My Mister Ostrich

Chapter 56

Pang Qian immediately felt very tacky. Her makeup was just like a monkey’s bottom, and the rattling sequins felt like they belonged on a country bumpkin. Although her costume was decided upon by their head teacher, Pang Qian still felt inferior and ashamed.

She couldn’t help looking over at Xie Yi and Gu Mingxi. The two of them were staring at Xiao Yujing. Actually, it wasn’t just them. Everyone backstage was looking at her.

Xiao Yujing walked over to Gu Mingxi, put down her plastic bag, and picked up her violin case. “Gu Mingxi, wait for me backstage a little, okay? My performance is near the start.”

Gu Mingxi nodded. Xiao Yujing turned to Xie Yi and asked, “Are you ready?”

Xie Yi’s eyebrows jumped. He retorted, “Are you ready yet?”

“I’m ready.” Xiao Yujing pulled out a stick of lipstick from the bag on the floor. Without a mirror, she just applied it onto her lips. After she applied it to both her top and bottom lips, she said, “I can go onstage now.”

Her lips became red. The sharp contrast against her dazzlingly pale skin caused people to be unable to shift their eyes away. Xie Yi realized he was unable to keep the conversation going. He silently picked up his own violin case and walked with Xiao Yujing over to the side of the stage. Theirs was the second performance for Year 2, right after Jiang Zhiya’s duet.

Xie Yi saw Xiao Yujing’s exposed shoulders and arms in the cold air, and couldn’t help asking, “Are you cold?”

Xiao Yujing turned to look at him. “No, not cold.”

Xie Yi didn’t say another word.

Soon it was their turn on stage. Pang Qian pulled Gu Mingxi over to the side of the stage to watch. They’d already watched Xie Yi’s violin performances for 10 years, so there wasn’t any novelty to that. This time, the thing to watch out for was the second violin, Xiao Yujing.

Xiao Yujing and Xie Yi stood next to each other on the stage, their formal attire causing a stir in the crowd. After all, the two of them were both famous around school. Xiao Yujing was the perpetual first place of their year, and Xie Yi was the school heartthrob. Neither stole the limelight away from the other as they stood beside each other. They both shined brilliantly.

The audience held their breaths waiting for the performance to start. Xie Yi lifted his violin to his shoulder and then raised the bow with his right hand. Slowly, the violin sound rang in the air. Xie Yi had studied violin for many years, and he played as if he’d had a very formal education on it. He practiced very rigorously, so whether it was his playing technique, his form as he held his bow, or the posture he stood with, they were all perfect.

An elegant melody poured out from underneath his bow. As Pang Qian watched from afar, she felt that under this graceful sound, the formally clothed Xie Yi looked just like he was filming a beautiful MV (music video). Pang Qian was enraptured listening to him. Unwittingly, she grabbed hold of the jacket she wore, Xie Yi’s jacket. She looked at that faraway handsome boy, and wondered how God could be so generous, giving everything good to him.

Gu Mingxi stood silently beside her the entire time. He could see in her eyes all the perfection and splendor she felt for Xie Yi.

Just as Pang Qian had fallen into the sound of Xie Yi’s violing, another violin sound entered. This violin sounded completely different to Xie Yi’s. Xie Yi’s was gentle, sensible, wonderful, trickling in. And this other sound was wild, burning, powerful, and explosive.

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi were both stunned by the scene before them. The way the elegantly dressed Xiao Yujing played the violin caused everyone to tremble. Her hair swung around, out of control. When the sound of violin was very heavy, she even walked around on the stage as she played. Her long skirt flew around at her feet. Her manner seemed like she was intoxicated, but her gaze was sincere.