127: Awakened Man

At first, the guys were still quite reserved. After all, their past education taught them self-restraint and propriety. Shen Qian felt he was already being quite unrestrained, but he realized that compared to these girls, he was still not seasoned enough, and even felt like he was the one being taken advantage of.

"Brother Sun, do you want to explore?"

The girl said this while pulling Shen Qian's hand toward an unknown region.

"Holy crap."

Shen Qian only now understood that he had truly underestimated Commercial KTV. However, he had researched some strategies online, so he turned to look at the others.

"You few better keep my brothers company. If you just keep forcing them to drink and they don't have a good time, we won't be coming back next time."

"Don't worry, Brother Sun. The sisters I called are very well-behaved."

Lily, Hostess said this and started playing a game with Shen Qian.

It wasn't until the next day when the group returned to the dorm that Chang Heng and the others felt a strong sense of unreality.

"Is this the world of the rich? It's too sinful! Too decadent! Too extravagant! Too blissful! I'm so damn jealous!"

"Do you know how much we spent last night in total?"

"How much?"

"Over 26,000, but Young Master Tian paid the bill."

"Over 26,000." Gao Haitao couldn't help but murmur, and then felt a wave of deflation in his heart.

"An ordinary person might not dare to spend that much in their entire life."

This was the truth. Even though the internet constantly talks about monthly salaries over ten thousand or annual salaries over a million, the average salary for the general populace is only around four to five thousand, or five to six thousand, perhaps even lower.

Spending over 20,000 in one night—even if many people have savings, the cost of that happiness is too high, so expensive that some people, despite knowing how happy it would make them, only dare to dream about it, not do it.

Chang Heng looked at the message He Wenjing sent on his phone, asking why he hadn't brought her breakfast. Suddenly, he felt it was meaningless.

He knew this girl didn't like him. Although he didn't know what it felt like to be liked by a girl, he could feel that he was the one striving to maintain this relationship.

A few days ago at the Guitar Club, he saw the look in He Wenjing's eyes when she looked at the Club President. He understood at that moment, but he was still unwilling to give up. Perhaps because it was his first love, he hoped they could go the distance, from campus to wedding dress. That wasn't just a girl's fantasy; many boys also held that wish.

Giving too much made him feel tired, but as long as he talked himself into it, he gradually managed to deal with it.

But combining last night's experience with the present moment, a sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, and he didn't want to continue anymore.

"Let's break up."

He didn't type it; he sent a voice message, which the other three people in the dorm heard.

Regarding the love-hate relationship between Chang Heng and He Wenjing, Shen Qian listened at first, occasionally offering advice. However, since Chang Heng continuously held onto illusions, Shen Qian stopped advising after two attempts. After all, you can't wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

But now that Chang Heng had woken up on his own, he was truly awake.

"Boss, are you sure this time? No regrets? Last time you swore you were going to break up, but then you scurried back to apologize."

"Vile! F*cking vile!"

Shen Qian knew he was recalling the past and cursing himself.

"No, it's not vile. Genuinely liking someone and being willing to sacrifice for another person—that makes you a man!

But let me warn you beforehand: with you breaking up suddenly, that girl might try to get you back."

"That can't be right. She doesn't like me anyway, so me breaking up is perfect for her. Why would she try to keep me?"

"Based on my superficial understanding of your Girlfriend, she likes to be the aggressor, but she absolutely needs the identity of a victim.

In other words, she would slowly force you to break up so that when you did, she could accuse you of being a scumbag while simultaneously running into someone else's arms.

But now you've accelerated the process, meaning she genuinely becomes the victim. Can she tolerate that?"

"Probably not. Based on my understanding of her temper, she'll agree very decisively."

The phone rang. It was He Wenjing's reply, also sent as a voice message.

"Break up then! Who do you think you are! I can find someone better without you!"

In response, Chang Heng simply let out a long breath, seeming much more relaxed.

"Thank you, Third Bro. If it weren't for you, I might never have woken up."

Shen Qian repeatedly waved his hand.

"Oh, please don't. I won't take that blame. When you find yourself unable to find a partner later on, you'll probably end up complaining about me."

"Get lost! Do I look like someone that heartless?"

"We'll see, we'll see. Once you get over this relationship hurdle, I'll ask Young Master Tian to treat us again."

"Speaking of which, Young Master Tian doesn't seem to have a great relationship with you, so why is he willing to spend twenty or thirty thousand yuan to treat us?"

Shen Qian smiled.

"Because he's sick. He has simp syndrome, and I happen to have the cure."

Shen Qian had witnessed that guy's actions last night. He looked serious, but as soon as a pretty girl sat on his lap and poured him a few drinks, his true colors showed. It was a shame that despite his parents' strict vigilance, this simple big boy still ended up on the path of Commercial KTV.

Now that he's had his first time, he'll probably condemn himself internally for a while before going back to Commercial KTV. A gentle haven can bury a hero's bones, let alone his.

Time quickly advanced to November. Shanghai officially transitioned from summer to winter in an instant, and the piano room Shen Qian had been longing for was finally built.

"The Dean knows about your donation and wants to hold a commendation meeting. He hopes you can attend."

Shen Qian looked at Song Shulu's message, thought for a moment, and agreed. Next, he needed to target Tao Yan, and she needed to know who was targeting her.

He currently had connections with Song Shulu, the Dean of the School of Arts, and even the Principal.

Unless Tao Yan or her Boyfriend could also find a Vice-Ministerial Level Cadre to back them, how could they possibly fight him?

"Also, the piano you donated has been moved to the Auditorium. There will be a sound check performance this afternoon. Do you want to come?"

"Who will play?"

"Ni Zixin."

"Alright, I'll go."

Meanwhile, in the School of Arts Auditorium, Tao Yan looked at the piano, a rare longing surfacing in her eyes. The 1.2 million yuan piano was beautiful, like a work of art.

Her piano dream originated in childhood. It was the first time she watched a performance. The pianist, dressed in magnificent formal wear, sat at the piano, their fingers seemingly possessing magic, able to conjure moving notes.

For all these years, this dream had revolved around her heart.

And now, the appearance of this piano had made that dream concrete.

"This is it. This is the kind of piano... it's just that the stage isn't big enough yet, and I don't have a magnificent formal dress."

She stood below the stage, gently touching the piano from afar. The melody echoed in her ears once more, as if she were the one playing it.