"Hey! That's disgusting!"

Tian Xi shot up from her seat, shrieking as she wiped the cola off her face. For a brief moment, she became the center of attention for everyone around us.

"Sorry, Sis Xi, I couldn't hold it in. But the main issue here is definitely Lei Meow Meow, what even is Lei Meow Meow? Seriously, Lei Meow Meow? "

I quickly pulled out some napkins for her while still reeling from the shock, still not forgetting to roast the biggest elephant in the room.

Meow Meow my a̲s̲s̲! There's only room for one catgirl in this story, and if she hears this, my Tangerine will surely roundhouse kick your head off!

"It’s probably a stage name," Sis Yuanyue chimed in, analyzing it with great interest. "It’s got that cool yet cutesy feel... No, actually, it leans more on the cute side. So, what does that kid look like now?"

"As if you ever cared about him before! And now you're suddenly playing the doting mother?"

Even with the dirt on her laid bare, she was determined to deny Yuan Yue with all she had—just as she had held grudges back when she was a Mohawk Fatso.

"'What mother'?" Lei Luo’s confusion was evident. Sitting in absolute ignorance, he had no idea what we were talking about. Maybe he understood the words but couldn’t grasp their meaning without the context, making him look quite pitiful.

On stage, the spotlight dimmed. A sheer white curtain had lowered, obscuring the figure behind it. In the dim lighting, it wasn’t transparent, but as the backlights flared up, a silhouette appeared—twintails, and a short skirt. The outline of a girl sent ripples of excitement through the audience.

Just like the bamboo grove and koi fish at the entrance, this bar sure loved its shadow play tricks.

“I don't know what it is I wanted to say...”

Just as everyone anticipated the music to kick in, Lei Meow Meow’s voice rang out first.

A pure, unaccompanied melody floated across the room, her airy voice carrying a refreshing clarity. Enhanced by the slight echo, it had an almost ethereal quality to it.

Honestly, I had nothing but bad impressions of Lei Laohu. He was nothing but trouble, always up to no good. But this song—this voice—had a way of piercing straight into the heart. It was the kind of sound that soothed the soul, like rain after a long drought.

“Now ya know, I wasn't ready to cope...”

After Lei Meow Meow finished her solo intro, the band finally joined in. The belated drumbeats and electronic sounds wove into her vocals, elevating the song’s rhythm and pushing the atmosphere even higher. In the dim lighting, the audience in the dance floor area swayed their glow sticks, forming golden streams of light.

Must be her gang, right?

“だから何を言えばいいの……”

The first half of the song was in English, but suddenly, she transitioned into Japanese, her tone shifting dramatically as she dropped into a deeper, almost androgynous register.

A voice with this kind of duality—switching seamlessly between different tones within the same song—that’s what you call a "two-voice" singer.

When the song ended, the venue fell into a brief hush before the applause erupted like thunder.

The backlight behind the curtain dimmed, and Lei Meow Meow’s silhouette vanished.

"I thought he was just some thug—who knew he was this good at English and Japanese too?"

"No, no, no!" Xi waved her hands in denial. "She just memorized the phonetics. The old man Yuwen picked the song, and she spent a whole day in a karaoke room rehearsing. She was even complaining about a sore throat just a few hours ago."

"If she can pull this off in a day, she’s basically a genius!"

Meanwhile, Yuanyue still hadn’t snapped out of it. She stared at the stage, dazed, the confidence and arrogance she had carried earlier completely gone.

"Wait... Who was that on stage just now?"

The look on her face was priceless. It must be exactly what Lei Luo meant when he said "completely beyond expectations."

"Your son, Lei Laohu. Well, now she’s called Lei Meow Meow."

"Pfft—cough cough cough cough!!"

Lei Luo nearly choked himself to death, spewing beer all over the table.

"I heard something about some curse turning him into a girl, but nobody told me she was this talented! No, wait—if Master Yuwen took notice, that alone speaks volumes. But still... That was really my son?"

"I didn't hear a word about this! So I'm the only one left in the dark? That’s my prick of a son—are you kidding me?!"

"Could you all keep your voices down?" Xi slammed the table, her expression darkening. Luckily, the surrounding guests were too busy discussing the performance to pay attention to us. "Let me remind you—legally speaking, your son no longer exists."

"What do you mean by that?" Lei Luo’s voice took on a harsher edge. "You trying to keep us from seeing her?"

"No, of course not. If I wanted that, I wouldn’t have let Lingmeng call you. I just want you both to respect her decision, whether or not she chooses to acknowledge you. Because let’s be honest—neither of you gave a damn about him before this."

"How could I not care about him? But before being a father, I am a police officer for the people."

"So he had to become a delinquent just to get your attention? As a son, my big bro really got the short end of the stick... And shouldn’t your son also be included in “'the people'? Couldn't you spare some time for him too?"

Lei Luo had no response. He knew she was right. And so, SisYuanyue picked up where he left off.

"And what about me? I worked hard, built my business, all to give him a better life! The empire I created was meant for him!"

Wow. Calling it an empire sure sounded dramatic.

Tian Xi wasn’t having any of it. "A better life? You mean making him stay home, cook, clean, and take care of your three-hundred-square-meter mansion? Was he your son or your maid?"

That hit home. Sis Yuanyue’s confident demeanor wavered for the first time, and she hesitated. "Ah, he even told you all about that? … Well, it’s just… There were too many confidential documents at home, and hiring a housekeeper wasn’t safe..."

"He told us everything. More than a real family ever would! You two should be ashamed."

With a final thump on the table, Sis Yuanyue slumped against it, defeated. Then, out of nowhere, she muttered,
"…Say, girl, you wanna consider working for my company?"

Where did that invitation even come from?!

By now, it had been ten minutes since the opening song. Finally, the red-haired host returned to the stage.

"Apologies for the wait, everyone! After a brief break, Lei Meow Meow will now perform her next song!"

"Hurry up already!"

"Is she ever gonna show herself?"

"What if she's actually ugly?"

Somewhere, somehow, trollers are always present. They’re just like cockroaches.

Though I hadn’t seen her yet, I am certain Lei Meow Meow can’t be ugly. Even if I don’t trust Sis Yuanyue and Lei Luo’s genes, I trust the divine power of the Bishoujo Notebook.

The lights dimmed again, and once more, Lei Meow Meow’s silhouette was cast onto the curtain. She lifted her right hand, casually spun the microphone, then gripped it firmly and raised it high before slowly lowering it to her lips.

The entire room focused on that mic, waiting for the moment she would sing. This—this was stage presence.

"ひとりひとつの誇りがあるんだ…"
("No matter who you are, everyone has something to be proud of...")

This time, the band started right alongside her, the deep, forceful vocals immediately grabbing everyone’s attention. The raw, powerful notes, paired with the energetic instrumentals, ignited the atmosphere in mere seconds.

"数え切れない傷も愛せなきゃ…"
("Even with countless scars, I’ll still love you.")

The previous light rock song was just an appetizer, but this fiery tune was like a raging wildfire—destined to ignite the passion of every listener the moment she opened her mouth. There was no doubt about Lei Meow Meow’s impressive vocal skills and stage presence, but credit must also be given to Master Yuwen’s song selection. As expected of a legendary producer, he truly had an eye for talent.

"それでも最後に笑ってやるんだ，止まれないさ。"
(Even so, I’ll be the one smiling at the end. I won’t stop.)

As the song ended, the white curtain still didn’t rise. Never mind the skeptics—I was getting impatient myself.

“Hey, Sis Xi, is she not planning to show her face tonight?”

“Calm down, there are four songs in total. According to the boss’s arrangement, she won’t reveal herself until the fourth one.”

So we still won’t see Lei Meow Meow in the next song either? This old fox Yuwen sure knows how to keep the audience on edge… Case in point: Uncle Lei Luo beside me was already tapping his foot anxiously. Just how badly did he want to see his son-turned-daughter?

Meanwhile, Sis Yuanyue looked much calmer now, having regained some of her composure.

“I think I finally understand what Master Yuwen meant by ‘talent.’”