During breaks, the rehearsal room wasn't exactly quiet, with short bursts of music flowing between different instruments.
Perhaps because Chen Miaomiao was so close, her soft and cautious voice, amplified by the heat, reached Xu Shiyue's ear and stung her for a moment.
Favoritism.
How could she possibly favor Lu Shizhen?
Chen Miaomiao looked at Xu Shiyue seriously and continued, "I just said so many bad things about Lu Shizhen, and you were just refuting me, saying that Lu Shizhen is not like that, that Lu Shizhen is fine."
It was as if someone had brushed away the layer of fog that obscured the view, or as if an even thicker fog had fallen.
As Xu Shiyue listened to Chen Miaomiao recount what she had just said, her hand holding the bow paused for a moment.
Only then did she belatedly realize that her evaluation of Lu Shizhen had all been positive. To her, Lu Shizhen no longer seemed like that crazy, perverted, dangerous, and pleasure-seeking criminal.
So what is she?
The girl's fine eyelashes drooped slightly, and her eyes deepened in color.
It was as if something that had been dormant beneath the parched soil had awakened, struggling incessantly, and a weak, faint sound of soil cracking echoed in the empty wilderness.
Seeing that Xu Shiyue did not speak, Chen Miaomiao's eyes were full of doubt, but her brows slowly relaxed.
She exclaimed as if she had discovered something new: "Shiyue, I was wondering if I was just imagining things, but now it seems like I wasn't."
Perhaps because they had spent so much time together, even though Xu Shiyue could only vaguely see Chen Miaomiao's outline, she could still feel the way this person was carefully scrutinizing her.
Xu Shiyue's thoughts were pulled back by the sound of a novel discovery.
She didn't know why she gripped her hands tighter, feeling a sense of tension as if some secret was about to be discovered.
Unexpectedly, Chen Miaomiao said seriously, "You've gained weight."
"Huh?" Xu Shiyue rarely failed to control her expression.
It was as if Chen Miaomiao had tricked him, or as if he had scared himself.
But thinking about it, what secret could she possibly have that she couldn't tell Lu Shizhen?
As Xu Shiyue thought this, she turned her gaze to herself.
She has been receiving treatment from Qin Wen and Shen Cheng in a routine manner these past few days, and she does feel that her health has improved a lot.
But as for gaining weight, she felt it was probably not that bad.
"Is that so?" Xu Shiyue asked calmly.
"Yes." Chen Miaomiao nodded firmly, resting her chin on her hand as she admired Xu Shiyue's face. "Not the kind of unattractive fat, but the kind of perfectly plump."
"I remember when I first met you, I thought you would be even more perfect if you had a little more fat on your face. I was right, look at you now, your face is full of collagen, how beautiful you are."
As Chen Miaomiao spoke, her eyes crinkled with a smile, and she seemed quite pleased with her initial judgment.
However, she didn't take all the credit for herself. Then she thought of the person who made Xu Shiyue this way and said to Xu Shiyue thoughtfully, "But it seems that Lu Shizhen isn't as crazy as the rumors say."
"She's like a rational madwoman who'd do anything for you."
This wasn't the first time Chen Miaomiao had spoken with heavy breathing, and Xu Shiyue couldn't help but frown upon hearing it.
Are there different types of crazy people?
Chen Miaomiao knew that her good friend wouldn't know these things, so she took the initiative to explain to her: "It's the kind of person who only cares about you, only favors you, and then if anyone bullies you, she'll immediately rush over and slap you twice."
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something else, glanced at Sun Chenchen who was sitting quietly behind her, and whispered, "Has anyone told you about Sun Chenchen?"
Xu Shiyue knew about this; she heard it very clearly through the earphone connection with Lu Shizhen.
For some reason, even though she already knew about this, she didn't nod, inexplicably wanting to hear Chen Miaomiao recount the scene.
"The moment Sun Chenchen started babbling something really awful, Lu Shizhen immediately walked up to her and slapped her twice. No one around reacted, and Sun Chenchen was stunned, covering her face. You know, the security camera was right there with her..."
"#30340;Above my head, what else could this be but going crazy for you?"
Chen Miaomiao spoke vividly, her voice tinged with excitement.
Xu Shiyue listened silently, and the blank canvas that was originally only filled with sound was filled with color, and the seeds buried in the soil made the cracks even bigger.
"And when she brought you here just now, I was wavering, wondering whether I should ship you two. She has a bad reputation, and it would be really unfair to you if I did." Chen Miaomiao's face showed struggle, especially after hearing Xu Shiyue's conversation just now, her conflict was written all over her face. "But she really is like a big dog, the kind that looks fierce and crazy, but actually listens to you very well."
At this point, Chen Miaomiao, like a little Shih Tzu, raised her hand and clung to Xu Shiyue's leg.
Her voice, which she had been trying to suppress, trembled with excitement as she spoke, "Shiyue, do you know what? Dog-like styles are all the rage lately! They're super reassuring and incredibly popular..."
Before Chen Miaomiao could finish speaking, Xu Shiyue called out to her, "Miaomiao."
Her tone was flat, yet tinged with a hint of coolness, abruptly pulling Chen Miaomiao out of her fervent fantasy: "Huh?"
Sunlight danced in Xu Shiyue's eyes, and her fine eyelashes drooped slightly.
She looked at the small shadow crouching in her line of sight and reminded him, "You're in your final year of high school, watch less TV dramas."
"Oh." Chen Miaomiao pouted.
She wanted to say something more to Xu Shiyue, but Teacher Chen came in with her cup and said, "Okay, let's do it again."
Upon hearing this, Chen Miaomiao immediately stood up, clutching her clarinet. Her legs were a little numb from squatting, and she limped back to her seat.
Seeing the conductor's baton flash silver in her sight, Xu Shiyue began to play her violin.
The cello's deep and melodious sound rose slowly as the bow and strings intertwined, subtly revealing the performer's complex emotions.
Xu Shiyue did not think Lu Shizhen was as fierce as Chen Miaomiao had described.
I don't think she's in high demand.
Or perhaps, they don't want her to be in high demand.
But as is often the case, things didn't go as planned. The music drifted through the cracks in the window into the classroom downstairs, but before it could take over the quiet room, it was drowned out by the sighs and exclamations of the students.
Wow, it's so beautiful.
"Senior, have you finished drawing already? That was so fast!"
"How did you manage to make the transition between these three colors so natural?"
...
The autumn sun hung listlessly in a corner of the classroom window, and the setting sun borrowed a touch of red from it, spreading its warmth across the sky.
The girl sitting behind Lu Shizhen was quite satisfied with her drawing. She casually stared at the chubby sparrow perched in front of the window, but when she moved slightly away, she realized that it was just a fake animal in the drawing.
What filled her vision was both the sunset and Lu Shizhen's painting.
"Oh my god." The girl paused for a moment, then exclaimed, the words slipping out of her mouth uncontrollably.
Lu Shizhen deliberately chose this angle, so she could hear the person's voice very clearly.
She turned around and looked at the person, deliberately asking, "I just heard you put down your pen. Are you finished drawing?"
The girl glanced down at her drawing on the whiteboard, and her previous smugness vanished completely.
She moved her chair closer to the easel, deliberately blocking it: "I...I haven't done it yet..."
However, the members of the club had long disliked her usual behavior. They tilted their heads and looked at her as she revealed her drawing, saying bluntly, "Wang Xuejie, didn't you already finish drawing?"
"No, no..." Wang Xuejie denied.
Lu Shizhen naturally understood what this person meant. She stood up, tapped her drawing board, and returned the words she had just spoken to her: "It's okay. It's a club activity. Participation is the most important thing. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Having stayed in this body for so long, Lu Shizhen had also grasped the essence of the original owner's speech. With a gentle smile, she helped Wang Xuejie up: "I see that you have a lot of insights into oil painting. Why don't you show it off and we can exchange ideas?"
Lu Shizhen had a lot of strength in her hands, and Wang Xuejie simply couldn't handle it.
Unable to break free.
She watched as the two oil paintings were placed side by side with the help of club members, her face grim.
To be honest, Wang Xuejie is one of the best oil painters in the club, otherwise she wouldn't be so arrogant.
She had become so accustomed to her own limited perspective that she forgot there were always higher realms to explore.
The setting sun cast its light on almost the same spot on both canvases; her sun was perfect and clean, and should be quite presentable.
Unfortunately, Lu Shizhen's painting was placed next to hers.
The originally aggressive red color, now mixed with some other hue, has become as gentle and desolate as autumn.
The bright red sun hangs in the sky above the canvas, so vivid that you can almost feel its warmth.
While both express the transition to dusk, hers is vague yet distinct, whereas Lu Shizhen's is as if it's all integrated into one.
"Ugly" is an understatement to describe Wang Xuejie's complexion.
She wasn't in the same class as Lu Shizhen, but she had heard of her before and disliked or was jealous of this eldest daughter of the Lu family.
She was just clumsy trying to step on Lu Shizhen, show off her skills in front of the younger students, and elevate herself above them.
Little did she know that she had become her stepping stone and control group.
"Senior, were you sick during your oil painting exam last year? Were you feeling unwell?" The junior student, who originally admired Wang Xuejie a lot, approached Lu Shizhen and asked with concern.
"Hmm." Lu Shizhen nodded as she looked at Wang Xuejie's drawing. "I have diarrhea. I saw something dirty, and it makes me feel nauseous."
"Senior, please take care of yourself," the junior student said hurriedly.
Looking at the paint on Lu Shizhen's canvas, she asked, "Senior, I also used these colors, so why can't I achieve the same effect as you?"
Several classmates around her were also curious and gathered around, saying, "Senior, tell us how you draw it."
Back in her original world, Lu Shizhen often shared her drawing process with everyone via computer, and she never refused such requests: "Sure, let me see..."
"Which teacher did you learn from, senior?" Lu Shizhen was pondering how to use the junior's drawing as an example for modification when someone asked curiously.
"I didn't follow any particular teacher. I basically just followed some tutorials from online experts. I would sign up for a class if I liked the art style of whichever teacher it was," Lu Shizhen replied.
According to some schools of calligraphy, she came from an unorthodox background.
Her family has already spent a lot of money on her medical treatment, and even her only interest is researching things on her own.
"Then you must have been studying oil painting for a long time, right?" someone else asked.
Lu Shizhen shook her head, looking at the paintbrush in her hand with some reluctance: "Actually, oil painting is the thing I've only been involved with for the shortest time. I dabbled in it when I was researching impasto, and then I was forbidden from doing it again."
"Why?" the crowd asked, puzzled.
"because……"
Just as Lu Shizhen was about to answer, she heard a sound of something hitting the iron door frame.
It was the bodyguard's cart used to move Xu Shiyue's cello.
Xu Shiyue was standing at the door.
Seeing this, Lu Shizhen looked down at her watch and realized it was already five o'clock.
She realized that she had come to accompany Xu Shiyue to rehearsal today, and there was no reason for her to wait for her, so she decisively put down her pen and said to the club members next to her, "I should go now. I'll talk to you next time I have the chance."
Unexpectedly, Xu Shiyue, who had been standing at the door, walked into the classroom and calmly sat down on a chair near the door: "No rush, I want to hear it too."
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