Wen Xiaoyue walked to Gu Yingyu’s side and took a deep breath, rubbing her temples.
Honestly, why did she think of that annoying You Xinghai at such a critical moment? She almost ruined everything. Fortunately, her reactions were quick enough. Had she truly acted on impulse, she feared she might have smashed the piano in a fit of heat. You Xinghai was truly a curse!
Gu Yingyu glanced at her in high spirits and asked casually, “What is wrong with you? Did you catch a cold from playing the piano?”
“If you do not have anything intelligent to say, then shut your mouth.”
Wen Xiaoyue crossed her arms and tried to calm her racing heart, suppressing the urge to look up and search for You Xinghai. Of course, she was not paying attention to You Xinghai. She simply wanted to show that person how talented she was. She wanted that uncultured little nouveau riche girl to understand the chasm that existed between them.
Despite those thoughts, she could not help but lift her eyelids. She wondered if the girl was actually looking at her or not.
However, before her gaze could pierce through the sea of black heads, the music teacher stepped forward and completely blocked her view. “That was a perfect performance. You two have worked hard.”
Gu Yingyu asked politely, “May we return now?”
The teacher smiled and replied, “Could you wait a moment?” She turned to face the other students and announced loudly, “A piano does not just have to be a solo instrument. It can also be a display of perfect coordination between two people. The next segment is a duet performance. I wonder if you two would be willing to play a piece together for everyone?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the room erupted.
“Oh my god! Yingyu and Xiaoyue playing the piano together? I am so here for this!”
“The teacher must be a shipper too! Let us thank the teacher!”
“What shipping? Look at their faces. Neither of them looks happy.”
“Forced pairings are so boring.”
Just as they said, the smile on Gu Yingyu’s face faded slightly, though she remained polite. “Teacher, rather than having two experienced players demonstrate, why not choose other students from the audience to come up instead?”
The music teacher knew these two were the best players in the grade, but sensing Gu Yingyu’s reluctance, a flash of regret crossed her eyes. She agreed, saying, “Of course. Whom would you like to choose, Yingyu?”
Gu Yingyu smiled with a look of absolute determination, gazing in a certain direction. “Student Guan Yinqi, would you be willing to play a piece with me?”
The entire hall fell into an uproar.
“What? Did I hear that correctly?”
“Gu Yingyu actually chose that poor commoner girl. On what grounds?”
“Can Guan Yinqi even play? It would be better if I went up instead.”
“Gu Yingyu is being quite tactless, choosing Guan Yinqi right in front of Wen Xiaoyue. She clearly did not consider how the Eldest Miss would feel standing there.”
The music teacher felt a bit embarrassed, but since the words had been spoken, she could not take them back. She turned to Wen Xiaoyue with difficulty and asked, “And what about you, student Xiaoyue?”
However, Wen Xiaoyue did not maintain a polite facade like Gu Yingyu. She gave a cold snort and said, “Boring. A piano is meant to be played by one person. Having two people is just an added burden.”
She dropped those words coldly and walked away, ignoring the music teacher’s stiff expression. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Wen Xiaoyue walked toward the seats. She did not return to her previous spot next to Gu Yingyu and Guan Yinqi. Instead, she found an empty area and sat down.
The students whispered among themselves.
“Gu Yingyu is really going too far, leaving Xiaoyue high and dry like that.”
“What is so good about that scholarship student that makes her act this way?”
“Tsk, just you wait and see. Gu Yingyu is just playing around. How could the heir to a wealthy family ever choose a little girl with no status or background?”
You Xinghai, hearing the discussion, thought that they should read more mindless Mary Sue novels.
Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Guan Yinqi stood up with a flushed face. She walked down the steps and moved slowly to Gu Yingyu’s side. “I do not know how to play.”
Gu Yingyu smiled brightly. “It does not matter. I will teach you.”
The two of them sat on the piano bench together. One was a dazzling, noble Alpha, and the other was a gentle, pure Omega. Sitting side by side to play a piece, they occasionally exchanged lingering, affectionate glances and whispered secrets that no one else could hear. The sunlight from the window fell softly upon them, creating a harmonious and picturesque scene.
You Xinghai thought to herself that if this novel were adapted into a television drama, this scene would surely become an iconic screenshot. While she believed the audience outside the screen would scream about how sweet it was, the characters in the story were completely unable to appreciate the beauty of the moment.
“Gross. How disgusting.”
“Did you get the photo?”
“Yes, I recorded everything.”
“Hmph, what a shameless girl. Post it to the forum immediately.”
“She dares to seduce Yingyu? Let the fan club teach her a lesson!”
You Xinghai thought they should stop giving the leads so much help.
When the song ended, there was only sparse applause as the students expressed their jealousy toward Guan Yinqi. Now that the two protagonists and the supporting female lead had all performed, the plot for this class should be coming to an end. You Xinghai tucked her phone into her pocket and stretched lazily.
However, unexpectedly, just as she was preparing to enjoy her upcoming leisurely weekend, Du Na suddenly shouted from the front row, “Teacher! You Xinghai also wants to play the piano!”
The two girls leaving the stage both paused in their tracks. Guan Yinqi even managed to trigger her female lead mechanic by stumbling on the stairs. Gu Yingyu caught her quickly, leading to another round of internal monologues about being touched and feeling shy.
Normally, this scene would have caused the students to scream, but their attention was now entirely on Du Na’s words.
“What? You Xinghai is going to play?”
“Oh, that is hilarious. The nouveau riche girl is going to play the piano? Does she even know how to read music?”
“Hahaha, does You Xinghai love making a fool of herself that much?”
“This is so cringeworthy. I am practically dying of embarrassment for her.”
“Forget it. Just have You Xinghai apologize to us. I do not want to waste my time listening to her play nonsense.”
You Xinghai was momentarily stunned. Why was she being set up? Why was this happening to her? This kind of plot, where someone is pushed forward to be embarrassed but actually ends up impressing everyone, should be reserved for the protagonist.
“Look, she looks completely dazed. Du Na must have just been shouting nonsense.”
“Haha, but this is still embarrassing enough.”
The music teacher did not know why the room had suddenly become so lively. She did not recognize You Xinghai, who had only transferred a week ago, and assumed she was a new popular figure on campus. Needing to move past the awkwardness Wen Xiaoyue had caused, the teacher nodded decisively. “Fine. Let us have this student come and perform for everyone.”
With the teacher’s personal invitation, the students below laughed even harder.
“Now You Xinghai has to go up whether she wants to or not!”
“I am embarrassed for her, but it serves her right. She has done so many disgusting things lately. It is time for her to lose face.”
“Go on, You Xinghai! I believe in you!”
With the atmosphere worked up to this point, You Xinghai stood up helplessly. Fine. This was likely a result of interacting too much with the protagonist group lately. She decided she must reduce her presence even more after today.
She brushed past Guan Yinqi, giving the girl a sympathetic look. She thought of this as taking the fall for the girl because of the mistakes the original owner made.
Guan Yinqi looked completely baffled. She wondered why You Xinghai was looking at her. Was she asking for help? But she did not know how to play either.
Gu Yingyu noticed the interaction and covered Guan Yinqi’s eyes. “That nouveau riche girl definitely wants you to go and do a duet with her. You are not allowed to go! You can only be mine!”
Guan Yinqi thought that Yingyu was so overbearing. Her heart was racing.
You Xinghai, hearing this, almost slipped. When she passed Wen Xiaoyue’s seat, she caught a faint, fresh scent. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wen Xiaoyue staring straight at her. You Xinghai paused for a half second. “I have no intention of doing a duet with you.” She wondered if this person had the same train of thought as Gu Yingyu.
Wen Xiaoyue was speechless. She forced the words through her gritted teeth, “Who wants to play with you!”
She just wanted to enjoy watching the other girl make a fool of herself. Despite that, Wen Xiaoyue’s gaze remained glued to You Xinghai as she walked up the steps, greeted the teacher, and sat on the piano bench. Wen Xiaoyue’s pupils shrank slightly. She wondered if this little brat was actually going to play and if she even knew how.
The other students had the same thought.
“You Xinghai actually sat down. Hahaha, is she going to perform 4 minutes and 33 seconds? We will not accept that!”
“Wait, do you think she actually knows how to play?”
“Maybe? But it is probably just the kind of thing taught in commoner music classes, like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
“Impossible. If she really knew how, she would have shown off while chasing Guan Yinqi. Did you not see her performing every single thing she knew those past few days?”
The voices grew quieter as people tried to convince themselves that even if You Xinghai could play, she would be terrible. They were ready to mock her. However, the thing they feared most happened.
You Xinghai touched the keys, her eyes filled with a touch of nostalgia. She had not touched these instruments since she became ill. In her previous life, she had many hobbies when she had plenty of energy, but everything was erased from her life by an unexpected, major illness. She had died young, carrying her regrets to the grave. Healthy life was so hard to come by. She had to enjoy the present moment.
Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, You Xinghai’s ten fingers leaped skillfully across the keys. The notes connected perfectly, and the melody did not falter once. She lowered her head slightly, her expression focused and serious. Her profile seemed to glow, as if she were not just playing an instrument, but carefully writing a letter to a distant lover.
Her movements were clean and precise, without any unnecessary or complicated gestures. It was clear she had been formally trained. Otherwise, she would not have been able to play so effortlessly. While playing the piano, she lost that superficial, nouveau riche aura. Instead, she seemed exquisite, pure, and flawless, as if she had suddenly become more noble than any of them. That pure, selfless feeling made her appear unattainable and mysterious, like a top tier Alpha at the pinnacle of the food chain.
The people below could not understand the sudden change in You Xinghai’s aura. They could only stare with wide, shocked eyes.
“She plays so well. Compared to those two just now, she does not fall behind at all. What is going on?”
“Oh my god, am I blind? I actually feel like You Xinghai is a bit good looking.”
“You are not alone! I want to gouge my own eyes out!”
Du Na, who had wanted to see You Xinghai make a fool of herself, turned pale. She wondered how this was possible. You Xinghai could actually play and she played well. Was it not said she was just a little hooligan before she became rich? This woman on stage was shining brighter than a pearl.
Not only them, but even Gu Yingyu and Guan Yinqi showed expressions of surprise.
Gu Yingyu remarked, “I did not think You Xinghai had this up her sleeve. She has truly stolen the spotlight.”
Guan Yinqi thought to herself that the girl looked so gentle while playing the piano, just like Yingyu. She wondered why her heart felt a bit restless.
Among everyone present, only Wen Xiaoyue calmed down quickly after her initial surprise. She had already discovered You Xinghai’s uniqueness over the past few days. Beneath that hollow surface, there seemed to be many unknown things hidden away that the girl was unwilling to show easily.
Clearly, she had been shamelessly chasing Guan Yinqi in the morning, yet after returning to the Elite Class, she seemed to have forgotten the girl entirely, as if she had cut off all her emotions. Clearly, she was a fool with a low IQ, yet she could argue effectively with the students from the International Class and solve difficult math problems. Clearly, she had no charm at all, yet she somehow kept appearing in Wen Xiaoyue’s mind, her whispers frequently echoing in her ears.
Wen Xiaoyue was silent for a moment. She rolled up the book in her hand and struck her own forehead hard. No! She was absolutely not paying attention to You Xinghai. She just thought the girl was very strange. This was all just a result of curiosity.
Music class ended, and the students returned happily to the classroom, ready to welcome the weekend. Amidst the joyous atmosphere, a few people took advantage of the fact that no one was looking. They secretly filled a large basin with water in the restroom and carefully carried it into a toilet stall.
Soon, someone ran in quickly and whispered excitedly, “She is coming! Get ready!”
“I have been ready for a long time,” Chen Shiru said, gritting her teeth. “She dared to play the piano with Yingyu. She truly does not respect us at all.”
“Exactly. I have been annoyed with her for a long time!”
“Let us show her what happens!”
The troublemakers hid themselves, darkly imagining the wonderful screams the victim would make when the basin of water fell on her head. Just as the informant had said, before long, a pure and innocent girl who was completely unaware of what was about to happen walked into the quiet restroom. It was Guan Yinqi.
“Get ready.”
When Guan Yinqi walked to the sink, her phone suddenly sounded a notification. She lowered her head and stopped to check the message. She did not notice that Wen Xiaoyue was walking slowly with heavy steps. Wen Xiaoyue brushed past her and entered the toilet stall first.