The people around were left stunned, exchanging confused glances, unsure of what to say. Were they about to ruin the atmosphere?

The sound of the guitar was soft and clear, layered beautifully in the air, accompanied by Gu Xingchuan’s calm and composed voice as he sang gently.

“You’d better open your eyes and take a good look

I’m not your magic remedy.

If you want to bask in my glow, you’ll only expose yourself.

All you’ll do is make people laugh at you

And slowly wear down his love for you

Don’t blame me for being unfeeling

It’s simply because you don’t deserve it.

You don’t deserve my deep affection

You don’t deserve my devotion

Yet you still refuse to wake from your dream

…………’

Shen Li’s expression was grim as dozens of eyes stared at him, feeling like a thousand needles piercing his skin. He had never been humiliated like this before, and if word got out, he would lose face in the elite circles of the capital.

Song Yi frowned, feeling helpless as both of them were too impulsive. After so many years of knowing them, he understood their tempers well.

Shen Li was pampered and grew up sheltered; his nature wasn’t bad, but he was particularly concerned about his pride. When given enough respect, he was like a gentle little kitten, but if his pride was slighted, he turned into a ferocious little tiger. On the other hand, Gu Xingchuan excelled at undermining others’ pride, reckless and willful. The unspoken social rules meant nothing to him.

Yet, Shen Li was using Gu Xingchuan as a stepping stone to elevate his own status among friends, blatantly exploiting him. A volatile person like Gu Xingchuan wouldn’t tolerate such disrespect.

After Gu Xingchuan finished singing, there was complete silence in the audience; no one dared to speak, as neither Shen Li nor Gu Xingchuan was someone to offend.

Gu Xingchuan narrowed his long eyes and surveyed the crowd before casually placing his guitar on a chair. He stepped down from the stage and approached Shen Li, lifting a glass of champagne from the top of the champagne tower. With a slight smile, he said, “Happy birthday, Shen Li.”

He downed the drink in one go, slamming the glass onto the table and quietly warning, “Don’t use me as a weapon; guns can misfire.”

Shen Li clenched his fists, his face pale and tinged with anger, his eyes wide and his teeth grinding together, filled with murderous intent.

Bathed in the attention of the crowd, Gu Xingchuan walked over to Song Yi and gently patted the fluffy top of his head, unconsciously speaking softly, “Let’s go. What are you still waiting for?”

Snapping back to reality, Song Yi felt a pang of sympathy for Shen Li. He wanted to comfort him, but this wasn’t the right place with so many people around.

Gu Xingchuan went to the underground parking garage to fetch the car, while Song Yi took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm, loosening his tie to breathe easier. He stood straight at the roadside, waiting.

Shen Li emerged with red-rimmed eyes, tears welling in his gaze. Song Yi gently patted his shoulder and gave him a reassuring hug, saying, “It’s okay. You’re not losing face.”

Shen Li sniffed, biting his lower lip hard. “We’re all classmates; is it so difficult to sing a song? Why does it have to be like this?”

Song Yi didn’t want to speak ill of others behind Gu Xingchuan’s back, so he reached out to wipe away the tears at the corner of Shen Li’s eye. “You should be happy on your birthday. Those beautiful eyes shouldn’t be crying, okay?”

“Can’t you stay with me until midnight?” Shen Li clutched his sleeve, unwilling to let go.

Song Yi shook his head. “I have things to do tomorrow. We can hang out another day.”

Shen Li used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from his face. “Does it have to be another day?”

Song Yi smiled. “Have I ever gone back on my promises? Your friends are still inside waiting for you; don’t keep the guests waiting too long.”

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