Negative Emotion Points +30 Negative Emotion Points +30
"Does that even sound human?
You hear it a few times and you can play it? And you think that makes sense?
Negative Emotion Points +50
The angriest of all was Yu Xue, the teacher's most prized protégé.
It had taken her a full three days of practice to play it fluently. Back then, the teacher had praised her for days.
"I don't believe it. This piece is very difficult. You can't play it fluently without practicing diligently.
You must have watched the class recordings before you started filling in."
The students all nodded unconsciously.
That was true... They'd seen Chen Xiaoxing recording a lesson before.
They'd even teased her for being a try-hard. Turns out, nobody was as diligent as her.
Xu Yi spread his hands. If they didn't believe him, there was nothing he could do.
Just then, several figures appeared outside the window.
The principal and a group of school administrators stood outside, respectfully accompanying an elderly woman dressed in white.
Damn, that lady... She had such an elegant air about her.
The saying that time never diminishes a beauty really held true.
Even if age had taken its toll on her looks, her bearing more than made up for it.
"Principal, you don't need to fuss over me. I'm just here to see my student, Yu Xue. I'll be leaving soon."
The principal smiled obsequiously. "How could we let that happen? You're the dean of the Capital Conservatory of Music. Since you've honored our school with a visit, naturally we must treat you with the respect you deserve."
"That student looks good. What year is he in?" Liu Qing pointed at Xu Yi, who was sitting in front of the piano.
The principal smiled. "That's all thanks to Teacher Yu Xue's careful instruction. This student is..."
Ah!
Negative Emotion Points +20
The moment the principal saw Xu Yi sitting in the chair, he felt his whole world collapse.
My god, what are you doing sitting there?!
Are you even a music student? What gives you the right to sit there?
Seeing the expectant look in Liu Qing's eyes, the principal could only answer through gritted teeth. "His name is Xu Yi. He's about to graduate."
"Shh~ Don't talk. He's about to play."
Principal: "???"
Xu Yi's hands flew across the keys, leaving a blur in their wake.
A flashy performance of Flight of the Bumblebee in octaves!
Let me show you the power of Earth. A bag of rice—how many floors can you carry it up?
Fast—so fast!
Yu Xue took step after step backward, her chest heaving.
Countless notes came together to form the most beautiful melody, brimming with passion.
It was so intense that Yu Xue's face turned pale, a deep sense of defeat showing in her eyes.
It turned out that everyone had been doubting Xu Yi. So, to win them over, he simply played another piece.
A wild display of skill!
Foolish Earthlings, you know nothing about cheats.
Shock Value +50 Shock Value +50 Shock Value +50 ...
Liu Qing excitedly shoved the door open. The resonance that came from deep within her soul had swept her away.
But then she abruptly stopped in her tracks.
Xu Yi had dug a Guzheng out of some forgotten corner.
"Western instruments get to occupy center stage. Why should our Great Xia's traditional instruments be relegated to a corner?"
Xu Yi declared his disapproval on the spot.
As a citizen of Great Xia, national pride was buried deep in his bones.
Everyone stared at him in surprise. "You can play the Guzheng too? The ancient Chinese musical notes... That's difficult!
"Besides, the Guzheng is elegant and classical. It's not really suited to the restless mood of modern society."
While everyone was still doubtful, Xu Yi slung the Guzheng across his waist.
Everyone: "???"
"Please excuse my poor performance!"
Dun~ D-d-d-d-d-d!!
He launched straight into Guardian of Flowers, leaping decades ahead of its time.
Everyone's eyes widened in unison. Was this rock music?!
Playing rock music on a Guzheng... Kid, you've got a bright future ahead of you.
"I finally understand what our ancestors meant by the Collapse of Propriety and Music."
"Is there a word for something even worse than the Collapse of Propriety and Music?"
"Musical Scripture Imbalance."
"Our ancestors: Let's see how well our culture has been passed down... Nice!"
"Just tell me—has it been passed down or not?"
"Why is this somehow so catchy?"
"It sounds great! I can't help wanting to dance..."
Good music could make people's bodies move to its rhythm.
And that was exactly what was happening now. Even though everyone was trying their hardest to hold back, their fingers were tapping out the beat.
Xu Yi watched their reactions and nodded in satisfaction.
Playing rock on a Guzheng was a risky move, but he'd pulled it off.
After this piece, he was sure everyone would take a renewed interest in traditional instruments like the Guzheng.
The piece ended. Liu Qing was still savoring it. The principal and the others waited a long time before Liu Qing finally opened her eyes.
She got straight to the point. "Who is this kid studying under?"
The principal and the others looked at each other. "W-we don't know."
"Principal Wang, there's a musician of national caliber at your school, and you don't know?"
"National... caliber?" The principal was so stunned he could barely speak.
Liu Qing shook her head, then pushed the door open and went inside.
"Teacher, you're here!" Yu Xue exclaimed in delight.
But in the next moment, Liu Qing walked right past her and went to Xu Yi, excitedly taking his hand.
Resentment Points +100
"Kid, were those two pieces you just played your own compositions?"
"No, I'm just a courier for music."
"Modest... I've heard every popular, high-caliber piece in the world, but I've never heard yours. To compose such difficult pieces at such a young age—your future is limitless." Liu Qing praised him without reservation.
"Ah, I was just messing around. They were improvised." Xu Yi said it without batting an eye.
Negative Emotion Points +50 Negative Emotion Points +50
Feeling everyone's deeply resentful stares, Xu Yi decided to be a little more modest.
"For people who study music, isn't composing just something you can do with your hands?"
"Surely there aren't people who've studied for over a decade without writing even one original piece?"
Negative Emotion Points +50 Negative Emotion Points +50
Liu Qing nodded repeatedly. "That's certainly impossible. Kid, who's your teacher? Your style sounds like one of the masters from Germany."
Xu Yi thought for a moment, then replied, "I don't have a teacher. I just get bored sometimes, so I taught myself for fun."
Negative Emotion Points +50 Negative Emotion Points +50
Ah, jealousy really did make people burn with anger.
Listening to the system's prompts ringing out nonstop, Xu Yi was thrilled.
Now Liu Qing was thoroughly astonished. "Self-taught? You never had any formal training?"
The principal beside them explained, "Old Liu, he really isn't in the music department. I only found out today that he can play instruments."
That completely silenced Liu Qing.
The old woman was stunned for a long while, looking as though she'd aged more than a decade.
"Self-taught..."
"Hahaha, self-taught."
Yu Xue suddenly said, "Teacher, being self-taught is great. You can take him as your student."
Liu Qing's eyes lit up. She looked at Xu Yi expectantly. "Kid, would you be willing to become my student? I'll use all my resources to support you and help you make it onto the international stage."
"With your talent and ability, you may not go down in history, but you'll certainly become a world-renowned master."
Hiss~
Everyone drew in a sharp breath and looked at Xu Yi enviously.
You're set for life, bro!
A person may have towering ambitions, but without luck, they can't succeed on their own.
No matter how hard someone worked, it couldn't compare to getting a helping hand from a benefactor.
But to everyone's surprise, Xu Yi shook his head and refused.
"Forget it. Music is just a little hobby of mine. I don't want to pursue it in the future. My ambitions lie elsewhere!"
Negative Emotion Points +100 Negative Emotion Points +100 Negative Emotion Points +100 Negative Emotion Points +100 ...
Just as Xu Yi expected, refusing her triggered a whole string of critical hits.
This was awesome!
Dude, if you don't want the opportunity, can I have it?!
You've thrown away my lifelong dream with a single "my ambitions lie elsewhere."
Everyone was about to cry.
After all, one person's joy and sorrow did not always resonate with another's.
"Ah..."
Liu Qing sighed, but didn't say anything more.
"If you change your mind, you can come find me anytime."
"Sure."
"Hehe~ Teacher Yu, does this mean I passed?"
Yu Xue nodded weakly. "You passed..."
"Then I'm off~"
"W-wait a moment."
"Huh?"
Yu Xue fidgeted a little, but still took out her phone. "Want to add me as a friend? We could talk about music sometime."
You bastard!
I spent all four years of college trying to add the goddess Yu as a friend.
What makes you so special?
After adding her, Xu Yi looked over at the boys in the class with a smug, obnoxious expression.
"Why's this cement road so smooth?"
The boys stared at him blankly. "What do you mean?"
"There aren't any stones in it."
Negative Emotion Points +100
"Smoke goes into your lungs."
"Lung fog!"
Negative Emotion Points +100
The Streamer Friends watching the livestream were also grinding their teeth in anger.
How did I only just realize Xu Yi was such a jerk?
Same here. At first, I just felt sorry for him.
It's over. Xu Yi's image has fallen apart.
Xu Yi, I'm giving you three minutes to go back to looking all pitiful.
I get it now. Xu Yi only acts pitiful in front of the leaders who care about him. A total green tea!
Before you continue