Chapter Twelve: Someone's looking for torture again.

Leaving aside the laughter of those watching from the sidelines, Sheng Jiaoyang had certainly stirred up a lot of hatred.

From the beginning, Sheng Jiaoyang had no intention of pandering to everyone. If someone pleased her, she would coexist peacefully; if someone disliked her, she would simply stay out of trouble. But anyone who thought she was easy to bully was sorely mistaken. In her entire

life, only two people had bullied her without suffering retaliation: her scheming stepmother and Shen Zhining, the great demon king.

The former didn't have the chance, and the latter didn't dare.

As for the others, they were probably crying somewhere!

The villa was equipped with cameras everywhere except the dressing room, toilet, and bathroom, so she didn't have to worry about anyone making things difficult for her. At most, they'd just talk about her behind her back.

However, although she had stirred up a lot of hatred, not everyone disliked her.

At least the person enjoying the drinks she mixed didn't find her actions arrogant or weak; instead, they found her particularly irritating little expressions quite endearing.

Sipping his delicious cocktail, Zhuo Yiyan silently gave himself a thumbs-up for his decision to give her the pass. His intuition had proven correct; this girl was sure to surprise.

The first person to attempt bartending unsurprisingly failed. The resulting drink was cloudy and unappetizing. And that was it.

Nobody wanted to be the next to embarrass themselves.

The area behind the bar became empty. Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled, leisurely walked back, washed the utensils she had used, and meticulously wiped them clean with tissues. Under everyone's watchful eyes, she made herself a Bloody Mary.

Watching her calmly and methodically prepare the drink, with each step clearly laid out before everyone, some felt they had learned something and were eager to try it themselves.

This time, Sheng Jiaoyang didn't offer any encouragement. She had no intention of joining in the fun and went straight to the top-floor music room.

This villa, rented from whoever, was fully equipped with food, drinks, and entertainment. The top floor even had a music room facing the sea.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, this villa was right by the sea; just a few steps from the back door was the beach.

Because Zhuo Yiyan was there, most of the other contestants were on the first floor, with only a few who were truly exhausted resting in the bedrooms on the second floor. As a result, the music room on the third floor was empty.

As soon as the door was opened, the motion-sensor lights in the music room immediately turned on. In the spacious room, besides decorative potted plants, there was only a three-legged piano placed in front of a large French window.

Sheng Jiaoyang slowly walked over, holding a wine glass. Her left hand rested on the piano lid; it was clear that the room had been cleaned before they moved in, as there wasn't a speck of dust on the lid . She lightly moved her fingers a few times, but didn't open the lid. Instead, she leaned against the piano and looked out the window.

It was already dark, and the view outside was gloomy; the sea view was completely obscured, only her reflection in the glass.

Although she had been Xu Jiaojiao for several days, seeing herself now still felt somewhat unsettling, as if she were looking at a different person.

Sheng Jiaoyang lowered her eyes, took a small sip of wine, the vibrant color of the liquor moisturizing her pale lips. Just moments ago, she had been playful and provocative, but now, separated from the crowd, a sense of loneliness emanated from her.

The carefree, high-spirited life was far behind her. She wasn't worried about her own future; she was only concerned about those who genuinely cared for her. These past two days had been filled with inner conflict. She desperately wanted to reveal her identity to her closest relatives, yet she feared they wouldn't believe her. Even though she had enough money to go find them, the thought suddenly made her hesitate, like a person feeling apprehensive about returning home. She felt somewhat lost.

"Why are you hiding here all alone?" A voice broke the silence of the music room.

Sheng Jiaoyang turned around and saw Zhuo Yiyan enter. Her expression was almost blank.

"Is there a rule that I can't come here?"

Zhuo Yiyan smiled good-naturedly and said, "I forgot to tell you earlier, the drinks you mix are very good."

"Oh," Sheng Jiaoyang replied lazily, showing no particular joy.

Zhuo Yiyan, who had rarely been treated so coldly by a girl since becoming famous, found it quite novel. He gently tapped the piano lid and asked curiously, "I remember during the auditions, you said your family was poor. So, can you tell me where you learned to bartend?"

Hearing this, Sheng Jiaoyang looked up at Zhuo Yiyan and replied playfully, "If I said I learned it in my dreams, would you believe me?"

"Do you even believe it yourself?" Zhuo Yiyan countered.

Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled twice.

"Even you don't believe it, do you think I would?"

"What does it matter to me whether you believe it or not? Everything I know is self-taught. I didn't steal or rob, and I don't need to explain myself to anyone." Sheng Jiaoyang raised an eyebrow slightly.

Hearing this confident statement, Zhuo Yiyan smiled and then said, "The first round of training starts tomorrow. How about it, are you confident?"

"Of course!" Sheng Jiaoyang raised her chin slightly, answering decisively.

The word "retreat" didn't exist in Miss Sheng's dictionary. She loved facing challenges head-on; wasn't life more exciting with challenges?

“It’s good that you’re confident, you…”

“Excuse me, did I disturb you?” A voice interrupted Zhuo Yiyan.

The two looked towards the door, where a girl peeked in. Seeing that they were looking at her, she walked in without waiting for their response.

“I suddenly felt like playing the piano, so I came up. What were you talking about just now?” the girl said as she approached.

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at Zhuo Yiyan and chuckled inwardly.

Zhuo Yiyan happened to see Sheng Jiaoyang’s look and knew without her saying it that she was looking down on him for attracting others.

“Since you’re going to play the piano, I won’t disturb you any longer,” Zhuo Yiyan said, maintaining his gentle demeanor.

“Ah? Mr. Zhuo, could you wait a little longer? I recently learned a piano piece specifically for you and wanted to play it for you.” The girl blinked, looking at Zhuo Yiyan with a pitiful expression, as if she would cry if he didn’t agree.

Zhuo Yiyan’s attitude remained unchanged, simply saying, “Then play.”

The girl’s eyes lit up, and she ran to the piano, saying to Sheng Jiaoyang, who hadn’t yet left, “Excuse me, I’m going to play the piano now, could you please move aside?”

Sheng Jiaoyang’s lips curled into a smile. Holding her wine glass, she took two steps to the side, nodded her chin at the piano, and said, “Go ahead and play.” Compared to Zhuo Yiyan’s gentle tone, her tone was too casual, sounding somewhat arrogant.

The girl secretly glared at Sheng Jiaoyang, finding him quite an eyesore.

Taking a deep breath, the girl opened the piano lid, placed her hands on the ivory-white keys, smiled at Zhuo Yiyan, and began to play the piece she had practiced many times.

The melodious sound of the piano filled the empty room; with each note, a cheerful and pleasant tune lingered in the air.

When the piece ended, the girl hurriedly turned to Zhuo Yiyan, asking expectantly, "Teacher Zhuo, how did I play?"

"Not bad, keep up the good work," Zhuo Yiyan comforted her. He then nodded to the two girls before turning and leaving.

"Teacher Zhuo, my name is Qi Hua!" the girl called after Zhuo Yiyan's retreating figure.

"I'll remember." Zhuo Yiyan paused, then walked out of the practice room.

Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled softly, then took a sip of wine as if to cover it up.

"You and Teacher Zhuo knew each other before?" Qi Hua turned her head sharply, staring at Sheng Jiaoyang.

"I don't know her."

Upon hearing this answer, Qi Hua's expression changed. She looked at Sheng Jiaoyang with disgust and said, "What were you laughing at just now? What right do you have to laugh at me? I could tell from today's opening show that you're very scheming. I didn't expect you to be not only scheming but also shameless, actually flirting with Teacher Zhuo in private."

"Yes, I was laughing at you. If you're not happy, bite me!" Sheng Jiaoyang

's tone was particularly irritating. "You—" Qi Hua stood up abruptly, assuming a fighting stance.

"Please mind your image. The cameras are still filming." Sheng Jiaoyang's words made Qi Hua quickly regain her composure.

Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled, leaned closer, switched the wine glass to her left hand, and extended her right hand past Qi Hua's side. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like she was playing a piano, but in reality, she was just her fingers dancing across the keys, producing a very short melody.

Others might have been confused, but Qi Hua's face immediately changed.

"Girl, keep it up!"

Sheng Jiaoyang whispered meaningfully in Qi Hua's ear before turning and walking away.

Qi Hua's face turned ugly. She stomped her foot angrily as she watched Sheng Jiaoyang's retreating figure.

Damn it!

Glancing at the location of the camera, Qi Hua also hurriedly left the music room.

As for the viewers in the live stream, this part was somewhat confusing. The comments section was filled with question marks, like a seminar.

【What's going on?】

【Can any expert analyze what just happened?】

【Seeking answers +1】

【Why does the piece Xu Jiaojiao just played sound familiar? Is it just my imagination?】

【I wonder what the short-haired girl meant by those few notes.】

【Is there anyone who can play the piano? Please help analyze it!】

【Seeking answers + ID number】

Meanwhile, in a girls' dormitory, two newly formed fans of Jiaojiao were having a heated discussion.

"What did Goddess Xu do?" Fan number one, Liu Lu, was a little confused.

“I think she’s correcting Qi Hua’s mistakes,” the second roommate, the third, judged.

“But isn’t Xu, the goddess, studying painting?” Liu Lu was still confused.

“Who says someone who studies painting can’t play the piano?” The third roommate pushed up her glasses and calmly retorted.

Liu Lu blinked, looking bewildered: “Can one person do two such difficult things well at the same time?”

“No, three,” the third roommate corrected.

“Three? Oh, right, she can also mix drinks.” Liu Lu nodded.

“Don’t judge others by your own standards. There’s no shortage of all-rounders in this world,” the third roommate said.

Liu Lu groaned and sighed, “Damn it, I’m struggling so much with my final exams, and she’s already learned so many skills.”

“You two are really something!”

“You still know there’s an exam? Hurry up and study!!!”

The first and second roommates finally snapped.

The two little fans silently shrank back, turned off their phones, and started preparing for the exam.