The drunken crowd fell silent as Su Yingxue's voice filled the room. When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted—boys hollered, girls sniffled. The class belle had struck again.
But Su retreated afterward, leaving others to butcher saccharine pop ballads. Soon, the night devolved into a Beyond marathon: "Really Love You," "No More Hesitation," "Glorious Years," and "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies"—anthems butchered by tone-deaf teens.
The vice monitor, noticing Li Mu's silence, seized the mic: "Li Mu! Your turn!"
Girls cheered. Li Mu stubbed out his cigarette, tousled hair catching the disco lights. "Never Let You Feel Alone—Chen Sheng."
Blank stares. Chen Sheng's gravelly ballads weren't teen favorites. Yet as Li Mu sang—"Let me kiss your tears away… We'll walk this road, no matter how far…"—even the rowdiest drunks stilled. His raspy timbre carried decades of unspoken ache.
Su Yingxue watched, chest tight. Who was this boy?
By 11 PM, chaos reignited. A classmate burst in, panting: "They're beating up the班长!"
Twenty drunken boys stampeded out—all fists, no plan. Li Mu lagged behind, palming an empty beer bottle.
Outside the restrooms, five thugs cornered three students. Their leader—greasy hair, switchblade glinting—snarled: "Fuck off, kids!"
Adrenaline trumped fear. The mob surged.
Li Mu's memory flashed: A classmate hospitalized. Knife wounds. Perps never caught.
The thug flicked his blade. "Come closer, I'll gut you!"
Drunk courage met steel. The front line charged.
Li Mu moved first—a shadow sidestepping the brawl. The bottle exploded on the leader's skull with a crunch. Blood sheeted down his face.
Before the thug could scream, Li Mu twisted his wrist. A sickening snap. The switchblade clattered.
"Anyone else wants to play?" Li Mu kicked the whimpering man aside, blade now in his grip. The remaining thugs froze.
Behind him, the mob roared—a pack of wolves scenting weakness.
Su Yingxue arrived in time to see Li Mu—backlit by strobe lights—toss the knife into a trash can. His voice cut through the chaos: "Call the cops. Now."
The thugs scrambled. Students cheered.
Only Su noticed Li Mu's trembling hands—not from fear, but fury. This wasn't the boy who'd mouthed "Still here" hours ago.
This was someone older. Someone dangerous.
And for the first time, Su Yingxue felt afraid—not of him, but for him.