Chapter 172 One Hundred and Seventy-Two Combined

172:

Ye Qingxi returned home laden with gifts from her master, senior brothers, and senior sisters.

Of course, before returning home, he didn't forget to remind his top-tier father and his junior sister Zhu Qiu to take a photo together.

Zhu Qiu happily rubbed his little face and pulled him and Mu Shaowu to take a picture together.

"Next week, your senior sister will give you a new gift." She smiled and patted Ye Qingxi's head.

Ye Qingxi felt it was unnecessary, "I've already received it~"

“This is only part of it, there’s another part too,” Zhu Qiu said.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi didn't quite understand why his senior brothers and sisters sent gifts in two batches.

Is this also a custom of their sect?

Send one batch first, and then send another batch on the second meeting?

What an extravagant sect!

Ye Qingxi nodded obediently, "Thank you, Senior Sister~"

He waved goodbye to Elder Kang, Madam Kang, and his fellow disciples, then left the Kang family with the gifts they had given him, together with Mu Shaowu.

Mu Shaowu then helped him lift the guitar that Kang Lao had given him.

However, the guitar had already been packed into its box before he arrived.

Therefore, Mu Shaowu, still somewhat puzzled, asked, "Why would someone give you a guitar?"

“It’s Grandpa Kang,” Ye Qingxi explained. “This is the first guitar that Grandpa Kang ever used. He used it to compose many songs, so he gave it to me, hoping that I could be like him in the future.”

Mu Shaowu was surprised.

He thought it was an instrument that some senior student had bought for him as a gift, but he never expected it to be the first guitar that Professor Kang had ever used.

The implication is self-evident.

"It seems your Grandpa Kang likes you very much."

Ye Qingxi smiled but didn't say anything.

Mu Shaowu then laughed as well.

That's wonderful. Their Xiao Xi is now being liked and loved by more and more people.

The following week, Ye Qingxi met her senior brothers and sisters again at Kang Lao's house.

This time, the gifts his senior classmates gave him were completely different from those before.

Fu Zhan presented him with the trophy of his first award, which, although not particularly prestigious, opened the door to more awards for him.

Fu Zhan hopes that he can also win awards in the future.

Meng Man gave him a microphone, one of her favorite microphones, which was custom-made and accompanied her all over the country, to countless concerts and to many stages.

"When you grow up, if possible, I hope you can have your own microphone and go to all the stages you want to go on," Meng Man said gently.

Lu Mian was the most unique; he spent a week writing a song for Ye Qingxi as a way of reciprocating the song Ye Qingxi gave him for Murong Qing.

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ? !!!

Ye Qingxi took it curiously.

Believe it or not, no one has ever written a song for him, whether in his past life or this one!

Hearing this, the others immediately gathered around, wanting to see what Lu Mian's song was like.

"Xiao Xi, open it and let us take a look."

"Yeah, how come I didn't know you could write songs, Lu Mian?"

"Yeah, Lu Mian, when did you learn to write songs? Why don't you write one for your senior sister?"

Lu Mian: ...

Lu Mian's face turned almost red from their back-and-forth banter!

He has no talent for songwriting!

Wasn't he trying his best to express his feelings?!

"You guys are so annoying! What business is it of yours?! Why are you everywhere?!" Lu Mian was furious and embarrassed.

He grasped Ye Qingxi's small hand tightly. "Qingxi, open it when you get back, and see for yourself~"

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi nodded silently.

Shali said with ill intent, "It's okay, baby, just forward it to the group after you've read it~"

Then she remembered, "Didn't we forget to add Xiaoxi to the group?"

"Of course not," the others thought to themselves.

They were feeling guilty last week, so they didn't dare to invite Ye Qingxi to the group, afraid that if he saw the discussion about giving Ye Qingxi gifts in the group, it would make him feel awkward.

At that moment, taking advantage of Sha Li's words, Lu Mian immediately brought up the QR code and had Ye Qingxi scan it.

Then, he was added to a large group chat containing Kang Lao.

Ye Qingxi smiled as she looked at the two new group chats that had suddenly appeared on her screen.

Lu Mian poked his cheek, "You're not allowed to post the song I wrote for you in the group chat, okay?"

Ye Qingxi: "...Oh."

Old Kang, however, seemed a little curious, "Are you so afraid of others seeing this that you didn't write it well?"

"Of course not," Lu Mian stubbornly insisted.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

"I'm just embarrassed," Lu Mian thought to himself.

"Xiao Xi, send me a copy later," said Old Kang.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Lu Mian: !!!

"Alright, teacher!" Lu Mian pleaded. "If you want to see it, I'll compose a poem for you another day, okay?"

Old Kang chuckled, "Alright then."

Lu Mian: ? ? ? No way, he was just saying that casually!

Teacher, you were probably just saying that casually, not taking it seriously, right? Right!

Lu Mian was on the verge of tears. If he had known, he would have secretly given it to his junior brother instead of doing what he did now, creating difficulties for himself even when there were none!

Master Kang was completely oblivious to the blood and tears in the heart of his former closed-door disciple; his mind was now entirely focused on his new closed-door disciple.

Now that everyone was here, Old Kang said, "Since all three of you are here today, why don't you practice the song for the World Championship opening ceremony and let me see how it goes?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxi couldn't help but look at her senior brother and senior sister.

Fu Zhan and Meng Man nodded, indicating that they had no objections.

Ye Qingxi nodded and agreed.

The other four quickly sat down to the side, acting like complete listeners.

Ye Qingxi had already practiced this song several times with Master Kang.

Therefore, when he spoke, the senior brothers and sisters present were all somewhat surprised.

They did care about their junior brother, so after learning that he was the masked child in the final of "The Voice of China," they couldn't help but rewatch the final and marveled at how good his voice was.

But Ye Qingxi is singing even better now than she did in the finals.

His singing voice is truly like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful and unadorned, pure and natural, making listeners forget worldly concerns.

Following closely behind was Fu Zhan's singing. Fu Zhan's voice was deep and powerful, full of a feeling of welcoming people from all directions and guests from all over the world.

Meng Man's voice came out last; it was gentle yet firm, elegant and dignified, giving people a sense of peace and prosperity.

The three voices intertwined and overlapped, creating an indescribably beautiful and melodious sound.

As the song ended, Zhu Qiu and Lu Mian were the first to burst into applause.

Wen Chong and Sha Li couldn't help but exclaim, "It sounds beautiful!"

Old Kang nodded.

Initially, when he was creating this song, he actually only wanted to create a solo song. However, Director Xu believed that the World Championships were for all countries and athletes from all over the world, regardless of gender. Therefore, as the most important song at the opening ceremony, this song should naturally be a duet, not just for a boy or just for a girl.

Mr. Kang thought what he said made sense, so he changed the solo to a chorus.

As he was creating, he thought that the World Championships are held every four years. For many athletes, they may not experience the World Championships many times in their lives. However, the spirit of the World Championships has been passed down from generation to generation, to every participant, spectator, and even the young athletes sitting in front of the television.

Therefore, he revised his work again, adding children's voices.

Regardless of country or sport, children represent hope, inheritance, and the future.

The children sitting in front of the television today may, many years from now, be standing on the field, creating new glory for their country.

Mr. Kang told Director Xu about his idea, and after careful consideration, Director Xu felt that what he said made sense.

"It's easy to find male and female singers who can sing well, but it's not so easy to find children," Director Xu said with concern.

At that time, Kang Lao calmly said, "Don't worry, with so many people in our country, how could we not find it?"

Now, listening to Ye Qingxi's, Fu Zhan's, and Meng Man's voices blend together perfectly, Kang Lao smiled with satisfaction. He had said he would find them.

Compared to Kang Lao's satisfaction, Fu Zhan and Meng Man were more surprised.

They are all established national-level singers, and when they sing together, their voices are so dominant that the voices of the other singers are always drowned out by their own.

Therefore, neither of them particularly enjoys singing duets with others.

But now, Ye Qingxi's voice was not suppressed at all.

It flows quietly, like a gentle stream, or like the morning sunlight, seeping in silently.

Even though Fu Zhan and Meng Man knew that he had been training with his teacher for several weeks, they still had to admit that their junior brother was really amazing to be able to do this.

“Great, Xiao Xi.” Meng Man looked down at him. “You sang very well, no, I should say very well.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxi smiled shyly.

He thought Fu Zhan and Meng Man sang much better; they truly had the style of seasoned generals, far more capable than him. He still had a lot to learn from them.

The three of them were working together for the first time, but the results were surprisingly good.

Old Kang looked at Fu Zhan and Meng Man and said, "From now on, you two must come over once a month to practice this song with Xiao Xi."

After saying that, he looked at Ye Qingxi and said in a gentle tone, "You should still come over every weekend. After all, you still have other things to learn."

Ye Qingxi nodded, "Mm."

Fu Zhan and Meng Man agreed.

After Kang Lao finished making the arrangements, Lu Mian immediately raised his hand out of curiosity, wanting to see what the effect would be if he and Ye Qingxi sang together.

Zhu Qiu suggested that she could join them, and the three of them could sing the song again, as if they were accompanying Ye Qingxi during training.

Ye Qingxi naturally had no objections.

Kang Lao was also curious about their combination, so he agreed.

Ye Qingxi spoke first, followed by Lu Mian, and then Zhu Qiu.

It's obvious that Lu Mian and Zhu Qiu's voices are younger, more energetic, and less mature.

Mr. Kang listened attentively and then offered his comments.

Seeing this, Sha Li wanted to give it a try too. She pulled Wen Chong, who was sitting to the side, up, "Xiao Xi, your second aunt will practice with you too~"

Ye Qingxi almost laughed at her nickname.

Old Kang, however, burst into laughter, "What kind of seniority do you have?!"

"My senior sister said in the group chat that she could be Xiaoxi's aunt, so wouldn't I be her second aunt?"

"Nonsense," Old Kang laughed.

Although the words were reprimanding, there was no reprimanding tone in them.

Sha Li grinned and pulled Wen Chong and Ye Qingxi to start singing.

After listening to their explanation, Master Kang also gave them guidance.

In an instant, laughter and singing filled the entire room.

In her previous life, Ye Qingxi walked the path of music alone.

He can write, sing, and play instruments all by himself. He doesn't need to rely on anyone to complete songs and stay at the forefront of the music scene.

He was proud of this, but he also felt somewhat lonely.

But now, he was sitting in Kang Lao's house, surrounded by his senior brothers and sisters and his master. His master was playing the piano, his senior brother was playing the guitar, his second senior sister was singing and dancing with his junior sister, and he himself was being held in Lu Mian's arms, swaying to the rhythm of the music with him.

Everything was so lively, vibrant, and full of life.

This is a joy that Ye Qingxi has never felt on her musical journey before.

It wasn't music itself that brought him this, yet it was inextricably linked to music.

Ye Qingxi swayed gently, unconsciously humming a song along with everyone else.

The Kang family was exceptionally lively that day.

When he went home that night, Lu Mian repeatedly told him not to show his songs to anyone else.

"Don't worry," Ye Qingxi said, "I'll watch secretly under the covers."

"No need for that." Lu Mian was worried that it might be bad for his eyes. "Just look at it when no one is around."

"Okay~" Ye Qingxi said, waved to him, and followed Mu Shaowu back.

As soon as he got into the car, Mu Shaowu asked curiously, "What song did your junior brother write for you? Let me see."

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

"Didn't you just hear it? He said he can't show it to anyone else."

Mu Shaowu looked at him and said, "Am I just anyone? I'm your father."

Ye Qingxi chuckled and said, "No, my junior brother told me to only look at it when no one's around."

"Then after you finish reading, secretly tell Dad~" Mu Shaowu came up with another plan when one failed.

Ye Qingxi chuckled. Sometimes, he really thought his father was adorable.

But not today, otherwise he would be a dishonest person.

"Dad, let's drive!" Ye Qingxi said gently. "We should go home now."

"Okay." Mu Shaowu turned around and started the car.

It wasn't until he got home and finished reading the song Lu Mian had written for him in his study that Ye Qingxi finally understood why Lu Mian didn't want others to see it.

It's obvious that his junior brother has a great voice and strong singing skills, but his songwriting ability is average.

The lyrics and music of this song written for him both seem to need further refinement.

Inside the file folder was a very sincere handwritten letter: "Junior Brother, I've searched my entire house but couldn't find anything particularly meaningful or of any kind of legacy. So, I decided to write you a song too. But I'm not a singer-songwriter, so my songwriting skills are far inferior to your Uncle Murong Qing's. I hope you won't mind. You're the first person I've ever written a song for! The very first!"

Ye Qingxi chuckled softly.

He could imagine how Lu Mian had spent the past week, probably thinking about it day and night until he was almost bald, only to find that his work wasn't as good as he had imagined, so he wrote a letter overnight to try and salvage it.

But to be fair, it's not that bad; a bare-bones apartment is still an apartment.

Therefore, Ye Qingxi was still very grateful and sent Lu Mian a WeChat message saying: "I've finished watching the song, thank you senior brother, it's very nice, I like it very much~"

Lu Mian: ...

Seriously?

Lu Mian sincerely hoped that this wasn't his junior brother's true feeling, otherwise, with his junior brother's level of appreciation, what would become of his musical career?!

If it weren't for the fact that he had worked himself to the bone and finished writing it on a Saturday morning, leaving him no time to rewrite it, Lu Mian would never have released this song.

However, he is not a singer-songwriter to begin with. If he could really write an amazing song in a week, that would be a problem.

Therefore, although Lu Mian felt that the song was not very good, it was indeed something he had thought about for a week with great effort. He had put a lot of thought into it, and it could be said that it was unprecedented and probably will never be repeated.

Lu Mian: [Whatever you like.]

Lu Mian: [Then you can like it secretly, but don't share it with anyone else~]

After thinking for a moment, Lu Mian added: "When you grow up, remember to send a copy to your senior brother when you're choosing songs~"

So that he can give me some advice.

Otherwise, he was really afraid that his junior brother genuinely thought the song was great and that he really liked songs of this caliber.

Ye Qingxi almost burst out laughing, finding his junior brother quite amusing.

"Okay~" Ye Qingxi replied.

Relieved, Lu Mian replied: 【Go to sleep early, goodnight~】

Ye Qingxi then said, "Goodnight, Senior Brother~"

He glanced at Lu Mian's masterpiece again, chuckled twice, and carefully put it away.

June arrived quietly as Ye Qingxi and her senior brothers and sisters gathered together.

In this season when the sun scorches the earth, high school seniors across the country are about to face the most important moment of their lives—the college entrance examination.

The school had already given students a break in early June, leaving this last week entirely to the students to study independently.

"Everyone should rest when they need to, and do some practice problems when they need to. It all depends on your own situation. Don't overwork yourself or put too much pressure on yourself. I believe you will all get good results!" The homeroom teacher stood on the podium, giving final encouragement.

Mu Shaoyan: ...

Mu Shaoyan was incredulous; how could the college entrance exam be so close already!

That's so fast!

He felt he wasn't ready yet!

Therefore, as soon as school was over, Mu Shaoyan packed his schoolbag and rushed to Duan Yi's side, asking him, "Can I still come to see you this week?"

“Come over at 10 every morning, you don’t need to go home for lunch, you can eat at my house, and then go back at 8 pm.”

Mu Shaoyan: !!!

Mu Shaoyan was overjoyed, "Will it affect you?"

"It's not that bad."

"Then, is your mother... willing?"

"Um."

Mu Shaoyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at him, Duan Yi felt that he didn't need to worry so much. His grades were already very stable, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be able to get into A University.

He invited him to his house only because he had helped him with exam questions and made several sets of test papers, and also because he was worried that he wouldn't be able to concentrate at home alone, so he went to see Lu Zhao and the others.

With the college entrance exam approaching, Duan Yi didn't want his efforts to be in vain.

And so, Mu Shaoyan underwent nearly a week of special training at Duan Yi's house. A week later, Mu Shaoyan packed his admission ticket and ID card, ready to go to the battlefield.

Mu Shaoting asked worriedly, "Did you bring everything?"

"I brought everything. Xiaoxi just checked them one by one for me."

Mu Shaoting: ? ? ?

Mu Shaoting: ...I always felt that this sentence was absurd, yet it made perfect sense in their family.

"Uncle, it's time to go~" Ye Qingxi said, glancing at her watch. "It would be bad if we got stuck in traffic if we didn't leave soon."

Mu Shaowu stood beside him, both amused and exasperated, "It's just that your car can't be driven on the road, otherwise, I bet you'd love to drive him yourself right now."

Ye Qingxi didn't think much of it; he didn't have a driver's license, so how could he drive?

“Exactly,” Mu Shaoting said. “Your uncle is taking the college entrance exam so seriously, you even took a day off. I don’t think you’re this focused on your final exams.”

How can that be the same? He would have gotten first place in the final exam even with his eyes closed.

This college entrance exam is related to Mu Shaoyan's fate for the rest of his life!

After all, in the original book, He Guang used this very point as a weapon to break his spirit, which led to the tragedy of his life afterwards.

Therefore, Ye Qingxi dared not take Mu Shaoyan's college entrance examination lightly.

However, He Guang's grades are already much worse than his uncle's, so he probably won't suddenly work harder in the college entrance exam and score higher than him.

But that's not necessarily true, Ye Qingxi thought. Every year in the college entrance examination, there are always some who perform exceptionally well and some who perform poorly.

He Guangke is the younger brother of the protagonist, so it's normal for him to have extraordinary performances with the protagonist's halo.

Not to mention, Mu Shaoyan's villainous identity is practically a debuff that causes him to underperform.

Ye Qingxi felt worried whenever she thought about how Mu Shaoyan's fate was played tricks on him during the college entrance examination in the original book.

He couldn't help but remind her, "Remember to fill in the answer sheet, and don't fill it in the wrong place!"

"Make sure you write your name and your admission ticket number clearly!"

"Okay," Mu Shaoyan replied.

He smiled and looked at his little nephew, "You even know this!"

"I watched a lot of videos to prepare for today!" Ye Qingxi said.

Mu Shaoyan hadn't expected him to be so concerned. He pinched his little face and assured him, "Don't worry, Master Xiaoxi! I will check it carefully and I won't be careless! I will definitely complete this college entrance examination task well!"

Ye Qingxi nodded, "That's more like it."

After talking, the group left Mu Shaoyan's bedroom and went to the dining room for dinner.

After dinner, Mu Shaowu asked Mu Feng, "Dad, do you want to go see Shaoyan off too?"

Mu Feng: ...

"He's going to take the college entrance exam, not to participate in a world competition. You, your sister, and your son are with him. Isn't that enough?"

Mu Shaowu: ...He's his father now.

Despite saying that, Mu Feng still turned to look at his youngest son.

"Do your best on the exam," he said. "But don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you don't perform well, I'll send you abroad."

Mu Shaoyan: !!! No, Dad! I don't want to go out!

Mu Shaoyan immediately replied, "I won't perform badly, don't worry!"

Mu Feng nodded: "That would be best."

And so, on the morning of June 7th, Mu Shaoyan finally stepped into the most important examination hall of his life.

Before he got out of the car, Ye Qingxi gripped his hand tightly for a long time, hoping that she, as an "external force," could change Mu Shaoyan's fate in the same way she changed Mu Shaoting's.

Mu Shaoyan indulgently let him hold his hand, and after he let go, he patted his head and got out of the car with light steps.

Ye Qingxi watched his retreating figure: Go for it, Uncle! Change your destiny just as your sister did! You can do it!