Chapter 101

In the afternoon, which was an election in the class, Song Haowen decided to take leave and not attend. It had been two days since he returned from the film set, and he hadn’t reported to the music studio yet.

Today, he was determined to meet with Su Yan and Tian Nana, and see if there was any way he could contribute.

Song Haowen’s arrival brought joy to the people in the music studio, especially Tian Nana. When she saw him, tears of grievance unexpectedly welled up in her eyes.

He knew that both she and the music studio were incredibly busy during the Spring Festival, and he felt a bit guilty for being occupied with his own matters outside.

Su Yan, being older, didn’t reveal her inner thoughts. She smiled and said to Song Haowen, “You’re finally back. That’s great. The audience at the small theater has been missing you. You should quickly immerse yourself in your role and relieve them of their longing.”

Song Haowen, feeling a bit embarrassed, smiled and replied, “I will do my best to meet their expectations. Tonight, I’m planning to go on stage and sing a few songs.”

Tian Nana, feeling concerned, asked, “Why don’t you perform tomorrow? You just came back, take a good rest today.”

Su Yan also advised, “Nana is right. You’ve been away for a month; you need some time to readjust.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already rested enough. I’ll go rehearse with the band in a while to ensure a smooth performance tonight,” Song Haowen said energetically.

Su Yan and her daughter exchanged a glance and reluctantly agreed to Song Haowen’s request.

That night, Song Haowen’s appearance marked his formal return, delighting the audience at the small theater.

The atmosphere was surprisingly good, and as the chorus part approached, the entire theater turned into a lively karaoke session, reaching an unprecedented level of excitement.

After the performance ended that night, many audience members lingered in the theater, reluctant to leave. If it weren’t for the staff’s persistent persuasion, a significant portion of them might have stayed until dawn.

Tian Nana, who hadn’t seen the audience so excited in a long time, complained to Song Haowen when he returned to the office, “Your absence for the past month really made the audience miss you badly.”

Song Haowen awkwardly apologized, saying, “I’m truly sorry for making you all work so hard during this time. I’ll try my best to make time for performances in the coming days.”

Tian Nana expressed concern, “Aren’t you preparing for the graduation entrance exam? It’s just five or six days away, and you really need to focus on that. I was just casually saying it earlier; I don’t expect you to come every day.”

Song Haowen reached out to pat her small head, but she opened his hand with a look of disdain. He laughed and said, “I can pass that exam without studying for a day.”

Tian Nana lightly punched Song Haowen in the chest, scolding, “Pah! Boasting again.. Come on, accompany me to the cafeteria for a late-night snack.” After saying that, she tightly held onto Song Haowen’s arm, as if afraid he would run away, and pulled him all the way to the upstairs cafeteria.

Su Yan saw her daughter sticking to Song Haowen like toffee and felt pleased, but she still had to say, “Nana, there are still employees around, be mindful of the influence.”

Tian Nana blushed, forcefully twisted Song Haowen’s arm, then let go. Song Haowen was about to scream in pain when he suddenly realized Su Yan was looking in their direction.

He opened his mouth, took a sharp breath, but dared not make a sound. Tian Nana glanced at him triumphantly, then ran to her mom as if nothing had happened, hugging Su Yan’s waist, and coquettishly said, “Mom, I want to eat steak.”

“Go, go, you’re all grown up, still acting cute. If you want to eat something, tell the cafeteria chef yourself,” Su Yan affectionately patted her daughter’s buttocks.

Song Haowen and Su Yan’s mother-daughter duo met for the first time in a month for a meal. Su Yan specially ordered a bottle of red wine. When the glasses were filled, Su Yan said, “Come, let’s have a toast for greater progress in the new year!”

After the music studio closed, Song Haowen insisted on taking a stroll with Su Yan and her daughter, escorting them to the residential area.

After that he took a taxi back himself. When he reached the store he found Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua were still there, so they had a cup of tea together before going to bed.

The next day, during a break at school, Song Haowen casually mentioned to Gu Zhiwei about Cui Hai’s threat. Hearing this, her face turned red with anger, and she wanted to confront him.

Song Haowen advised her not to take it to heart, to trust his abilities, as he could handle those who wanted to trouble him.

Gu Zhiwei laughed and said, “That’s true. With your skills, even if he brings ten or twenty ruffians, it won’t be enough for you to handle. But be cautious; it’s easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. Lately, you need to watch out for their revenge.”

Song Haowen nodded, “Of course. I won’t provoke others if they don’t provoke me. But if someone does, I will retaliate.”

“Hey, Haowen, this afternoon our evening paper will reveal news about the filming of the ‘Tai Chi Fist’ movie. You don’t have any objections, right?” Gu Zhiwei looked at him.

Song Haowen glared at Gu Zhiwei, “Well, you’ve already made the announcement without consulting me. It seems dealing with media friends requires extra caution in daily conversations. If any secrets get exposed, there won’t be time to cry.”

Gu Zhiwei spat at Song Haowen, teasingly saying, “You better be careful in the future. If I catch you doing something, hehehe…”

Song Haowen’s fair face turned inexplicably red, and he thought of something, deliberately steering the conversation away. “Are you still interning at the newspaper agency this semester?”

At this moment, Cui Hai appeared seemingly out of nowhere and sneered, “Oh, truly a case of long time no see, like three autumns apart. Being glued to each other every day, don’t you feel sick of it?”

“Cui Hai, stop being sarcastic. I was just looking for you to settle the score. Why do you think you can meddle in my affairs?” Gu Zhiwei scolded angrily.

Cui Hai calmly said, “Ziwei, don’t get angry. What I mean is, he’s not worthy of you. Just a singer, that’s nothing special in the capital. If your parents find out you’re dating someone like him, they might get sick from anger.”

“You’re talking nonsense! I’m just friends with him. If you go too far, be careful I turn hostile.” Gu Zhiwei retorted angrily.

“Okay, okay, you guys continue. I won’t disturb you!” Cui Hai, while appeasing Gu Zhiwei, cast a fierce glare at Song Haowen.

Seeing the threat from the other party, Song Haowen immediately clenched his fist, giving a threatening shake. When he saw Cui Hai leaving in a hurry, he patted Gu Zhiwei’s shoulder. “Time’s up, I have to go to class.”

Gu Zhiwei bit her lip, nodded, and turned away.

In the afternoon, after school, as Song Haowen stepped out of the school gate, he was intercepted by five or six young people. He recognized two of them as the lackeys who had followed Cui Hai the previous day.

“What’s up? Do you guys have something with me?”

“Come with us.” One of Cui Hai’s lackeys said coldly to Song Haowen.

“Is your boss looking for me? Why doesn’t he come himself?” Song Haowen said disdainfully, “Why should I listen to you and go with you?”

“Don’t underestimate us! We’re giving you face. Otherwise, if we fight here, the next day, news of your brawl might spread all over the world.”

“It’s our boss who wants to see you. Come with us. What’s all this unnecessary talk for?”

The young people couldn’t help but shout.

Song Haowen looked around and saw many classmates watching. He thought, even if they want to fight, it’s not appropriate to do it at the school gate. Since they can’t do much to him, he might as well go along with them and see what they can come up with. He snorted and said, “Lead the way.”

The young people sensed the disdain in Song Haowen’s tone, and some of them couldn’t help but get angry. They wished to teach him a lesson right away, but considering that their boss only asked them to bring him, not to attack immediately, they swallowed their anger.

Song Haowen followed them to a nearby small grove. There, Cui Hai was sitting on a tree trunk as thick as a leg, with a sponge-tipped cigarette in his mouth. His legs were swinging in the air, showing a relaxed and contented appearance.

“Kid, do you know why I called you here?” Cui Hai asked from a higher position after blowing a smoke ring.

Song Haowen sneered and chose not to answer.

“I’m warning you again, stay away from her. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you leave Beijing.” Cui Hai made his demand.

Song Haowen dismissed Cui Hai’s threat. “Oh, you can try. Let’s see if you can really kick me out of Beijing.”

Cui Hai put on a sympathetic look. “I think for a countryside boy like you, reaching this point is not easy. Your ancestors must have burned a lot of incense and worshipped many gods. Cherish it; don’t force me to take action. Once I do, it won’t be easy-going; it’ll be thunderous. Ruining your future for a woman you can never have, it’s not worth it for you.”

“I don’t need you to worry about that. I’ll take care of my own future, no need for others to bother. If you have any tricks, just use them quickly. I have things to do, no time to waste with a rich kid like you.” Song Haowen couldn’t understand why the guy was talking so much. If he had the courage, just attack directly; otherwise, stop the nonsense.

Seeing that intimidation wasn’t working, Cui Hai had to resort to force. He signaled to his subordinates and said, “Brothers, help me teach him a lesson, let him know what it means not to be self-reliant!”

The six young men were impatient long ago. As soon as they received the command, they rushed forward. Punches and kicks were thrown at Song Haowen, who, having already assessed their capabilities, knew they were just a group of untrained people. Without hesitation, he took the initiative to fight back, using his hands and feet skillfully. In the blink of an eye, none of the six could stand, and he continued humming a song.

Cui Hai was shocked. He didn’t expect Song Haowen to be so skilled; he was no match. Feeling defeated, he said coldly, “Fine, you can go for now. Pray to Buddha when you go back. Don’t let me catch you next time.” After saying that, he jumped down from the tree, stomped his foot, patted his buttocks, and tried to slip away.

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