Entertainment Era: Starting with Teaching Sister Meng to Sing

By enduring until the last class at the art school, Meng Ziyi finally understood why Wang Xiaozhou had sent her to school.

She couldn't understand why those people would use the most malicious thoughts to speculate about her. They had been together for almost three years, and they knew exactly what kind of person she was.

"Ziyi, why don't you come stay at my house tonight? I'll keep you company. Don't pay attention to these people. They're like the gossipy old women at the village entrance, only willing to exaggerate the story. Nobody cares about the truth."

Just before school ended, Meng Ziyi's only best friend, Sun Jiayi, invited her out. When Wang Xiaozhou asked around about Meng Ziyi, it was Sun Jiayi who first messaged Meng Ziyi. She can be considered a fairly qualified true friend.

Meng Ziyi smiled and said, "It's nothing. I didn't take it to heart anyway."

Sun Jiayi knew that Meng Ziyi was putting on a brave face. She had seen Meng Ziyi hiding in the toilet and crying several times throughout the day.

The two got up and walked out, with Wei Bin jogging to catch up.

"Ziyi, are you alright? I know you're not that kind of person. What they said today was really awful. I'll definitely teach them a lesson another day."

Meng Ziyi turned around and smiled politely: "Thank you, but no need. Also, just call me Meng Ziyi."

Wei Bin quickened his pace and spoke behind the two with even more concern: "You absolutely mustn't let this affect your exam performance. You must come to class. Just pretend you don't hear any of their nonsense."

Meng Ziyi didn't turn his head and continued walking.

Seeing this, Wei Bin's lips curled into an undisguised wicked smile. The group was about to leave the school gate, and he dared not continue to follow, for fear of running into Wang Xiaozhou. However, before stopping, he still asked one last question.

"Ziyi, I believe you, but can you tell us what you did in the provincial capital with Wang Xiaozhou a few days ago? Did you... get violated in any way? If he really forced you to do that kind of work, all of us classmates can stand up for you."

Meng Ziyi suddenly stopped and turned around to walk in front of Wei Bin.

Wei Bin was startled by her sudden action, but he still tried to remain calm: "What's wrong, Ziyi? I was just saying this... for your own good."

As he spoke, Wei Bin revealed a smile without any attempt to hide it, as if to say, "I'm deliberately trying to disgust you."

From top to bottom, from left to right, Meng Ziyi carefully examined Wei Bin, then her face was filled with disdain:

"Wang Xiaozhou promised to pick me up today, and he's right outside the door. Do you dare come out and repeat what you just said?"

Wei Bin gave a guilty smile, trying to salvage his image by speaking, but Meng Ziyi wasn't about to give him another chance to be disgusting. She turned and continued walking towards the door, leaving behind only the words:

"Garbage hiding in the gutter."

......

The group of four who came to pick them up from school that evening were still there. The three of them, including the blond-haired guy, were playing cards in the open snow, wearing black gloves like idiots.

Wang Xiaozhou leaned against his bicycle, smoking one cigarette after another.

The second snowfall of the year came too early; it probably won't last. When the sun comes out tomorrow, the streets will likely be muddy. If the temperature drops again at night, the streets will be like mirrors when we wake up the next day.

If it weren't for this disgusting incident, I could get up early tomorrow morning and take Meng Ziyi to the railway tracks to play on the tracks. That should increase her favorability towards me quite a bit, and she would probably be very happy.

Spotting a beautiful figure in the crowd, Wang Xiaozhou unfolded the thick down jacket he had prepared beforehand and wrapped it directly around her.

"I saw you wearing only a light jacket this morning. You've been taking care of yourself for so many years, and you don't even know to check the weather forecast?"

Feeling a pair of warm arms wrapping around her along with the down jacket, Meng Ziyi pouted, feeling wronged.

She thought she could hold back; she had just been trying to be strong, to accompany Wang Xiaozhou for a walk along the railway, and to cry under the covers when she got home that night.

But as soon as the man opposite her opened his mouth, tears started falling on their own.

"Hey hey hey, can you snort back a bit? It's zero degrees now, it'll freeze in a bit. Oh, it even rhymes."

Sun Jiayi covered her mouth with her hand and exclaimed "Ouch!" inwardly, thinking: He's so handsome...

The system kept buzzing in his head, notifying him of the increasing favorability, but Wang Xiaozhou didn't want to pay attention to that right now. He wanted to comfort Meng Ziyi, whose delicate little face was streaked with tears, making him look rather pitiful.

"Annoying!"

Meng Ziyi sniffled suddenly, turned around and left: "I don't need you to see me off."

Before getting angry, he waved to Sun Jiayi and said, "Bye-bye, see you tomorrow."

Wang Xiaozhou followed behind her, amused. This girl wasn't heading home; she was clearly heading towards the train station, yet she still insisted on being defiant.

"I'm gone."

Huang Mao called out, and Lao San and Li Weiguang forcefully ripped the paper strips off their faces. It was too cold, and the paper strips they had stuck to their faces with saliva were frozen solid, making it painful to rip them off.

Third brother: "Which way do we go? Should we follow them?"

Li Guangwei tightened his down jacket, covering his ever-present white vest underneath, then slapped the third brother on the forehead: "Have you gone stupid from studying? Now is the perfect time for Big Brother to take advantage of the situation. Why are we following him? Hurry up and buy a roasted sweet potato for Big Brother, then we'll go back to the internet cafe."

The third brother was unconvinced, but he knew Li Weiguang was right. He decided to get revenge at the internet cafe later, so he ran to a stall near the elementary school and bought a roasted sweet potato to deliver to the two of them.

Wang Xiaozhou waved his hand, gave a thumbs-up to acknowledge his brothers' help, and then stuffed the sweet potato into Meng Ziyi's hand:

"Warm your hands, walk slowly."

Despite his resentment, Meng Ziyi refused to compromise himself. He took the roasted sweet potato, held it in his arms, and continued walking towards the train station. Not far away, he couldn't help but turn back to look at Wang Xiaozhou.

"Do you have it?"

Wang Xiaozhou opened his cotton-padded coat to reveal a black sweater underneath: "I'm wearing thick clothes underneath, so I'm not cold."

The two found a small alleyway not far from the train station, went inside, and soon came to the railway tracks where the roadbed had sunk.

The two walked side by side, one at one end of the sleeper and the other at the other, with the pristine snow helping to record the long path they followed.

Have you seen that picture on your social media?

Meng Ziyi suddenly asked, and Wang Xiaozhou blankly replied, "Ah? What picture?"

"It's just a picture of two people holding hands. The girl hooks her index finger around the boy's pinky finger. They're also wearing rings, and there's a highway in the background."

"Oh." Wang Xiaozhou remembered that picture. He recalled that the keywords were something like "non-mainstream, beautiful, artistic, hand-holding picture". It had been popular since 2005 and many people used it as their profile picture or social media background.

What's wrong with this picture?

Meng Ziyi paused for a moment: "I think the background of railway tracks looks better than the background of highways."

He stopped walking, hooked his index finger around Wang Xiaozhou's little finger, took out his phone and snapped a picture.

A girl who goes straight for the chase can really make an older man's heart pound.

After taking the photos, neither of them let go of the other's hand, and they walked forward arm in arm. When they felt they had walked a bit too far, they followed the footprints they had left behind to turn back.

As they were about to return to the alleyway, Wang Xiaozhou finally spoke: "Actually, you don't need to explain anything to them."

"I didn't explain, I just felt terrible."

"I'll take this opportunity to see some people for who they really are. I just got word that the show will air in ten days. They're just spreading rumors about us going to the provincial capital together. Once the show airs, everyone will know what you were doing there, and the rumors will fall apart on their own."

Meng Ziyi didn't say anything, and strode forward with his long legs.

Wang Xiaozhou smiled and said, "I have to practice singing again tomorrow to prepare for the second episode."

Meng Ziyi nodded vigorously this time.

"Also, Ziyi, register a Weibo account."

Wang Xiaozhou thought for a moment, then added, "Just keep moving forward. May you shake off the chill, only move upwards, don't listen to the words of those who give up on themselves, and be able to do things..."

"puff."

Before Meng Ziyi could finish listening, she couldn't help but burst out laughing. She glanced at Wang Xiaozhou, and despite his young age, he exuded a captivating charm.

"You idiot!"