Chapter 77: Wolves of the North

“What’s wrong, Qingwan? Do you miss Brother Xuan?” Xiao Juan’s eyes sparkled, as if she’d found a golden opportunity.

He Haoxuan was so wealthy and handsome; to be his girlfriend would be a blessing earned over nine lifetimes.

“What’s wrong? Xiao Juan, are you interested? If so, he’s all yours,” Li Qingwan said, waving her hand graciously.

After all, her sister didn’t like He Haoxuan. They were together only for convenience. In a few months, He Haoxuan would have to leave the Li family.

So, since he had helped her, introducing Xiao Juan to this “migrant worker” was a tremendous favor to him.

Xiao Juan was quite attractive as well, with a tall, slender figure. She wasn’t short of admirers at school.

“Alright then, I won’t be polite,” Xiao Juan replied, thinking Li Qingwan was joking, so she played along.

But Li Qingwan was not joking. She immediately nudged Xiao Juan. “Go, have a drink with He Haoxuan.”

Xiao Juan glanced up and saw He Haoxuan sitting alone in the corner, nursing a drink in silence.

For some reason, seeing him like that tugged at her heart, making her feel inexplicably sad.

He Haoxuan wasn’t just handsome; he carried a kind of weathered, world-weary air that pretty boys could never possess.

Few young men nowadays had that kind of masculine presence.

Men like He Haoxuan were like poison to some women—just one look could set their hearts racing.

If Li Qingwan didn’t want him and he could be hers, wouldn’t that be wonderful? Xiao Juan thought to herself.

She remembered how He Haoxuan changed cars as easily as changing clothes. Last time, she’d seen him in a BMW X5; today it was an X7. Maybe next time it would be an X9.

But, come to think of it, does BMW even make an X9?

“Brother Xuan, may I join you for a drink?” Xiao Juan sat down beside him, her voice sweet and alluring.

A delicate fragrance wafted over, stirring He Haoxuan’s mood.

But he shook his head. “Xiao Juan, no need. Go have fun with the others.”

“Oh, Brother Xuan, I know you’re feeling down, but don’t take it to heart. That’s just how Qingwan is—carefree, not very considerate, but she’s a good person deep down,” Xiao Juan said, assuming his mood was because Li Qingwan was ignoring him.

He Haoxuan looked up at her in surprise. He hadn’t expected this girl to speak well of Li Qingwan.

Having a classmate like Xiao Juan was not bad at all. Unlike Minnie, who always targeted her.

“Xiao Juan, I’m fine, really. Go enjoy yourself. The drinks and juices here are all imported—very expensive,” He Haoxuan said with a smile.

“Brother Xuan, how about I pick a song for you to sing?” Xiao Juan said, clinging to him.

He Haoxuan, seeing her persistence, sighed helplessly. “Xiao Juan, I can’t sing. My voice isn’t pleasant.”

“I can’t sing either! It’s just for fun,” Xiao Juan pleaded, tugging on his arm.

Her soft body pressed against him, and He Haoxuan felt a surge of heat.

Though he didn’t like Xiao Juan, she was indeed attractive. He gently pushed her away, not wanting to be too affected. “Alright, I’ll go sing.”

Xiao Juan, delighted by his agreement, queued up his song of choice: “Wolf from the North.”

Seeing He Haoxuan about to sing, Li Qingwan grew irritated. “He Haoxuan, do you even know how to sing? Don’t torture our ears.”

“Qingwan, don’t say that to Brother Xuan. We’re here to have fun,” Xiao Juan protested.

Li Qingwan, feeling inexplicably uneasy at Xiao Juan’s defense of He Haoxuan, teased, “Oh? Xiao Juan, have you fallen for He Haoxuan?”

“I—I haven’t,” Xiao Juan blushed, shaking her head quickly.

“That’s good. I’m telling you, you two aren’t suitable for each other,” Li Qingwan slurred, slightly drunk and not thinking clearly.

In her mind, He Haoxuan was just a laborer—how could he be worthy of a university student like Xiao Juan?

But in Xiao Juan’s heart, it was different. She saw He Haoxuan as tall, rich, and handsome—far out of her league.

Ignoring Li Qingwan, He Haoxuan picked up the microphone and began to sing softly:

I am a wolf from the North,
Roaming the endless wilderness,
The piercing northern wind blows…

He Haoxuan’s voice wasn’t melodic, a little hoarse even, but it was precisely this roughness that sent a chill through the girls present. The room fell silent as everyone stopped their chatter and listened to him sing.

At first, his singing seemed ordinary, but as the song went on, it seemed to seep into their hearts. The touch of sorrow in his voice didn’t feel like an act—it was as if it came from the deepest part of his soul.

Xiao Juan and the others didn’t even realize when he finished. Only when the next song started did they snap out of their reverie and burst into enthusiastic applause.

“That was wonderful, Brother Xuan! Sing another!” Xiao Juan clapped the loudest.

Li Qingwan felt a pang of jealousy and immediately scowled, “Xiao Juan, don’t exaggerate. How could someone like him sing well?”

“Qingwan, Brother Xuan’s singing was heartfelt,” another girl chimed in.

In that moment, Li Qingwan realized why He Haoxuan’s singing was so moving. It was because he was so poor—his sorrow gave his voice that emotional depth.

“Qingwan, we really envy you—finding a boyfriend like this: rich, handsome, and with such a great singing voice. And he can really hold his liquor too! We’ve all been trying to outdrink him, but he’s not even tipsy,” Xiao Juan and the others said admiringly.

Li Qingwan had already mentioned that if He Haoxuan drank too much, they’d just call a driver for him. So everyone had been trying their best to get him drunk.

But his tolerance was far beyond theirs.

Originally, Li Qingwan had planned to break things off with He Haoxuan tonight, but after hearing her classmates’ praise, her vanity flared up again.

It seemed she needed He Haoxuan to keep pretending to be her boyfriend, so she could keep showing off at school.

“He Haoxuan, let’s drink!” Li Qingwan strode over to him with a bottle of liquor.

He Haoxuan shook his head. “You’ve had enough tonight. No more.”

“How dare you not listen to me?” Li Qingwan, incensed, flung the bottle, splashing liquor all over him.

He Haoxuan looked up at her. At first, he was angry, but seeing her face—so like Li Qingying’s—his anger faded.

“Qingwan, are you crazy?” Xiao Juan hurried over with tissues, dabbing at the stains on his clothes, her heart aching for him.

“Xiao Juan, he’s my boyfriend. What are you doing?” Li Qingwan, unsettled by Xiao Juan’s concern for He Haoxuan, yelled at her friend, “He’s mine—don’t touch him!”

“Even if he’s your boyfriend, you can’t treat him like this. Can’t you show him some respect?” Xiao Juan shot back, raising her voice as well.