128: The girl who lost her composure

"Xiao Yan, do you like it very much?"

Suddenly, a man appeared behind Tao Yan, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Why are you here!"

The girl looked at the boy who had suddenly appeared, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before she quickly approached and hugged him.

"Didn't you say you might have a performance this afternoon? I just came to check.

Do you really like this piano?

If you like it, how about I buy it for you?"

Tao Yan shook her head repeatedly.

"No, it's too expensive. Do you know how much this piano costs?"

The man smiled and patted Tao Yan's head.

"A couple of hundred thousand, I can afford that."

"This piano costs over 1.2 million."

The man suddenly looked up. "Over 1.2 million? Your school is quite generous!"

"Someone donated it. They didn't just donate a piano; they also donated a new piano room, and that room is the biggest of all the practice rooms."

"In that case, Xiao Yan will have a new, better piano room."

"It's not necessarily mine yet."

"My Xiao Yan is the prettiest here and plays the piano the best. If they don't give it to you, who will? If the leaders here don't give it to you, it means they're blind."

"Su Hang, if I still want to play the piano after I graduate, will you support me?"

"Of course. This is your dream, how could I not support you?"

"Thank you."

"Why are you being so polite with me? You are my Girlfriend. Even if no one else supports you, I will."

While the two were talking, five or six people walked into the auditorium, and one of them was Ni Zixin.

"So this is the 1.2 million steinway! This is the first time I've seen the actual instrument. Zixin, hurry, go up and play a bit. Let me hear what kind of piano is worth 1.2 million."

"That might not be good. Teacher Song said we can only play it during the afternoon performance."

"What's the big deal? Whether you play it this afternoon or now, doesn't it still mean you get to play it?"

Ni Zixin naturally knew who donated the piano, but her classmates didn't. At this moment, the girl keeping the secret couldn't help but feel a hint of secret joy, hearing that Teacher Song said he would come over this afternoon and specifically designated her to perform on this 1.2 million piano.

"He might be a little bit of a playboy, but he is the best man."

The girl thought this to herself, and encouraged by the crowd, she approached the stage step by step.

"What are you doing!"

Tao Yan's voice was unusually raised several pitches, and a rare look of anger appeared on her face.

This was the first time she had lost her composure like this.

She quickly approached Ni Zixin and blocked her path.

"What are you doing?"

She asked again.

"Playing the piano, what's wrong?"

Ni Zixin didn't speak; the girls behind her spoke first.

"You cannot play this piano."

To outsiders, Tao Yan's words sounded like a command, which instantly displeased the other girls. They didn't particularly like her on normal days, as she always seemed condescending.

In terms of piano technique and ability, they believed they were no worse than Tao Yan; the only thing they couldn't compare to was her looks.

But the situation was different now. Ni Zixin, who was previously inferior to them, now had a chance to perform, and having such an expensive piano designated for Ni Zixin's performance undoubtedly reignited their hopes.

"Why can't we play it? Teacher Song said Zixin is performing this afternoon. It's not like *we* are playing it. What does it matter if Zixin plays it?

Or do you think everything good must belong to you, and we can't even think about it, let alone touch it! Is that it?"

"Just talk, don't be so sarcastic. When did Teacher Song say Ni Zixin was performing? Why don't I know about it?"

"Of course you wouldn't know. Usually, when there's something important, people contact you separately. How would you ever check the group messages!"

Su Hang frowned and stepped forward.

"Shut up! Can you speak properly? Is that how you talk?"

Su Hang's sudden appearance startled the girl, but only for a moment. Immediately afterward, she glared back at Su Hang.

"Who are you? What business is it of yours when we talk!"

"Xiao Yan's Boyfriend tonight."

"Boyfriend? Is having a Boyfriend a big deal? We're talking about the matter at hand. Why are you interrupting? Trying to be a hero? This isn't your house!"

The girl's voice rose several pitches, giving Su Hang a headache. He wasn't good at arguing with girls, but Tao Yan ignored them completely and pulled out her phone to check the group messages.

Teacher Song had indeed sent a message.

"Performance this afternoon, location is the auditorium, performer Ni Zixin, prepare yourselves."

"Teacher, Teacher, is the performance using that 1.2 million steinway?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations, Zixin."

...Followed by a string of congratulations, and then a series of discussions. Tao Yan had actually glanced at the message when it was first sent, but the subsequent messages came too quickly, so she assumed it was just people chatting idly in the group again and didn't pay much attention.

But seeing this message now, she felt bewildered and somewhat unable to accept it.

She looked at the piano again, and then immediately rushed out of the auditorium.

Song Shulu was tidying her attire in front of the office mirror. She had adjusted it several times, hoping to see a younger version of herself in the reflection. Although she wasn't very old, there was still a gap when compared to Shen Qian, who was in his early twenties.

This often made her feel a little self-conscious.

Tao Yan's sudden appearance interrupted her actions and caused her expression to turn cold.

"Tao Yan, this is my office. Knocking before entering a teacher's office is basic courtesy!"

"Teacher Song, I think this is unreasonable. Why Ni Zixin!"

Song Shulu didn't reply. Instead, she sat down and quietly watched the other party. After a standoff of about 30 seconds, she finally spoke slowly.

"Why can't it be her?"

"This isn't fair..."

"Fair? What is fair? Is it fair to give all performance opportunities to you? Is it fair to prioritize all resources toward you?

Tao Yan, it's time you let your classmates have a turn."

"But why specifically Ni Zixin? Whether it's technique or anything else, she's so much worse than me. Why her, specifically!"

"I think her recent performance has been great. This shows that many students have infinite potential if given the chance."

"She just changed her hairstyle and looks a bit more energetic. How is that different!"

"Tao Yan! Watch your tone when speaking to me! Who performs, who uses which practice room, who gets the opportunity—that is all decided by me, not you!

I am speaking nicely to you, but it's not because I'm afraid of you!"

Only then did Tao Yan realize she had been overly agitated and forgotten that she was facing a teacher.

"I'm sorry, Teacher Song, I lost my composure."

"Hmph. Allowing Ni Zixin to use this piano was the donor's wish. The donor gave such an expensive piano; our academy can't possibly refuse to grant him even this small request, can we?"

"How could that be?"