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

Chapter 176 Xia Mi: Lu Mingfei? He doesn't seem to have anything special about him (1561)

This put the boy and girl into a state that was neither clear nor describable, but roughly it was a tacit understanding where they both knew what the other was going to do next.

The two of them sat up from the piano bench in perfect unison, went to the center of the stage, and gave another bow as a closing gesture.

Applause erupted spontaneously, this time no longer from the anticipation or jeering of those watching a spectacle, but from utter... admiration!
"Encore!"

The applause was mixed with shouts from some guy, but they were immediately drowned out by a sharper female voice, "Wait a minute, the next ones are Lu Shen and Senior Brother Chu!"

A burst of laughter rang out, and the girl, realizing her slip of the tongue, covered her face and squatted down... Most girls were quite indignant that Lu Mingfei had stolen "Chu Shixiong's first public performance together," but for some girls who liked to ship unusual couples, this was nothing short of a treat.

No wonder they were in such a hurry!

Amidst laughter and cheers, Lu Mingfei escorted Liu Miaomiao off the stage and backstage.

"I'll be waiting for you in my seat."

Liu Miaomiao looked at him longingly, the girl subconsciously feeling a little reluctant to part.

"Have you forgotten? This is the last show. We'll be moving to another venue soon."

Lu Mingfei deliberately said that when he saw that she was a little disappointed, he "sneakily" tapped her head lightly.

"Go ahead, I'll come find you later."

After a slight emotional fluctuation, Liu Miaomiao quickly smiled, nodded, and went backstage.

Lu Mingfei breathed a slight sigh of relief, composed himself, and pulled himself out of that state. He walked around the backstage area to the other side, listened to the host's introduction, and then looked at Chu Zihang, who was wearing a pure white suit and holding a cello, and gave his comments.

"Senior brother, you're absolutely flamboyant in that outfit!"

"Prepared by Aunt EB."

Chu Zihang glanced at Lu Mingfei indifferently, keeping the words "I seriously suspect she has ulterior motives" stuck in his throat.

The suit and dress worn by Lu Mingfei was a deep black, handmade by Su Xiaoqiang and with guidance from Aunt EB.

Even knowing this, she still picked out a white one for Chu Zihang.

In addition, Chu Zihang had always vaguely heard rumors that Aunt EB's sexual orientation was not quite right... It is normal to have such suspicions.

Fortunately, Aunt EB doesn't make a strong public appearance; she just operates in the shadows. So, the solution is simple: just pretend you don't know and ignore her.

"Are you going to practice Tai Chi again tonight?" Chu Zihang asked.

"After this, we'll have to dance, and who knows what time it will be then."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head. It was probably because of the impromptu schedule that today's schedule was unusually lenient, and he hadn't been warned at all. He just didn't know if he would immediately revert to his strict and meticulous ways after it was over.

"I can't keep Teacher Zhang and Senior Brother Ye Sheng waiting for me, can I? Never mind, I can practice by myself when the time comes."

"it is good."

The stage emcee was just finishing his announcement. "...Let's welcome Chu Zihang, a senior from the class of 2008, and Lu Mingfei!"

Another wave of applause nearly lifted the roof off, but this time there were also many excited screams from girls, making it seem like you were at some kind of celebrity fan event.

But everyone knows that compared to the two boys who are about to appear, no celebrity is even worthy of carrying their shoes! Whether it's looks, talent, or academics and sports... comparing them is simply an insult.

The fervent cheers didn't even reach their limit; after Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang appeared, they rose even higher!
In a secluded corner of the audience, the girl, dressed in the Shilan Middle School uniform, wearing a hat and mask, completely covered up from head to toe, who had been drowsy until the four-hand piano performance, finally opened her eyes wide.

"Damn, I've never even worn such a flashy outfit before... He deserves to die!"

Her voice was so soft that it was easily drowned out by the noise and went unnoticed by anyone.

The applause and screams continued until Lu Mingfei sat back down on the piano bench, and Chu Zihang sat on a chair beside him, supporting the cello and holding the bow. Only then did the applause gradually subside and return to silence.

Lu Mingfei raised his hand.

Fingertips swiftly and heavily touched the keys, pressing them down! Unlike the previous piece, "You at the Window," which was calm, gentle, and tender, this piece, "Nightmare," was a tumultuous outburst from the very beginning!
Those piercing notes seemed to bring a deadly cold wind from the icy plains, chillingly hanging over the entire auditorium!

It wasn't until Chu Zihang's cello joined in that the biting despair seemed to be punctuated by a spark of hope.

Repeated setbacks and failures, the continuation of life amidst death, and even the ever-changing miracles...

It was a perfect collaboration, a masterpiece of music, and in terms of quality and conception, it far surpassed "Four-Hand Piano Duet" by a wide margin!
And this is... Lu Mingfei's original work?
This realization didn't come to everyone's attention until they barely recovered from the music and saw Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei bowing side by side to take their bows.

Immediately following this was the natural question.

Just how outstanding does Lu Mingfei have to be before he hits a bottleneck?

Chu Zihang has been outstanding since he entered Shilan Middle School in junior high school. He has been outstanding for six years, and even things that were not used to him have become a habit.

But Lu Mingfei... he had been down on his luck for five and a half years before he finally turned his life around in just twelve days!

If they can demonstrate so much skill, what level would they reach if given more time?

These questions, of course, could not be answered. Because the Lunar New Year Gala at Shilan Secondary School had now concluded, and next up was the social dance party!

In a secluded corner, the mysterious girl, whose only visible feature was her eyes, frowned, stood up, and disappeared into the night.

Lu Mingfei? He doesn't seem to have anything particularly special about him, except that he's good-looking, academically gifted, and musically talented... Why would Chu Zihang treat someone like this?

"Let's deal with that over there first... Wait, why were even their weapons taken away?"

That's outrageous! Not only did they trespass without permission, but they also stole things! Did they really think they were tourists who could just pick up some 'local specialties'?"

Xia Mi muttered under her breath, her tone full of girlish resentment and self-righteousness.

Before she finished speaking, she changed direction and began talking to herself as usual.

"Let's get those things back first. They might come in handy. If all else fails, they can be sold as antiques for a good price. That way, we won't be short of money in the future..."

(End of this chapter)