Chapter 92

Having passed the复试 (re-audition) without any real danger, Cheng Xiaoyu didn’t feel particularly elated. The only thing that lingered in his heart was a bit of melancholy from playing "English Country Tunes."

The memories he had deliberately tried to forget kept replaying in his mind like a movie as he played the piano, and he relied purely on his body’s instinct to complete the performance. Cheng Xiaoyu stood in the crowd, looking somewhat dazed, even though he had won the battle against the behemoth that was the Shanghai Theatre Academy, he still hadn’t won the favor of the students there.

Most people had already labeled him as a rich second generation, rebellious, and pretentious, completely forgetting that it was their pressure that turned the exam into a public one. In short, he had successfully earned the dislike of the students and easily became a public enemy.

Cheng Xiaoyu didn’t mind the complex looks people gave him. He thought of the girl who stood up at the last moment to turn the pages for him, a girl who looked a lot like Tsubasa Yamaguchi, and he really wanted to say "thank you" to her.

On stage, the overwhelming negative emotions evoked by the piece almost destroyed his will. He was at his limit, both physically and mentally, and his hands were trembling after finishing the piece.

He searched the crowd for her figure but couldn’t find the image that had brought him some warmth. As he looked around aimlessly, a hand tapped his shoulder.

Duanmu Lisha stood beside him, smiling sweetly, her hands behind her back. Her gentle and satisfied smile touched Cheng Xiaoyu.

"Congratulations, genius!" Duanmu Lisha slightly lowered her head, her toes lightly tapping the carpet on the stairs.

Cheng Xiaoyu also smiled and said, "Congratulations to you too. Your piano playing was surprisingly good!"

Duanmu Lisha blushed at Cheng Xiaoyu’s praise, more pleased than when her teacher had praised her. Thinking of her teacher, Duanmu Lisha hesitated and said, "Don’t blame my teacher. She’s just a bit old-fashioned, but she has no ill intentions."

Cheng Xiaoyu didn’t really care about the old witch, but he was a bit surprised that Duanmu Lisha was her student. He blurted out, "That old witch is your teacher?"

Duanmu Lisha lightly slapped Cheng Xiaoyu’s arm and said, "Don’t talk nonsense! Teacher Li isn’t... " She remembered how she used to be afraid of Li Yunling when she was young. When the teacher was serious, her stern face did indeed look like a witch from a fairy tale, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Cheng Xiaoyu laughed awkwardly and said, "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. Don’t report me to the department head!"

Duanmu Lisha smiled slyly, "Then how do you plan to bribe me?"

Cheng Xiaoyu scratched the back of his head and smiled foolishly, "How about compensation in kind?"

Duanmu Lisha slapped Cheng Xiaoyu again, pouting, "You’re so annoying." She blushed and walked out of the music hall, which was almost empty by then.

Cheng Xiaoyu knew that in such a situation, when a girl says "annoying," it means she likes you. However, he had only just met Duanmu Lisha and still saw her as a beautiful girl with a good figure and excellent piano skills. He hadn’t yet felt a deeper connection.

Cheng Xiaoyu followed her and said with a smile, "Alright, to express my gratitude, I’ll treat you to a meal."

"It has to be expensive!" Duanmu Lisha pouted, looking incredibly cute.

Duanmu Lisha held onto Cheng Xiaoyu’s sleeve, and both were wearing school uniforms. The weather in SH in May was just right, neither too cold nor too hot.

The plum rain season hadn’t arrived yet, and the weather was clear. The playful wind carried the scent of Duanmu Lisha’s soft, long hair, which danced in the breeze. Cheng Xiaoyu caught a whiff of the faint mint scent from her, and the two of them, like innocent children, wandered through the gaze of the college students.

Many people recognized this public enemy of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Seeing him being led by such a beautiful girl, the single guys let out cries of envy.

This made Cheng Xiaoyu think of his high school romance. Back then, just holding hands made him feel as if his soul was floating, light and free. He could still recall the afternoons after school, when the riverbank outside the school was a favorite spot for dates. The sunset over the tower on the other side of the river, the two of them sitting on the grassy slope by the riverbank, watching the evening breeze rustle the white reeds. The happiness of those times was so pure it was heart-wrenching.

He couldn’t resist Duanmu Lisha’s kindness, thinking she might just see him as a good friend.

Duanmu Lisha didn’t know Cheng Xiaoyu had a car, and he didn’t mention it. This youthful stroll brought back some nostalgic feelings for him.

To the left of the Shanghai Theatre Academy’s music hall was the Huajing Building, which housed the school gym.

The alley between the building and the music hall was a food haven for students, with various snacks from all over China.

Signs for duck blood noodles, Chongqing noodles, and rice bowl dishes lined both sides of the alley.

On the side of the road, a tricycle had a flat iron plate set up, on which potatoes and tofu were being grilled.

A middle-aged man in plain clothes, wearing an apron, skillfully used two iron spatulas to cut the tofu horizontally and vertically, waiting for it to turn slightly crispy. He then drizzled a special sauce over it and sprinkled green scallions on top, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Next to him, a stall was making Guangdong肠粉 (cheong fun). A half-person-high metal box on a tricycle contained a narrow metal drawer with a translucent white rice noodle sheet inside, wrapped around shrimp and chives. A scoop of two pieces was placed on a white porcelain plate, drizzled with soy sauce and vinegar, creating a refreshing and delicious dish.

Duanmu Lisha, like someone who had discovered a new world, wanted to try everything. As someone who had trouble making decisions, it was a tough choice.

Cheng Xiaoyu, who hadn’t been to the food stalls in the university area for years, found it all very fresh.

The two of them bought two bowls of tea soup from an old man with a shoulder pole carrying a large copper teapot.

One end of the pole was a wooden box containing the ingredients and utensils, while the other end was a shiny copper teapot with decorative copper patterns on the top and bottom. The spout and handle were adorned with copper dragons. The spout was decorated with a large dragon head, and the handle was a dragon. The dragon’s whiskers, claws, and scales were clearly visible.

Two red tassels extended from the dragon’s whiskers, trembling as the old man poured the tea, making it look as if two dragons were attached to the teapot.

The old man held a bowl in one hand and lifted the teapot with the other, tilting the spout to pour boiling water into the bowl. The water filled the bowl, and the tea soup was ready. The old man’s movements were smooth and precise, perfectly coordinated as he measured the ingredients and poured the water.

The main ingredient of the tea soup was sorghum flour and millet flour, with red sugar, white sugar, green and red threads, sesame seeds, walnut kernels, assorted fruit preserves, raisins, jujube strips, and pine nuts as seasonings. The boiling water was poured over the sorghum flour to create a thin, smooth paste, and the various seasonings were added, making it sweet, fragrant, and smooth, and very delicious.

The two of them walked along, each holding a bowl of slightly warm tea soup. Cheng Xiaoyu, unable to resist his hunger, scooped a spoonful and put it in his mouth, only to be scalded and grimace.

At Duanmu Lisha’s exclamation, Cheng Xiaoyu dropped the entire bowl of tea soup on the ground.

Cheng Xiaoyu lamented the waste, picked up the plastic bowl from the ground, and threw it in the trash.

Duanmu Lisha, seeing Cheng Xiaoyu’s pained expression, laughed sweetly.

She blew on a small portion of the tea soup and offered it to Cheng Xiaoyu. He hesitated for a moment, thinking it wasn’t the first time, and, blushing, took a bite.

Duanmu Lisha, who had fed Cheng Xiaoyu unintentionally last time, did so deliberately this time, her face blushing like it was painted with rouge, showing her shyness.

This subtle flirtation, like a sweet piece of malt sugar, quietly melted in their hearts.

———————————————华丽的分割线———————————————

Pei Yanchen and Jiang Muhuan walked out of the music hall with the crowd.

Jiang Muhuan still couldn’t understand why Pei Yanchen had helped Cheng Xiaoyu turn the pages on stage. She pouted and said, "Hey, you’re too kind! That fat guy treated you so badly, and you still went up to help him turn the pages."

Pei Yanchen forced a smile and said, "It was just an accident. He didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, Zhang Shaofeng and the others went too far this time!"

"Hey, Zhang Shaofeng is a good catch and really likes you. Have you considered it?" Jiang Muhuan asked with a sly smile.

Pei Yanchen knew that Zhang Shaofeng had put in a lot of effort to get close to her, but she had never planned to date in college. She said, "What are you up to? I’m not going to any dinner you invite me to."

Jiang Muhuan pouted and said, "Hey, Yanchen, even if you don’t care about yourself, think about all the eager girls in our dorm! Zhang Shaofeng said he wants to have a joint activity with our dorm. His dorm is famous for its handsome guys, and they’re inviting us to a buffet at Money Leopard!"

Pei Yanchen said calmly, "You can go. I’m not stopping you." She wasn’t swayed by Jiang Muhuan’s persuasion.

Jiang Muhuan threatened, "You’re not being a good friend. Watch out, I’ll wake you up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom."

Pei Yanchen laughed and said, "You sleep like a little pig. I’ll be the one to wake you up."

Jiang Muhuan turned away, seemingly unwilling to talk to Pei Yanchen anymore.

Pei Yanchen didn’t mind and took the initiative to link arms with Jiang Muhuan. "I’ll go to the outdoor food stalls, but it has to be AA."

Jiang Muhuan sighed, "I’m afraid of you. I don’t know why you’re so principled!"

Pei Yanchen smiled softly and said, "This is my life. I can’t hand it over to anyone, and no one can take it from me. Whether it’s forced on others, forgotten, destroyed, trampled, laughed off, or beautified, I can’t do any of that. I just want to be myself, not be swayed by anyone, and not be burdened by anything. Even if it’s harder, I want to stick to my principles."

Jiang Muhuan shook her head, unable to understand, and said, "Wow! You, who are favored by God, are still reflecting on life. How are we, who aren’t as talented, supposed to live? I don’t know why you’re so strict with yourself. Just relax and enjoy college life, the sunshine, music, and handsome guys are great!"

Pei Yanchen didn’t want to explain. The real world isn’t always sunny and happy; it has its dark and cruel sides.

And her life belonged to the latter.

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