Free Web NovelChapter 421: Chapter 451: A Competition
Xu Zhengyang’s eyes narrowed as he looked up at the couple before him.
What’s more, the law students standing beside Li Man all looked over as well.
At this moment, Shen Yi felt a bit tense. He always got nervous whenever people asked about them.
Even though their relationship was still just an act, and even though they had agreed on this long ago, he still worried that Qin Jiao wouldn’t acknowledge him in front of others.
All eyes fell on Qin Jiao. She froze for a second before speaking. "Senior Sister Li, is there an official rule that freshmen aren’t allowed to date?"
"Well, no. I was just... just curious."
"Oh, I didn’t realize someone your age would still be so curious." Qin Jiao smiled faintly and linked her arm through Shen Yi’s. "My boyfriend and I have other things to do, so we’ll get going."
’She... she admitted it!’
With every new person Qin Jiao acknowledged him in front of, the joy in Shen Yi’s heart swelled.
It was a bit pathetic, he knew, but he savored the feeling nonetheless.
Especially now, with Qin Jiao proactively linking her arm through his, Shen Yi felt as if he’d downed half a bottle of baijiu. He was practically floating.
Xu Zhengyang’s expression darkened, clearly displeased.
Li Man, on the other hand, was delighted. She couldn’t wait for Qin Jiao to be completely wiped from Xu Zhengyang’s mind, so she called out to her again.
"Junior Sister, our department is putting on a show for Christmas. You’re in the piano club, so how about you perform something?"
This was a deliberate attempt to put her on the spot. The piano club regularly invited instructors for lessons and practice, but Qin Jiao had been too busy to attend very often.
Combined with the fact that she had previously mentioned she’d never had any formal training, Li Man had been itching for an opportunity to make Qin Jiao embarrass herself.
Qin Jiao shook her head. "Sorry, I have plans for Christmas."
Having expected her refusal, Li Man laughed. "No need to make excuses. It’s not your fault if you can’t play. It’s just that you’ve barely participated in any club activities these past few months, so don’t bother coming back next semester."
The malice in her words was practically overflowing.
Shen Yi, standing to the side, was getting annoyed. He spoke up. "Jiao Jiao has to go abroad with me for Christmas; it’s not an excuse. And for the record, Jiao Jiao plays the piano very well. You need to apologize to her right now!"
’If he didn’t have a rule against hitting women, he’d send this one flying with a kick.’
’How dare she talk about my Jiao Jiao? Does she have a death wish?’
Startled by Shen Yi’s aggressive tone, Li Man was taken aback. ’And going abroad... Is Qin Jiao’s family really that well-off?’
But when she heard the second half of Shen Yi’s statement, she immediately seized the opportunity. "Fine, then have Qin Jiao play a complete piece. And remember, it has to be a real piano composition, not some nursery rhyme. If she can do that, I’ll apologize to her immediately!"
Shen Yi looked at Qin Jiao.
Qin Jiao smiled. "It’s no fun if I just play by myself. Why don’t we pick a piece, and Senior Sister Li and I can both play it?"
This time, the surrounding students were stunned. Everyone knew Li Man had been studying piano for five years and had reached Level Eight—it was her greatest source of pride.
And now Qin Jiao, who’d never had a single day of formal training, was actually challenging her?
Even Xu Zhengyang couldn’t help but speak up. "Qin Jiao, don’t be reckless."
Losing after a competition would be far more humiliating than simply admitting she couldn’t play.
But Qin Jiao shook her head. "No, let’s compete. Otherwise, Senior Sister Li will never stop using this to mock me. Of course, I have no idea where all this bizarre hostility is coming from. Or maybe she just thinks she plays so well that she has the right to ridicule everyone else."
