Does It Taste Good, Liang Yuan?

"You're crazy!" Zhang Cheng staggered back in shock. "Are you insane? That's disgusting! Who would ever like someone like you?"

Bai Yunsheng had long grown tired of Zhang Cheng's nasty words. Seeing Zhang Cheng's expression as though he had swallowed a fly, Bai Yunsheng turned and left with satisfaction. As long as he could disgust Zhang Cheng, that was enough.

Although Yalan Academy did not support teachers visiting students' homes, it still followed a one-on-one teaching system.

The same familiar hallway, the same familiar door.

When he opened it, his eyes burned slightly. His piano teacher was one of the few genuinely kind people.

"Teacher Jiang." Bai Yunsheng looked at the elderly woman before him, her hair lightly streaked with gray, and blinked hard, forcibly suppressing the stinging in his eyes.

Teacher Jiang turned around and looked Bai Yunsheng over from head to toe. Seeing no obvious injuries on him, she finally relaxed. "You're here, Shengsheng."

Bai Yunsheng gave a quiet hum and took his seat.

Teacher Jiang adjusted her reading glasses. "Come, play one of the pieces you learned before. Don't be nervous. You've improved greatly compared to before..."

Teacher Jiang was still earnestly encouraging him when Bai Yunsheng played the first note. Within seconds, her words came to an abrupt stop. She stared in disbelief at Bai Yunsheng's nimble fingers, listening to music without a single mistake.

In his previous life, Bai Yunsheng had kept his talent for piano hidden, which had led to plenty of ridicule. Teacher Jiang was the only one who had protected and encouraged him. Even when his playing had been halting and clumsy, even when he struck wrong notes, she had never once spoken harshly to him.

Back then, Teacher Jiang had often been mocked by her fellow teachers—for her age, for being retired, and especially for having such a supposedly dull student. She had become a laughingstock.

Bai Yunsheng felt guilty, yet he did not dare forget his mother's instructions before she died.

Bai Yunsheng was Bai Zhi's son. Who was Bai Zhi? She had once been a renowned talented woman. How could Bai Zhi possibly have failed to teach Bai Yunsheng? And how could he possibly have failed to inherit Bai Zhi's talent and intelligence?

When the piece ended, Teacher Jiang was too stunned to speak.

The piece had not only been played with professional skill, but was also filled with intense emotion. It was like thousands of troops charging forward, waves crashing violently and urgently, as though they could shatter one's bones.

"Sheng..."

Bai Yunsheng said, "I've been practicing during this time."

Teacher Jiang clearly did not believe him. Even if he had studied day and night, it was impossible to improve so dramatically so quickly. "Did your father allow you to touch your brother's piano?"

Bai Yunsheng shook his head and gave a mischievous blink. "I practiced in secret."

That explanation was full of holes. Even if he had practiced in secret, how could so many servants have failed to hear the piano? Any one of them could have reported him and made him suffer badly.

Though Teacher Jiang had her doubts, she did not press further.

Throughout the first half of the lesson, Teacher Jiang had Bai Yunsheng play piece after piece. Every one was exceptionally professional. During the second half, she simply gave him several notes and told him to improvise a passage a few minutes later. The result, naturally, astonished Teacher Jiang even more.

The final note faded beneath the sound of the bell.

Teacher Jiang's mouth felt dry. She took a sip of tea. "I can't teach you anymore."

Bai Yunsheng paused, but quickly understood what she meant.

Teacher Jiang said, "You need a more professional teacher."

"Do you know Wu Shanye?"

No one who studied piano could possibly not know Wu Shanye.

Bai Yunsheng's voice began to tremble slightly. "I do. No one could fail to recognize him."

Teacher Jiang pushed up her slipping glasses. "He is my junior fellow student. I can help put you in touch with him, but whether he accepts you will depend on your own ability."

Bai Yunsheng stood up. "Thank you! Teacher Jiang, thank you! I'll cherish this opportunity!"

Teacher Jiang affectionately patted Bai Yunsheng's head. "Shengsheng, you're a good child. You've suffered too much."

Bai Yunsheng lowered his head and shook it. His eyes reddened as he bit his lip hard. Teacher Jiang's words now stung his ears. For the current Bai Yunsheng, the word "good" no longer suited him.

He was no longer the Bai Yunsheng he used to be.

A life lay between him and that former self.

He had to seek justice for who he had once been.

Only after leaving the classroom did Bai Yunsheng suppress the burning in his eyes. After steadying his emotions, he headed toward the elevator. At the corner, several art students approached him. One of them carried an unwashed bucket filled with paintbrushes and murky water left over from washing them.

That person was Liang Yuan, the youngest son of the Liang Household. His family was considered newly rich, but that status was nothing before the Feng Household. Put bluntly, they were not even worthy of carrying the Feng Household's shoes.

That was how circles of the wealthy worked. The newly rich looked down on the poor, old-money business families looked down on the newly rich, and those with power looked down on merchants. Each layer despised the one beneath it.

And Bai Yunsheng was in the most awkward position of all. Though he was clearly a child of the Feng Household, even some newly rich brat could step all over him.

Liang Yuan had just been mocked in art class and had nowhere to vent his anger. When he saw Bai Yunsheng, a childish and clumsy scheme sprang to mind. As he spoke, he carried the bucket toward Bai Yunsheng. His original plan was to pretend to twist his ankle and spill the dirty water on Bai Yunsheng, then take out his anger on him. After all, no one cared about Bai Yunsheng.

The fantasy was beautiful, but reality was cruel. The moment Liang Yuan moved close to Bai Yunsheng, Bai Yunsheng dodged aside and gave Liang Yuan's hand a push. The filthy water that had been meant for Bai Yunsheng poured all over Liang Yuan instead.

A scream rang through the entire hallway.

The moment Bai Yunsheng saw Liang Yuan, he had become wary. In his previous life, this person had bullied him plenty.

"Bai Yunsheng! What are you doing?!"

Bai Yunsheng could not even be bothered to raise his eyelids. "What did I do?"

Liang Yuan said, "Y-you! You actually spilled water all over me! Do you know I just bought these clothes? They're the latest style!"

Bai Yunsheng glanced at the bedraggled Liang Yuan, his tone calm. "Didn't you pour that water over yourself?"

Liang Yuan's eyes widened with rage. "Bullshit! It was obviously you! If you don't give me an explanation today, don't even think about leaving Yalan!"

The people accompanying Liang Yuan echoed him. "That's right! You obviously pushed Liang Yuan, or how else could the water have spilled on him?"

Another newly rich brat said, "Hurry up and apologize to Liang Yuan!"

Liang Yuan said, "Who the fuck wants his apology? How much is 'sorry' worth? Pay for my clothes! Then lick up the dirty water on the floor! Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Bai Yunsheng suddenly looked at Liang Yuan. "Hm?"

Liang Yuan froze. Bai Yunsheng had never spoken in that tone before, much less talked back. But Liang Yuan quickly snapped out of it. "Hah, hold him down for me! If you won't lick it, I'll make you lick it!"

The moment he finished speaking, Liang Yuan saw Bai Yunsheng move. Then the bucket in the hand of the person beside him vanished. With a loud splash, another bucket full of water was tipped directly over Liang Yuan's head. A whole bucketful rushed into his face, some of it even flowing into his mouth.

Bai Yunsheng's cool voice rang out. "Does it taste good, Liang Yuan?"