Chapter 408 - 205: Folk Ballad Solo

Chapter 408: Chapter 205: Folk Ballad Solo

"With a friend."

"Male or female?"

"Female."

Lin Shen’s candor made Xia Nuonuo’s brow furrow. She forced down the knot in her stomach and asked in a cold voice,

"Does my mom know you’re at a lounge with another woman?"

"Of course not."

Lin Shen offered a faint smile.

"But even if Aunt Shen did know, I doubt she’d say much about it."

"So you have no respect for my mom?"

Xia Nuonuo was clearly getting angry, but Lin Shen explained with a placid expression.

"It’s not that I don’t respect your mom. It’s that your mom knows I have a girlfriend... To be precise, she’s the one who came along later."

Huh?

His words left Xia Nuonuo completely stunned. Her eyes went wide, and for a moment, she couldn’t process what Lin Shen had just told her.

’My mom knew Lin Shen has a girlfriend, but she still chose to be with him?’

’Why?’

’My mom might be older, but with her career and resources, she could find any man she wanted.’

’Did she have to pick one who already has a girlfriend?’

’No matter how handsome Lin Shen is, he still crossed a fundamental line in relationships!’

Xia Nuonuo couldn’t understand why her mother would make this choice, just as she’d never understood why her father had cheated.

’Isn’t this basically the same thing?’

Seeing Xia Nuonuo’s conflicted expression, the corner of Lin Shen’s mouth curled into a slight smirk.

"You don’t need to be so surprised. When you get to be your mother’s age, you’ll understand. What she needs isn’t a stable relationship, but psychological comfort and physical satisfaction."

"..."

Xia Nuonuo found herself believing him.

Based on what she had seen when she was spying on them two nights ago, her mother seemed to crave another side of Lin Shen—his manliness.

His virility!

But Xia Nuonuo still felt uncomfortable. Then again, thinking of her own situation, she suddenly let it go and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

’If I can’t even understand my own mother, how can I expect her to understand me?’

"So, I guess we both know each other’s secrets now, huh?"

Lin Shen said with a gentle smile.

"Feeling a little better?"

"I guess so."

Xia Nuonuo murmured. Seeing his chance, Lin Shen decided to play his trump card.

"How about... I sing a song for you?"

"You can sing?"

At the mention of music, Xia Nuonuo immediately perked up.

The corner of Lin Shen’s mouth curled up. He knew he had piqued her interest, so he said humbly,

"I wouldn’t say I’m great. I learned a little guitar before and know a bit about music."

"So what can you play?"

Seeing her take the bait, Lin Shen said nothing, simply holding out his hand.

"Give me your guitar."

Huh?

Xia Nuonuo blinked, then reminded him,

"The strings on this guitar have been modified. It’s only really set up for blues; other styles might not sound right."

"That’s fine."

?

Lin Shen’s confidence left Xia Nuonuo a little baffled.

’Didn’t he say he only knew a little about music?’

’So why does he sound like a seasoned pro who’s been playing for years...?’

Xia Nuonuo grumbled to herself, but ultimately handed her beloved guitar to Lin Shen with a stern warning.

"Don’t you break it."

"Don’t worry."

This was the first time Lin Shen had ever held a guitar, but it didn’t feel as foreign as he’d expected. On the contrary, there was a familiarity that felt bone-deep.

’The "Intermediate Singing and Playing Performance" skill must be kicking in.’

Lin Shen took the guitar and walked onto the darkened main stage. He casually sat down in front of the microphone and began to tune the instrument.

Just as Xia Nuonuo had said, her guitar had been specially modified.

Luckily, it was a steel-string acoustic, so it was also well-suited for folk music.

The only difference was that blues heavily utilized open tunings, whereas folk music used standard tuning.

Lin Shen had never known any of this before. Yet, the moment he held the guitar, a wealth of musical knowledge sprouted in his mind like mushrooms after a spring rain.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room.

When Lin Shen didn’t return after a long while, Zheng Yanfei’s attention drifted from their table. Her eyes frequently scanned the rest of the lounge.

Noticing this, Huang Jie leaned in and finally voiced the question that had been nagging her.

"Fei, did your boyfriend really buy you a Porsche Panamera? Is it in your name?"

"It’s not in my name. He bought it himself and said he’s letting me drive it."

"Ohh~"

A look of understanding dawned on Huang Jie’s face. She then offered a well-intentioned warning.

"He’s not just stringing you along, is he? PUA-ing you? Your boyfriend seems like the type of rich kid who hangs out in bars all the time. He’s handsome, a smooth talker, and knows exactly how to win girls over!"

"My boyfriend is a decent guy."

Zheng Yanfei shot Huang Jie a look.

"If he were buying it for himself, would he have picked a pink paint job?"

Pink?

Huang Jie hadn’t considered that.

It was true, only a girl would drive a pink Porsche. Most guys preferred black.

’Could he really have bought it for Fei?’

Huang Jie felt a pang of envy.

Just then, her wandering gaze landed on Lin Shen walking onto the main stage with a guitar. Surprised, she tugged on Zheng Yanfei’s sleeve.

"Fei! Your boyfriend can play the guitar?"

Huh?

Zheng Yanfei followed Huang Jie’s gaze, and her own eyes instantly lit up.

Huh?

’Is that... him?’

’Is he going to play the guitar?’

’Could he have been gone all this time just to prepare this surprise for me?!’

"I’m going to get a closer look!"

Her love-struck brain taking over, Zheng Yanfei shot up from her seat in excitement. She hurried over to the bar near the stage, propped her chin in her hands, and gazed at Lin Shen with pure adoration, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Seeing this, Huang Jie and the others began to whisper among themselves, their expressions a mixture of shock and confusion.

’Lin Shen can play the guitar?’

TWANG—!

Lin Shen’s right hand swept across the strings. The moment the sound rang out, he felt a sudden, inexplicable thrill.