not say things that are so sickeningly sweet? I might lose my appetite."
As soon as he finished speaking, the girls at the table burst into laughter again, and two of them almost choked on their food.
Fortunately, Jiang Ruolin, who hadn't started eating, also smiled and playfully hit Liu Shang twice.
And the girl who had commented on Liu Shang's nerve was already blushing. She couldn't stop laughing even in her embarrassment and could only lower her head, using her hair to cover her face.
After a long time, a girl put down her chopsticks and sighed, still suppressing a smile. "Oh, I'm going to be full from laughter before I even finish this meal..."
"Yeah, I agree. You have to be especially careful when eating, or you risk being choked to death."
"That's right, Ruolin. Are the things your boyfriend says usually so stylish?"
"Seriously, after this meal, I'm going to have laugh lines all over my face."
Seeing that the atmosphere on their side was becoming more and more harmonious and enthusiastic, the expressions of Tan Feng, Zhou Liang, and the others on the other side became even more ugly.
Therefore, Zhou Liang resorted to his second strategy ahead of schedule.
"Everyone, I have a proposal."
"In order to make the atmosphere of the banquet more lively and for everyone to eat and drink more happily, I propose that we send a male representative from each table to sing a song for everyone."
"I'll get the ball rolling and make a fool of myself first."
Afterward, Zhou Liang sang Andy Lau's "Forget Love." His singing skills were very good, which attracted a round of applause and cheers.
Following his proposal and example, the other tables also revealed their talents, and people came out to sing one after another.
In the freshman class, there were quite a lot of versatile people.
The second to last to appear was Tan Feng, who had been deliberately arranged by Zhou Liang. The song was also a lyrical ballad, "Without You," that had been selected long ago.
The core meaning was a very affectionate expression: without you, I might not be able to live.
It had to be said that Tan Feng had made sufficient preparations for this song; his delivery was accurate and lyrical.
But like most people, he lacked the authentic flavor of a native English singer.
Moreover, the style of the song, famously sung by Mariah Carey, was a little bit sad and didn't have a very good effect on the atmosphere of the banquet.
After Tan Feng finished singing and everyone applauded, Zhou Liang's eyes naturally fell on the table where Jiang Ruolin and the others were sitting.
So far, no one from their table had come out to sing, and as it happened, Liu Shang was the only boy at the table, leaving no possibility of a second choice.
"Hehe, next up, we only have the grand finale from this table left."
"Because there are no other male students here, let's welcome Liu Shang to the stage with warm applause!"
"Also, perhaps everyone already knows a very important piece of news: our beautiful Jiang Ruolin is officially taken."
"I think everyone who is familiar with Jiang Ruolin knows that as a top student, her favorite subject is English."
"So, I propose we invite Liu Shang to sing an English song for our beautiful Jiang Ruolin."
"Of course, that's just a small proposal. The final choice is still in Liu Shang's own hands."
It had to be said that Zhou Liang's few words had put Liu Shang in the crosshairs of everyone's hostility.
Even if many of them had no ambitions for Jiang Ruolin, seeing a beautiful woman taken by someone else never sits well with the guys.
Under the hooting of the crowd, Liu Shang walked onto the stage with a smile that showed no emotional fluctuation and took the microphone from Zhou Liang.
During this process, Jiang Ruolin was still faintly worried, because she herself didn't know how well Liu Shang could sing.
"Ruolin, I'm really curious, how well does your boyfriend sing?"
"I guess he's pretty good. You can see he has a stylish appearance, and he doesn't seem to be nervous at all!"
"That's not necessarily true. Didn't you hear what Zhou Liang said? He wants Liu Shang to sing an English song. In this kind of sudden situation, an English song isn't so easy to sing."
"Ha, this Zhou Liang is pretty vicious. Look at the people around, hooting like that. No matter how good Liu Shang's singing is now, as long as he sings a non-English song, he'll be booed and laughed at."
Facing the guesses and inquiries from the girls, Jiang Ruolin, who was nervous herself, just smiled and didn't say much.
On the other side, Zhou Liang quietly gestured "OK" to Tan Feng and the others.
He believed that based on his planning and judgment, this test would definitely be difficult for Liu Shang.
What made him most proud was that he was using an open conspiracy. Even if Jiang Ruolin was dissatisfied, she couldn't say anything.
After all, they were just classmates getting together and singing. They didn't mean to deliberately target anyone, did they?
*Even if you, Liu Shang, lose face in front of so many people, unable to sing well or even sing an English song at all, it will only prove that you're all ambition and no talent, and that you're not worthy of Jiang Ruolin!*
---
$5 Tier – Early Access!
Read 30 chapters ahead of public platforms like RoyalRoad and Scribble Hub — with plans to increase to 40 chapters ahead once I reach 10 members!
Chapters are posted as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
Support the story and unlock early access:
Patreon is linked in My Profile or About.
Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing. If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it will be cheaper for you, and I won't have to wait 2 months for payments. Thank you!