Chapter 20: That Delicate Flower (20)

Qin Xiao’s revelation about Gu Si brought back what the system had told Song Qi: Gu Si would transfer schools in the second semester of her junior year.

There had to be some kind of trigger. What would Gu Si do that would end with her transferring?

Once sports day was over, the school began preparing for the New Year’s celebration.

One event followed another, and everyone at school was getting excited.

Every class except the seniors had to prepare a performance and enter it for judging. In the end, twelve acts would be chosen to perform in front of the whole school.

The job landed on Song Qi and the entertainment officer.

The class monitor was the school’s all-purpose workhorse, sent wherever she was needed. They’d put her to work at sports day, and now she had to pitch in for the New Year’s show too.

“Why don’t you just do something yourself? Sing or dance,” Song Qi suggested sincerely to the entertainment officer.

The entertainment officer gave her a shy smile. “Well, I can’t sing in tune, and I can’t dance… Actually, I wanted to run for sports officer, but I didn’t get elected. The teacher assigned me to entertainment officer instead. I mean, no one else ran for it.”

Song Qi kept going. “Then do you want to be class monitor?”

She wanted to resign already.

The entertainment officer shook her head at once. “No! You’re much better suited for it. Besides, Class Monitor, didn’t you say you can play piano? Why don’t you just do that?”

“Qin Xiao, you do it.” Song Qi pretended not to hear her and turned to Qin Xiao, who was working on practice problems beside her. “Bring glory to the class.”

By the usual story rules, the male lead ought to have some kind of hidden talent.

Qin Xiao looked up at Song Qi, perfectly serious. “Class Monitor, I need to focus on studying. I don’t have time. You know I’ve got a lot of ground to make up.”

He even sighed.

Song Qi rolled her eyes and looked around the classroom. Several people met her gaze and immediately lowered their heads.

What a headache. Why is no one around here willing to do anything? What’s wrong with these kids?

“Class Monitor, you should play piano… I asked around, and it turns out no one else in our class has learned an instrument.”

Song Qi glanced at the entertainment officer, sighed, and nodded. The task had been forced on her.

She really wanted to say she couldn’t play the piano. But when she sat down at one and set her hands on the keys, it was as if she’d suddenly unlocked the Ren and Du Meridians.

Don’t worry, host. We’ve prepared a huge music library for you. You’ll be the star of the New Year’s show, the system said proudly.

Song Qi…

She made it through the auditions without a hitch.

Song Qi barely practiced. She played through the piece twice at rehearsal, and it went pretty well. The music library had certainly come through.

“Yangnuan, have you picked out what you’re going to wear?”

“A little white dress.”

“I’ll bring my camera and take pictures of you.” Gu Si’s eyes lit up. “Remember to smile.”

“I’ll try.” Song Qi nodded and looked at Gu Si.

She didn’t tell Gu Si she’d prepared two dresses—two little white dresses that looked almost the same.

She had no idea if Gu Si would try anything at the New Year’s show, but having a backup plan couldn’t hurt.

Quite a few people came to the school on New Year’s Day: former school administrators, parents, and others. Since Song Qi’s piano performance was the opening act, she arrived backstage early to get ready.

Everyone’s clothes had already been handed over to the teachers and brought backstage.

As soon as Song Qi got her bag, she took out the dress and inspected it carefully. When she reached the shoulder straps, she frowned. Someone had clearly snipped one with scissors. It looked as if even the slightest tug would make it snap.

She stared at the little cut for a few seconds, tucked the dress away, and pulled another white dress out of her backpack. She changed into it without anyone noticing.

The dresses were both white and nearly identical in style. No one realized she’d changed.

Gu Si sat in the audience, gripping her camera so tightly her face had gone pale. Her body trembled faintly.

The host had already gone onstage to introduce the show.

Gu Si bit her lip and lowered her head.

The girl sitting beside her noticed something was wrong. “Sisi, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Gu Si said in a low voice, forcing a smile.

When she heard Xu Yangnuan’s name, she didn’t dare look up.

The piano filled the auditorium. Song Qi had chosen a rousing piece, and Gu Si’s heart raced faster and faster along with the music. Unease spread through her from head to toe.

She took a deep breath and raised her camera to photograph Song Qi. Watching Song Qi throw herself into the performance, her movements expansive and unrestrained, Gu Si swallowed nervously.

The piece lasted four minutes.

Four minutes later, Song Qi played the final note, stood, and bowed.

Gu Si felt her own heart settle. At least the straps hadn’t snapped.

She looked at Song Qi, who seemed to be looking in her direction too. They were far apart, but Gu Si somehow felt that Song Qi was looking right at her.

A shiver ran through Gu Si.

Song Qi left the stage, gathered her things, and walked out of the backstage area with the ruined dress.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Gu Si standing in the hallway, camera in hand.

“Yangnuan! Why did you change so quickly? I wanted to take more pictures of you,” Gu Si said, pretending to be casual.

Song Qi looked at her and lifted the bag in her hand. “The dress was ruined.”

“Ah?”

“Someone cut one of the straps.”

Gu Si blinked, her eyes darting away. “Are you okay…?”

“I’m fine. I had a spare dress. I know I’ve made a lot of enemies, so I always plan for things like this.” Song Qi continued, “I wonder if the teachers would let me look at the security footage.”

Gu Si’s face went deathly pale. Even her fingertips lost their color. “I don’t know… Do you want to ask?”

“Forget it.” Song Qi sighed. “If she did it this time, she’ll probably try something else later. She’d better hope I never catch her.”

Then Song Qi smiled at Gu Si. “You look so pale. Are you feeling sick?”

“A little cold.”

“Then let’s go inside.” Song Qi took Gu Si’s hand. It was icy.

Song Qi returned to the spot where her class was sitting. Qin Xiao nudged her and handed over his phone. “Look at the pictures I took.”

“Thanks.” Song Qi took it and glanced through the photos. The corner of her mouth twitched.

There were more than thirty of them, and almost every single one was blurry or caught her in some weird pose.

Without a word, Song Qi selected them all and deleted them.

“What the hell? Why’d you delete every single one?”

“They were awful.”

“That’s why you keep them!”

Song Qi didn’t answer. She reached out and stamped hard on his foot, twisting her heel.

Qin Xiao clapped a hand over his mouth, trying not to cry out.

“Damn it, Xu Yangnuan! That was brutal,” he ground out.

“Now you know.” Song Qi lifted her chin slightly and gave him a warning look.

Qin Xiao sighed and muttered something under his breath.

Song Qi ignored him and watched the performance onstage, her brow furrowed.

She wondered whether Gu Si’s increasingly outrageous behavior meant there was no point in showing her any more consideration.