WG - 8

A summer homework priced at ten thousand yuan was exorbitant.

No one would pay.

Therefore, Chi Zhiyu kindly offered Li Taoran Xie Ye’s homework for free, letting him reference it.

Anyway, it was just formulas. Whether he could solve them depended on his own luck.

“What nonsense is this?”

Li Taoran was utterly baffled. “You’re saying you dragged me all the way here for nothing?”

Xie Ye leaned back lazily in his seat, completely unfazed. “If I had something important to say, I wouldn’t have forgotten it.”

“...”

Li Taoran stared at him, incredulous. “So you’re telling me you made me come here just because you felt like it?”

Xie Ye shrugged indifferently. “You could say that.”

“Unbelievable.” Li Taoran sighed deeply, shaking his head as if he’d given up trying to understand Xie Ye’s logic. “You really are something else.”

From their position in the back row of the auditorium, they had a clear view of the stage below. The large hall was gradually filling with people—students, teachers, and even some outsiders who had come to watch the performance. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.

Li Taoran glanced around, noting the growing crowd. “Well, since we’re already here, might as well enjoy the show.”

Xie Ye didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the stage. His expression remained indifferent, but there was a faint flicker of interest in his eyes as he watched the preparations unfold.

________________________________________

Meanwhile, on the stage, Chi Zhiyu and Jiang Jinxu were rehearsing their duet. Their movements were fluid and synchronized, each step executed with precision. Despite the casual tone she often adopted offstage, Chi Zhiyu was entirely focused now, her body moving almost instinctively to the rhythm of the music.

Jiang Jinxu, too, was fully immersed in the practice. His demeanor was calm and composed, but there was an undeniable intensity in his gaze as he partnered with Chi Zhiyu. They worked seamlessly together, their chemistry evident even during these final rehearsals.

Wu Xuan stood nearby, observing them with a small smile. She had finished her warm-up earlier and was now stretching lightly, keeping an eye on her friend. Noticing Chi Zhiyu glance toward the back of the hall, Wu Xuan followed her line of sight and spotted two familiar figures sitting in the shadows.

She chuckled softly. “Looks like your audience has arrived.”

Chi Zhiyu paused mid-movement, turning slightly to see Xie Ye and Li Taoran seated in the back row. Her lips curved into a faint smirk. “They’re early.”

“They seem pretty comfortable,” Wu Xuan remarked, amused. “Especially that one—” she pointed subtly at Xie Ye, who was slouched in his seat, looking utterly unconcerned about the world around him.

Chi Zhiyu rolled her eyes. “That’s just how he is. Nothing fazes him.”

“Still,” Wu Xuan teased, lowering her voice, “I bet he’s here for more than just the performance.”

“Oh?” Chi Zhiyu raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. “And what makes you say that?”

Wu Xuan grinned mischievously. “Call it intuition.”

Before Chi Zhiyu could respond, Jiang Jinxu approached, interrupting their conversation. “Are you ready to run through the routine again?”

“Sure,” Chi Zhiyu replied, straightening up. She cast one last glance toward the back of the hall before refocusing on the task at hand.

________________________________________

Back in the audience, Li Taoran leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he observed the dancers on stage. “Not bad,” he commented casually. “Zhiyu’s always been good, but Jiang Jinxu seems pretty decent too.”

Xie Ye didn’t respond immediately. His attention was fixed on Chi Zhiyu, though his expression gave nothing away. After a moment, he finally spoke, his tone measured. “They’ve practiced enough.”

Li Taoran snorted. “You sound like you’re critiquing them. Ever consider joining the arts yourself?”

“No,” Xie Ye replied bluntly. “Dance isn’t my thing.”

“Right, because you’re too busy being mysterious and aloof,” Li Taoran shot back, earning himself a sharp look from Xie Ye.

Ignoring the jab, Xie Ye shifted slightly in his seat, his gaze still trained on the stage. “If you’re so interested, why don’t you try out next time?”

“Ha!” Li Taoran laughed dryly. “Me? On stage? That’ll be the day.”

Their banter continued in hushed tones, punctuated by occasional bursts of laughter from Li Taoran. Meanwhile, the rehearsal on stage grew more intense as the performers prepared for the upcoming evaluation.

________________________________________

As the music swelled and the dancers moved gracefully across the stage, Chi Zhiyu couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The choreography was challenging, but she and Jiang Jinxu had practiced tirelessly to perfect every detail. Even now, she found herself analyzing their movements, searching for areas to improve.

Her thoughts briefly drifted to the figure in the back row. She wondered if Xie Ye was paying attention or if he was simply going through the motions of being present. Knowing him, it was probably the latter.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she focused on the rhythm of the music and the intricate steps of the dance. For now, nothing else mattered.

The rehearsal ended with a flourish, leaving the performers breathless but exhilarated. As they gathered to discuss any last-minute adjustments, Chi Zhiyu caught sight of Li Taoran waving enthusiastically from the audience.

She smiled faintly, acknowledging his enthusiasm before turning back to her teammates. Whatever happened next, she was ready.

Li Taoran was thoroughly exasperated, but then he suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked in a low tone, “Don’t tell me you didn’t actually have anything to talk to me about and just tricked me into coming here?”

Xie Ye lazily opened his eyes and glanced at him. “Are you not going to do your homework?”

“?”

“In broad daylight? What’s the point?” Li Taoran shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve got plenty of time tonight anyway. School doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

But as soon as he said that, Li Taoran realized something was off. “Wait, I’m asking you a question, and you’re deflecting with another one?”

“I can ask whatever I want,” Xie Ye replied coolly. “Got a problem with that?”

“...” Li Taoran was momentarily speechless, stunned by Xie Ye’s blatant disregard for manners.

Meanwhile, the first group of art students had taken the stage for their evaluation.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Li Taoran looked up briefly, not spotting any familiar faces. He turned to Xie Ye and asked, “When’s Pool Girl coming on?”

Xie Ye: “Ask her yourself.”

“...”

“She didn’t mention a time earlier, did she?” Li Taoran thought back and confirmed that Chi Zhiyu hadn’t specified when she’d perform.

But then another thought struck him. “Who’s Pool Girl dancing with for this duet?”

At this, Xie Ye clicked his tongue impatiently. “Why do you have so many questions?”

“?” Li Taoran stared blankly. “I’ve only asked three things so far!”

Perhaps irritated by the constant questioning, Xie Ye ignored him and instead focused his attention forward.

On stage, the familiar figure of Chi Zhiyu stepped gracefully onto the platform, clad in a light-colored practice dress. Her face was bare of makeup, yet her features remained striking—elegant and aloof. Her cold gaze swept over the audience below, distant and detached.

Her neck was slender and pale, leading down to a perfectly proportioned body—narrow waist, long legs, impeccable proportions.

When Li Taoran saw Chi Zhiyu, he froze for a moment. Then, noticing the boy beside her, he raised an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s Jiang Jinxu.”

He nodded approvingly. “Not bad, not bad. They really are a match made in—”

Smack.

A sharp, crisp sound interrupted him mid-sentence.

Li Taoran’s words died abruptly as he felt the sting on his chin. His jaw dropped in disbelief.

Xie Ye calmly retracted his hand, blew on his palm, and said indifferently, “Mosquito.”