Chapter 81

Zuo Yan knew He Mingzhe, but she also knew that He Mingzhe had little chance. However, she thought Cheng Xiaoyu was even less worthy of Duanmu Linsha's affection, even though she knew Cheng Xiaoyu was very talented.

But her best friend was Duanmu Linsha, and Linsha was the pride of Gezhi Private School.

In her eyes, Duanmu Linsha, who was like a princess, should have been someone who saved the galaxy in a past life, destined to be the leading lady in a TV drama. With her long, lustrous black hair, gentle and beautiful facial features, and eyes that seemed to hold a clear spring, she was truly captivating. She excelled in academics, appearance, and figure, and no one knew how perfect she could be. During high school, she had so many suitors, but none of them caught her eye. Not to mention He Mingzhe, even Hu Nan from the neighboring class was a handsome guy.

It was well-known that in the Gezhi boys' poll for dream girlfriends, the top choice was not any big celebrity but Duanmu Linsha.

Zuo Yan had been classmates with Duanmu Linsha since junior high, nearly six years, and had never seen her actively try to get to know a boy. She always felt she was Duanmu Linsha's protector, and some people said that to pursue Duanmu Linsha, one had to win Zuo Yan's approval first. She herself believed that if Duanmu Linsha were to fall in love with someone, she should consult her first. But today, Duanmu Linsha's enthusiasm for Cheng Xiaoyu surprised her, and she couldn't accept that Cheng Xiaoyu didn't fit the image of a prince.

Cheng Xiaoyu, unaware of the emotional entanglements between these three people, was busy cutting the beef into small pieces and then using a fork to put the beef in his mouth. Even though he was being watched by the other three, he didn't feel anything was wrong.

Since all four of them were studying music, they had nothing else to talk about except the afternoon's arts exam.

Duanmu Linsha curiously asked Cheng Xiaoyu, "Xiaoyu, what are you going to play for your exam this afternoon?"

Cheng Xiaoyu was also surprised by Duanmu Linsha's unusual affection. He looked up at Duanmu Linsha and suddenly found her very similar to Park Hyo Min, both in figure and appearance. However, her skin was even more fair and smooth, and she exuded a quiet elegance with a hint of sensuality, a goddess-like beauty.

He couldn't help but gaze for a moment, which made He Mingzhe even more disgusted with Cheng Xiaoyu. He Mingzhe's heart was in turmoil; he had never dared to look at Duanmu Linsha like that, and how could this bastard do it?

Cheng Xiaoyu, realizing his distraction, said, "Sorry, I just noticed you look a lot like someone I know." He then put down his knife and fork and continued, "For my exam this afternoon, I'll probably choose the E-flat minor Fugue, BWV853, from the Well-Tempered Clavier."

Before Duanmu Linsha could respond, He Mingzhe said with a hint of disdain, "Isn't that a bit too easy? You should at least choose a four-part fugue, not a five-part one."

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled and said, "I just chose it because I think I can play it well. I can't handle the more difficult ones." Cheng Xiaoyu chose this piece simply because he thought it sounded good, and he knew it wasn't very difficult, but it wasn't easy to play well.

At this point, He Mingzhe began to look down on Cheng Xiaoyu's piano skills and shook his head, pretending to be well-meaning, "With that, you won't get into the Shanghai Conservatory. You should try more schools!"

Duanmu Linsha was annoyed by this. How could someone say such inauspicious things before the exam? She said to He Mingzhe, "Her musical talent is definitely higher than yours. Don't show off just because you have a little skill. I've never seen you win a competition."

Cheng Xiaoyu didn't care about He Mingzhe's disdain. He was determined to get into the Shanghai Conservatory and casually said, "I won't apply to any other schools. Getting into the Shanghai Conservatory shouldn't be a problem."

He Mingzhe sneered, not knowing where Cheng Xiaoyu's confidence came from.

Zuo Yan also thought Cheng Xiaoyu was being overly confident. The Shanghai Conservatory was one of the top schools in China, and it wasn't a place where someone with just a little skill could easily get into.

Feeling humiliated by Duanmu Linsha, He Mingzhe could only vent his frustration on Cheng Xiaoyu and said coldly, "I didn't win first place because I lost to Su Yuxi three times. The teachers say Su Yuxi is the most promising pianist in China in recent years and the most likely to win the Chopin Competition. Losing to her isn't shameful. Besides, I've won the first place in the Shanghai International Piano Competition, and second and third places in many other competitions. You know my level."

Duanmu Linsha, of course, knew that He Mingzhe played the piano well, but her intuition told her that Cheng Xiaoyu must be very talented. This was a blind trust in her idol. She didn't think Cheng Xiaoyu chose a three-part fugue because he lacked skill; she just thought geniuses were always surprising. She also appreciated his humble and self-reflective demeanor. Even though Cheng Xiaoyu didn't bother to defend himself, she couldn't help but defend her idol. She glared at He Mingzhe and said, "Your first place was only because the competition was low, and Su Yuxi didn't participate. Even I could get second place by playing randomly. I don't know what you have to brag about."

Seeing the tension between the two, Zuo Yan tried to change the subject, "We were talking about the exam this afternoon, right? How did you get into the topic of competitions? Cheng Xiaoyu, have you ever participated in any piano competitions?"

Everyone's attention was on him. Cheng Xiaoyu was thinking about how famous Su Yuxi was and was a bit stunned. He remembered the last competition he participated in was the five-yearly Chopin International Competition. After winning third place, he happily called his mother to share the news, but then something unfortunate happened. Cheng Xiaoyu was hesitant about whether to mention this, but at that moment, Aunt Zhou called.

Since Aunt Zhou was an examiner at the dance school, she couldn't join them for dinner, so she called to check on Cheng Xiaoyu's state of mind.

Cheng Xiaoyu replied that he was eating, and Aunt Zhou said she had already spoken to three teachers and told Cheng Xiaoyu not to be nervous, just to perform normally, and everything would be fine.

Thinking that he was the last to perform, Cheng Xiaoyu knew Aunt Zhou must have put in a lot of effort. He felt it wasn't necessary, but he couldn't refuse her kindness. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Aunt Zhou, for all your trouble. I really appreciate it."

Aunt Zhou said it was no problem and gave a few more instructions before hanging up.

What she said was unintentional, but it made He Mingzhe and Zuo Yan realize that Cheng Xiaoyu must have connections, which deepened their disdain for him. They no longer cared about whether he had participated in any competitions.

He Mingzhe asked curiously, "Do you have relatives at the Shanghai Conservatory?"

Cheng Xiaoyu didn't see the need to deny it and nodded, saying, "Yes," without explaining who or what kind of relative.

At this point, Cheng Xiaoyu had almost finished his steak, so he finished his drink, said he would see them later, and left the table. On his way to the bar to pay, he also paid for the entire table.

The average cost per person was about 100 yuan, totaling over 500 yuan, which wasn't cheap. Thinking about Duanmu Linsha's love for his music, he felt it was worth it. Besides, they might be classmates in the future, so it was a good investment. He paid without hesitation, but he wouldn't have been so generous if he had just met them.

When Cheng Xiaoyu left, Duanmu Linsha wanted to stop him but felt embarrassed and tugged on Zuo Yan's sleeve. Zuo Yan didn't say anything and just watched Cheng Xiaoyu leave.

Seeing the person who was causing trouble leave, He Mingzhe immediately sat opposite Duanmu Linsha and complained, "Lisha, if I did something wrong, just tell me. Why use such a meaningless person to provoke me?"

Duanmu Linsha, seeing He Mingzhe's self-righteousness and his belittling of her idol, was furious.

Although she didn't like Cheng Xiaoyu as a person, she loved his music and wanted to have the opportunity to discuss music with him.

Most of all, she was looking forward to hearing Cheng Xiaoyu play "Duel of the Fates" live for her. She was afraid He Mingzhe would scare Cheng Xiaoyu away, so she didn't want to act too capriciously while he was there. Now that Cheng Xiaoyu was gone, she no longer hid her dislike for He Mingzhe and said, "He Mingzhe, please stop bothering me! I really don't like you. I like Xiaoyu." Realizing she had been too blunt, she added, "I won't like you either."

Hearing such a cruel rejection, He Mingzhe was incredulous and couldn't believe it. His mind went blank, and he could only say angrily, "What do you mean? You would rather like that pig than me? Why are you humiliating me like this?" Duanmu Linsha's repeated expressions of affection for Cheng Xiaoyu made He Mingzhe, though unwilling to believe it, have to accept it. Fortunately, Cheng Xiaoyu wasn't there, or there would have been another storm.

Zuo Yan, feeling a bit sorry for him, said, "Cheng Xiaoyu is very talented. He is the keyboardist of Code Geass." Worried that He Mingzhe didn't know what Code Geass was, she added, "Code Geass is the popular band that Linsha has been obsessed with recently."

Duanmu Linsha, not caring about He Mingzhe, didn't finish her meal and called the waiter to pay.

The waiter came over and said, "The gentleman has already paid for you."

He Mingzhe, who didn't know what Code Geass was, usually didn't go online. Seeing that Duanmu Linsha wouldn't even look at him, his anger reached its peak, but he didn't dare to vent it on her. He took out his wallet and shouted at the waiter, "Who asked that idiot to pay? Do I look like I can't afford it?" He randomly took out a wad of money and threw it at the waiter without counting.

Duanmu Linsha frowned, finding He Mingzhe's lack of manners even more repulsive. She said to the waiter, "I don't know him," and pulled Zuo Yan out of the restaurant.

He Mingzhe was left there, stunned.

The waiter quietly picked up the money and put it on the table. He Mingzhe's mind was full of resentment. All his hatred was directed at Cheng Xiaoyu. As he left, he picked up the money from the table, already planning how to make Cheng Xiaoyu suffer.

He would make those who made him suffer pay tenfold.