Chapter 108: The Final

“Oh!” You Xue was startled, quickly took a few steps to create some distance, and then looked back anxiously.

What she saw was Xia Yu, wearing a mischievous grin.

“Don’t scare me like that!” The girl puffed her cheeks.

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to scare me first?” Xia Yu flattened her puffed cheeks with his hand, feeling amused.

He turned to the Chinese teacher beside him, “Sorry for the trouble, teacher.”

“No problem,” the Chinese teacher waved his hand, “It was the principal who asked me to bring your sister here. Let me tell you, when he called me yesterday, he was so happy he almost laughed like a pig.”

“What are you saying!”

The principal suddenly appeared from behind the Chinese teacher, startling him.

The Chinese teacher didn’t notice the warning tone in the principal’s voice. He thought the principal was really asking what he had just said, so he repeated it:

“I said that yesterday when I received your call, I heard you giggling on the other end without speaking. I thought you had gone to visit a pig farm.”

The principal’s face turned slightly red. He glared at the Chinese teacher, regretting that he shouldn’t have made that threat. He should have known better, considering how low his friend’s emotional intelligence was.

He turned to Xia Yu again: “Do your best in the competition. I’m already working on getting you recommended to Huada University.”

Thinking about how he had begged his wife for a long time the previous night, promising a series of unfair treaties just to get that recommendation, the principal’s mood became complicated.

He had initially only hoped Xia Yu could compete against the second school, his longtime rival, without performing too poorly. At best, he had hoped Xia Yu could advance to the second round.

But Xia Yu not only entered the second round, he continued to progress rapidly, reaching the third round and even the final.

The promise of a recommendation to Huada University had initially been just a way to motivate Xia Yu. He never expected that Xia Yu would actually make it to the final and fulfill the agreement.

However, a real man must stand by his word. Even if it meant fulfilling his wife’s outrageous demands, he still had to get things done.

He heard there was a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Afang that served a secret medicinal recipe called “Lion’s Waist.” He must remember to take some nourishing supplements in the next few days to prepare.

After saying goodbye to Xia Yu, the principal took the Chinese teacher with him to the herbal medicine shop.

Xia Yu first brought You Xue to his room. Besides a bedroom, the room also had a living room, so there was no problem accommodating the two of them.

After You Xue finished unpacking her luggage, Xia Yu hesitated. His original plan was to go see Xia Dongyang, but now he had You Xue with him.

As he was troubled, You Xue spoke up: “Brother, I heard Dad is here too.”

Had that guy told You Xue as well?

Probably went to his house looking for him and ended up being questioned by You Xue.

Putting aside his hesitation, Xia Yu took You Xue with him towards the construction site.

After getting off the taxi, he found the site supervisor based on the information provided by his childhood friend.

“You are Xia Yu! It really is you!” The fat supervisor, wearing a safety helmet and supervising the workers, was excited.

He took off his safety helmet and gloves, took out his phone, and asked Xia Yu: “Can I take a photo with you? My daughter likes you. I want to make her jealous.”

Never expecting to meet the father of one of his fans, Xia Yu agreed.

After taking a couple of photos, the supervisor took out two brand new safety helmets and asked Xia Yu and You Xue to put them on.

Everyone entering the construction site must wear a safety helmet; it was a rule.

He led the two to the back area and pointed to the workers ahead: “Xia Dongyang is there. Should I call him for you?”

“No need,” Xia Yu stopped the supervisor.

He had only come to check things out, to prevent Xia Dongyang from causing any trouble. He didn’t want to get involved unnecessarily.

Scanning through the group of workers ahead, Xia Yu spotted Xia Dongyang. He was wearing a dusty outfit, a safety helmet, and holding a brick clamp, sweating heavily as he carried bricks.

Could it be that this guy had really changed his ways?

Previously, he wouldn’t even carry a microwave from downstairs to upstairs.

After asking the supervisor a few more questions, Xia Yu learned that Xia Dongyang wasn’t living alone. He had a woman and a child with him.

While resting in a nearby coffee shop, when the work ended for the day, Xia Yu and You Xue followed Xia Dongyang to the urban village where he lived.

Standing in front of an old, plain house, Xia Dongyang knocked on the door. A beautiful woman scolded him while using a towel to wipe the dust off his body before allowing him inside.

If Kong Hanyue had treated Xia Dongyang like this, she would have been beaten up long ago, yet Xia Dongyang remained calm and even smiled.

It was unbelievable.

He had thought this guy was nothing but a pleasure-seeking scoundrel, but now he was actually being tied down by a woman?

He even went to the construction site to carry bricks for this woman?

What about the child the supervisor mentioned?

Frowning, Xia Yu sensed something was off. He called the supervisor again, who asked some workers who were close to Xia Dongyang and obtained more information.

The woman and child were from Zilang, brought by Xia Dongyang.

So this guy hadn’t run away alone—he had fled with his wife and daughter.

That child was probably her illegitimate daughter.

Previously, Xia Dongyang always spent his salary every month. Xia Yu had originally thought it was because he drank it all away, but now it seemed more likely he had been financially supporting another family.

The supervisor continued: “One of the workers asked out of curiosity, and it turned out Xia Dongyang and that woman are legally married.”

Listening attentively, You Xue heard this too, and her face turned pale.

Neither she nor Xia Yu had ever heard about Xia Dongyang’s remarriage. If they had obtained the marriage certificate after Xia Dongyang ran away, it would have been understandable. But it was more likely that the marriage had happened earlier, hidden from both Xia Yu and You Xue.

“Brother,” You Xue felt wronged, tears streaming down her face.

She could accept Kong Hanyue leaving her and Xia Dongyang leaving her too. But now she had learned that Xia Dongyang had another daughter, and he preferred to take his new daughter with him instead of her.

“It’s okay. We’re better off without this bastard,” Xia Yu wiped You Xue’s tears and took her away from there.

On the way, Xia Yu couldn’t calm his mind either. It wasn’t that he felt any lingering attachment to Xia Dongyang, but he was surprised that someone like Xia Dongyang could find love and a partner, transforming from someone who wouldn’t even carry a microwave to someone working hard at a construction site every day.

His mind flashed through many images—Tina, Youxiang, Yan Wei…—finally settling on An Siyao.

…

Two days later, the final competition began, with ten contestants arriving at the venue.

After entering the venue, he received a game notification and obtained a skill level-up card.

This card could forcibly increase the level of any skill below level 5 by one level.

Putting the card aside, Xia Yu looked at An Siyao.

An Siyao seemed somewhat listless.

He didn’t immediately perform the body switch—at least not until after they finished playing their piece. An Siyao’s piano skills were something Xia Yu couldn’t imitate; there was a whole level difference between them.

Xia Yu was first. He changed into Hanfu, walked onto the stage, and pressed the first note of the E ending.

During these five days, aside from spending some time searching for Xia Dongyang, he had been practicing the E ending under the guidance of Liu Ronglan. A day ago, he had already become proficient at playing it.