Soon after, the hotpot was served. During the meal, some people began urging others to drink, saying that not drinking was disrespectful. Some, unable to refuse, picked up their glasses, but once they started drinking, they couldn’t stop.
Jiang Li claimed she was allergic to alcohol from the beginning, so no one pressured her to drink. However, Qin Zheng was not so lucky and drank a lot, but he seemed to handle his alcohol well and didn’t get drunk.
After a round of alcohol and hotpot, the group proceeded to the karaoke. The drunken students were supported by their classmates as they staggered to the nearby KTV.
Since there were many people, Qin Zheng booked a large private room, enough for their group.
The boys ordered more beer and started drinking games, singing, and playing cards. At first, some people coaxed Jiang Li to sing, but she declined, citing her “tone-deafness,” and they didn’t push further.
With the pressure of the entrance exam gone, the soon-to-be college students were relaxed and uninhibited. The private room was filled with singing, card playing, and drinking. Some even started playing Truth or Dare.
Jiang Li, not as wild as her classmates, quietly observed from the side, thinking they were taking things too far.
Having drunk a lot, Qin Zheng was starting started to feel tipsy. He retreated to the seat next to Jiang Li and asked in a low voice, “Why aren’t you joining the fun?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment and shook her head, “I can’t let loose like that, so I don’t want to spoil the mood.”
“Why would you spoil the mood?” Qin Zheng, though not as wild as the others, was more talkative under the influence of alcohol.
Jiang Li pointed at the group playing Truth or Dare, “They either make the losers drink or have them do dares such as hugging a boy. I can’t do that.”
Qin Zheng laughed, “Then just choose truth!”
Jiang Li thought again and shook her head, “I’d rather not. The questions they ask are too bold for me.”
Earlier, Zhang Qingqing chose truth, and the boys gave her an embarrassing question, asking her to expose her three sizes. One of the boys asking was her buddy, yet Zhang Qingqing didn’t get angry and easily told them her measurements.
Jiang Li felt that if anyone asked her a similar question, she would not hold back from hitting them.
However, she noticed that only two boys asked such bold questions, and they also selectively targeted people. They dared to ask such questions to Zhang Qingqing, but when it came to the gentler girls like Pang Ju or Tang Rou, they only asked if they had a crush on anyone.
Although it was Truth or Dare, the game was not very wild. Some people obviously lied, and if someone didn’t want to complete a dare, they could opt out midway.
For instance, Pang Ju, when asked if she liked anyone, refused to answer and simply quit the game without being forced to do the dare.
But even so, Jiang Li still didn’t want to play such games. She was also not interested in the card games, fearing others might think she was cheating if she joined.
Hearing her answer, Qin Zheng smiled and nodded, then after a few seconds, he said again, “How about we play truth? Just truth, no dare, and I won’t ask you any vulgar questions.”
Jiang Li shook her head, “I don’t play such games because I don’t want to give control to others.”
Seeing Qin Zheng’s slightly disappointed expression, she added, “If you have something you want to ask, just ask directly. If I can answer, I will.”
Qin Zheng nodded slowly, taking a few seconds before asking, “Can we become friends?”
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, “I thought we already were.” In the novel, the ones targeting the original ‘Jiang Li’ were Jiang Ruo’s loyal followers, including so-called relatives who used other people’s hands to do their dirty deeds. As for Qin Zheng, he hardly interacted with ‘Jiang Li,’ so Jiang Li had no ill feelings towards him.
After over three years of interaction, Jiang Li found Qin Zheng to be quite decent. They joined the same interest group, studied, and strived to progress together, so calling them friends wasn’t an overstatement.
However, they were just ordinary friends. Her best friend was, of course, still her Big Nephew Tong Yi.
Hearing Jiang Li’s answer, Qin Zheng nodded thoughtfully and, after a while, said, “I see, thank you. Since you’ve answered my question, do you have anything you want to ask?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment and asked, “Why did you suddenly want to treat us?”
Qin Zheng raised an eyebrow, “That’s it?”
“Can’t you tell me?” Jiang Li tilted her head.
Qin Zheng nodded, “Of course I can. I just noticed that some people don’t like the idea of boys paying the bill while the girls get a free pass. I simply didn’t want to make things awkward.”
“Alright, you win. I don’t have that kind of magnanimity,” Jiang Li said candidly. Perhaps this level of thoughtfulness was a trait of a male lead? Anyway, it was something she was destined not to grasp. She could only accept everyone splitting the bill equally.
Qin Zheng let out a muffled laugh, “Do you know what I was thinking just now?” Without waiting for Jiang Li to answer, he continued, “I felt like you were trying to say this was a ‘male lead’s way of thinking,’ but strangely, I didn’t feel insulted or offended.”
“…” Jiang Li was dumbfounded. This male lead’s intuition was too sharp!
Seeing Jiang Li’s stunned expression, Qin Zheng laughed even harder.
However, his laughter quickly faded because Wang Simin suddenly walked up to him and asked boldly, “Qin Zheng, can I kiss you?”
Qin Zheng: “…”
Having drunk quite a bit, Qin Zheng’s reactions were slower. It took him a full five seconds to regain his composure and reply, “I’d rather not. I want to save my first kiss to my future girlfriend.”
Despite rejecting her, Qin Zheng maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, giving a reason that wouldn’t embarrass Wang Simin too much.
Wang Simin turned to look at the group behind her, “Since the vice class president isn’t willing, there’s nothing I can do. It’s not my fault; let’s continue.”
Qin Zheng shook his head and chuckled, “So it was because she lost at Truth or Dare.”
Jiang Li reminded him, “She did lose, but the dare was for her to choose any boy and ask if she could kiss him. She chose you voluntarily.”
Qin Zheng frowned, “How do you know that?”
“We weren’t far away, so I heard it,” Jiang Li answered matter-of-factly.
“So while you were talking to me, you were also listening to what was going on around you?” Qin Zheng was surprised.
Jiang Li didn’t think it was a big deal, “Yes, Zhang Qingqing has lost three times. First, she revealed her measurements, then she kissed one of the boys through a card, and lastly, she disclosed the color of her underwear. Tang Rou lost once and confessed that she has a crush on you. Shen Mian lost once, and if someone enters the room later, she has to run up to them, hug them, call them ‘Daddy,’ and then ask them to take her home.”
Qin Zheng: “…”
So, while talking to him, Jiang Li was also paying attention to everything else? Was this the difference between a prodigy god and a regular excellent student?
At that moment, Qin Zheng felt completely outclassed.
Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside. A man wearing a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses walked in. Under the flashing lights, Jiang Li recognized him as Tong Yi’s cousin, Tong Xu.
Why is he here? She wondered; Did he enter the wrong room?
The next second, Shen Mian darted out like a rabbit. She hugged Tong Xu and said boldly, “Daddy, are you here to take me home?”
Tong Xu: “…” What’s going on?!
He had just intended to pretend to enter the wrong room and use the opportunity to talk to Jiang Li. How… how on earth did he suddenly gain a daughter?
The room erupted in laughter, with everyone enjoying Tong Xu and Shen Mian’s embarrassment.
At that moment, the door was pushed open again, and a boy wearing a loose T-shirt and jeans burst in, shouting, “Big Brother, your girlfriend found out you’re cheating and is on her way here. Hurry up, you should find another place to hide! I think she has a knife!”
Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Li called out, “Tong Yi?”
Tong Yi turned around, showing a surprised expression, “Jiang Xiao Li, you’re here too?”
Then he glanced at Tong Xu again, “Big Brother, I remember the girl you were with last time wasn’t this one. You change girlfriends way too fast!”
Tong Xu: “…”
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Translator’s Note:
Hello, everyone! As I explained before, The Healer Demands Payment! is going to enter hiatus. After looking around for replacement and asking for suggestion, most of you suggest I take over abandoned titles, and it just happens that one of my favorite title has been abandoned for a few years now, so I feel comfortable taking it over. Here it is: Wake Up Male Lead, You Belong With The Female Lead!. What I love from this author’s novels are always the dynamics between the main couple and the twist incorporated into the seemingly typical cultivation world settings. Hope you can enjoy it as much as I did!
For this week only, there will be daily updates (5 updates), and then it will follow THDP’s update schedule: Tuesday and Thursday.
Enjoy~
Translator’s Note:
Sponsored chapter tomorrow!
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Tong Yi is a menace and I love it!😂
Tong Yi 😂😂😂😂