7: Being kicked out of the house

She walked step by step to the center of the stage, a large tiered classroom with seats encircling the central circular stage.

"Zoe, is she that elusive genius?"

"Probably! Not only do the composition teachers like her, but the vocal teachers also praise her, saying she has an exceptional voice and great talent."

"She's too low-key! I heard she was admitted to the five-year combined bachelor's and master's program without an exam, but I've never seen her perform publicly."

"Maybe she's busy practicing! I heard she's double-majoring in three fields. Just studying vocal music almost killed me, and she's taking on several of the academy's top programs. She truly is a monster."

"Leaving aside her academic performance, I'm just curious what she looks like. You, the vocal student, have you ever seen her face?"

"No, I haven't. She always wears a mask in class. Do you think it's because she has scars on her face or something?"

"Perhaps! Otherwise, she wouldn't avoid every public performance."

...

Although the assessment teachers were also curious about her appearance, artists often have their quirks, and everyone is different, so they could understand.

Since she didn't want to show her face, they wouldn't demand it. As long as she completed her coursework, that was fine. Here, only ability spoke.

Ranking first in the world for performing arts universities, and consistently dominating the charts, it had its own character.

"Zoe, the song you need to perform this time is xxxx. When you're ready, please begin!"

This song was a famous piece in this world. Every parallel world had its own works, and she had studied it very seriously. If she ever transmigrated back, she could still make a living, right?

She adjusted the microphone stand to fit her height, then nodded to signal the accompaniment to begin.

"xxxx"

The characteristic of this song was its ethereal and melodious quality. Her voice had been finely tuned, and her musical range was wide, allowing for a versatile voice. Otherwise, she wouldn't have passed the academy's entrance exam so easily.

"Is this the strength of the number one? So amazing!"

"Her voice is so beautiful. I wish I had a voice like that."

"Haven't you noticed her incredibly strong vocal technique? She can perfectly control high, mid, and low notes. It's incredible!"

....

Running back and forth between two places was quite annoying, so she focused on diligent study, just wanting to finish her courses early and lie around at home.

By 2015, she was an adult but still hadn't completed all her courses. Now, she somewhat regretted choosing piano as a major.

Vocal and composition were successfully completed with all A's, meeting graduation requirements. Only piano was a bit demanding and required hard work, but fortunately, she could apply for off-campus practical experience.

Music, after all, couldn't produce good results by working in isolation. Her mentors also strongly supported her application for off-campus practice.

She had three mentors, all Grammy selection committee members, whose strength was exceptionally high.

This would also be her network for breaking into America later. Without connections, it would be truly difficult to make it in the European and American entertainment scene.

Freedom and such were just nonsense. Reality was that it was more about connections than anywhere else, otherwise, where would so many families come from?

After lying around at home for three months, Xu Wen finally couldn't take it anymore. "You're supposed to be gaining experience, and this is how you do it?"

"Don't want to move!" She rolled over and continued lying down, playing her game.

"You say connections are everything in domestic entertainment, so why don't you try the neighboring Peninsula? Surely you can make it there, right?"

"Not interested!"

When she first arrived, she swore she would become famous, but humans have one major characteristic: they're fickle. Now, she just wanted to lie flat. If she got bored, she'd release some songs. As long as they became popular, that was enough, right?

If they didn't, it was fine too. She could finally sell songs openly, without any restrictions, doing whatever felt comfortable. To hell with the girl group dream.

Seeing her still in that listless state, Xu Wen walked over and pulled her up. "If you're not going to do that, then come practice combat with me. You haven't practiced much in the past two years. Let's see if you've gotten rusty?"

"No, no, no, I have something to do!" Hearing that scared her into a shiver. She had been beaten to death as a child, and now that she was older, it would be a miracle if she held back.

Actual combat was the best test of strength. No matter how much she practiced in private, she had never actually fought someone; she just took beatings.

"Seriously, I'm counting on you to become a big star and bring me glory! Your constant lying around makes me so desperate!"

"Sis, it's not that I don't want to go. Look at the companies you found; they treat me like a pampered lord. Is that going to work?"

"That's why I told you to go to the Peninsula. It's close, just a two-to-three-hour flight. There, you can rely on yourself."

"Is my skill level suitable for a girl group?"

"What's unsuitable about it? Didn't you always clamor about debuting in a girl group when you grew up? It's a good chance to meet some friends. Your social circle is terrifyingly narrow."

"Mom and Dad won't allow it, right?" To be honest, she was actually a little tempted. This life, she didn't care about anything, but in her previous life, being a trainee for ten years left her with some regrets.

Besides, her dancing was quite strong. Juilliard also had dance classes, which she happily crashed. It would be a shame not to jump around a bit.

"I'll take you tomorrow. Which company do you want to go to?"

She just wanted to get this done while her parents were away for a few days. The old couple would definitely not agree without even thinking about it.

But there was truly no other way. All her acquired knowledge couldn't just go to waste, could it? She clearly had the makings of a superstar; joining an orchestra would be somewhat regrettable.

Her younger sister had truly become breathtakingly beautiful after growing up. The neighbors often brought their children over to visit, but she didn't give them any face.

They didn't even look at themselves; they still fantasized about seducing her sister. Anyway, with her around, her sister wouldn't think about dating before she was thirty.

She was just afraid her sister was too naive and would be deceived, with nowhere to cry when that happened. Once she had more experience and discernment, she wouldn't interfere, but not now.

This was also something they had agreed upon. They even signed an agreement. She didn't believe in any romantic love. Anyone who dared to deceive her sister would be utterly destroyed, even if it meant losing her own reputation.

Xu Zhiyou was completely indifferent. She also didn't believe in any romantic love, nor did she want to make money. She just wanted to be a quiet 'salted fish.'

Soon, the two of them quietly made their way to Korea. It was 2015, and the domestic economy was rapidly taking off. Seoul didn't feel that developed, though.

"Have you decided which company to go to?"

"Let's leave it to fate! We'll just walk, and whichever company we encounter first, we'll go there."

"Uh! Do you have to be so laid-back? This will most likely be where you spend a long time. Be a little more cautious!"

"So what? We don't even know if I can get along with the other trainees. Why choose? Let's just go with the flow!"

Anyway, in this life, she wouldn't force herself to please anyone, even after debuting. If people wanted to watch, they could; otherwise, they could get lost. She just wanted to jump around a bit and fulfill her wish.

"If you go, you better work hard. If you run back halfway, I'll throw you directly into the sewer. I'll probably get a beating from Mom when I go back. Is this how you repay me?"

"Huh???"

She hadn't considered that. Her older sister was also taking a risk.