It was Ning Chu's first time in a karaoke room, at least in this world.
She curiously examined the small private room, sitting nervously in the innermost corner. Her eyes remained fixated on the doorway, watching the comings and goings of guests and staff in the hallway.
Though most karaoke places were fairly reputable, and such establishments rarely featured in risqué novels, they were still venues for drinking and entertainment. The chances of running into drunks or perverts were significantly higher.
"Don't be so tense~" Yan Xinya leaned over. "What song do you want to sing?"
"I... I don't know how to sing."
"Then we'll do a duet later!"
"..."
Since it was her birthday, Ning Chu didn't have the heart to oppose her.
Otherwise, Ning Chu would have resolutely left after dinner instead of joining them at the karaoke room. She had absolutely no knack for music and no technique, just raw emotion. While her current voice was clear and sweet, it was far from pleasant when singing—probably closer to noise pollution.
After pondering for a moment, she suggested, "How about this? Let's sing The Temptation of Wolves."
"Huh? Never heard of it..."
"It's a song by Phoenix Legend. I'll sing the male part."
"..."
Yan Xinya froze for a second, then walked to the song selection console and found The Temptation of Wolves to play. Only then did she realize what song it was.
It had been wildly popular years ago, but she'd never known the title.
However, as the song played, Yan Xinya picked up on something odd. Turning back, she rolled her eyes at Ning Chu. "You barely have any lyrics to sing!"
"Isn't that still singing?"
A moment later, Lin Li entered the room with a server pushing a cart loaded with snacks and several crates of beer.
Ning Chu groaned internally at the sight of the bottles.
Now that she was a girl—and a succubus no less—she absolutely did not want to mess with alcohol.
If she got drunk, who knew what could happen? Being taken advantage of might actually be the best-case scenario.
"How about we skip the drinks?" Ning Chu proposed. "Getting drunk is a hassle."
Lili, who shared her concerns, nodded in agreement.
"Xinya, what do you think?" Lin Li looked at Yan Xinya.
The wolf girl frowned, hesitating for a moment before making a decision. "Alright, you two don't have to drink! Lin Li and I will have just a little!"
"Deal!" Lin Li cheerfully placed two crates of beer on the table.
"..."
Ning Chu sighed, leaning back into the sofa in resignation.
Fine, at least the other girls had no connection to this world's bizarre plotlines. As a female supporting character still tied to the story, Ning Chu had a much higher chance of encountering trouble.
With no interest in karaoke, Ning Chu and Lili sat side by side, munching on chips and scrolling through their phones. Meanwhile, Lin Li's confident and skilled singing filled the room.
True to her nature as a fox girl, Lin Li excelled at seduction, be it through singing, dancing, or other charms.
"Did you have another... incident while eating barbecue earlier?"
A message popped up on Ning Chu's phone, startling her. She glanced at the blank expression of Lili beside her before hurriedly typing a reply:
"No."
Even though they'd all witnessed her "episodes" countless times by now, Ning Chu still felt embarrassed.
"Hmm~ Your face was really red back then."
"It was just hot from the barbecue."
She hastily made up an excuse, but another message arrived.
This time, it was from Wen Yang.
"Arrived."
Along with the message was a photo of a long-distance bus station. Wen Yang followed up with a complaint:
"There was this girl on the bus earlier—she kept trying to touch me."
Say no more—I already know.
Ning Chu sighed quietly, imagining the scene of Wen Yang being harassed. A faint annoyance flickered in her heart, and she frowned.
"I'm heading to the hospital now. Talk later."
Though she wasn't sure how long "later" would be, Ning Chu couldn't help but feel a spark of anticipation.
She pushed away Lili, who was peeking at her screen, and got up. "Want to go to the bathroom with me?"
Lili shook her head.
"Xinya? Come with me?"
"Sure!"
Finally, someone reliable.
Ning Chu turned to look at Yan Xinya, only to see her swaying unsteadily as she tried to stand, collapsing back onto the sofa before jumping up with a yelp.
Her tail had gotten caught under her, and the pain snapped her out of her drunken haze.
This girl's tolerance is so bad?
A few beers and she's like this?
Ning Chu resigned herself, patting her pocket for the hypnosis spray she always carried, and braced herself to head out.
"Wait for me!" Yan Xinya hurried after her. "I'm coming too!"
"..."
Ning Chu had initially hoped Xinya would provide some protection in case of trouble. But now it seemed more likely she'd be a liability.
Pushing open the heavy door of the private room, Ning Chu cautiously peeked into the dim hallway.
A few servers stood idly in the narrow corridor, but there were no other guests in sight. Several claw machines were set up at the corners.
Her heartbeat quickened as she swallowed nervously, scanning every corner with wary eyes.
Meanwhile, Yan Xinya strolled out nonchalantly.
"Come on, hurry! I'm about to pee myself!"
Ning Chu had no choice but to follow, clutching the hypnosis spray in her pocket tightly.
The bathroom wasn't far, just around the corner.
However, standing at the entrance was a burly man with a cigarette dangling from his lips, his imposing figure blocking the way. His sharp, sinister eyes quickly swept over them before returning to his phone.
Hiss~
That scene! That guy! He screams trouble!
Without Wen Yang's protagonist aura, all sorts of creeps and weirdos were bound to show up!
Feeling the weight of his gaze, Ning Chu nervously tugged on Yan Xinya's shirt and whispered, "Should we find another bathroom?"
"I can't hold it anymore!"
"No, seriously, look at that guy..."
"Ah~ don't worry about it!"
Ning Chu couldn't just let Yan Xinya go alone, so she reluctantly followed, her head low and her steps stiff, bracing herself as they approached the man.
Her scalp tingled with dread, and her trembling hand tightened around the spray.
"Excuse me."
Her heart nearly stopped as Yan Xinya boldly walked past the man, who casually stepped aside. Ning Chu hastily followed her into the bathroom, her nerves still on edge.
As Yan Xinya disappeared into a stall, she reassured Ning Chu through the door. "You're too tense! Stop scaring yourself. Ever since Wen Yang left, you've been on edge."
"That guy didn't look trustworthy..."
"For you, as long as there's no Wen Yang around, no man looks trustworthy!"