During the period she learned of Fu Yushen’s identity, Wen Tingxue deliberately avoided him.
The reason was simple: she didn't want any entanglement with the Fu family.
Even less did she want to be anyone’s replacement.
However, after a few days, she felt it was unnecessary.
Firstly, Fu Yushen had not done anything out of line. Aside from adding her WeChat that one time, he treated her the same as everyone else, with no hint of special attention.
There was absolutely no question of her being a replacement.
Secondly, even if he was the eldest young master of the Fu family, he still had obligations as a visiting professor.
She had no reason to negate him as a person because of his background.
Therefore, when the design drafts were ready, Wen Tingxue directly sent a copy to Fu Yushen, hoping for his guidance.
The message was sent late, and she expected to wait until the next day for a reply. To her surprise, he gave his feedback very quickly.
In just a few sentences, he pointed out the shortcomings of both of them.
He also included his own opinions, his words as gentle as ever.
Besides that, he said nothing else and asked nothing.
Wen Tingxue stared at the chat screen, lost in thought for a few seconds.
It proved that experience was the best teacher.
Following the direction he pointed out, the design drafts were indeed highly praised by Ding Xi, and when the finished product came out, he loved it beyond words.
Time flew by, and it was now the finals of the Top Ten Singers competition.
Lu Youran was responsible for the venue setup. Everything was going smoothly until Song You received a message saying that Mo Yichen and Jiang Tu had agreed to come and present the awards.
Both of them held significant positions in the music industry and had considerable status, so the Fine Arts Academy could not afford to be negligent.
“Youran.”
Song You hung up the phone and called out to the busy Lu Youran.
“What is it?” Lu Youran jogged to his side.
Song You looked at the confirmed seating for guests and judges and asked, “Is there still time to adjust? Mo Yichen and Jiang Tu have confirmed they are coming.”
Lu Youran’s already taut nerves snapped to their limit. “Weren’t they supposed to not come? Why the sudden change?”
The most fearful thing for a novice was unexpected situations. Her eyes reddened with anxiety.
“I really asked them multiple times! They all refused. What am I supposed to do now? Whose name do I move?”
The young girl scanned the row of nameplates that had already been set out, looking helpless.
“Don’t rush, first,” Song You said gently to comfort her. “They haven’t arrived yet, there’s still time to adjust.”
“But I have no experience! What if I mess it up?”
Tonight was the finals, and the guest judges were no ordinary people.
The Fine Arts Academy could not afford to lose face. Lu Youran was under immense pressure, so much so that she wanted to cry.
“It’s okay.”
Just as she was about to break down, Fu Ran came from behind and gently patted her head.
The young girl instinctively looked up, her round eyes red-rimmed, much like a rabbit.
It was enough to make one’s heart ache.
Fu Ran gently wiped away the tears from her eyes and said in a soft tone, “You go pick them up first, I’ll handle the arrangements here.”
“Pick them up?” Lu Youran was a little confused. “Pick up whom?”
“Mo Yichen, he’s at the Opera Music Hall right now.”
“Then…” Lu Youran was still worried about the venue. Fu Ran patiently reassured her.
Song You wisely excused himself, coincidentally meeting Wen Tingxue who was looking for Lu Youran.
“Senior Song.” The young girl greeted him proactively.
Song You smiled and asked, “How has Xing’er been recently?”
He had heard that the new packaging was ready, but he hadn’t had a chance to ask.
“Words are not proof, Senior, just look for yourself.” Wen Tingxue flipped through her chat history and handed it to him.
Wen Tingxue smiled faintly, “Thank you. Oh, right.”
She took two cards from her bag. “These are unlimited cards from Ding Xi, offering free milk tea and coffee for life.”
Song You raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to give it to him yourself?”
He was referring to Fu Yushen.
Wen Tingxue shook her head. “You’d better deliver it.”
Apart from normal academic matters, she did not want any further contact with the Fu family.
Song You understood. “Alright, I’ll take it over in a bit.”
Watching him put the cards into his pocket, Wen Tingxue breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him.
“Xue Bao!”
Before Song You could speak, Lu Youran ran over to Wen Tingxue, looking anxious. “Can you come out with me for a bit?”
Wen Tingxue: "?"
“Aren’t you…”
Lu Youran impatiently dragged her away. It wasn’t until they were in the car that she explained the reason.
“So,” Wen Tingxue looked out the window with great anticipation, “are we going to the Music Conservatory now?”
Lu Youran nodded. “Otherwise, why would I drag you along? How long has it been since you’ve seen each other? Since you started working on those design drafts.”
Wen Tingxue lowered her head in speechless agreement.
Indeed, it had been quite some time since they had seen each other.
She wondered if they would meet today.
Meanwhile, at the Opera Music Hall.
A group of people surrounded a tall man as he entered the elevator, fawning over him obsequiously.
Yu Wenli remained at the back, observing with a cold gaze.
Perhaps someone said something amusing, as the gentle and refined man suddenly stopped, his smile faint as he replied:
“Yes, the students in this year’s competition are all very talented. It’s a pity…”
Mo Yichen slightly lifted his eyelids and glanced towards the back. Yu Wenli met his gaze expressionlessly.
Across the crowd.
“It’s a pity that our student Yu didn’t participate, otherwise it would have been even more interesting.” Mo Yichen smiled, a hint of provocation in his eyes.
Yu Wenli’s expression turned cold as he looked away.
“Teacher Mo is right, it’s truly a pity.” The others immediately chimed in.
Yu Wenli’s cold smile deepened.
As he made to leave, Mo Yichen deliberately said, “Since it’s a pity, why don’t student Yu sing a song for me then?”
The elevator doors arrived at that moment.
“…”
Yu Wenli had no choice but to board the elevator.
Only after the doors closed did Mo Yichen speak, “Long time no see.”
“It’s been… ten years since we last met, hasn’t it?” he said, gazing at his reflection in the elevator wall, his smile faint. “Ever since Teacher Ling passed away?”
Yu Wenli suddenly looked up, their eyes meeting in the highly reflective elevator wall.
In an atmosphere on the verge of explosion, Mo Yichen turned to face him directly. “Why are you so angry? Teacher Ling’s death was an accident, it has nothing to do with me.”
Yu Wenli suppressed his anger, pushing his cheekbone, and remained silent.
Not receiving the expected reaction, Mo Yichen’s eyes curved slightly in disappointment. “Little Junior Brother has indeed matured quite a bit compared to ten years ago.”
Yu Wenli still ignored him. It wasn’t until the elevator doors opened again that he slowly spoke.
“Senior Brother Mo is also much more fake than ten years ago.”
“Is it because you’ve worn the mask for too long and can’t take it off?” Yu Wenli reached out to hold the elevator door open, allowing him to exit.
Mo Yichen’s eyes narrowed as he stared at him. After a moment, he let out a snort. “Yu Wenli, you truly haven’t changed at all.”
Still so, annoying.
Yu Wenli finally revealed a smile. “To have Senior Brother Mo remember me for so long is truly my honor. Please, go ahead.”
He raised his hand, signaling him to leave quickly.
Mo Yichen deliberately leaned against the elevator wall, defying him. “What’s the rush, Little Junior Brother? We’ve finally met, shouldn’t we chat a little more?”
Yu Wenli frowned. Mo Yichen immediately said, “Why didn’t you participate? It’s such a good opportunity to get noticed.”
The Top Ten Singers at the Music Conservatory was different from other schools.
Students who won awards might be scouted by companies or established artists, leading to a meteoric rise.
Yu Wenli remained indifferent. “What? You want to present me an award? I’m sorry, I find it disgusting.”
Mo Yichen was not offended by the insult. “That’s a real pity. In the future, you won’t even have such opportunities if you want them.”
He took a step forward and whispered in his ear, “I will not let you participate in any programs or competitions. From now on, the name Yu Wenli will be taboo for everyone.”
As he finished speaking, hurried footsteps could be heard. Mo Yichen immediately put on his usual amiable smile.
“Teacher Mo.”
The moment the elevator doors closed, Lu Youran arrived with Wen Tingxue.
Mo Yichen quickly recognized Wen Tingxue and, before Lu Youran could finish speaking, directly said, “Let’s go, time is of the essence.”
Lu Youran paused for a moment. “Okay, okay.”
She had expected to have to persuade him, so she was surprised by how smoothly things went. She quickly led Mo Yichen out,
fearing he might change his mind.
Wen Tingxue cast a reluctant glance at the elevator.
What a shame.
She had just sent a message to Yu Wenli.
If she had known she would run into Mo Yichen so soon, she would have messaged him earlier.
Really, she came all this way and didn’t even get to see him.
…
When Yu Wenli received the message and rushed out, the three of them had already stepped out of the music hall and were preparing to get into a car.
Wen Tingxue was the last one. Perhaps it was a telepathic connection, she turned to look back and met Yu Wenli’s gaze.
Mo Yichen, who had not seen her for a long time, grabbed Wen Tingxue’s wrist and forcefully pulled her into the car, instructing the driver to start.
“What are you doing!” Wen Tingxue angrily pulled her hand away.
Mo Yichen smiled and explained, “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to miss the time. What? Miss Wen, is there something urgent?”
“…”
Compared to the Top Ten Singers, her business was indeed not that significant.
There was no point in mentioning it, and besides, they were not close.
Wen Tingxue leaned her head against the car window dejectedly, looking outside.
Yu Wenli stood on the steps at the entrance, watching the car drive away. Once it was completely out of sight, the dark gloom he had been suppressing in his eyes instantly erupted.
Mo Yichen!
The proud and solitary young man slowly clenched his fists.
“What a lousy celebrity.”
Mo Yichen frowned in displeasure. “Jiang Tu.”
“Ah, ah, ah, got it.” Young Master Jiang nodded impatiently.
Lu Youran silently rolled her eyes in her mind.
What kind of manners!
If she could curse, she would have thoroughly lectured him from top to bottom!
Jiang Tu, playing solo, couldn’t stand even a second in the cold wind.
“Are we still going…”
Before he could finish speaking, Wen Tingxue approached him with her phone. Jiang Tu found her familiar and couldn’t help but lean into Mo Yichen’s ear and ask, “Senior Brother, don’t you think she’s very…”
“Little Yu’s girlfriend.” Mo Yichen replied.
“Ah~” Jiang Tu rubbed his chin and chuckled. “So she’s Yu Wenli’s heart’s desire.”
“What do you want to do?” Mo Yichen stopped him.
Jiang Tu grinned menacingly. “What can I do? Of course, I’ll teach her a lesson!”
As he finished speaking, he pushed Mo Yichen aside and walked towards Wen Tingxue, cracking his knuckles.
My wrist hasn’t been feeling well lately. I’ll make up for what I owe, ahhh, I owe so much.