Lu Mingfei, why are you slaying dragons if you're not involved!

Chapter 132 What does it mean that the God of Road is going to perform a duet with Senior Brother Chu? (6.8K)

The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG drove smoothly on the overpass, the engine's low roar filtered into faint white noise by the excellent sound insulation.

The surrounding traffic has thinned out, and the concrete jungle reveals a blurry and cold outline in the night. The city is finally beginning to shed its hustle and bustle and sink into a slightly weary tranquility.

Lu Mingfei turned his gaze away from the light and shadow flowing outside the window and turned to the other side, where he "coincidentally" met Chu Zihang's gaze for the fifth time.

"Tell me, senior brother, what exactly happened?"

He wore a tragic expression, as if witnessing the desolation of the Yi River.

"Is it the end of the world or has that roadside braised pig intestine stall gone out of business? If it's the former, it doesn't matter. If it's the latter... we can go to another stall!"

Today, Chu Zihang didn't run into Su Xiaoqiang, and no one else could "give Lu Mingfei a ride," so he finally didn't have to "have something come up" like last time.

But ever since he got on the bus and took out his phone, he has been looking at Lu Mingfei very frequently and in an unusual way, for some unknown reason.

As someone who was once an unknown figure but is now in the spotlight, Lu Mingfei can say with certainty that there is absolutely no such thing as "developing an antibody to being watched after being watched too much".

On the contrary, it might make them even more sensitive!
And now, these frequent glances are still coming from Chu Zihang... Lu Mingfei suddenly had a bad feeling.

The icy, expressionless senior brother rarely does anything meaningless. Therefore, his frequent attention... must be either something extremely important or some important "gossip"!
To be honest, at this moment, Lu Mingfei even somewhat hoped it was the former... but reason told him that was impossible. If it were truly a serious matter, Chu Zihang would never waste so much time.

"Are you going to perform a four-hand piano duet with Liu Miaomiao at the Shilan Middle School Spring Festival Gala the day after tomorrow?"

Chu Zihang naturally ignored his nonsense and went straight to the point.

"There is such a thing."

Lu Mingfei was taken aback. "But how did you know, Senior Brother?"

"Every year, the program list is released several times a few days before the start of the school's Spring Festival Gala to determine whether to modify or add items and to check for errors and omissions."

Chu Zihang said calmly, handing over his phone, "Liu Miaomiao's project was originally a piano solo, but it was just changed to a four-hand duet."

"Oh...it's nothing, right?"

Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief and took the phone.

"Senior brother, you've scared me so many times. It's like you're saying, 'You've been caught!' It scared me so much that I thought it was something serious..."

He paused, as if caught in an invisible hand, and stopped abruptly.

"What the hell is this?!"

Lu Mingfei stared blankly at his phone, which displayed the post titled "[Shocking! Lu Shen will perform a four-hand piano duet with Liu Miaomiao at the Spring Festival Gala! The final winner is suspected to have been decided?]".

If the only shock was the "four-handed duet" part, it was alright, still within acceptable limits. But the problem lies in the final part, "the final winner seems to have been decided!"
To prove his point, the poster collected and summarized all relevant posts, listing in the post body the entire process of the relationship changes between Lu Mingfei and the "Four Beauties of Shilan"—Su Xiaoqiang, Liu Miaomiao, Ling, and Chen Wenwen!
He spoke with such reasoning and evidence that it was convincing. He wrote over ten thousand words, detailing everything from the first contact to the present, including all the gossip, details, and speculations that led to his conclusions!
There's Su Xiaoqiang, a bickering couple who have been together for two and a half years, only to have their relationship turn against each other overnight; there's Liu Miaomiao, a classmate who has been together for five and a half years, and whose feelings for each other finally blossom into a real relationship; and there's Ling, an icy beauty who falls for a transfer student from the "heavenly department" at first sight...

There's even Chen Wenwen, whom Lu Mingfei tried to woo but failed and eventually gave up! The poster noted, "Although Lu Mingfei showed the determination of 'a good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed,' I personally think that the 'chasing husband crematorium' is also an essential part of the process, so I added it."

In conclusion, after this series of analyses, he concluded that Liu Miaomiao currently holds the greatest advantage!
The reason is: after all, they are already seniors in high school, and this year's Shilan Middle School Spring Festival Gala will likely be their last time participating. But at such an important moment, Lu Shen chose to play a four-hand piano duet with Liu Miaomiao alone! Don't you all understand what this means?
"What does this mean? It means he's spreading rumors! I'm going to sue him!"

Lu Mingfei's eyes widened, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head; he felt as if a path ahead was about to be fraught with danger...

Now he knew why Chu Zihang had been looking at him so frequently before; it turned out that his previous feeling that "you've been caught" was not an illusion!
If this post hadn't gone viral, a simple four-handed piano duet wouldn't really prove anything. Su Xiaoqiang and Ling probably wouldn't have had any objections or taken any action...

But now?
If we don't take any action, wouldn't it seem like we're "admitting defeat"?
Even if we don't steam buns, we'll still have some pride!
Lu Mingfei had a premonition... He sensed that this time, it might not just be a battle between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue at the Forbidden City, a contest between sword immortals.

We should also add Dugu Qiubai!

What? Why are there only three?
That's because Chen Wenwen definitely doesn't count.

In Lu Mingfei's view, Chen Wenwen had let go of things much earlier than him; she was just innocently dragged into this by passersby.

Lu Mingfei's fingers swiped stiffly across the screen to read the comments below.

As expected, the post went viral, triggering a series of chain reactions.

It was inevitable that the four beauties of Shilan would first consciously take sides and start "fighting," followed by the "I'd want them all" party and the "They're all just pretty faces" party, which seemed to be in a state of slumber, and then the largest group, the "Lu Shen really deserves to die" party, who should be exterminated...

Finally, even the fans of the senior brother and his female friends, who were wondering if Senior Brother Chu would come, since he seemed to have a good relationship with Lu Shen, started to emerge.

In short, chaos reigns!
"Don't they study?"

He hesitated for a long time before finally managing to utter a single sentence.

"The mock exam is tomorrow!"

"Last-minute review is not very effective in improving grades."

As Chu Zihang spoke, he kept the remaining half of the sentence, "And mock exams are common, but gossip is not," to himself.

"..."

Lu Mingfei numbly handed the phone back to Chu Zihang, feeling utterly confused and unsure of what to do...

But this confusion is only temporary.

Soon, Lu Mingfei saw Uncle Chen driving silently, but actually wishing he could install a hundred or eighty rearview mirrors so he could see the contents of his phone through the reflection of light. He then remembered what Uncle Chen had said earlier.

Just follow your instincts!

Instinct at times like this...

Lu Mingfei felt he really wanted to give up.

So he really chose to give up – whatever, he just lay there and let himself be abused!
It's said that masters stop when they've exchanged blows. I've already chosen to give up and lie on the ground, so surely I shouldn't get cut to pieces by the sword energy, right?
Once you choose to give up, all those previous troubles naturally become irrelevant.

Lu Mingfei even had the leisure to ask Chu Zihang, "Hey, senior, so are you really going? Will you be performing?"

"will go."

Chu Zihang hesitated slightly, "I don't have any plans to perform, but it's hard to say at the time."

The hesitation stemmed from the fact that during his six years of junior and senior high school at Shilan Middle School, he had a regular cello solo performance at the Spring Festival Gala every year.

It's hard to say whether he'll be asked to perform by both teachers and students if he shows up. It's difficult to refuse such a request.

"Hey, I have an idea."

Lu Mingfei immediately understood the reason for Chu Zihang's hesitation, and a thought suddenly struck him.

"How about we put on a show together? My piano skills are pretty good, and you, senior, are an even better cello player. Piano and cello are a classic combination!"

"Won't the time be too tight?"

Chu Zihang was not objecting, but rather raising a key question.

"After all, today is basically over, and there are only two and a half days left until the gala."

"It's alright! Senior brother, you might not know my piano skills... I can play as soon as I pick it up, and I can play it right away!"

Men who say "Hey, I have an idea" are not troubled by problems. They often unleash unimaginable intelligence and execution to push things forward, and no difficulty is a problem at this time.

Lu Mingfei was in that state, waving his hand with overflowing confidence.

"Your cello skills are top-notch. Let alone two days, I think we could start playing right away as soon as we get the sheet music!"

"it is good."

Chu Zihang agreed almost without hesitation, "Which piece shall we play together?"

"Hmm... I have another idea."

Lu Mingfei tried hard to recall the differences between various musical instruments that Aunt Shanshan had briefly mentioned during class.

"I remember that all the notes of the cello can be reproduced by the piano, right?"

"Yes."

"That makes things easier. I happen to have a piano piece here that I was planning to let you hear, but I was too busy and forgot... Anyway, if we make a few slight changes to the part that can be played by the cello, we can have a duet."

Lu Mingfei took his phone out of his bag.

"This is a piece that Liu Miaomiao and I wrote together, but we plan to perform another one at the gala, and its style will definitely suit you perfectly, senior! Want to listen?"

When Chu Zihang heard the suggestion to "create a song with Liu Miaomiao," he initially wanted to refuse and ask Lu Mingfei to choose another song.

But Lu Mingfei immediately followed up with a barrage of additional explanations, effectively shutting down any opening he could make.

"it is good."

Chu Zihang decided to listen to it first, and then let Lu Mingfei change it after he finished listening.

"If you feel anything is wrong during the process, be sure to tell me."

Lu Mingfei reiterated the precautions, as he was unsure if Zero was an "unaffected exception," and was even prepared to activate the [Burst Sprint] at any moment.

"it is good."

So, as Lu Mingfei pressed the play button—

The sound of a zither gradually began.

In an instant, the sharp notes, like a deadly wind on an icy plain, seized Chu Zihang's mind.

Great music doesn't require you to listen to the whole piece to realize its extraordinary quality; its captivating beauty can be revealed in just three or four notes!

The music stopped abruptly at its climax, leaving a lingering feeling of wanting more.

"How about it?"

Lu Mingfei asked impatiently.

Chu Zihang's fingers twitched slightly. He had learned a lot of gossip about Lu Mingfei from Aunt Shanshan, including Aunt Shanshan's praise of his "unparalleled piano talent".

But seeing is believing.

How could such a piece be composed by a piano beginner who has only learned to measure time in "hours"?

Even Beethoven would have to give up his seat for him!
How would you rate the quality of this piano piece?

As a cellist, Chu Zihang doesn't exactly have a passion for music.

But after listening, he felt an unprecedented urge to "show off his skills"!

This impulse prompted him to silently retract his previously prepared suggestion to "change the song".

"can."

Originally, out of politeness, Chu Zihang should have asked Lu Mingfei to ask co-creator Liu Miaomiao for her opinion first, but after listening, he realized that "co-creation" was probably just Lu Mingfei's humble way of putting it.

Composing music is like writing a novel. Without sufficient insight and learning, trying to write something completely unfamiliar will only result in a hollow and pretentious piece full of errors.

Everything contained in that piece of music... could never have happened to Liu Miaomiao!
As for Lu Mingfei?
Since he managed to "scare Odin away," Chu Zihang wouldn't be too surprised no matter what he did next.

"But, this piece of music is probably not complete yet?"

Based solely on his intuition, Chu Zihang speculated.

"It's indeed incomplete; there are still two parts, but it will be finished soon. I'll send you this part of the piece first, and you can revise it when you have time, senior brother."

Lu Mingfei breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Since Chu Zihang, as the owner of the Word Spirit: Monarch Flame, didn't react to this even though they were such a compatible hybrid, it seems that this piece of music should be absolutely safe.

In this way, once it's completely finished, I can confidently hand it over to Aunt Shanshan to make money!

"Speaking of which, shouldn't we notify them in advance so that the performance time can be arranged?"

Lu Mingfei suddenly remembered this important question.

"Theoretically, it is necessary."

Chu Zihang nodded, his tone quite matter-of-fact, "Back then, someone would ask me before every Spring Festival Gala; that must have been the application and registration process." Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "That's not the normal process at all! Ordinary people have to run around to the class committee and the student union's organization department themselves, and they might even get passed around like a hot potato! So much trouble going back and forth!"
"Never mind, I'll post a question here."

Lu Mingfei quickly logged into his campus forum account, ignoring the surge in followers and mentions.

In theory, this could be asked of Liu Miaomiao, but his actions were actually driven by a slight sense of "revenge."

Since you all don't like to rest, then none of you should rest!
You like gossiping, huh? Come on, eat up! Eat your fill! Then you'll all be in terrible form for your mock exams tomorrow, while I'll be the only one standing out!

Driven by this desire for "revenge" and a "what's the use" mentality, he quickly edited the post and sent it.

[Um... does anyone know who's in charge of organizing this school gala? Could you please ask if we could add a performance? It would be a piano and cello duet between me and my senior, Chu. Thanks!]

Once this post is published, it's like dropping a... nuclear bomb into the already turbulent center of a lake!
Chu Zihang's status at Shilan Middle School needs no further introduction.

Lu Mingfei's recent rise to fame has made him a hot commodity.

But now...

What does it mean that Lu Shen (the God of Roads) is going to perform a duet with Senior Brother Chu?
It was at the gala party!

For six years, from junior high school to high school graduation, Chu Zihang's performance at every school Spring Festival Gala was always a cello solo.

For many of Chu Zihang's admirers, the happiest thing in life would be to perform on stage with Chu Zihang on such an important occasion... even as a backup dancer!
But all their wishes were in vain.

So it's acceptable—losing doesn't matter, as long as there are no winners.

But now... a winner has emerged.

It's a man!
The girls were furious... They had initially found it amusing to see the boys wailing because Lu Mingfei had "monopolized the four beauties of Shilan," but now that the fun had fallen on them, how could they stand it?
For the first time ever, the girls all uttered that phrase that had always been passed down only among the boys—

This scoundrel deserves to be killed!

……

Having anticipated what would happen, Lu Mingfei logged out of his account after posting the message.

Even before he received the schedule and when he was having a really bad time, he was actually a bit of a "mischievous" person, but he just didn't have many opportunities to show it on a daily basis.

The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG smoothly cut into the edge of the streetlight beam and came to a stop.

"Goodbye, senior brother! Goodbye, Uncle Chen!"

After greeting the two men, Lu Mingfei pushed open the iron gate, walked through the courtyard, and returned home.

After pushing open the door, Lu Mingfei stopped abruptly before he could even say "I'm back."

The interior was furnished exactly the same as when I returned the previous few nights; it was still a warm and natural scene that made me feel relaxed.

The only difference is the voice, and the person.

zero.

She sat on the sofa as usual, not waiting quietly, but holding a violin.

The instrument rested firmly between her beautifully shaped jawline and collarbone, forming a firm yet elegant arc with her neck.

Her left hand danced and leaped across the ebony fingerboard with dazzling speed and astonishing precision, while her right hand held the bow with composure and strength, her wrist as flexible and supple as a swan's neck.

Thus, from the bow and strings, a melody full of tension and tender emotion, with a climax full of determination and reluctance, accompanied by the unspoken feelings of being so close yet so far, flowed out.

The violin music gradually stopped, and Lu Mingfei had somehow walked up to Ling's side. She put down her violin, stood up, and looked at him: "You're back?"

"came back……"

Looking at the violin, Lu Mingfei had a vague idea in his mind.

"That...duet?"

"Due?"

Zero replied casually.

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt his cheeks burning. He thought to himself, "Lu Mingfei, you're really getting cocky. How can you think that everyone wants to perform with you?"

"What...music is this?"

He quickly changed the subject, saying, "It sounds familiar."

"Por Una Cabeza, Chinese name 'Just One Step Away', is a work by Argentine tango king Carlos Gardel."

Zero replied.

"I saw this song in the social dance party program after the Spring Festival Gala of Shilan High School."

"oh oh."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head. "So you just wanted to play a piece on a whim...?"

"Do not."

Ling answered calmly, her deep and calm eyes fixed on Lu Mingfei, and suddenly uttered a very rare and never-before-seen form of address.

"Landlord."

"To!"

Lu Mingfei subconsciously replied, "What a strange name, it sounds kind of cute and playful at first glance," but before he could even say it, something completely unexpected happened.

Step your right foot back slightly, so that your left heel touches the arch of your right foot. Then, place your hands naturally on your abdomen, straighten your back, and bend your knees slightly and gracefully.

This is a perfectly standard curtsy!

During the curtsy, she spoke softly.

"It is an honor to invite you to be my dance partner at the ball."

Lu Mingfei stared at her blankly. Logically, this was a very ladylike gesture; at the very least, the bow should have been performed with a polite smile and a gentle tone…

But Zero hasn't changed at all. She's still that moving ice sculpture carved from a ten-thousand-year-old iceberg. She's elegant, but not ladylike. Instead, she's as noble as a queen!

The Queen's invitation cannot be refused unless you want to lose your head.

He thought to himself and smiled.

"Okay."

After agreeing, Lu Mingfei recalled the past and scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.

"But I don't seem to be good at dancing... Once when I was doing a group dance, the dance teacher said that I was uncoordinated and used both my hands and feet."

"It doesn't matter."

Zero's tone was always as calm as if he were stating a fact.

"That's because they don't understand you."

So...you know a lot, huh?
Lu Mingfei wisely chose not to respond, but silently complained to himself.

He had a premonition that if he said that, Ling would probably give him another psychological blow!
[Warning, it's time for the planned [evening study session]...]

……

"Shall we end today's lesson here?"

The night is deep.

Soft light spilled into the room. Yu Ji looked at the girl sitting in the chair, who was already shrouded in a deep drowsiness. She couldn't help but admire her and thought to herself, "Her hair is like clouds that touch her fair cheeks." This is the epitome of beauty.

As a beauty, Yu Ji was quite confident in her appearance. Moreover, after becoming a pure-blooded dragon, her appearance and demeanor were actually further enhanced.

Even so, he was only on par with Su Xiaoqiang.

But Su Xiaoqiang is still just an ordinary person. If he completes that ritual, awakens his bloodline, and becomes a true hybrid... he can probably go even further.

How stunningly beautiful she will be then?
"it is good……"

Su Xiaoqiang gently rubbed her temples, her long, ink-black hair cascading down like leaden threads. At home, she didn't need to pay as much attention to her personal image as she did at the corporate office, so she could relax and be herself.

"While maintaining the group's affairs, you also have to come into contact with a completely new world, learn new knowledge, and change old perceptions. Over time, your energy will become increasingly difficult to sustain."

Yu Ji gently reminded her.

"I know, but what can we do?"

Su Xiaoqiang stood up and threw herself onto the bed.

The Frette down comforter enveloped her like a light, warm cloud, while the Hstens mattress provided precise support for every curve of her body. The overwhelming comfort made her breathe softly and close her eyes.

"After all, that was the empire my father built single-handedly. Now that his health is failing, he wants to pass it on to me. Do I have any other choice? I can't just hand it over to someone else."

I did consider finding help, but the ones I could trust weren't capable, and the capable ones I couldn't trust..."

Su Xiaoqiang paused abruptly halfway through her sentence.

The idea that flashed through my mind yesterday has resurfaced. Only... it's more feasible now.

So she slightly propped herself up and looked at Yu Ji.

"By the way, do you have any plans to go back to work?"

It's easy to chat with smart people; Yu Ji understood Su Xiaoqiang's meaning almost instantly.

She smiled faintly, her gaze full of inquiry: "You trust me that much?"

"Don't doubt people who are suspicious of you, don't doubt those who are employed."

Over the past two days, Su Xiaoqiang has come to understand Yu Ji somewhat... This understanding is not yet at the level of absolute trust, but it is more than enough to have her do things for him, share some of the work and relieve some of the pressure.

This is essentially the same as hiring an employee. What kind of absolute trust does a boss need in an employee? It's not like you're entrusting the entire company to Yu Ji (a character from a popular Chinese novel).

Moreover, once the second part of Su Xiaoqiang's battle plan is implemented tomorrow, this trust can be raised to another level.

"Since I have nothing better to do, well... alright."

Yu Ji nodded gently. For the past two days, she had been secretly protecting Su Xiaoqiang and, in the process, quickly learning about the world more than two thousand years in the future.

For a normal person, this would be an extremely difficult task. But she was no longer human, but a dragon, and she completed it with ease, even with energy to spare.

Of course, having spare time doesn't mean one has to find something to do; Yu Ji wasn't a "workaholic." She agreed because of Su Xiaoqiang.

In her view, with her looks, talent, ambition, and ability to know when to advance and retreat, Su Xiaoqiang would surely end up with "that person" in the future... Whether she is the only one is debatable, but she will definitely occupy an important position.

Helping out now is like making an investment in advance!
After agreeing, Yu Ji gracefully departed.

After a short rest and conversation, Su Xiaoqiang was no longer so sleepy.

She simply took out her phone and logged onto the campus forum.

The first thing that catches the eye is that "shocking post".

"Lu Mingfei and Liu Miaomiao... a four-hand piano duet?"

Su Xiaoqiang raised an eyebrow slightly, not caring about the so-called "final winner seemingly decided".

Liu Miaomiao... well, that's fine.

Immediately afterwards——

What do you mean I've already lost?

(End of this chapter)