Women would often be quite chatty in each other’s company. Shao Hua, Jia Suyue, and Wang Yanan didn’t stop talking even for a single moment. They chatted about their teachers, classmates, and their own personal situations.

“Did you know that our classmate Zhang Jiehua has gotten married already?”

“Really? She got married so young?”

“She already has a kid. Her husband is a foreman. She’s now the wife of someone rich!”

“How’s our old head teacher doing? I heard that he’s become the director of teaching and research at the school now?”

Shao Hua took some time to tell Zhang Fan and Li Liang, “Hey, you guys eat some more.”

The women were having great fun chatting during this meal. Zhang Fan and Li Liang clinked their teacups together in tacit agreement, feeling that women weren’t scary because they were chatty, but rather because they kept saying phrases like “Really!”, “No way!”, and “What a pity!”

After the meal was over, the three women insisted on going out to karaoke. Since they were old classmates who hadn’t seen each other in many years, they wanted to relive their youth that had left them for so long already after all beginning their own careers. It was rare for them to be so relaxed and carefree.

“Zhang Fan, let’s go to Q Karaoke. That’s the karaoke bar that orthopedic department #1 treated us last time. It’s quite nice there, they have a good environment.” Orthopedic department #1’s medical equipment supplier had previously paid for the department to have a meal and sing karaoke there. It was a relatively high-class karaoke bar in Chasu City.

When time came to pay for the hot pot, Zhang Fan already took out his money, but Shao Hua refused to let him pay. It was awkward for Zhang Fan to say anything, so he was going to let Shao Hua pay. However, Wang Yanan pulled on Shao Hua, saying, “He’s got a pretty good income. Don’t worry about him. One meal like this won’t make him go broke.”

“This has nothing to do with income. I’m paying for this meal to thank him for treating my mother.”

Wang Yanan forcefully dragged Shao Hua away, not letting her pay. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll have plenty of chances later, so just let him pay this time.”

“That Zhang Fan is super stingy, yet he’s actually offering to pay today,” Jia Suyue commented from next to Wang Yanan.

“Eh? So this means that you also know Zhang Fan, and you’ve even eaten with him before?” Wang Yanan was quite surprised.

“Oh! You must not know that~~~” Jia Suyue began chattering about how she got acquainted with Zhang Fan and about his stinginess. She especially emphasized how angry he could make her and how much of a miser he was.

Li Liang was too embarrassed to walk closer to the women, so he waited for Zhang Fan at the restaurant’s entrance. “Bro, you just paid for the meal, and I didn’t join in because Shao Hua also wanted to try and pay for the meal. Let me pay for the karaoke. Otherwise, I won’t feel right.”

“What do you mean, you pay? Have I ever paid for anything in Kuake City? You don’t need to worry about paying for anything, since you’re visiting me. Just have fun tonight. Think of it as preparation for the next half year’s worth of hard work.”

“Alright.”

By the time that Zhang Fan drove his car out of the parking lot to pick up the women, the three women were all laughing by the roadside.

They were currently chatting about Zhang Fan. “Did you know that the first sentence he said when he saw me was, ‘I’ve already eaten’? Heavens, I was so angry back then! If it wasn’t for me being a classy lady, I would have already hit him in the face with my purse! Everyone always treats me to at least 50 to 100 yuan’s worth of food, but he actually strongly emphasized that he already ate right when he saw me!” Jia Suyue wasn’t slandering Zhang Fan here, as he had indeed behaved this way.

Wang Yanan and Shao Hua were laughing really hard at this. “That’s hilarious! Zhang Fan actually has such a side to him? He acts so serious in the hospital, and always lectures me as if he’s my dad,” Wang Yanan remarked. “Actually, Zhang Fan really is quite skilled, and he has a good status in the department. He’ll definitely have a bright future. Right now, you still have a chance with him,” Wang Yanan intentionally commented to Jia Suyue.

“Forget it! Even if he becomes the future Chairman of China, I still won’t be interested in him. But, I think it’s quite obvious that he’s interested in Shao Hua. I wonder if he’ll also tell you, ‘I’ve already eaten’?”

“Hahaha!” The three women started laughing again.

Zhang Fan arrived at this time. “What are you all laughing about? Let’s get on the car.”

Shao Hua actually hadn’t paid that much attention to Zhang Fan’s physical appearance before. Even though she had seen him several times already, he hadn’t left her with a deep impression. This was primarily because Zhang Fan’s appearance was too ordinary. When Shao Hua got on Zhang Fan’s car, she took a long glance at Zhang Fan, and said, “He really is dark-skinned!”

After getting on the car, the three women couldn’t help but break out into laughter again at seeing Zhang Fan. They couldn’t stop their laughter at all. Zhang Fan also chuckled, and asked, “What’s going on that’s so funny?”

Actually, this wasn’t really that hilarious. It was just that the three women had all drunk some alcohol, and they were really excited and happy about meeting as former classmates. Joking about Zhang Fan was just their way of having fun together.

“It’s nothing, let’s go.” Shao Hua waved her hand to signal that it was nothing. Without her own realizing it, she was talking more and more to Zhang Fan in quite an easy manner.

Zhang Fan had rarely come to karaoke before. He had only visited with the entire department with all the doctors. Several young women stood together in a row and all bowed to greet the guests after Zhang Fan parked his car and arrived at the karaoke. There was a lot of warm welcome from all the karaoke employees as Zhang Fan went to their private room. He really couldn’t get used to such a scene. In fact, he felt as if his hair was standing on ends from seeing so many people bow to him and greet him so.

They only reserved a small room as there were only five of them. Jia Suyue was especially fond of karaoke, so she was familiar with how things worked. “What would you guys like to drink? Do you want more beer?” inquired Jia Suyue.

“No,” Shao Hua and Wang Yanan answered simultaneously. Shao Hua then turned to look at Li Liang. “You haven’t drunk much, so how about we order some bottles of beer for you?”

“Si— no need.” Li Liang almost even called her sister-in-law! He could tell that Zhang Fan was extremely serious about Shao Hua, but with Zhang Fan’s personality of only caring about medicine, it was definite that he wouldn’t participate in this. Not only did he not know how to sing, he barely even spoke at meals.

Thus, their group ordered a few fruits and sodas. The three women first teamed up together to sing a song from their high school days. They even hugged each other as they sang together.

To be honest, when rating the three women’s looks, Zhang Fan had to admit that Jia Suyue was the prettiest among them, while Shao Hua and Wang Yanan were on par with each other. As for their auras, all three women were different. Jia Suyue seemed like a high-class lady, Shao Hua seemed to Zhang Fan like the type of woman who was more logical than emotional, and he viewed Wang Yanan as the carefree, hardworking, manly type.

After the three women finished their song, they all clinked their glasses together. Although it was only soda, they didn’t clink together with Zhang Fan or Li Liang, as this was only about their friendship between classmates.

After the group song, it was now time for individual songs. Jia Suyue had a good singing voice, and even knew how to sing English songs quite well. Wang Yanan intentionally went over to sing together with Li Liang in order to create a chance for Zhang Fan to be together with Shao Hua.

“Have some water.” Zhang Fan had ordered some bottled water at an unknown time.

“Thank you. How come you’re not singing?”

“I don’t really know how to sing. It’s nice to listen to you all sing, though. Have you been busy with work?”

“Work is alright. Actually, Jia Suyue really is quite nice. She just has a little temper.” Women are truly such miraculous creatures! (Author’s note: please take a good look at your own wife, girlfriend, or female friends, and think about it for yourself.)

“Oh! We’re the type who met each other too early. It’s likely that Jia Suyue and I would have a better relationship if we met each other 10 years in the future instead. How’s your mother been doing lately?”

“She’s doing quite well now, thank you.”

Jia Suyue finally gave up her microphone after finishing three songs. She insisted on dancing together with Wang Yanan. “Shao Hua, sing Tick Tock for us! I really love hearing you sing that one!” [TL note: Tick Tock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCMS6I6MsiM]

But at this moment, The End of the Earth started playing on the karaoke program. [TL note: The End of the Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDeRzYjRGvY ]

“Li Liang, hurry and change the song to Tick Tock!”

“This is Brother Zhang’s favorite song,” Li Liang told Jia Suyue.

“The End of the Earth is also a pretty good song. I haven’t danced together with you for so long,” Wang Yanan said as she pulled Jia Suyue into a dance.

Shao Hua chuckled as she commented to Zhang Fan, “Haha, you should sing this one. I’d like to hear how you sing.”

Zhang Fan didn’t really listen to many songs back in college. He didn’t have the time, money, or mood. But, someone sitting close to him on the train had been listening to The End of the Earth when Zhang Fan just arrived at the border province. Zhang Fan had fallen in love with this song back then.

Zhang Fan truly felt like this song was filled with his own emotions as he had just left college back then, and was completely lost in confusion regarding the future as he traveled thousands of kilometers by himself. To be honest, Zhang Fan hadn’t brought anything but his courage to Kuake City.

Well, nothing would ever go too poorly as long as you put your heart into it. “Not bad,” Jia Suyue said to Wang Yanan about Zhang Fan’s singing. Both Jia Suyue and Wang Yanan were tall and slender. Li Liang was almost staring with his mouth agape as he watched them dance together.

Shao Hua sang the next song, Angel’s Wings. [TL note: Angel’s Wings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTDRldlT_0w] It was now Zhang Fan’s turn to stare with his mouth wide agape. Her warm voice melted away all his nervousness and anxiety in his heart. Although Zhang Fan had his System and medical license, Zhang Fan had constantly been tense, and never truly enjoyed himself out here. At this moment, a voice in his heart spoke to him: “I like Shao Hua.”

After karaoke was finished, Zhang Fan drove each of the women to their homes. Shao Hua’s home was the closest, so hers was the first stop. After Shao Hua got off the car, Zhang Fan hesitated for a moment, and then decisively got off the car and chased after Shao Hua.

“What’s going on?” Jia Suyue looked at Wang Yanan.

“You take a guess!” Wang Yanan had a big smile on her face.

“Brother Zhang is truly being serious.”

“Would you be willing to go out with me, and be my girlfriend?” Shao Hua turned around because she heard footsteps behind her, and was instantly greeted with this from Zhang Fan.

“Oh!” This was too sudden for her. Although Shao Hua knew already that Zhang Fan was romantically interested in her, this really was too sudden.

“No need to worry, there’s no need to rush. You can take time to think things over slowly. I just wanted to say that out loud, otherwise I’d feel so pent up. I’m leaving now. Please rest well.” Zhang Fan immediately turned around and ran away right after saying this. He was too scared to hear a rejection from Shao Hua.

(Author’s note: hey, who hasn’t had a first love before? Who hasn’t been young before? When you’re middle-aged with a beer belly, it will be impossible for you to rediscover your previous purity and past self. Do you know where your first love is today? Do you still miss her sometimes? So, please don’t laugh at Zhang Fan.)