Chapter Fifty-Six: Truth or Dare

“Let’s get wild, everyone!” As soon as Wang Tao and Kang Yan finished their song, Tan Linlin leaped up from the sofa and dashed straight to the song selection screen. Liu Na, sitting next to her, tried to grab her but failed.

A blast of electrifying DJ music thundered through the room, shaking everyone to their core. Tan Linlin began to twist her hips wildly to the beat, shouting for Xu Tong and Liu Na to join her on the dance floor. At first, no one moved; all eyes were fixed on Tan Linlin as she danced alone in a frenzy. But atmosphere is everything, and with the flashing lights scattering across the private room and the explosive music igniting their inner passion, the fever soon spread. Yuan Weiye finally shouted, “Ha! The young master’s here!” He ran to Tan Linlin’s side and started gyrating his thick waist, occasionally mimicking her dance moves.

Watching the two of them, especially Yuan Weiye, Xu Tong’s athletic spirit couldn’t be contained any longer—he rushed up and deliberately squeezed himself between Tan Linlin and Yuan Weiye, dancing along. Tan Linlin punched him, but he didn’t care and kept on moving.

With Xu Tong joining in, Wang Tao, Lin Xudong, Kang Yan, and Liu Na followed suit. Even Xiao Lin was swept up by the energy, pulling Wang Yuqing along with him. In an instant, the group of young men and women unleashed their hormones to the pounding beat, pouring out their emotions with abandon. None of them had ever learned to dance, but in this music, choreography didn’t matter; all that was needed was to move with the rhythm.

If any adults were to witness the scene, they’d surely sigh at the beauty of youth—their exuberant, unrestrained movements, lacking in polish yet brimming with unique charm. Though untaught, their bodies danced freely, never losing grace, each face radiant with joy, utterly devoid of affectation. Every step, every spin seemed to spring from their understanding of youth, and right here, right now, their impromptu dance was effortless. All that existed was rhythm, music, ease, and happiness.

Wang Yuqing didn’t know how to dance, especially not to such intense music. Yet some are blessed with natural advantages. Unlike Tan Linlin’s bold, sweeping gestures, Yuqing simply swayed her waist gently, waved her arms, and nodded her head lightly, occasionally spinning a graceful circle. Still, her slender figure, light steps, and delicate beauty—pure as jade, goddess-like—made her movements ethereal and enchanting. Xiao Lin circled her like a prince guarding a swan. He wasn’t much of a dancer himself, but was more practiced than Yuqing, having learned some basic steps from visits to clubs with Ma Yunrou. In the midst of this wild dance, they all forgot their identities as students, becoming, for a moment, dancers in a nightclub, performing their own unique youth.

The dance lasted over half an hour, until everyone collapsed onto the sofa, breathless and motionless. Tan Linlin sprawled out, sweat covering her forehead and hair plastered to her face. Wang Yuqing, too, was panting, removing her outer jacket.

“Oh my goodness, I’m exhausted!” Tan Linlin gasped for breath.

“Who do you think is to blame? You were the wildest, and you dragged us all in,” Kang Yan said, exasperated.

“Hey, chubby, how was my dancing?” Xu Tong asked Tan Linlin with a smug grin.

“Your moves were a pile of dog crap,” Tan Linlin replied, giving him the finger with a face full of disdain. The two launched into another round of banter.

“Yuqing, you danced really well!” Xiao Lin said to Wang Yuqing with a smile.

“Hehe, I don’t know how to dance—I was just messing around,” Wang Yuqing replied playfully, sticking out her tongue. Her face was flushed from exertion, a charming rosy glow blooming across her cheeks, beads of sweat glistening on her nose.

Seeing the sweat on her face, Xiao Lin took a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. The girls protested, accusing Xiao Lin of favoritism for only giving Wang Yuqing a tissue, while the boys chimed in that he cared more for the girls than his friends. Xiao Lin crossed his arms, lifted his handsome face, and struck a pose as if to say, “This is who I am; what are you going to do about it?” The gesture sent Wang Yuqing into peals of laughter.

“Hey, hey, let’s play a game!” After just five minutes of rest, Tan Linlin’s eyes sparkled as she came up with a new idea.

“What game?” everyone asked in unison.

“Truth or Dare,” Tan Linlin replied, her tone full of mischief.

Everyone hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded—better to play a game than sit around doing nothing. They all knew Truth or Dare well; it didn’t require much energy like dancing.

“Hahaha, come on, everyone knows the rules—let’s get started!” Tan Linlin shouted excitedly once everyone agreed.

Each private room at Prince KTV had a spinning wheel for guests to play games. Tan Linlin and her friends had played this game many times before. The rules were simple: everyone formed a circle, spun the arrow on the wheel, and whoever it pointed to when it stopped had to choose between truth or dare. Then everyone would decide the punishment according to the rules.

As soon as the group gathered around the table, Tan Linlin exclaimed, “I’ll go first!” She spun the arrow while Xiao Lin and the others rolled their eyes at her—Tan Linlin always wanted to be first.

With a flourish, Tan Linlin spun the arrow, and the red pointer began to rotate. Everyone watched anxiously, silently hoping it wouldn’t land on them. After a few seconds, the arrow stopped, pointing directly at the seat opposite the table—where Tan Linlin was sitting.

Laughter erupted as they all realized the arrow had chosen Tan Linlin.

“That’s what we call bringing trouble upon yourself! Serves you right for rushing to go first,” Xu Tong laughed so hard he shed tears.

“Choose—truth or dare,” Wang Tao said, grinning.

“Hmph, what’s the big deal? It’s just the first round. I choose dare,” Tan Linlin replied, utterly unfazed.

“Alright, chubby, go over there and do thirty push-ups,” Xu Tong seized the opportunity, pointing at the carpet.

“Anyone object?” Xu Tong asked. The dare’s punishment had to be decided collectively, so he sought their approval.

“No objections,” everyone replied, except Wang Yuqing.

“Isn’t that a bit much? Will Linlin be able to do it?” Wang Yuqing worried aloud.

“Don’t worry, Yuqing. Thirty push-ups are a piece of cake for her,” Xiao Lin said, patting Wang Yuqing’s head and winking playfully at Tan Linlin.

He absentmindedly made another affectionate gesture.