"No way, not until you get your driver's license," Wang Yue waved his hand.
"Ah, alright," Pan Qiudong sighed. There was nothing he could do; he didn't have a license.
Just then, Pan Hanlin suddenly spoke up, "Cousin, I have a driver's license!"
"You do?" Wang Yue asked, skeptical. Pan Hanlin was a bit older and already an adult.
"Yeah, I just got it not long ago," Pan Hanlin replied.
"Cousin, if he has one, I won't touch the car. Can you lend it to me, and he can drive me?" Pan Qiudong quickly chimed in.
Wang Yue glanced at Pan Hanlin. "What do you think?"
"Sure, sure," Pan Hanlin nodded eagerly. "I haven't driven a Mercedes before anyway."
"Fine." Wang Yue didn't waste any more words and tossed the keys to Pan Hanlin. "Let me be clear upfront. If you scratch or dent it, it's fine. But if you let someone without a license drive it, don't blame me for getting angry."
"Got it, got it. I definitely won't let Qiudong touch the steering wheel!" Pan Hanlin nodded vigorously.
Wang Yue nodded and turned to leave. A car worth over 300,000 yuan—even if it got damaged, he wouldn't be heartbroken. He didn't want Pan Qiudong touching the steering wheel to avoid unnecessary trouble. Of course, if Pan Hanlin couldn't keep his word and let Pan Qiudong drive, Wang Yue would never lend them anything again.
...
Wang Yue and a group of over twenty people found a KTV and booked a deluxe suite. Entertainment options were quite limited back then, and karaoke was the primary way most students entertained themselves.
Upon arriving at the KTV, Wang Yue was reminded of the time he impersonated Qiao Zixuan. The girls sat together, and the boys sat together. Soon, wailing sounds filled the room. Most people weren't great singers; they just enjoyed singing. Those who didn't sing played drinking games or dice. Everyone was having a good time.
Wang Yue sang a song when he had the chance, and then everyone asked him to stop. Listening to Wang Yue sing was too discouraging. Interestingly, Wang Yue noticed that "Shuixing Ji" was available for selection at the KTV. He wondered why he hadn't received any royalties.
Singing was most enjoyable at the beginning when everyone was enthusiastic. Once people got tired, the interest waned. They only sang for two hours, and everyone felt bored.
"It's so hot today, why don't we go play in the water?" Zhang Tao suggested.
"Sure!"
"I think that's a great idea!"
"Let's go then."
Playing in the water during summer was indeed refreshing, and it was a win-win situation with the chance to see attractive women in swimwear. However, there were differing opinions on where to go. Some suggested a swimming pool, others the riverbank, and some the seaside. Those who suggested the seaside were met with scorn; this small town had no sea. Even the entire Sichuan province couldn't find a coast. Did they expect to fly out to play in the sea?
Finally, everyone agreed to go to the river. The KTV was located on Binjiang Road, and right outside was the Minjiang River. The Minjiang was considered the mother river of the small town. In the shallower parts downstream, many people came to play in the water every year. However, since no one had brought swimsuits, they decided to just wade in the water by the river.
The boys and girls split into two groups, discussing their own topics.
"It's truly your honor to accompany you immature young people to play in the water today." Yang Yongkang stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an imposing aura in his administrative jacket.
"Exactly," Hu Qianhao mimicked him from the side, putting his hands behind his back. However, without the administrative jacket, he lacked the same presence and looked more like an old loafer.
"Damn it, you two show-offs," Chen Lei rolled his eyes.
"Not at all, not at all. What do you call showing off? I call this maturity," Yang Yongkang grinned.
"Maturity that's gone a bit overboard," Chen Ke teased.
Lu Yang walked with Wang Yue. "Brother Yue, have you considered joining the school team in college? With your skills, you could become famous even at Peking University. Actually, it would be easier to become famous there."
"I haven't thought about it. Basketball is just my hobby," Wang Yue said with a smile.
"I know, basketball is your hobby, and calligraphy is also your hobby," Lu Weiting chimed in from the side, rolling his eyes.
"Wrong!" Zhang Xiang interjected. "Singing, dancing, rap, and basketball are Brother Yue's hobbies! I heard him say so."
"I was just kidding, man," Wang Yue really wanted to say that he had just spoken casually at the time. But then he remembered they didn't know the context, so Wang Yue didn't bother explaining. Even if he did, they wouldn't get his point.
"But it's such a shame not to play basketball with your talent. I'm definitely going to try to join the school team after I enter university," Lu Yang continued.
"I have too many things to do, and I really don't have much time to play basketball," Wang Yue replied.
"Alright, no matter what you choose, I'll always remember that we fought side-by-side," Lu Yang said.
"What are you doing! Ouch." Just then, everyone heard an exclamation. It turned out to be Hu Qianhao. Apparently, he and Yang Yongkang, due to their excessive showing off, were picked up by others and made to do push-ups. The scene was quite amusing.
After walking for about half an hour, they reached the lower reaches of the river. Many people were already there, including adults and children. Children, shirtless, played in the water to their heart's content, while adults waded along the shore. Of course, there were also adults in the water, mostly in the deeper sections, as the shallow areas were not suitable for swimming.
"So cool," Chen Ke splashed river water on his face, feeling refreshed. He then took a picture of the river with his phone and sent a message with a loud voice note: "Baby, we're playing by the river. Look how cool and clear the water is. It feels amazing."
"Yo, Ke'er, you got a girlfriend?" Zhang Xiang walked over and asked gossipingly.
Zhang Tao also said, "Damn, didn't we agree to stay single together? You secretly dating, are you still my brother?"
Hu Qianhao also widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Damn, Chen Ke has a girlfriend, and I'm still single. Is this world still fair?"
Chen Ke said smugly, "Of course. How can you single dogs understand the joy of being in love?"
"Ooh, my baby sent me a message!" Chen Ke turned his phone's volume to maximum and played the voice message.
"Baby, I wish I could play in the water with you too." A sweet female voice came from the voice message, making all the boys howl. But Wang Yue immediately recognized it as Liu Yushi's voice.