CHAPTER 366: 153 EXPOSED! WHO IS THE REAL WINNER OF THE PIANO COMPETITION?_2

Jiang Han sighed softly and turned his gaze towards the window.

Qi Baotan was repeating her studies at the Chunzhou City First High School’s repetition class. The school was only five or six bus stops away from the Yunding Apartments where she currently lived, and it was even faster if driving.

Qi Baotan pulled open the car door and jumped out. Turning back, she waved with a smile, "Brother Jiang, see you later."

The man nodded slightly.

The car door closed.

Qi Baotan turned and walked towards the school gate.

"Baotan." A round-faced girl ran over cheerfully, intimately looping her arm around Qi Baotan’s.

The girl’s eyes subtly glanced toward the black car that disappeared into traffic. "Was the person who just dropped you off a family member?"

It had been a Mercedes business-class vehicle.

After the official cast list for "Jianghu Smile" was released, as a newcomer under Cen’s talent management, Qi Baotan naturally garnered substantial media attention. Now, she was the focus of widespread attention in school; even having lunch in the cafeteria would attract crowds.

However, Qi Baotan was a person who liked to keep a low profile. She refused the security services and private car offered by the company. At present, she was a student preparing for exams, not a celebrity.

Qi Baotan frowned slightly and withdrew her arm. "No."

"Then is it your friend?" The girl pressed eagerly.

Qi Baotan took a deep breath and replied stiffly, "A company car, gave me a ride since it was on the way."

"Baotan, you’ve already signed with a company? Which entertainment company did you sign with?"

No matter how good-tempered Qi Baotan was, she couldn’t hold back anymore. "Does it have anything to do with you?"

The girl froze, looking somewhat aggrieved. "Baotan, if you don’t want to say, then fine, I won’t ask anymore, alright? It seems like it must be some no-name company anyway; otherwise, you wouldn’t be so secretive about it."

What kind of "Cen talent" was Qi Baotan anyway? That title should belong to Luuo Yunqi, whose position in the cast fell only behind Ru Caiying and Pu Yutai. Luuo Yunqi was the real Cen talent.

As for Qi Baotan, she was nothing but a minor side character far down the cast list. It was lucky that any company even bothered to sign her.

"Zhu Xing, the math teacher is checking homework during the first period today. Have you finished your exercises yet?"

The girl’s face turned pale. "I fell asleep while working on them last night... Baotan, did you finish yours? Could you lend them to me to look at?"

The math teacher was a tyrant, merciless in tormenting the students.

No one in the class dared not fear him.

At the beginning of the semester, Qi Baotan scored last in their first placement test. Zhu Xing hadn’t given her a second thought back then.

Later, though, Qi Baotan somehow got hold of a "secret formula" and her grades shot up dramatically.

In the past few simulation exams, her results steadily improved each time.

Even the harsh math teacher treated her kindly, often calling her to his office for one-on-one sessions to provide extra coaching. No other student enjoyed this sort of treatment.

Qi Baotan’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Sorry, I can’t lend them to you."

Zhu Xing stamped her foot and hurried off towards the school with quick steps.

Qi Baotan sneered. She had never seen anyone so lacking in boundaries.

Shaking her head, she briskly walked into the school.

~

——I just saw Rong Xianning staring at a lollipop for a long while. Does he want one? Shows he’s still just a kid after all.

Shen You’an stared at her phone, her gaze lingering on the word "lollipop."

The crease between her brow deepened into the shape of an arch.

Something flashed across her mind, a faint idea she almost grasped, but before she could catch it, someone suddenly clapped her shoulder from behind.

"What’re you looking at? So engrossed."

Shen You’an closed her phone and slid it into her pocket, replying blandly, "Nothing."

With the abrupt interruption, her thoughts dissipated like smoke, leaving no trace.

"How’s your piano practice coming along? Why don’t you come over to my house tonight? My piano’s practically rusting; it’ll be perfect for you to rehearse with."

Something came to mind for Shen You’an, and she raised a brow, agreeing readily.

Seeing this unusual willingness from Shen You’an, Gao Yuyue immediately sent a message to her household assistant, instructing her to tidy up the piano room.

The two walked into the classroom, directly meeting Qin Xiangge’s gaze.

Qin Xiangge raised her chin slightly, her look proud and dismissive. Her eyes skimmed past Shen You’an as a mocking grin spread across her lips, as if she were watching a clown perform.

Hao Yun, who was like a worm in Qin Xiangge’s belly, immediately jumped in to sneer, "The New Year’s Eve performance is getting closer and closer. Some people should just admit defeat early. Otherwise, not only will they embarrass themselves but also drag down all of us in Class A."

Gao Yuyue was about to speak, but Shen You’an glanced at her and shook her head lightly.

Ren Chong, finding the duo’s performance tiresome, stood up and said, "Hao Yun, what’s with that snide tone? How do you know Shen You’an can’t play the piano? The New Year’s Eve performance isn’t here yet, so don’t jump to conclusions. I trust Shen You’an—her equestrian skills are outstanding, and I believe she’ll surprise us!"