“That’s too expensive. I can’t accept it.” Yu Xiaoduo quickly closed the box.
“Take it. It’s just a gift from a big sister to a little sister.”
“No, no, I really can’t.”
“Be good. We’re going to Sister Bai’s place for dinner today.” With that, she told the driver to start the car. Yu Xiaoduo felt helpless—Sister Bai was giving away way too much. Yun’er, I can’t hold out much longer.
Gu Wan’er, coming downstairs, could only watch as her own body got into Sister Bai’s car and drove away. Yu Xiaoduo’s luck with the ladies was just too much. Whoever became his girlfriend would surely die of jealousy.
“Brother Yu, let me treat you to a meal.” Zhao Liang stepped out of the elevator, smiling brightly.
Gu Wan’er would have loved to tag along for a free meal, but today she had to go pick up her best friend. “No can do. I’ve got to go pick up a beauty.”
“Pick up a beauty? Boss Gu just left, and you’re already off to pick up a beauty. Impressive.”
But Gu Wan’er said with a perfectly straight face, “If a man doesn’t live it up while he’s young, he’s wasting his youth.”
“Brother Yu, you’re almost middle-aged.”
Gu Wan’er was speechless.
Gu Wan’er drove her new car out of the underground parking lot, hoping that when she woke up tomorrow morning, she’d find herself back in her own body. She had so many things she wanted to say to Xiao Luan face to face.
Xiao Luan had rented a dedicated training room for rehearsals. Though the location was remote, it was absolutely quiet.
Gu Wan’er parked the car downstairs. As soon as she reached the third floor, she heard the sound of music. It felt like being transported back to her school days, when she’d accompany Xiao Luan to dance practice every single day.
Standing outside the training room, Gu Wan’er watched Xiao Luan leading the dance. She was so focused, and the backup dancers beside her were all excellent too. If Yu Xiaoduo were here, he’d probably be drooling. Too bad he wouldn’t get the chance to feast his eyes.
Yu Xiaoduo would like to point out that he’d already feasted his eyes plenty last night.
Suddenly, the music stopped. All the girls came to a halt, and Xiao Luan’s expression didn’t look great either. This had already happened several times.
“Sister Xiao, there’s probably something wrong with this USB port,” one of the girls said helplessly.
“What kind of equipment is this!” Xiao Luan walked over to take a look but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She couldn’t help feeling irritated.
“Sister Xiao, how about I play it manually?” one of the girls volunteered, stepping forward.
Xiao Luan nodded. That was the only option now. “Alright, once we finish practicing, we’ll call it a day.”
The girl sat down in front of the guqin nearby and took a deep breath. Her slender hands gently touched the strings.
Gu Wan’er listened to the girl’s playing and felt it was still lacking a bit—it didn’t quite meet Xiao Luan’s standards.
No sooner had she thought that than Xiao Luan indeed called for a stop. “No, no. You’re not capturing the right mood.”
“Sister Xiao, how about we practice again tomorrow after we get new equipment?”
As soon as those words came out, the girls around her quickly signaled her to stop talking. You know Sister Xiao’s temper—if we don’t finish the last piece today, she’ll keep us here till midnight.
“How about I give it a try?”
A voice suddenly rang out. All the girls turned to look at the door, where Gu Wan’er stood with a smile.
“This guy is so handsome! Whose boyfriend is he?”
“I wish he were mine, but he’s not. Whose is he? Come claim him already.”
Xiao Luan looked at “Yu Xiaoduo” and furrowed her delicate brows. He wasn’t thinking of showing off in front of her, was he? Didn’t he know that if he didn’t perform well, he’d just embarrass himself?
“Do you know how to play?” Xiao Luan asked, looking at “Yu Xiaoduo.”
“A little,” Gu Wan’er said confidently. After all, I used to play while you danced.
Xiao Luan nodded. “Here’s the sheet music. Do you need to familiarize yourself with it?”
“Let’s just start.”
Since you want to try, I’ll give you one chance. Don’t let me down—otherwise, even Wan’er speaking up for you won’t help.
The girls around were quite surprised.
“He’s actually Sister Xiao’s man? Oh my god.”
“He’s probably just a suitor.”
“Have you ever seen a suitor make it into our training room? They’d have been kicked out long ago.”
The girls immediately erupted into chatter, looking at Gu Wan’er differently now. Gu Wan’er, however, seemed relaxed, sitting down by the guqin and testing the sound.
Xiao Luan saw that “Yu Xiaoduo” seemed to know a thing or two and didn’t say much more. She clapped her hands. “Alright, girls, stop staring. Get into position—we’re starting!”
As Gu Wan’er’s fingers plucked the strings, a crisp sound echoed through the training room. Anyone with a trained ear could immediately tell this was something special. Even Xiao Luan, standing in the center position, was taken aback.
What came next left Xiao Luan utterly stunned—even the backup dancers around her were amazed. Compared to the recorded version, this live performance was far more powerful. The piece “Jianghu” was played with such passion and intensity.
When the piece ended, Gu Wan’er let out a long breath. It had been a while since she’d played—she was a bit rusty.
When she looked up at everyone, she was also taken aback. They were all staring at her as if they’d seen a ghost.
“Handsome, your guqin playing is just too good.”
“Sister Xiao, where did you find this expert? So amazing.” The girls chattered and pointed at Gu Wan’er, as if they’d discovered a new continent. After all, he was handsome, tall, and talented—what girl wouldn’t like that?
Xiao Luan walked over, looking at Gu Wan’er with a strange expression. If she didn’t look at his face, she’d almost suspect it was Wan’er playing—that familiar feeling was exactly the same.
“Alright, we’re done for today. Everyone head back,” Xiao Luan waved her hand.
“Sister Xiao, are you trying to send us all away so you can have him to yourself?”
“Sister Xiao, that’s not very nice of you~”
“Sister Xiao’s hitting people! Run!” The girls ran off giggling, their words giving Xiao Luan a headache.
A few minutes later, only Gu Wan’er and Xiao Luan remained in the training room.
“Not bad at all.” Xiao Luan crossed her arms, her cleavage deep, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Gu Wan’er stood up and smiled. “Just playing around. Are you satisfied, Miss Xiao?”
“This isn’t ‘just playing around.’ You can’t produce that kind of feeling without at least ten years of foundation.”
Gu Wan’er smiled without saying anything. Yu Xiaoduo was tone-deaf—he only knew how to talk big.
Seeing the modest smile on “Yu Xiaoduo’s” face, Xiao Luan let out a light laugh. “Man, you’ve certainly piqued my curiosity. I’m going to change clothes. Wait for me.”
“Okay.” Gu Wan’er chuckled softly. She hadn’t expected that playing one piece would make Xiao Luan see her in a new light. Then again, Xiao Luan had always cared deeply about these things—it was a lucky accident.
Soon, Xiao Luan reappeared in different clothes. “I think I kind of understand what Wan’er sees in you. No wonder she wanted to introduce you to me.”
“Is that so? Do you like music a lot, Miss Xiao?” Gu Wan’er asked, knowing the answer full well.
“Yeah. Do you play any other instruments?”
“I can play wind, string, and percussion—a little of everything.”
Xiao Luan looked unconvinced. “Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?” Gu Wan’er said with a light laugh, looking into Xiao Luan’s eyes.
Xiao Luan also looked into “Yu Xiaoduo’s” eyes and felt that this guy seemed pretty decent—his eyes were very pure.
“Come on, then. I’m going to test you. If you dare lie to me, you’re done for.”
“This still needs to be tested?”
