Chapter 449: Praises
Zhang Xinya’s compliment didn’t produce the slightest fluctuation on Tang Xiu’s emotions. He only looked at her bright smiling face, and smiled slightly to shift the topic, “It’s late; the dorms should have been locked already. Anyway, I gotta return to my place. What about you? Are you going back to your hotel?”
“Mmm. I’ll go back to the hotel after driving you back.” Zhang Xinya nodded.
“Let’s go, then! You drive.” Tang Xiu said with a smile.
The night was still bright like a tide of lamps.
Zhang Xinya drove the Mercedes-Benz left by Jin Xingkui. After they arrived at the front gate of Bluestar Villa Complex, she parked the car and then said with a smile, “Anyway, I won’t go inside. I’ll have someone send the car back to the Jinda Estate company tomorrow.”
“Okay, take care. It’s late, though. Pay attention to your safety on the way back.” Tang Xiu nodded.
“All right. Don’t worry!” Zhang Xinya faintly smiled. She then drove away after Tang Xiu got off.
While standing before the gate, Tang Xiu watched as the Mercedes-Benz disappeared into the darkness of the night before walking inside. However, what he didn’t expect was that his Land Rover SUV was parked outside his villa’s courtyard. Furthermore, it was not only his Land Rover, but also Yue Kai’s BMW and Hu Qingsong’s Audi A4.
"You guys…"
Tang Xiu couldn’t help but force a smile after seeing Yue Kai and Mu Wanying’s group of seven.
“You’re finally back, Eldest Brother Tang,” Yue Kai smiled. “If you hadn’t come back tonight we’d probably have to sleep in the open. Now, confess to us honestly, where did you go, buddy?”
“I had an appointment with a friend, so we went out to dine.” Tang Xiu smiled.
"A friend?"
Hu Qingsong came over and grinned, “Big Bro Tang, for you to stay up late and have dinner in the middle of the night, don’t tell me that this ‘friend’ is a belle who got her heart moved by your performance?”
Tang Xiu couldn’t help laughing. After opening the courtyard gate, he walked inside and said, “You guys are really smart. Yeah, you’re right. A great beauty had indeed invited me to dinner tonight. Also, the place we went was kind of upscale, too. Huh, what’s wrong? Are you blaming me for not taking you with me?”
“Cut it out!”
Yue Kai, Hu Qingsong, and even Xue Chao raised their middle fingers toward Tang Xiu, contempt on their faces.
Instead, it was Mu Wanying who was smiling as she asked, “Tang Xiu, can you tell us who’s this great beauty who invited you to dinner?”
“Zhang Xinya.” Tang Xiu slightly smiled and answered.
Puah…
Cough, cough…
They made strange noises, the disdaining expression on their faces turning more vivid. Even Li Xinjie and Jiang Feiyan couldn’t help but giggle. However, Mu Wanying’s smile faded a bit. She looked a bit distracted, and there was a pensive look on her face.
Afterward, some of them drove in and parked the cars in the courtyard before entering the villa. After tonight’s freshmen welcoming party ended, their group looked for Tang Xiu, be his mobile phone was turned off. Hence, they ran over and waited in vain, getting somewhat hungry as a result. Yue Kai fully played Lei Feng, trying to be selfless and devoted as to call for a takeout, yet he turned out to be as not great as Lei Feng, for he let everyone know that he had done a good deed.
On the second floor.
Tang Xiu returned to his bedroom and was preparing to change his clothes. Just as he took off his jacket, someone knocked his door.
“Is there something you need, Wanying?”
Bare-chested, Tang Xiu opened the door. Mu Wanying was outside, lightly smiling as he asked with a curious expression on his face.
Mu Wanying’s gentle gaze swept over Tang Xiu’s muscular frame. She then said, “I didn’t expect for you, who has such a thin frame, turn out to have such a streamlined and attractive muscles. Anyway, I indeed have some matters to talk to you about.”
“Come in, then!”
After replying smilingly, Tang Xiu walked to the cloakroom to get some clean clothes. Then, he went to the bathroom and came back to the room, saying, “What is it? Tell me!”
“Have you known Zhang Xinya for a long time?” Mu Wanying smiled and asked.
“Not too long!” Tang Xiu looked blank before shaking his head and answering, “The first time I met her was several days ago. I just didn’t expect to meet her again at Shanghai University tonight.”
Astonished and surprised, Mu Wanying said, “You know her for such a short time, yet it seems your relationship with her is very good?”
“It’s ordinary. A friend of mine is Zhang Xinya’s good sister,” Tang Xiu smiled and replied. “Later on, I also bumped into her in Hong Kong, and experienced some things together. Shortly put, she’s a good person.”
With a shaken heart, yet maintaining her composure, Mu Wanying asked, “How was it? For a man to be tempted by a super celebrity?”
“Well, I don’t think that the woman who can tempt me has been born yet.” Tang Xiu chuckled. “Anyways, let’s not talk about her anymore. I don’t think you came looking for me just to ask this, right?”
“No.” Mu Wanying shook her head. “What I wanna ask is, how did you practice your zither skills? When you played the zither… it was like I was pulled inside it. I once read in an ancient book that some people can use music to bring others into that conception realm, as if they really appeared in that world. That kind of realm, it should be the highest realm of music, right?”
Looking deeply at her, Tang Xiu then shook his head and said, “That was not the highest realm of music. But even if I tell you, you’ll probably not understand it.”
“Can you teach me, Tang Xiu?” Mu Wanying seriously asked.
“Your skill in the art of music is actually very good. I realized it when we tried some zithers in the afternoon.” Tang Xiu chuckled. “However, I play the zither with my heart and soul, as well as the intention to bring myself in it, but your zither play doesn’t have it. While someone have spirit and soul, when you play the zither, you can only make a person’s spirit be lost in thought but fail to achieve the step to reach their soul.”
Knitting her brows, Mu Wanying asked, “I don’t understand. What’s the difference between spirit and soul?”
“Such a question is something that can be grasped by your heart and soul, yet it can’t be described. Perhaps you will be able to understand after you’ve experienced a sudden insight one day.”
“It sounds so mysterious. Forget it, then. I’ll rely on myself!” Mu Wanying couldn’t help laughing and replied.
“All right, let’s go downstairs!” Tang Xiu smiled faintly.
“Okay!”
As they came to the first floor, Tang Xiu and Mu Wanying found that Yue Kai and Li Xinjie were watching something on the mobile phone.
“What are you guys watching?” Tang Xiu asked.
Looking up, Yue Kai gave Tang Xiu a thumbs-up and exclaimed in praise, “Eldest Brother Tang, you’ve become famous. You just raised a commotion in our Shanghai University’s forum.”
“Huh?” Tang Xiu was confused, “What do you mean?”
“If it wasn’t because of your performance in the show, what else could it be?” Yue Kai said. “You’ve conquered all the teachers and students who attended the freshmen welcoming party, to the extent that the university leader requested the video recording master upload your performance footage on the campus forum. As of now, there have been ten thousand comments on your video footage, while tens of thousands of people have upvoted it. Furthermore, after various recommendations, many campuses outside Shanghai University have registered in our campus forum to open it. I also heard that…”
“What did you hear?” Tang Xiu forced a smile.
“I heard that the video was shared and uploaded to other campuses’ forums. It’s causing uproars everywhere,” Yue Kai smilingly said. “We have already checked and found that the number of videos uploaded to our forum has numbered up to eight thousand already; while the uploaded videos in other forums number to the tens of thousands. I’m sure that, as of tomorrow night, your performance will start to spread to the national major forums. By then, you will be popular all over the country.”
“No, that can’t be, right?” Tang Xiu was at a loss whether he to cry or laugh, saying, “Isn’t it way too easy to become a star if I become so hotly popular just because of a footage?”
“Eldest Brother Tang, you seem to not know the power of the Internet.” Yue Kai replied, “Computers are very popular nowadays, with 8 out of 10 people having access to internet. Bear in mind, what I said is just a conservative estimation. Henceforth, your given name, Tang Xiu, will be well-known to everyone. You may not become a celebrity in the future, but I’m hella sure you’ll become an Internet celebrity.”
An Internet celebrity?
It was a term Tang Xiu had heard before. But to think that he would become one of those Internet celebrities... Never once in his wildest dreams had he ever dreamed about it. He shook his head and smiled lightly, saying, “Attracting people’s attention wherever I go surely won’t be a good feeling. It seems I have to think of a way of getting rid of this video.”
“No can do, buddy!” Yue Kai shook his head. “You won’t be able to do that unless you have the ability to block all media channels.”
“EH!”
Tang Xiu looked vacant and stared blankly. He immediately shook his head and smiled bitterly.
He indeed didn’t had the ability to block all media channels. Even if he used all his personal connections, including the power of the Tang Family, he wouldn’t be able to do that. The present Internet was indeed almost omnipotent. Once any major news happened, it would go viral and spread out like a virus.
Seems like I must adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation. If worst comes to worst, I can learn from Zhang Xinya, disguising myself when I have to go to crowded places, Tang Xiu consoled himself inwardly.
“We were kind of unconvinced that you had any accomplishments in music before, Big Bro Tang. But after listening to your performance, we were utterly subdued. You’re a Guru; a deeply concealed Guru who doesn’t reveal himself. Now, I’m beginning to wonder how many n things you’re still concealing.”
“The four arts: zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting; none of them are subpar. Likewise, there’s nothing I don’t understand, be it verses, ditties, odes, or songs. I can impart you a few tricks if you’re willing to worship me as your teacher.”
“STOP!”
Tang Xiu received nothing but middle fingers yet again.
Nevertheless, for Mu Wanying, who had seen Tang Xiu’s painting skills, she definitely believed it; for her, he had reached an absolutely godlike level. And now, added with music, Tang Xiu already showed his godlike abilities in two spiritual fields.
The next day, when Tang Xiu appeared at campus, he really became the focus of everyone’s attention. Tons of people crowded together and pointed their fingers at him.
“Hello, handsome Tang Xiu, can you be my boyfriend?”
A female student stopped Tang Xiu when he was on the way to his classroom, asking him out very straightforwardly.
A bitter smile appeared on Tang Xiu’s face. This was the sixth female student who confessed to him after he came to campus. The way these girls looked at him was like a pervert feasting his eyes at a naked beautiful woman, brimming with cravings, hungry, and thirsty.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to fall in love so early.”
Having said that, he quickly bypassed the girl and dashed forward.
"Hahaha..."
"I’m gonna die laughing, dude!"
“So envious. So jealous… ah, the regret!”
"..."
Yue Kai, Hu Qingsong, and the others roared with laughter. Their teasing and mocking voices filled the air.