Chapter 444: Leaving One’s Mark at the First Shot
“Weiwei, you wouldn’t have taken a liking to Xue Chao, right? He…” Li Xinjie gave Hu Wei a strange look.
“Even if I like him, what’s wrong with it?” Hu Wei’s lips curled up as she said, “Don’t look down on him, the boys hailed from the mountain are the most honest and simple. I don’t need my boyfriend to look handsome, neither do I demand of him to originate from a rich family. It’s fine as long as he is a good man.”
Nodding thoughtfully, Li Xinjie said, “You’re right, Weiwei. Weighing a person by their wealth and evaluating someone by appearance is superficial. Xue Chao’s disposition is straightforward, good-natured, and honest. I think he’s good, too.”
Looking stunned, Mu Wanying turned her head to Hu Wei. She then shook her head and said, “It’s rather out of place for you to be with Xue Chao, Weiwei.”
“Sis Wanying, why do you think so?” Hu Wei frowned and said, “I think we are suitable!”
“Had you known Xue Chao for many years, and you actively pursued him, maybe. But now it’s too late.” Mu Wanying sighed.
“Give a reason.” Hu Wei grunted with a displeased expression.
“I went out with Tang Xiu this afternoon, and we talked about various topics.” Mu Wanying said, “One of which was about Xue Chao; he’s already married. Not only does he have a wife, but he already has a son as well. Now, don’t tell me you want to become the third wheel in their marriage?”
"What did you say?"
Hu Wei abruptly got up, looking incredulous.
“Xue Chao already has a wife and a child, should I repeat it again?” Mu Wanying said, “As a matter of fact, Xue Chao and his wife fell in love with each other when they were in high school. However, they don’t have a marriage certificate. Not only don’t they have a marriage certificate, they also have a child now. Several days ago, Xue Chao did a heroic act and was injured by some criminals. Tang Xiu went to the hospital to see him; after which, he got the family of three to live in his villa. Thus, you should give up, Weiwei.”
Hu Wei fell into a daze for a while. She looked to be at a loss. She indeed had her heart moved by Xue Chao. Though her feelings toward him had yet to truly develop... Yet, the words, deeds, and behavior shown by Xue Chao had deeply attracted her.
In another place.
Yue Kai looked at the students performing on the stage. He shook his head and said, “Bah, their performance is just so-so. It’s hardly worth to be in the freshmen welcoming party. If it was a big stage, they’d not even be worthy to be up there! I don’t know how good Eldest Brother Tang is. It would be too disappointing if his level was only to this degree.”
Zhao Liang, who had just arrived, rolled his eyes and said, “Yue Kai, I don’t like what you said. If Eldest Brother Tang can perform to this level, it’s already pretty good. Besides, he’s going to play the zither, can you even do that?”
“I don’t, since I haven’t learned it. But who knows if he has.” Yue Kai grunted.
“No way you can learn it.” Xue Chao echoed, “But I can tell you’d surely be able to learn the subject if it was about flirting. But as for learning to play the zither… Nope, I don’t buy it.”
An angry and ashamed look emerged on Yue Kai’s face as he raised his fist toward Xue Chao, yet he lowered his head and dared not retort.
“Well, we came to join in on the fun, guys.” Hu Qingsong said with a smile, “Besides, Big Bro Tang didn’t sign up for this himself, it was that Belle Mu who pitted him. So let us not expect him to show an outstanding performance, okay? I think it’s already enough for him to be able to play the zither and sing smoothly.”
Dozens of meters away from their place.
Several female students gathered together. The topic was still about the opening song by Zhang Xinya. However, Yi Lianyan didn’t join in. She held her arms and watched the students on stage.
That one summer vacation had transformed and made her mature quickly. And now that she came to study at Shanghai University, the issue she was always thinking about was what Tang Xiu had said to her, hoping that she would later be able to work in Nine Dragons Island.
She knew that Tang Xiu was an extraordinary big shot. And now she was actually regretting not asking Tang Xiu about what kind of business he did, and in what city he would live in later.
What’s more, what that made her most helpless was that her mobile phone was accidentally lost, hence losing Tang Xiu’s cell number as well. Due to that, she already planned to go to Jingmen Island and find Mo Āwen to ask about Tang Xiu’s contact number when November’s holiday came.
“What are you thinking about, Third Sis?”
Nearby, a female student touched Yi Lianyan’s arm and asked, grinning.
Finally realizing that she got distracted, Yi Lianyan immediately shook her head and said with a smile, “Nah, I wasn’t think about anything. It’s just that the performances are kind of ordinary, so I just got bored. Anyways, how about going back to the dorm? Or the campus library? It should be better.”
“No way!” The girl said, “What if Zhang Xinya were to come out and sing again? That would be a big loss! Let’s wait for a while. Besides, you’ve been studying every day; reading the textbooks after going to the military training. I think you’ll become a nerd, girl.”
“Well, the more books read the more you’ll learn. This way we’ll have better jobs in the future, don’t you think?” Yi Lianyan said with a smile.
“What job are you looking for anyway?” The girl smirked and said, “Anyhow, you got good looks, Third Sis. You’ll surely be able to catch a rich husband in due course, and you’ll be able to live comfortably in the future.”
Giving her white eyes, Yi Lianyan snappily said, “Rather than relying on the heaven, places, parents and a man, it’s better to rely on yourself, girl. Besides, I already have someone as my goal!”
“What’s your goal exactly?” Several other girls gathered together and asked.
Gripping her fists, Yi Lianyan confidently said, “I must have one-tenth of his wealth in the future.”
“Who is ‘he’ exactly?” The three female students asked in unison.
“You won’t know him even if I tell you!” Yi Lianyan answered with a smile.
“Bah…” Three middle fingers were raised, as they stopped discussing the topic.
As the performances ended one by one, Tang Xiu’s turn quickly arrived. Then, the hostess announced, “Next one, the show presented to us now will be brought by a new student from the History Department, Tang Xiu! He will sing ‘Fairy Dream’ accompanied by a zither he himself will play. So, let’s invite Tang Xiu to the stage!”
Inside the auditorium, Chi Nan’s eyes lit up, while Mu Wanying’s group stopped moving, and Yue Kai’s group had their eyes turn wide. However, Yi Lianyan looked blank for a while, yet she shook her head, as she felt that it was only someone with the same name.
However, when a familiar figure walked onto the stage while holding the zither that had been set up, Yi Lianyan abruptly stood, looking in disbelief as she saw Tang Xiu sit in front of the zither. She rubbed her eyes as to make sure that her eyes were not seeing things.
It’s … really him?
He turns out to be a freshman at Shanghai University, too?
After making sure that she wasn’t dreaming, Yi Lianyan trembled due to excitement. If not because Tang Xiu was about to perform, she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself to immediately rush toward Tang Xiu, interrogating him as to why he didn’t tell her that he was also a new student at Shanghai University.
On the side of the stage, Han Qingwu calmly held her arms, looking at Tang Xiu’s face from the side. While in the dark corner about ten meters away from her, Zhang Xinya, wearing a mask and a duckbill cap, watched Tang Xiu with sparkling eyes.
Tang Xiu sat on the chair in front of the zither. As the light gradually faded and only a spotlight shined on him, his eyes slowly swept over the teachers and students under the stage.
Afterward, he slowly shut his eyes under everyone’s watchful eyes. A few seconds later, as his eyes suddenly opened, his fingers glided over the strings like running water.
In the wake of the zither’s musical melody, the sounds of running water, the white birds’ happy chirping flowed. Within just a dozen seconds, the vibration and tremulous zither music had pulled everyone into a wonderful world.
The wonderful world filled with green hills and blue waters; waterfalls and various colorful butterflies. It was like the fairyland in a dream.
In the misty hill amidst the fog, someone sat cross-legged playing the zither. Amid the wonderful, soul-stirring zither music, more and more white birds were flying and dancing in the air, as they sang and let out longing, joyful cries.
“Brr…”
Standing at the side of the stage, Han Qingwu’s delicate body suddenly shook. Her pupils instantly contracted as her body turned rigid and stiff in an instant.
She knew those music tunes!
This zither music was familiar to her the moment she heard it. She was sure that she had never heard this music before, yet she didn’t know why it brought such an inexplicable familiarity to her.
Afterward, under the pull of the zither music, Han Qingwu felt that the world before her disappeared. As her sight returned and turned clear and bright, she was already standing in the summit of a hill.
There, she saw herself, or rather, a woman that looked almost exactly like herself. She stood on the side of a person playing the zither. She then rose, dancing lightly and gracefully. Her white dress fluttered in the wind as a beautiful fairy moving as in a dance. She was like the fairy from the Ninth Heaven, moving and dancing heartily in harmony with the zither music.
“Time and years pass by in a hurry like a dream for the immortals...”
The strange tone could actually make everyone understand the meaning of the song.
From this strange angle and perspective, Han Qingwu watched the fairy dance, and then gazed at the back of the person playing the zither. She couldn’t hear the song, yet her mouth incited the words in the song ahead of time. It was as though she already knew the lyrics, knew this magical-like musical note.
At the same time, it seemed like a flash of lightning bolted inside her mind. In that sudden moment, fragments - like flying butterflies - gushed out from the crack of lights. It was like she recalled a memory she once had, as the present world fused with the Immortal World before her.
“In the boundless immortal ocean, I have poured out my feelings, as Qingcheng’s beauty dances like dust in my fairy dream…”
The soft singing voice reverberated, giving off gentle and tender feelings.
From the zither music, everyone could feel the zither player’s love. It was a deep, profound love toward the dancing woman.
It seemed like the moment was froze in time, as the warmth of love seemed to moisten everyone.
Gradually, everyone was captivated and enthralled therein.
Tang Xiu sang and played the zither, while rising the curtain of memories, recalling the scenes past. His fingers moved and sprung more smoothly. As the scenes continued to wander in his mind, it soon entered the last arc. When the song was coming to an end, the pictures in his mind suddenly changed.
It changed into the scene when he crossed the tribulation! When he got ambushed!
By his most intimate friend! By the woman he loved the most!
His fury and rage suddenly exploded in his chest. The sound of the zither changed, as the world in front of everyone suddenly transformed.
Heinous fiends and demons torrentially dashed to the heaven, as an ocean of blood and mountain of corpses filled the infernal hell.
All of a sudden, everyone was screaming, whether it was in the hellish inferno or inside the auditorium in reality.