Mr Earnest is My Boyfriend 5

The song airing right now is something Xue Chen selected. With him away, and with the presence of a stranger like Pei Cheng An, Da Qu and the rest are not inclined to sing. Thus they allow the song to just play without vocals.

In a moment…

“Who chose this song!”

“Fuck! Toxic Perfume?”

Everyone stares at Xia Zhen in disbelief. Other than Xue Chen, only she has touched the karaoke machine. And Xue Chen wouldn’t have chosen this song even if he has gone mad. But if Xia Zhen has gone mad, she may really select this song.

Other than them, Pei Cheng An is also looking at Xia Zhen. She smiles at him and says, “This song is quite nice.” Just as the first verse is over, she picks up the mic. No one else sings along.

In the first half of the song, the Cabbage band can still stomach listening to Xia Zhen’s singing. After all, there is a “guest” and it wouldn’t be polite to just run out. Xia Zhen, who has once made it to the top ten of the campus singing competition, once despised these Internet-famous songs. To sing this out of her own initiative, and even sing it so sorrowfully and deeply… they bet that it must be this out-of-nowhere boyfriend’s preferences. [Toxic Perfume is about the mistress of another man, thus smelling the “toxic” perfume of the wife/girlfriend]

They didn’t expect that Xia Zhen would act like this once she has fallen in love, even though she has never been interested in dating. How scary!

And the moment they hear Xia Zhen sing, “There’s the smell of her perfume on you; it’s both our sins; I shouldn’t be smelling her beauty; I’ll wipe everything away and sleep with you,” they couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m going to the washroom.”

“I’m also going.”

“Let’s go together.”

Da Qu, Zhou Le, and Wei Feng all got up one after another. They need to cool down in the washroom. By the time they return, another song is playing yet it is also a song that makes them speechless. The three of them stand outside, dumbfounded, before deciding to go look for Xue Chen.

Xue Chen is outside the KTV [karaoke place], standing in the cold wind. He rarely acts like he did today, to show his emotions so obviously on his face.

Da Qu goes over and pats him on the shoulder. He tries to comfort him, “Today’s parting is for tomorrow’s reunion. Don’t be too sad.”

Xue Chen has always buried his feelings deeply. Even Da Qu and the others, who he works with every day, has no idea about it.

The fact that he likes Xia Zhen is a secret. This secret has been discovered by his sister Xue Nan today, making him feel ill at ease and worried she would reveal it. Thus when his sister threatened to call Xia Zhen and tell her everything if he doesn’t invite Xia Zhen to a meal with her, he agreed.

Actually, when the secret was no longer his alone, he once wondered how Xia Zhen would react if she finds out. What would her response be? Would she be happy?

He even carried some anticipation and even thought that he should maybe just confess his feelings. He didn’t say it earlier because he knows their respective feelings. He knows she has no interest in dating. As for himself, his feelings were unclear for her then.

He is a playful person and he could never resist trying to mock her. When she becomes angry, he would feel strangely happy. It is because of his treatment of her, no one has ever discovered his feelings for her, including Xia Zhen herself.

He truly thinks that it would be a very happy matter to live with her in the future. When the time is right, he would make it a reality.

Yet he has never expected she would suddenly have a boyfriend, without any warnings. He feels very frustrated and needs to calm down.

Leaving the room for some cold air, he has regained some of his composure. Then he realises that something is odd with this matter.

“Why have you all come out?”

“We couldn’t stay any longer.”

“En. If I don’t come out, I’ll also go mad.”

“Xia Zhen has gone nuts.”

Xue Chen doesn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“Go and see for yourself,” Da Que says. He thinks that when Xue Chen finds out what kind of songs Xia Zhen has been singing, all sappy songs about farewell and sorrow, he would also breakdown.

Noticing their depressed and broken expressions, Xue Chen remembers that Xia Zhen and Pei Cheng An are alone in the room… he immediately runs back inside.

Da Qu and the rest look at his eager retreating figure, laughs unkindly, and follows.

When they arrive outside the door to their room, they see Xue Chen standing there without going in. They can hear Xia Zhen’s clear singing from inside.

The genre of songs have changed. This time Xia Zhen is singing I Want to Love Even if I Die hysterically, as if she is really giving up her life.

They feel regretful that they have called Xue Chen this late. If he had seen the earlier songs earlier, it would be better. But why is Xue Chen’s expression looked even more pained than before?

Da Qu pushes Xue Chen and says, “Why are you standing here? Go in. Go and rock out with Xia Zhen for a bit.”

Pei Cheng An quietly sits on the sofa and pays his full attention on Xia Zhen singing. The songs she has chosen are all widely popular but he knows none of them. He reads the lyrics as he listens to Xia Zhen sing. The earlier two songs are too sentimental, but this one is not bad.

“Love each other like we are living the last day of earth every day; every minute every second; it’s so beautiful that our tears fall…” With a sudden strike of inspiration, he decides to buy the album in the CD shop.

When the others enter, he turns around and nods at them. Xia Chen’s stare is too forceful, making him stare at him for a moment before nodding again.

Every side of her that Xia Zhen shows Pei Cheng An is very important and calculated for him. She purposely sings seriously and emotionally. What she didn’t expect is for Xue Chen to enter, get the mic, and sing with her.

Her original plan is to invite Pei Cheng An to see this crazy and hysterical side of her after they have gotten closer. Thus he would have a bad impression of her. To perfect the performance, she even lets her voice crack at the high note.

She would observe Pei Cheng An’s reaction every now and then. When their eyes meet, she would smile. When she turns her head around, her expression would turn conflicted because she realises that not only Pei Cheng An doesn’t look in any way turned off, he even looks at her with such a gentle, loving gaze. As if she is confessing her feelings to him.

When the song comes to an end, Xue Chen presses stop.

He looks at Pei Cheng An, his face cold and handsome, and asks, “You are really Xia Zhen’s boyfriend? Or are you a fake?”

Pei Cheng An answers seriously, “I’m really her boyfriend.”

Seeing Xue Chen’s imposing and interrogating manner, Xia Zhen immediately puts down her mic and sits beside Pei Cheng An. She smiles sweetly and says, “Of course it’s real.”

“I don’t believe.” Xue Chen points at Xia Zhen.

Xia Zhen is a simple person. When she lies, she would exaggerate her actions and would be easily found out. She feels guilty and knows it’s easy for her to reveal her lies. So she doesn’t look at him and stares at Pei Cheng An’s face instead. Today is their first meeting, so his face still feels fresh to him. Besides it is such a good-looking face…

Just as she recollect her emotions and gets ready to speak, Pei Cheng An has beat her to it. He tells Xue Chen, “We met at a blind date today. We decided to date because of mutual good feelings.”

Everyone becomes alarmed at his words. For Xia Zhen to go on a blind date, and to even result in a successful blind date, is too odd.

Pei Cheng An sounds convincing when he says those words, emboldening Xia Zhen. She adopts a confident look and says, “That’s what happened. He does research, so in the future he may become a scientist. He’s really great. I really admire him.”

Admire…

Her expression of admiration is very accurate, exactly like how she looks every time she sees her goddess Stephanie Sun.

No one knows she is now desperately trying to superimpose Stephanie Sun’s face on Pei Cheng An’s. You can imagine how difficult this is.

Xia Zhen has changed her mind. She won’t tell the truth to anyone and just let everyone think she is in love with him. If she wants to put on a show, it should be complete. And besides, if they don’t agree or don’t support her plan after finding out, it would be disastrous for her.

“Why are you so reckless? Do you even understand her?” Xue Chen asks after some silence. Da Qu tries to stop him. “This is fate. It’s the same if they get to know each other later on. It’s not easy for Xia Zhen to meet someone she likes. We should give her our blessings.”

From the moment Pei Cheng An meets Xue Chen, he can feel his enmity. The way he speaks is forceful and arrogant but he doesn’t mind because he can tell it’s for Xia Zhen. Sincerely, he says, “I will treat Xia Zhen seriously. Please don’t worry.”

It is out of Xia Zhen’s expectations that the atmosphere would turn out this way. She doesn’t know Xue Chen’s mood would be this bad. She nearly thinks that Xue Chen… she immediately buries that thought. Xue Chen’s mockery of her, all that she still remembers.

Honestly, after being mocked so much by Xue Chen, she really thinks that she wouldn’t be able to get married.

Her head lowers as she thinks over all these. But in other eyes, she looks like she’s shy.

“Let’s sing, let’s sing!” Da Qu picks up the mics to brighten the atmosphere. He then quietly reminds Xue Chen not to make things difficult for Xia Zhen.

No one has any mood, so after half an hour they all leave.

Xia Zhen carpools with Pei Cheng An. When she closes the car door, she turns and tells him, “Xue Chen’s mood is not good today, so all his words sound so nasty. Please don’t mind him.”

“I don’t mind. Is he a very good friend of yours?”

“En. He’s a very close friend. We’ve known each other since high school and we play together often.” She looks up to observe his reaction and sees that his eyebrows briefly knit together before easing. The corners of his lips are even slightly raised.

What kind of reaction is this? Does he hate that she’s close with her guy friends or not?

“Your social network [skills] is really good,” he praises.

“It’s so-so. My fate with opposite-sex friends is pretty good.”

Pei Cheng An nods and then reminds her, “Put on the seat belt. I’m starting the car.”

“Oh.” Xia Zhen still couldn’t tell whether he’s happy or not. In her distracted state, the seat belt slips out of her hand and snaps back into its place. She jumps in surprise.

When she is about to pull on the seat belt again, Pei Cheng An is already leaning over and extending his hand to help her put on her seat belt.

When the belt is fastened, Pei Cheng An smiles at her. A surprised Xia Zhen says, “I can do that myself.”

“I know. But a boyfriend should do something for his girlfriend.”

“You don’t really have to do anything special. We shouldn’t let each other influence our original lives.” Xia Zhen is trying to imply something to him.

Pei Cheng An considers what she said for a moment. He then earnestly says, “But if it’s a good influence, then I’ll welcome it.”

Xia Zhen: “...” She better just go home, wash up, and sleep. She doesn’t know to deal with people like Pei Cheng An. She needs to think some more.