Chapter Thirty-One: Who Says Women Are Inferior to Men!

Xiaohua was a girl with an oval face, slightly plump, but very cute. Whenever she smiled, two deep dimples would appear on her cheeks.

Because there were few students in the class, Qin Luo remembered her. On the very first day, when he offered a free medical check-up to the class, he discovered bruising in her abdomen that needed to be dealt with promptly. Otherwise, over time, it might become a lump or even deteriorate into cancer.

For this reason, Xiaohua had always felt grateful to Qin Luo.

All forty-nine students were present, and with Qin Luo, the only teacher, that made fifty in total. Some of the students were well-off; they drove their own cars and took half of the students with them. The remaining half took taxis to join them at the destination.

Some students invited Qin Luo to ride ahead with them, but he refused. He was their teacher, and even if they were just going out for fun, he was responsible for their safety.

Qin Luo ended up taking the last taxi with Wang Jiujiu, stopping in front of a grand and lavishly decorated karaoke club.

“Golden Palm Karaoke Lounge,” Qin Luo read softly, glancing up at the neon sign, glowing as dusk began to fall. “Doesn’t look cheap. With so many of us, can Xiaohua really afford it?”

Though Qin Luo had never been to a karaoke club before, he’d seen such places on TV. He knew money flowed quickly here—a dozen beers could cost several hundred, a single bottle of red wine might be over a thousand. For a young girl to treat so many people, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Xiaohua’s family is rich. We’re feasting on the wealthy tonight,” Wang Jiujiu said with a laugh.

The students who arrived first came out to greet them; the rooms had already been reserved. By the time Qin Luo and his group entered, the spacious private room was already packed.

Xiaohua beamed with happiness as she came over. “Mr. Qin, sit wherever you like. Make yourself at home.”

“Xiaohua, happy birthday,” Qin Luo said with a smile. “Wang Jiujiu only told me after school that it was your birthday today. I didn’t have time to get a gift—I’ll make it up to you.”

“Mr. Qin, having you here is the best gift I could ask for. You have no idea how many girls in class envy me,” Xiaohua replied innocently, her face glowing.

“You two are so formal! If you’re not tired talking like this, I’m tired just listening,” Wang Jiujiu interjected purposefully, trying to lighten the atmosphere. “Xiaohua, don’t tell me there’s nothing to eat? I’m starving.”

“Sis Jiu, I’ve ordered a steak for everyone. It might not taste authentic, but let’s make do. There are also barbecue dishes and snacks. Order whatever you like,” Xiaohua said affectionately, holding Wang Jiujiu’s hand. Clearly, the two were close.

“I won’t be polite, then,” Wang Jiujiu replied with a grin. “But there aren’t enough people here. Where’s everyone else?”

“I was worried it’d be too crowded, so I booked two rooms. They’re next door,” Xiaohua explained.

“You’re really generous. Your card’s going to reach its limit tonight,” Wang Jiujiu teased, pinching Xiaohua’s chubby cheek.

“It’s fine. My dad will send someone to pay the bill later,” Xiaohua replied breezily.

Soon, the steaks Xiaohua ordered arrived. They weren’t quite authentic, but to a group of hungry students ready to sing, they were delicious enough.

Qin Luo couldn’t tell whether the taste was authentic or not—this was the first steak he’d ever eaten. He had no idea what it was supposed to taste like.

After lining their stomachs, the boys started drinking. Some of the girls joined in, while others went to pick songs and sing.

Wang Jiujiu grabbed the microphone and said, “Thank you, everyone, for coming to Xiaohua’s birthday party! On behalf of Xiaohua, I want to say thank you. Now, here’s a song: ‘Curiosity Killed the Cat,’ dedicated to Xiaohua and our special guest, Mr. Qin.”

In my eyes, there’s a circle, dark as night,
Watching you, I want to know what’s on your mind.
You’re as mysterious as the island of Sicily,
And I’m as curious as a kitten.

They say curiosity is the death of a cat,
If you go headlong without thinking, that’s bad.
You’d best be clear about your aim,
Or you’ll lose your pride along with your curiosity.

——

It was a flavorful song of youthful romance, with a distinctly unique style. Wang Jiujiu’s voice was impressive, capturing the coquettish laziness of a young girl to perfection.

When she finished, thunderous applause erupted—mixed with whistles from the boys.

Wang Jiujiu put down the microphone and ran to sit beside Qin Luo. “Mr. Qin, shall I pick a song for you?”

Qin Luo shook his head repeatedly. “No, no, I can’t sing.”

“Hehe, I knew you couldn’t. Did you really think I’d dare let you sing? I’m afraid if you did, everyone would run away, scared.”

“That’s quite likely,” Qin Luo replied with a laugh.

“Beer or wine?” Wang Jiujiu asked, one hand holding a beer, the other a bottle of Great Wall dry red, looking at Qin Luo.

In this setting, Wang Jiujiu deliberately ignored Qin Luo’s status, and purposely didn’t call him “teacher.”

“I don’t drink,” Qin Luo shook his head. “Just water for me.”

“No way, Mr. Qin, you don’t even drink? With your get-up, I thought you were like those legendary heroes of old—able to hold their liquor,” said the burly Li Meng, approaching with several beers, clearly planning to drink with Qin Luo until they dropped.

“I really can’t drink,” Qin Luo said with a wry smile. His grandfather had warned him since he was little never to touch alcohol, and he’d never broken that rule.

“Just one bottle,” Li Meng insisted. “Look, even the girls are drinking beer. Surely you’re not going to let the girls outdo you?”

“Exactly, Mr. Qin, it’s Xiaohua’s birthday. You have to at least have a drink to celebrate. We’re not forcing you—just a little is fine. Worst case, if you get drunk, I’ll take you home,” Wang Jiujiu egged him on.

“If you’re taking Mr. Qin home, are you planning something improper?” Li Meng grinned at Wang Jiujiu.

Usually, he’d never have the courage to joke with a campus beauty like Wang Jiujiu, but in this relaxed setting, everyone felt closer, so he dared to make a harmless joke.

“Sure, as long as Mr. Qin doesn’t put up too much of a fight, I’ll make sure it’s a done deal,” Wang Jiujiu shot back, looking at Qin Luo.

“You two really don’t treat your teacher with any respect,” Qin Luo said, trying to sound stern.

“Heh, in class, you’re our teacher. Out here, you’re our boss. Right, guys?” Li Meng called out behind him.

“Yeah, boss!” the boys cheered in unison.

Qin Luo laughed, waving them off. “Go on, drink your beer.”

“Mr. Qin, it’s my birthday today. Let me toast you,” Xiaohua said, returning from next door after toasting the others, joining in the effort to get their teacher to drink.

“Mr. Qin, Xiaohua’s the birthday girl. You’ve got to drink with her,”

“Yeah, otherwise Xiaohua will cry!”

“All in favor of Mr. Qin drinking, raise your hands—look, Mr. Qin’s hand is up! So cooperative.”

Qin Luo struggled to escape from Wang Jiujiu, who had raised his right hand for him, and said with a bitter smile, “I really can’t drink. How about this: I’ll have one glass with Xiaohua, and that’s it for the night. Agreed?”

He wanted to make it clear ahead of time, to avoid being pressured into drinking more.

“No problem. We agree!” Li Meng called out.

With no way out, Qin Luo took the glass of red wine Wang Jiujiu handed him, raised it to Xiaohua, and said, “Happy birthday, Xiaohua.”

“Thank you, Mr. Qin.” Xiaohua tipped her head back and downed the glass in one go.

With the birthday girl having finished, Qin Luo couldn’t refuse. He braced himself and drained the red wine.

It was his first time drinking in over twenty years—Qin Luo felt both anxious and curious. He worried his body might react just as his grandfather had warned, but he was also curious—what did alcohol taste like?

He licked his lips, savoring the aftertaste for a moment. It didn’t seem like anything special.

Just as he was about to say something, a wave of dizziness hit him, and he collapsed into Wang Jiujiu’s arms.

Ah!

Wang Jiujiu caught him, exclaiming, “Mr. Qin, are you alright? Don’t scare me!”

“I’m fine,” Qin Luo replied weakly. “Just dizzy. Let me lie on the sofa for a bit.”

Though Wang Jiujiu’s embrace was gentle, Qin Luo’s face burned with embarrassment—how could he, a teacher, let himself fall into a student’s arms in front of everyone?

“Alright,” Wang Jiujiu agreed. Without asking for help, she scooped Qin Luo up, just like a burly man carrying his new bride.

Qin Luo buried his head in Wang Jiujiu’s hair, wishing he could disappear.

How could this woman be so bold, just picking him up like that?

Luckily, everyone was more concerned about his health than his expression.

“Are you okay, Mr. Qin?” Li Meng asked nervously.

“I’m fine, just a little dizzy. Maybe the alcohol went to my head. I’ll be fine after a rest,” Qin Luo answered.

But he knew his condition was much more serious than simple dizziness. His meridians surged and slowed erratically inside him, his pulse was chaotic, and his stomach churned as if a storm was raging in his gut.

Perhaps the alcohol had triggered some kind of chemical reaction in his body. He’d have to investigate later to find out why.

“Damn this constitution,” Qin Luo thought gloomily. He hoped no one would tell the school about this. If his grandfather found out he’d been drinking, he’d be in for it.

Li Meng picked up Qin Luo’s glass from the floor and asked Wang Jiujiu, “Did you give Mr. Qin red wine?”

“Yes.”

“The same as us?”

“From the same bottle,” Wang Jiujiu said, looking at Qin Luo with concern.

“That’s odd. Red wine isn’t that strong, right? Could it be that Mr. Qin’s one of those legendary one-glass-down types?”

Qin Luo silently vowed that once he was better, he’d make sure to settle the score with this guy.

Just then, a wave of nausea rushed over him, as if something inside was about to burst out.

Qin Luo quickly sprang from the sofa and hurried outside.

“Hey, Mr. Qin, there’s a bathroom in the private room—” Wang Jiujiu called after him, but he didn’t hear; he was already out the door.

Wang Jiujiu, worried about Qin Luo, rushed after him.

Li Meng wanted to follow, but Xiaohua pulled him back. “What are you going for? Come on, let’s drink.”

The others paused, then laughed and returned to their drinks.

After leaving the room, Qin Luo walked quickly. Fortunately, he soon saw the sign for the restroom.

Splash—

Rushing in, he leaned over the sink and vomited violently, then dry-heaved as if he was about to cough up his very organs.

“Mr. Qin, are you alright?” Wang Jiujiu ran in and began patting him on the back.

“Hey, what are you doing in here?” The sudden appearance of a woman in the men’s restroom startled several men at the urinals.

“I’m not looking at you. What’s the fuss?” Wang Jiujiu retorted.

——

“I’m fine,” Qin Luo waved weakly. “This is the men’s room. What are you doing here?”

“I was worried about you,” Wang Jiujiu replied.

Li Qingyang walked into the restroom and was also startled to see a woman inside. After checking the sign to make sure he hadn’t gone to the wrong place, he posed at his most attractive angle and smiled, “Miss, aren’t you in the wrong place?”

“I know,” Wang Jiujiu said, handing Qin Luo a tissue to wipe his mouth. Honestly, it was her first time barging into a men’s restroom, and she was nervous, keeping her eyes on Qin Luo and not daring to look elsewhere.

“Need any help?” Li Qingyang glanced at the beautiful woman beside Qin Luo, then his face darkened. “It’s you?”

Qin Luo looked up, surprised to see Li Qingyang here. “What are you doing here?”

Li Qingyang cast a greedy glance at Wang Jiujiu, then sneered, “I really misjudged you. Turns out you’re quite the ladies’ man. So, is it this woman who’s better in bed, or is it Li Qingcheng?”

Qin Luo was curious about that himself, but he had no answer.

“Your mouth is as foul as ever. Planning to teach me a lesson?” Qin Luo straightened up as best he could.

“Heh, what a coincidence running into you. Since you said it, how could I not oblige you with a lesson?” Li Qingyang said.

“What do you want?” Wang Jiujiu glared at Li Qingyang.

“This has nothing to do with you. Step aside,” Li Qingyang said, planning to corner Qin Luo in the restroom and beat him up.

The guy wasn’t as tall, as strong, or as good-looking as he was—though looks didn’t matter in a fight. But in his current sickly state, he didn’t look like a match at all.

“Get out of the way!” Wang Jiujiu shouted.

“Bitch, don’t push your luck. I’ll say it again—get out of my way!” Li Qingyang barked.

Then, something shocking happened.

Wang Jiujiu suddenly attacked, locking her arms around Li Qingyang’s neck and driving her knee hard into his stomach.

With a pig-like scream, Wang Jiujiu grabbed his hair with one hand and slammed his face into the mirror above the sink.

Crash!

The mirror shattered, and so did Li Qingyang’s face.