In her two lifetimes combined, Bailian had nearly gone a whole year without touching the zither, so her proficiency was insufficient.
The main issue was that the zither the Student Union had given her had 21 strings.
…While the zither she was used to playing previously only had 18 strings!
So it felt very unfamiliar when she started playing.
Her skill level was less than one-tenth of her usual standard.
Fortunately she was playing Bai Yi Xing, if it had been another piece, it likely would have been even harder on the ears.
I wonder where I learned it from… she chose not to bring shame upon her master.
Bailian thought to herself silently, wondering if her ancestral master had received her reflections and repentance.
“Isn’t that right?” Chen Ju looked at Bailian, seemingly dissatisfied with herself, and couldn’t help but cry out in surprise.
He didn’t understand the zither, but even he could feel the infectious power of the music.
With Bailian at this level, she could already join the Jiangjing Zither Society, and after practicing for another two years, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to become a performance level zither performer.
Were Bailian’s standards for herself really that high?
Chen Ju wanted to continue questioning, but was glanced at lightly by the person next to him, and he suddenly shuddered.
Looking back, he indeed saw Song Ming’s faint gaze.
Chen Ju stiffened.
Fortunately, Lu Xiaohan and the others came out at that time to defuse Chen Ju’s awkwardness.
Lu Xiaohan and Zhang Shize were no less confused than Chen Ju, but with Song Ming standing next to Bailian, not a single person dared to ask a thing.
“I’ll go tell Grandpa, I’ll wait for him at the school cafeteria first.” Bailian took back her phone and the two pieces of iridium.
Lu Xiaohan nodded.
After Bailian and the others left, Zhang Shize finally wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Lu Xiaohan, relaxing a little, “Who was that just now…?”
Without saying who, Lu Xiaohan knew he was referring to Song Ming.
She was not at all surprised by Zhang Shize’s cowardice. After all, even the school god had been like that when meeting that person…
Lu Xiaohan didn’t answer, she only frowned, “What’s the deal with that long sword?”
“It’s just that Chen Wei called me this morning…” Zhang Shize also calmed down.
**
In the auditorium.
Because they were backstage, they could only vaguely hear the sound of the zither.
They didn’t feel the magnificent atmosphere of the live performance.
When Bailian came out, she returned the zither to that male student. Nothing could be discerned from her calm expression.
No one backstage knew that she had played Bai Yi Xing.
The backstage crew removed the zither and brought out the piano that Ren Wanxuan would use for her performance.
Ren Wanxuan stroked her gorgeous custom gown and lifted her skirt to walk on stage, bowing slightly to the audience.
She sat down, and just as she raised her eyes, the smile at the corner of her lips suddenly froze—
The seats in the first row reserved for the school leadership were almost all empty!
Even President Chen had left.
So who was she performing for?
Ren Wanxuan didn’t know what had happened. Feeling unsettled, she played a piece through, and sparse applause sounded in the auditorium.
This was unprecedented.
Even if today’s performance was not her best, Ren Wanxuan knew her playing was still up to standard.
Why were the people in the auditorium reacting so blandly?
She was puzzled inside but didn’t show it externally at all. Dragging her skirt, she returned backstage, feeling vaguely uneasy.
Recently, the Chen and Ren families had been busy dealing with Chen Ju’s black market affairs.
None of them had made time to be here today.
After changing into her regular clothes, Ren Wanxuan went outside to look for Chen Zhe.
The students she passed were all looking excitedly at their phones, and she could vaguely hear words like “zither” and “so cool”.
Ren Wanxuan had a faint premonition that this wasn’t good.
Chen Zhe was still sitting in the front row, quietly holding his phone, seemingly lost in thought.
“Where did the principal and the others go?” Ren Wanxuan looked around.
Chen Zhe snapped back to reality and looked up, “They probably went to find Bailian right?”
“Bailian?” Ren Wanxuan’s heart tightened sharply, but she appeared unconcerned externally, “What do they want with her?”
Chen Zhe didn’t reply, only tossing his phone to Ren Wanxuan, “See for yourself.”
Ren Wanxuan reflexively caught it and lowered her head. It was the school’s forum, the hottest post had just been posted—
?Ahhhhhhh! Bailian’s zither playing was amazing! I’ve got goosebumps! If you didn’t get to see her perform live today, you really missed out! (video attached)?
In just five short minutes.
There were already over 200 replies.
As Ren Wanxuan scrolled down, they were all posts about Bailian’s performance.
She couldn’t find a single one about her piano performance.
The entire school forum—
Had been completely dominated by Bailian alone!
Ren Wanxuan’s hand holding the phone trembled slightly. She understood why the atmosphere had been so cold when she was playing the piano…
But how does Bailian even know how to play the zither?
She didn’t return Chen Zhe’s phone. Standing in place, she directly tapped to open the video.
**
School cafeteria
Bailian had gotten food for herself and was waiting for Lu Xiaohan to bring Ji Heng back.
Song Ming had been called away urgently halfway through by a phone call, so Jiang He had accompanied Bailian to the No. 1 High School cafeteria.
Zhang Shize arrived before Lu Xiaohan.
He brought the male student from Class 8 and they apologized to Bailian, “I’m sorry, classmate Bai.”
“Did you take the long sword?” Bailian was memorizing English vocabulary. Hearing the apology, she lifted her head slightly, casually leaning against the back of the cafeteria chair. The green skirt was draped beautifully over the bench, like an elegant and extremely extravagant peony blossom.
The Class 8 male student was somewhat stunned.
“Don’t be nervous,” Bailian smiled lazily. Her looks had always been striking. Usually lazy without much aggressiveness, at this moment she had a phone pressed under her hand and spoke unhurriedly, “I just want to understand what happened.”
“Why would I be nervous?” Zhang Shize glanced at him. “Our classmate Bai is such a good student, she’s not like Chen Wei. She’ll just say it straight.”
Seeing Bailian’s expression that said “I just want to understand what’s going on, otherwise who knows who I ought to kill”, the Class 8 student thought: Is this what you’d call “good”?
Has something gone wrong with the filter Class 15 uses on Bailian?
“Ren Wanxuan promised me,” the male student said hesitantly, still choosing to tell the truth, “I don’t know why she didn’t contact Chen Zhe.”
“Chen Wei, Ren Wanxuan.” Bailian withdrew her gaze, silently repeating the names of these two people to herself.
Outside the cafeteria entrance.
Lu Xiaohan brought Ji Heng inside. Lu Xiaohan had a sweet mouth, and seeing all these students who were clearly Bailian’s good friends, Ji Heng’s usually stern face softened quite a bit.
Seeing Ji Heng’s figure, Bailian waved her hand for Zhang Shize to take that male student away.
“That’s right, she was originally performing a sword dance! But her zither playing after that was even more amazing. She said she doesn’t even know any talents,” on the way there, Lu Xiaohan had chatted incessantly. “Grandpa, how did she play the zither so well…”
Ji Heng wore a black changpao1, looking very neat and tidy. Hearing this, he too was surprised. Sitting down, he looked at Bailian, “You can do a sword dance too? I’ve only heard your uncle say you learned the zither for a year.”
“Just one year?” Lu Xiaohan was shocked. “Cousin Bai, you only learned the zither for a year?!”
Bailian, who had learned it for over ten years since she was little: “……”
She went silent.
But she couldn’t refute it.
“Let’s eat.” She handed chopsticks to Ji Heng and Jiang He.
Only then did Ji Heng notice the young boy next to Bailian. “Is this the first friend you made?”
Back then, Ji Shaojun had told Ji Heng that Bailian had found a friend.
“Mm. Grandpa, his name is Jiang He,” Bailian held her chopsticks and cocked a brow at Jiang He again, “This is my grandpa, just call him Grandpa Ji.”
Jiang He swallowed his food, then slowly lifted his head and said very softly, “Hello Grandpa Ji.”
“Hello.” Ji Heng’s expression was still rather stiff.
He had always been like this, stern and old-fashioned.
Today was the school anniversary. There were performances in the morning and time off in the afternoon.
Bailian never wasted time. Days off meant going to the library to read and do homework.
She saw Ji Heng onto the bus.
“Right, come to your uncle’s place for dinner tonight,” Ji Heng suddenly remembered this as he was boarding the bus. He exhorted Bailian, “Go straight to your uncle’s place tonight.”
The uncle being referred to was usually Ji Shaojun.
Bailian lazily hooked her phone with a finger. Her exquisite features were lazy as she responded lightly, “Okay.”
The bus slowly drove off.
After seeing Ji Heng off, Bailian brought Jiang He to the library.
Lu Xiaohan, who rarely went to the library, came along and brought Yang Lin who had just gotten off her part-time job.
The library wasn’t very crowded on a weekday.
Bailian found a window-side table on the second floor. It was the usual place she and Jiang He did their work. Everyone sat down to studiously work.
They had only written a few questions when Bailian’s phone vibrated a few times.
White Vest: [Sis, I just beat down that punk from last time! My godfather gave me a whole mountain!]
Bailian took a look: [1]
White Vest: [Sis, my godfather said he wants to give you a mountain too,]
Bailian squeezed out time to write two biology questions—
[No need]
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
White Vest: [Why don’t you want it?]
Bailian was too lazy to reply.
White Vest: [Sis, are you free tonight? There’s something else I need to find you for.]
Having nothing to do in the afternoon, Bailian sent her location for Mao Kun to directly come find her.
The library was quite a distance from Qingshui Street.
It took Mao Kun over half an hour to arrive.
Bailian put down her pen and stood up with her phone. Jiang He also stood up along with her.
“Stay put. I’m just at the library entrance seeing someone. I’ll be right back,” Bailian held up a forefinger, unhurriedly pressing Jiang He’s head back down, “Be right back.”
“Oh,” Jiang He responded and sat back down obediently.
Bailian looked towards Lu Xiaohan again. Before she could say anything, Lu Xiaohan gave an “ok” gesture to indicate Bailian needn’t worry.
**
Outside.
Mao Kun had brought two lackeys, Xiao Wu and Xiao Qi. The three of them silently squatted at the entrance.
“Boss Mao,” Xiao Wu scratched his head, “A place like this doesn’t really suit me and Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi fits in more though.”
Xiao Qi had a young and tender face, looking no older than 15 or 16. His hair wasn’t long, no weird colors or hairstyles either. If not for following behind Mao Kun, he looked even more like a handsome male high schooler.
Mao Kun just bit on his cigarette without refuting.
Just as they were talking, Bailian walked out from inside. Mao Kun’s group immediately stood up.
“Sis,” Mao Kun scratched his hair and introduced the two people beside him to Bailian, “These are Xiao Wu and Xiao Qi. I picked them up from Heishui Street. They’re both surnamed Mao like me.”
“Sis Bai!” the two greeted in unison.
Especially Xiao Wu, whose voice was loud and clear.
Bailian lazily leaned against the wall. She was still wearing a cheongsam, elegant yet unrestrained. Her snow white face wore an indifferent expression.
She folded her arms across her chest. “What’s the matter?”
“The medicinal cream you gave me was very effective,” Mao Kun said solemnly. “Someone wants to buy the prescription. Will you sell it?”
Sell the prescription?
Bailian’s eyes narrowed. She knew traditional Chinese medicine was on the decline and Western medicine was popular now.
But this prescription had come from the imperial palace. It could treat contusions and injuries as well as fortify the body’s constitution. For martial artists, it was an elixir.
Why hadn’t it been passed down?
“Sis?” Seeing Bailian lost in thought without answering for a long time, Mao Kun called out softly to remind her.
Bailian stood straight, lightly smoothing out her sleeves without responding.
Mao Kun understood Bailian’s intention immediately that she didn’t want to sell it. He had always been able to understand what Bailian was thinking.
Just then, the cell phone rang.
Bailian took one look. It was Lu Xiaohan’s call. Her eyes narrowed as she directly picked it up.
From the phone came the noisy sounds of a clamor, mixed in were intermittent curses—
“Bai…Bai Bai, hurry come…”
Bailian’s head sharply shot up without saying a word. She directly strode back towards the library interior, the skirt trailing behind her in an aloof arc.
Mao Kun and the others looked at each other before following hurriedly after her.
- A type of traditional Chinese garment from the Qing dynasty worn by men. Also known as changshan (mentioned in previous chapters). ↩︎
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