Chapter 125: Dinner Is on Me Tonight

Li Mu never expected Wu Shuai’s attempt to show off to be so perfectly timed.

Because China Central Television had previously used the song "When You Are Old" as background music, "Muzi" had become quite famous. As that song swept the nation, Muzi’s other track, "Zebra, Zebra," also gained a significant following, particularly among college students.

Folk music was currently in a slump. If one looked back, there was the era of Ai Dajin and Lao Lang; if one looked ahead, Li Zhi, Wan Xiaoli, Zhao Lei, and Song Dongye had yet to emerge or gain popularity. In this transitional period for folk music, "Zebra, Zebra" was a rare gem for enthusiasts.

Given this, it was no surprise that Wu Shuai chose to sing this particular song.

Wu Shuai’s voice was decent—above average for an amateur—and his guitar skills were in the transition from beginner to intermediate. However, his singing lacked personal depth; he simply performed the notes. If one listened with their ears, they would catch absolutely no emotional resonance. But if one watched with their eyes, the emotional intensity seemed overwhelming, because this guy was excessively dramatic with his facial expressions while singing.

All things considered, if Wu Shuai’s musical talent were compared to Li Mu’s, Li Mu could teach him a lesson in minutes. If Wu Shuai knew that Li Mu was actually Muzi, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to be schooled by him.

Nevertheless, Wu Shuai’s performance drew applause and cheers. Many girls looked at him with sheer infatuation. Li Mu knew the mindset of girls in this era all too well; most of them did not yet understand the importance of material wealth. They pursued appearances and feelings. By learning guitar for two months and strumming a few tunes, one could easily trick many girls into throwing themselves at them. It wasn't like years later, when even if a "literary youth" played the guitar to perfection, they would still struggle to pick up girls if they didn't have money in their pockets.

Dou Xueli said to Li Mu, "I’ve heard Muzi’s original, and it leaves this guy in the dust."

Li Mu smiled and asked, "Is it really that good?"

"Of course! What he’s singing is nothing!"

Su Yingxue turned to Li Mu and said, "You should listen to it on Yiting.com. I think Muzi’s voice is exceptionally good."

Li Mu nodded, a sense of accomplishment—having finished showing off and successfully walking away—welling up inside him.

Chen Wan sent a text message asking, "Did you go to a bar?"

"No."

"Then where are you watching someone sing 'Zebra, Zebra'?"

"At a hometown association meeting."

Li Mu replied truthfully.

Chen Wan replied, "Oh, I see. Well, enjoy the show; I won't disturb you."

"You seem very busy?"

"Of course. There’s so much going on at school."

"Alright then..."

After Wu Shuai finished his song, a few others volunteered to perform. After several people went up and wailed away, Li Mu couldn't stand it anymore. Just as he was about to ask Su Yingxue and Sun Jian if they wanted to leave, Wu Shuai walked over to Su Yingxue. Seeing no seat available, he leaned his arms on the table and said with practiced familiarity, "Yingxue, come join the dinner gathering tonight."

Su Yingxue glanced at him and said indifferently, "Please use my full name."

Wu Shuai froze, not expecting the icy beauty to be so cold and dismissive, rejecting him entirely in one sentence.

However, Wu Shuai was no novice. He acted as if he didn't care and smiled slightly, "Student Su Yingxue, would you like to join the dinner tonight?"

"No," Su Yingxue answered crisply.

Wu Shuai didn't give up. "Members from the sophomore and junior classes are all attending. Many of us seniors are student union cadres. Getting to know everyone will be good for your future in the student union."

The influence of a prestigious university's student union was extraordinary. Many national leaders in China had served as student union presidents during their time in school. A background in the student union was an extremely useful asset for the background checks required to enter important government agencies. Moreover, the student union held various privileges on campus; it was all gain and no pain.

For students aspiring to become civil servants, the first thing they would do upon entering school was find a way into the student union and strive to perform well, hoping to secure some position during their university years.

However, Wu Shuai had misjudged Su Yingxue.

Su Yingxue’s goal was never to become a civil servant or enter a state-owned enterprise. She loved economics and longed for further studies abroad. She had her own obsession with Wall Street—not for the money or the extravagance, but for the brilliant minds in the financial sector who could move the world. To her, the student union was not even a consideration; she even went out of her way to avoid it.

The scenario Wu Shuai thought was highly alluring was met only with four cold words from Su Yingxue: "Not interested."

Wu Shuai was furious. This woman was impervious to his tactics; how could he make any progress? Damn it, so many freshmen were crying and begging to get into the student union—how could she not be interested?

Just as he was panicking, not knowing what to do, a stranger appeared on the scene and called out to Wu Shuai, "Little Wuzi."

Upon hearing that voice, Wu Shuai turned around immediately. Sure enough! It was that senior who looked as beautiful and kind as an angel, but existed like a demon to him.

"Senior Sister Ai..." The confidence and posturing on Wu Shuai's face vanished, replaced by an expression of extreme trepidation.

The woman who arrived was Dong Ai. She was also a member of the hometown association and a senior in the School of Economics. She had already been recommended for admission to the university’s graduate school and was the hand-picked disciple of one of the most famous professors, Professor Zhu Min—a truly formidable figure. Not only that, she was one of the three vice presidents of the Renmin University student union, and the only woman among the top four leaders.

Dong Ai was very famous at Renmin University. Although her appearance was a notch below the "school beauty" level, her status as a top-tier academic was god-like in the school, and she was highly respected by undergraduates.

Dong Ai had never really liked participating in hometown association activities; in fact, ever since Wu Shuai entered the school, he hadn't seen her attend once. When Wu Shuai joined the student union as a sophomore, he discovered that one of the vice presidents was a fellow native of Nansu, so he tried every means to curry favor with her.

However, Dong Ai was a queen-level figure with high emotional and intellectual intelligence. She saw through Wu Shuai’s motives at a glance and kept her distance. She even intentionally gave him the nickname "Little Wuzi." Every time Wu Shuai shamelessly tried to cozy up to her, she would pour a bucket of cold water on him with extremely clever methods. Over time, Wu Shuai stopped approaching her and instead started backing away in fear.

Regaining his composure, Wu Shuai felt annoyed. Being called "Little Wuzi" in public made him lose face, but he truly couldn't afford to provoke her, so he forced a smile and asked, "Senior Sister Ai, why are you here?"

Dong Ai curled her lips and retorted, "Why can't I be here? I am, after all, a member of the Nansu Hometown Association."

"Yes, yes, yes," Wu Shuai nodded like a woodpecker, hurrying to say, "Senior Sister Ai, please find a seat and rest for a moment; we’ll all have dinner together tonight."

"Not interested." Dong Ai waved her hand and asked with a smile, "I'm here to find someone. Among this year's freshmen, is there a junior named Li Mu from Haizhou?"

Li Mu was surprised. What was going on? He was certain that he couldn't possibly know a senior student at Renmin University. This senior looked to be in her early twenties, a junior or senior, so why would she come looking for him?

However, surprise aside, since she had named him, Li Mu stood up and said, "Hello, I am Li Mu."

"Oh!" When Dong Ai saw Li Mu, her eyes suddenly lit up. "Freshman Li Mu, you’re quite handsome in person!"

Li Mu gave an awkward smile and asked, "Senior sister, do we know each other?"

Dong Ai shook her head. "No, but we will after having a meal together. Are you free? I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight."

The older members of the hometown association were stunned.

Senior Sister Ai was offering to treat someone to dinner! Had they heard that right? It was unbelievable; Senior Sister Ai was actually taking the initiative to invite someone to dinner! Over the past few years, hundreds of people had begged to treat her to dinner, and she never obliged. Now, she had actually come over to invite a freshman, and judging by her words, this was their first meeting.

Li Mu was also stunned. What was happening? Where did this senior come from?

Wu Shuai was infuriated. Dong Ai never gave him the time of day—let alone treating him to a meal, she refused every time he tried to treat her. Sometimes, even when he handed her a bottle of water, she would refuse. Wu Shuai had analyzed her psychology before; she was a person with high emotional intelligence who generally wouldn't go out of her way to annoy others, but she specifically refused to give him face, which meant she must really dislike him.

He was used to her disliking him, knowing his motives weren't pure. But what was going on with this Li Mu?

Seeing Li Mu silent for a while, Dong Ai couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, it's just a meal. Are you afraid I’m going to eat you?"

"Whoa..." The hometown association members were shocked again. Senior Sister Ai could actually say something with a hint of ambiguity! And to a freshman! Could it be that after three years without dating, she was suddenly looking to "eat tender grass" now that she was a senior?

However, Senior Sister Ai looked so outstanding and stunningly beautiful that even if she were to "eat tender grass," no one would raise any objections...

Li Mu hesitated for a moment and said to Dong Ai, "Senior sister, I have friends with me."

Dong Ai glanced at Su Yingxue beside him and waved her hand nonchalantly. "Let's go, bring them along."

Li Mu was curious about this senior’s background and had already decided to accept. But thinking about Sun Jian and the newly met Dou Xueli, he said to Dong Ai, "Senior sister, there are four of us. Is that okay?"

Dong Ai nodded without a care. "No problem at all. Let's go!"