"Mmm!" Chen Xu nodded without hesitation, then realized, "Damn, beautiful lady, don't be so narcissistic, okay?"
Guan Yi laughed again, then put on a serious face: "I'm going to ask you a very, very important question now, and you must answer it truthfully."
Seeing the woman's unusually serious expression, Chen Xu hesitated for a moment: "Uh... speak."
"Who do you think is the prettiest among me, Gao Xiaojie, and Zhan Jing?"
Chapter 72 Improving Lung Capacity
Chen Xu swallowed hard. How should he answer this question?
At this moment, he thought of a famous passage from Greek mythology: the story of the golden apple. To avoid sowing discord with Eris, Zeus inscribed on a golden apple, "For the fairest of them all," thus sparking a contest between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Ultimately, Zeus was forced to appoint Paris, the Trojan prince, as the judge—a decision that was bound to offend many.
So the three women vied to bribe him: Hera promised him supreme power, Athena offered him wisdom and strength, and Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife.
Paris, who also loved beauty more than power, thought Aphrodite had the thinnest waist and a perfect S-shaped figure, so he gave the golden apple to the goddess of beauty.
This really angered the other two women—no, goddesses!
One was a high and mighty goddess of the gods, the other a fearsome goddess of wisdom and vengeance. Later, Paris did indeed abduct the stunning beauty Helen from Sparta with the help of Aphrodite, but this sparked the ten-year Trojan War.
What followed was even more terrifying: Athena taught the Spartans to use the Trojan Horse, and Hera directly sent henchmen to deal with Ares, the Trojans' strongest ally and god of war. What followed was the famous Trojan Horse massacre, in which the Trojans were almost completely wiped out.
The thought of this story sent chills down Chen Xu's spine. To be honest, Chen Xu felt that these three girls were truly like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each with their own unique charm. Guan Yi was charming and captivating, Gao Xiaojie was lively and adorable, and Zhan Jing was as serene as water. To be honest, it was really hard to say which one was more beautiful.
However, Chen Xu was also glad that this question wasn't raised when all three of them were together. Now that only Guan Yi was there, he shamelessly said, "Of course you're prettier!"
Guan Yi glared at him: "Answering so quickly is obviously just to brush me off. You should at least pretend to be thinking. Why did you take so long to decide before you spoke?"
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat, wondering if he should have said something else. So he asked, "What would you do if I said they were both pretty?"
Guan Yi raised an eyebrow: "I'll slap you to death right here and now!"
Chen Xu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat again, thinking to himself that women are really strange creatures. No wonder the TV series "My Own Swordsman" says that women want you to tell the truth on one hand, but don't want to hear it on the other. Guan Yi couldn't help but laugh at his expression, saying, "Just kidding. Actually, I know I might not be as good as those two."
Chen Xu wiped his sweat: "You already know, why ask? Aren't you just making things difficult for me?"
The fairy chuckled and said that she just wanted to hear him praise her, even though he didn't mean it.
Her almost coquettish tone stirred something in Chen Xu's heart. Then he frantically chanted "Amitabha" in his mind. This woman was a bottomless pit, having tricked countless people. He couldn't afford to fall for her, or he would be trapped in a bottomless abyss, unable to climb out.
What Chen Xu feared most was that after he accidentally fell for her and confessed, she would say something like, "Actually, I've always thought of you as a good friend," or give him a "friend zone" treatment like, "You're a good person." That would make him so frustrated he'd want to bang his head against the wall.
The two chatted and laughed, letting themselves sing the songs they requested. When the mood struck, Chen Xu would grab the microphone and belt out a few lines. By this time, it was already afternoon, and more and more people were arriving. After all, it was Christmas Eve, and although it was Tuesday, some people had already come out to play in the afternoon, and there would definitely be even more in the evening.
However, having more people around caused problems. The soundproofing in this KTV wasn't very good. If Chen Xu were to belt out a song, it wouldn't be a problem, since the speakers were big enough to drown out the background noise. But when the two of them were just chatting, the noise from the side was so loud that they were practically sitting next to each other, and they could barely hear each other.
This is really ruining the atmosphere!
Especially in the next private room, several old men were singing with flushed faces, clearly drunk. Not only were they loud, but their hoarse voices were unbearable.
Chen Xu wanted to go next door and knock on the door to ask them to keep their voices down.
But Guan Yi stopped him, saying, "Open the door, I have a way."
After Chen Xu opened the door, he saw the woman pick up the microphone, practice her singing "ah ah ah," and then turn the music and microphone volume up to the maximum before selecting Han Hong's "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau."
Chen Xu felt a little dizzy when he saw this song, "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau"! Is this a song that an ordinary person can sing? The level of Han Hong and Li Na is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Then he saw the woman preparing to sing. Suddenly, she thought for a moment, then took out some tissues from her bag and gestured for Chen Xu to cover his ears. Seeing this, Chen Xu was a little scared and quickly covered his ears tightly.
After the woman warmed up her voice, she started singing "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau." At first, it was fine, but when she reached the high notes, Chen Xu covered his ears to be on guard because he could feel his whole body shaking uncontrollably!
Can she really sing that high note?!
The high notes didn't sound like much on TV, but being there in person, especially sitting right next to someone, was a completely different experience. The microphone was so loud, and the pitch was so high; Chen Xu couldn't help but think of Huang Yaoshi's "Azure Sea Tide Song" when he was making games—it was terrifying!
Sure enough, with the door wide open, the sound completely drowned out the wailing and screaming from the other private rooms. It wasn't until Guan Yi sang the last part that a group of older men nearby finally couldn't take it anymore and rushed over to say, "Can't you guys keep it a little quieter?!"
Guan Yi put down the microphone, and Chen Xu chuckled towards the door, retorting, "Yeah, couldn't you guys keep your voices down a bit?!"
When the older men saw that it was a beautiful woman singing instead of just opening the door and playing music, they couldn't help but mutter a few words and went back inside.
Chen Xu smiled at Guan Yi, took the paper out of her ear, and said, "You're really something! The sound over there is indeed much quieter. I really admire you! You can even sing such high notes."
But Guan Yi's expression was strange. He said, "Logically speaking, it shouldn't be like this. I can only barely sing this song, 'Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,' when I raise the key to the highest point. It's mainly because my lung capacity can't keep up. Why do you seem to be singing it so easily this time?" After thinking for a moment, the woman said, "How about I try singing it again?"
"Again?" Chen Xu was shocked. It was better to avoid this deadly Lion's Roar; he was afraid of being kicked out by the waiter!
Guan Yi said, "Let me turn the volume down a bit." Then, ignoring Chen Xu's objections, he pressed the replay button.
This time, because the microphone and music volume weren't very loud, Chen Xu didn't need to cover her ears. When she hit the high notes, you could feel that this woman easily raised her breath, and she sang the whole song without any pauses, truly showing some of Han Hong's style.
After singing it a second time, Guan Yi drank some water, sat down, and said strangely, "I do feel much more relaxed than before. What's going on?"
Chen Xu chuckled and said, "You might have been taking some super tonic pills lately." Guan Yi glared at him and said, "Come on, don't be ridiculous." Chen Xu scratched his head and said, "If that's the case, I felt something when I was singing just now. It seemed much easier than before. Hmm, I haven't tried the high notes, so I don't know yet."
Upon hearing this, Guan Yi immediately picked out the song "I Will Love You Till I Die" and handed the microphone to Chen Xu: "Can you sing it? Why don't you give it a try?"
Chen Xuhan said that this is our dorm leader's signature song! But as soon as the music started, he still sang along.
Chen Xu realized about halfway through the song that singing it was indeed much easier than before. Previously, he would have to belt out the song until his face and neck were red, but now he could hit some of the high notes much more easily than before.
What's going on? Did I also take some kind of super tonic?!
As Chen Xu was thinking this, Guan Yi said, "Could it be because of your set of radio calisthenics?"
Chen Xu thought about it and realized that this was probably the only possibility. Otherwise, there was no reason for the two of them to be making progress at the same time!
This is precisely why this physical exercise originated from Taoism, which emphasizes the circulation of qi (vital energy). Qi is a mysterious concept, an energy invisible to the naked eye but perceptible to the body. While this physical exercise may not be as professional as meditation in terms of qi circulation, it subtly generates some qi during the movements. Singing, on the other hand, emphasizes having ample breath support, or simply put, lung capacity. Therefore, the two of them can now easily reach high notes because their breath support is much stronger than before.
Guan Yi was excited when he thought of this speculation, saying that if he continued to practice like this, he might even be able to sing real high notes!
What could Chen Xu say at this point? He could only scratch his head dumbly... He had no idea how much potential this set of movements could unlock in the human body.
Finding their lung capacity had improved, the two of them felt more energetic while singing. They didn't waste their money on the private room, so they started picking songs, one after the other, and then they began choosing duets... mostly love songs between a man and a woman.
It's well known that duets between men and women are a major attraction in karaoke bars, and one of the reasons why groups of men and women flock to karaoke bars.
But Chen Xu felt that this was the most enjoyable singing session he had ever had, because Guan Yi knew almost all the songs he knew. The two of them sang a lot of popular love duets, from "Hiroshima Mon Amour" to "White Fox," which became a hit this year. When they were not singing, they even sang "Sister sits at the bow of the boat, brother walks on the shore." After they finished singing, they looked at each other and laughed so hard they almost fell over.
While their relationship might not be as profound as that of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi, it was still a precious and enjoyable experience for the young couple. During the climactic moments of their song, they exchanged a knowing glance, a tacit understanding that was truly rare and precious.
"I'll definitely invite you again if we sing karaoke next time," Chen Xu said with a smile. "This is the first time I've had so much fun at karaoke!"
Guan Yi chuckled and nodded, saying that there was no more water and asked the waiter to bring another pot of tea, as his throat was dry after singing for so long.
So Chen Xu pressed the service bell next to him. Less than a minute later, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and then a waiter opened the door: "Hello, what would you like to order? Uh?"
"Brew a pot of tea... uh?" Chen Xu and Guan Yi were stunned when they saw the waiter who opened the door. The waiter was also staring blankly at the two of them.
"Old Dong? What are you doing here?!"
Chapter 73 of the main text features a short episode about the future.
Dong Qingjie was the fourth oldest in the dormitory, and he was usually the one with the most mysterious whereabouts.
Basically, after class every day, this guy would disappear like a ghost, and no one could find out where he went. Of the four people in the dorm, he was the only one without a cell phone. The most valuable thing he owned was the bicycle he bought from an upperclassman for twenty yuan when the semester started, and it was the kind that looked like it was completely worn out.
Everyone knew that Lao Dong was short of money. His dorm room was robbed at the beginning of the semester. Although Wang Dong and a group of people caught the thief and recovered valuables like laptops and phones, Lao Dong's tattered wallet was the only thing missing. Judging from Lao Dong's expression, he thought he had lost tens of thousands of yuan. Later, Chen Xu and others asked him and found out he had lost a total of 103.5 yuan.
The amount of money wasn't actually that much, but judging from Lao Dong's expression, as if he had lost tens of thousands, Chen Xu and the others knew that he was probably short of money.
So everyone now knows that Lao Dong is working part-time while studying, but no one expected that he would be working as a waiter in this place.
So Chen Xu laughed and said, "Old Dong, you little rascal, I finally caught you!" There's nothing shameful about college students working part-time; on the contrary, it's quite honorable... After all, they're working hard to earn money to support themselves, which is very respectable.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Dong Qingjie's face, then he smiled, closed the door, and walked in, saying, "What brings you here, buddy? Oh, on a date with a pretty girl?"
Guan Yi smiled reservedly, without denying it. Chen Xu tossed a bag of snacks over and said, "Old Dong, Old Dong, finally caught you, huh? Hehe, you're really not being fair. If you're going to work, just say so. We brothers can come and support you. It's not shameful. Look at this woman, she even goes to walk the runway as a model to earn extra money."
Guan Yi patted Chen Xu on the shoulder and laughed, "You're Dong Qingjie, right? Your name is quite famous in our girls' dormitory."
Chen Xu and Dong Qingjie were both taken aback. Dong Qingjie asked in surprise, "Really? I'm such a low-key person!"
Guan Yi chuckled and said, "It's because you're too low-key, and the young man is so handsome, it's natural that he'd attract attention."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu said, "Well, while our Lao Dong is good-looking, he's not so handsome that all you girls are swooning over him, is he?" Then Chen Xu put his arm around Lao Dong's shoulder and smiled at Guan Yi, "Who do you think is more handsome, the two of us?"
Dong Qingjie broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Third brother, stop playing around, I still have to work!" Guan Yize smiled and said, "To be honest, you and him are not even in the same league."
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat, glanced at Lao Dong, then touched his own face and said, "Really? Is the difference that big?!" Actually, Chen Xu knew his ordinary face wasn't exactly handsome; at best, it was passable. But even though Lao Dong was a good-looking guy, the difference couldn't be that huge, could it?
Guan Yi smiled without saying a word. Men and women judge people differently. Most people would probably think Dong Qingjie was very unsophisticated, but that's because the young man didn't dress up much. His hair was a mess like a bird's nest, his complexion looked somewhat malnourished and sallow, his eyebrows were thick and bushy, and he had a unkempt mustache.
Plus, he often wears a pair of unfashionable black-rimmed glasses and doesn't know how to coordinate his clothes, so he looks old-fashioned and lacks charisma. But if he really dressed up, got a haircut, shaved, and changed his clothes, he would definitely be a handsome young man... at least more handsome than Chen Xu.
As the group was laughing, someone gently knocked on the door, and a cute-looking little head poked in, saying, "Brother Dong, what are you doing? The manager wants to see you!" Dong Qingjie quickly replied, "Oh, I'll be right there."
The girl with the small, slightly round face stuck out her tongue cutely and said, "Brother Dong, is this your friend?"
Dong Qingjie smiled and said, "This is my roommate, and this is my classmate. Okay, you can go ahead now. I'll be right out." Seeing the girl chuckle and shrink back, Dong turned to Chen Xu and said, "Third roommate, I have to get back to work, or the manager will dock my pay. You want tea, right? I'll get you some."
Chen Xu felt a pang of discomfort upon hearing this. His roommate was having so much fun while he was working as a waiter. Even though it was supposed to be a work-study program, the feeling was still quite strange. So Chen Xu said, "That's enough, we're tired of singing, let's leave."
Dong Qingjie was taken aback, then quickly understood what he meant, frowned and said, "Third brother, this isn't very nice. You do your thing and I'll do mine. We're brothers, why be so polite?"
"No," Chen Xu was about to explain when Guan Yi, who was standing next to him, smiled and said, "Don't misunderstand, Chen Xu is going to go shopping with me, so it's about time."
Chen Xu nodded repeatedly, and Dong Qingjie then said, "Alright then, you guys go have fun."
Then the two shook hands in a perfunctory manner. Chen Xu smiled lewdly and said, "Old Dong, that little girl from earlier seemed pretty good. And she called herself Brother Dong, hehehe. Try your best and win her over!"
Guan Yi playfully patted Chen Xu, then shook hands with Dong Qingjie and laughed, "Your fingers are so long and slender." Seeing Chen Xu pick up his bag and walk out the door, Guan Yi whispered as he passed Dong Qingjie, "The Dong family's rules are still so complicated. Dong Qingjie, as a childhood friend, I have a piece of advice for you."
A glint flashed in Dong Qingjie's eyes. At this moment, he no longer gave off the impression of a tired, unsophisticated old man, but seemed to have become a completely different person: "What advice?"
Guan Yi glanced at the doorway and said in a low voice, "You'd better stay away from that girl. You should also know that, given your status, this matter won't get any results."
Dong Qingjie raised an eyebrow, and Guan Yi walked out the door with a silvery laugh.
Just then, the cute girl from before came back and said, "Brother Dong? That girl is your classmate? She's so pretty! Oh right, I think I've seen her online before!"
Dong Qingjie looked at the girl. Her face was slightly round and red, like a red apple. Her bangs were cut very straight and fell obediently over her eyebrows. She looked like the kind of girl who was very well-behaved and cute. She looked at Guan Yi's departing figure with undisguised envy in her eyes. She was a very ordinary girl.
Old Dong couldn't help but pat her head and said, "Stop looking, didn't you say the manager was looking for you?" Then he sighed and said in a barely audible voice, "You envy her, but doesn't she envy you just as much?"
After stepping outside, Chen Xu took deep breaths of the dry, cold, fresh air. He felt his face was flushed, whether from the excitement of singing or from the stuffiness of the air-conditioned room. Guan Yi quickly caught up and said, "Hey, put on your coat quickly, don't catch a cold."
Chen Xu put on his coat, looked at the woman's ambiguous smile, and said with some distress, "Something felt off about me just now!"