Chapter 24: Changing Tracks: Shiny Empty Shell
Subject: [Question: What's the level of playing the theme song of Bottled Water in the Rising Stars talent show?]
OP: I was strolling around the club practice room. The two Winters guys are seriously amazing! Their violin performances and solo dances are captivating. But then I turned around and saw the red-haired noble from next door... Uh, is that all I can say? Could it be that they've already been tipped for first place, so they're just being so perfunctory?
1L: It turns out I’m not the only one who thinks this way…
2L: Is it okay that he uses an ordinary harp in the practice room to practice fingering? The original poster doesn't need to criticize one and praise the other like this.
3L: Didn't you see the scale of the stage this year? If they use the Hirame harp, the visual effect will be absolutely stunning!
4L: I’m impressed. This kind of stage is used to reminisce about childhood?
5L: Damn, do you have any taste! I'm also looking at the genie in the bottle now!
6L: Apart from her impressive academic performance, she's essentially a vase cultivated by the aristocracy. Comparing herself to others is a bit of a humiliation...
7L: Ugh, it feels like Lancelot is doomed to lose.
8L: Of course, I really don’t understand why he is hostile to the Winters family. Is he jealous that they are old nobles while he has a commoner mother?
9L: Wasn’t there a rumor a few years ago…
…
"Brother! Hurry up! We are all ready!"
A crisp cry made the fingers that were swiping across the light screen pause.
Youan turned off the light screen and peeked through the crack in the door. Sure enough, he saw two rows of colleagues sitting in the lounge. Even a few robots were brought in to act as security to maintain order.
Everyone was very interested in his upcoming performance in the talent show. Since there was no way to enter to watch, Ji Qiao simply closed the shop early and asked Youan to perform briefly in the lounge as a rehearsal.
But this scene looks like a private concert, quite impressive.
Youan came in holding Qin, and subconsciously straightened his back amid the cheers of a fanatical little fan.
Ji Qiao raised his finger to his lips: "Sh ...
"Shh, I'll be quiet..." You Tuantuan quickly covered her mouth with her two little paws, opened her dark round eyes wide, and stared at her brother without blinking, as if she wanted to shoot all the light in her eyes to him.
Youan had memorized the music score by heart. After bowing properly, he began to pluck the strings.
It was worth it that Lancelot almost clapped his hands until they were swollen, as it saved his almost non-existent sense of rhythm.
The cheerful and melodious tune was like elves singing in the forest, and flowing lights appeared around, and cartoon characters holding hands circled around the audience.
You Tuantuan was so excited that she wanted to shout "Brother is great", but this was a concert and it would be rude to disturb others, so she wiggled her butt and held up two small paper sticks as cheering sticks.
Feeling everyone's gazes, You Tuan Tuan felt extremely embarrassed and turned to ask Ji Qiao timidly, "Boss Qiao Qiao, did I block you?"
Ji Qiao lowered his head: "No."
"Well, that's good." You Tuantuan nodded seriously, "Tell me if you block it." Then he turned around and continued twisting.
He pulled his ears, which were as short as they could be, back to his head and became more restrained in his movements. From a distance, he looked like a ball of fur bouncing on Ji Qiao's legs.
Ji Qiao tightened his face and couldn't smile, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
When the song ended, Youan bowed deeply again, raised his head and smiled amid everyone's applause. Under the lingering light, he looked particularly energetic.
"Great!" Ji Qiao clapped his hands. He didn't have that much artistic talent, but the atmosphere just now was great, so he praised enthusiastically, "Your popularity will definitely skyrocket by then!"
"Thank you..." Youan wagged his tail. He knew that his popularity had risen in part because of the vote-for-cakes program, and he didn't want the bakery to suffer any loss. While expressing his gratitude, he puffed out his chest and promised, "I'll do my best!"
Ji Qiao was stunned. Listening to Youan's constant thanks, he couldn't help laughing: "Didn't Lancelot tell you?"
"What?"
"This expense will be charged to him, and he will also provide a suitable store location for my branch. If you successfully take first place, the store will probably be even busier. No matter how you calculate it, I won't lose out."
You An stood there in a daze, swallowing his saliva, trying to digest Ji Qiao's words. When everyone gathered around to cheer him on, he still hadn't fully recovered.
Wow, that's a big deal.
Youan took Youtuantuan back to the dormitory. After Youtuantuan went to play the tail-chasing game with Fiona, he went into the room alone.
He sat blankly at his desk, which was piled with candy boxes and snacks. Kettles of various sizes, one large and one small, filled the display shelves. A long list of hair care steps was taped to the top shelf, with the corresponding care product names thoughtfully marked in gorgeous cursive script.
Hmm... I've been so lost in thought lately. You An held up his face and couldn't help but think about the initial deal -
He wanted to use me to win the bet, so that the noble he hated would be defeated by an insignificant person like him, and complete his humiliation plan; and I could also get a high salary and the benefits brought by the celebrity effect.
However, considering that he had already received another reward from the Hummingbird Club, he felt relieved and it didn't matter if he lost.
That's the truth anyway.
Youan scratched his hair, feeling an indescribable feeling in his heart.
He called up the light screen, calculated the bakery's ticket exchange expenses, and estimated a figure for the branch's rent, adding up the total and recording it in the memo [Lancelot Vanser].
In this memo, starting with the half sandwich he ate on the way to Shilling, there is a long list of numbers.
Youan stared at the nearly eight-digit total at the end, thinking silently in his mind—
It turns out that I am not a dwarf rabbit, but a gold-eating rabbit!
Now that’s good, if he fails to take first place, Lancelot will definitely be the most unsuccessful investor in Granton.
And it will be recorded as a failure case, the kind that will be passed down as a classic.
Youan tilted his head and slumped over the table. He somehow flipped through the post he hadn't finished reading, and slid across the cold characters with an expressionless face. Then he stretched out a finger and poked the "Report" button again and again.
Until the message [This post has been deleted] popped up on the screen, he let out a quiet sigh...
"Um... I'm sorry I didn't hear you clearly. Are you saying you want to change the repertoire?"
The girl who had just finished the project was about to share her joy with her deskmate when she was stunned by the news. "Why did it suddenly change to 'Weaving Feathers of Light'..."
This piece of music is elegant and beautiful, and the flowing light effect it creates is extremely ornamental, but it is also notoriously difficult to play, and the complex fingering can drive people crazy.
You An picked at the calluses on his fingers and moved his lips. "For comprehensive considerations, I'd like to ask you to re-arrange the music."
"No, no, no...it's nothing to worry about." Yin Pei's heart was full of conflict. She was both excited and worried. "But it's more difficult than a little bit. Time is running out now, you have to think it through."
You An nodded repeatedly: "I've thought of it."
Yin Pei was still hesitant, and couldn't help but think of the newly released notice: "Are you worried about the score? It doesn't matter. Our rabbit-luring team is very strong..."
"Look! The next voting plan is very detailed!" The girl smiled and showed him the full light screen.
You An was in a trance, shouting in his heart—
Oh my God! Oh my God!
If this kind of precise schedule and efficient execution were used to write papers, he could produce twenty papers a year!
If there is a risk of lowering one's ranking, will it become a burden to the spiritual entertainment of supporters?
You An's pale face became even more tense: "Don't do this, you will be very tired."
"Okay, don't worry... I'll support you no matter what!" Yin Pei's blood boiled upon seeing this, and he rolled up his sleeves and agreed directly, "Leave the music score to me. I'm going to show those guys what an elegant performance is!"
Time waits for no one, but this girl who is obsessed with male models is quite talented in music. It is not difficult for her to adapt a song. She hurriedly handed the new music score to Youan.
Soon, the news that all the A students in the Department of Strategy were going to perform "Weaving Feathers of Shattered Light" spread across the forum like a gust of wind.
Youan flexed his fingers, exhaled, and tested a note with skillful gestures.
When the first standard tone came out, Lancelot raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, circled around the dwarf rabbit orc, and his dazzling red tail swayed leisurely, stroking a chestnut ball of fur hanging on his lower back.
Lancelot leaned forward slightly, his nose almost touching his, his eyes flashing with a hint of mockery: "Thank God, you evolved?"
You An held the zither like a gold ingot and shook it up and down, imitating the other person's usual demeanor, raising his chin and saying, "Hmm!"
Lancelot narrowed his eyes and chuckled softly.
It is true that raising a child with care and wealth is not as good as letting go appropriately. He just apologized to his cousin's family and took care of some chores while he was away for two days, and thus missed the critical moment when my son was growing up.
Wait, I have a son... What a lame metaphor.
"Okay, that's commendable, but we have classes this afternoon. We need to go to the practice room right now so we can get a half-hour nap afterward. You have some serious dark circles under your eyes..."
Lancelot pinched his smug little face, stood up, took the food box, piano case, water bottle and snacks from Fiona, turned his head and took the opportunity to check the metronome and harp accessories.
His green olive eyes moved slightly, and his gaze stopped at the light screen projecting the music score.
"What is this... 'Woven Feather Shattered Light'?" Lancelot frowned and looked at the dwarf rabbit orc beside him.
"Well, I changed the song."
Youan changed to holding the piano with one hand, rubbing his right hand against the side of his leg, "This song is more suitable for the competition."
"No, um, wait—" Lancelot's face showed a rare look of bewilderment. He wasn't sure if his ears were broken or if the other party's rhythm was too fast. "So... you're not going to play the theme song?"
Youan nodded seriously: "That's right."
Lancelot twitched his ears, and his first reaction was to look at the little bunny squatting at the table.
"It's okay, my brother has already played it for me privately."
You Tuantuan was enjoying himself by twisting his hind paws. When he noticed the gaze, he immediately raised his head proudly, extremely satisfied, and said, "I'm sitting in the first row!"
Lancelot pressed his brows and smiled at You Tuantuan in a flattering manner. It seemed that he had missed more key moments than he thought.
Ever since the Winters siblings came to the practice room, they have taken away four to five percent of the crowd.
Just as everyone was mesmerized and captivated by Ava's dance like an elf under the moon, a beautiful stream of light drifted into their sight——
Youan was wearing a well-cut, spotless beige shirt and overalls with the collar slightly open. He was wearing a pair of small leather boots, and his fingertips were tapping and fiddling with the flowing light.
His eyebrows were relaxed and gentle, his collarbone exposed in the sunlight shone brightly, his shirt was too loose and thin, the hem was tucked into his trousers, highlighting the slim and smooth outline of his waist and hips.
Although he tried his best to restrain himself, his furry tail couldn't stop moving around, and was shaking slightly in the rhythm.
Some people wiped their lips embarrassedly, but felt it was normal, so they "slurped" openly, attracting many dissatisfied glances.
Youan is a quiet and steady person, but the tunes he plays have a unique temperament.
Like sparse shadows in the forest, ripples on the water like a mirror, but suddenly it rises melodiously, as if glimpsing the light of the universe through a piece of feather.
She only released a little mental energy when plucking the harp, and there were no special rings on her fingers, so the flowing light of the Hiram Harp had not yet been fully displayed... The students outside the practice room were already unable to take their eyes off it, and were calling their friends to come over.
The easiest step to playing this tune is probably to memorize the music, followed by long hours of practice to form muscle memory.
Youan didn't know if hard work could make up for talent. After all, this was not his forte. However, most of the talent shows over the years were displays of music, chess, calligraphy and painting... But no matter what, he had to win this game!
As a rabbit, it’s normal to be a little stubborn!
Euan straightened his back, not forgetting Lancelot's reminder to make proper eye contact with the audience, even though his attempt looked like an eye cramp, making the other party fall onto the sofa in an ungraceful manner, covering his face with his tail and laughing.
But, is it okay to just take a normal look?
Then, the gentle and lovely dwarf rabbit orc suddenly turned his black eyes and glanced out the window -
Zack and Vincent were caught off guard and their eyes suddenly met his.
As if being despised and provoked, Zack suddenly became furious, and Vincent's face also turned ashen.
Of course Youan remembered them and was extremely disgusted with his former roommate who was trying to steal his business.
Humph, don’t even think about seeing the rabbit make fun of you.
Youan raised his chin, endured the pain in his fingertips, and focused on the next section again.
The nobles and the rich highly praised this kind of classical art. Rather than pursuing emotions and spirits, it was more like a declaration: Look, I have so many resources that I can waste on useless but beautiful things.
One had to admit that Youan's performance after the change of repertoire was indeed highly anticipated. They praised this ordinary freshman for becoming elegant, versatile, and radiant...
Everything was moving towards the set goal, but Lancelot frowned in the brilliant light.
He had a brief illusion that the person in front of him seemed to have built an invisible shell for him, shining brightly, but there was an indescribable sense of incongruity in his heart.
"Ms. Ava, you're here too? Come to this position, the view is the best!"
The girl's enthusiastic tone, as if seeing an idol, brought Lancelot back to his senses.
He leaned against the wall with his arms folded, tilted his head slightly, and looked out the window opposite with indifferent eyes.
The white-haired noble girl was surrounded by the crowd and forced herself to put on a generous, decent and relaxed smile.
Even through a layer of glass, one could feel the uncontrollable anger in the other person's smiling eyes.
Ha, the unhappiness of my enemies is the source of my joy.
Lancelot felt relieved and suppressed the strange emotion that had just lingered in his heart.
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