Lin Chen smiled wryly to himself. This Yang Meixi really knew how to make trouble for herself. But since he was already here, he'd see what tricks she was up to! Hopefully, she wouldn't end up shooting herself in the foot!

"Hey, look at that kid, isn't he the one that Senior Sister Meixi specially found for him?"

"I've heard he has quite a story. He was expelled from school a year ago, but unexpectedly, he was able to pass the exam and get back in a year later. He's truly a legendary figure!"

"Really? Is it that legendary? What's his background?"

"What exactly is his relationship with Miss Yang? Could it really be..."

"Stop guessing. Senior Meixi is so outstanding, how could she possibly be throwing herself at him? He must have some special 'strength'."

"I heard that Senior Meixi used to be Lei... well, you know, how could she suddenly like men?"

"Really? This is such explosive news! Do you have a video? A high-definition one!"

...

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and various speculations and rumors flew around. This gossip-driven mentality caused some people to look at Lin Chen with less friendliness.

Lin Chen followed Yang Meixi backstage and was stunned as soon as he entered. Yang Meixi, as if by magic, took off her coat, revealing a low-cut, elegant mini-dress underneath, looking sexy and beautiful. She already possessed the air of a well-bred lady, and with the meticulous styling of a professional makeup artist, she exuded even more allure and sexiness.

Her snow-white collarbones and long, slender legs drew all eyes to those around her. A closer look revealed them to be even more captivating.

"What? Are you stunned? Do you think I'm very beautiful?" Yang Meixi asked with a smile, her tone slightly teasing.

Lin Chen snapped out of his daze and replied with a smile, "Yes, Senior Meixi is indeed very beautiful. But what exactly did you want to see me about this time? You didn't just want me to watch you dress up, did you?"

"Don't give me that! I'm here today to test you out and see what makes so many women fall for you!" Yang Meixi said with a disdainful look. "I heard you're quite knowledgeable about music, and that you wrote all of Liu Tiantian's songs? Okay, then let's play some music today. What instruments do you play? Can you play the guitar?"

Lin Chen smiled inwardly. He wasn't really sure how much of his skills he had mastered. But when Yang Meixi mentioned the guitar, the image of a guitar and playing techniques immediately flashed into his mind, and his muscle memory was activated.

"What if I don't? Are you going to test me again?" Lin Chen replied casually.

"What? Are you scared?" Yang Meixi sneered, then winked at someone behind her.

Behind her stood a tall, nearly 1.8-meter-tall senior student wearing glasses and with dyed, permed hair. He handed Lin Chen a guitar. It was his guitar, and from his challenging gaze, it was clear he had a deep passion for and skill with it. His brief strumming earlier had demonstrated his mastery and love for the instrument.

Lin Chen took the guitar, glanced at the senior student, and then at Yang Meixi, who was standing to the side looking smug. He could roughly guess her plan.

At this moment, the crowd backstage also noticed Lin Chen's appearance and cast curious glances. Originally, Yang Meixi was scheduled to perform a solo song, and to enhance the performance, she had specially invited a professional guitarist to accompany her. However, the guitarist had been in a car accident on the way, breaking his leg and was currently in the hospital receiving emergency treatment.

Wang Xiaobo, the head of the Arts and Literature Department and the younger brother of the previous head, Wang Erbo, volunteered to accompany Yang Meixi after learning the news. However, Yang Meixi ignored him, because she already had a more perfect plan in mind.

Almost everyone in the Literature and Art Department knew that Wang Xiaobo was in love with Yang Meixi and had been pursuing her. However, Yang Meixi had always maintained a distant attitude towards him. This time, Yang Meixi suddenly summoned Lin Chen, which inevitably led everyone to have some other thoughts.

Wang Xiaobo, however, had even more in mind. He was originally from the Arts and Literature Department, having joined based on his exceptional guitar skills. He had thought he had a chance to become Yang Meixi's accompanist, but unexpectedly, Lin Chen, who had suddenly appeared, had taken that opportunity from him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of hostility and jealousy towards Lin Chen.

"Are you scared?" Lin Chen sneered inwardly, seeing through Yang Meixi's little scheme at a glance. This woman was truly an extremely scheming woman, using him as a shield to both disgust Wang Xiaobo, who was always harassing her, and to humiliate him through Wang Xiaobo's actions. Meanwhile, she calmly sat on the sidelines, enjoying the show.

Lin Chen's gaze swept over the people around him, and he noticed that their expressions had subtly changed. They began to point and whisper about him. A playful smile appeared on his lips; this charade seemed to be getting more and more interesting.

"You're not afraid? Go ahead and fight me if you dare!" Wang Xiaobo's face was grim, his words full of provocation. He was clearly displeased with Lin Chen's appearance, especially after seeing Yang Meixi's attitude towards Lin Chen, which fueled his jealousy. His face showed obvious annoyance, as if Lin Chen's very existence was an insult to him.

Through a gap in the curtains, a pair of eyes were secretly watching everything. Jin Songzhu hid behind the curtains, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Since her disappointment in Lin Chen that night, her life had changed again. Now, she could only hide here, lacking even the courage to show herself. She looked at Lin Chen, feeling both guilt and anticipation, wanting to know how this man she both loved and hated would handle the current situation.

Yang Meixi was filled with smugness. She didn't care about the guitarist at all; with her talent and charm, even just dancing on stage would drive the boys in the audience wild. She simply wanted to use the guitar as a prop to manipulate Wang Xiaobo and Lin Chen, making them the protagonists of her grand performance.

However, Wang Xiaobo seemed quite willing to be manipulated, while Lin Chen clearly didn't want to be her pawn. He sneered and lightly plucked the strings of his guitar. This pluck instantly silenced the surroundings, and everyone cast curious glances, assuming Lin Chen was about to play a piece to refute the doubters.

However, Lin Chen didn't continue playing. Instead, he frowned, his expression slightly solemn. He began fiddling with the guitar strings, as if adjusting something. This action instantly enraged Wang Xiaobo.

"Hey, what are you doing? I had this guitar tuned by a professional tuner! Don't mess it up! Let go of it!" Wang Xiaobo's voice was full of anger. He stared at Lin Chen with wide eyes, as if he were looking at an ignorant novice.

Yang Meixi also looked at Lin Chen, a sense of doubt creeping into her heart. She didn't understand what Lin Chen was up to. Did he really know how to play the guitar? Or was he just trying to create an air of mystery?

"I advise you not to hire that tuner again next time," Lin Chen said casually as he tuned the strings. "His skills aren't great; he's just trying to fool people and rip you off."

This sentence completely enraged Wang Xiaobo. His eyes widened, almost spitting fire: "You're talking nonsense! My brother personally tuned the sound for me! How dare you talk about my brother?"

"Who is your brother?" Lin Chen asked, feigning ignorance.

"My brother is the former Minister of Literature and Art, Wang Erbo!" Wang Xiaobo proudly puffed out his chest, as if saying this name would make Lin Chen tremble.

However, Lin Chen only smiled faintly upon hearing the name. He finally understood why Wang Xiaobo looked so familiar; it turned out he was that unlucky guy's younger brother. Back then, Wang Erbo was a shining star in the arts department, but he left in disgrace due to a mistake. Now, his younger brother, Wang Xiaobo, wanted to make a name for himself in the arts department, but he didn't expect to encounter him as a "stumbling block."

Seeing that Wang Xiaobo and Lin Chen were locked in a standoff, Yang Meixi couldn't help but feel secretly smug. She had achieved her goal; now she just needed to sit back and watch the show. Those around them, noticing the commotion, cast curious glances. They hadn't expected Lin Chen to be so stubborn, seemingly unafraid of Wang Xiaobo's provocations and threats, even at this point.