Chapter 136: Hey, Panties

In fact, even before the rise of "Tunnel Brother," Huang Guolun already knew of the song "In the Human World" and was very fond of it.

He had watched Tunnel Brother’s video. Seeing Tunnel Brother burst into tears while listening to the song left Huang Guolun feeling quite unsettled. Love is always so helplessly cruel; it acts like a mischievous child, constantly trying every possible way to torment you. Huang Guolun understood the source of Tunnel Brother’s tears all too well. Tunnel Brother had watched the girl he had walked seven kilometers for marry someone else, while Huang Guolun had watched Chen Jia, whom he had loved for seven years, be taken by death. Both were instances of gut-wrenching separation, but Huang Guolun’s experience was even more profound and brutal than Tunnel Brother’s.

At this moment, singing this soul-piercing song, Huang Guolun recalled the times he, like Tunnel Brother, had broken down in tears while carrying Chen Jia, and a complex mixture of emotions welled up within him.

"In the human world / Who lives without it feeling like purgatory? / I won’t cry / I have no dignity left to abandon."

"When one day / Those dreams / Drown in the sea of people, don’t be sad, let them go / This song / Let it serve as a funeral."

Let this song be a funeral to bury the pain. Living in this world is a form of spiritual cultivation for everyone. Perhaps you cannot contend with the heavens and the earth, perhaps you cry when you bow your head, perhaps the snow of June will fly into your heart, perhaps there is a Berlin Wall you cannot cross, perhaps you will spend your whole life as a neighbor to suffering.

What can be done? What does it matter?

"Who can prove you ever existed in the human world..."

Huang Guolun sang the last line softly, a question that struck the hearts of many. The guy in the cafe who had requested the song already had tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Young, hot-blooded college students like Wang Peng and Feng Zheng listened to the song as if they were looking at the arduous road every man must walk; they were moved, and deeply melancholic. The older patrons at the tables could best relate to the mood in which Huang Guolun sang. Each of them bore, or had once borne, the heavy burdens of life on their shoulders. At some point, they had all experienced the feeling of insignificance—that reality was a rolling wheel and they were merely ants. When it comes to fate, humans always play the role of the tragic protagonist. Just as the theme of the song suggests: In the human world, who lives without it feeling like purgatory?

Zhao Yan listened to the song, seemingly seeing into Huang Guolun’s fractured soul, as if she were hearing her own voice, wounded by cruel love to the point of losing all dignity. This sense of shared suffering and mutual connection made her long to embrace Huang Guolun for warmth. If life is a bitter pilgrimage, walking it with a kindred spirit is perhaps the best account they can give of themselves.

Zhao Jing had let her mind drift halfway through the song, preoccupied with how to heat up the atmosphere in their live stream room before Chen Lan came to "inspect." As Huang Guolun neared the end of the song, Zhao Jing opened a new window on her laptop to check Chen Lan’s live stream and confirm if she had arrived.

Upon entering, she saw that Chen Lan had a small frame open in her stream, displaying the content of their very own broadcast. Chen Lan was indeed conducting an inspection. She was using external speakers to listen to Huang Guolun’s performance. As she listened, she commented, "This uncle sings with so much heart; you can tell he’s a man with a story."

Seeing comments asking her to sing the same song, Chen Lan laughed and said, "Let me sing a song like that? I couldn't possibly. I’m a girl as innocent as a blank sheet of paper; how could I sing such a heart-wrenching song?" Her habitual act of feigning cuteness made Zhao Jing dry-heave.

Since Chen Lan had kept her promise to drop by, Zhao Jing wasn't as annoyed with her anymore. She sent a "Rainbow" gift to Chen Lan with the note: "Thanks, Senior Sister! Love you, love you, love you! — Brother Jing."

Seeing the message, Chen Lan laughed, "Hey, why aren't you streaming properly? What are you doing in my room? But then again, the uncle you invited really sings well. I was captivated the moment I heard him. Is he a professional singer?"

Zhao Jing generously sent another Rainbow, replying, "This uncle is a music producer, super amazing! Senior Sister, don't just listen to him sing, listen to me too. I'm going to sing soon, give me some feedback!"

After leaving the message, Zhao Jing left Chen Lan’s stream. Huang Guolun had finished the song, and after a brief silence, the cafe erupted into warm applause. Wang Peng and the others cheered for him. Bai Yao, who had been sitting beside Huang Guolun watching him sing, felt the scars deep in his heart and silently applauded her teacher.

Feeling the atmosphere in the cafe was slightly heavy, Zhao Jing decided it was time for her to pull out her "ultimate move" to liven things up. She picked up her cat, Aoli, who had been by her side, adjusted the leopard-print thong she had placed on the cat’s head, and walked onto the stage with a grin, picking up the microphone: "Teacher Huang, take a rest and leave the stage to me!"

Huang Guolun smiled and nodded. Seeing the cat with the underwear on its head resting against Zhao Jing’s chest, he knew she was up to her usual antics. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, he took Bai Yao and stepped off the stage to rest. They sat at the table with Zhao Yan and Hu Xuefang. Zhao Yan, Hu Xuefang, and Shen Yumeng were full of admiration, praising Huang Guolun’s performance with gentle gazes.

As soon as Zhao Jing appeared on stage with the cat, the atmosphere in the cafe immediately spiked, and everyone burst into laughter. The atmosphere in the live stream was even more explosive; her fans and new viewers debated:

"Someone explain, did Brother Jing just reveal something?!"

"Don't just look at the chest, look at the focus! That thing on the cat's head is Brother Jing's leopard-print... thong!"

"You think you're a leopard just because you put on leopard print? Little cat, I've seen through you!"

"Is this Brother Jing, the junior sister of the goddess Lan? She's so pretty! And she doesn't have that typical plastic surgery face, props to her!"

"Others wear their panties, this girl puts them on a cat's head... damn, that's personality!"

"Brother Jing is truly dirty-minded on the outside with a wild heart! I love it!"

"Honey, come out and watch... look at Brother Jing showing off her panties!"

"This stream is interesting! My eyes have been opened!"

"This streamer is a boss! The platform doesn't allow streamers to show their panties, and she puts them on a cat! You're a tough girl, I admire you!"

"What do I do? I think I've fallen for this streamer. Can someone pass a message for me? I want to claim her, starting with five Rainbows as a greeting!"

...

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

After Zhao Jing’s hilariously stunning entrance with Aoli, Rainbows flew across the live stream like fireworks. Zhao Jing couldn't see this, as her goal was simply to hype the crowd. After taking control of the stage, she didn't sing immediately, but instead scratched Aoli’s neck and chatted, "This cat is called 'Panties,' it’s my sister’s. Don't get the wrong idea; the thing on its head isn't mine, it’s my sister’s. ...Sister, 'Panties' has exposed your privacy again, hehe."

Zhao Jing’s smile at Zhao Yan made her face turn as red as an apple. Everyone around them burst into laughter. Zhao Yan frantically waved her hands, explaining to everyone that the underwear wasn't hers! Her flustered state was embarrassing to the bone. Fortunately, Huang Guolun gave her a sympathetic and understanding smile, which made Zhao Yan feel a little better. Under the table, Zhao Yan clenched her fists, thinking that when they got home tonight, she would definitely have to teach Zhao Jing a lesson; there was no way she could get away with jokes like that!

Zhao Jing didn't stop at joking about Zhao Yan; she soon turned her sights toward "Little Four": "You all know who Little Four is, right? I have a friend who bumped into him at a public bathhouse, and he had a very unpleasant experience. This friend of mine had encountered something unpleasant at a bathhouse before, and when he got back, he posted on social media: 'If you go to a public bathhouse and drop your soap, whatever you do, don't pick it up!' ...Haha, why are you laughing? Don't think about it so dirtily. ...Anyway, it was the same guy; later he went to the bathhouse and ran into Little Four. He came back feeling very depressed and posted again: 'Met Little Four at the public bathhouse, whatever you do, don't shake hands with him!' Haha."

The joke made many in the cafe laugh. Huang Guolun smiled helplessly and didn't forget to remind Bai Yao, "Don't learn from this kind of nonsense. You're still a minor." Bai Yao nodded happily, thinking that even if she were allowed to learn this nonsense, she wouldn't want to; she really wasn't interested in such things.

However, for many of the fans in the live stream, Zhao Jing’s jokes were always effective. After the punchline, the audience at the terminal went wild again, leaving excited comments:

"Brother Jing, the natural enemy of Little Four!"

"I really want to know what Little Four would think if he saw this stream, hahaha!"

"What does Brother Jing mean by this joke? Is she saying Little Four likes to sneak up on people's backdoors?"

"To the one who said sneak up, you missed the point, Brother Jing is saying Little Four is short! When people shake his hand, their butts stick out, hahaha!"

"This beauty has a sharp tongue! I love it!"

"I just want to know, Brother Jing, are you wearing panties right now?"

"I wish I could be that cat! Resting on Brother Jing's chest, wearing Brother Jing's panties—so awesome, right?"

...

On the small stage, Zhao Jing sat down casually, placed the cat on the piano to the side, picked up her guitar, crossed her legs, and assumed a posture ready to play.

"Stop looking at my sister’s cat, let me sing you a song—Song Dongye’s 'Hey, Panties.' This song is about my sister's cat, whose name is also Panties, haha. But don't get the wrong idea, my sister has nothing to do with Song Dongye; she’s single. Those who like her can come to Salome Cafe in Houhai South Bank to pursue her. She’s super nice, great at hosting, great at cooking, and... well, you saw the panties on her cat’s head, you know how wild she is on the inside!"

"Zhao Jing!"

Zhao Yan was about to die from anger, nearly punching the sofa in frustration.

"Haha, I won't tease my sister anymore, I'll sing for you."

Zhao Jing composed herself, played the simplest guitar chords, and began to sing "Hey, Panties."