If Grace embodied the traditional image of Westerners in the eyes of Chinese people, then the arrival of these four people represented a breaking of that stereotype.
They had reddish-brown hair and brown eyes; only their physique, facial features, and skin tone indicated their Western identities.
All four were men, likely around the age of recent university graduates.
“Hello,” the four greeted Xia Yu and his group of three.
Since there was no English course in the first district, Liu Manman and An Siyao could still understand this commonly used English word.
They replied with a greeting as well.
The two groups smiled at each other in a friendly manner, then the four turned to Grace: “Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow, Grace?”
They spoke in English, which Liu Manman and An Siyao could not understand.
However, Xia Yu, with his English level at LV3, could.
Holding a glass of juice, Xia Yu openly eavesdropped on their conversation.
“What are you up to now?” Grace asked, a tone of helplessness on her face, also speaking in English.
“Just inviting you to breakfast, that’s all. Surely you wouldn’t want to be with these foreigners, right?”
The five of them knew each other.
“That’s my job. I’m working as a hired translator now,” Grace replied.
“Just give a half-hearted effort over there.”
“How could I do that?”
“This is really inconvenient,” one of the four said, somewhat frustrated. “We’ve already told them on that side to have you serve as our translator. Why were you still assigned to this group of Asians?”
“Probably because the organizers think that people who speak English are in the second district and don’t need a translator,” Xia Yu interjected in English.
This statement startled the five, not because of the logic in the words, but because the speaker wasn’t any of the five.
They turned to Xia Yu in surprise.
Xia Yu smiled slightly and raised his glass of juice toward them.
Instinctively, the five raised their glasses as well and took a sip.
The cool beverage helped them calm down.
Their faces turned slightly embarrassed.
Although they hadn’t said anything outright offensive, their words weren’t exactly kind either.
“We’re really sorry,” the five apologized to Xia Yu.
It was quite a shock to assume someone couldn’t understand them, only to find out he understood perfectly.
“Your English is really good,” the five awkwardly continued the conversation.
“Thank you,” Xia Yu replied. Seeing their expressions, he felt quite pleased.
It might be wrong to find joy in someone else’s pain, but it’s perfectly acceptable to find amusement in their shock and embarrassment.
After exchanging a few more awkward sentences, the four turned and left.
Once they were gone, Liu Manman hooked her arm around Xia Yu’s neck. “You actually know English too?”
“Just learned it a little,” Xia Yu wasn’t lying—he had only studied for about eight hours.
But Liu Manman didn’t believe him: “I admit you’re a genius in music, but how can someone just ‘learn a little’ and suddenly master a foreign language? Why did you learn English anyway?”
In the previous world, due to technological and national strength factors, English was almost a necessity for the elite. But in this world, Chinese and English held equal status.
Except for those planning to study abroad or work as translators, few people bothered to learn English.
If Xia Yu couldn’t come up with a convincing reason, Liu Manman wouldn’t believe him.
Grace was also clearly curious.
Only An Siyao remained quietly by the side.
“Because I had a British online friend, so I learned a bit,” Xia Yu casually made up a reason.
“I see, it was a girl, right?” Liu Manman immediately imagined an entire scenario.
Judging from Grace’s expression, she seemed to believe it too.
This kind of lying method—saying half and leaving the rest for others to imagine, especially when planting a hint of drama—was really quite convenient.
After chatting for a while, two more people approached them.
This time, it was two Chinese people, clearly heading toward Xia Yu’s group of three.
As they drew closer, Xia Yu sensed a faint discomfort. His intuition told him these two were hostile.
Xia Yu had never met these two before, so it couldn’t be due to any past conflicts. It must have been related to interests.
There were two teams in the first district: their group of three and this duo approaching them.
Were they hoping that without Xia Yu’s group, they would be the center of attention?
If that was indeed their motive, then they were not only petty but also foolish.
The first district would definitely have two team spots, which was politically correct. Even without Xia Yu’s group, there would certainly be other teams.
The two did a decent job of putting on a facade—they approached with smiling faces.
Xia Yu had already investigated the participants beforehand and knew their identities. They were the Gu brothers, twins aged twenty-nine. One played the hammered dulcimer, the other the erhu. Individually, their skills weren’t particularly outstanding, but their duets were quite impressive.
After exchanging a few meaningless sentences, the Gu brothers finally couldn’t hold back their true feelings and subtly laced their words with barbs:
“We’ve listened to the first two pieces you submitted. Combining Eastern and Western instruments is okay, but playing with Western instruments is just for fun. If you keep practicing them, your skills will deteriorate. After all, those are things for Westerners.”
Their words directly attacked An Siyao, who played the piano, and indirectly insulted Xia Yu, who mastered the piano, cello, and guzheng.
Only Liu Manman was unaffected by their remarks, but her teammates being belittled still made her unable to stay calm.
Xia Yu never expected to encounter musical racism.
He stopped Liu Manman, who wanted to respond, from engaging in this topic.
This wasn’t a debate—it was verbal attack, also known as an argument. Arguments didn’t require logic; they only needed to strike at the opponent’s emotional weaknesses to provoke anger.
“It’s fine. We’re still young; wasting a few years doesn’t matter. But you two seniors are getting older. You should focus more in the future.”
Xia Yu’s words struck a nerve with the Gu brothers. They were eleven years older than Xia Yu’s group, nearly double their age, yet both groups stood on the same stage.
The Gu brothers felt Xia Yu was mocking their talent. Individually, their skills were indeed not impressive. In a solo performance, they couldn’t even defeat the weakest among them—Liu Manman.
This was their sore spot. Their provocation also stemmed from jealousy toward the natural talent of Xia Yu’s group.
Their faces flushed red. They wanted to retaliate but couldn’t find suitable words, so they swallowed their anger and stormed off.
The two brothers exchanged words:
“Brother, that guy was too much!”
“It’s fine. Them using Western instruments works in our favor. We are the true inheritors of Chinese music. Once we create some hype, we’ll definitely gain a lot of attention.”
Unfortunately, personal achievements have little to do with one’s character. Whether in business, politics, or even philosophy, there are always some morally corrupt individuals among the elite.
The Gu brothers were exactly this kind of people.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage