Sang Xiao hadn’t touched it and didn’t know how to answer. Someone nearby asked, “Xiao Mo, what were you mumbling about just now? You made Sang Xiao blush.”
This comment was quite pointed, suggesting there was something going on between Sang Xiao and Kuang Mo.
Sang Xiao looked up and met Kuang Qingshang’s direct gaze. She thought to herself, ‘I wasn’t blushing, was I?’ The main thing was she hadn’t expected Kuang Mo to secretly ask her such a question in public—even though they were sitting in a corner—and she didn’t know how to answer right away, plus she really hadn’t touched Kuang Qingshang’s abs.
Kuang Mo chuckled, “It was nothing.”
She then assured Kuang Qingshang, “Sister, I truly didn’t say anything. If you don’t believe me, ask ‘sister-in-law’.”
Kuang Qingshang didn’t ask. She came over to Sang Xiao and asked softly, “Are you getting used to things?”
Sang Xiao nodded, “Everyone is very enthusiastic.”
And they truly were enthusiastic.
Kuang Qingshang was the absolute center of attention today, and Sang Xiao was also closely watched. So, when Kuang Qingshang was once again surrounded by people chatting, Sang Xiao wisely chose to go play with the children.
When Sang Xiao looked up again, she saw Kuang Qingshang holding a microphone. Seeing this, she asked, “Kuang Qingshang must be a good singer, right?”
Kuang Qingshang’s name, “Qingshang,” is one of the five notes of the ancient Chinese pentatonic scale.
Sang Xiao had done her homework, but only after she had initially misread the name as “Emotional Quotient” (EQ). Afterwards, constantly chanting “Kuang Qingshang has Qingshang or not” in her mind made her subconsciously believe that Kuang Qingshang must be good at singing.
Kuang Xun usually seemed the most reliable, but her answer this time was unconventional: “Everyone has a different opinion on that. It’s hard to say.”
Kuang Mo also mysteriously chimed in, “It is indeed hard to evaluate.”
Sang Xiao was confused.
Could Kuang Qingshang’s singing be abstract?
Some music resonates with some people but not others; had Kuang Qingshang reached that level? Full of anticipation, Sang Xiao watched Kuang Qingshang hold the microphone as the slow prelude to a well-known old song began.
Then, to Sang Xiao’s great expectation, Kuang Qingshang started singing…
A complete lack of tune.
No technique, just pure emotion.
Yet, Kuang Qingshang’s expression management was perfect; she sang with deep immersion and almost no change in her facial expression.
Sang Xiao was stunned for a moment, then praised against her better judgment, “Actually, it’s quite good.”
Kuang Xun gave no further comment, only saying, “As long as you think it sounds good, ‘sister-in-law’.”
Sang Xiao: “…”
Nonsense, she never said it sounded good.
After Kuang Qingshang finished, everyone took turns singing. When it was Kuang Mo’s turn, it was a sound that pierced the eardrums. In comparison, Sang Xiao genuinely felt Kuang Qingshang had sung quite well, at least her song choice was excellent—a lyrical old song—unlike Kuang Mo’s song, which was nothing but screaming and yelling.
When it was Sang Xiao’s turn, she sang a short, sweet song. She had sung it before in her live streams, so she was very familiar with it and often hummed it when she had nothing to do.
Sang Xiao’s voice was sweet, and she sounded very pleasant when singing, especially a sweet song; the compatibility was almost perfect.
Feng Shu said, “Sang xiao sings really well.”
Kuang Mo said, “‘Sister-in-law’ is truly talented.”
Kuang Qingshang also praised her, “It sounds very nice.”
Sang Xiao smiled modestly. After the fun and exchanging contact information with many relatives, she prepared to go to sleep.
Before going to sleep, Sang Xiao thought they would have to share the bed again.
However, Kuang Qingshang had already arranged things, giving the bed to Sang Xiao and choosing to sleep on the sofa herself. After the last experience, Sang Xiao truly didn’t dare to share the bed with Kuang Qingshang again, but she wondered if it was inappropriate to let Kuang Qingshang sleep on the sofa.
Just as she was about to say something, Kuang Qingshang asked, “What was Kuang Mo talking to you about earlier?”
Sang Xiao was successfully distracted: “Uh, she asked me if your abs were nice to touch, but I didn’t know, I haven’t touched them.”
Sang Xiao was merely stating a fact, but Kuang Qingshang smiled and said, “It’s quite easy if you want to know.”
Sang Xiao really wanted to say she didn’t want to know, but she was still a little curious, especially since Kuang Qingshang often walked around in a tank top. In those few seconds of Sang Xiao’s silence, Kuang Qingshang took Sang Xiao’s hand and slowly placed it on her waist.
Sang Xiao: “…”
It felt like her fingers were no longer her own.
This was probably the most intimate moment between them. Sang Xiao’s fingers felt burned, and she quickly pulled her hand back. Kuang Qingshang’s muscles were not overly exaggerated, but they were very firm.
“Uh, uh, sleep, sleep.” Sang Xiao forgot about Kuang Qingshang sleeping on the sofa, scrambled into bed, and essentially gave a performance of instantly falling asleep.
Kuang Qingshang looked at the small mound under the covers and silently chuckled.
Perhaps because she had touched Kuang Qingshang’s abs before bed, or perhaps because she was sleeping in the same room as Kuang Qingshang, Sang Xiao, predictably, had a nightmare. It was the same one: being pinned down by Kuang Qingshang. The moment she woke up, Sang Xiao even thought Kuang Qingshang had broken her promise and climbed into bed in the middle of the night.
Why did Kuang Qingshang always pin her down? Couldn’t she pin down Kuang Qingshang for once? If she were on top of Kuang Qingshang, wouldn’t she be able to sit directly on Kuang Qingshang’s abs?
Damn it! Even her dreams were working against her.
It took Sang Xiao a while to recover from the nightmare of being pinned down again. It was all Kuang Qingshang’s fault for pinning her down last time, giving her a complex.
Sang Xiao picked up her phone and saw it was not yet 1 a.m. She had a missed call from Bian Yan from two minutes ago.
Sang Xiao frowned. Bian Yan wouldn’t call her at this hour unless something was wrong. She thought for a moment and called her back immediately.
Bian Yan answered right away.
Sang Xiao then remembered Kuang Qingshang was also in the room. She crept out of bed, using the light from her phone screen to navigate. Passing the sofa, she glanced at Kuang Qingshang; Kuang Qingshang was too big and looked very cramped lying on the sofa.
Sang Xiao moved slowly to the balcony, lowering her voice as she asked, “Did something happen?”
Bian Yan’s voice was also very low: “Did I wake you up?”
The moment Sang Xiao woke up, she was wide awake. She had even been happy to be finally free from the nightmare.
“No, I had a nightmare and woke up on my own.”
Normally, Bian Yan would have asked what the nightmare was about, but now Bian Yan merely paused and said gravely, “Sang Xiao, someone has been banging on my door.”
Sang Xiao was alarmed: “Are you okay?”
Bian Yan sighed, “I’m fine. The person kept banging but wouldn’t say anything. They only stopped when I said I was going to call the police. I don’t know if they’re still at the door now.”
“No matter if they’re there or not, don’t open the door. That person might be waiting right by the door for you to open it,” Sang Xiao said with a tense tone. She and Bian Yan had experience with things like this.
Bian Yan: “I know. I’m just a little scared and wanted to talk to you. I’ve already called property management to send someone up to check.”
Sang Xiao felt slightly relieved and suggested, “How about I come over and keep you company?”
Bian Yan’s tense nerves relaxed at that moment, and she chuckled, “You’re all skin and bones; you can’t fight, and it’s so late. Let’s wait until tomorrow.”
Sang Xiao thought she had a point.
“I just don’t know which idiot is outside.” Bian Yan didn’t hold back, perhaps because she could speak freely with Sang Xiao.
Bian Yan cursed the door-banger’s ancestors for eighteen generations. When she heard the banging in her sleep, she thought it was an earthquake. When she woke up and realized it was actually a knock, the level of shock was no less than a real earthquake.
“It might be a pervert,” Sang Xiao whispered, trying to comfort Bian Yan. She hadn’t controlled her voice just now, and as she wondered if she had woken Kuang Qingshang, her shoulder was suddenly patted.
“!!!” Sang Xiao instantly turned into a zombie, completely stiff, and her phone slipped from her hand.
Bian Yan was startled: “Sang Xiao, what’s wrong?”
Sang Xiao didn’t speak.
Kuang Qingshang picked up the phone: “Sorry.”
Hearing Kuang Qingshang’s voice, Bian Yan was silent for a moment. Sang Xiao said, “I’m fine, I’ll call you back later.”
Kuang Qingshang had walked over without turning on the light or making a sound. Sang Xiao’s heart was still pounding from the scare; she had just been talking about a pervert, only to have her shoulder patted. For a split second, she thought the pervert was patting her.
When the light was turned on, Sang Xiao noticed Kuang Qingshang was holding a small knife. She wondered if Kuang Qingshang had thought she was some strange intruder.
With that pat-on-the-shoulder posture, the next move in movies would have been to cover the mouth and slit the throat.
That’s how they always show it in films.
Sang Xiao complained softly, “Can you please stop patting my shoulder from behind in the future?”
She was very afraid of ghosts.
As the saying goes, a person has three flames of life (on the head and shoulders), and Kuang Qingshang constantly patting her might extinguish her flame.
Kuang Qingshang apologized, “My bad.”
She had woken up hearing a faint sound and had crept over. She only relaxed when she realized it was Sang Xiao. As for why she patted her shoulder? It was purely because it was convenient; her hand naturally reached Sang Xiao’s shoulder at that height. Sang Xiao would probably have been angrier if she had touched her head.
Seeing Kuang Qingshang’s pajamas, which were wrinkled from sleeping on the sofa, Sang Xiao felt a little guilty and stopped blaming her.
Kuang Qingshang asked, “What happened? I think I heard you mention a pervert just now.”
Sang Xiao told Kuang Qingshang about Bian Yan’s situation, and then she became worried again.
Kuang Qingshang furrowed her brow: “If you’re still worried, we can go over now and check. An extra person will make things safer, and otherwise, your friend won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
And given how tense and concerned Sang Xiao was, Kuang Qingshang probably wouldn’t be able to sleep either.
Sang Xiao was surprised: “You’ll come with me?”
Kuang Qingshang nodded, “Of course. I’d be even more worried if you went alone, and your friend is my friend.”
Sang Xiao hesitated, feeling for the first time that Kuang Qingshang was truly reliable and a source of security.