Chapter 100 - 99: A Genius Like Shi Changying, Receiving Distinguished Guests
Chapter 100: Chapter 99: A Genius Like Shi Changying, Receiving Distinguished Guests
In their previous life, when they first met, she had rescued him from beneath a horse-drawn carriage.
In this life, their first encounter was shockingly similar. Once again, she had pulled him back, saving him from a car accident.
The wheels of destiny had rolled across four hundred years of history, yet nothing had changed. It felt like a fated reunion, making his heart tremble slightly.
Xie Qingshi slowly exhaled, wiped his tears, and repeated, "I’m very happy." He realized that tears of joy were real, after all.
Seeing that he had composed himself, the assistant breathed a sigh of relief. But noticing him putting on his coat, he paused in surprise. "Sir, where are you going? I’ll call the driver."
"Jianghuai High School. And I don’t want to see a single reporter," Xie Qingshi said, his expression suddenly turning sharp.
"Yes, sir," the assistant immediately complied.
Xie Qingshi took two steps before suddenly frowning. He recalled Pei Xuan mentioning last time that someone was constantly keeping an eye on him. If he suddenly visited Jianghuai High School right now, word would definitely reach Pei Xuan’s ears.
He didn’t want to be pestered by Pei Xuan. His expression remained placid. He needed to think of a way to bypass Pei Xuan’s informants.
At Jianghuai High School, the math teacher returned to his office with his lesson plans.
Seeing his beaming face, the teacher at the next desk curiously asked why he was in such a good mood.
"Changying has been making rapid progress," the math teacher praised. "She can actually solve linear equations with two variables now. As expected, she’s quite bright. When a smart kid finally buckles down to study, the results are incredible."
When she first started, Shi Changying hadn’t even known what an equation was. The math teacher felt immensely gratified, convinced that his teaching skills had reached a whole new level. He decided he simply had to treat himself to a grand seafood feast when he got home.
Meng Shuyan, who was currently asking his own math teacher about a problem nearby, found this utterly laughable. "Since when does solving linear equations make someone bright? Even an elementary schooler can do that!" he thought mockingly.
After finishing his question and leaving the office, Meng Shuyan habitually went to find Xu Shuyu.
Xu Shuyu didn’t want to go out; she was in the middle of doing practice problems. But rather than risk Meng Shuyan doing something embarrassing, she set her pen down anyway.
"The exams are right around the corner," Xu Shuyu said coldly. "Can’t you study a bit more?"
"I just came back from the math department office, didn’t I? How is that not studying?" Meng Shuyan retorted, slightly annoyed. "Guess what I just heard? Her class’s math teacher was praising her for being smart, and it was actually just because she learned how to solve linear equations. How is that smart at all?"
A hint of surprise flashed through Xu Shuyu’s eyes. "Don’t tell me she didn’t even know how to solve equations before?"
"Of course. To think she isn’t embarrassed entering Jianghuai High School with those kinds of grades." Meng Shuyan scoffed. "The college entrance exams are only seven months away. How many points do you really think she’ll score?"
Xu Shuyu wasn’t interested.
"Also, isn’t she a total money-grubber?" Meng Shuyan sneered. "Out of the goodness of my heart, I signed her up for the arts festival."
Xu Shuyu frowned. "Are you just looking for trouble?"
"Sister, just wait and see how she embarrasses herself on stage," Meng Shuyan said, a dark glint in his eyes. "So what if she’s the biological daughter? If she brings shame to the Xu Family, Grandpa and Grandma will only grow more disgusted with her."
His reasoning was clear and simple. People instinctively loved to compare things. During the arts festival, when Old Sir Xu and Old Madam Xu watched Xu Shuyu’s piano performance first and then saw Shi Changying, it would be impossible for them not to compare the two. And once comparisons were made, biases would naturally form.
"I don’t care about her," Xu Shuyu said impassively.
"Alright, sister. How could a nobody like her ever catch your eye? Just leave it to me to handle." Meng Shuyan chuckled. "I’m just furious on your behalf. I won’t be able to swallow this anger unless I see her make a fool of herself."
Xu Shuyu said nothing more and returned to her classroom.
Meanwhile, in Class 17 of the senior year.
Lu Mi was trying to teach Shi Changying how to sing. Over the past two days, she had desperately attempted to pull Shi Changying back onto the right pitch, but every session ended with Lu Mi herself being dragged off-key. They had failed again.
Lu Mi felt completely crushed, but she quickly pulled herself together.
"Yingying, I think we should just give up on singing. Honestly, chorus is super hard anyway," Lu Mi said earnestly. "Why don’t we try dancing instead? You have such a great figure, Yingying; you’d definitely look gorgeous dancing."
Shi Changying fell silent. After a long pause, she asked, "Does a Sword Dance count as dancing?"
In truth, she didn’t know how to perform a Sword Dance either. Her sword was meant for killing. However, since dance originally evolved from martial arts, she figured she could give it a try.
Wait... where was her sword?
Shi Changying suddenly realized a crucial matter and immediately began searching for the words "Yao Guang Sword" online. She had already mastered the art of internet search engines. However, Lu Mi had warned her that the internet was full of chaotic information and people blindly following the crowd. She needed to exercise independent judgment and absolutely avoid being easily swayed.
The page refreshed, and the results loaded.
The name Yao Guang Sword did exist, but all the sources pointed to various movies, anime, and novels. There was absolutely no trace of it in any historical context.
Shi Changying remained expressionless. Was her sword gone too?
Her Yao Guang Sword was a supreme treasure she had accidentally acquired while cultivating in the Xuan Sect. Impervious to fire and water, it was a peerlessly sharp weapon.
She had an urge to kill someone.
Lu Mi’s eyes widened, and she blurted out in shock, "A... a Sword Dance?!"
"No way, Senior Sister, the skills you have really aren’t things normal people get to experience." Song Qingmu was dumbfounded. "Could it be that you come from a family of martial artists?"
"No, my dad is an archaeologist. I’m self-taught," Shi Changying said unhurriedly. "Back in the village, there weren’t any other entertainment options, so I used tree branches as swords and worked out with the older aunties and uncles. But it’s really just flashy moves for show."
"Wow!" Lu Mi clapped her hands. "Our Yingying is definitely the best!"
Song Qingmu scratched his head. "But if it’s a Sword Dance, how do the rest of us coordinate with you?"
The vice class monitor immediately raised his hand and proudly declared, "I know how to play the drums. I’ll be the drummer!"
The girls enthusiastically chimed in with suggestions. "We could be backup dancers! It would be even better if we could wear traditional attire. Xuan-style robes are so gorgeous but still light and flowy."
Soon, the entire class reached a consensus and decided to rehearse a dance performance.
"What about the Young Master?" Lu Mi offered an invitation. "Come join us!"
Shaoyuan smiled but didn’t agree. "You guys have fun."
"Alright, I knew you definitely wouldn’t join in on this kind of stuff." Lu Mi looked a bit disappointed, but in the next second, she cheered up again. "Let’s head to the dance studio in a bit and figure out everyone’s roles first!"
Honestly, the moment the words "Sword Dance" left her mouth, Shi Changying had felt a twinge of regret. But seeing how excited and full of anticipation these kids were, she didn’t want to let them down.
Shi Changying massaged her temples. As expected, her classmates were just like her former court officials—incredibly childish. Whatever. There was no harm in playing along with them for a bit.
"The principal isn’t here today, so I am the principal..."
Humming a tune, the vice principal swaggered out of his office to receive a guest. Since he had successfully entertained even the Young Master of the Pei Family, he figured there couldn’t possibly be anyone else in this world more difficult to deal with.
The vice principal was brimming with confidence right up until he saw the man waiting in the reception room.
After entering the reception room, Xie Qingshi had removed his disguise. His elegant, handsome features were fully exposed to the air, delivering an immediate visual shock.
The vice principal was utterly astounded. "You... are you Master Xie Lin?"
Could it be that the formidable Pei Xuan had changed his mind and actually invited the man over?!