A band, or a battleground?

Nika asked with a smile, "Musicians are the most emotional people. You two spend so much time together, haven't you sparked any unique ideas?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's eyes flickered, but her face drooped even lower.

Ning Qianyu curled her lip in disdain.

Qiu Mengxue finally spoke up: "Besides making music, we also have to study. Time is tight, and we don't have much free time."

“Oh right, I almost forgot you guys are still students…” Nika raised her glass, “Come on, let’s have a toast. Back when we were in school, we weren’t nearly as good as you guys!”

The four members of the Haruhi group raised their teacups together.

The two male teammates next to Nika also raised their glasses, which also contained tea. However, one of them seemed somewhat reluctant even to raise his glass and drink the tea.

Nika, the only one drinking, put down her glass and heard Qiu Mengxue ask, "Sister, you're the lead singer, is it okay for you to drink?"

Nika laughed, "The next round is the semi-finals, when will that start? Only five episodes are airing online so far. Your ancient-style song hasn't even been broadcast yet. These two rounds and four episodes in between are our rest time. Today is a celebration party, what's wrong with having a few drinks?"

Qiu Mengxue nodded and didn't say anything more.

Nika then looked at Qi Yuan and asked, "What are your plans for this period of time? How about you go sightseeing in the capital? You can't just stay in that villa all the time. The environment there is nice, but it gets really boring after a while."

Qi Yuan said with a serious face, "Do your summer homework."

Nika: "...I was thinking of suggesting that I show you around the capital."

Qi Yuan: "We have a lot of homework for summer vacation."

Nika scratched her head, speechless.

Qiu Mengxue quietly asked her classmate, "Does Qi Yuan hand in his homework in your class?"

Jiang Yi: "He never does his homework during the school year, so he definitely won't do his summer homework. Summer vacation is already more than halfway over, when have you ever seen him do his homework?"

Qiu Mengxue pouted slightly: "I knew he wouldn't write it; he's just trying to shut people up."

Jiang Yi: "But I think it was a good idea to block it. I feel like this Nika sister has ulterior motives."

Qiu Mengxue: "I can see that now. Humph, Qi Yuan has only just become famous, and he's already attracting attention..."

Jiang Yi glanced at Qiu Mengxue with some surprise.

She could tell there was a hint of sourness in Mengxue's tone when she said "attracting bees and butterflies." She'd never seen Mengxue like this before.

Could it be that Mengxue also...?

Jiang Yi fell into deep thought.

Qiu Mengxue turned to the other side and whispered, "Yi Yi thinks she has ill intentions. What do you think? What exactly does Nika want?"

Ning Qianyu: "It's definitely not just drinking. I've seen my dad drink before, and he never drinks alone without caring whether the other person is drinking or not."

Qiu Mengxue subconsciously said, "But Teacher Zhou is the same way. He only asks Qi Yuan to drink, and he drinks heavily himself, but it doesn't matter if Qi Yuan doesn't drink."

Ning Qianyu: "...Mengxue, do you have to argue with me?"

Qiu Mengxue smiled and said, "Sorry, it's a habit. So, what do you think Nika's real intention is? Is it just to build a relationship?"

Ning Qianyu rested her chin on her hand: "It's definitely not just about building relationships. I think she's also interested in Qi Yuan's creative abilities."

Qiu Mengxue: "Really?"

Ning Qianyu: "Of course! Anyone who can write songs is welcome in any band, let alone Qi Yuan who writes them so well."

Qiu Mengxue: "But Qi Yuan only writes songs for our band, so it's impossible for him to write songs for her."

Ning Qianyu pondered, "There's no such thing as a free lunch, but there are plenty of deals. If she can give something in return, maybe she can get Qi Yuan to write a song for her."

"Then what do you think she'd be willing to give up..." Qiu Mengxue began, then suddenly her expression changed, "Could it be her looks?"

Ning Qianyu: "That's possible."

Qiu Mengxue: "If she really does that, will Qi Yuan write a song for her?"

Ning Qianyu pondered for a while, then shook her head: "Then she underestimated Qi Yuan's martial monk attributes."

Sure enough, Nika's next topic was: "Young man, you're so good at writing, could you share your knowledge with me and teach me a thing or two?"

Qi Yuan replied, "But I think your original songs are pretty good too."

Nika shook her head: "That depends on who you're comparing us to. We're okay compared to other bands, but we can't compare to you. Besides, we can only write rock, unlike you, who can handle pop and rap with ease. How do you do it?"

Qi Yuan: "That's hard to say. I didn't think that much when I was writing the song, so I can't summarize my experience."

Nika cupped her cheeks in her hands, her beautiful eyes sparkling: "Wow, is this talent? You're amazing!"

On the other side, Ning Qianyu whispered, "Look, they've already started using their feminine wiles."

Qiu Mengxue was getting anxious: "What if Qi Yuan can't hold on? He can't really write a song for this guy!"

Ning Qianyu smiled and said, "Then it's up to you."

Qiu Mengxue: "What do you mean by 'watch me'?"

Ning Qianyu: "She knows how to use her beauty to seduce people, so why don't you?"

Qiu Mengxue gritted her teeth and said, "What are you saying!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Even if you drink too much tea, you still need to go to the toilet.

Qi Yuan walked into the restaurant's men's restroom, stood in front of the urinal, and turned on the tap.

Just then, a hand patted him on the shoulder.

The opening of the sluice gate is arguably one of the most unprepared moments for humankind, and Qi Yuan was no exception. He was startled, but fortunately managed to stabilize the water flow. Turning his head, he saw a cold face wearing sunglasses.

He's the guitarist from the Katz band.

You'd better be careful.

Qi Yuan was taken aback and asked, "Are you threatening me?"

The guitarist snorted and turned to leave.

Watching the figure disappear outside the bathroom door, Qi Yuan fell into deep thought—of course, before he could start thinking, he had to shake off his pretense.

Was that "You'd better watch out" a threat or some kind of warning?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

093 The Test of the Pretty Sister

After the sluice gates are opened and the water is released, it is natural to wash your hands.

After washing his hands, Qi Yuan looked at himself in the mirror, still lost in thought.

From Nika's obvious favoritism towards him, to the unusual behavior of the Katz band, to the current progress of the show, and the tug-of-war between the Spring Shadow band and the two capital firms...

He thought about it a lot, so he was a little slow.

Just as he turned off the tap, he was surprised to find a beautiful figure in the mirror.

It's Nika, who kept throwing flirty glances at us during the meal.

Qi Yuan turned around and said, "This is the men's restroom."

Nika didn't say anything, just made a shushing gesture, took his hand, pulled him into a cubicle, and locked the door.

There were no other items left in the cubicle, but Nika still closed the toilet seat.

Then she kissed him without hesitation.

Qi Yuan pressed down on her chest and used his arm to block the distance between their faces.

He asked coldly, "What exactly do you want?"

Nika's eyes were alluring: "Do you even need to ask? Because I like you!"

Qi Yuan: "Regardless of gender, this kind of thing is sexual harassment. If a stranger on the street tries to kiss you forcibly, wouldn't you call the police? And don't forget, I'm still a minor."

“So what if you’re a minor? Besides…” Nika licked her lips seductively, “Are we strangers? I’ve been watching you closely throughout these rounds of the competition. Didn’t I open my heart to you during dinner just now?”

As she said this, Nika twisted her waist.

She was wearing a crop top, and her slender waist was quite alluring when she swayed.

But Qi Yuan simply moved his hand slightly. Because he was busy blocking her earlier, the spot where his palm was pressed wasn't ideal, so he moved it to her shoulder, which seemed safer that way.

Qi Yuan said, "I don't feel like you've opened up."

Nika giggled and said, "Oh, really? Well then, I'll tell you now, I've fallen in love with you at first sight. What do you think? Is that alright?"

Qi Yuan: "I don't believe in love at first sight. I'd rather believe that someone told you to do this."

Her smiling face froze.

Qi Yuan turned his head and looked around again.

Nika had pulled him into this cubicle on her own initiative. If he were a sexually repressed person, he probably would have already lost control. But Qi Yuan's mental age wasn't that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. Besides, he had been spending two or three months with three beautiful girls, so he had some self-control.

Sure enough, he saw something on the wall behind him that was clearly an extra addition.

Qi Yuan pointed there with his other finger and asked with a smile, "A camera? Is this the trick you're using to blackmail me?"

Nika had never expected things to turn out this way; her red lips trembled, and she was speechless.

Qi Yuan said leisurely, "So you're planning to test my weaknesses like this? Too bad, I'm not that weak."

Nika gritted her teeth and made a tough decision, reaching out to pull down his pants.

Qi Yuan didn't stop her, but he didn't let her take it off either.

He used his free hand to unlock the cubicle door, then with his other hand, he pushed her shoulder and shoved the beautiful young woman who was throwing herself into his arms out.

Nika was caught off guard. Besides, even if she had been prepared, she was far weaker than Qi Yuan.

She was not only pushed out of the cubicle, but also nearly bumped into the urinal on the wall. Looking up, she stared at Qi Yuan, her eyes no longer holding the allure of before, only resentment and malice.

"You..."

Qi Yuan sneered, "You still have the nerve to talk tough to me? Have some shame, get lost, okay?"

Just then, a portly man walked into the restroom and was about to unbuckle his belt when he saw Nika and froze.

Did I go to the wrong place?

Fearing he would be accused of sexual harassment and called the police, the man quickly turned and ran out of the restroom, rushing into the stall next door.

Nika also rushed out of the men's restroom and did not return to the private room; she ran straight out of the restaurant.

Qi Yuan fastened his belt and walked out of the men's restroom, only to see the pot-bellied middle-aged man running out of the women's restroom next door, covering his eyes and yelling, "I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, ahhhhh..."

"Tsk tsk tsk," Qi Yuan shook his head, "It's done a lot of harm."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"What happened? Why did the game suddenly break up?"

In the taxi, Ning Qianyu was still asking questions.

From the passenger seat, Qi Yuan said calmly, "Nika is trying to seduce me."

"what?!"

The three girls in the back row were horrified.

Qi Yuan glanced back and said, "Is it strange? She started it during dinner, didn't any of you notice?"

Qiu Mengxue said, "We all noticed."

Qi Yuan: "Then why aren't you saying a word?"

Ning Qianyu said with a grin, "Because we're worried about ruining your plans! What if you fall for it and willingly walk into our trap?"

Qi Yuan: "Watching your bandmates fall into the clutches of evil, you actually wanted to let it go. You guys are really too disloyal."

Qiu Mengxue said, "If we mess things up, you might say we're not loyal."

Qi Yuan turned around and asked, "But if I really go to a hotel with Nika tonight, would you be happy about it?"

Then he saw Jiang Yi, who was sitting next to him, shake her head first. However, after meeting his gaze, the girl blushed and lowered her face, avoiding his eyes.

The other two also looked visibly stiff, but their mouths were even more stubborn.

Qiu Mengxue: "We don't know what you're thinking..."