The gears and instruments inside the elevator shaft operated with barely a sound; each part was running according to its set procedure.
The bright, gentle light shone on Lu Shizhen's dark eyes, and her pupils, reflecting the swaying price tag, were filled with astonishment.
She still remembered that the first chapter of the book was about Xu Shiyue and Shen Yanxing meeting at a lavish ball. Xu Shiyue was taken to the ball by the original owner of the body who was in a good mood, while Shen Yanxing was forced to come to this place of fame and fortune with his parents.
Neither of them liked the place, so they slipped away when the security cameras weren't watching.
In this extremely Mary Sue-esque story, Xu Shiyue unexpectedly bumps into Shen Yanxing's arms, causing Shen Yanxing to fall in love with her at first sight.
This is why readers describe the meeting of these two people as a fateful encounter.
As a seasoned reader who has cried countless times while reading this book, Lu Shizhen could not possibly have misremembered such a plot.
This made her even more confused.
According to the original plot, Xu Shiyue shouldn't have met Shen Yanxing at this time. Wouldn't that have eliminated their fateful encounter at the beginning of the story?
Qiuqiu floated out from beside Lu Shizhen, her voice filled with anticipation: "Host, Xu Shiyue's official partner has made her appearance."
"Ah, yes." Lu Shizhen nodded, but still didn't understand. "But they shouldn't meet at this time, wouldn't that change the plot?"
"Actually, bringing forward the storyline doesn't count as changing the plot," Qiuqiu explained. "For the system, the storyline is like an if-else function. When a keyword is triggered, the system will start operating. In order to maintain the stability of the world centered on the protagonist, the plot that is beneficial to the protagonist is allowed to be brought forward."
Qiuqiu, fearing Lu Shizhen might not understand, gave an example: "Just like the host treating Xu Shiyue's eyes, according to the original story development, it was already ahead of schedule. However, because Luo Ji had already triggered the keyword of infiltrating the Lu family, the system also regarded Xu Shiyue's eye treatment as a normal procedure and allowed the host to continue."
"So that's how it is..." Lu Shizhen's eyes dimmed slightly.
She remembered how she had initially compared herself to the biggest obstacle in Xu Shiyue's life.
Actually, she didn't feel anything when she first made this analogy. The original owner of the body behaved badly in the book, and that's how it was supposed to be.
But now that she has become that person, she truly understands how her favorite characters would develop without her interference.
There was no need for such arduous journeys, nor for relying on melodramatic plot twists.
Xu Shiyue was going to participate in the band competition, and Shen Yanxing would definitely come.
The first chapter of the original text is not about their fateful encounter, but about how they would meet again despite various near misses.
The girl lowered her eyelashes and blinked slowly, as if shaking off all the light that had been resting on them.
Suddenly, this idea popped into Lu Shizhen's head.
It turns out that without herself, Xu Shiyue's life would be much smoother.
"So, are they going to have some interaction next?" Lu Shizhen asked calmly.
"Yes!" Qiuqiu exclaimed excitedly. "This is a great opportunity for us to bring them together and earn a lot of points, Host!"
"Yes." Lu Shizhen nodded, her voice not as excited as Qiuqiu's.
She raised her eyes and looked at the two people standing on either side of her, who were not yet acquainted with each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xu Shiyue's hand on her wrist.
She knew better than anyone that these two were about to form a beautiful love bond. It was a live broadcast of the ecstatic joy of shipping fans, but the excitement in her eyes was gone, unlike when she turned the pages of the book for the nth time in the original world.
"Ding-dong!"
The elevator arrived at the designated floor with a crisp beep, and the group of people walked out of the elevator one after another. Just then, the doorman also pushed a luggage cart out of the large luggage elevator not far away.
Lu Shizhen thought to herself that the timing was just right, just as she saw a man looking around walking towards her.
This person doesn't look like a school teacher, and their clothes don't suggest they're someone who can afford to live on this floor.
have no idea
Does everything that is worried about necessarily happen? The man that Lu Shizhen was paying special attention to bumped into the doorman pushing the luggage cart with a thud.
The impact was quite strong; Xu Shiyue's cello wobbled a few times in the car before crashing straight to the ground, the strings and body of the instrument making a loud thud.
"Lu Shizhen".
Xu Shiyue's voice was unusually unsteady, and almost simultaneously Lu Shizhen felt a tight grip on her wrist.
She understood that Xu Shiyue knew her zither had been smashed on the ground, and her anger, already intense, intensified. She immediately turned and gestured for the bodyguard from another province to follow her discreetly.
The man was clearly walking carelessly and bumped into a car that was veering off the side of the road, but he was very arrogant and argued with the doorman, hurling profanities at him.
As if to say that this wasn't enough, the man listened to the doorman's humble apology and raised his foot to kick the cello case lying on the ground.
Before he could even lift his foot, the bodyguard, who strode over, grabbed him and pulled him aside like a chick.
Lu Shizhen utterly loathed this man. Perhaps it was a trait of the original owner's body, but her warning voice was several octaves lower than usual: "Try moving it."
"Let me go! Let me go!" The man, completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation and the perceived threat posed by the young girl, continued his swearing, "Who the hell are you? You piece of trash, what do you have to offer... ahhhhhh..."
Before he could finish speaking, the bodyguard who was restraining him tightened his grip on his hand.
Screams echoed through the hotel's silent corridor, each sound trembling violently with pain.
This bodyguard was inconspicuous among Lu Shizhen's group of bodyguards; he was thin and short, and easily underestimated.
However, he is a seven-time world champion in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) competitions, and has several gold belts.
Lu Shizhen was quite pleased with having brought this bodyguard on this trip. She didn't hide her smile and looked at the arrogant man from before with a gentle and polite demeanor: "What was it? Could you please repeat it to me?"
The original owner's face was very expressive; beneath the surface of gentle politeness lay a chilling aura. The man, stared at by her, couldn't help but feel flustered.
Based on the information that Chen Miaomiao helped her secure a room and that Shen Yanxing was also on the same floor as her, Lu Shizhen deduced that the competition organizers might have booked the entire floor for the participating students, which meant that this man had ulterior motives.
Thinking this, Lu Shizhen's gentle expression vanished, replaced by a deep, threatening voice: "Are you a resident of this floor? Or do you have the authority to come here? Who gave you the audacity to barge in here?"
"Do I have any right to interfere with your business? You slandered me, and... you even injured me." The man, unrepentant, started acting like a liar, "Ouch, ouch, this is outrageous! The hotel broke my hand! My hand! Let me go, I want to leave. Your hotel is illegally detaining me..."
As the man said this, he twisted his body, trying to break free from Lu Shizhen's bodyguard's restraints, looking like a disgusting maggot from a distance.
Lu Shizhen really didn't want to waste any more words on this kind of person, and said to her bodyguard, "Take him to the police station. Tell them that everyone here is a high school student who came to compete, and that he had ill intentions towards minors."
"Yes." The bodyguard nodded slightly and raised his hand to pull the man away.
The man panicked upon hearing this, and his previous stern and unyielding attitude vanished as he begged for forgiveness: "No, no! I was wrong, okay? We can talk this over, young man, young man... Big brother, big brother, I have money, my brother lives downstairs, big brother..."
The bodyguard ignored the man's explanation and, as if lifting a chick, pulled the man's limp body off the carpet in the corridor, ignoring his attempts to bribe him with money.
As an observer who had been watching Lu Shizhen's one-sided and overwhelming punishment, Chen Miaomiao silently exclaimed "Wow!"
She listened to the man's pleas for mercy fade away until they disappeared. Just as she was about to sigh, she heard Xu Shiyue's voice reach her ears: "Miaomiao, do you know where Teacher Chen went? I want her to come and check my piano."
"Teacher Chen..." Chen Miaomiao said with some distress, "I..."
She was called to a meeting as soon as we got off the bus, and she probably won't be back for a while. Um, should I ask the other cellists in our orchestra?
As Chen Miaomiao spoke, she took out her phone from her pocket, but before she could send the message for help, she was interrupted.
Shen Yanxing didn't step out of the elevator but went straight to her room. It was as if some force held her back, allowing her to witness the farce that had just happened.
She looked at the girl standing in the middle and offered, "If you don't mind, I can take a look for you."
As if afraid that her suggestion was a bit abrupt, Shen Yanxing then introduced herself: "I am Shen Yanxing from the Provincial No. 1 High School Orchestra. We are both from S City, just like your girls' high school, and we are here to participate in this symphony orchestra competition."
Chen Miaomiao frequented the school forum and had heard all sorts of things. Upon hearing Shen Yanxing's self-introduction, she immediately recognized him and said, "Is he from the provincial No. 1 High School that produced both the top scorers in arts and sciences last year?"
“Yes.” Shen Yanxing nodded slightly, then said to Xu Shiyue, “Before I specialized in violin, I also played the cello for a few years, so I should be able to help you.”
Xu Shiyue was unwilling to trouble people she didn't know, but for some reason, as if someone was controlling her, she nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
Floating in the air, Qiuqiu watched the two talk and rubbed her hands together, saying, "The two main characters are about to cross paths!"
"Hmm." Lu Shizhen responded, her voice still deep and resonant, as if she hadn't recovered from talking to that man, like a violin case that had just been smashed on the hallway carpet.
Led by Chen Miaomiao, the group arrived at Xu Shiyue's room. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the two people in the room who were related to Xu Shiyue.
But fate had other plans. Just as she was helping Xu Shiyue move her luggage to the bedroom, the clarinet group sent a message for training. Left with no other option, she had to go to training, her face full of regret.
The cello was placed in the small living room of the suite, and Shen Yan took it out of its box with great dexterity.
Her examination was very professional; her well-defined bones and fingers moved smoothly over the instrument's body and strings, each touch showing remarkable precision.
As if taking into account Xu Shiyue's blindness, Shen Yanxing's examination was accompanied by a repetition of the judgment.
Her tone and demeanor were just as described in the original text—calm and composed, which could greatly give anyone a sense of reliability and reassurance.
Lu Shizhen sat down next to Xu Shiyue, watching her talk to Shen Yanxing, and held the cup in her hand.
Lu Shizhen knew nothing about musical instruments and could only scratch the surface. She could barely tell that Xu Shiyue's zither had not broken or cracked due to the commotion earlier, and she couldn't say a word about it.
This was the first time she had felt this uncomfortable during the days she had spent with Xu Shiyue.
The warm afternoon sunlight slanted into the living room through one of the windows, as if an invisible line was drawn in Lu Shizhen's line of sight.
It moved Xu Shiyue to the other side of the line, and the identity of the guide cane was transferred to Shen Yanxing, who was communicating with her.
But Shen Yanxing was originally Xu Shiyue's guide cane.
She has a powerful background that can help Xu Shiyue turn the tables, the ability to help Xu Shiyue in various dangerous situations, and even shares great interests with Xu Shiyue.
Just like now, they are sitting together inspecting this cello.
Lu Shizhen looked at herself and realized that apart from being able to draw decent pictures, she didn't seem to have any other skills.
Moreover, even with such a skill, it is the least useful to Xu Shiyue, who cannot see.
"This string is a bit loose, let me adjust it for you."
The sound of the plucked strings mingled with Shen Yanxing's voice, adding a touch of magnetism to its calmness.
Lu Shizhen looked up at the other female lead she had once imagined, and pursed her lips slightly.
She's not as pretty as Xu Shiyue.
It was slightly worse than she had imagined.
Her high ponytail, with a touch of heroic spirit, cascaded down her full head.
Her clothes were as simple as described in the book; the white shirt was stretched out by her rather good figure, simple yet not ordinary.
With well-defined bones and slender, deft fingers, he plucked the strings, carefully adjusting the subtle tones.
Lu Shizhen lingered her gaze on it for a few more seconds, and her fingers, resting on her lap, unconsciously curled slightly into her palm.
"Alright, there's nothing wrong with the zither." Shen Yanxing finished checking all of Xu Shiyue's zithers and looked at the open case. "The soft furnishings inside the case are very well done, and the zither body is securely fixed to it. It's rare to see someone place a zither so carefully and meticulously. Miss Xu must really cherish this zither."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shiyue felt as if a glass ball had rolled through her heart, leaving a crisp, sugary trail behind it.
Instead of taking credit, she corrected herself, saying, "My eyesight isn't very good, so Lu Shizhen helped me with all of this."
Shen Yanxing was somewhat surprised and looked at Lu Shizhen sitting next to Xu Shiyue: "It seems that Miss Lu also cares about this zither."
Lu Shizhen hadn't expected to have a role to play. She glanced at Shen Yanxing and said apologetically, "Xu Shiyue cares, so I'll help her protect her. It's alright."
Shen Yanxing found Lu Shizhen's answer interesting, and just as he was about to say something, his phone vibrated.
Her suggestion to repair the piano with Xu Shiyue was purely by chance, and now the orchestra is searching everywhere for her.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now," Shen Yanxing said.
She glanced at her phone, wanting to exchange contact information with Lu Shizhen, but unexpectedly, it was Xu Shiyue who spoke first: "Ms. Xu, if you'd like, I'll add you as a friend. If Qin has any further questions, you can come to me."
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Shiyue took her phone out of her pocket: "Okay."
The two phones were placed face to face, and two vibrations sounded in the room.
When Lu Shizhen saw the same moon and starry sky avatar that Shen Yanxing had described in the book on Xu Shiyue's phone, her eyes seemed to be stung by the starlight, and she deliberately looked away, pretending to be calm.
Lu Shizhen narrowed her eyes, feeling that something seemed off.
Where does this abnormal kind of adolescent angst literature come from?
Shouldn't she be overjoyed that her beloved ship finally met in person?
I might even be able to act as their matchmaker because I know the plot, and by the way, hook up with their coattails and rake in a lot of points!
Those are points! Points that can keep your legs healthy and allow you to live freely in any world!
Lu Shizhen saw Shen Yanxing off at the door, and tiptoed in the empty entrance hall.
As she thought this, she looked down at her legs and felt a little comforted.
But can such comfort really stop a hole that is slowly collapsing?
Nobody knows.
Thinking about her future, Lu Shizhen suppressed her inexplicable surge of youthful angst and took the initiative to play matchmaker, turning her back to inquire about Xu Shiyue's impression of Shen Yanxing: "You two seemed to be getting along quite well just now?"
"It's alright," Xu Shiyue replied calmly.
Lu Shizhen felt that this answer was not very good, and added, "I see that you two seem to have added each other as friends?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Shiyue paused for a moment while inspecting the cello.
She looked up at Lu Shizhen, who had walked up to her, and said, "She helped me and added me on her own initiative, so I couldn't refuse."
"Oh." Lu Shizhen sounded a little disappointed, and her tone was quite clear.
She felt that this development was not quite the same as the original text she had read countless times, and she couldn't help but worry that if the plot was brought forward, Xu Shiyue would deviate from the best destiny line given to her by the system.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Shizhen took it upon herself to hint to Xu Shiyue: "I think Shen Yanxing is quite a nice person. She has a bit of a heroic air about her and seems quite upright. Look at her..."
Just as Lu Shizhen was trying to help Shen Yanxing gain more favor with Shi Yue, she suddenly felt a cool gaze fall on the side of her face.
Xu Shiyue raised her head at some point, her deep eyes fixed on the woman who was talking incessantly.
Perhaps the medicine really worked, because the grayness in Xu Shiyue's eyes lessened considerably.
Those dark, bright eyes were staring at her like that, and Lu Shizhen suddenly had a feeling that her own story of having her arms and legs cut off had come to an early conclusion.
In an instant, Lu Shizhen felt a chill on her fingers.
She swallowed hard, somewhat confused, but mostly gripped by palpitations.
Fear: "Why...why are you looking at me like that?"
"I get the feeling you're quite interested in Shen Yanxing?"
-10
Xu Shiyue asked this question.
The points system notification overlapped with her voice and rang in Lu Shizhen's ears at the same time.
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