Chapter 117 - 116: Subjects Everywhere, A Shocking Discovery!
Chapter 117: Chapter 116: Subjects Everywhere, A Shocking Discovery!
One sentence made Xu Zhao Yu’s smile freeze on her face. She looked at Yan Sinian in surprise, clearly unable to accept this answer. "Master Yan, what are you saying?"
She wondered if the sheet music notebook in Shi Changying’s hand was really written by Xie Lin. How could that be possible?
"Mr. Xie Lin’s concert tickets are indeed very difficult to get. I’ve only had the fortune of attending once," Yan Sinian said. "That time was only because the concert had a collaboration with the Mingjing Cultural Heritage Institute. After the performance, I chatted with Mr. Xie Lin and learned that he always handwrites his compositions."
"Master Yan, you must have seen it wrong." Xu Zhao Yu’s tone was exceptionally firm. "Changying has only been in Jianghuai for a month. She used to live in Ming Village—a place cars can’t even enter. You have to walk the last stretch of the road. There is simply no way she could know Master Xie Lin."
Yan Sinian didn’t intend to continue debating with her, so he went along with her words. "You have a point. Perhaps I was mistaken."
Only then did Xu Zhao Yu breathe a sigh of relief.
Tickets to Xie Lin’s concerts could only be secured manually. The use of any bots or ticket scalping was strictly prohibited, ensuring maximum fairness. Even she had gone to great lengths just to get a few tickets. How could Shi Changying possibly possess Xie Lin’s handwritten sheet music?
Xu Zhao Yu’s smile returned. "Master Yan, I’ll walk you back to your hotel."
However, Yan Sinian shook his head. "I’ve never been to Jianghuai before. I’ve always heard my seniors say the scenery here is quite nice, so I’d like to take a walk around by myself. No need to see me off, Miss Xu."
Xu Zhao Yu felt a bit awkward. Her lips parted, but all she could say was, "Take care, Master Yan. We’ll be relying on you to look after Changying in the future."
She watched the car carry Yan Sinian away, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. She stood unmoving in the same spot until Meng Baizhou came out and draped a coat over her shoulders.
"Zhao Yu, we should go too," Meng Baizhou said. "It’s getting colder. Your health isn’t good, so don’t stand out here in the wind."
Xu Zhao Yu finally snapped out of her daze. She pulled the coat tighter around herself and said, seemingly casually, "Bai Zhou, do you know what Master Yan was chatting with me about just now? He actually thought that sheet music of Changying’s was written by Master Xie Lin."
Meng Baizhou paused slightly. "Really?"
"Of course it’s false!" Xu Zhao Yu burst into laughter. "How could Changying have those kinds of connections? Do you know how incredibly precious Master Xie Lin’s sheet music is? It’s not like grabbing a late-night snack from a street vendor."
Meng Baizhou didn’t press further, speaking in a gentle voice instead. "Zhao Yu, we need to help Shuyu find her sheet music first. She needs it to formally acknowledge her master at the end of the year. It’s extremely important."
Xu Zhao Yu looked worried. "Could some petty person, jealous of Shuyu, have destroyed the sheet music? After all, Shuyu is just too outstanding..."
Meng Baizhou shook his head and said nothing. Unable to figure out what he was thinking, Xu Zhao Yu linked her arm through his. "Let’s head back to the Meng family home."
At the start of the new week, Shi Changying arrived at school carrying two large bags. Inside was the breakfast she had bought from the food stalls along her way: pan-fried dumplings, baked buns, beef patties, steamed rice cakes...
Lu Mi let out a gasp of awe. "Thank you, Yingying!"
The other students who had already arrived in the classroom excitedly gathered around, each grabbing their favorite breakfast items.
After distributing the food, Shi Changying asked, "Xiao Mi, what’s a high-EQ way to say ’see you tomorrow’?"
Lu Mi subconsciously glanced at Shaoyuan’s seat. Upon finding it empty, she let out a long sigh of relief. She pinched the corner of her shirt, her mind working furiously. With a serious expression, she said, "Yingying, actually, ’see you tomorrow’ is already a very high-EQ phrase! Those words represent a promise, so they carry a lot of weight!"
Shi Changying nodded thoughtfully. Lu Mi secretly gave herself a thumbs-up, thinking that she really was brilliant.
After the first two classes came the flag-raising ceremony. It was supposed to be a completely ordinary day, but when Xu Shuyu stepped onto the podium, the students were a bit surprised. After all, for the past two and a half years, Xu Shuyu had been the absolute model student. No one could find a single fault in her morals, intelligence, physical fitness, or work ethic.
"Shuyan, what’s going on?" a boy nudged Meng Shuyan’s arm. "Did your sister actually do something wrong and have to make a public apology?"
Meng Shuyan sneered. "Who else could it be because of? Isn’t it just that transfer student with persecution paranoia?"
When Xu Zhao Yu returned home yesterday, she had recounted the whole incident. He was so furious that he wanted to march straight to the Xu family home right then and there to teach Shi Changying a lesson. It was one thing to target him, but what right did she have to target his sister?
"I apologize to Shi Changying of Senior Class 17 for misunderstanding that she took my sheet music." Xu Shuyu took a deep breath before continuing, "I am very sorry. This was all my own assumption and speculation. I promise I will not make such a mistake again."
Only then did the students realize what had happened. Surprised, they began whispering and discussing the matter among themselves.
The vice class monitor widened her eyes. "Senior Sister, why would she think you took her sheet music? The surveillance footage was even checked!"
Shi Changying stood with her hands in her pockets, speaking at a leisurely pace. "Because I am unreasonable, have a terrible temper, am moody, and am truly an out-and-out violent villain."
The vice class monitor was speechless. It sounded somewhat correct, but at the same time, completely wrong!
After a day of burying her head in hard study, Shi Changying walked out of the school gates with her backpack and saw Ming Chengli waiting for her. As long as her old father had free time, he would definitely come pick her up in person with food in tow.
Shi Changying took the milk tea from his hands. "Dad, did you go to the company?"
"I did, but your dad really doesn’t know the first thing about medicine." Ming Chengli scratched his head and sighed helplessly. "I’m really not cut out for pharmaceutical research. Even management needs to understand market trends."
Shi Changying said, "Don’t rush. We’ll figure something out."
Back when she was the Emperor, she didn’t know much about everything either, which was why she had to be good at utilizing people.
After returning to the Old Xu Mansion, Ming Chengli was just about to remind Shi Changying of a few things when his phone suddenly rang with an urgent tone.
"Hello, it’s me, Ming Chengli. Wait, what did you say?" Ming Chengli’s voice suddenly changed pitch.
Shi Changying looked over at him.
Whatever the person on the other end said, Ming Chengli’s expression grew increasingly serious and solemn as he listened. "If it’s true, then history will indeed be rewritten. Wait for me, I’ll head over today."
After the call ended, Ming Chengli’s hands were still trembling. Clearly, the information he had just received was no less than a bolt of lightning to him.
Shi Changying handed him a cup of hot water. "What’s wrong, Dad?"
Ming Chengli let out a breath. "Changying, it was a call from an old classmate of mine."
Shi Changying asked, "The Xuan’an Archaeological Center?"
"No, from over in Meizhou." Ming Chengli’s voice was shaking badly. "They just discovered a ruin. It belongs to someone, and this person has a recorded name. Surname Qing, given name Yuan."
CLATTER—