Chapter 53: How Could I Dare?!

While everyone else was still in a state of confusion, Xue Xi slowly nodded. “…Mhm, yes.”

Zhou Zhou’s mouth gaped open.

He had a sudden epiphany. It was no wonder Sister Xi had said that she was unable to point out his problem and could only play it out for him. It turned out that she had never even learned the piano before and so she had no idea regarding the correct technical terms for piano!

He gulped and said, “Th-Then, why can you play the piano?”

Xue Xi: “…I self-learned it.”

“…”

He was known as a master in piano, but this was the result of him putting in his blood, sweat, and tears to practice for more than ten hours every day at least to reach his current height among pianists. This was despite his talents.

Yet, when compared to Sister Xi… how the hell can I possibly compare to Sister Xi?!

While he was doubting his own existence, the pair’s conversation attracted the attention of the rest.

Ye Li was the first to pose a question. “Xixi, you… can play the piano?”

Before the girl could answer, Liu Yiqiu had already caught on to another huge issue. “Xixi, do you and Mr. Zhou know each other?”

From their interaction, the two seemed to be rather close.

Xue Xi nodded at Ye Li, then turned to Liu Yiqiu and said, “Mhm.”

This made Liu Yiqiu panic. “How did you guys meet?”

Xue Xi usually could not be bothered with her. However, she had an exceptional interest today in seeing her panic, and hence, she slowly answered, “I did a small favor for him.”

The words “small favor” made Zhou Zhou speak up anxiously. “How is that only a small favor? Sister Xi, you saved my life!”

If the problem with that music piece had not been resolved, he would likely have ended up shackled with a real psychological problem that would have rendered him unable to perform ever again!

To him, being unable to play the piano was equivalent to asking for his life!

The moment he thought of this, his face turned serious. “Sister Xi, I can agree to any of your requests.”

Sister Xi’s younger sister, Xue Yao, was truly very average in her playing.

However, if Sister Xi were to ask for it, he would still force himself to take in this piece of shi—Ah, no, disciple.

I can’t help it. Only because Sister Xi is my boss!

Alas, the meaning of this sentence was distorted in others’ ears.

Xue Xi can immediately request Zhou Zhou to be her master!

Liu Yiqiu panicked furiously. She had come to a huge revelation—before Zhou Zhou had arrived, the two of them had not known each other’s identity. In the end, after Liu Yiqiu had pulled so many strings, only Xue Xi was the one to benefit from it?

She instantly shouted, “No way!”

At the same time, Xue Yao also shouted, “How can she?”

The pair’s strange reaction stunned Zhou Zhou. Why was the person-in-concern objecting to it? He turned to look at Xue Yao quizzically. “You’re not willing?”

Xue Yao balled up her fists. “As a member of the Xue family, we shall speak with our own abilities. If we have to rely on relations to be your disciple, how bad would we sound in others’ ears?”

Liu Yiqiu also nodded beside her. “Yaoyao is right. We are not the kind of people who expect debts of gratitude to be repaid! Am I right, Elder Sister-in-law, Xixi? We shall not do these kinds of things.”

Ye Li had a feeling that things were not that simple. She turned to look at her daughter.

The girl was simply sitting there quietly. She was so aloof and apathetic that it was as though she was an outsider to the situation. She only replied with an “Mhm,” as though it was a dispensable matter.

Zhou Zhou finally understood the situation.

Based on what I just saw, could Sister Xi’s relations with the Xue family be bad?

Just as he was thinking this, Liu Yiqiu turned to look at Zhou Zhou. “Mr. Zhou, since Xixi agrees to this too, may I ask for your final decision on who to take in as a disciple?”

Xue Yao looked at Zhou Zhou firmly with a confident expression.

Madam Xia and Xia Yiyi were also staring at Zhou Zhou. Despite knowing that their chances were slim, they still held a sliver of hope inside.

Under everyone’s gaze, Zhou Zhou sighed. “I had originally intended to take you in as a disciple on Sister Xi’s grace. Let’s forget it since you are unwilling. To be frank, I have not taken a fancy to any of you three.”

These words stupefied everyone!

Xue Yao even shouted in disbelief, “How can that be? You praised me for being decent!”

Since he now knew that Sister Xi’s relationship with them was bad, Zhou Zhou decided to be frank. He coughed and said, “I had been a little too humble before, so let me critique you now!”

He started by pointing at Xue Yao. “Have you been playing the piano for nothing the past few years? Grade 10 is only an elementary level! It merely says that you have learned the piano skills. I can’t hear a single shred of feeling in your music. With you like that, you’re not even a Professional Grade 1! Since you don’t even have any talent, just stop making things hard for yourself!”

Right after, he pointed at Sun Ruoruo. “As for you, simply playing the piano is an insult to the instrument. Is that even a performance? That is more like pressing the piano keys!”

After critiquing the two of them, he turned to look at Xia Yiyi with a look of regret. “It is a pity. Beethoven lost his sense of hearing in his later days. At ten years old, you are far too young. Your control over music is not there yet. I can teach you, but it is likely that you will be unable to reach a master’s level in your life. Therefore, I don’t want to waste my time.”

After he was done critiquing, Sun Ruoruo and Xia Yiyi did not say anything. After all, not being chosen was within their expectations. Rather, it was Xue Yao who could not accept this result.

She bit down hard on her lips and could not resist shouting out loud, “If the three of us can’t make it, who can?! No matter what you say, don’t you just want to accept Xue Xi as your disciple?”

Right after she said this, Zhou Zhou rebutted in shock, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Alas, right before she could speak another word, she heard the following sentence: “How could I dare?!”

Xue Yao, who was just about to fly into a rage: “??”

Zhou Zhou looked at them in astonishment. “Have you guys never heard Sister Xi play the piano? Her standard can only be described as higher than mine!”

Right after that, he turned to Xue Xi ingratiatingly. “Sister Xi, I just finished composing a new piece. If you are free, could you help me to take a look and give me some pointers?”

Xue Xi still had her usual laid-back attitude. “…Alright.”

Seeing that everyone was so stunned, as though they were unable to accept that his Sister Xi was a genius and mogul with the piano, and that they were ignoring him, he decided to make his way out. “Then, I shall leave first?”

“Wait,” Xue Xi suddenly said, making him halt in his footsteps.

Xue Xi pointed at Xia Yiyi and opened her mouth, saying, “She is not bad.”

What she meant was very clear—for Zhou Zhou to accept this disciple.

Zhou Zhou did not expect his Sister Xi to take a fancy to this little mute. Nevertheless, he insisted on obeying her orders and, hence, he answered without a second’s hesitation, “Sure. I’ll accept her as a disciple, then!”

Madam Xia was exhilarated.

After Yiyi’s voice and ears were damaged from her high fever at ten years old, she had only ever been interested in the piano. She even idolized Zhou Zhou to no end.

Still, she knew that Zhou Zhou was not short of money and money could not buy him. She had not held any hope initially. After all, Xue Xi did not even bother helping Xue Yao—what more them…?

But surprises were always this unexpected!

She held Xia Yiyi’s shoulders tightly, so agitated that her eyes had turned red as she said, “Thank you!”

Thereafter, the main lead of today, Liu Yiqiu, was relegated to the sidelines. She could only watch as Madam Xia held Ye Li’s hands for the rest of the duration, with the former no longer acting high and mighty. Before leaving, she even said, “There is a charity ball to be held a few days from now. Let me bring you there!”

At the same moment, Xue Xi, who was sending the guests off with Ye Li, was currently thinking this in her head:

The Bartra theory has been proven. I’ll take a picture and send it to Teaches Math later.

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